Chapter 176

Amidst everyone's anticipation, the chat group notification finally rang.

[Selection completed!]

[Third place: Seventh Hokage Uzumaki Naruto!]

"Ah?" Fifth Hokage Kakashi questioned incredulously, his single eye widening slightly beneath his mask.

"No, I heard that right!" Minato affirmed with surprise, his expression reflecting both astonishment and pride.

"Naruto, how did you get so lucky?" Kakashi wondered aloud, his usual calm demeanor momentarily disrupted by genuine curiosity.

Upon hearing the announcement of the third-place candidate, all the Hokages present were dumbfounded. No one had expected it—it was Naruto who had secured the third place!

Was this even plausible? Unlike the other contenders, Naruto was participating in this mission for the first time. He had only joined the meeting a few days ago and was new to missions across the Multiverse. Achieving such remarkable results in his debut left the members in awe and surprise.

They all looked at Naruto, trying to comprehend how he had accomplished it. While the top two rankings seemed reasonable—1st, 2nd, and 3rd—Naruto's placement seemed a bit extraordinary.

After all, Ryan's consistent dominance in securing first place had become somewhat expected in every Hokage meeting. Tobirama, with his unmatched Flying Thunder God technique and profound scientific ninja skills, naturally claimed second place. His expertise in strategy and understanding of various disciplines far exceeded the norm, making his achievement predictable among the group.

However, Naruto's unexpected success left everyone marveling. Minato, looking at Naruto with immense pride, remarked, "As expected of my son!"

"Naruto, I'm so proud of you!"

When Minato spoke these words, the atmosphere among the Hokages shifted once again. They all had a special bond with Naruto in one way or another, after all.

Witnessing Minato's congratulatory words, they warmly celebrated Naruto's achievement of third place this time. The rewards he received would undoubtedly boost his progress and catch him up with those who had joined the meeting earlier.

Embarrassed, Naruto scratched his head and thanked everyone sincerely, saying, "Hey, thanks, everyone! Honestly, I'm not sure how I ended up in third place. Must be luck, I guess!"

The other Hokages adjusted their attitudes, curious to see what Naruto had earned this time. After a moment of silence, the chat group announced the specifics of Seventh Hokage Uzumaki Naruto's acquisitions:

[Seventh Hokage Uzumaki Naruto Collection: Asuachi, 23 pieces!]

[Total value: 155,000 points!]

[Various gold and silver treasures, weapons, and other valuable items: total value of 100 million points!]

[Total value: 255,000 points!]

Naruto's total earnings amounted to an impressive 255,000 points. Such an abundance of points and rewards filled him with excitement and anticipation.

Minato had previously shown Naruto the appealing items available in the mall. Now, with this significant accumulation of points, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what treasures he would exchange them for.

As he pondered, Naruto also noticed how the rewards had enhanced the strength of his fellow Hokages. The generous rewards from this chat group significantly bolstered everyone's abilities and resources.

Since Naruto had just joined the meeting, he hadn't received any rewards or powerups yet. However, Naruto believed in his strength. Receiving words of encouragement, he felt empowered. Achieving a top-three position among all the Hokages solely based on personal strength seemed entirely possible to him.

But leaving Naruto's thoughts aside, the other Hokages now focused on his accomplishments. They discussed it among themselves.

"There are more Asuachi than Tobirama!" Madara exclaimed with surprise.

"Yeah! It shows Naruto collected them meticulously," Minato added, nodding in agreement.

"The disparity lies mainly in the treasures aspect; the difference is quite significant," Tsunade noted, assessing the situation critically.

"Well, considering it's Naruto's first participation, this harvest is impressive enough to make us envious!" Kakashi concluded, summing up their collective thoughts on Naruto's achievements.

The Hokages voiced their thoughts one after another. Just then, the chat group notification sounded.

[Reward for third place!]

[Reward: 20,000 points!]

Naruto received an additional 20,000 points as a reward, which he found quite satisfactory.

Moving forward, the Hokages anticipated the announcement of their gains. Since none of them made it into the top three, they waited patiently for their results. After the announcement and their respective harvests were confirmed, a solemn silence fell among them.

They eagerly awaited the system to reveal their rewards promptly. Post-announcement, they would return to their respective worlds, enriched with newfound points and enhanced strengths from their ventures in the Shinigami world. Despite their experiences, they all longed for their world once more.

At that moment, the chat group notification rang out:

[Fourth place: First Hokage Senju Hashirama]

[Fifth place: Formerly Third Hokage Kakashi]

[Sixth place: Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato]

[Seventh place: Fifth Hokage Tsunade]

[Eighth place: Sixth Hokage Uchiha Sasuke]

[Ninth place: Tsukyomi World Sixth Hokage Uchiha Obito]

With all twelve rankings now determined, the reward session finally came to a close. Except for Ryan, who held the top spot in every session, and Tobirama, who secured a significant second place, the other Hokages' harvests were fairly consistent.

In truth, this was to be expected. While the Soul Society boasted numerous Zanpakutō, they were scattered across various locations. Even with the Hokages' impressive speed, locating different Zanpakutō proved challenging and time-consuming along the road. Given their comparable strengths, their findings tended to align unless luck played an exceptionally favorable or unfavorable role.

Tobirama's exceptional results stemmed from his innovative approach, achieving what others hadn't considered possible. Ryan, on the other hand, benefited from his extensive network of capable subordinates, each formidable in their own right. Their collective efforts ensured efficiency and success, underscoring the power of teamwork in accomplishing even the most challenging tasks.

After everyone's rewards were announced, the reward selection ranking officially concluded.

Following the usual protocol, the chat group presented the hosts with a choice: whether to retain some of their acquired items or convert all of them into points.

Ryan, as always, opted to exchange all his items for points.

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