CHAPTER 87
Three days later.
Early in the morning, the sound of careful footsteps echoed through the room.
Guy did not open his eyes. He simply listened quietly.
He knew it was Duy leaving.
Only after the sounds outside the door completely disappeared did he slowly open his eyes.
Sitting up, he noticed a letter resting on the table beside a neatly stacked pile of banknotes.
Guy got out of bed, walked over, and picked up the letter.
There was nothing written on the envelope. It had simply been folded with great care.
He unfolded the paper, and Might Duy's crooked handwriting immediately came into view:
[Guy, Dad is leaving. I didn't wake you because I was afraid you'd cry.]
The moment he read the first sentence, the corner of Guy's mouth twitched.
Cry?
You're the one who cries every time, you silly old man.
He continued reading.
[These past three days have been the happiest days of Dad's life. Even happier than completing ten C-rank missions.]
[My son has grown up and become strong. You can even teach Dad things now.]
[That thing you taught Dad, I'll practice it every day! Dad's youth isn't over yet!]
[Youth is about constantly moving forward!]
[A real man's farewell doesn't need tears!]
At this point, there seemed to be several faint water stains on the paper.
[The money is what Dad managed to save up. Three hundred thousand ryo.]
[Eat more. Buy meat. Buy eggs. Don't try to save money.]
[You're still growing, and Body Refining training consumes a lot of energy. Your nutrition has to keep up. Dad can earn money through missions outside, so don't worry.]
[Finally, Dad is proud of you. I've always been proud of you.]
[When this war is over, we'll train together again and kick the butts of everyone who looks down on Taijutsu!]
[Might Duy]
The letter was not long.
Yet after finishing it, Guy felt his eyes sting slightly.
He carefully folded the letter and walked back to the bedside.
From beneath his pillow, he pulled out a small cloth bundle.
Inside were all the letters he had previously received, treasures he had carefully preserved.
He placed Duy's newest letter inside and wrapped it up with great care.
Then he counted the three hundred thousand ryo.
It was a thick stack.
He carefully stored it in the innermost compartment of his ninja pouch.
After washing up, he noticed a bowl of red bean soup with mochi still sitting on the table.
A lid had been carefully placed over it.
When he touched the bowl, it was still warm.
Guy sat down and slowly finished it one spoonful at a time.
The warmth of home, his father's concern, and the familiar taste were all engraved firmly into his heart along with the meal.
After finishing breakfast, he gathered himself and stepped outside.
The streets of Konoha felt quieter than usual during wartime.
Pedestrians moved hurriedly.
Most wore solemn expressions.
Occasionally, wounded shinobi wrapped in bandages and leaning on crutches passed by in silence.
An invisible pressure hung over the village.
Guy did not stop.
He headed directly toward the War Merit Exchange Office.
It was an unremarkable two-story building.
A simple wooden sign hung above the entrance.
"Supply Allocation · War Merit Registration"
Pushing open the door, he found the interior small and somewhat dim.
Behind the counter sat a middle-aged Administrative Chunin wearing glasses.
The man was bent over a thick stack of documents, organizing them carefully.
Three days had already passed.
Most of the survivors who had withdrawn from Mount Kikyo should have completed their registration and merit exchanges by now.
At this moment, however, the hall was empty.
Guy was the only visitor.
"Name. Unit."
Without even looking up, the Administrative Chunin asked in a routine tone.
"Might Guy. Formerly of Team 9 on the Mount Kikyo defensive line under Captain Akimichi Choza."
The moment he heard the name "Might Guy," the man's pen paused.
He looked up through his glasses and gave Guy a strange look.
There was curiosity and scrutiny in his eyes.
However, he said nothing.
Instead, he turned around and began searching through the filing cabinets behind him.
After a short while, he pulled out a dossier.
"Hmm... Might Guy. Found it."
Adjusting his glasses, he began reviewing the file.
"Battle of Mount Kikyo. Total personal War Merit: five hundred and six points."
"Five hundred and six?"
Guy could not help being startled.
"That much?"
During the fighting, he had never had the time to count exactly how many enemies he killed or how many comrades he rescued.
War Merit was an extremely valuable resource in Konoha.
Under normal circumstances, killing an enemy Genin earned one to three points depending on the circumstances.
A Chunin was worth ten to thirty points.
Even defeating a Jonin usually granted only around two hundred points.
For a newly promoted Chunin like himself, five hundred and six points was an astonishing number.
"Are you sure that's correct?" Guy asked.
"It's correct."
The Administrative Chunin pointed toward the file and replied calmly.
"Your actions in holding the Mountain Ridge alone and providing advance warning of enemy movements were reviewed by the Post-War Evaluation Committee."
"It was determined that your actions bought crucial preparation time for the camp."
"The committee concluded that your warning reduced casualties among more than one hundred Konoha shinobi."
"For that contribution, you were awarded three hundred base War Merit points."
Guy nodded silently.
The number was higher than he expected, but it was not unreasonable.
"Additionally, throughout the entire campaign, you personally killed multiple Sunagakure shinobi, including both Genin and Chunin."
"That contribution was evaluated at fifty-six points."
"Your actions in rescuing severely injured comrades and coordinating defensive operations at key positions were awarded another fifty points."
"That brings the total to four hundred and six."
The Administrative Chunin read directly from the report.
"Then what about the remaining hundred points?"
Guy quickly calculated the numbers.
Three hundred plus one hundred and six was only four hundred and six.
He was still missing one hundred points.
The Administrative Chunin adjusted his glasses again and glanced at the file.
"Those points come from your joint participation in repelling the enemy elite Jonin, Pakura."
Repelling Pakura.
Guy immediately understood.
However, his brow furrowed slightly.
According to Konoha's evaluation standards, successfully repelling an elite Jonin generally earned between one hundred and fifty and two hundred and fifty War Merit points.
The exact amount depended on circumstances and contribution.
Even if the maximum value of two hundred and fifty was used, his one hundred points still left a significant amount unaccounted for.
He asked directly:
"I wasn't the only one involved. Ebisu and Shiranui Genma were there too, along with the former Commander-in-Chief, Sarutobi Sosuke."
"How was that merit divided?"
Upon hearing this, the Administrative Chunin's expression became somewhat strange.
He glanced around the hall.
After confirming nobody else was nearby, he lowered his voice.
"The record states the following."
"Might Guy, Genin Ebisu, Genin Shiranui Genma, and former Mount Kikyo Commander-in-Chief Sarutobi Sosuke jointly repelled Sunagakure Elite Jonin Pakura."
"The action received a total evaluation of two hundred War Merit points."
"However..."
He paused briefly.
"After returning to Konoha, Sarutobi Sosuke personally declared during the merit review process that he would forfeit all rewards related to this action."
"Therefore, the full two hundred points were redistributed among you, Ebisu, and Shiranui Genma."
"Based on witness reports and post-war evaluations, the committee concluded that your contribution was the greatest."
"You were awarded one hundred points."
"Ebisu and Shiranui Genma each received fifty."
"He gave it up?"
Guy froze momentarily.
This outcome was completely unexpected.
Given Sarutobi Sosuke's personality, he should have been eager to seize any opportunity to improve his reputation.
Why would he voluntarily surrender such valuable War Merit?
Seeing the surprise on Guy's face, the Administrative Chunin leaned forward slightly.
His voice dropped even lower.
"Hey, Might Guy."
"Can I ask you something?"
Guy looked up.
"What is it?"
Curiosity flickered behind the man's lenses.
He licked his lips and lowered his voice further.
"That Sarutobi Sosuke..."
"Regarding what really happened at Mount Kikyo..."
"Which version is actually true?"