Nick Fury took out a transaction record file between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ninja factions, detailing the trades with Charles Agency, Sand Puppet Shop, and Sound Ninja Base, including the items, methods, and prices.
As Natasha examined the file, she quickly noticed that Charles Agncy had the most items available for trade.
Nick Fury spoke up, "Previously, Coulson handled these transactions, but now this task falls to you."
"We need a large amount of physical enhancement serums, but we're running low on Vibranium, with barely enough left to trade with the Sand Puppet Shop."
"However, we still have a batch of energy cubes, around 1,300 units. Your job is to negotiate a deal with Charles Doyle."
"Use 1,000 cubes to purchase five physical enhancement serums and the remaining 300 to buy Felix Felicis potion."
"Charles Doyle isn't easy to meet. Even before the Battle of New York, Coulson tried several times to secure a deal but failed. So, there's no rush; just find an opportunity to make it happen."
"From now on, you'll be in charge of all communications with the ninjas. Don't disappoint me, Natasha."
Seeing Fury's serious demeanor, Natasha immediately agreed, "Yes, sir. I guarantee success!"
At that moment, the door to Nick Fury's office was knocked on, and Agent Hill entered.
Natasha excused herself, "Sir, I'll start preparing."
Nick Fury nodded, "Alright, go ahead."
As Natasha left, Hill approached Fury, noting her departure but focusing on her task.
"Sir, there's an issue with the Chitauri weapons we've acquired."
Nick Fury raised an eyebrow, "What issue?"
"Their equipment seems to be remotely locked. None of the weapons, aircraft, or other devices are operational."
"Our science team has tried to decrypt them, but so far, no success."
"This might not be as big a gain as we anticipated."
Fury pondered for a moment, then asked, "What about the Chitauri soldiers? Any signs of life?"
Hill shook her head, "No, both the soldiers and the giant beast have no life signs."
"They're all dead?"
"Yes, sir. All dead."
"But when we first took custody of those unconscious aliens, they were still alive with detectable bio-signatures."
Fury considered this, then instructed, "Send them all for autopsy and research. Determine their cause of death."
"It can't be that the closure of the space portal cut off their signal and shut them down like robots."
"They aren't chip-controlled machines."
"Understood, sir. I'll have the science team extract as much useful data as possible from them."
With Hill's departure, Fury looked out at the rebuilding New York City before diving back into his work.
…
Meanwhile-
In the meeting room, all the ninjas had gathered, including Orochimaru, who had emerged from his lab for the meeting.
Looking at the assembled ninjas, Charles felt a sense of pride. These were his comrades, all painstakingly summoned through his investments.
"This time, in our battle against the Chitauri, everyone performed excellently. Not a single casualty, and we showcased the might of the ninjas. This deserves praise."
"Aside from the original A-rank mission rewards, I will provide additional rewards based on your ranks: Kage-level ninjas will receive 10 kg of Vibranium, Jonin and Elite Jonin will get 5 kg, Chunin and Elite Chunin will get 2 kg, and Genin will get 1 kg."
As Charles finished speaking, the room filled with a mix of excitement and confusion.
Charles explained, "Some of you might not know what Vibranium is. To put it simply, it's a special metal akin to Chakra Metal in the ninja world."
The ninjas gasped at the mention of Chakra Metal, well aware of its value and rarity. Even Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Hokage, only had a pair of blades made from it.
"Vibranium has a unique property of absorbing and releasing energy, earning it the nickname 'Sound Absorbing Steel.' This means it's not just for making weapons but also armor."
"Armor made from Vibranium won't hinder your ninjutsu or mobility in any way."
The ninjas were intrigued by Charles's explanation.
Although 10 kilograms might not be enough for full body armor, it was certainly sufficient for making protective gear.
Naruto, curious, asked quietly, "Is this stuff really expensive?"
Sakura responded, "Chakra metal in the ninja world costs 70,000 ryo per gram, and it's not always available."
"And Vibranium is clearly a superior material to chakra metal, so it's definitely more expensive."
Naruto did some quick calculations, realizing that 1 kilogram would be worth 70 million ryo, more than twice the bounty on Asuma's head.
Shaking his head, he mused about his rank, unsure whether he was considered a Chunin or Jonin.
"Lord Charles, am I considered a Chunin or Jonin? I can't be just a Genin, right?"
Naruto even considered merging with his future self for a moment, realizing the immense value at stake.
As Naruto spoke up, the rest of the Chunin Exam candidates also looked at Charles Doyle, confident that their strength surpassed that of mere Genin.
Charles pondered for a moment whether to hold a new exam for determining ranks but decided it wasn't necessary.
"Based on your battlefield performance and actual combat strength, I will assign each of you a specific ninja rank."
"Everyone's ninja rank will be reassessed, and it may differ from your current rank."
Charles knew that, while Konoha had a Hokage, there were no official Kage-level rankings.
The Three Legendary Sannin were merely elite Jonin in rank but were actually Kage-level ninjas. Even Sasuke Uchiha was now a Kage-level ninja.
"Thank you, Lord Charles!"
The ninjas expressed their gratitude, and Charles nodded in acknowledgment.
"You can collect your Vibranium from Ginny. I'll provide her with the distribution standards. You can either take the Vibranium directly or commission Ginny to have weapons and armor crafted for you."
"For the design of weapons and armor, you'll need to communicate your preferences."
"Rewards in Vibranium won't be a one-time thing. If you feel the material isn't enough, you can save it up and eventually forge a complete set of ninja tools."
Only Hanabi Hyuga seemed a bit downcast, as she wasn't even a Genin yet, merely a ninja trainee.
Seeing her sister's downcast expression, Hinata Hyuga held Hanabi's hand and said, "Don't be sad, Hanabi. I'll give you half of my share so you can have a special kunai made for self-defense."
Feeling her sister's warmth, Hanabi nodded and whispered, "Thank you, sister."
Charles continued, "This battle in New York has also earned everyone quite a reputation. You've all made a name for yourselves among the city's residents."
"I heard from Ginny that you already have a fan website with many citizens showing their support."
"And there's good news: each of you will receive 10% of the profits from the sales of your merchandise. It might not be a huge amount, but it's a steady source of income."
Hearing about this additional income brought smiles to the ninjas' faces.
They all felt fortunate to have followed Charles to this new world, where resources were abundant, money was plentiful, and entertainment options were numerous.
Most importantly, it was safe.
Although there were missions to undertake, the enemies were generally weak. Even the recent battle in New York, despite the large number of foes, wasn't overly challenging.
After these announcements, Charles added, "However, don't let your guard down. This battle was just a test by our enemies. Stronger adversaries are on the horizon."
"Those of you who have faced the demonic invasion of the magical world know the strength and diversity of our foes. This battle wasn't even as intense as the last one, and the final enemy in the last battle was merely an avatar..."
"So, do not underestimate the enemies of this world. More formidable foes await us in the future."
"Yes, Lord Charles!" the ninjas replied.
Those who had experienced the last great battle nodded, while the newer ninjas began asking their peers about it.
"For now, continue as you have been: completing missions and training diligently."
"Tsunade, continue to promote medical ninjutsu. Since everyone can use the Mystical Palm Technique, focus on enhancing this training. Every ninja should at least be able to provide basic medical care to themselves."
Charles then turned to Orochimaru, "Loki isn't an Asgardian god but a Frost Giant from Jotunheim. The abilities of Frost Giants are somewhat similar to the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. You might find some insights by collaborating with Haku from the Hidden Mist."
"Haku possesses the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. See if you can gain any inspiration from him."
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were particularly intrigued by this, recalling their encounter with Haku, who left a lasting impression on them. Especially Sasuke, who remembered Haku's reluctance to kill.
Naruto exclaimed, "Sister Haku is here too?"
Minato and Kushina looked puzzled, while Sakura smacked Naruto on the head, correcting him, "Idiot, didn't you hear? It's 'him,' not 'her'!"
Naruto was puzzled. Wasn't Haku supposed to be a girl? Why did his Lord Charles say Haku is a boy? And why did Sakura hit him on the head again? It was really mean.
Charles Doyle didn't pay much attention to the minor commotion below and instead spoke again, "Today's meeting is mainly about this issue. Tonight, we'll have a party to celebrate our victory over the alien invasion."
"Namikaze Minato, Rock Lee, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Kabuto Yakushi, please stay behind. I have additional plans for you."
Hearing Charles call out their names, everyone else looked on with envy. Those who had been around knew that these individuals were about to get another boost in their strength.
They were especially surprised to see Sakura, who had just received a boost, and Namikaze Minato, who had only recently arrived, being called out.
After the others left, only the five named by Charles remained in the meeting room.
Charles addressed them, "Because of the gains from the New York battle, your strengths will increase."
"Sakura, be ready to feel your power increase."
"Yes, Lord Charles," Sakura responded.
Charles's consciousness entered the system space, and he immediately upgraded the already merged Sakura.
Ding! Would you like to upgrade the merged C-ninja Sakura Haruno to two-star C-ninja Sakura Haruno?
Seeing the system prompt, Charles chose to upgrade.
Ding! Congratulations, Sakura Haruno has been upgraded to two-star C-ninja.
After the confirmation, Charles waved his hand, and a golden light enveloped Sakura. The light came and went quickly.
The others looked on in amazement; this was the first time they'd seen such a scene.
Encased in the golden light, Sakura felt a warm current flow through her body, enhancing her physical strength and chakra.
Charles asked, "How do you feel? How much have you improved?"
After a moment of reflection, Sakura replied, "I feel a slight enhancement in my physical strength, though it's hard to quantify exactly how much."
"My chakra has increased enough to perform the Mystical Palm Technique three more times. Overall, my strength has increased by about ten percent."
Charles nodded internally. Even a ten percent increase was significant. Moreover, upgrading Sakura also increased his chakra by one card.
Naruto congratulated Sakura, "Congrats, Sakura. You've gotten stronger."
Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Naruto."
Charles then said, "Alright, next up are Rock Lee, Naruto Uzumaki, and Namikaze Minato. Be ready for your power increase."
Charles entered the system space again and upgraded the three.
Ding! Would you like to upgrade the merged two-star B-rank ninja Rock Lee to a higher rank?
Ding! Would you like to upgrade the merged two-star B-rank ninja Naruto Uzumaki to a higher rank?
Ding! Would you like to upgrade two-star A-rank ninja Namikaze Minato to three-star A-rank ninja?
Charles selected to upgrade all three. Rock Lee and Naruto were partially merged and upgraded, with no significant change, but Namikaze Minato successfully upgraded from two-star A-rank ninja to three-star A-rank ninja.
As three golden lights enveloped the three, various changes occurred.
Naruto seemed unaffected, as the increase in chakra was insignificant to him. Rock Lee felt stronger, especially in terms of physical enhancement.
Namikaze Minato's aura briefly surged and then retracted, causing the others to widen their eyes in surprise. Kabuto was particularly astonished by the Fourth Hokage.
Kabuto realized that Minato's power increase was substantial, unlike the others.
Charles also felt a significant increase in his chakra, gaining an additional ten cards, raising his total to 351 cards.
After controlling the surge of chakra, Charles asked, "How much have you improved?"
Naruto scratched his head, smiling awkwardly, "I'm not sure. I felt a warm flow, but that's about it."
Minato also seemed a bit embarrassed, and Sakura facepalmed in exasperation.
Charles laughed, "I see. It's normal for you not to notice due to your large chakra reserves."
Rock Lee said, "I think my strength increased by about ten percent, but I feel it could improve more with some training."
Charles nodded, "Very good. It looks like your strength has improved significantly."
Finally, Charles turned to Minato, "Minato, how about you?"
Minato replied seriously, "My strength has increased by about fifty percent."
Everyone was shocked by Minato's response. Kabuto was particularly intrigued, hoping for a similar boost.