Later that day, Naruto slipped into his favorite outfit: a crisp white jacket over a black T-shirt, paired with jeans and his trusty black shoes.
Once he was all set, he left his house and hopped into a taxi heading to the Hunter Association Headquarters. He had a meeting lined up there with the hunter Association.
Sure, he could have just flown or teleported himself there—he had those powers—but since he wasn't officially a hunter yet, he figured it'd be better to keep things low-key. People might freak out if they saw him pop out of nowhere, so he chose to stick with the cab ride for now, maybe even for good.
When he arrived, he stepped out of the cab and stood for a moment in front of the impressive building of the Hunter Association. After taking it in, he made his way inside.
The security guard at the entrance asked for his name, and as soon as Naruto gave it, they let him through.
Inside, he headed straight to the reception desk to get some information. A young lady behind the desk noticed him coming and stood up to greet him. "Hello, sir! Do you need any assistance?" she asked cheerfully.
Naruto nodded and rested his hand on the counter. "Yes, I'm here for a meeting with Woo Jin Chul and Chairman Go Gunhee," he explained in a calm voice.
The receptionist looked a bit confused for a second. "Just a moment, please," she said as she typed away on her laptop. Then she looked up and asked, "Could I have your name, sir?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," he replied.
After another quick check, she found his name and stood up to face him again. "Yes, Mr. Uzumaki. Your name is on the list. But you'll need to wait about 10 minutes; the chairman and Chief Inspector Woo Jin Chul are in a meeting right now," she informed him.
"Looks like I've got no choice but to wait," Naruto said, smiling as he settled in to pass the time.
She nodded and went back to her work while Naruto moved away from the reception desk. He found a comfy spot on a nearby sofa, which was there for guests or anyone needing a place to sit.
About ten minutes later, the meeting upstairs wrapped up, and people started trickling down from the upper floor and heading out of the building.
Woo Jin Chul, a tall and strong-looking guy, came down the stairs. He had this confident vibe about him. His hair was perfectly combed to the side, and his dark suit fit him just right, showing off his broad shoulders. The white shirt underneath and the neatly tied tie made him look super professional.
His eyes were sharp and really focused, but they softened a bit when he saw Naruto sitting on the sofa. Woo Jin Chul walked over to him calmly, his footsteps making a light sound in the lobby.
"You're Naruto Uzumaki, right?" he said, offering a firm handshake and a friendly smile. "I'm Woo Jin Chul. It's great to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Naruto replied, shaking his hand.
"Thanks for coming to our meeting. Follow me; the Chairman is ready to see you," Woo Jin Chul said, gesturing for Naruto to join him as they headed toward the elevator. Naruto got up and walked with him to the elevator.
As they stepped into the elevator, Naruto took a moment to observe Woo Jin Chul. Despite the man's formal demeanor, there was a genuine warmth in his manner that put Naruto at ease. The elevator doors closed with a soft hum, and they began their ascent to the upper floors where the Chairman's office was located.
"You've caused quite a stir already," Woo Jin Chul remarked, glancing at Naruto with a hint of admiration. "It's not every day we encounter someone with immeasurable mana levels."
Naruto chuckled lightly, his demeanor relaxed. "I guess I'm just full of surprises."
The elevator dinged softly as they reached their floor, and the doors glided open to reveal a tastefully decorated hallway. The walls were adorned with framed photographs of past events and notable hunters, a testament to the rich history of the Hunter Association.
As they walked down the corridor, Woo Jin Chul continued to engage Naruto in conversation. "The Chairman is eager to meet you. He's always interested in nurturing new talent and exploring what unique abilities can bring to our world."
"I'm looking forward to it," Naruto replied, curious about the impending discussion and what opportunities might arise.
Soon, they arrived at a set of grand double doors. Woo Jin Chul stopped in front of them and turned to Naruto. "This is it. Chairman Go Gunhee's office. Just be yourself, and I'm sure everything will go smoothly."
Naruto nodded, appreciating the encouragement. Woo Jin Chul knocked gently on the door, and a voice from within invited them to enter.
Pushing the doors open, Woo Jin Chul gestured for Naruto to step inside. Naruto walked into the spacious office, where sunlight streamed through large windows, casting warm patterns on the plush carpet. The room was elegantly furnished, exuding an air of authority and comfort.
Behind a polished wooden desk sat Chairman Go Gunhee, a man whose presence commanded respect. Though advanced in age, his eyes were sharp and full of wisdom, reflecting years of experience and leadership. He rose from his chair with a welcoming smile as Naruto approached.
"Mr. Uzumaki, it's a pleasure to meet you," Chairman Go Gunhee greeted warmly, extending his hand in welcome. "I've heard quite a bit about you."
Naruto shook his hand firmly, returning the smile. "The pleasure is mine, Chairman."
"Take a seat... " Go Gunhee said as he gestured Naruto to seat as he also walked back to his chair at the opposite side.
Naruto took one of the seat opposite to him.
Meanwhile, Jin Chul stood in front of the door.
'So , This Man Is the chairman of Hunter Association, and he is also an S-Rank Hunter. Not gonna lie his presence & level is really great' Naruto thought, as he looked at Go Gunhee.
"Welcome Naruto Uzumaki. Thanks for taking our invitation into consideration and arriving at this meeting" Gu Gunhee started with a calm voice of greetings.
Naruto nodded his head.
"First Of all, Congratulations to you for becoming the 10th S-Rank Hunter of South Korea" Go Gunhee Congratulated him.
"So, you are already sure I am gonna become S-Rank hunter , even before the 2nd rank evaluation !?" Naruto questioned, intrigued.
Chairman Go Gunhee chuckled a bit at the question, as he spoke, "The 2nd rank evaluation !? To Be Honest That's mostly meaningless. A Precise Detector is there just to help us segment the results. It's not something that will help to measure mana level outside the scoping range. Even if we could do that, it would become impossible to Measure past the current range."
"I see. Then the reason for the re-evaluation is ....!?" Naruto questioned expecting an answer.
"It's Simple, To Buy Time ?!"
"Buy Time !? For what ...!?" Naruto questioned.
"It's to buy time for us - the hunter association to meet the S-Rank hunter before anyone else. Just like you , now. You might not know, but the hunter association doesn't really have much talented hunters like Chief Woo Jin-Chul here. And I don't blame the hunters for not joining the Hunter association as well. Because, who would want to join the hunter association, when joining the top Guilds can guarantee then fame and large salaries." Go Gunhee explained.
"So, In short, this re-evaluating is just to make sure that the hunter association gets the chance to meet the S-Rank hunter before he gets in contact with the Top Guilds , which eventually they will !?"
"Yes. So, as you already know everything. I will go speak straight to the point, Since we are not an enterprise , there's no way we can offer you a lot of money. But , We can help you go down a different path."
"And what's that path is going to be !?" Naruto asked.
"You will get the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with us !"
Naruto immediately understood his point, he was not offering him money , but power. Which he didn't understand, why would the hunter association go this far !?