Ryoji stared in disbelief at the dirt-covered hoe in front of him.
Suzune seemed equally confused.
Both of them were children of clan elders, completely unaccustomed to manual labor. Even if you gave them a hoe, it wasn't certain they'd know how to use it properly.
Meanwhile, Aida Sui, being from a civilian family, quickly grabbed a hoe, spat on his hands, and got to work.
Gross...
Suzune wrinkled her nose in disgust at Aida's actions.
Ryoji, on the other hand, felt stuck. How was he supposed to do this? He had never worked in a field before!
"Pick up the tool and get to work. Now," Xin's deep voice growled in their ears.
"I don't know how!" Ryoji protested, forcing the words out despite his frustration.
This is ridiculous!
"And you?" Xin turned to Suzune.
After a brief hesitation, Suzune picked up the hoe and stepped into the muddy field. Squelch.
The moment she stepped down, her feet sank into the muck.
She can do this. Believe in yourself.
She encouraged herself mentally and mimicked Aida's movements, though she definitely skipped the part where he spit on his hands.
Gritting her teeth, Suzune forced herself to keep digging, ignoring the discomfort of the mud squishing between her toes.
Before Xin could even turn around, Ryoji reluctantly followed suit, jumping into the field.
Xin had half-expected Ryoji to put up a bigger fight, but despite his protests, his actions spoke louder than words.
Of course, the result of two people with no experience in manual labor working in a muddy field was an absolute mess. Dirt flew everywhere.
Xin couldn't stand it anymore.
"You can't just swing the hoe with all your strength. You'll waste your energy, and if you use too much force, you'll break the tool. Here, let me show you," Aida Sui, surprisingly, stepped up and began teaching Suzune and Ryoji how to use the hoe properly.
He never thought there'd come a day when he, the civilian kid always looked down upon, would be teaching core members of the great clans how to do something.
"I don't need your help!" Ryoji's face turned red with embarrassment.
Still, despite his words, he quietly adjusted his technique.
Suzune said nothing, but from the redness of her ears, it was clear she was mortified.
They had always looked down on Aida, but now, during an actual mission, it was Aida showing them how things were done. For two members of such prestigious clans, it was incredibly awkward.
This was going to be a long day.
Xin shook his head and disappeared into the nearby forest, finding a quiet, secluded spot to train his mastery over the Natural Energy.
As for his students, they were left to toil away in the muddy field.
Xin wasn't about to help with a task like that. After all... he didn't know how to farm either.
The orange chakra covered Xin's hands. Compared to a Jinchuriki, he had a natural advantage: he could freely use Ophis's chakra whenever he wanted.
As long as he improved his control, mastering the chakra mode wouldn't be too difficult for him.
That's why he prioritized training Sage Mode first and left the chakra mode for later.
"Ophis, why does the chakra turn gold after a masters control over the tailed beast's chakra?"