"Almost done! I wonder what the effects will be when I break through..."
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Entry) 90/100]
Near the sleeping quarters' door, Yoichi was still grinding his way through Martial Arts while the children were asleep. With practically no visible lights and water droplets sprinkling on the roof, his diligence and efforts became unmatched.
Of course, there were the remaining Qi-Blood Pills which made the progress quite easy. In the past, he only got 3 points for every session of cultivation. Nowadays, he has been skyrocketing in recent days with the addition of 2 points in each pill and training, improving nearly double in proficiency.
Clearly, the process in Martial Arts Training was tedious and strenuous but there was no limit for an individual filled with aspiration and goals in life.
"Still training in the middle of the night? You are quite impatient, aren't you?" In the rainy night, a gentle voice rang.
"Who goes there?" Yoichi grew cautious.
Afterwards, a man emerged from the darkness with a smile on his face.
"Hayate-sama! Please forgive my rudeness." Seeing the man's stature, Yoichi bowed slightly.
"That's alright. It's good that you are prudent and wary at your age." Hayate simply waved his hand, indicating that the kid should calm down.
"... If I may ask, can you state the purpose of your visit?" After composing himself, Yoichi appeared to be curious about Hayate's motive.
"Well, I won't beat around the bush. After you succeed in finishing these trials, I want you to be a part of the Infiltration Squad." Hayate directly said.
In his eyes, Yoichi was a diamond in the rough and required further polishing. These never-ending rainy lands cannot accommodate and enable the potential of the child. What he saw in Yoichi was a remembrance of himself, who was buried by the disputes in the allocation of resources and political schemes in the past.
'If this child achieves something bigger in Konoha, he could definitely infiltrate the higher echelon and be a useful pawn for Amegakure's interest!'
Hearing Hayate's earnest persuasion, Yoichi couldn't help but ask, "Why? Why are you so wholeheartedly set on recruiting me?"
"Hahaha, good question!" Hayate lightly laughed, "It is because this land can't give what you need! Instead of being dragged and earnestly fighting for a little bit of resources, you might be able to leech some benefits from the other villages such as Konoha."
'Mother... She's definitely from Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. I must find answers to my questions!'
Within his eyes, a fiery glint ignited like a newly lit candle. The monk can run away, but the temple won't run with him type of situation.
"...As you wish, sir. I will pass these tests with flying colors and be the greatest covert spy of Amegakure!" As the lines on the graph gradually connected, Yoichi kneeled and swore fealty to Hayate.
"Good! Good! I'm assured by your ambitious words. I am pleased with your judgment. Take care and sleep early. If there's anything else you want, just ask Isamu for aid." After a satisfying answer, Hayate departed with a delighted expression on his face.
On the other hand, Yoichi's zealous expression changed back to usual. He knew that there was some gimmick in this venture.
As a mature man reincarnated in the Naruto World, just getting along with the party was better than being neutral. By trying to get Hayate's support, he should be able to get on to the Jōnin's coattails.
If you can't beat them, join them.
Simple as that.
'I shouldn't forget my motto when I first came here. Survival before all things.'
Therefore, Yoichi slept soundly after the interactions and marked his day completely over.
...
In the morning.
"You are requesting a wooden dummy? For what apparent reason?" Isamu felt skeptical and looked at Yoichi, who was asking for a mere figurine.
Earlier on, he was notified by Hayate's absurd permission to assist Yoichi in anything. He thought it was so stupid and envious since they had never been pampered like this child.
Furthermore, the child went to simply ask for a dummy. Not techniques, not guidance, just a plain mannequin used for target practice.
'Does he really not know? Children would kill each other just for Sir Hayate's support!'
"I just wanted to practice for Taijutsu techniques..." Yoichi lied as he naturally breathed. Basically, he was near the end of his Entry Level Martial Arts and preparing for the Small Success proficiency.
"... Forget about it, suit yourself. It should be delivered to you by Hisao later on." Isamu rubbed his temples in frustration and ordered his subordinates.
...
Late at night.
"Wow, look at that! Yoichi upgraded their practice method with a wooden dummy!"
"Not only that, he has the authorization to use it all by himself."
"Heh, so he also became a dog for the shinobi. How pathetic!"
With blatant favoritism in front of the public, Yoichi was currently the center of attention. After their job in the mines, he was clearly waiting for the dummy as his proficiency went up to 95 points, only a push away from a breakthrough.
On the other hand, Genji and Hikari were glad for Yoichi's decision while Sabito felt complex emotions in his head. The sudden ascension of Yoichi left him bitter and feeling inferior.
However, Yoichi was focused on the training effectiveness of the dummy and wasn't paying attention to the outside noise.
Abruptly, His blood and skin contracted as the Qi-Blood inside went active. He felt like a raging volcano had erupted inside his body, smoldering his blood vessels.
Soon, the muscles and major arteries were subjected to agonizing pain as if submerged in a searing hot spring. The faint boiling sounds were heard from his figure, Yoichi gnashed his teeth and endured the tense sensation all over his body.
His Qi-Blood went out of control while the physical structure was slowly refined into a pristine, muscular look. Then, the newfound strength under his Qi-Blood was greatly increased, further elevating his physique to a brand new level.
In a few moments, the phenomenon inside gradually settled down. Yoichi sighed and saw a steam vapor go out of his mouth.
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Small Success) 2/300]
"Hahaha! Hell yeah! It's done."
Yoichi achieved a breakthrough with the help of his efforts and resources at hand.
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(Current Progress)
Ermm... Look at the top.
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Looks a little rushed but it's definitely fine. It's slowly improving there but there's still so much to improve in my English proficiency. If I could have a panel, perhaps I would be concentrated on my work with results in my face.
Thanks for reading the chapters and collecting the novel. See ya! XDD!