Chapter 12: A Talented Maid
After giving the Yokota clan elders a round of warnings, Shen began teaching them the method of cultivating chakra. He explained what chakra truly was and guided them through the issues they might encounter during training. At the same time, he clarified why they were incapable of practicing the advanced method—it ultimately came down to their low level of life evolution. Although the human race possessed tremendous potential, in terms of starting point and physical strength, they still could not compare to certain special races.
They also learned that there were three great sacred lands in this world, inhabited by enormous creatures who were actually sages. These beings cultivated senjutsu chakra—a fusion of natural energy and ordinary chakra.
Some might wonder whether the cultivation method given by the Ōtsutsuki clan was essentially senjutsu training. In truth, it was not. The Ōtsutsuki did not deliberately cultivate in the same way. Instead, as their bodies matured, they naturally absorbed ambient natural energy. However, natural energy remained just that—natural energy. The Ōtsutsuki method involved absorbing and digesting this energy through their bodies, then refining chakra from both physical and spiritual energy. As a result, their chakra was generally far more powerful and harmonious than chakra directly extracted from the body and spirit alone.
Due to differences in physical constitution, ordinary humans could only extract chakra directly from their body and spirit. Although a rare few could rival those who utilized natural energy-infused chakra, such cases were exceptions rather than the rule.
By the time Shen finished explaining everything—just before dinner—he finally let out a breath of relief. Without keeping the Yokota elders any longer, he dismissed them and asked Yokota Kiyomi to prepare him a meal, declining Yokota Ruma's invitation to a banquet.
Once everyone had left, Shen looked at the maids standing with their heads lowered, awaiting his orders, and spoke softly:
"You all heard the cultivation method I explained earlier. You also watched me train for an entire afternoon. Compared to them, you are younger and have greater potential. Tonight, go back and begin your training. Try to see if you can cultivate chakra within a single night. If any of you manage to do so within three days, I will speak with Yokota Ruma and take you in as my personal attendants. The opportunity is in front of you—whether you succeed depends on yourselves."
After saying this, he ignored the group and returned to his room. One particularly sharp maid stepped forward, brewed tea for him, and then quietly remained by his side in attendance.
Sitting by the table, sipping his tea, Shen glanced at the maid and thought:
As expected, anyone assigned by Yokota Kiyomi to serve me isn't foolish. This woman knows how to seize opportunities. She likely earned this position through her own efforts in front of Kiyomi.
The maid attending him—Yokota Yūko—felt a flicker of disappointment when Shen merely glanced at her without reacting as she had hoped. However, she did not lose heart and continued serving him patiently. She firmly believed that with her intelligence, she would eventually secure a place at his side.
Before long, Yokota Kiyomi arrived with a tray containing two dishes, a soup, and a bowl of rice. The moment Shen saw the rice, his eyes lit up. It had been several days since he last ate rice—since coming to this world, he hadn't tasted it at all.
Picking up his bowl and chopsticks, Shen began eating calmly, paying no mind to the others. When he finished, the entire room remained silent. He took a sip of the tea Yūko had poured for him to cleanse his palate, then glanced at Kiyomi, who was waiting nearby—clearly wanting to discuss the Fūma clan.
Turning to Yūko, he said, "Kiyomi and I have something to discuss. You may leave."
"Yes." Yūko bowed to both of them and left with the tray.
"That maid is quite clever. I'll keep her," Shen said after she left. He was quite satisfied with her—obedient, discreet, eager to learn, and capable of seizing opportunities. If her talent in cultivation proved acceptable, keeping her to manage his daily needs would be a good arrangement.
"In truth, from the moment they were sent here, all of these maids belong to you. You may deal with them however you wish," Kiyomi replied with a smile, conveying the clan's decision.
"No need. They've all heard the cultivation method. If any of them manage to develop chakra within three days, they can stay. Otherwise, take them back. They've observed my training, so they can at least report what they've seen. As for that one—I've already decided to keep her, regardless of whether she succeeds within three days."
"Understood. Then let's discuss the Fūma clan."
"Mm. Go ahead."
"The Fūma clan is the most aggressive faction in the southern frontier. Originally, there were many clans in the south, and we once formed an alliance to resist the Land of Bears to the north. However, after Lady Kaguya unified the continent, the Fūma clan began launching wars against other clans in recent months in an attempt to rise into the ranks of the central great clans."
"Their combat style emphasizes speed, and they themselves are extremely fast. Against them, ordinary clans like ours struggle greatly. Furthermore, the Fūma clan seems to have ties with a powerful central clan, and their equipment far surpasses ours. That's why I brought back their weapons—such equipment is considered rare and valuable for us."
"Their clan territory is not far from Lake Nogawa. If you travel ten kilometers northwest from the lake, you'll reach their base. Tomorrow, I will escort you to Lake Nogawa. From there, you can proceed alone. I will wait at the lake for your return."
"That works. Waiting isn't necessary, though. I don't intend to approach the Fūma clan directly. If I use chakra, it will leave noticeable traces. I'll launch a direct assault instead. Covering ten kilometers back and forth, plus dealing with the Fūma clan, should take about a day. Of course, if they break and flee after being defeated, it will be much quicker," Shen said as he calmly sipped his tea.
"Then I will prepare weapons and armor for you immediately," Kiyomi said, rising to leave.
"A long blade will suffice. I don't need armor—such weapons won't be able to break through my defenses."
"Understood. I will take my leave."
After Kiyomi left, Yūko returned. Seeing that the kettle had run out of hot water, she quickly fetched more and set it to boil.
"What's your name?"
"My lord, this servant is called Yokota Yūko." She was momentarily stunned by the sudden question but answered promptly.
"Yūko, then. I'll call you that from now on. That's enough for today—return and start your training." Shen did not reveal that he had already chosen her. He wanted to see for himself whether his judgment was correct.
"Yes. Yūko takes her leave." She understood that she had already made a favorable impression. As long as she continued to perform well, she believed she would remain by his side.
Led by Yūko, the maids withdrew. Shen returned to his bedding and lay down to rest. After training for an entire afternoon, he needed to recover his mental energy. Tomorrow morning, he would continue training his chakra before heading out to deal with the Fūma clan.
Nothing happened during the night. By the time Shen woke up, the maids were already waiting in the main hall. Activating his Byakugan for a glance, he saw that none of them had successfully cultivated chakra overnight—which was only natural. Unlike the Ōtsutsuki clan, who were practically born with chakra, ordinary people could not achieve it so easily.
After washing up, Shen sat cross-legged on the floor and began cultivating chakra. The maids watched closely—it was their first time seeing him train. At first, they noticed no difference compared to their own attempts and gradually lost interest. But soon, when chakra resembling flowing flames began to manifest in Shen's palm, they were once again astonished. So this was what chakra cultivation looked like.
At that moment, Yūko closed her eyes and focused intently, trying to sense Shen's chakra. After two or three minutes of feeling nothing, she was about to give up—when suddenly, she sensed something. Not wanting to lose the opportunity, she immediately steadied her mind and focused inward.
A vast and surging sensation filled her entire body. At the same time, she could clearly feel chakra flowing through her. Seizing the moment, she began extracting chakra. Following that fleeting sensation, she gradually grasped the method. Soon, she felt a new presence within her body—unlike Shen's overwhelming chakra, hers was more like a gentle stream.
Shen, who was still cultivating, sensed a faint new chakra presence nearby. Though weak, it undeniably existed. Without stopping his training, he opened his eyes and saw Yūko cultivating. A slight smile formed on his lips—his judgment had been correct. Although she hadn't succeeded on her first attempt, being able to cultivate chakra under his influence was already commendable.
In truth, awakening chakra through external influence was not ideal. If the guiding person's chakra attribute conflicted with one's own, it could affect one's innate affinity. For instance, someone with high Fire affinity might end up with only mediocre or even low Fire aptitude if guided by someone with Water affinity. That was why it was generally better to awaken chakra independently.
However, Yūko had no such issue. The Ōtsutsuki clan naturally possessed all attributes. Otherwise, how could the Sage of Six Paths' have spread chakra so widely? Even in Konoha, countless people failed to become ninja each year—some couldn't cultivate chakra at all, some had such poor talent that even after graduating from the Academy their chakra remained below genin level, and others were like Naruto—gifted, yet not chosen by fate. Just the Ninja Academy alone filtered out countless untalented individuals.
Before long, Shen completed his training. The soreness in his wrists from practicing Fire Release the previous day had already disappeared. But when he glanced at Yūko, he was startled—cold sweat had begun forming on her forehead. This was a sign of over-extraction.
Without hesitation, Shen struck her with a palm, forcibly interrupting her training.
"In the future, do not over-extract chakra. It will harm your body—severely enough, it can even kill you. Do you understand? Your talent is good. Don't rush."
"Haah… haah… Thank you, my lord. Yūko understands." She knelt and kowtowed deeply—this had been a life-saving act.
"Alright, go rest. Eat more and recover. After a day's rest, you'll be fine. I'll have my meal now," Shen said, walking toward the food laid out on the table.