After decisively dispatching the two Jōnin-level assassins, the cold glint in Veigar's eyes subsided as he stared dispassionately at the two corpses on the ground from his perch in the large tree.
Huuuuh~
Exhaling the stale air from his lungs, Veigar turned and departed.
For several days straight, Veigar had spent his time in constant combat. He had finally accumulated enough Life Essence to advance, and the quality of his chakra had increased to eleven times its previous level.
Though assassins sent by the village continued to come for him relentlessly, Veigar didn't seek out the Third Hokage.
Not only that, but to avoid disturbing his neighbors, Veigar had even moved into the small woods where he used to train during his academy days. After constructing a temporary wooden hut, he settled there for the time being.
The improved quality of his chakra gave Veigar a subtle, unfamiliar sensation while practicing his Body Enhancement Technique.
It was as if something was germinating within his body, or perhaps undergoing a metamorphosis.
However, this would only become evident once Veigar mastered the Body Enhancement Technique to the point where it could increase his physical stats by eleven times.
Twilight was fading, and the sky was darkening.
In front of Veigar's temporary dwelling, the river gleamed with ripples, surrounded by large trees over ten meters tall. Thick grass grew between the trees, and vines climbed their trunks.
This was a relatively secluded spot, with an overall sense of isolation.
A perfect place for killing and burying bodies.
Standing on the river's surface, Veigar rediscovered the passion for training and growth he'd felt years ago. He looked up at the starry sky, then sat cross-legged on the water, closing his eyes to practice the Body Enhancement Technique.
Of course, Veigar's activities during this period couldn't escape Hiruzen's notice. Upon learning that Veigar had temporarily moved into the Konoha forest, Hiruzen sought him out.
Hiruzen appeared silently on a tall tree not far from Veigar. He frowned as he observed Veigar, his gaze flickering, but he didn't reveal himself.
Hiruzen instantly recognized that Veigar was training, but he couldn't quite discern what technique Veigar was practicing.
If Veigar was training the ninjutsu he acquired a few days ago, wouldn't living here be even more dangerous?
It wasn't as if Veigar was unaware of his current predicament.
Time flowed on.
After a long period of training, when Veigar opened his eyes again, the sky had completely darkened. A bright moon hung in the distant sky, casting an eerie glow on the riverbank.
Haste makes waste. To further enhance his physique, Veigar realized he urgently needed substantial nourishment. The hunger pangs in his stomach forced him to stand up.
"It seems I'll have to make a trip to the Nara clan."
Standing on the rippling river surface, Veigar looked down at the ripples stirred by the night wind at his feet, a hint of helplessness in his heart.
Veigar intended to visit the Nara clan to purchase potent medicinal herbs, but...
Currently, Veigar didn't have much money.
This left him feeling somewhat distressed.
Veigar pondered ways to earn money as he slowly walked across the water. The ripples stirred by the night wind beneath his feet became even more subtle.
At this moment, Hiruzen also noticed this. He observed Veigar's steady walk on the river, understanding that Veigar was practicing chakra control.
Only after learning the Flying Raijin Technique did Veigar realize that his chakra control wasn't precise enough, and a significant amount of chakra was still being wasted.
Therefore, needing stronger chakra control, Veigar conceived this training method: injecting chakra into his feet to suppress the ripples caused by the wind.
If he could complete this training, Veigar believed his chakra control would become incredibly refined.
Concealed in the shadows, Hiruzen continued to observe Veigar, his expression growing subtle.
From the training methods Veigar displayed, Hiruzen had already gained a general understanding of Veigar's strength.
"Hooo..."
Veigar slowly exhaled the turbid air. This kind of training was quite taxing on Veigar's mental energy.
However, precisely because of this, Veigar was tireless and enjoyed it.
Clang, clang.
Veigar formed hand signs in the center of the river. Two Shadow Clones appeared beside him, and then he submerged himself in the river.
Both of his shadow clones simultaneously raised their right hands, and a gleaming ninjatō appeared in each of their grasp.
Clang, clang, clang...
Veigar's shadow clones engaged in combat, practicing their kenjutsu. Hiruzen's expression was astonished, his eyes widening considerably.
Because, with his own strength, he actually felt a hint of danger after Veigar drew his sword.
The shadow clone Veigar on the river moved!
He stomped on the water, charging forward fiercely, then spun and performed a horizontal slash, backflipped to dodge, and then glided across the water, spiraling with his blade.
Veigar's two shadow clones moved incredibly fast, demonstrating pure cold-weapon combat skills before Hiruzen.
Suddenly.
Another figure appeared on the water.
It was another Veigar.
As soon as this Veigar appeared, the two sword-wielding shadow clone Veigars lunged forward, executing a horizontal slash that directly decapitated the newcomer.
Immediately after, the newly appeared Veigar instantly burst.
Clone Jutsu.
When Veigar's first clone was personally destroyed by his own clone, another clone immediately appeared not far away.
The two shadow clone Veigars approached again, slicing through it with a single strike!
Immediately after, yet another clone appeared.
The shadow clones approached once more, destroying their own clone.
One clone after another continuously appeared on the river surface, only to be destroyed by the shadow clone Veigars.
Hidden in the tree, Hiruzen's jaw dropped. He watched for a while before noticing that Veigar's true body had vanished, its location unknown.
Even more shocking to him was Veigar's pure kenjutsu. He believed that Veigar, with just his sword skills, could easily defeat Chūnin-level ninja.
And this was without Veigar needing chakra as support.
Therefore, this greatly astonished Hiruzen.
Pure samurai combat had declined since the Warring States period. Currently, ninja who excelled in kenjutsu used ninjutsu with swords .
Hiruzen seemed to see a rising sword master, and he also seemed to see a young "White Fang of Konoha."
Moreover, secretly observing Veigar's training methods gave Hiruzen great inspiration.
Although he no longer needed it, the Sarutobi clan, his son and grandchildren, did!
On Veigar's person, Hiruzen further recognized how exquisitely Veigar controlled the Three Basic Academy Jutsu.
While the Clone Jutsu was just an E-rank ninjutsu that virtually every ninja knew, achieving Veigar's level required both talent and effort, with neither being dispensable.
Ordinary ninja simply couldn't accomplish it.
A Clone Jutsu that was so realistic it could deceive, and Veigar was even demonstrating powerful sword techniques while using it.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]