"Well, this will be enough for today," Raito said to Ryuma around noon, when the sun was directly overhead and shining brightly on the fields. "Come with me. You need to purchase weights, right?"
Ryuma heard this and nodded. He and Raito started to return to the village after leaving the fields.
…
I entered the ninja tools shop with my father. As soon as we stepped inside, my father looked at me and said, "Well, look, whatever you want, I will pay for it."
After hearing this, I nodded. I already knew exactly what I wanted. I had seen both Guy and Lee use a special kind of training equipment, weights whose size was incredibly compact and small, yet whose weight was astonishingly high. Those kinds of weights were perfect for what I had in mind.
As soon as the shopkeeper finished attending to his other customer, he turned toward us and asked, looking between my father and me, "Well, what would you like?"
I instantly replied, "Well, are there any ninja tools, specifically weights, whose size is small but whose weight is very high? Something that can be worn on the body. I am asking because later on I would like to increase the weight gradually by adding small plates or beads, whatever shape they come in."
As soon as the shopkeeper heard those words, a professional smile appeared on his face. "Oh, you mean that? Wait here." After saying this, he bent down and pulled something out from one of the drawers below the counter. It was a tile-shaped object with several strange characters engraved across its surface.
Although the tile was no longer than the shopkeeper's palm, he was holding it with obvious effort. The muscles in his arm tightened slightly, and it seemed that only because of his muscular physique was he able to lift it so casually at all. He carefully placed the tile on an iron table.
Clang.
The heavy metallic sound immediately drew my attention as the iron table trembled slightly under the impact.
"Well, as you were already able to see," the shopkeeper said, patting the tile lightly, "this thing may look very small, but it is extremely heavy. You probably won't believe it, but this single tile weighs around one hundred pounds."
As soon as I heard that, I nodded. "Well, this is definitely very good, but how much is the difference in price?" I asked. "If I compare buying a normal fifty-kilogram weight, around one hundred pounds, to buying this tile, how much more expensive is it?"
The shopkeeper smiled after hearing my question. "Well, it will definitely cost more. Its price is around ten times that of a normal exercise weight with the same mass." He picked up the tile slightly and then set it back down. "After all, this is a special ninja tool made from special materials. Not only that, but special sealing techniques are also used on it. You see these characters?" He pointed toward the markings engraved on the tile. "They are not ordinary symbols written just for decoration. Rather, they are sealing characters. Because of the materials used and the sealing techniques involved, the price is naturally much higher." The shopkeeper's smile widened slightly. "So yes, it costs around ten times more than a normal weight, but it is absolutely worth it."
After hearing the shopkeeper's words, I was stunned for a moment. Ten times the price; that was not a small difference. However, after thinking about it for a few seconds, I quickly calmed down.
Well, it is kind of obvious after all.
This was a ninja tool. Ninja tools were always more expensive than ordinary items used by common people. They were made from special materials, required skilled craftsmen, and in many cases even involved sealing techniques. Naturally, their prices would be much higher. Besides, it wasn't as if I couldn't train without them.
I knew my family's financial situation very well. While my father had said he would pay for whatever I wanted, that did not mean I should waste money unnecessarily. If I bought these special weights, it would definitely put a burden on the family's finances.
With that thought in mind, I looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Well, then can you give me a full set of standard weights? But make sure the equipment can be upgraded gradually in the future if I want to."
…
After hearing Ryuma's words, the shopkeeper was not surprised in the slightest. In fact, this was the answer he had expected from the beginning. Special ninja tools were not something ordinary families purchased casually. Most of his customers who bought such items were ninjas or members of wealthy clans. Commoners usually settled for standard equipment because the price difference was simply too large.
Ryuma's father, Raito, also remained silent. Deep down, he knew the same thing. Even buying a complete set of ordinary training weights would already cost a considerable amount. Purchasing those special sealed weights would definitely put a noticeable strain on his wallet. Because of that, he did not insist or say something like, "You can buy the special weights."
The shopkeeper nodded and began showing different kinds of training equipment. There were adjustable dumbbells, weighted braces, training bars, and several other pieces of equipment designed for physical conditioning. Ryuma carefully examined each one before making his choices.
In the end, he selected two large dumbbell-type weights for both hands and a medium-sized weight that could be held between his jaws for jaw-strength training. Most importantly, every piece of equipment was designed so that additional weight plates could be added later, allowing gradual upgrades exactly as he had requested.
After all the selections had been made, the shopkeeper calculated the total cost. Raito paid the advance payment and gave the address of their house so the equipment could be delivered later. Naturally, neither Ryuma nor Raito planned to carry all those heavy weights home themselves; even transporting them a short distance would be impractical. After everything was settled, the father and son left the shop.
About an hour later, the equipment that was ordered arrived at Ryuma's home. Looking at all the training gear set up around the yard, Ryuma really wanted to start training right away. The dumbbells, weight plates, and other exercise gear almost seemed to be shouting at him.
For a moment, he seriously considered starting right away. However, he quickly suppressed the temptation. After all, he had just finished lunch not long ago. If he started intense physical training now, there was a good chance he would end up vomiting everything he had eaten.
No point rushing. The equipment wasn't going anywhere.
So he waited patiently. Finally, as evening arrived and the heat of the day gradually subsided, Ryuma began his training.
He started with the normal dumbbells. Even lifting them was difficult. The muscles in his arms immediately felt the strain, and Ryuma knew for a fact that if he had not inherited Zoro's physique through the system, he probably would not have been able to lift these weights at all at his current age. Still, that only made him more satisfied with the purchase.
He began performing basic exercises, repeatedly lifting the two large dumbbells to strengthen and stretch his muscles. Sweat soon began forming on his forehead. His breathing gradually grew heavier as he continued pushing himself.
After completing several sets, he picked up the medium-sized dumbbell and carefully held it between his jaws, beginning his jaw-strength training. The exercise was awkward and uncomfortable, but Ryuma endured it. If he wanted to become stronger, there was no point avoiding difficult training.
After finishing that, he moved on to push-ups. One after another, he continued without stopping, his arms trembling slightly from the accumulated fatigue.
As for pull-ups, that was a problem. There was currently no suitable place in the house where he could perform them. However, that problem could be solved.
With his father's help, Ryuma started creating a basic training area pretty fast. Using the iron rods they already had and one more rod they had just purchased, the father and son built a temporary pull-up bar. The building was easy to make, but it was strong enough for training.
After trying it a few times and making sure it could hold his weight, Ryuma finally smiled and gave a satisfied nod. Now, he had almost everything he needed for physical training right at home.
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