With a thunder-like speed, Ren had, in the blink of an eye, knocked all three bullies to the ground. This scene shocked every student in the classroom. Even Neji Hyuga, known as the top student of the class, couldn't help but gaze at Ren with surprise for a few moments before gradually looking away.
After dealing with the troublemakers, Ren simply walked back to his seat and sat down, acting as if nothing extraordinary had happened. For him, it truly was a trivial matter. What did being born into a great ninja clan matter if one's own strength was lacking? They'd still end up flat on their back!
"Ren-nii is so powerful!" Rock Lee's eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at Ren. Also from a civilian family, Ren was so much stronger than him!
"That's right, of course, my big brother is amazing!" TenTen nodded proudly.
"I've decided!" Rock Lee exclaimed, his face alight with excitement as he clenched his fists. "From now on, Ren-nii will be my idol! I must become as strong as Ren-nii!" This time, no one in the classroom dared to laugh at Rock Lee. Ren's strength was clear for all to see!
At this moment, in Ren's mind, the system's task release sound came again:
[Ding! Mission Release: Complete Shuriken Projection Training - One Hundred Hits]
[System Reward: Elementary Ninja Pouch Forging Blueprint!]
This time, the difficulty of the system task was a bit more complex than the previous three. Ren needed to achieve a "One Hundred Hits" level of shuriken projection accuracy to complete it. Shuriken projection was a crucial course during the Ninja Academy period. In the sixth year of the academy, the average student would typically practice shuriken throwing to achieve 100% accuracy.
For Ren, although the system's tasks had no time limit, he certainly wouldn't follow the slow pace of the Ninja Academy's shuriken training. This time, the quest reward was a Ninja Pouch (Najie)! This was very important to Ren. He had created over 60 kunai of the three types, and an ordinary ninja pouch could hold at most a dozen. Ren couldn't walk around with a huge school bag full of ninja tools. A Ninja Pouch would solve his current problem: a portable space that could be worn on his body, greatly solving the issue of carrying his ninja gear and hiding secret ninja tools! Therefore, he had to complete this task as soon as possible!
The three types of kunai he had were sufficient for now. So, for this period, he decided to set aside forging kunai and dedicate all his time and energy to practicing shuriken, completing the task as quickly as possible!
---
When school ended, Ren and TenTen walked out together.
"Big brother, isn't this the way home?" TenTen asked.
"No, I'm going to the training ground to practice shuriken. Are you going home or coming with me?"
"Hehe, there's no one at home, so of course, I'll go wherever Big brother goes," TenTen smiled sweetly.
Ren nodded. "Perfect, you can practice with me."
The two soon arrived at a training ground. However, they quickly ran into some trouble...
The training ground was full! Ren and TenTen hadn't applied for its use in advance, and now they were told there was no free training ground available. Both were a little disappointed. It seemed there was no way to train here today.
Just as the two were about to leave, a familiar voice stopped them.
"Ren, TenTen, did you two come to the training ground for training?" Rock Lee greeted them excitedly.
"Yes, but the training ground is full," TenTen sighed.
"You can share a training ground with me! The training ground I applied for is quite big, enough for three people to practice!" Rock Lee warmly invited.
"Really? That's great!" TenTen's eyes lit up.
"Thank you very much, then," Ren smiled, not bothering with formalities. He then led TenTen to Rock Lee's training ground.
---
Upon entering the training ground, Ren set up his targets, took out his shuriken, and began practicing his throws. TenTen, observing Ren, also began to practice.
"Ren-kun looks so professional! He already seems like a real ninja!" Rock Lee couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Rock Lee came from an ordinary family. The cost of ninja tools was not easy to bear, let alone ninjutsu scrolls. So, at this point, Rock Lee knew nothing about physical training, ninjutsu, or how to use ninja tools effectively. Although he worked very hard, he could only do simple exercises to enhance his physical fitness, such as skipping rope and push-ups.
"Do you want to try?" TenTen offered the shuriken in her hand to Rock Lee.
"No, no need," Rock Lee waved his hand, shaking his head. "I'll stick to practicing my fists. Ren-kun was so cool cleaning up those guys in the classroom today!" Although Rock Lee said so, he looked at the shuriken in TenTen's hand with some envy. As expected, a family with a ninja shop could just pull out so many shuriken at will. Rock Lee looked to the other side at Ren, who was concentrating on practicing shuriken. The number of shuriken Ren used... was it more than twenty? Together, these shuriken must cost thousands of Ryo, right? Such a price, his family couldn't afford it...
---
Three hours later, the setting sun blazed like blood, dyeing half the sky red. The sun dipped below the horizon, and the sky gradually darkened. Until his vision was affected, and Ren could no longer clearly see the distant targets, he finally stopped practicing. Cultivation wasn't just about enduring hardships; it also required method. If he couldn't even accurately target his throws, continuing to throw would be pointless, and his shuriken skills wouldn't improve. It was better to stop, combine work and rest, and digest and absorb the results of today's practice.
Before leaving the training ground, Ren handed his ninja kit to Rock Lee.
"Ren-kun, you... what are you doing?" Rock Lee stammered.
"This ninja kit is for you," Ren said.
"No, no, it's too expensive," Rock Lee protested.
"Aren't we friends? You lent us a training ground, and I'll give you a small gift," Ren said with a hearty smile. "My family runs a weapon shop, and this ninja tool isn't a big deal for us."
TenTen also nodded. "Yes, just accept it! We'd like to thank you for today."
"Thank you! Thank you!" Rock Lee, accepting the ninja kit, felt tears welling up in his eyes. He was deeply moved. So this is what it meant to have friends? It was truly wonderful! He finally had friends!