Chapter 2: You Agreed to Just Go Through the Motions, So Why Did You Fall Into My Arms?
Inside the Ninja Academy classroom, the noise was deafening.
Today was the day for Genin team assignments.
Graduates were gathered in small groups, discussing their futures and dreaming of the glorious prospects of becoming famous in the Ninja World.
'Heh, clear-eyed and naive graduates."
Haruko felt nothing inside, even wanting to laugh a little.
Famous in the Ninja World? When Pain comes to carry the rice, besides the protagonist group, doesn't everyone else fall in droves like wheat being harvested?
He had already experienced the fate of an overachiever all too clearly in his previous life with his own urn.
If it weren't for Teuchi's insistence, Haruko wouldn't even have wanted to attend the Ninja Academy—there was simply no need; he already knew everything taught at the Ninja Academy before enrolling.
Of course, he still had to be a Ninja.
Don't look at Ninjas as if they're just mercenaries; compared to the vast majority of commoners who are molded and shaped at will by lords and daimyo, they are not even in the same social class.
Besides, Konoha is a Ninja Village; there is a big difference between having a Ninja in the family or not.
'Next, announcing the team groupings..."
Young Iruka stood on the high platform, holding the list and reading it out loud.
Haruko had zero interest in this. For a commoner Ninja like him, his teammates were destined to be commoners as well.
In any case, there would be a survival exercise later, and those who didn't pass would have to go back to the Ninja Academy for a few more months.
And the spots that could pass were long since reserved for those family descendant teams; he and his commoner teammates were just there to make up the numbers.
Konoha's resources have always served those big families.
...
In the afternoon, the classroom door was pulled open.
'Sato, Suzuki, Haruko, follow me."
A figure leaned against the doorframe, a fishnet bodysuit outlining breathtaking curves, with a khaki trench coat worn casually over it, a cynical smile at the corner of her mouth.
The faces of a group of boys instantly turned red.
Only Haruko swept his gaze calmly over her chest and neck.
" Anko Mitarashi? Shouldn't she be leading a family team? Why is she leading a commoner team?"
The next day, at the training ground.
Haruko and his two teammates were waiting for their late Jonin instructor.
'Hey, Haruko, aren't you nervous?" The flat-topped guy, Sato, couldn't help but strike up a conversation; he had been fidgeting since just now.
'What's there to be nervous about?" Haruko leaned lazily against a tree. 'It's just going through the motions anyway."
'Going through the motions? This is the survival exercise that determines whether we can become Genin!" The ponytail girl, Suzuki, widened her eyes, looking incredulous.
Haruko glanced at her, too lazy to explain.
Explaining Konoha's unspoken rules to these brats who hadn't been beaten by reality yet was like playing the lute to a cow.
For this exercise, the spots that could actually pass were long since reserved for those family descendant teams. Their commoner team was just there to make up the numbers.
And it didn't matter if they passed or not this time; they would all pass eventually anyway. It was just a difference of spending a few more months at the Ninja Academy.
'Reminds me of joining the team in my past life, even divided into batches, heh."
'Yo, brats, are you ready?"
A figure appeared abruptly in front of the three of them.
Anko stood with her hands on her hips, shaking the two small bells at her waist, which emitted a crisp sound.
'The rules are simple. Before noon, whoever grabs these two bells from me passes."
'Those who can't grab them, get back to the Ninja Academy!"
When she finished saying this, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and the pressure of a Jonin instantly enveloped the entire field.
Sato and Suzuki shuddered with fear.
'Then, start!"
As soon as Anko finished speaking, the figures of Sato and Suzuki disappeared from where they stood, hiding in the woods.
The remaining Haruko wandered over to the shade of a tree.
Anko looked at him with some surprise: 'Brat, aren't you going to hide?"
'Hide from what?" Haruko looked puzzled. 'Didn't you say it's fine as long as I grab them before noon? It's still early, I'll take a nap first."
After speaking, he actually adjusted his posture, hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.
Giving up.jpg
"???" Anko had been a Ninja for so many years, but this was the first time she had seen this scene.
'Hmph, interesting brat. I hope you can still be so leisurely later."
She decided to go solve those two troublesome brats first, then come back to properly 'entertain' this white-haired kid who didn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth.
...
Confirming that Anko had left, Haruko released the hand seals he had been secretly holding.
He wasn't afraid of Anko at all, not just because of his strength, but also because this exam was just going through the motions; no one would care even if he handed in a blank paper.
The training ground fell completely silent.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled spots of light. A gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying the scent of grass. In his ears were the gurgling sound of running water and the crisp chirping of birds.
'Ah... the world is peaceful."
He adjusted his breathing, emptied his thoughts, and merged his whole being with the earth beneath him, the trees he leaned against, and the surrounding air.
His body seemed to be breathing on its own, absorbing Natural Energy.
When he first entered this state, he had worried about the risks, but later found out he was overthinking it.
He didn't know the specific reason, and Haruko was too lazy to study it in depth.
He just knew that as long as he didn't interfere, the Natural Energy passively attracted into his body had no risks.
As long as he relaxed his mind, his body would be strengthened by the nourishment of this energy.
In the distance, there were faint sounds of fighting, but they quickly fell into silence.
Clearly, his two 'future-promising' teammates had already retired honorably.
Soon, he felt a powerful Chakra moving towards him at high speed.
'Sleeping quite soundly, huh, brat."
Anko stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at Haruko lying on the ground, the magnificence on her chest dizzying to look at.
She had just dealt with those two hot-blooded brats in a few moves and tied them to a tree.
She had thought this one would be the most troublesome, but what happened?
He was actually sleeping here!
He hadn't even moved from the spot!
'Oh~ Teacher Anko~ Should we just tie me up?" Haruko got up while yawning, 'Forget it, let's just go through the motions with you..."
Anko felt her fists tighten.
She strode forward, preparing to beat this infuriating brat into a pig's head—
A piercing, heart-wrenching Pain came from the back of her neck!
'Ugh!"
Anko's face turned pale instantly, and she couldn't control herself as she fell to one knee, her left hand tightly clutching the back of her neck.
On her smooth skin, three black tomoe patterns radiated ominous purple-black Chakra.
The Heaven Curse Mark was going berserk!
A scam?
Looking at Anko, who had been aggressive a second ago and was now kneeling on the ground like a broken puppet, the first thought that flashed through Haruko's mind was this.
But immediately, he rejected this absurd idea.
'The Heaven Curse Mark. Because I attracted all the nearby Natural Energy, the excessively high concentration activated the Curse Mark..."
He could clearly perceive that the essence of that Curse Mark energy was somewhat similar to the Natural Energy he absorbed, full of primitive vitality, but also carrying an untamable wildness.
At this moment, this violent Natural Energy was rampaging through her body, tearing at her meridians and nerves.
'Tsk, what a Pain."
Haruko furrowed his brows.
He just wanted to go through the motions and go back to lie down; how did he get stuck with this mess?
According to procedure, he should immediately go notify the medical team in the Village.
But looking at Anko's state, she probably couldn't wait for the medical team to arrive, so he would have to take her directly to the hospital.
Should he save her?
If he saves her, there will be a bunch of inescapable trouble later.
If he doesn't save her, he really is half responsible for this.
'Ha..."
Haruko sighed and walked over, resigned to his fate.
In his previous life, he was too responsible and worked himself to death; in this life, he wanted to lie flat completely, but the things in his bones hadn't changed.
'Teacher Anko, can you still hear me? I'll take you to the hospital."
Anko gritted her teeth tightly, her consciousness already somewhat blurred, making it impossible to respond.
No choice then.
Haruko didn't hesitate any longer, reached out his arms to her back and the bend of her knees, and scooped her up in a standard princess carry—
An unexpected change occurred!
With the physical contact, the Natural Energy that had been rampaging in Anko's body surged into Haruko's body like a broken levee.
Haruko only felt a surge of heat spreading from the point of contact.
'This is..."
His body reacted faster than his consciousness; a gentle energy surged out from within his body, actively meeting that violent energy.
It didn't directly confront it, but gently wrapped around and combed through those chaotic energies.
The whole process was unbelievably fast.
In the blink of an eye, the scorching sensation faded, as if it were just an illusion.
Looking at Anko again, her originally painfully twisted pretty face had relaxed. Two alluring blushes appeared on her pale cheeks.
Her body was no longer curling up and trembling; instead, it was completely softened in Haruko's arms as if she had no bones.
What was even more fatal was that her body subconsciously kept burrowing into Haruko's arms, her head rubbing against his chest like a kitten seeking its owner's petting.
With warmth and Soft Skin in his arms, even through several layers of fabric, he could feel that breathtaking squeezing and deformation.
'Hiss... testing a cadre with this?"
Haruko felt like he was about to get fired up.
Just as he was at a loss, thinking about whether to throw her down or keep holding her, the Anko in his arms let her eyelashes tremble slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.