Chapter 118: Unintentional Success
The secluded training ground, usually visited only by Samui and her younger brother Atsui, had an extra figure today.
"The core of the Demon Slaying Style lies in fusing the nature transformation of Chakra with sword techniques."
In front of Samui, Haruko casually spouted the Demon Slaying Style theory he had spent half an hour concocting yesterday.
"This requires extremely high Chakra control, as well as a deep understanding of nature transformation..."
"Big sister!" Before he even arrived, Atsui's loud voice charged in ahead of him. "I heard that yesterday, Yoriichi defeated... Yoriichi?!"
Noticing Yoriichi, Atsui sprinted right up to him.
"Why is Yoriichi here? I'm your fan! I've seen you sparring with others before, and I thought it was so exciting! Yoriichi, can you teach me the Demon Slaying Style? That fire-breathing sword technique—just thinking about it gets my blood boiling..."
"Atsui!" Samui shouted, cutting off Atsui's endless chatter.
"Atsui, don't be rude. It's already a huge favor that Yoriichi is willing to instruct me, don't you—"
"Eh?! I want to learn too! Yoriichi, can I learn along with you? Even if it's just standing on the side and listening, that's fine!"
Atsui, who wasn't listening at all, made Samui frown. She looked at Yoriichi with an apologetic expression, fearing that Yoriichi might change his mind because of this.
Yoriichi glanced at Samui, then at Atsui.
'Hmm... One sheep is easy to herd, and two is just as easy. Plus, this way, they'll owe me an even bigger favor."
"Very well." Yoriichi nodded. "Since you are eager to learn, I shall teach you both."
Samui breathed a sigh of relief, while a wave of gratitude welled up in her heart.
Yoriichi really is a good person.
Half an hour later, Samui looked at the small notebook filled with dense notes and felt her brain was completely muddled.
"...That's roughly the basics of the Demon Slaying Style. Are there any parts you don't understand?"
"Er... well..." Samui found it hard to speak.
She really wanted to say that Yoriichi's explanation was far too abstract, and she hadn't understood a word.
"Yoriichi, could you be more specific? For example, the specific Chakra circulation path, or—"
"Oh! I get it now!"
Atsui suddenly drew his sword and slashed at the wooden target nearby.
Whoosh—
Flames actually leapt up from the ninja sword. Although they extinguished quickly, they left a charred mark on the wooden target.
"?!"
Both Samui and Yoriichi stared in astonishment.
With his experience teaching Kin Tsuchi and the others back home, Yoriichi was well aware of how poor his verbal teaching ability was.
'Seriously, bro? He already mastered the basics? Is the intuition of these muscle-heads really that absurd?"
Though surprised inside, he remained as steady as an old dog on the outside, nodding slightly: "You have good comprehension."
"Hehe, I think so too!" Atsui was as excited as a two-hundred-pound child, turning to look at Samui with a smug expression.
"Big sister, look! I really did it! You just overthink things. To reach the level of a divine person like Yoriichi, you have to comprehend it with your heart!"
Samui bit her lip. This blow of "the honor student losing to the blockhead" made her feel a bit aggrieved, and she looked at Yoriichi for help.
'Hmm, that's more like it. Don't be discouraged, you're the normal one."
Yoriichi nodded inwardly and walked slowly to Samui's side.
"Relax. Don't calculate, just feel."
He reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of Samui's hand as she gripped the sword, guiding the flow of Chakra within her body.
Samui's delicate body trembled. That cold, detached aura was instantly dispersed by the warm, masculine presence radiating from Yoriichi.
Having never been in such close contact with a member of the opposite sex, her fair neck instantly flushed with a layer of red.
Yoriichi's hand was very warm, and the Chakra passing through her body seemed to carry a certain magic, causing her nerves, often tense from anxiety, to gradually relax.
"Inhale... Exhale..."
Samui suppressed the throbbing in her heart, closed her eyes, and concentrated on feeling the Chakra being transmitted through her palm, and then—
Flames ignited on the blade.
Samui tried hard to clear her mind of distracting thoughts, focusing intently on the flow of that Chakra.
Indeed... it was different from her previous method.
Previously, she had forcibly poured Chakra into the sword, whereas Yoriichi's Chakra seemed more like it was flowing naturally along the grain of the blade.
"Do you understand?"
"I understand." Samui nodded, her face still flushed.
Yoriichi let go of her hand and stepped back.
Samui took a deep breath and tried again.
This time, a small cluster of flames finally emerged on the blade.
Although it was even smaller than Atsui's, at least she had succeeded.
"Great! Big sister, you succeeded too!" Atsui shouted excitedly.
Samui's lips trembled, she blinked repeatedly, and finally, she smiled.
Even if it was just a small step in mastering the basics, it was a real improvement.
She wanted to laugh out loud, and she also wanted to burst into tears... but she wasn't alone right now.
After training ended, the three of them sat on the edge of the training ground to rest.
"Yoriichi, thank you so much," Samui said earnestly. "I will definitely find an opportunity to repay you."
"No need." Yoriichi waved his hand. "I was just offering some casual guidance, don't take it to heart."
'What could a Chunin possibly give me... I'll let her owe me for now. Maybe it'll come in handy later."
"By the way!" Atsui suddenly slapped his forehead. "Big sister, why don't you just marry Yoriichi!"
"Atsui!"
Samui, overcome with shame and anger, kicked her younger brother flying.
"I'm serious!" Atsui rubbed his backside and crawled back. "Big sister, you're already twenty-one and still don't have a partner, and you don't like any of those muscle-heads who pursue you. Yoriichi is so powerful and has such good character, wouldn't he be perfect!"
"You... you..." Samui was so angry she couldn't speak, her face red all the way to her neck, as she chased after her outspoken younger brother.
Yoriichi watched the siblings bickering, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
'This kid really dares to say anything. Sooner or later, he'll die because of that loose mouth of his... Come to think of it, didn't he almost die because of that mouth in the original story?"
"Ahem. I am just a wandering Ronin; I cannot stay in the Hidden Cloud Village for long. And Samui, as a Cloud Hidden Ninja, cannot leave the Village either."
Yoriichi gave a dry cough and directly refused.
Hearing this, Samui stopped her actions.
That's right, Yoriichi is right.
They were simply not on the same path.
The atmosphere suddenly turned silent.
"Um..." Atsui scratched his head. "How about we help Yoriichi get a sword made of chakra metal?"
"Yoriichi's sword is made of chakra metal, right?"
Samui gave him a "what are you talking about" look.
"When Yoriichi fought Lord Darui yesterday, that sword took a direct hit from the Storm Style and remained completely undamaged..."
"No, it's not! I've seen that sword at the weapon shop; it's just a standard item, worth a few thousand ryo!"
"Eh?"
Samui turned to look at Yoriichi.
"Yes." Yoriichi nodded. "I was just using Chakra to coat the blade and protect it, which is why it didn't break. In fact, I've broken quite a few swords in the past."
During his review yesterday, Yoriichi realized that when he used the Superhuman Strength Technique, he would naturally protect his limbs—which served as weapons—with Chakra; he did the same when using a sword.
"Actually... I do hope to get some chakra metal to forge a weapon that truly belongs to me. But chakra metal is a restricted item in the Hidden Cloud Village, so I have no way of getting it."
Harboring a "might as well try" attitude, Yoriichi brought it up.
Samui fell silent.
She knew that chakra metal was indeed a restricted item; let alone outsiders, most Ninja in the Village couldn't even get their hands on it.
However...
"Yoriichi... I know of a place."
'Hmm? Could it be..." Yoriichi instantly perked up.
Samui pondered for a moment and said in a low voice:
"There is an abandoned mine north of the Village. It used to be a mine for extracting chakra metal, but it was abandoned later because the vein dried up. However... perhaps you might still be able to find some residual ore there."
Samui looked at Yoriichi, her blue-green eyes flashing with a resolute light: "If you don't mind, sir, tonight... I can take you there to try your luck."
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