The Essence of Speed.
It was not limited only to swordsmanship, but could be applied to every action.
For example, when applied to swordsmanship, it could make your blade faster; applied to fists and kicks, it could make your strikes and movements faster; applied to the eyes, it could increase the speed of vision; and even applied to the mind, it could accelerate the speed of thought.
"Speed" was an abstract concept.
Physical speed was only the beginner's stage. The true, profound level of speed came from the realm of the spirit.
That was a time.
When one delved deep enough into the Essence of Speed, it would allow them to touch the very rules of time itself.
All of this was the insight Mo Yu gained after finishing the comprehension of the book Essence of Speed that had been implanted in his mind.
Thanks to the assistance of the Krypton System, once Mo Yu absorbed all the contents of the Essence of Speed, he automatically gained comprehension. Otherwise, if he had to study it alone, it might take him years to even step through the threshold.
And that was if he had exceptional talent. Without talent, one might never achieve it in a lifetime.
For Mo Yu, the Essence of Speed was like gaining a new innate ability.
He could overlay this talent onto anything, and it would enhance it.
For example…
Mo Yu took out a book and channeled the Essence of Speed.
Instantly, his reading speed skyrocketed—"reading ten lines at a glance" no longer described it; it should be "a hundred lines at a glance."
In less than a second, he had finished the page, the entire content imprinted in his mind.
"Shh-shh-shh—"
The speed of Mo Yu flipping through the pages was like a breeze sweeping past, creating afterimages.
Yet he didn't miss a single word. Every detail was crystal clear in his head.
Inside the carriage, Tamako, hearing the noise, curiously poked her head out.
"Mo Yu, what on earth are you doing?" she asked.
Mo Yu had just finished the book and closed it.
He recalled the contents—and yes, everything was still there in his memory.
"This… can be considered a type of photographic memory, I suppose," Mo Yu sighed in amazement.
Before obtaining the Essence of Speed, he had never considered this kind of use. It was an unexpected bonus.
"Nothing special, just reading," Mo Yu replied with a smile.
Tamako retorted, "You call that reading? That was just flipping pages."
"What, are you bored alone in there? Want me to come in and keep you company?" Mo Yu teased.
"N-no need!"
Tamako's cheeks flushed red at once. She quickly ducked her head back inside the carriage.
Mo Yu chuckled and shook his head—her face really was thin.
But then he thought about Tamako's true identity...
Was this shyness real? Or just an act?
A shadow flickered in Mo Yu's eyes.
"Stop! This tree was planted by me, and this road was paved by me. If you want to pass, hand over the toll! Halt the carriage!!"
At that moment, over a dozen figures leapt out from the forest around them.
They were clad in ragged clothes, some wearing pieces of battered armor, and all wielding steel blades—clearly deserters turned into bandits. They encircled the carriage menacingly.
Mo Yu couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected to actually run into such a cliché scene.
Looking at the dozen fierce, malicious bandits, Mo Yu didn't bother with words. He simply reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of shuriken.
"Not good—it's a ninja! Run!!"
The bandit leader had a sharp eye. The moment he saw Mo Yu's motion, he recognized the truth and shouted in panic, immediately turning tail.
For a ninja, one must never judge by appearance or age. That was a truth the bandit had learned through blood and death.
If they had encountered some other ninja, perhaps they might have escaped with their lives.
Unfortunately, they had stumbled upon Mo Yu—who was in a foul mood—and directly into his blade.
A dozen shuriken flew out like a scatter of silver meteors.
Mo Yu infused them with the Essence of Speed.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!"
The shuriken shot forth like bullets.
"Ahhh!!"
A series of screams rang out. In the blink of an eye, all the bandits collapsed lifelessly.
Mo Yu's eyes lit up. The Essence of Speed was proving even more powerful than expected—surprisingly effective.
His sour mood vanished. Snapping the reins with a grin, he continued on the road, cheerfully delving deeper into studying the Essence of Speed, leaving behind a trail of corpses.
A day later, Mo Yu and Tamako returned to Konoha.
The two of them first headed to the Hokage's Office to report their mission.
After all, the deaths of four chunin and several genin were no small matter.
A jōnin had been specifically dispatched to inquire and confirm the details.
Mo Yu had no intention of hiding his strength, so he let Tamako recount everything as it had happened.
Concealment was useful, but only in certain situations.
Now that he was already being targeted by the Uchiha, the bigger his reputation, the better. That way, the village leadership would pay him more attention, and the Uchiha would be wary, less willing to strike recklessly.
When the jōnin heard that Mo Yu had taken down seven chunin in one strike, he was utterly stunned.
He had, of course, heard the rumors of Mo Yu being a "useless failure." Even though Mo Yu's victory over Uchiha Fugaku had dispelled that image, first impressions were hard to overturn.
It was like suddenly hearing that the worst student in the class had aced the entrance exams to the top universities.
The jōnin immediately said with great seriousness:
"Mo Yu, I'll report this truthfully. If everything checks out, the higher-ups will likely record a major merit for you—equivalent to completing a B-rank mission. The rewards and bounty won't be small."
Mo Yu nodded. He didn't care much for the money, but completing a B-rank mission came with hidden benefits—like prestige, status, and access to the village's restricted jutsu archives.
After confirming everything, the jōnin departed.
For the time being, Mo Yu and Tamako were not allowed to leave Konoha until the incident was fully verified.
That suited them just fine, since the Chunin Exams were only a week away, and both had already decided to sign up.
Mo Yu also submitted his own personal D-rank mission, which was immediately approved, and his bounty was paid out on the spot.
"Come on, to celebrate my first completed mission, I'll treat you to dinner," Mo Yu said happily.
"Really?"
Tamako looked at him skeptically.
After all, she knew how stingy Mo Yu was. They'd known each other for six years, and not once had he treated her to a meal.
"Of course it's true. But—each pays for their own."
Mo Yu grinned.
Tamako rolled her eyes. "Do you… not know the meaning of the words 'treating someone'?"
Mo Yu replied seriously, "It's not that I don't want to treat you, but we're both ninja now. We're adults. We should be self-reliant, not freeloaders."
Tamako covered her ears and shook her head, refusing to listen. Acting spoiled, she said, "I don't care! You have to treat me today! I'm going to eat for free—just for free!"
"Fine, fine. You're a freeloader, you're a freeloader."
"Ah! You dare call me an idiot?"
Blushing with anger, Tamako grabbed Mo Yu's arm and bit down.
"You're bullying me! Not only refusing to treat, but even insulting me. I'll bite you to death!"
Mo Yu grimaced in pain. "Ow—are you a dog or something? Fine, fine! I'll treat you! I surrender!"
"That's more like it."
Tamako clapped her hands like a triumphant little swan, smugly satisfied.
"So then, shall we go for bird's nest soup? Or braised bear paw?"
Mo Yu coolly uttered four words:
"Ichiraku Ramen."
"..."
Tamako lunged at him again.