In a luxurious estate.
"It's very bad! Something awful happened in the night!" A shinobi abruptly reported back to Masaru, who was in the middle of reflection.
"What is it?" Masaru replied with his eyes closed, overly exhausted from forming a scheme against Yoichi and his group of friends.
"Our 24 Oboro Kai Members which was assigned to annoy them were killed mercilessly at the warehouse!"
Upon hearing the shinobi's report, Masaru opened his eyes while Sabito's eyes widened in shock.
"Hmmm?! Tell me the details..." At this point, Masaru was unusually calm and looked at the shinobi intently.
Therefore, the shinobi brought up the news with intricate details of the massacre and its clues which made Masaru and Sabito consider things.
"Dried-up corpses? Not even a blood on the walls? And torturous deaths?" In his chair, Masaru cupped his chin in contemplation while Sabito's face darkened in such a gloomy fashion.
For a while, the mood inside the room became silent and bleak until the shinobi broke the silence and said, "What should we do, Masaru-sama?"
The tone of the shinobi felt uncertain and uncomfortable since the deaths of these members were tragic and the shinobi couldn't help but overthink due to his anxiety.
"... Withdraw all tasks targeted at them, I have a plan for them in the meantime. Anyway, you're dismissed."
In a calm voice, Masaru waved his hand dismissively, and the shinobi left with hesitation before going out of the room immediately. On the side, Sabito looked at Masaru and said, "I guess you have another designed plan for this, right?"
Catching a sight of Sabito at the corner of his eyes, Masaru's mouth curled upwards and said, "You don't need to worry about this issue. Let's just say that I have something in store for Yoichi in the near future."
After Masaru uttered his last sentence, his eyes flickered with resentment for a while until he closed his eyes and leaned on his lavish chair, enjoying his time in peace.
Sabito scratched his head from curiosity before he decided to let things off in Masaru's hand and enjoyed the extravagant lifestyle with relaxation in his mind.
...
Konoha Year 17, October.
"Mmmhmmm... How long... Did I fall asleep?"
Awakened from his stupor, Yoichi slowly rose to his bed and felt his mind was completely revitalized as if a man experienced a sudden enlightenment and clarity of soul.
"Bro, you are finally awake! You've been sleeping for 3 days without any reactions whatsoever!" Haruhiko exclaimed, still waiting for Yoichi to clear his groggy state.
After hearing Haruhiko's words, Yoichi suddenly remembered the things that happened that night of slaughter.
"... Where did the others go?" Noticing the basement room felt a little bit bleak and quiet, Yoichi gradually stood up and asked his friend.
"Everyone went to their jobs and took turns to keep you or us updated on your well-being. Are you really alright?"
With a concerned expression written on Haruhiko's face, Yoichi faintly smiled and said, "... I'm fine. Thank you for taking care of me."
"Is there a need for thanks, Yoichi? We are friends, remember that! Anyway, I should get going too, Munekatsu and the rest must be worried about you!"
With that being said, Haruhiko went to his work while Yoichi assessed the situation firsthand. Status.
[Name: Yoichi]]
[Title: Martial Arts Inheritor]
[Realm: Skin Refining Stage (Genin+)]
[Goredrinker: 138/1000] (Innate)
[Prismatics: Incinerator, Battle Instinct, Second Heart, Detective at Work, Fighting Spirit]
[Golds: Old Skin, Self Healing Constitution, Mortal Strike]
[Status: Externally Injured, Confused, Afflicted by the Curse Seal: Brain Implantation Technique(Flawed), Afflicted by Shepherd of the Innocent Lambs]
[Technique: Heavenly Demon Scripture (+)]
[Tickets: 1 Prismatic, 3 Gold, 1 Silver]
Soon, the mystical prompt appeared at his front and filled his mind with numerous information about the current progress of things.
I've forcibly upgraded my Sharingan... That's great... But the terrifying repercussions of the Goredrinker were truly ominous.
Perhaps in the future, a diabolical ability like Goredrinker could shine through at war and improve his progress even more at the expense of his enemies' blood, something that his ability feels sumptuous and desired.
In other words, he was like a vulture, not even the weapons of the enemies or their bodies would be intact with a demonic ability sucking flesh and blood.
As his bones and joints cracked with a resounding pop, Yoichi began his practice his Martial Arts and didn't go to his blacksmith work, letting his body stretch from the rusty 3 days of stagnation.
「Lightning Spear Thrust EXP +1」
「Lightning Spear Thrust EXP +1」
「Lightning Spear Thrust EXP +1」
...
"Everyone, come outside and take the next trial." A harsh voice soon resonated outside the door of the basement room.
"... Let's get ahead."
One by one, Genji and the rest followed the shinobi without any hesitation in mind. After 3 weeks of monotonous work, Yoichi and the party noticed that the opposition had decided to withdraw their forces and had stopped their irritating advances.
The party was perplexed until they chose to forget about the annoying situation, working on refinement and jobs. A much more fulfilling task than overthinking a lot of probabilities.
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Great Success) 262/500] (+20)
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Small Success) 10/300] (+15)
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Entry) 82/100] (+13)
[Phantom Steps: (Small Success) 39/300] (+7)
As for Yoichi, he completely recouped his vitality and gained substantial progress in his Martial Arts, especially unlocking the Small Success in the Mountain Crushing Fist.
Although the amplification was still 2 times, the strain in his body was greatly decreased. The smoothness of the transition between Qi Blood and muscles was also improved, strengthening his upper limbs.
Furthermore, his realm improvement due to the help of Blood Ganoderma Ointment was a great gain. His Iron Skin was on the cusp of breaking through, reaching perfection with diligent efforts and valuable consumables.
Now, his punch force was 95 jin or 57 kilograms of strength. If amplified by Mountain Crushing Fist, it could deliver a whopping 190 jin of force equal to the weight of a side-by-side refrigerator.
(WHAT IS A KILOMETERRR?!?!)
Soon, Yoichi and the party were escorted to a wide room with numerous children, roughly 84 kids survived the trial with joy in their faces.
The faces were unfamiliar in Yoichi's eyes since he explored the nook and cranny of the Amegakure but he didn't catch their silhouette or even their shadows.
Perhaps these kids were carried by someone else or they managed to get some information about the foreign informants... Yoichi thought.
Afterwards, Hanzō appeared above the stage alongside the famous Jōnins. Hayate, Motoyasu, and Kouji were at his side, looking at the children with delight and satisfaction.
"Congratulations, everyone! You've victoriously completed the trial!" As his blond hair swayed lightly, Hanzō's muffled voice was heard behind his helmet respirator, praising the children for their obedient endeavors.
Applause and compliments soon reverberated across the room.
"However," Hanzo continued, "We still have the proof of loyalty and the last trial awaiting you all so don't be too complacent and stay sharp!"
In the blink of an eye, the joyful mood suddenly turned into a serious one, evident in the frowning faces of the children amidst Hanzō's statements.
"Let's get straight into the proof of loyalty. All you had to do was kill these foreign shinobi with your hands and swear your fealty to our glorious village, Amegakure!" Hanzō added.
Therefore, with a wave of his hand, the Ame-Nins violently carried the tied and muffled foreign shinobi, who were filled with fearful expressions written on their faces.
One by one, as the children killed the foreign shinobi and swore dutiful allegiance towards Amegakure. Then, the Ame-Nin patted the children's heads until Yoichi keenly noticed the peculiar actions and narrowed his eyes.
They are surely strengthening the Curse Seal in our brains!
Yoichi thought. The chakra infused in their hands didn't escape from his eyes which made Yoichi grimace in despair and helplessness.
Following that, it was his turn. In an instant, Yoichi sliced the throat of the foreign shinobi and bowed, "I swear that my life and loyalty will always be on Amegakure's side!"
Therefore, the shinobi nearby reinforced the curse seal in his mind which made him curse inwardly but the stinging sensation in his brain pricked violently.
[Status: Externally Injured, Confused, Afflicted by the Curse Seal: Brain Implantation Technique, Afflicted by Shepherd of the Innocent Lambs]
Fuck! Even trying to think about them was truly disastrous. I must remove this seal as soon as possible. Goddamnit!
With ideas forming in his mind, the children came after another and finished the proof of loyalty in a few moments. As for Genji and the rest, Yoichi decided not to reveal the cursed seal, or else, other fatally catastrophic events might happen.
After a few moments of relief, Hanzō applauded, "Very good! Now that we've finalized your loyalty to the village, the last trial will begin!"
"In this trial of survival, all of you will fight to survive in the harsh environments by yourself which means that you all will be separated from your team and be enemies for the rest of the month!"
Seeing the children's shock, Hanzō persisted, "You heard it right. For one month, you will have to do your hardest to survive. But no worries, there's a supply chest every single day full of resources prepared for those who will get it! From now on, consider your teammates as enemies on a narrow road! A royal rumble!"
After hearing Hanzō's remarks, Yoichi crossed his arms and thought, Supply chests... Free-for-all... Royal Rumble?! It was certainly Martial Ancestor who wrote these things! He's the one who makes this Naruto world an alternate universe, after all!
"It feels so surreal... We could be enemies?" Genji's words struck to the rest of the party, complicated by his surging emotions.
Bottled up with anxieties, Yoichi took the initiative and said, "... Stay calm and believe in your progress. We could definitely do this!"
Upon hearing Yoichi's encouraging phrases, the party slightly cooled down but the creeping tension soon began to emerge in their eyes.
On the other hand, Masaru and Sabito smiled bitterly until a radiant bulb enlightened Masaru's senses.
"Sabito, if you see Yoichi, don't ever make a move! Just stay there and slowly deplete his food, understand?" Masaru apparently comprehends Yoichi's superb capability so he ordered Sabito into his bidding.
Although quite confused, Sabito nodded while the rest of the children in the room were separated and slowly escorted to different landscapes amidst the drizzling rain.
I must survive this curse— Shit! Save my friends and survive this trial!
With a fiery glint in his eyes, Yoichi took his time to calm down and rest as the lonely cart slowly trudged into their destination.
_______________
(Current Progress)
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Great Success) 262/500]
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Small Success) 10/300]
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Entry) 82/100]
[Phantom Steps: (Small Success) 39/300]
________
Five or six chapters and it's done.
Thanks for reading the chapters and bookmarking the novel. See ya! XDD!