Konoha Year 17, December 31.
"Yoichi! Let's hang around outside!"
Amidst the chilling snow of winter and the glimmering stars of the darkness, Yoichi along with Jiraya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru strolled through the village with uncommon but traditional garments thanks to New Year's Eve.
"Come on! Don't be a party pooper. There's gonna be so many events and stalls awaiting us!" Dressed in green with elegant ornaments, Tsunade began to drag Yoichi into the several lines of stalls in the Senju District.
The orange glow of the well-designed lanterns, jam-packed streets with people ranging from kids to adults, and the optimistic atmosphere slightly dazed Yoichi after being pulled by the monstrous strength of Tsunade.
I never thought Naruto Universe had a holiday in my entire life! Besides, this felt like I'm going to experience the Japanese way of celebrating New Year's Eve!
Yoichi thought as the rest of the week felt monotonous and arduous in the past few days. After 10 days of firm concentration in training, Yoichi has been solely focused on his practice.
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Perfection) 14/1000] (+3)
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Small Success) 174/300] (+24)
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Small Success) 162/300] (+67)
[Phantom Steps: (Small Success) 232/300] (+22)
As a result, his proficiency shot up in a momentous manner. His Lightning Spear Thrust caught up with the two other valuable techniques in his kit.
However, as his progress skyrocketed, his Qi Blood Pills had been frankly used up. Thanks to the considerable number of perilous cases including the deadly life-and-death tribulation along with cultivation, his last supply of Qi Blood Pills bade goodbye.
"What are you dawdling for? Let's go!" On the side, Jiraiya pulled Orochimaru before he caught Tsunade's petite hand atop Yoichi's callous paws, feeling a childish bitterness in his eyes.
With only his casual attire, Yoichi took a deep breath and sighed, eventually letting go of her hand by stretching his hands in the air, completely acting.
"I feel so hungry! Can we grab a bite first before we go to the temple?" Peeking at Tsunade's slightly flushed face, Yoichi feigned ignorance and suggested eating food willingly.
What am I doing?! I– I was too intimate as a girl!
Meanwhile, Tsunade turned her head away and felt embarrassed by her display of affectionate act, twirling her hair in an endless cycle of circles.
"Will you be the one to pay the tab? I'm in the middle of my research and have no more allowance. Hehehe..."
Draping his arm over Yoichi's shoulders, Jiraiya combed his spiky hair using his hand and sheepishly laughed amidst the knowing look of the three.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya had been added to the list of children who could receive a monthly allowance given by the Konoha higher-ups. It was a great idea proposed by the Hokage himself.
And it didn't take too long to be published in public view.
*Boom!*
*Swisssshhh!*
During their conversations, the fireworks soon blotted the skies with their magnificent and sophisticated colors, giving the 4 children a radiant shine in their eyes.
One by one, as the swishing sounds of the fireworks resounded, they were followed by a deafening sound and then revealing the colorful artworks in the middle of the abyssal night.
"Happy New Year!" Jiraiya broke the fascination in his party, greeted them with such enthusiastic fervor.
"Happy New Year to you." Tsunade bowed slightly and bestowed her best wishes on her acquaintances.
"Likewise," Orochimaru conveyed a small word yet Jiraiya and Tsunade glared at him with intensity until he conceded, "... Happy New Year."
As Orochimaru expressed his sincere appreciation, Yoichi was next in the hot seat. Being looked at by the three felt a little weird but Yoichi relented, "Please, treat me well next year."
Hearing this, Jiraiya and Tsunade were relieved. Although it sounded informal, Yoichi's tone was gentle and heartfelt, truly appreciating the spirit of New Year's Eve in their opinions.
Soon, the fireworks slowly stopped but the meaning of the colorful bursts was a sign, starting the New Year's Day with hope and optimism amidst the Shinobi World's hidden turmoil.
Therefore, the 4 lavishly ate dango and slowly strolled into the vibrant streets while talking. For a while, the atmosphere around the area felt heartwarming and positive before the people who went into the Senju District slowly began to disappear.
Subsequently, the 4 also went their respective ways with a moment of companionship and rapport, deeming the New Year's Eve to be an incredible occasion.
That is so good! Luckily, I have some friends here enjoying the celebration.
With that out of the way, Yoichi returned to his somber house and changed into a pair of pajamas, instantly falling asleep in the night.
...
...
...
Konoha Year 18, January.
"Shit, I'm being like a drug addict!"
After the harmonious festive, Yoichi's penitence began. For over 1 week this month, his progress had slowed down to the pace of a turtle.
Primarily due to the lack of Qi Blood Pills in his inventory. It's not that any kind of cheapskate and regular pills like the ones on the market. Those Qi Blood Pills granted him a boost in recovery and Qi Blood replenishment.
Furthermore, with his Incinerator, the pills were an instant and quick way to gain Qi Blood in a brief period when training either proficiency techniques or realm advancement.
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Perfection) 17/1000] (+3)
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Small Success) 184/300] (+10)
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Small Success) 168/300] (+8)
[Phantom Steps: (Small Success) 235/300] (+3)
[Secret Technique: Face Changing (Entry) 56/100] (+35)
Regardless, during those times, he brilliantly decided to train his transfiguration technique that had been in the dust for far too long.
Since he has a surplus of ointment, Yoichi cultivated the secret method in his free time. However, just as he was about to start his practice, Jiraiya came with shocking but good news.
"I feel that my Qi Blood is boiling! Should I begin to refine?!"
On the training grounds, Yoichi's pupils dilated in surprise while Tsunade and Orochimaru also felt the same as Yoichi had.
In the end, Jiraiya was the first one to activate the Qi Blood within his body.
Although he was an ordinary child, his body as a child was unusually vigorous for his age according to Yoichi's hypothesis.
I guess that must be it. I mean, Jiraiya was the tallest of the Sannin based on his physical appearance in anime and manga materials. Similarly, I assume that his robust constitution had been the primary factor in training Sage Mode.
In Yoichi's opinion, Jiraiya's Imperfect Sage Mode features were possibly related to Jiraiya's lecherous habits.
Although there was no conclusive proof, Yoichi's rational thinking said so. However, this Imperfect Sage Mode was stronger in the later parts of the Naruto Universe.
Tsunade felt nerfed by Kishimoto in the show even though she had knacks to sense or perceive Sage Energy while Orochimaru's body swap made his mental energy messy and chaotic, an antithesis to the fundamental requirement to learn Sage Mode in Ryūchi Cave which was to have a peace of mind and stability when perceiving Sage Energy.
________________
(Current Progress)
[Realm: Skin Refining Stage] (Jade Skin)
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Perfection) 17/1000]
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Small Success) 184/300]
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Small Success) 168/300]
[Phantom Steps: (Small Success) 235/300]
[Secret Technique: Face Changing (Entry) 56/100]
[Tickets: 1 Prismatic, 0 Gold, 1 Silver.]
____________
In the next chapter, I'll be conducting another time-skip since it would be better and not too boring to just see him practicing a whole lot without suspense or action.
Shoutout to TwinLoongs, blazebr5144, and doomslayer24 for the Power Stones! Thank you seniors, I'll make sure I'm going to improve more in my Writing Dao, benefactors!
Thanks for reading the chapters and bookmarking the novel! See ya! XDD!