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Okamoto appeared right on schedule.
He cast an indifferent glance at Rokuro before addressing the group.
"Training starts now. This afternoon, it's high kicks, straight punches, and side-steps. Once you finish those reps, run two laps. That concludes the daily mission. If you want to rest early, you'd better start moving!"
The children were obedient. They scrambled up and began their drills.
Rokuro joined the formation without hesitation. His stamina was currently overflowing; even if he had to train through the entire night, it wouldn't be an issue.
He had already crunched the numbers on his System.
It only took 100 EXP to fully restore his stamina. He currently had 400 EXP in reserve. He could essentially keep his energy bar topped off until tomorrow morning if he wanted to.
The other children, already drained from the morning session, moved sluggishly. Rokuro was the outlier. He powered through the entire set in under two hours.
Training complete.
He glanced at Okamoto on the sidelines, thought for a moment, and walked over. He bowed respectfully.
"Instructor, I've finished my set. I'd like to join the other squad for some extra practice while I wait for everyone else to finish. I'll join the group run when they're ready."
Okamoto stared at him.
To see Rokuro finish so quickly was genuinely surprising.
However, he didn't show a flicker of emotion. A shinobi must always conceal their feelings.
He looked Rokuro up and down and asked calmly,
"You don't want to rest?"
Rokuro's expression turned serious.
"Instructor, I don't want to go back to my old life. I want to become a real ninja. I never want to starve again!"
Typical brat, Okamoto thought. Wanting to be a ninja just to fill his belly.
He internally scoffed but nodded outwardly.
"Your training is done, so what you do with your free time is your business. As long as you can handle the two laps later. But be warned: if you burn yourself out and can't finish the run, there will be no dinner."
Rokuro bowed again.
"Don't worry, Instructor. I know my limits!"
Okamoto nodded.
"Suit yourself. Just be back before 6:00 PM for the run."
Rokuro was thrilled by how easily Okamoto agreed.
After bowing one last time, he turned and headed toward his true objective.
He wasn't joining the other squad to train. He was there to clear a Quest.
His goal: Complete the Random Quest by teaching Fukada Miya a lesson.
He sidled up to Miya's squad and began mimicking their movements.
He couldn't just start a brawl immediately. He needed a valid reason—a pretext—so that after he beat Miya into the dirt, no one could claim he was in the wrong.
His arrival naturally drew the attention of the children in Squad 6. However, since stopping mid-drill was forbidden, they only shot him curious glances before continuing until their set was finished.
During the ten-minute break between sets, a boy from Squad 6 approached Rokuro.
"Hey, kid. You came over here to train and Lord Okamoto didn't even yell at you? Are you his relative or something?"
Rokuro paused, glancing back at Okamoto.
It seemed Okamoto wasn't this lenient with everyone. He was getting special treatment.
Am I really his relative?
No, impossible. If he were related to a Chunin or Jonin, the original Rokuro wouldn't have starved in a shack.
It must be something else.
Did he notice my anomaly?
That wasn't good. The Konoha Orphanage was a recruiting ground for Root. And Danzo Shimura—that paranoid old schemer—was in charge. If Danzo noticed something supernatural about him, he might order a mind-reading interrogation or just dissect him.
He had to be more careful.
His monstrous stamina was already exposed, but he needed to keep his aptitude for Ninjutsu and Genjutsu under wraps. At least until he had the strength to resist Danzo.
Having made up his mind, Rokuro looked at the boy and shook his head.
"No way. If I were Lord Okamoto's relative, why would I be here? I'd be living comfortably in Konoha village."
The boy from Squad 6 blinked, then nodded.
"True. I guess Lord Okamoto just likes your talent. He always has a soft spot for geniuses."
As I thought.
Okamoto had noticed something.
Since the secret about my stamina recovery is out, I'll stick to Taijutsu for now to avoid raising more flags.
Rokuro relaxed and turned his gaze toward his target: Fukada Miya.
He remembered the kid. Seven days ago, during dinner, Miya had accidentally choked and sprayed a mouthful of rice all over Rokuro. Miya had apologized profusely and introduced himself, which was how Rokuro knew his name.
To think the System wants me to beat him up...
Miya didn't seem like a bad guy. Rokuro actually felt a twinge of guilt.
Sorry, Miya. But for the sake of the Quest, you have to take one for the team.
Putting on a friendly face, Rokuro walked up to him.
"Brother Fukada! You're training here too? Could you teach me some tips on form?"
Miya recognized him immediately. He laughed and patted Rokuro on the shoulder.
"Oh! Sorry about spraying rice on you last week. Sure, I'll teach you. Consider it my apology!"
Rokuro was delighted internally but kept his expression earnest.
"Thank you, Brother Fukada!"
Miya glanced into the distance and saw Okamoto watching them. He immediately realized the situation:
This kid is the instructor's favorite.
Children favored by the instructors had a high chance of being sent to the Main Orphanage in Konoha proper to learn real Ninjutsu. This branch was just a filtering facility. Only those who passed here could go to the headquarters.
If Miya built a relationship with Rokuro, maybe he could ride his coattails. Maybe Okamoto would look favorably on him too, allowing him to graduate early.
The thought made Miya excited. He shouted to a taller boy nearby,
"Captain Mokushi! Give me an hour of leave. I'm going to help this little brother train!"
The squad leader, Mokushi, looked at Miya, then at Rokuro. He nodded.
"Fine. But you still have to finish your reps afterward."
"Don't worry, I know the rules!" Miya grinned.
He grabbed Rokuro's arm enthusiastically.
"Come on, let's go over to the track by the trees."
Rokuro couldn't have asked for a better setup.
He needed to be alone with Miya to instigate the fight.
Without hesitation, he followed Miya toward the secluded shade of the trees.