Gazes of Attention

After returning home, Veigar's first move was to grab the cultivation notebook from under his pillow.

Then he picked up his long-unused fishing tools and headed out.

The holiday wasn't long, nor was it short, and since Veigar still had to work to earn money, the time left for his training wasn't much.

Before long, Veigar arrived at the riverbank where he had previously set his fish traps.

He first laid out the bait, then placed the fishing tools into the river, and finally jumped onto a nearby tree branch, pulling out the notebook to flip through.

Cultivation required a step-by-step approach, just like eating a meal one bite at a time.

For now, Veigar had no intention of training in the Body Strengthening Technique; instead, he chose to practice the Body Flicker Technique recorded in the notebook.

The Body Flicker Technique was a ninjutsu for high-speed movement and was considered one of the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques, though it wasn't grouped with the Substitution Technique, Transformation Technique, and Clone Technique. Instead, it stood alongside the Immobilization Technique and Invisibility Technique as one of the advanced Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques.

At the same time, the Body Flicker Technique was divided into two types: the Physical Body Flicker Technique and the Ninjutsu Body Flicker Technique. The former was a ninjutsu executed primarily through physical prowess.

Those who commonly used it were almost always ninjas skilled in taijutsu.

Now, Veigar was set to train in the Ninjutsu Body Flicker Technique, which relied primarily on Chakra.

After understanding the principles and usage of the Body Flicker Technique from the notebook, Veigar immediately began attempting it.

He formed hand seals, channeled Chakra to his feet, and then instantly released a powerful burst of propulsion.

"Body Flicker Technique, bang."

The Body Flicker Technique failed!

And the Chakra even made a sound like a loud fart.

"Again!"

Veigar hadn't expected to succeed on his first try, so he wasn't discouraged at all.

While Veigar was diligently practicing the Body Flicker Technique, the warm sunlight also streamed into the Hokage's Office, spilling over Hiruzen Sarutobi.

As the Third Hokage of the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently staring blankly at a report card in his hand.

He puffed on his pipe, the smoke curling from his lips as he tried hard to recall the owner of this report card, but could only remember seeing Veigar's enrollment file.

That's right—the report card in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands this early morning was Veigar's perfect-score report card.

"A genius among civilians?"

"Could he be the next Minato?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was gradually declining from his peak personal strength, still harbored unquenched ambitions. Seeing a genius like Veigar emerge in the village made him feel that the sunlight in the village had grown a bit warmer.

"Go, summon Tomohisa Ishikawa."

"Also, find out where Vega Koshima is right now."

No one replied audibly, but two presences vanished from around the Hokage's Office. Those who left were Anbu Ninjas under the direct control of the Hokage.

Although the Ninja Academy was on break, Tomohisa Ishikawa, as a teacher, couldn't leave the school yet. Busy organizing documents, he rushed toward the Hokage Building as soon as he received the notification from the Anbu Ninja.

With the Third Hokage's special order, Tomohisa Ishikawa passed through unimpeded all the way to the door of the Hokage's Office.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Come in!"

The Third Hokage inside the office naturally knew it was Tomohisa Ishikawa at the door and directly told him to enter after the knock sounded.

Straightening his clothes, Tomohisa Ishikawa pushed open the door and walked in.

"Lord Hokage, you called for me!"

Tomohisa Ishikawa said respectfully, bowing his head to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"No need to be nervous, Ishikawa."

"It's precisely because of dedicated teachers like you, quietly giving at the Ninja Academy, that the village's ninjas can grow smoothly."

"You've worked hard."

Praised by Hiruzen Sarutobi like this, Tomohisa Ishikawa's heart instantly surged with excitement. These words from Hiruzen Sarutobi were the best encouragement for them.

"Lord Hokage, this is all my duty."

Standing straight, Tomohisa Ishikawa replied with a mix of exhilaration and seriousness.

"Relax, Ishikawa. Treat this place like your own home."

"The reason I called you here today is that I want to ask you about something."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a gentle tone.

Vaguely, Tomohisa Ishikawa had already guessed what Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to ask and promptly replied, "Yes, please go ahead."

Puff, puff, exhale...

Taking another drag from his pipe, Hiruzen Sarutobi, holding the pipe stem, said slowly, "How did Vega Koshima perform at the academy?"

"Looking at his grades, he's another genius in the village, and from your evaluation, you seem to think highly of him."

From the moment the exam results came out, Tomohisa Ishikawa had already understood that Veigar would definitely catch Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.

"Lord Hokage, Veigar's grades are absolutely genuine."

"At the academy, Veigar is also a very diligent and well-behaved student. He has never left early, arrived late, or skipped class."

Tomohisa Ishikawa spoke with unwavering conviction.

Water flows downhill, but people strive to climb higher.

For Tomohisa Ishikawa, Veigar's emergence was an opportunity.

As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi acknowledged Veigar, then as Veigar's homeroom teacher, he believed his own benefits would be plentiful.

For a teacher seeking promotion, a raise, and greater recognition, aside from seniority and connections, the best path was through their students' achievements.

And now, Veigar's perfect Report Card was Tomohisa Ishikawa's golden opportunity.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, weighing things in his mind, then chatted with Tomohisa Ishikawa about Veigar in a desultory manner.

As Veigar's homeroom teacher, Tomohisa Ishikawa held nothing back, reporting everything he knew to Hiruzen Sarutobi one by one.

From Veigar's behavior in class to his diligence in training, including how Veigar worked part-time at a slaughterhouse to make ends meet—Tomohisa Ishikawa recounted every detail, big or small.

Only after more than ten minutes did Tomohisa Ishikawa leave the Hokage building.

At that moment, Tomohisa Ishikawa knew Veigar's future would draw significant attention, and he himself would rise in status at the academy for having taught such a student.

After the delighted Tomohisa Ishikawa departed, Hiruzen Sarutobi learned of Veigar's current location from the Anbu Ninja.

Dismissing the surrounding Anbu Ninja, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out the Crystal Ball stored under his desk—a tool he usually used to peek into the women's bathhouse, ahem...

It was his usual means of observing the people's conditions without leaving his home.

"Ninja Art: Telescope Technique."

When Veigar's figure appeared in the Crystal Ball on the desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi's interest was immediately piqued.

Originally intending only to briefly observe Veigar's current situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have stumbled upon something of value.