The Plan Went Smoothly

Chapter 40: The Plan is Going Smoothly (Seeking Recommendation Tickets!)

With inspiration struck, the basic conditions for completing the mission must be confirmed as soon as possible!

Without time to go home, Qingyu, clutching the month's relief money Jonin Mikawa had left him before departing, rushed back.

He first found a shop selling dyes. After a long discussion with the owner, he was satisfied and finalized this first business transaction. Then, he bought strong glue, fabric, and other miscellaneous items before heading home with all the things awkwardly hanging off him.

Upon arriving home, he hadn't even caught his breath before his stomach rumbled.

He then remembered that after being busy all day, he hadn't even eaten!

So, he had to put his things down first, go out to eat something ready-made, and then stock up on plenty of food.

After finishing these errands, he took out the various items he had bought earlier and started to work on them frantically...

The next day, after finishing breakfast and stretching his limbs, Qingyu headed straight to where Old Man Yamashita worked.

Not far from the Hokage Rock, there was a place specifically for artisans to store their tools and take temporary breaks.

As expected, Old Man Yamashita was sitting inside, drinking tea and relaxing.

Minor tasks like final checks no longer required him, the head artisan, to do them personally; other artisans were diligently and responsibly inspecting everything one by one.

Of course, if any problems arose that required rework, he would naturally step up without hesitation!

"Grandpa Yamashita, I've come to see you."

"Oh, it's young Qingyu. Come, sit down and have some tea. This is a good stuff gifted by the Hokage. You're lucky!"

Old Man Yamashita was first surprised to see Qingyu actually come to find him, then happily beckoned him over.

People his age liked liveliness, and especially children. Seeing these young sprouts seemed like seeing his past self.

Qingyu didn't stand on ceremony. When interacting with elders, it was better to be relaxed. The more casual he was, the happier the elder would be.

In short, if they offered food, eat; if they offered drink, drink. Patiently go along with what they said, and it would always work!

As expected, Yamashita liked Qingyu more and more. Not only did he bring out a lot of delicious food to entertain him, but he also started chatting, boasting about his past experiences.

Qingyu wasn't in a hurry to state his purpose. He patiently accompanied the old man, mostly acting as a quiet listener... or a quiet eater.

Soon, an hour passed.

Qingyu felt it was about time. So, while Old Man Yamashita was tired from talking and taking a sip of tea, Qingyu put on an admiring expression, expressed his interest in carving, and asked for some tips.

Yamashita, completely engrossed, didn't notice anything amiss. Instead, with a rosy complexion, he gave Qingyu a very appreciative look. Then, he very proactively brought over a few stones he usually used for practice and a full set of tools, ready to give him a good lesson.

After all, it was rare to meet a child interested in his craft. Plus, he found Qingyu very likable, so he didn't mind being a teacher for a day.

If Qingyu showed any talent in carving, he even thought about taking him as a disciple and nurturing him well.

And so, one taught earnestly, and the other learned earnestly.

Soon, Qingyu grasped some tricks and became a beginner. Under Old Man Yamashita's guidance, he even managed to carve a small figure. Though the face was unrecognizable and rather crude...

"It's okay, practice makes perfect. You'll get better with more practice. As a beginner, you've done very well."

Seeing Qingyu's slight dejection, Old Man Yamashita comforted him gently.

At the same time, the old man sighed inwardly. It was rare to find a good child so interested in carving, but unfortunately, his talent was truly average.

Although it was a pity, the old man abandoned the idea of taking him as a disciple.

"Grandpa Yamashita, could you lend me some tools? I want to try a few more times when I get home," Qingyu said stubbornly, quickly recovering from his 'dejection.'

Seeing this, Old Man Yamashita nodded with satisfaction and readily agreed.

"No problem, I have plenty of tools here. I'll get a set ready for you later. Take it with you when you leave, and remember to practice diligently."

"Thank you, Grandpa Yamashita, um..."

"Any other questions? Just say them all at once."

Under Old Man Yamashita's encouraging gaze, Qingyu, with a look of longing and a bit of embarrassment, asked, "Can I come up to the Hokage Rock these few days to see how everyone else does it?"

Old Man Yamashita paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by Qingyu's request.

Although it wasn't troublesome, what if something unexpected happened...

"The carving work is all finished now. You won't see much even if you go up now. Besides, our profession strongly discourages being overly ambitious. It won't be too late to observe such large-scale carvings once you've built a solid foundation," Old Man Yamashita advised earnestly.

"I'm not being overly ambitious... I just want to see it and broaden my horizons. One day, I will carve my own likeness onto it! I'm even recognized by the Hokage as the future Fifth Hokage!"

Suppressing the urge to vomit, Qingyu said excitedly, his little face turning red.

Of course, it might also be due to embarrassment...

Wasn't he working hard just to complete the mission assigned by the dog system!

However, this melodramatic declaration did have the intended effect. At least Old Man Yamashita's gaze towards him changed.

Old Man Yamashita pondered seriously for a moment, then slowly said, "It's not impossible to agree... but there are three rules: be obedient, follow the rules. Do as you're told, and absolutely do not touch things you shouldn't. If you can do that, I'll let you go up."

Success!

Qingyu suppressed his excitement and nodded vigorously.

So far, everything has gone smoothly!

Not only did Qingyu learn basic carving knowledge and obtain carving tools, but they also successfully planted the seed of "I want to carve myself onto the Hokage Rock with my own hands." Once the mission is successful, Yamashita's testimony will be very important and can greatly alleviate their pressure.

Finally, they successfully persuaded Yamashita, allowing them to ascend the Hokage Rock openly.

With this identity as cover, the mission's success rate has increased significantly!

Combined with the preparations they made earlier...

Qingyu's eyes flashed. They seemed to see victory beckoning.

Of course, they couldn't get happy too early, nor could they be impatient. They would honestly play their part for two days first, letting everyone get used to their presence!

Seeking recommendation votes! Recently, many big shots have emerged and started new books, the competition is too fierce, and I can't quite handle it. Please support!