"All right, I've been teaching you for three years now. What you've learned at the Ninja Academy will affect you for the rest of your lives, but don't forget to keep learning. This world is vast. Never be satisfied with your strength or your current situation..."
"From now on, make sure you eat and sleep on time. Don't make your new teacher angry, and keep working hard at your ninjutsu. You're all talented, so don't waste that talent. Study hard and train harder..." Takeshi Goda rambled on, giving Zi Xu and the others one last round of advice. He sounded just like a mother seeing her child off on a long journey.
Though he didn't care for Konoha's ideals, though he hadn't received the inheritance he was entitled to and his monthly allowance had been cut, it was still true that Konoha had taken him in and raised him. It was also true that he'd made a few decent friends here—friends who might even change the course of his life.
Takeshi Goda's teaching had been clumsy, but it had come from a place of genuine care. Just then, Zi Xu realized he might have misjudged some people. He'd let his first impressions cloud his judgment. The fault lay with Hiruzen Sarutobi's ruling faction and the Will of Fire that had strayed from its original purpose. The people here weren't to blame. At least, plenty of them had shown him kindness.
The excitement Hatsumi had felt at graduating had gradually faded under Takeshi Goda's down-to-earth words, and a trace of sadness seemed to settle over her.
"Honestly, it's not like we'll never see each other again. Why are you making this so sad, Sensei?" Chino turned away. She was sentimental and couldn't stand scenes like this. Takeshi Goda might have seemed strict, but his strictness came from love.
He believed in one thing: "Being strict during training reduces losses on real missions." He'd rather his students make countless mistakes in practice than make even one on the battlefield.
"No. Becoming a Ninja means gaining the privileges and honors of the profession, but it also means shouldering its responsibilities. Any of us could meet with an accident during a mission. No one can guarantee that war won't break out the very next moment, or that an accident won't come before tomorrow. So we should treat every parting as if it might be the last..."
Takeshi Goda spoke with complete earnestness. He'd seen too many farewells and accidents. He didn't even have to look far: the Uchiha Clan had recently been wiped out. That was why he treasured every minute and every second with his students.
"Stop nagging. We're not going to die that easily. You're the one who'd better not die before us—I don't want to have to bury you." Chino's words were harsh, even cutting, but she was only putting up a front. She wasn't good at expressing her feelings, so she showed her concern for Takeshi Goda in her own way.
"Don't worry, Sensei. We'll remember what you taught us. Your image will live forever in our hearts. We'll carry on your legacy—no, your will. We definitely will..." Zi Xu couldn't take much more of this, either, and tried to bring the conversation to an end.
"Never mind. You don't look like you'll be dying anytime soon. Go on, get back to whatever you need to do. And don't slack off on your training from now on." Takeshi Goda caught Zi Xu's meaning and quickly waved them out, practically "chasing" them away.
"Oh, right. Next Monday—that's the day after tomorrow—the higher-ups will assign you to teams. Don't forget."
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Zi Xu closed the door from the outside. Takeshi Goda leaned back quietly in his chair. He'd spent so long wanting them to pass their graduation exams. So why, now that they had, was it... so hard to let them go?
"Now that we've graduated, shouldn't we celebrate? I mean, we definitely should, right?" Once they left the classroom, the heavy mood finally lifted, and Hatsumi grinned as she tried to brighten things up.
"Just make sure you can afford the bill this time," Chino said, mercilessly bringing up the past, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"That... That was an accident... How could you two eat so much? Are you even human?!" Hatsumi stammered, her eyes full of confusion and disbelief. She couldn't imagine how their stomachs were built. Did they have Sealing Scrolls in there? Even the Akimichi weren't like that.
"But now that we're Ninjas, the barbecue restaurant gives us a discount. Eat all you want. If you can make me go broke, the two of you win." This time, Hatsumi had regained her confidence. Becoming a Ninja meant taking on responsibilities, sure, but there was no denying that the perks were excellent. There were all kinds of discounts and waivers, and even medicines and advanced products went to Ninjas first. Becoming a Ninja meant rising above the common people; the two groups weren't even on the same level.
"Then I'll eat my fill. Zi Xu, don't hold back either. Hatsumi said so herself, so we should respect her wishes..." Looking at Chino's smile and Zi Xu's silence beside her, Hatsumi could only imagine that her little wallet was letting out a faint wail, trembling as if disaster were about to strike.
"Tomorrow. I have something to do today..." Zi Xu, who'd been silent the whole time, finally spoke, but his answer dampened everyone's spirits.
"Why? What could you have to do...?" Hatsumi didn't understand and started to ask. Three years ago, she never would have said something like that. She'd changed a lot over those three years—or perhaps she'd simply learned to let her true nature show.
Before she could finish, Chino tugged at her sleeve and poked her in the waist. Hatsumi realized Zi Xu might really have something to do, and fell silent.
"All right, then. Tomorrow night, don't be late." Hatsumi didn't understand, but she gave in.
"Okay. Sorry for ruining the mood." Zi Xu nodded and headed toward his little house.
Hatsumi still didn't understand. Her brows furrowed, her lips puffed out, and she planted her fists on her hips, looking furious. "Why? What could he possibly have to do right now? Is Zi Xu trying to avoid me on purpose?"
Chino remained calm, her gaze following Zi Xu as he walked away. Her eyes held a hint of sadness and sympathy as she explained unhurriedly:
"We all have someone we can share our happiness with—family or friends. Usually, when something good happens, we tell our parents, right? But Zi Xu..."
At that, Hatsumi's anger vanished. Looking at Zi Xu's retreating figure, she seemed to notice a trace of loneliness, and even felt a little guilty. As his friend, she hadn't noticed anything was wrong right away. Instead, she'd been caught up in her own thoughts. She still had a lot of growing up to do.
That wasn't the case at all. Zi Xu was in such a hurry to get back because he still had reward points and a draw left over from the mission he'd just completed.
Zi Xu couldn't put off drawing any longer. But just now, he hadn't been able to resist using one of his four draws. A single draw hadn't brought a miracle; instead, he'd gotten a pair of [Buggy's Stinky Socks]. It had left him feeling awful. He decided he'd keep them at the bottom of a box forever. There was absolutely no reason he'd ever need them—not ever!
"Come on, come on. Let's get a miracle with a three-pull. I'm not asking for much—just a Supreme Grade Blade or the Tremor-Tremor Fruit or something. I'm easy to please." Zi Xu rubbed his hands together, eager to begin. Back in his room, he flopped sideways onto the bed like a tiger pouncing on the ground. That was the pose he'd been in the last time he drew the Silent Fruit.
"Let's draw!" Even though it was only a three-pull, he had to make the ritual count. A virtual roulette wheel appeared out of thin air, its pointer spinning rapidly. Zi Xu didn't watch it. He figured that if he looked, he wouldn't get anything good. Only the unknown could bring a surprise.
[You obtained Grilled Meat ×1]
[You obtained a Crowbar ×1]
[You obtained Expired Snacks ×1]
It was a surprise, all right. After his previous single draw had given him a Fruit, Zi Xu couldn't help getting his hopes up for this one. But the letdown was like paying 500 yuan for an all-you-can-eat buffet only to find the ingredients all came from a street stall, the server acted just like his mother, and the sea-cucumber fried rice had nothing but rice. The contrast was brutal.
"System, how many points does one draw cost?"
"1,000 points."
"Uhhh... Forget it. Plenty of people have gone bankrupt pulling for gacha before..." Zi Xu managed to rein in his excitement, remembering what he'd been like back when he'd played gacha games.
"Every time I spent money, I'd feel such regret, such remorse, and swear I'd never spend again. It even scared me. But before each draw, I'd be so confident, so arrogant, so determined to keep going until I got what I wanted... I didn't even know who I was anymore..."
"System, can I use all my points to raise my Fusion Level?"
[It is not recommended that the host do so. The Fusion Level your body can currently withstand has reached its limit. You must let it settle before continuing the fusion.]
When he learned he couldn't max out his Fusion Level all at once, he talked himself down. Zi Xu spent a long time wavering between saving up to unlock the Devil Fruit Ability and unlocking Haki directly. In the end, he gritted his teeth and decided to unlock the Haki System first. After all, he already had a Devil Fruit Ability, even if it wasn't much use for fighting.
"Unlock the Haki System!"
"Boom—" Zi Xu felt as if something had suddenly exploded inside his head. This awakening was nothing like the gentle one before. It was brutal and direct.
[Host, please hold on. Otherwise, this awakening will fail.]
Hearing the System's message, Zi Xu's heart tightened. Failing wasn't a big deal; he could try again. But those 30,000 points would be gone for nothing. That was enough for a full thirty draws! He couldn't stand such a waste.
Wave after wave of pressure crashed over him without end. He felt like a tiny boat adrift in a raging storm, or as if he'd returned to the womb, helplessly submerged in amniotic fluid. The sensation of returning to the beginning made him deeply uncomfortable. Knowing everything yet being unable to do anything left him feeling powerless and angry.
That spark of anger spread rapidly, like dye poured into water, until it had turned the entire ocean red. The overwhelming pressure of his fury seemed to dispel some of the oppression the ocean had brought. In the midst of his rage, Zi Xu felt the pressure around him gradually fade. Everything returned to normal. The water receded, the storm died down, and the System's notification appeared again.
[The Haki System has been activated. You have awakened Conqueror's Haki]
Before you continue