Task Progress

The sky was filled with swirling snow, and the biting wind roused Gu Qi from his drowsiness just a little.

"Whew, careless. I'll never train this late again."

Walking along the snow-covered road, Gu Qi looked at the empty streets and couldn't help shivering.

Though Konoha was still safe and stable for now, they were still at war with the Cloud Ninja. If a Cloud Ninja attacked, he'd be done for.

And even setting that aside, if some ill-intentioned person took notice of him, Gu Qi wouldn't fare much better.

Fortunately, the sudden appearance of the Uchiha Guard on the street eased his anxious heart a bit.

"Hey, kid over there. What are you doing wandering around this late? Get home now." The Uchiha Guard spotted Gu Qi immediately.

"Sorry, sorry. I got carried away and lost track of time." Gu Qi rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed grin.

The squad leader glanced at Gu Qi's hair, then stared at him for a moment before saying, "You're that kid from the Hatake Clan, aren't you?"

"Huh? How does big brother know me?" Gu Qi tilted his head with an innocent look.

"Hmph, just as I thought! Roaming around this late at night—you've got no sense of danger. Get home now."

"Yes, yes, I'm going right now. Big brothers, big sisters, goodbye!" Gu Qi said, then darted away in a flash.

"Whew, that scared me." Only when those faint traces of hostility faded did Gu Qi breathe a sigh of relief.

"That idiot Kakashi, you almost got me killed."

Gu Qi knew full well why those Uchiha Guard members were hostile toward him—it was all because Kakashi had the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.

"Hm?"

Turning down another street, Gu Qi was surprised to see a little girl collapsed in the snow not far ahead.

He quickly walked over, bent down, and asked, "Little sister... Huh, it's you! Are you okay?"

To his surprise, this little girl was the same Hyuga Clan girl he had rescued not long ago.

"I... I..." The girl couldn't help crying.

"Ah, no helping it!" Gu Qi took her hand and pulled her up from the snow.

He took off his own coat and draped it over her.

"Did you get separated from your parents?"

"You can't go running off like this, okay? Your parents will worry."

"You must be from the Hyuga Branch Family, right? Did someone from the Main Family bully you?"

"If they did, tell me, and I'll go fight them for you."

All the way, Gu Qi chattered on and on, never giving her a chance to speak.

"You must be hungry! Here, have something to eat first." Gu Qi pulled out a piece of dried meat and handed it to her.

Taking the meat, the little girl nibbled at it slowly. She really did seem hungry.

"Th... thank you!" After finishing the meat, she whispered her thanks.

Looking at her frail frame, and the fact that she had no Hyuga guards with her, Gu Qi became even more certain she was a Branch Family child.

After all, this was a real world, and the Hyuga were one of Konoha's foremost clans.

There were plenty of Branch Family children.

Though she didn't have the Caged Bird seal on her forehead, Gu Qi remembered that Branch Family children were only branded at age four.

That meant this little girl was probably the same age as him.

He couldn't help sighing, then untied the Crimson Pill hanging around his neck.

Meeting this Hyuga girl twice in a row—maybe it was fate.

"Here, I'll give this to you! If you keep this bead with you, it'll strengthen your body! So don't tell anyone else about it, okay?"

"N... no, it's too precious."

"It's fine! I still have another one!" Gu Qi reassured her.

He personally fastened the Crimson Pill around her neck, then held out his pinky. "Remember, this is our secret!"

"Mm!"

"Pinky swear."

"Pinky swear."

He walked her all the way to the Hyuga Clan's gate, then waved goodbye under her reluctant gaze and left.

"Ah-choo! Damn, I forgot to ask for my coat back."

Shivering from the cold on the road, Gu Qi thought to himself.

Once home, he immediately enjoyed a hot bath to chase away the chill.

After washing up, Gu Qi took ten thousand Ryo from the living expenses Kakashi had left behind and contacted the system.

"System, purchase Crimson Pill."

[Recharging...]

[Recharge complete...]

[Ding! Purchase complete.]

With a ding, a bead materialized out of thin air in Gu Qi's hand.

After putting on the newly bought Crimson Pill, Gu Qi walked to his desk and began his cultural studies.

He had basically already grasped the previous basic math content.

Today, Gu Qi decided to fully master basic math, and tomorrow he would start tackling the content of basic physics.

Time ticked by, and before he knew it, an unknown amount of time had passed.

[Ding! Mastered Basic Math, knowledge consolidating...]

"Huh?" Gu Qi was just starting to feel dazed at the sound when he suddenly felt a wave of clarity wash over his mind.

Once that pleasant sensation faded, Gu Qi discovered in amazement that everything he had learned before was now deeply etched into his memory.

Now, whenever Gu Qi wanted, he could instantly use the knowledge points he had mastered to solve all kinds of problems.

"I never thought the system had such an effect—it's just too powerful."

Gu Qi's eyes lit up, because in that instant, a possibility occurred to him.

But to realize this idea, Gu Qi would need to stockpile a lot more knowledge.

Over the next full month, Gu Qi underwent inhuman training every single day.

He finished all 30 portions of Secret Brew.

Likewise, after this month, Gu Qi's strength had clearly improved.

Coupled with the subtle transformation from the Crimson Pill, Gu Qi's speed, strength, and recovery had all greatly increased.

And his Chakra reserves had also accumulated significantly.

If a Genin's Chakra level was 100, Gu Qi's current Chakra level was probably around 30.

At this rate, Gu Qi might break Kakashi's record of becoming a Genin at age five.

Of course, that was only in terms of Chakra quantity.

As for other theoretical knowledge, Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and the like—they were on a completely different level.

Right now, Gu Qi didn't even know the simplest non-elemental Three Basic Jutsu, let alone any elemental ninjutsu.

"Sigh! If only Kakashi were here."

"Oh? Missing me?"

Kakashi suddenly appeared behind Gu Qi and threw out a line out of nowhere.

"Do you know that scaring people can actually kill them?"

Gu Qi rubbed the goosebumps off his arms and glared at Kakashi with an angry expression.

"Tch!" Kakashi rolled his eyes—this was the Gu Qi he knew.

"You're back just in time. Teach me some ninjutsu!" Gu Qi said with a sly grin.

"I just got back—can't you let me rest a bit?" Kakashi said, utterly exasperated.

"Rest my ass! Hurry up." Gu Qi never stood on ceremony with Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed. He knew that if he didn't let Gu Qi have his way today, Gu Qi would make his life a living hell.

"Fine, fine! I'll teach you the Three Basic Jutsu first." Kakashi said helplessly.

"You're treating me like a kid! I want to learn Chidori, Lightning Cutter, Body Flicker Technique, and Shadow Clone." Gu Qi rattled off a bunch of flashy, powerful ninjutsu.

Hearing this, Kakashi's right eye instantly turned into a Byakugan.

"Get lost."

In the end, Kakashi only taught Gu Qi the simplest Three Basic Jutsu.

"When you can use the Three Basic Jutsu proficiently, I'll teach you other ninjutsu." Kakashi finally gave Gu Qi a shred of hope.

"Really?"

Kakashi nodded: "I mean what I say!"

"And what counts as proficient?" Gu Qi asked.

"Release the Three Basic Jutsu with the minimum amount of Chakra, and the interval between each jutsu must not exceed ten seconds." Kakashi laid out his requirements.

"Just watch—I'll make you eat your words." Gu Qi said, brimming with confidence.

"Then keep at it!" Kakashi said with a squint and a smile.

The Three Basic Jutsu might seem simple, but to release them with the minimum Chakra, you need precise control over your Chakra.

Without special training methods, it's impossible to accomplish in a short time.

But that was exactly the effect Kakashi was going for—only then would he have enough time to get some proper rest.

Otherwise, if Gu Qi had nothing to do, who knew what trouble he'd stir up.

"You keep practicing here! I'm heading to the Hokage Building to report on work." With that, Kakashi vanished from Gu Qi's home.

Hearing Kakashi's words, Gu Qi was deeply moved.

People have feelings, and after spending so much time with Kakashi, he had naturally come to see him as family.

Thinking of Kakashi being a lifelong bachelor, Gu Qi resolved to find him a wife.

"Ah-choo!" For some reason, Kakashi suddenly had a bad feeling.

"That kid isn't plotting something again, is he?" Kakashi muttered to himself.