How Could I Accept That?

The Ninja Academy had quite a few training grounds. The largest was naturally the playground, but the Third Hokage was in high spirits and giving a long-winded speech to a crowd of new students there. Kashima Isamu naturally wouldn't dare spoil the mood by going over at a time like this, so he chose a training ground behind the school.

Hanfu followed the Main Force down from the School Building, his eyes roaming as he searched for a Collection Target.

Hanfu might have advocated Stealthy Development, but coming in last... Hmph, didn't he care about his dignity?

So for this test, Hanfu planned to aim for a good result. At the very least, he'd try to avoid the bottom two and place third!

In short, no matter what, he couldn't come in last!

With that in mind, Hanfu had to improve his strength before the test.

In his mind, five Pale Blue Light Spots and a Red Stardust floated near the Green Light Orb. They represented the Chakra Refinement Technique, Three Body Technique, Great Fireball Technique, and the Kekkei Genkai Tōton. They might have seemed awesome, but they were no use at all.

First of all, he couldn't reveal his Tōton. Hanfu had just been examined at Konoha Hospital and found to have no Kekkei Genkai. If he used it today, what would happen then?

Secondly, because his talent was poor and he refined Chakra slowly, he couldn't use the Three Body Technique or Great Fireball Technique.

For those two reasons, Hanfu needed to collect a skill that could immediately raise his combat strength to a five!

Taijutsu, for example!

Although Cheap Dad had trained Hanfu in swordsmanship for a year, his talent was so poor that even if you gave him a sword, he'd probably only be able to use it like a stick. Still, that year of hard training had given Hanfu excellent stamina. Aside from that, though, he didn't have many advantages.

Unfortunately, he looked over all thirty students in Class 8 and couldn't find anyone particularly good at Taijutsu.

His entire year really was full of bronze-rankers!

But even among bronze-rankers, there was always one who stood out!

Hanfu's gaze finally settled on Mitaraishi Anko.

Orochimaru had taken this girl on as his Disciple, so she must have had something special about her. Perhaps if she stopped eating so many sweets and devoted all her attention to training, she might even rise to... Glorious Gold?

Hanfu pulled himself together and walked straight over to Anko.

"Anko." Hanfu patted her on the shoulder.

"What is it?"

Mitaraishi Anko turned around, her eyes shifting as she smiled. "You're not planning to ask me to help you cheat, are you?"

The training test was a series of one-on-one matches. In theory, as long as Anko was willing, Hanfu could put on a little act with her.

Hanfu snorted. "Hey, don't underestimate me! I'm pretty... big!"

Anko didn't get what he meant and snorted. "Then what do you want?"

"I wanted to ask what you're best at," Hanfu said.

"What I'm best at?" Anko replied haughtily, without a moment's hesitation. "Kunai Throwing Technique. I specifically asked someone to give me intensive training over the Summer Holiday. I'll definitely be the best in this test!"

"Kunai Throwing Technique?"

Hanfu's eyes lit up. That would work!

As long as he collected Kunai Throwing Technique, he'd be able to use it right away!

The test provided ninja tools like Kunai and Shuriken, but they weren't sharpened, so even if they hit someone, they wouldn't draw blood. Of course, that was assuming you didn't aim for a vital spot.

By now, Hanfu and the others had left the School Building. The Third Hokage was giving a speech on the playground up ahead. Homeroom Teacher Kashima Isamu signaled for everyone to sneak away quietly—no making a peep—and led them behind the School Building toward the training ground.

Hanfu was running out of time!

"Anko, could you teach me Kunai Throwing Technique or something?" Hanfu asked, trying to improve his chances of collecting it!

"You want to learn?" Anko's eyes shifted. She nodded readily. "Sure, I'll teach you!"

"Anko, you're so—"

Hanfu flattered her as he attempted to collect the skill.

The Green Light Orb in his mind suddenly churned, but after roiling for a while, it settled back down.

The collection had failed?!

Hanfu stared at Anko's youthful face, feeling utterly crushed.

"So what?" Anko asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

Hanfu's expression grew darker and darker.

You little backstabber, all smiles on the outside, but not a word of it sincere! You, you, you... are you a demon?!

"Heh." Hanfu forced a laugh. Although he was in a foul mood and wanted to give her a beating, he couldn't let the collection attempt go to waste.

After thinking it over, he decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. With a grave expression, Hanfu pulled a thousand-yuan bill from his pocket.

That thousand was Pocket Money that Keiko had given Hanfu before he started at the Ninja Academy!

"Anko, I thought about it, and I really Feel Guilty. You so enthusiastically invited everyone to go on a picnic, but I turned you down because of my Private Matters. Ah, I really shouldn't have done that!"

With an anguished look, Hanfu pressed the thousand into Anko's hand and said, "Here, take this."

Anko looked a little embarrassed. "How could I accept that?"

As she spoke, she briskly tucked the thousand into her pocket.

Hanfu's mouth twitched slightly. "Just think of it as paying for my share of the picnic later."

Anko nodded, delighted. "Sure, I'll keep it safe for now."

Seeing how happy she was, Hanfu immediately used Collection Technique on her.

In an instant, the Green Light Orb in his mind churned and surged before bursting out a Pale Blue Light Spot. But this Pale Blue Light Spot seemed extremely... dim?

Hanfu suddenly had a bad feeling. He quickly wrapped his consciousness around the Pale Blue Light Spot, and then he was stunned.

Kunai Throwing Technique (Incomplete, unusable)!

What did "incomplete" even mean?!

Hanfu had run into an incomplete result when collecting Tōton before, but that one had clearly shown 1/3 beside it. This time, the only message was that it was unusable.

Did he need to collect it again?

Hanfu looked at the smile on Anko's face and felt the urge to snatch his money back. That was a whole week's Pocket Money!

No, I have to stay calm!

Hanfu forced himself to calm down and think through the difference.

He soon figured it out.

Kekkei Genkai were immensely powerful abilities involving a person's DNA, so even Collection Technique couldn't collect them all at once!

That was why Hanfu had needed to use Collection Technique three times to collect Tōton!

By that reasoning, he probably couldn't collect any other Kekkei Genkai in one go either!

Then there was Anko's Kunai Throwing Technique. The reason it appeared incomplete was probably that... Anko hadn't mastered Kunai Throwing Technique completely!

In other words, what he'd collected was a watered-down version of Kunai Throwing Technique, and it was completely unusable!

After figuring it out, Hanfu sighed silently. He'd spent his life hunting geese, only to have one peck him in the eye today. What a pain!

Meanwhile, the class had already reached the back of the School Building. There was a training ground here about the size of a basketball court,