Live Combat Training

After returning home, Shiraishi Yoshijo remained deep in thought, feeling as though something was wrong but unable to put his finger on it.

Perhaps there would be an answer in the future; that was all he could think.

Seeing him so preoccupied, Shiraishi Eizawa grabbed his ear and said irritably, "You're still young and have a long life ahead of you; there's no need to dwell on these things."

Shiraishi Eizawa pulled a scroll from his robes and handed it to him.

"Your three types of Summoning Butterfly will take about half a year to cultivate successfully, but ordinary butterflies can be used in as little as five days. This scroll contains secret techniques and ninjutsu I've selected for you; consider it a little consolation."

"In a few days, I'll find you a teacher, and then you won't have the heart to think about these things anymore."

"Thank you, Uncle Eizawa."

After taking the scroll, Shiraishi Yoshijo scurried back to his room and opened the ninjutsu scroll his good uncle had given him.

Butterfly Clone, Thunder Ball, Body Flicker Technique, Water Dragon Bullet, Thunder Butterfly, Water Dragon Consecutive Bullet, Earth Flow.

Densely packed ninjutsu were recorded on the scroll, leaving Shiraishi Yoshijo dazzled. Moreover, some of them were clearly not techniques he could practice at his current level.

Did he give him all the family's records regarding Lightning and Water Style ninjutsu?

For a moment, Shiraishi Yoshijo felt a complex mix of emotions.

Regardless of whether he felt a sense of belonging to this family, he was filled with gratitude at this moment.

If he hadn't been born into this family, let alone secret techniques, he would have had to go through a great deal of trouble just to obtain these ordinary ninjutsu.

Yet now, these ninjutsu were in his hands without him having to exhaust himself to acquire them, and Shiraishi Eizawa was even going out of his way to find him a ninjutsu teacher.

Although he didn't know who it would be, this teacher would certainly be well-suited to his Lightning and Water affinities.

This is what a ninja clan is; they truly have the capital to be proud.

Closing the scroll, Shiraishi Yoshijo sighed and began to ponder.

With these ninjutsu and a dedicated teacher, there seemed to be no need to keep going to the Ninja Academy.

Graduate early?

The assessment for early graduation would certainly be a combat test, and his current combat level was a bit trashy.

Besides, after graduation, he would have to join a ninja squad and perform those tedious missions.

Wait, Shiraishi Yoshijo's eyes darted around. Some things he deemed impossible might not be impossible for his good uncle.

Furthermore, one matter had been weighing on his heart: the issue with Shiraishi Eizawa's health.

He had originally decided to pursue medical ninjutsu, but he had been idling at the Ninja Academy only because of the butterfly species.

What was imminent now was not learning ninjutsu, but finding a way to solve that problem.

In any case, the ninjutsu were already in his hands, and he could learn them whenever he wanted.

But Shiraishi Eizawa didn't have much time left. If he hadn't been lying, he would be left all alone in at most three years.

Yet Shiraishi Eizawa didn't care about his own body; perhaps he was still longing for death?

Crazy, Shiraishi Yoshijo couldn't help but curse silently. What was the point of saving someone who was hell-bent on dying?

Thinking of this, his enthusiasm dimmed significantly. Shiraishi Yoshijo looked listless, unable to come up with any good solutions.

His eyes rolled around as he pondered why his good uncle wanted to die so badly. Were ribs not delicious? Were women not beautiful?

Wait, women.

His good uncle was thirty years old and still a bachelor. If he found him a wife, perhaps his mental state would change?

But then he started to worry again. He had no friends and no connections; other than being good-looking, he only had his face.

The key was that this face was useless!

The more he thought, the more confused he became. Shiraishi Yoshijo simply lay on the bed and started thrashing about, but one person suddenly appeared in his mind.

Teacher Kawano!

His life mentor. Although he looked a bit fierce, he was definitely a good man. Most importantly, he had a beautiful daughter!

It was just that she was a bit young—fifteen years old.

Shiraishi Eizawa was already a thirty-year-old man; would it be a case of an old ox eating tender grass?

At this point, one had to marvel at the breadth and depth of Chinese culture, because Shiraishi Yoshijo suddenly remembered a saying.

An old husband and a young wife make for even more tenderness and affection!

Who said that? It seemed to be Zhou Shuren?

Yes, it must have been him.

How incredibly understanding!

As for the problem of Shiraishi Eizawa's short lifespan, it had been completely cast to the back of his mind. Even if it really worked out, they wouldn't get married immediately; there had to be a process.

And during this process, if Shiraishi Yoshijo hadn't found a solution, they could just part ways amicably. If he did find one, wouldn't it be a perfect ending?

Thinking of this, Shiraishi Yoshijo did a carp leap from the bed and pushed open the door, only to find that the sky had turned completely dark.

I'd better wait until tomorrow; I also need to discuss my own affairs with Uncle.

The next day, before heading to school, Shiraishi Yoshijo brought up his desire to graduate early and mentioned his plan to work at the hospital.

Developing medical ninjutsu from scratch wasn't that simple. Thinking you could build a jumbo jet just by tinkering in a garage? That was a pipe dream.

He had decided on working at the hospital a long time ago. It wasn't just about theoretical medical knowledge; practical experience was indispensable, and he couldn't possibly gain that by sitting at home.

"Graduate early? Work at the hospital? Have you lost your mind?"

Shiraishi Eizawa's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"What's wrong?"

"Take a good look at yourself."

Shiraishi Yoshijo looked himself up and down. Nothing seemed wrong!

"You're only eight years old this year. Do you even know what other eight-year-olds are doing?"

"Going to school?"

He hadn't really paid attention to that. The point was that he couldn't play with children his own age anyway.

The gap in their levels of thinking was too vast; forcing himself to fit in would only make him look like a freak.

Even Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya—three children who were clearly precocious—couldn't really play with him.

Although Shiraishi Yoshijo had intentionally distanced himself from them, it also showed from another perspective just how complicated interpersonal relationships were.

Shiraishi Yoshijo decided his brain cells were limited, and he really couldn't be bothered to rack his brains over such things.

"Impossible. Just go to school obediently, graduate properly, and then we can talk about the hospital."

Shiraishi Eizawa wore an expression that suggested he might eat him alive, which made Shiraishi Yoshijo's heart crawl with unease.

But this had to be done as soon as possible. If he waited another four years, he'd probably have turned into a butterfly by then.

What would be the point of going to the hospital by that time? Just to heal the sick and save the world?

Did he look like such a noble person?

If he had that kind of time, he'd rather learn a few more ninjutsu; that would give him a better chance of surviving on the battlefield.

As for medical ninjutsu, even if he didn't develop it, Tsunade surely would. Wouldn't it be better to just learn the finished product later?

Shiraishi Eizawa's attitude seemed firm, so Shiraishi Yoshijo, having no other choice, resorted to his ancestral "acting cute" technique.

He tugged on Shiraishi Eizawa's sleeve, shaking his small frame vigorously, and added a pair of teary, pitiful eyes.

Shiraishi Eizawa: "I get it."

Got him.

Since he was a child, this uncle had never been able to handle his "acting cute" technique, and it seemed that remained true today.

Only, when he was little, it was mostly for mischief, whereas now, it was to save his own life.

With a cheer, Shiraishi Yoshijo turned and ran out the door. His good uncle had never let him down once he gave his word, so he wasn't worried at all.

What he was most worried about now was the practical exam.

Theoretically, any student who mastered the Three Basic Techniques could apply for graduation, but the practical exam was genuinely difficult for him.

His shuriken skills were decent, and although he had been pounding wooden stakes for the past two years, honestly, that kind of thing depended on talent.

In the original story, Rock Lee pounded them every day without issue, but when it came to Shiraishi Yoshijo, he felt something was wrong.

He had to rest for two or three days after pounding a stake once; otherwise, he feared he would be crippled by now.

Shiraishi Yoshijo had wondered more than once why Rock Lee could pound stakes daily without a scratch, and the only conclusion he could reach was that it was talent.

Talent, huh? Shiraishi Yoshijo smacked his lips. Why was he, a man who relied on his family, trying to compare talent with others? Wasn't looking for trouble just asking for misery?

But it was so frustrating, so enviable, and he was truly so jealous!

His current taijutsu level was barely enough to touch the level of a genin; relying on that to pass the exam definitely wouldn't work.

Even if he practiced ninjutsu now, with his current chakra reserves, he'd likely be out of mana after casting a single C-rank jutsu.

Could he pass the exam relying only on the Three Basic Techniques and shuriken?

If only he had some intel. Thinking of this, Shiraishi Yoshijo thought of three people.

Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya.

If he had to choose one of the three, the answer could only be Orochimaru.

He knew Tsunade, but they weren't close, and given that woman's personality, she would probably mock him first before telling him anything.

As for Jiraiya, their relationship had never been good. The incident at the opening ceremony wasn't just a humiliation for Jiraiya; it was something Shiraishi Yoshijo still held a grudge over.

Decided. It would be his desk-mate, Orochimaru.

After arriving at school, the morning was filled with boring theory classes, and the afternoon was for practical training.

In order to graduate early, Shiraishi Yoshijo decided to show some real skill.

Practical training was always the same old routine: first throwing shuriken, then ninja sparring. He hadn't seen Kawano-sensei change the format in the last two years.

After throwing the shuriken, the ninja sparring session began in earnest.

After watching several rounds of boring matches, Shiraishi Yoshijo began to yawn.

Though they called it ninja sparring, it was really just children fighting—you punch me, I kick you. Ever since the Sannin graduated, he hadn't seen anyone in this class use a single ninjutsu.

That guy Hiruko seemed to know the Clone Technique, so he was currently the boss of the class.

"Next group, Shiraishi Yoshijo, Mitsui Taro."

It was finally his turn. Shiraishi Yoshijo rubbed his hands together, ready to give it his all. He hadn't spent the last two years doing nothing; he had summarized a few tips for guaranteed victory.

When it comes to children fighting, the first rule is momentum, and the second is intimidation. As long as you have the upper hand in these two areas, you are invincible.

In the past, he had relied on this tactic against Tsunade, though he still took plenty of punches. He would say all sorts of bizarre things to confuse her, then seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

If the gap in their strength hadn't been so vast, he would have already pinned Tsunade to the ground and rubbed her face in the dirt.

After Mitsui Taro and Shiraishi Yoshijo performed the Seal of Confrontation, Kawano-sensei shouted, "Begin!"

"Mitsui Taro, is it? I suggest you surrender early. Today's me is a bit different from yesterday's me."

Mitsui Taro: "What are you babbling about, you dead last? Trying to use your usual tricks to fool people again? Everyone in class knows you're all talk and can't do anything else."

Shiraishi Yoshijo: "..."

The strategy failed, so he charged forward and threw a punch at Mitsui Taro's face.

Mitsui Taro didn't dodge or block; he opened his arms, intending to wrap them around Shiraishi's waist and throw him to the ground.

Shiraishi Yoshijo began forming hand seals: "Substitution Technique!"

A log hit the ground. Mitsui Taro was a bit dazed and hurriedly looked around.

When he turned back, he saw his homeroom teacher, Kawano, standing behind him with a dark expression. The teacher raised his hand, slapped him, and then kicked him to the ground.

"You brat, bring your parents in tomorrow!"

Mitsui Taro hadn't even processed what happened. He didn't dare fight back against the teacher, and upon hearing the order to bring his parents, he was completely stunned.

He didn't know what he was thinking, but his mouth twisted, and tears began to fall.

He started to cry.