Two Auras

The lights on the ceiling were dazzling.

Lying on the bed, Yang Xing looked at his phone and nearly laughed out loud.

The screen displayed the two new halos he had just acquired. They were truly impressive; they had once again enhanced his strength, and by no small margin at that.

Land of Earth Genin (Common Halo): Increases Earth Style resistance by 50%; reduces Earth Style jutsu consumption by 50%.

Land of Earth Special Chunin (Unique Halo): When a selected jutsu is exclusively Earth Style, its power is increased by 50%.

"It increases power by half as long as it's Earth Style—this basically forces my hand to choose Earth Style." Although he really wanted to learn the Sharingan, the 50% power boost to Earth Style was too tempting; it was an offer he simply couldn't refuse.

Opening the Special Chunin jutsu selection menu, Yang Xing had no choice but to select Earth Style techniques.

He could learn anything from A-rank to C-rank, excluding, of course, special Kekkei Genkai and S-rank jutsu.

There was also a wider variety of jutsu available than what he had received for defeating the Fourth Hokage. It was a pity that the ones he learned weren't "enhanced" versions. Even with the 50% bonus, Yang Xing felt that the power of an enhanced version should be greater than just 50%.

Well, that was an achievement reward; it's hard to compare halos to that. The distinction between achievements and halos was clear, so Yang Xing didn't dwell on it, patiently beginning to select his jutsu.

"Two A-ranks, four B-ranks, and full mastery of all C-ranks. Well, full mastery of C-ranks is nice, but they don't feel very useful for the future. I'll stick with B-ranks." After a moment of contemplation, although the idea of mastering all C-ranks was tempting, Yang Xing didn't want to waste chakra on techniques that lacked power, especially since he already possessed several enhanced C-rank ones.

He decisively chose to learn four B-rank jutsu.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."

"Earth Style: Earth Rain Clay."

"Earth Style: Hardening Technique."

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Spear."

Once selected, he tapped confirm. That familiar sensation washed over him again, instantly leaving Yang Xing feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He reviewed his new jutsu, wanting to test their power, but he couldn't release such destructive techniques in this small room. Yang Xing had to give up; besides, he would be starting missions again tomorrow, and there would be plenty of opportunities to experiment then.

By the time he finished all this, it was already evening, and his stomach had begun to protest.

Thinking he might be heading out again in the next few days, Yang Xing decided to treat himself to a luxurious meal outside.

As for money, the living allowance provided by Konoha Village every year was quite generous.

Besides, with these new jutsu, making money wouldn't be difficult; taking on a few A-rank missions would be more than enough.

To appease his stomach, Yang Xing left his room and walked into a decent-looking barbecue restaurant near his home.

He chose a seat by the window, looked at the menu, and said to the waiter nearby, "Excuse me, I'll have three orders of premium pork, three of beef, and two of vegetables."

"Hai!" The man noted everything down and left immediately.

While Yang Xing was waiting, he turned his head and unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar figure.

What a coincidence!

It turned out there was a table of acquaintances sitting right next to him.

"Yang Xing...-kun?" Rin Nohara was with a middle-aged man and woman who clearly looked like her parents, accompanied by several large dogs.

"Oh my, a friend of Rin Nohara?" The middle-aged couple looked over with great interest, as did the pack of large dogs.

Yang Xing remembered that Rin Nohara seemed to be from the Inuzuka Clan. No wonder there were so many dogs here. Also, why were dogs allowed in this restaurant? What if they bit someone? With dogs this big, a bite could be fatal.

"Yes, a friend who studied with Fourth Hokage-sensei." Rin Nohara nodded, acting rather shy in front of her parents.

Hearing Rin Nohara's words, the middle-aged couple became even more interested. "So you aren't on the same team? No wonder. I didn't expect that the extra person on Kakashi's team was you."

Clearly, among the Fourth Hokage's small team, Kakashi was the most famous; to outsiders, it had already become known as "Kakashi's team."

Yang Xing pursed his lips. He didn't say much, just gave a slight nod in greeting.

Upon hearing that Yang Xing was on the same team as Rin Nohara, the Inuzuka couple became even more enthusiastic, insisting that Yang Xing join them for dinner.

Yang Xing couldn't refuse, and he couldn't exactly just run away right now.

Feeling quite helpless, he had no choice but to walk over and sit down next to Rin Nohara.

The seating was too cramped, and with the large dogs present, there was barely enough room for two people to squeeze in.

"I'm sorry, the seating is a bit tight." Faced with Yang Xing's proximity, Rin Nohara shifted her body, but that only made things worse.

As she moved, Yang Xing's arm, which was resting against the table, brushed against something strange. The soft sensation made Yang Xing's body stiffen.

The way the two of them were pressed against the table was far too intimate. Because there were two large dogs next to Rin Nohara, the one-meter-wide seat was reduced to less than half that space. With two people sitting there, it was impossible for their arms not to brush against each other.

Although it was a pleasant sensation, Yang Xing wasn't shameless enough to look like he was enjoying it in front of Rin Nohara's parents.

He gave a dry cough to mask the awkward intimacy of the position and said to the middle-aged couple, "Good evening, Auntie and Uncle."

"Haha, what a polite child." Hearing Yang Xing's greeting, the middle-aged woman became even more enthusiastic. "Don't be a stranger. Order whatever you like. You're a friend of Rin's, after all. Please continue to get along well with her in the future."

"Well, even if you didn't ask, I would have," Yang Xing said, rubbing the back of his head with a smile.

This made the couple in front of him laugh in unison. "Haha!"

The atmosphere was peaceful and calm.

The grilled meat was exceptionally delicious, and the occasional, fleeting contact of his skin brushing against Rin Nohara's arm made Yang Xing's heart race.

The softness of a girl's skin was simply too wonderful.

After the meal, seeing the middle-aged couple begin to tend to the dogs, Yang Xing no longer had a reason to linger and stood up of his own accord, intending to leave.

"Um, thanks for the hospitality, I'll be heading off now..."

"Wait, let me walk you out."

Leading the two dogs, Rin Nohara took the initiative to follow Yang Xing out of the shop.

Watching Rin Nohara's retreating figure, for some reason, the middle-aged couple exchanged a knowing smile.

The night had turned pitch black, and under the bright moonlight, not even a speck of starlight could be seen.

Yang Xing walked ahead with his hands behind his head, showing no signs of wanting to speak, as he was waiting for Rin Nohara to break the silence first. Since the young girl had insisted on seeing him off, she surely had something to discuss; at the very least, the expression on her face, so different from before, made that much clear.

In the ensuing silence, they reached the shops where everything was quiet; as it neared midnight, only a lonely few remained open.

With no one else around, Rin Nohara finally couldn't suppress the confusion in her heart and stopped in her tracks. After what seemed like a long moment of hesitation, she called out, "Um, Yang Xing, there's something I want to ask you?"

Looking up, the pupils of this youthful and beautiful girl shone like starlight.