Let the professionals handle the work, and you could sit at home counting your money.
Hyuga Hoshishaku thought happily that perhaps once the new shop opened, he could achieve financial freedom.
A day had passed since the four of them last talked.
During that day, he'd spent two hours exploring the village and completing his stamina-restoration task. He'd also sparred with the other three in turn, so he'd completed his daily tasks.
However, Hyuga Shiin, despite having the chakra reserves of a Chunin thanks to her Branch Family lineage, was about as strong as her daughter.
Tomorrow was the day he'd go to Konoha's Training Ground One to meet Senju Tobirama.
Hyuga Hoshishaku sat inside, sipping tea and wondering how he should handle it if he ran into an old familiar scenario tomorrow, like a bell test.
His chakra reserves were firmly at the Chunin level.
But the only techniques he had at his disposal were Gentle Fist, Rotation, and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Those abilities were just enough to make someone a passable Chunin.
But that wasn't enough.
Even a Chunin who was six, nearly seven, would only be at the level Kakashi would reach in the future.
But in an actual fight, he'd definitely be no match for Kakashi.
Of the Sealing Technique and Summoning Technique Ajisai had given him, he'd only tested the Sealing Technique so far.
The Sealing-In Technique and Unsealing Technique could just about count as offensive techniques.
The Sealing-In Technique used a prepared sealing slip to create a suction force like a hurricane, reaching ten meters ahead.
The Unsealing Technique could then blow the absorbed hurricane right back out.
He hadn't yet tested whether it could absorb ninjutsu.
He'd have to find a chance to try it.
If he had to face Senju Tobirama's test tomorrow at noon,
Hoshishaku felt that the little he had at his disposal probably wouldn't even be enough to tickle him.
So, getting the Summoning Technique Ajisai had given him cleared of its dubious origins and boosting his strength a little were urgent matters.
And it wasn't just the Summoning Technique he had to legitimize. He also had to figure out a way to get a summon beast and a summoning contract.
But the test was tomorrow. How could he legitimize the Summoning Technique in a single day, let alone make a contract with a summon beast?
"Haah..."
With a long sigh, Hoshishaku stood and decided to visit the elder in charge of the clan's ninjutsu.
Whatever happened, he'd first try to get the Summoning Technique cleared of any suspicion.
He hoped those old fogies would be of some use.
The elder in charge of the clan's ninjutsu was named Hyuga Kazuya.
He was in the quiet room, copying down ninjutsu, when a guard suddenly announced that Hyuga Hoshishaku had come to visit.
"Show him in."
He gave the order, then continued his work.
When Hoshishaku entered, this was the scene that greeted him.
A middle-aged man sat at his desk, copying ninjutsu scrolls. A whole stack of copied scrolls already sat beside him.
Hoshishaku clicked his tongue. It seemed these elders weren't all useless parasites.
Take the man before him, for example. At the very least, he was busy working even during his lunch break.
"Lord Hoshishaku, what can I do for you?"
Hyuga Kazuya spoke first.
Hoshishaku sat down in the chair across the desk of his own accord, doing his best to look well-behaved. In a soft, childish voice, he said:
"Yes, Elder Kazuya. I've run into a little difficulty and need your help."
Hyuga Kazuya raised an eyebrow, stopped what he was doing, and looked at Hoshishaku in surprise.
He remembered how boldly the boy had spoken last night, when his Sealing Technique training had caused such a commotion.
He'd even embarrassed Kawanagare Zo, the clan's guard captain and an elite Jonin.
So why was he speaking like a little child now?
Hyuga Kazuya thought it over and guessed the reason. He went straight to the point.
"You want to learn the Sealing Technique?"
Hoshishaku's eyes darted about. He nodded and hummed in agreement.
Hyuga Kazuya sighed. "If the clan had any Sealing Techniques in its collection, you wouldn't have come to me. I'd have been the one begging you to learn them. To be honest, aside from the Uzumaki Clan in the Land of Whirlpools, I've never seen an outsider make such a commotion with the Basic Sealing Technique."
Hoshishaku wasn't disappointed that he hadn't gotten a Sealing Technique for free. He only had an aptitude for Space-Time Ninjutsu right now. Until he gained a special talent for the Sealing Technique, even if he got his hands on one, he wouldn't waste time learning it.
"Elder Kazuya, since you don't have any Sealing Techniques, do you have the Summoning Technique? To be honest, I think I might have some talent for Space-Time Ninjutsu. Otherwise, the Sealing Technique wouldn't have acted so strangely."
Hyuga Kazuya nodded in agreement. "When you put it that way, I suppose so. It's a shame that the Hyuga Clan has only practiced taijutsu for a thousand years and never ninjutsu. We don't have any Space-Time Ninjutsu in our collection. What a pity."
As he spoke, he stood and searched through the shelves.
"To use the Summoning Technique, you have to sign a contract with a summon beast beforehand. You could ask the clan head about that, but don't get your hopes up. As far as I know, no one in the clan has made a contract with a summon beast in the past few decades."
He kept rambling as he searched through the scrolls.
"By the way, I heard you've already mastered Rotation and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. What do you want to learn next? I'll find that for you too."
At that, Hoshishaku stood and walked over to Elder Kazuya. He glanced at the densely packed ninjutsu scrolls and didn't hold back.
"I'll learn all of these."
Elder Kazuya turned and flicked Hoshishaku on the forehead, his tone faintly displeased. "Ever heard the saying 'Jack of all trades, master of none'? Learn Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm first."
Then, without another word, he pulled out two scrolls, one labeled Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm and the other Summoning Technique.
When Hyuga Kazuya handed the two scrolls to Hoshishaku, he gave him a serious reminder. "These are copies, but you still have to return them once you've finished learning."
Now that the scrolls were in his hands, getting the Summoning Technique cleared of suspicion was as good as settled.
Hyuga Hoshishaku thanked him cheerfully, then headed back to his little courtyard with the two scrolls.
That afternoon, he pretended to study the scroll containing the Summoning Technique for half an hour.
He did it to put on a show in case anyone was watching.
After all, he was inside the Hyuga Clan compound. Who could guarantee that there weren't any spies monitoring the clan members with their Byakugan activated?
So a little necessary disguise was in order.
After that, he went to the front courtyard and pretended to try out the Summoning Technique.
Only after he'd slapped his palm on the ground for the seventh time did the complete summoning formula appear.
It looked exactly like he'd learned the Summoning Technique but hadn't made a contract with a summon beast, so he couldn't summon anything.
After finishing his performance for an audience of thin air, Hoshishaku started studying Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
To be honest, it was a huge waste that the Hyuga Clan had eyes like the Byakugan but only used them for taijutsu and, at most, striking pressure points.
The Hyuga Clan's taijutsu should have focused on long-range attacks.
Take this Vacuum Palm, for example. It could hit someone from more than ten meters away.
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