Hyuga Yunfei

Not long after Hyuga Hoshishaku returned to his room, Hyuga Yunfei suddenly arrived to pay a visit.

Hoshishaku looked at his cousin kneeling half-way on the ground outside his door, an indescribable feeling rising in his heart.

After all, just a moment ago, the man had been writhing on the ground like a dying dog, tortured by the Cursed Seal.

Looking at the bloodstains remaining on his exposed bandages and the dense web of bloodshot veins in his eyes, it was clear that the moment Hoshishaku left the training ground, Yunfei had followed right behind him.

Thinking of this, Hoshishaku quickly spoke up: "Stand up before you speak. I don't like people kneeling at every turn."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Yunfei immediately rose, picked up the tray at his side, and said in a muffled voice with his head bowed:

"The Elders have swapped the family resources allocated to you with those of Young Master Tsukiyo. This sealing scroll contains your cultivation resources for this month."

Hoshishaku took the sealing scroll with some interest, untied the cord, walked over to the table, and spread it out.

To be honest, he was quite curious about what kind of cultivation resources Tsukiyo received.

Although he didn't know how to use a sealing scroll, he could still see the contents listed on it.

[100,000 Ryo in banknotes, Body Refining Secret Medicine x3, Healing Secret Medicine x3, Family Weapon Exchange Voucher x1]

100,000 Ryo?

Hyuga Hoshishaku felt a mix of dissatisfaction and joy.

The reason for his dissatisfaction was that as the second heir to the Main Branch, he had previously only received 2,000 Ryo in pocket money each month, with nothing else provided.

The joy, of course, was that he finally had money!

One had to know that among the system's three daily tasks, he had previously only been able to complete the exploration task.

Now that he had both money and the strength of a Genin, the other two daily tasks could finally be put on his schedule.

In other words, while it used to take him two years to save up for a ten-pull, with money and strength, he could likely save up for one every eight months!

If he could accept randomly issued commission tasks, then a ten-pull might take even less time.

In that case, even decades later when the original plot reached its finale, he wouldn't fear any enemy.

Thinking of this, Hoshishaku looked at Yunfei and asked: "You should know how to use sealing techniques, right? Help me open this scroll."

Yunfei quickly bowed his head in agreement, took the sealing scroll, placed it on the table, and gave it a light tap. A pile of banknotes and several bottles appeared on the surface.

Hoshishaku watched with a sense of novelty.

Although he knew that sealing scrolls were common in the original anime and were always associated with the wealthy, this function—which acted like a storage space—greatly intrigued him.

"Teach me how to use sealing scrolls when you have time."

He said to Yunfei.

The latter's lips parted, and just as he was about to say that it was enough for a bodyguard like him to know, he remembered that this young master seemed to have a rather short temper, so he quickly nodded in agreement.

Hoshishaku picked up the banknotes on the table and did a simple count.

Finding the amount correct, he was just about to stuff them into his pocket when he realized he didn't have any.

He looked at his cousin, who was standing there with his head bowed in submission, and noticed the deepening flush beneath the bandages. A thought occurred to him, and he asked: "Are you not leaving yet?"

Hyuga Yunfei replied submissively: "Young Master Hoshishaku, I have received instructions from the Clan Head to serve as your personal bodyguard starting today and to await your commands."

Hoshishaku let out a strange "tsk" upon hearing this.

Yunfei thought he was dissatisfied and felt even more nervous and uneasy.

But to his surprise, the young master before him actually pushed the items from the sealing scroll toward him.

"Then you carry the money for me. I don't have any pockets. Heh, damn traditional clothing."

Yunfei was stunned; he hadn't expected the young master to place such trust in him by letting him carry these funds.

Hoshishaku then added: "Oh, right. You can take those secret medicines, healing potions, and the weapon exchange voucher. Consider it a reward for guarding me."

"Especially the healing medicine—I suggest you use it immediately."

Hyuga Yunfei said in astonishment: "But those secret medicines are very precious..."

Hoshishaku waved a hand, cutting him off.

"Cousin Yunfei, I know you are a genius of the Branch Family, but even a genius needs to grow. Giving these medicines to you is better than giving them to my foolish brother. That's it, it's decided."

Yunfei's eyes widened in disbelief.

It wasn't until Hoshishaku's expression grew impatient that he realized his rudeness. He quickly knelt halfway, wanting to express his gratitude but not knowing how to begin.

"Alright, go heal yourself first. Report back to me at four this afternoon. I plan on eating out, so remember to bring my money."

After giving his orders, Hoshishaku waved his hand to let Hyuga Yunfei leave quickly.

The latter picked up the items from the table and left, looking back every few steps.

He still seemed unable to believe that the young master would give him such rare secret medicines.

Yet, as a member of the Branch Family, the education he had received made him afraid to question or disobey.

Seeing the person leave, Hoshishaku let out a breath.

He was clearly still just a child, yet he wore such a downtrodden expression that looking at him made Hoshishaku's conscience ache.

Furthermore, Yunfei's father had died years ago protecting his own father.

As his cousin, Yunfei was now dragging his injuries around just to serve as his bodyguard.

It was truly pitiful.

In any case, he had a system that allowed him to stack the attributes and chakra of other ninjas.

Relying on consuming secret medicines and grueling training was simply too inefficient; he might as well forget it.

"Sigh, these damn Japanese-style dregs... Come to think of it, Cousin Yunfei is only twelve this year, right?"

Sighing with such thoughts, Hoshishaku recalled his past life, when at twelve he was still catching frogs, raiding bird nests, and shooting birds with a slingshot in the stream back in his rural hometown.

He had been a carefree little brat who knew nothing of the world.

Looking back at his cousin—covered in bandages, bearing the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead, and wearing a look of utter trepidation—it was truly distressing.

Hoshishaku rubbed his brow, his cousin's words seemingly echoing in his ears once more: "The child of a scapegoat is also a scapegoat!"

How was this any different from the saying he often heard in his past life: "The child of a poor man is also a poor man"?

Perhaps the difference was that in this world, the truth was presented to every miserable soul in a far bloodier fashion.

Therefore, he, Hyuga Hoshishaku, had to change all of this.

The world might be filthy, but at the very least, within his own small patch of territory, things had to be clean.

This was his initial ideal when he first arrived in this world.

"Ha..."

Hoshishaku let out a sleepy yawn.

Before realizing his ideals, he might as well take a nap.

In the afternoon, Hyuga Yunfei was already guarding outside Hoshishaku's door an hour early.

The twelve-year-old boy had no intention of slacking off, standing there as straight as a board.

If not for the unique architecture of the Hyuga compound with its long eaves, Hoshishaku reckoned that as he pushed the door open, his cousin would have been tanned by the sun in no time.

He put on his wooden sandals, adjusted his sleeves, and looked at the Yunfei who followed behind, saying indifferently:

"In the future, come exactly when I tell you to. I give you free time so that you can be more effective when I actually need you. Do you understand, cousin?"

A flicker of something strange crossed Hyuga Yunfei's eyes, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply nodded in agreement.

Hoshishaku walked in front, shaking his head to himself.

Looking at his cousin, who was trailing half a step behind him, he asked casually: "What do you like to eat? Any recommendations?"