Third Exchange

Early the next morning.

Fang Xu and Kurenai Yuhi had just reached the intersection when they saw Rin Nohara waiting there.

"Morning, Fang Xu, Kurenai."

Kurenai Yuhi smiled. "Rin, you really came."

Rin Nohara nodded.

"We agreed, didn't we?"

The three had just gotten ready to start running when hurried footsteps sounded behind them.

Asuma ran over with a small bag on his back, looking slightly awkward.

"I was just passing by."

Fang Xu glanced at him.

"Passing by while taking a detour around Konoha's outskirts?"

Asuma snorted.

"None of your business."

Kurenai Yuhi looked at him and said softly, "Asuma, since you're here, come with us."

Asuma's expression immediately softened.

"Mm."

Before they had run for long, Obito Uchiha came charging over as well.

He was clearly still half-asleep, and even his goggles were crooked, but the moment he saw Rin Nohara, he immediately straightened his back.

"Rin! I'm here too!"

Rin Nohara smiled. "Keep it up, Obito."

Obito instantly came back to life.

"Don't worry! I'm the future Hokage!"

The corner of Fang Xu's mouth twitched at the sight.

Just like that, the morning training group grew from two people to five.

Two days later, Might Guy joined them as well.

After that, Ebisu, Genma Shiranui, Namiashi Raidō, and others began showing up too.

At first, some people were merely watching for fun, but the longer they watched, the less they could sit still.

Fang Xu was training. Kakashi was training. Guy was training. Kurenai, Rin, Asuma, and Obito were training too.

The most noticeable students in the class had all started training harder. Who among the rest still dared to slack off?

"How many laps are you running today?"

"Three."

"Three? Weren't you doing two yesterday?"

"Fang Xu and the others are already running four laps. If I don't train more, I'll only get beaten up in sparring class later."

"Then I'm adding a lap too!"

Words like these quickly spread throughout the class.

During morning lessons, the students began asking more questions.

During afternoon sparring, more students took the initiative to challenge others.

After school, people still remained on the field to practice shuriken throwing, taijutsu, and the Three Body Technique.

When Suzuki Nakamura saw this, he initially thought he was seeing things.

Whenever the dismissal bell rang before, the students used to run off faster than anyone.

Now, however, the field became even livelier after the bell rang.

What was even more outrageous was that this enthusiasm was not limited to Fang Xu's class.

After seeing it, students from other classes could no longer sit still either.

The lower grades felt they could not lose to students their own age, while the upper grades felt it would be humiliating to be outdone by younger students.

Within days, the Ninja Academy's field and training grounds were filled every morning with students who had arrived early to train.

There were not enough targets or wooden posts to go around.

Even the empty ground beside the field was being used by people practicing the speed of their hand seals.

A storm of competitive overtraining swept through the entire Ninja Academy.

Hokage Office.

After reading the report sent by the academy, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but smile.

The report was very clear.

Recently, Ninja Academy students had greatly increased the time they spent training voluntarily.

There were more questions during theory classes, greater participation in practical classes, and more students staying after school to train.

Tracing the cause back, it had all begun with Fang Xu's morning training.

Then Kurenai Yuhi joined him, Rin Nohara motivated Asuma and Obito to follow, and they joined in too.

With students like Kakashi and Might Guy, who had already been diligent to begin with, the entire class was swept up in it.

In the end, that sense of urgency spread throughout the whole academy.

Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the report and smiled as he exhaled a puff of smoke.

"The influence of role models really is obvious."

The one he was most satisfied with was still Asuma.

These past few days, Asuma had trained of his own accord even without Hiruzen keeping an eye on him.

His shuriken throwing, taijutsu, and chakra control were all more serious than before.

His improvement in strength was visible to the naked eye.

Standing before the window, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked toward the distant Ninja Academy, his face carrying a little more satisfaction.

"Now that's more like my son."

A week quickly passed.

At night, Fang Xu shut the doors and windows and sat at his desk.

The cooldown for Exchange Talent on the Attribute Panel had finally reached zero.

[Exclusive Talent: Exchange LV1.]

[Cooldown complete.]

Fang Xu looked at the scroll on the desk, and his breathing slowed slightly.

It was a Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Technique scroll that he had personally copied and compiled.

He had already memorized the original training content.

The technique formulae on the scroll, the chakra circulation routes, and the hand seal sequence had all been recorded in full.

It was just right for an exchange.

For his first exchange, he had obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

For his second exchange, he had traded Obito's black hair for the Attribute Panel.

This time, he wanted to see what a ninjutsu scroll could bring him.

Fang Xu reached out and pressed his hand against the scroll, silently reciting in his heart.

"Exchange."

The thought fell.

The Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Technique scroll on the desk vanished without a sound.

The familiar sensation of being pulled returned.

Fang Xu's consciousness was abruptly lifted upward.

The next instant, the scene changed.

A mountain forest appeared before him.

The night was deep. Tree shadows crisscrossed, and the ground was covered in broken blades and bloodstains.

Several Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen lay scattered around, their bodies mangled and lifeless.

In the center of the woods stood a tall man.

He wore a purple-black kimono, carried a sword at his waist, and had six eyes on his face.

Every one of those eyes carried a suffocating pressure.

Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.

At his feet, a youth lay sprawled on the ground in a miserable state.

The youth wore a Demon Slayer Corps uniform. His body was covered in blood and grime, and there was not a trace of dignity on his face—only fear of death.

Kaigaku.

At this moment, Kaigaku had been scared out of his wits.

He clutched Kokushibo's leg tightly with both hands, his voice trembling.

"Don't kill me!"

"Please, don't kill me!"

"Turn me into a demon!"

"As long as I can live, I'm willing to do anything!"

Kokushibo looked down at him.

There was no pity in his six eyes.

Only scrutiny.

Kaigaku clutched even tighter, repeatedly knocking his forehead against the ground.

"I don't want to die!"

"I haven't become stronger yet!"

"I don't want to die here like this!"

Kokushibo watched him for a moment in silence.

In Kaigaku, he saw his former self.

To surpass his younger brother, to escape death, to hold a sword for longer.

He, too, had once abandoned his humanity and accepted demon blood.

Kokushibo slowly raised his hand and cut his fingertip.

A drop of dark demon blood was forced from the wound, hanging at his fingertip.

"If you can endure Lord Muzan's blood..."

"Then you will be qualified to live."

Kaigaku raised his head, his eyes filled with greedy desperation to survive.

"I can endure it!"

"I definitely can!"

Kokushibo flicked his finger.

The drop of demon blood fell toward Kaigaku's open mouth.

At the very instant the demon blood fell into Kaigaku's mouth, a scroll abruptly appeared in midair and dropped with a smack.

Kokushibo raised a hand and caught it.

Several words were clearly written on the scroll's cover.

Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Technique.

At the same time, Kaigaku's body suddenly stiffened.

The wild joy on his face instantly turned into terror.

"AAAAAH!"

A piercing scream tore through the forest.

Kaigaku clawed at his own throat with both hands, rolling madly across the ground.

"Where is my strength?"

"My body... why..."

He could clearly feel the physique and strength he had honed over years of breathing technique training being forcibly ripped away by something.