Enhancing Weapons

In the Elite Class classroom, Tianyun Hyuga sidled up to Tenten once again, leaving her exasperated and unsure what to say to him.

Although Tenten was young, ninjas generally matured early, and she was no fool. She could tell Tianyun Hyuga was not particularly interested in her; otherwise, she would not have treated him so indifferently.

Yet Tianyun Hyuga kept pestering her, which frustrated her to no end. She thought there was something wrong with him, hanging around her when he did not even like her.

Now that Tianyun Hyuga had approached her again, Tenten bluntly said, "Tianyun, if you need something, just say it. If you don't, hurry up and leave, or I'll go sit somewhere else."

Kids these days really aren't cute at all...

Tianyun Hyuga felt thoroughly frustrated. After grumbling inwardly, he got straight to the point. "Tenten, I heard your family runs a Weapon Shop. Could you let me see the ninja tools your family makes?"

"That's all?" Puzzled, Tenten took out a kunai and handed it to Tianyun Hyuga. "Here, you can have it. Consider it payment for not charging me tuition. Now could you please stop bothering me...?"

"No, no, I'm not asking you to give me ninja tools. Actually, I know a special ninjutsu that can make ninja tools harder. I tested it on ordinary ninja tools and found that it doubled their strength, so I need to try it on your family's highest-grade ninja tools," Tianyun Hyuga hurriedly explained, deliberately trying to pique Tenten's interest.

Sure enough, his words caught Tenten's attention. After all, her family sold ninja tools, so there was no way she would be indifferent to something like this. She even sounded a little excited as she said, "Really? Could you show me...?"

Tenten's sudden loud voice drew the eyes of everyone in the classroom toward her and Tianyun Hyuga. He quickly whispered, "Shh, keep your voice down. This is my secret. Don't go telling everyone, or I won't come to you again..."

"Uh..." Thinking it over, Tenten realized that a ninjutsu capable of making ninja tools harder was indeed extremely valuable. She nodded and whispered, "All right! Let's go try it in the forest where we were yesterday. If you really can do it, I'll take you home to try it on some high-grade ninja tools."

"All right, it's settled. Let's go!" Tianyun Hyuga wasted no time. Taking Tenten's hand, he headed out of the classroom.

Tenten also wanted to know whether Tianyun Hyuga was telling the truth, so she did not pull free and followed him out.

The moment Tianyun Hyuga and Tenten left, the Elite Class erupted into chatter:

"Wow, Tianyun Hyuga's amazing! He's already won Tenten over. That idiot Heigui Inuzuka chased her for three years without getting anywhere."

"Tianyun Hyuga's a genius. How could that idiot Heigui Inuzuka compare?"

"Exactly. If I had Tianyun Hyuga's talent, Mie from the class next door would've thrown herself into my arms ages ago."

"Comparing yourself to other people really is enough to drive you mad...!"

There was actually nothing going on between Tianyun Hyuga and Tenten, but once the Elite Class students started gossiping, the rumors quickly spread throughout the Ninja Academy.

In the Ninja Academy's training forest, Tianyun Hyuga led Tenten beneath a secluded tree. He took out the kunai she had given him and asked, "Is this kunai specially made, or is it an ordinary one...?"

"Of course mine is specially made..." Tenten answered proudly.

"Then how much is it worth...?" Tianyun Hyuga asked.

"Is money all you care about? Hurry up and show me your ninjutsu," Tenten scolded him in displeasure.

"Uh... if you don't tell me how much it costs, I won't dare use it carelessly. If I break it, I don't have the money to pay you back," Tianyun Hyuga said.

"Tch, what a cheapskate. I already gave you that kunai. I won't make you pay for it if it breaks. Hurry up and show me..." Tenten urged.

Tianyun Hyuga had wanted to ask how much the kunai cost so he could price the enhanced version. But judging by Tenten's attitude, she would not tell him anything until he demonstrated his ability. With no other choice, he began enhancing the kunai first.

Holding the kunai, Tianyun Hyuga made a show of shaking it back and forth. Once he was moving it so fast that Tenten could no longer see it clearly, he selected the kunai in his hand for enhancement through the system.

Enhancement cost: 300,000 yuan.

Once the enhancement was complete, Tianyun Hyuga stopped shaking the kunai and examined it closely. Before he could spot any difference, Tenten snatched it away, her eyes gleaming.

She kept rubbing and tapping the kunai, saying in extraordinary excitement, "This is really good! Really good! Its sharpness has doubled, and its hardness has doubled. This is an absolute masterpiece! An absolute masterpiece...!"

"Hey, hey, hey, that kunai belongs to me now, remember...?" After hearing Tenten's assessment, Tianyun Hyuga hurriedly tried to get it back. He had spent three hundred thousand enhancing it. If Tenten took it away, he would suffer a huge loss.

Tenten quickly tucked the kunai into the pouch at her waist and said dismissively, "It's just one kunai. Come home with me later, and I'll give you three. What a cheapskate."

"I..." Tianyun Hyuga was speechless. Figuring that getting three kunai would not be a loss either, he nodded. "Then it's a deal. You owe me three kunai, and I want the specially made ones from your family."

Now that Tenten had confirmed Tianyun Hyuga really could enhance weapons, she happily said, "Sure, that's nothing. Come home with me now. I'll introduce you to my dad..."

With that, Tenten grabbed Tianyun Hyuga and excitedly raced all the way home, ignoring the strange looks from passersby, acquaintances, and children.

Earlier at school, Tianyun Hyuga had pulled Tenten out of the classroom at a run. Now Tenten was pulling Tianyun Hyuga home at a run. Once those two bits of gossip got out, neither of them would be able to explain it away.

Of course, Tianyun Hyuga and Tenten knew nothing about that yet. After pulling him into her family's ninja tool shop, Tenten presented the enhanced kunai to her father like a prized treasure. "Dad, take a look at this kunai. What do you think...?"

At first, Tenten's father had wondered whether she was already dating Tianyun Hyuga and had brought him home for her father to look him over. But then he saw the kunai she handed him.

His professional instincts took over. Just as Tenten had done earlier, he rubbed and tapped the kunai, muttering to himself, "Who forged this kunai? It's actually twice as strong as our family's specially made ones. That shouldn't be possible!"