Nawaki of the Senju Clan and Kushina of the Uzumaki Clan were both prime examples of people with abundant chakra.
"Oh, I see." Minato Namikaze scratched his cheek. He had actually felt inferior because he could not eat as much as those two.
Hyuga Akira paid Minato Namikaze no mind and looked at his panel.
[Name: I'm Xiao Ming] [Class: None] [Level: lv13 (125/2500)] [Chakra: 130/130] [Skills: Gentle Fist (lv5), Clone Technique (lv2), Substitution Technique (lv10), Transformation Technique (lv2), Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm (lv3), Byakugan (lv3), Fire Release: Unknowing Fire (lv4), Medical Ninjutsu (lv1), Kumate (lv1)] [Experience Pool: 1915] [Equipment: (Bandit's Left Greave) (Bandit's Right Greave) (Bandit's Right Gauntlet) (Bandit's Sword) (Bandit's Armor)] [Inventory: Kunai (10), Explosive Tag (9), Shuriken (99), Wire (10)...]
He had originally wanted to grind enough experience to level up over these past few days, but unfortunately, things had not gone as planned.
Although there were ninja beasts in the Forest of Death, there were still too few of them.
He would be leaving on a mission tomorrow. By Hyuga Akira's assessment of his own strength, he currently ranked among the strongest genin.
But he still fell short against chunin.
Although fighting would not break out on the front-line mission for now, he could still encounter chunin and jonin.
He wondered whether he could grind some experience along the way. Ideally, he would run into some bandits and grind out the Bandit Set.
"Big bro, next year I'll be able to become a ninja and follow in your footsteps." Nawaki put down his bowl in satisfaction and spoke happily.
"When that time comes, we'll dominate the entire shinobi world."
Had he been a bad influence on this kid?
Hyuga Akira sank into thought.
Of course not. He was such a kind person.
Hyuga Akira nodded. "When the time comes, we'll wipe out the bandits first, then the small shinobi villages, and then stand above the Five Great Shinobi Villages..."
He glanced around and left the rest unsaid.
Society in the shinobi world was completely warped. Although ninja possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth, the people who controlled the entire world were ordinary people.
If they could develop the world properly, there would be nothing wrong with them being ordinary people.
The problem was that these people used their noble status to oppress men and women, either persecuting those around them or constantly fighting among themselves.
Development? What development?
They were nothing but a cancer on this world.
In any case, Hyuga Akira had no respect for them.
Kushina and Minato Namikaze stared in astonishment. Weren't these two being a little too ambitious?
The two of them only wanted to become Hokage.
Were everyone's goals so wild now?
Nawaki, however, raised his fist as though encouraged. "When that time comes, we brothers will unite..."
Hyuga Akira quickly covered Nawaki's mouth. "No need to say the rest."
If those words got out, whose nerves would they be testing? Even being the First Hokage's grandson would not spare Nawaki from trouble.
Hyuga Akira lowered his voice. "There are things we can't say carelessly right now. Wait until we're stronger before talking about those things."
Nawaki nodded vigorously, flames of ambition flickering in his eyes.
Before meeting Hyuga Akira, his lifelong goal had merely been to become Hokage. After meeting Hyuga Akira...
A mere Hokage was nothing.
Looking at Nawaki's almost glowing eyes, Hyuga Akira sank into deep thought.
He seemed to have, probably, possibly, more or less led Nawaki astray.
Tsunade probably wouldn't... blame him, would she?
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!!" Tsunade sent Jiraiya flying with a kick.
Jiraiya rolled twice across the ground before barely coming to a stop, clutching his chest and wailing nonstop.
Sitting in a nearby tree, Orochimaru asked curiously, "Tsunade, why are you so angry?"
Tsunade exhaled. "Because of that big bro of my little brother's."
Jiraiya stood up, rubbing his chest, and asked curiously as well, "That Hyuga Akira from the Hyuga Clan?"
Tsunade frowned. "That kid's thinking is a little extreme. I'm afraid he'll influence Nawaki."
He was nothing like someone from the Hyuga Clan. He was more like someone from the Uchiha Clan.
So had a Hyuga cheated, or had an Uchiha been unfaithful?
"Then just don't let that Hyuga Akira have any contact with Nawaki." Jiraiya offered his suggestion.
Tsunade shook her head. "I don't want to interfere with Nawaki's life. I'm just a little worried."
She did not want to dictate how Nawaki lived his life. She only wanted her little brother to grow up safely.
So she took it out on him.
Jiraiya pulled a long face as he watched Tsunade looking ready to strike again.
Wait, why? Why did I deserve such a beating?
"Sensei intends to make me Nawaki's teacher next year." Orochimaru jumped down from the tree. "I'll help you keep an eye on him then."
"I won't let Nawaki go astray."
Chapter 23: Hyuga Akira wasn't exactly well connected
The Senju Residence.
Nawaki had wanted to return to his room for a good rest, but Hyuga Akira brought him into his own room.
"Big bro, did you need something?" Nawaki yawned. He had been utterly exhausted lately.
After being tormented by Hyuga Akira for three whole days, he could barely keep his eyes open.
Hyuga Akira merely held out his hand. In it was a gauntlet that gleamed with a bronze sheen and could cover the hand and wrist.
"This is for you."
"Big bro, I don't really like wearing gauntlets."
Nawaki did not particularly want it. A gauntlet would only interfere with his use of Monster Strength.
"This gauntlet is different from ordinary ones." Hyuga Akira tossed the Bronze Gauntlet to Nawaki. "It can increase your strength quite a bit, and it won't interfere with your Monster Strength."
This was his spare [Bandit's Right Gauntlet].
Keeping it in his inventory took up space, but throwing it away seemed a shame.
Dubiously, Nawaki put on the gauntlet and tried clenching his fist. Chakra began gathering around it.
To his surprise, chakra actually emerged from the gauntlet and resonated with his own, boosting the chakra in his hand by fifty percent.
"Is this a ninja tool?" Nawaki looked at the gauntlet in surprise.
"That's right." Hyuga Akira nodded. "It's a ninja tool I made myself. No one else has it, and now it's yours."
It was equipment that only dropped from grinding bandits. No one but him could get it that way, so it was little different from making it himself.
Besides, there were plenty of similar ninja tools in the shinobi world. A mere gauntlet was nothing unusual.
Some people might even be surprised that a ninja tool could have such a minor effect.
"Thank you, big bro!!" Nawaki clenched his fist, his eyes brimming with tears.
It was as though something important had been entrusted to him.
"Remember, don't let anyone else know about it. I'll get you a better one later," Hyuga Akira reminded him.
He would have more and more equipment like this in the future. Anything he could not use could go to his own people or even be sold.
"Don't worry. I won't tell even my sister." Nawaki nodded solemnly. This was a promise between men.
He really did not need to take it quite so seriously.
Hyuga Akira waved Nawaki out.
Only then did he settle down to rest properly in his room. He had slept very little over the past three days, constantly grinding wild beasts and searching for ninja beasts. Unfortunately, despite killing plenty of wild beasts, he had found no trace of ninja beasts.
The next day.
"Get up!!" Someone kicked open the door to his room.
Tsunade walked in through the doorway.
Hyuga Akira had already gotten ready. "Lady Tsunade," he greeted respectfully.
"Mm." Wearing armor, Tsunade looked at Hyuga Akira with her arms folded.
Hyuga Akira wore the Hyuga Clan's traditional clothing, with a forehead protector on his head covering the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead.
Tsunade regarded Hyuga Akira as her apprentice in medicine and would not teach him ninjutsu outside Medical Ninjutsu.
He was sensible about it, too, and had never asked Tsunade to teach him other ninjutsu.
The main reason was that Hyuga Akira did not want to owe anyone favors. Otherwise, if they became enemies one day and he farmed her like a monster, it would be rather unscrupulous.
How much conscience could a player have when faced with a monster displaying a health bar?
Although he only had a game panel and monsters did not have health bars above their heads, anything that dropped loot was a monster to Hyuga Akira.
I remember Tsunade dropped three high-level skills and a dungeon scroll.
Tsunade suddenly looked at Hyuga Akira warily. For an instant, she had sensed some kind of danger, yet there had been no killing intent.
And the source of that danger was Hyuga Akira.
"Lady Tsunade, let's go." Hyuga Akira gave her a bright smile, looking just like an innocent child.
Tsunade withdrew her gaze.
Was it my imagination?
The two went downstairs, one after the other.
Kushina and Nawaki had already gone to school. Mito Uzumaki's health was now failing, and she rarely left her room.
Tsunade picked up two slices of bread from the table and tossed them to Hyuga Akira. "Have something to tide you over. We'll be traveling all day today."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Hyuga Akira said as he caught the bread.
Tsunade nodded and led him out of the Senju Residence.
Their meeting place was the Small Plaza not far from the Konoha Gate.
Following behind Tsunade, he immediately spotted Orochimaru standing there.
Orochimaru stood waiting in gray armor, with three bundles at his feet.
Seeing Tsunade arrive, Orochimaru smiled.
"You're here."
The Orochimaru of later years exuded a cold, sinister air. The Orochimaru of the present was merely effeminate, without that sinister chill.
Hyuga Akira was very curious. If Nawaki did not die, would Orochimaru still become the man he was in the future?
Perhaps he would take a different path.
Soon, the brothers Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga came running over from the distance as well.
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