Jōgan

Kakashi Hatake looked at Hyuga Kong beneath his blade and said expressionlessly, "So weak."

Kakashi's words shattered the confidence Hyuga Kong had always had. He stared at his hands in disbelief. "So I'm this weak."

Then he let out a furious roar before sinking to his knees as though all his strength had left him.

Kakashi Hatake had no interest in what happened to a weakling. He simply turned and left.

"Wow, Kakashi won! Kakashi is amazing!" Rin Nohara bounced excitedly by the window. Watching her delight, Obito felt dejected.

Ye Feng's expression, however, grew grave, because he seemed to have seen something that should not have appeared here-the Jōgan.

When Hyuga Kong had roared in anger, Ye Feng had seen his eyes turn pale blue and the whites turn gray-black. It had lasted only an instant, and even Ye Feng was not sure whether he had seen it correctly. Still, he began considering taking Hyuga Kong under his command. After all, there would be a Giant Tenseigan later on. Paired with a Pure Byakugan, it could make for a decent subordinate. Ye Feng had never been one for individual heroics. The stronger the forces around him, the better.

Turning around, Ye Feng saw Obito's dejected expression and Rin Nohara's excitement and understood why they looked that way. He patted Obito on the shoulder. "You'd better work hard. Kakashi is very strong, or you won't be able to win against him." Then he walked straight out of the classroom.

Ye Feng came up to Hyuga Kong.

"Do you feel weak? Do you want to become a powerful ninja admired by everyone in the Shinobi World?" Ye Feng wasted no words and asked directly.

Hyuga Kong, who had recovered his senses somewhat, heard Ye Feng's words and gave a self-mocking look. "I'm just a weakling. What right do I have to become strong?"

"If I say you have it, you have it. It just depends on whether you're willing."

"You can give me all that? You're just a child like me."

"You don't need to worry about whether I'm a child. What matters is whether you want this chance to become strong. And let me tell you, the gap between you and Kakashi Hatake will only grow wider. Only I can give you formidable strength, enough to surpass even Kakashi Hatake."

"I may be young, but I'm no fool. Don't try to fool me like I'm an idiot."

"Believe me or not, that's up to you. You said yourself that you're no fool. Since you have no way to become strong, why not give me a try? And let me tell you, when I fought Uchiha Shinichi, I didn't even use my ordinary level of strength."

Ye Feng's words made Hyuga Kong's eyes widen. Then he abruptly looked at Ye Feng, as though trying to see right through him.

"I don't believe anyone would offer kindness like this for no reason. If you have a way to become strong, why give it to me?"

"Because this powerful thing can only be used by members of your Hyuga Clan. That's why I chose you."

At Ye Feng's words, some color returned to Hyuga Kong's ashen face. "Then what do I need to give in return?"

"You won't have to pay much of a price. Follow my advice in your training. Once you gain great power, I need your unconditional obedience. Since I dare to give you that strength, naturally, I have a way to take it back."

Hyuga Kong's expression shifted repeatedly. Then, as though he had settled on an answer, his face grew resolute. "All right, I believe you. From now on, I, Hyuga Kong, will follow your lead, Uchiha Yefeng. What do I need to do now?"

"Good! From now on, train with me every day after school. You can arrange the rest of your time yourself." Ye Feng, too, looked delighted as he walked back to the classroom. Hyuga Kong followed closely behind him, looking every bit the loyal underling.

Ye Feng thought that he seemed to have his sights on quite a few recruits already: Obito Uchiha, a future minor boss; Uchiha Shinichi, whose talent and temperament were both good; Hyuga Kong, who might have the potential for the Jōgan; and Might Guy, the future Blue Beast. Orochimaru was someone he had to bring over to his side. It would be a waste not to recruit such a brilliant scientist.

The afternoon passed as Ye Feng pondered.

At the Ninja Academy gates, Obito Uchiha, Hyuga Kong, and Ye Feng followed Might Guy to find Might Duy and train in Taijutsu.

Upon seeing Might Duy, Ye Feng greeted him first. "Senior Might Duy, these classmates of mine also like Taijutsu and want to become stronger, so they insisted on coming along to train with you. Would that be all right?"

"Good, very good! I'm delighted that so many people are willing to train in Taijutsu with me. As long as they can stick with it, I'm willing to teach them." Might Duy answered Ye Feng heartily.

"Did you hear that? Senior Might Duy is a Taijutsu master. From now on, you must diligently carry out every instruction he gives!"

"I wouldn't dare call myself a master. As long as youth isn't wasted, that's enough. Go, youth!" Might Duy was brimming with enthusiasm as he ordered them to begin training.

At first, Obito Uchiha and Hyuga Kong felt that Taijutsu training was neither difficult nor distinctive. It was just running, carrying weights, kicking, punching, and the like. Only when they were utterly exhausted, their arms and legs no longer obeying them, had they completed a quarter of their assigned workload. Meanwhile, Might Duy, Might Guy, and Ye Feng were still training, sweat pouring off them, and had already completed more than twice as much as they had. Only then did they realize how extreme their usual training was. No wonder their Taijutsu was so strong.

Especially when they saw Might Guy, the dead last who had been rejected by the academy for having no talent for training and had gotten in through connections, completing far more than they could, the world felt unreal to them both. Perhaps they could not even beat Might Guy. No, not perhaps-they definitely could not.

Neither of them felt like resting anymore. Gritting their teeth, they persevered with the tasks Might Duy had assigned.

For the two of them, the first day of Taijutsu training was simply hellish. By the end, neither could move at all, and Ye Feng had to take them home. The Hyuga Clan's and Uchiha Clan's compounds were next to each other, so taking them back was no trouble.

When Ye Feng returned home, he saw a large pile of medicinal herbs inside, along with an envelope on the floor: We have found most of the herbs you requested. There are still some herbs we have never seen, and the clan has already arranged for people to search other countries for them. The list of herbs found is as follows...

A major clan truly had substantial resources. He had only given them the list that morning, and by evening, most of it had been delivered. There were even two roots of ginseng, the main ingredient, both over five thousand years old, as well as several specimens of lingzhi, all over two thousand years old.

Ye Feng checked the ingredients for the Body-Strengthening Medicinal Bath. Most were there, with only a small portion of the supplementary herbs still missing. But that was no great problem. With such top-quality main ingredients, the missing supplementary herbs would not affect the medicinal potency too much.

Without delay, Ye Feng found a large wooden tub, poured in boiling water, and added the herbs in the proper proportions. The smell of herbal medicine filled the entire room.

Ye Feng stripped naked and jumped straight in. The scalding water turned his skin red, but the hotter the medicinal bath, the easier it was to absorb. Ye Feng could only circulate his Cultivation Technique, using true qi to protect his scalded skin.

Already exhausted from training, Ye Feng's body frantically absorbed the medicinal potency from the tub like a sponge. His physical cultivation, which had begun to slow, also sped up considerably.

Two hours later, Ye Feng had absorbed most of the medicinal potency in the large wooden tub. The liquid, originally grayish-brown, had become almost transparent.

Ye Feng felt the changes in his body. At this rate, perhaps it would take only a few months to reach perfection in the Body Tempering Realm.