Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room

"Cough, cough! All right, after what happened today, I'm sure you're all tired. Go back and get some rest first. As for the exam, we'll notify you later."

After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed everyone.

However, the Konoha 11 were still gathered by several teachers and given a few reminders.

Might Guy beamed as he rubbed Xia Mu and Tenten's heads. "You two little ones did wonderfully! I'm proud of you!"

Kurenai Yuhi could not help saying, "Shino did very well too."

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, under those circumstances, anyone who wasn't scared unconscious by that killing intent did great. Sasuke was even able to move, which was very impressive. But Xia Mu, you went a little overboard. I didn't expect your swordsmanship to have reached that level already. You could probably be a jonin now. Aoba really has a fine disciple!"

Aoba Yamashiro could barely suppress his smile, though he still tried to sound modest. "I didn't really teach him much. His strength was mainly taught by you and Guy."

Even if you two taught him, he was still my student!

I'm proud!

The teachers competed to praise their students, while Asuma Sarutobi alone had no idea what to say. His three students had not fainted, but they had been the fastest to flee. The moment they saw Xia Mu holding Orochimaru off, none of them even thought of providing cover. They simply hid and watched, making it hard to know whether to laugh or cry.

What could Asuma possibly say?

Xia Mu and the others let the teachers compare them as they pleased, feeling rather mentally exhausted.

Fortunately, the teachers were busy as well and soon left. Orochimaru's infiltration was too serious an incident. They had to investigate as quickly as possible and find Orochimaru, or the exam simply could not continue.

"Let's go too. Everyone, go home and get some proper rest."

After calling out to the group and reminding his friends to be careful, Xia Mu left hand in hand with Tenten.

Still, Xia Mu felt someone watching him. When he turned around, he found Gaara staring at him. Those panda eyes seemed eager to fight, filled with killing intent.

Xia Mu did not care. Gaara was mentally unstable right now and constantly wanted to kill people, especially powerful people.

Clearly, Xia Mu's earlier performance had made Gaara itch for a fight.

Megumi Kato's Disappointment

"Hey! Your name is Xia Mu, right?"

The sudden voice made Xia Mu frown in confusion. He immediately spotted Kankuro beside Gaara. He was the one who had spoken.

The friends who had been about to leave naturally heard him as well. They stopped in their tracks and turned back to look at Kankuro, wanting to see what this Sand Ninja was up to.

Kankuro continued, "What was that cracked blade of yours just now?"

Oh? He was fishing for information. But wasn't he being a little too direct, asking the person himself in front of so many people?

It seemed Xia Mu's performance had made the Sand Ninja wary. They were probably afraid Xia Mu would disrupt their original plan.

Xia Mu did not care and answered casually, "The Thousand Blades Demon Blade. It is forged from over a thousand Chakra fragments, linked together by Chakra. By controlling the Chakra, I can freely split and reassemble the blade. Not only can it extend and retract at will, it can also be used as over a thousand hidden weapons. It's very versatile. Satisfied with that introduction, puppet master Kankuro hiding inside those bandages?"

Kankuro was startled and instinctively pressed a hand against the mummy-like bundle of bandages on his back.

He had only wanted to probe Xia Mu for information. He was not worried Xia Mu would attack him. At worst, Xia Mu would refuse to answer, but if he did answer, Kankuro would get the information.

He had not expected Xia Mu to answer while exposing his own secret as well!

Xia Mu's friends and the other candidates who had yet to leave all immediately fixed their eyes on the bandaged mummy behind Kankuro. Their malicious grins made Kankuro's face darken.

Even Gaara could not help cursing, "Idiot!"

Fortunately, no one said anything further. They quickly turned their attention back to Xia Mu, recalling the scene of him using that cracked blade to bypass Orochimaru's guard and cut off his head.

Goosebumps rose all over their bodies.

The Thousand Blades Demon Blade? What a strange weapon. It was practically impossible to block!

Xia Mu was already so powerful, and with such an unusual weapon, even Orochimaru had suffered. What chance did anyone else have?

The candidates who had already been traumatized by Orochimaru now felt an even stronger urge to withdraw from the exam. It was far too terrifying. How were they supposed to take this exam?

Xia Mu did not waste any more time. He waved to his friends again and left hand in hand with Tenten.

Yet the name Thousand Blades Demon Blade swiftly spread through Konoha. Some troublemakers even gave Xia Mu a nickname: Konoha's Demon Blade.

The nickname had been inspired by Konoha's White Fang. They had heard Xia Mu had learned Konoha's White Fang's swordsmanship and wielded the Thousand Blades Demon Blade, so wasn't Konoha's Demon Blade a fitting name?

But soon afterward, the story of Konoha's White Fang was brought up again. Many elderly villagers felt deeply guilty about it. Their cruel public opinion back then had driven the powerful Konoha's White Fang to suicide, costing Konoha a powerful fighter. That was perhaps one of the reasons for Konoha's decline.

Fortunately, Root was no longer manipulating public opinion, so the sentiment did not turn ugly.

Danzo probably would not bother holding a grudge against a dead man either.

Some people even went to Tenten's family's Ninja Tool Shop and asked the owner to add Konoha's White Fang as a character in Ninja Kill Card Game, giving the owner quite a headache.

Xia Mu paid none of this any attention. The man had been dead for many years. Nothing anyone said or did now could change anything.

The Chunin Exams probably would not resume anytime soon. All of Konoha needed to be searched to make sure Orochimaru was not still hiding in the village before they dared continue the exam. But such an investigation would not be simple and would take several days at the very least.

Moreover, it was inconvenient to take missions during this period, so they could only train.

Tatsuya Yamashiro was dragged out by Aoba Yamashiro for extra training, while Megumi Kato temporarily stopped going to the hospital and joined them.

However, the girl had become anxious over being unable to help this time. She probably felt that despite learning Medical Ninjutsu, she had not even been able to identify the source of Anko's pain, which left her feeling deeply defeated.

But it was not her fault at all. No one could solve Orochimaru's cursed seal. Even Kakashi could only forcibly seal it.

Still, the girl's mood remained off, which worried everyone.

Tatsuya tried his best to comfort her, but it did not work. So he could only turn to Xia Mu for help.

"Boss, please! You're so capable—you can definitely talk Megumi through this! She's really down right now, so you have to help. You're our boss!"

"Seriously? You're her boyfriend, and you can't convince her, so you want me to do it?"

Xia Mu rolled his eyes speechlessly, but he agreed in the end.

After all, Megumi Kato was a member of Team 9. They would have to act together in the Forest of Death exam later. If Megumi remained like this, something could easily go wrong and affect the team's exam. That would not be good.

So, while Aoba Yamashiro was training Tatsuya, Xia Mu called Megumi aside.

Then he handed her a skewer of dango. They said sweets could help people calm down.

"Thank you, Boss." Megumi silently accepted it and took a bite. The sweet flavor brightened her expression a little.

"Megumi, what's wrong?"

Xia Mu took the opportunity to ask. "You haven't been yourself lately. That won't do. I know you're a strong girl and want to solve your own problems, but some things can still be shared with friends. Saying them aloud can make you feel better. You were afraid Tatsuya would worry, so you didn't tell him, right? But you can tell me, can't you? I'm the boss. I'll give you some good advice."

Megumi hesitated. After making sure Tatsuya, training in the distance, could not hear her, she finally spoke haltingly. "Boss, I think I'm useless."

Xia Mu asked curiously, "Why do you think that?"

Megumi's expression darkened. "Back then, I couldn't help at all. Not only was I terrified by Orochimaru, I couldn't even treat Examiner Anko. I clearly learned Medical Ninjutsu, but I still couldn't do anything. I'm really useless!"

So that was it!

They said girls were emotional, and it seemed that was true.

At the time, it was not just Megumi. Many people could do nothing. Some had even been scared unconscious by Orochimaru's killing intent. Even Sasuke, who called himself a Uchiha genius, had been trembling, so it was understandable.

But Megumi did not see it that way. Unlike Sakura, she would not take everything for granted.

She could accept that she was not strong, but she could not accept being useless!

She had been the only person who tried to treat Anko, yet she had not even been able to determine Anko's condition. It felt as though she had learned Medical Ninjutsu for nothing. If that was not useless, then what was?

This silly girl—no one blamed her, but she blamed herself!

But that was exactly why she was such a gentle, kind, and driven girl!

That Tatsuya really was a lucky bastard.

Sakura's Unwillingness

Xia Mu smiled and patiently explained, "Megumi, you only think that because you don't know the situation. Examiner Anko used to be Orochimaru's student. Later, Orochimaru abandoned her and placed a cursed seal on her. Whenever the cursed seal activated, it caused unbearable pain. Even Konoha Hospital and the Hokage cannot cure it, so why are you blaming yourself?"

Megumi raised her head, her eyes full of surprise. "Is that so?"

"Of course! When have I ever lied to you?"

Xia Mu spoke as if it were only natural. "And you did help back then. Many people chose to stand by and watch, but only you and Tatsuya rushed over to support Examiner Anko and tried to treat her. In that respect, you and Tatsuya were better than many others!"

Megumi took a deep breath, seeming to feel much better.

But she was still troubled. "Boss, I... I really want to help. I don't want to be a useless person!"

Xia Mu rubbed his chin, somewhat conflicted. "I'd like to help you improve your strength, but that can't happen in a short time. There are many ways to help, though. Your Medical Ninjutsu is one way. Besides that... perhaps you need a Summoning Beast."

A Summoning Beast was the only thing Xia Mu could think of that might help in the short term.

Improving one's strength was not something that happened overnight. Suddenly becoming stronger was unlikely.

Besides, Megumi's Medical Ninjutsu was actually quite good. She had even learned the Mystical Palm Technique. In Xia Mu's eyes, she could already be very helpful, but the girl clearly felt it was not enough.

That meant the only thing he could think of was a Summoning Beast.

"A Summoning Beast?"

Megumi's eyes lit up. "That's right! If I could contract a useful Summoning Beast, then I could be useful, couldn't I? I could help everyone!"

Good. The girl had gotten her spirit back!

Xia Mu continued, "Your sister-in-law Tenten has a Giant Mountain Eagle summoning contract scroll. You could perhaps give it a try. Giant Mountain Eagles are very useful. The small ones can pass along information, while the large ones can carry people through the air. But Giant Mountain Eagles are proud, so they may be difficult to tame."

Megumi considered it, then shook her head. "I want to help. If I contract the same Summoning Beast as you, Boss, it would be redundant. Are there other Summoning Beasts?"

Xia Mu looked up at the sky. "Other than that, perhaps only Kakashi's ninja hounds would be available for you to contract."

"Ninja hounds? Teacher Kakashi's?"

"Yes. Kakashi's Summoning Beasts are the Eight Ninja Hounds. Not only can they understand human speech, but they also have keen senses of smell and can assist greatly with searching and tracking. Even if the target is thousands of miles away, they can find them. To be honest, I'm worried Orochimaru has not left yet. When we enter the Forest of Death for the exam, I'm afraid your sister-in-law Tenten and our friends might be in danger. If I can find everyone quickly, I'll feel much more at ease..."

"Then I'll contract ninja hounds, Boss!"

Megumi's eyes sparkled. "I actually like dogs quite a lot. If they're ninja hounds, I'm willing to contract them. And their powerful tracking ability can help you too, Boss, right?"

Seeing her like this, Xia Mu finally sighed in relief. "That's right. Then let's ask Kakashi to let you contract the Eight Ninja Hounds. Fortunately, there's no limit to how many Summoning Beasts you can contract. If you want to contract Giant Mountain Eagles or other Summoning Beasts in the future, you can do that too."

Tatsuya Yamashiro was the happiest to see Megumi recover.

He had said the boss would have a solution. Sure enough, it had not taken long for the boss to successfully talk Megumi through it.

Hearing that Megumi wanted to contract Teacher Kakashi's Summoning Beasts, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly and clamored about going with her to ask Teacher Kakashi.

Megumi also knew her boyfriend had been worried about her. Feeling a little guilty, she could not help taking his hand.

Aoba Yamashiro felt overwhelmed by the sweetness and hurriedly said, "I remember Kakashi has been training his students lately. It's about time for lunch, so he should be at Ichiraku Ramen. Let's go take a look."

Unexpectedly, Kakashi really was at Ichiraku Ramen, along with the three members of Team 7.

Still, no matter how delicious Ichiraku Ramen was, they could not eat it every day. Ninja training was so intense that ramen alone would not be enough.

"Yo, Kakashi! Found you!"

Aoba Yamashiro raised a hand in greeting. "My student needs to ask you something."

Kakashi returned the greeting, then looked at Xia Mu. "Xia Mu, go ahead."

Xia Mu was about to speak when Megumi stopped him. "Boss, let me speak for myself. You've already helped me so much. I can't keep relying on you!"

Xia Mu fell silent at that, and he greatly approved of her attitude.

If someone needed a favor, they should have the proper attitude. If Xia Mu spoke for her, it would certainly work, but Megumi did not want that. She wanted to become someone useful, and there were things she had to do herself!

"Teacher Kakashi!"

Megumi bowed deeply to Kakashi. "I want to contract your Eight Ninja Hounds. I want to become someone who can help everyone, but I'm not strong enough, and my Medical Ninjutsu still isn't good enough. But I truly don't want to be useless! Boss said Teacher Kakashi's Eight Ninja Hounds have powerful tracking abilities, so I want to contract them and be useful! Please, Teacher Kakashi!"

The three members of Team 7 all looked astonished.

Sasuke gave an almost imperceptible nod. He remembered Megumi Kato. She had once been one of his fans, but after joining Team 9, she had not only found a boyfriend, but had also grown stronger. Most commendably, Megumi had a heart unwilling to settle for mediocrity. She wanted to become useful and was working hard for it.

She was far better than a certain Sakura from Team 7!

Sakura clenched her fists and gave Megumi a deep look.

Back in the academy, she had ranked first in written tests, and her Outdoor Class scores had not been bad either. Perhaps she had never thought much of Megumi.

But after becoming an official ninja, Megumi had clearly grown faster than she had. Megumi had not only improved her strength and learned Medical Ninjutsu, but now she even planned to contract Teacher Kakashi's ninja hounds. Megumi was truly outstanding, not only in her actions, but in her heart.

Compared to her, Sakura seemed rather useless.

Whenever danger appeared, Sasuke and Naruto were always the ones standing in front. She could only stare foolishly and could not help at all. Even when Sasuke and Naruto were injured, all she could do was some simple bandaging.