Naruto: From Novice to Grave

Chapter 101 - Ninja World Weightlifting Champion

Popular Ninja Trivia: The Northern Front – Located in the North.

It is only separated from the permanently neutral Iron Country by a few small countries, such as the Country of Craftsmen.

A week has quietly passed since Makoto Higashino joined the mobile patrol unit of the Northern Command, and October is just around the corner.

In previous years, the northern part of the Land of Fire would have already entered a cooling period by October.

Ninjas are a kind of magical creature. I don't know if it's because they are infused with chakra, but because they are all in a vegetative state, they are generally more resistant to cold. In the winter when it is snowing heavily, they can run around outdoors wearing a thick coat, and their toes are exposed without fear of freezing to death.

However, it is not very heat-resistant. When the temperature is high, it easily becomes listless and may even suffer from heatstroke like an ordinary person, which is quite unusual.

Perhaps it's because of the excessive killings committed during the Ninja World Wars in recent years, but the temperature this year is somewhat abnormal; even though it's almost October, the north is still quite hot.

Nothing to do today, brothel —

There are no such places on the ninja battlefield, but there are quite a few in the nearby Land of Hot Springs, where Jiraiya often goes in and out under the guise of gathering information on the Cloud Ninja.

But now that Minato Namikaze has returned to Konoha to prepare for taking over, Supreme Commander Jiraiya can no longer find a reason to gather material. When it comes to important matters, this lecherous guy is still reliable.

If he can't leave easily, then it's no wonder that ordinary ninjas can't either.

During rest periods, they must remain within the camp and are not allowed to leave without permission, in case the battlefield situation changes and forces need to be urgently regrouped.

Inside the barracks, the four members of Higashino Makoto's squad and three others, including Higashino Jiro, were drinking tea and exchanging cultivation experiences, without any reservations among themselves.

Besides Uzuki Yuuka, Yugao's uncle, the Chunin Uzuki Yuuka, is also there.

This is a young ninja who looks about 40 or 50 percent like Yuhe, and is about 26 or 27 years old.

Since being promoted to Jonin, Higashino Jiro and Uzuki Yuwa have each led a Chunin squad. Unlike the graduating class assignments, Chunin squads are not disciples and students, but merely subordinates, unless they have a closer relationship.

For example, Uzuki Yumura belongs to Higashino Jiro's subordinate squad, but he is not only his subordinate, but also his friend.

Therefore, this house is entirely comprised of the families of Higashino, Gekko, and Uzuki, forming a close-knit small community of shared interests.

Now that they share a common lineage of ninjutsu, and with the relationship between Higashino Makoto, Gekko Hayate, and Uzuki Yugao, this foundation of mutual benefit is even stronger.

With Higashino Makoto displaying terrifying talent and extraordinary strength, it is foreseeable that the influence of this three-family alliance in Konoha will become increasingly significant.

When Higashino Shin grows up and fully realizes his talent as strength, he will automatically become the leader of this alliance and the guarantee of his voice in Konoha.

This is the difference between an orphan who transmigrates and one who has both parents.

Whether Higashino Makoto likes it or not, he is bound to the survival interests of the three families in Konoha, and this entanglement of interests will become increasingly deep over time.

The connection of interests is like a net that only gets tighter and tighter, unless he becomes an ingrate, abandons these people, acts recklessly, and doesn't care about harming his relatives and friends.

But it is clear that Higashino is not a cold-hearted person by nature. He believes that he has an inescapable responsibility to shoulder the interests of nearly twenty people from three families.

There seems to be something wrong with what he's saying. What if he has to shoulder the burden of Konoha in the future? Wouldn't he become the weightlifting champion of the ninja world?

What kind of behavior is this, that of a minor official?

Minato Namikaze wasn't stupid. He had a sunny and cheerful personality, and he was also quite politically astute. He had noticed the relationship between the three families long ago.

In particular, after returning to preside over the Chunin Exams and witnessing Higashino's performance and talent in developing ninjutsu, and having previously seen his potential to rival the Raikage, he immediately concluded that these three families were a new force rising again within Konoha.

The number of people may not be enough, but as long as they grow up and their strength is no less than that of the old ninja clans, the ninja world, in the end, is not about the number of people, but about whether there are top-notch experts who can make a decisive move.

As long as Higashino is alive, the rise of this new force is unstoppable.

And Higashino Makoto—look at the series of ninjutsu developed by this junior, they're all like tortoise shells, even the Raikage can't cut them, as long as you don't get cocky, you're guaranteed to survive.

Fortunately, Minato Namikaze had made an early investment—it was through his strong insistence that Jiro Higashino and Yuuki Uzuki were promoted to Jonin, and he persuaded the other Jonin to recommend them as well.

Before returning to the village, he even asked his teacher, Jiraiya, to arrange for the three families to be in the same team so that they could act together, take care of each other, improve their survival rate on the battlefield, and gather to communicate and improve their strength during rest periods.

Minato Namikaze seems to have an innate understanding of how to make small adjustments within the scope of his rights to take care of others, and he doesn't see anything wrong with it.

This is a man with a sunny disposition, yet capable of navigating darkness without being corrupted, unlike the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who completely shifted the blame onto his old friend, Danzo Shimura.

He created a root that he himself couldn't control.

From this perspective, Minato Namikaze is unlike his prodigal master Jiraiya or the politically fastidious Hiruzen Sarutobi. His political skills are closer to those of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, but at the same time, he is more sunny and approachable than the Second Hokage.

She's a bit bad at naming things, naturally naive, and lovesick.

The air inside the fairly spacious barracks was filled with the aroma of tea.

While the seven people were enjoying their tea, each of them held a cigarette in their hand.

But no one smokes here; they use stone cigarettes, a training method suggested by Higashino Makoto to hone their wind-style chakra.

The three families share a common trait: they all possess wind-attribute chakra. Those who do not are women like Higashino Megumi and Uzuki Sakura, who married into the family.

It is foreseeable that wind-based ninjutsu will be the main tradition of these three families in the future.

With Higashino Makoto around, they will not lack wind-style ninjutsu in the future. They cannot learn Higashino Makoto's methods for the time being, but with his mastery of wind-style chakra, it is not difficult for him to develop ninjutsu such as the "Vacuum Sword" series, the "Vacuum Wave" series, and the "Vacuum Ball" series.

Follow Danzo's path, leaving Danzo with nowhere to go.

They can even develop their own suitable ninjutsu. Isn't Moonlight Cloud Mirror a high-quality imitation of Higashino's "Shadowless Sword"?

By now, they had all moved past the stage of cutting leaves. Now, when they had nothing to do, they would pick up a stone and play with it, using chakra to cut it into a cigarette or other simple shapes.

Next, Higashino really demanded that the palm-sized rock be instantly chopped into fine minced meat by unleashing a burst of wind-style chakra.

Then it's chopped into powder—there's no end to spiritual practice.

As for cutting waterfalls? Sorry, you really can't do that without a huge amount of chakra. It's a training method exclusive to overpowered characters. Naruto has the Uzumaki bloodline to protect him, and Higashino has a body modified by white natural energy to support him. Ordinary ninjas should not attempt this, as it is easy to die suddenly.

Perhaps she was too engrossed in her cultivation, or perhaps she was distracted by the adults talking, and she burned her mouth with a mouthful of hot tea.

She pouted and pushed the teacup towards Higashino Makoto.

The father, Uzuki Yuwa, frowned, feeling that his daughter was too spoiled. She wasn't even married yet, and her boyfriend had to blow on her while she drank a cup of hot tea.

This won't do. I need to get Sakura to give her a proper lesson in traditional Chinese virtues when we get back. I can't let her ruin the reputation of the Uzuki family.

He was about to rebuke someone when his perception suddenly shattered. He saw Higashino Makoto gently grasp the teacup, and a burst of cold air instantly turned the hot tea into a cold drink.

Uzuki Yugao picked up the glass and drank it, feeling quite pleased with herself.

Without batting an eye, Gekko Hayate handed over the tea. He couldn't help it; he also loved iced drinks, but the young man from the Gekko family wasn't doing well in his ice-escape techniques.

Uzuki Yuuwa pointed at the chilling tea, then at Higashino Makoto, and finally at Higashino Jiro: "Ah, this, this—"

Brother, something's off with your son. Oh, no, something's off with your whole family!

Higashino Jiro scratched his head, looking completely bewildered. His wife probably didn't know anyone from the Yuki Clan of the Land of Water.

Moonlight Cloud rolled its eyes at its old friend Xihe: "Look at your ignorant look. What's wrong with this? It's just Ice Release. I really saw the Snow Clan use it on the Eastern Front. They fused it successfully in just a few days."

Uzuki Yuu: "————" He didn't want to talk to that jerk because he wasn't speaking like a human.

Higashino Jiro: "Seriously, is what your teacher said true? Are you sure it was something you cultivated, or that it was something that naturally awakened?"

"I'm sure it's something I've trained. I just need to use the high-speed fluidity of the wind style to wrap around the water style chakra and slowly simulate the chakra fluctuations of ice release."

"Oh, that's good!" Higashino Jiro breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is not good, Father. You must have been suspecting something again. I will tell Mother about this."

"Oh, whatever. At worst, Hui'll beat me up. It's nothing, hahaha!"

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