Chapter 17: Summons
"Heh, this technique... you're using it more and more skillfully. It gives me the illusion that I'm back to instructing those Water Breathing swordsmen."
Mochizuki Tosaburo, puffing on his pipe, squinted at the shirtless Ryuji before him, who was blindfolded with a black cloth and fully focused on dodging the stones he threw.
An undisguised look of admiration flashed in his eyes.
He took a few puffs and noticed the sparks in the pipe bowl were fading; the tobacco was almost finished.
"Take a break. It's the perfect time for me to refill my pipe."
As he spoke of relaxing, his right hand suddenly flicked the last handful of stones. Their speed abruptly increased, and the angles became even more tricky!
The blindfolded Ryuji's body reacted instantly. The muscles of his shoulders, waist, and legs swayed with minute and efficient movements, like a willow in the wind, narrowly dodging most of the stones within inches.
But a few stones still landed with several thuds, striking his chest and arms squarely.
Several distinct red marks immediately appeared on his skin.
Mochizuki Tosaburo's eyes narrowed slightly, his pipe pausing at his lips.
This kid is getting weirder and weirder... He hadn't held back much just now; those stones were fast enough to embed themselves deep into a tree trunk.
Yet, hitting Ryuji, they only left a few red marks?
Truly a... little monster.
"Whew..."
Ryuji ripped off the black blindfold and exhaled a breath of turbid air mixed with dust, shaking his head in slight frustration.
"Still not good enough... I can only avoid eight stones at most. Any more, or if the speed is a bit faster, I can't dodge them all."
What made him even more helpless was that his sense of Observation Haki was still like looking at flowers through a fog, without any clear direction.
Forget it, I can't rush this.
The path is beneath my feet, and the direction is clear. All that remains is the slow grind and a moment of opportunity.
"Settle today's practice."
He thought to himself.
[Ding! practice settlement complete. Duration: five hours. Training item: Navy Six Styles: Paper Arts (Perception and Evasion Special Training)]
[Completion: Good.]
[Reward obtained: cultivation points +20.]
Hmm, twenty points. Not bad; it adds up.
He then summoned the System panel to check.
[Host: Ryuji]
[Age: 14]
[Position: East Blue Branch Marine Soldier]
[Abilities: Breathing Technique (Stone), Armament Haki (Entry-level), Navy Six Styles: Paper Arts (Prototype)]
[cultivation points: 30]
[military merit points: 380]
[Items: marine recruit training manual (Authored by Zephyr), nichirin blade: Little Purple]
[Evaluation: A Marine Soldier with some combat capability, but still weak when looking at the vast sea. Survival chances are worrying when encountering maritime powerhouses.]
Automatically ignoring the System's usual "encouragement," Ryuji's gaze fell on his military merit points.
Three hundred and eighty points... it's still accumulating too slowly.
If only I could encounter a few more valuable Demons like Akinasa.
"Hey—! Mr. Mochizuki, Ryuji-kun, dinner's ready!"
Suzuki Yuriko's clear and soft voice came from the direction of the house.
She stood at the door wearing a clean apron. Beside her, Haruko was tugging at her Mama's skirt, hopping around, her big dark eyes looking over.
Yes, Ryuji and Mochizuki Tosaburo were currently staying at Suzuki Yuriko's house.
It couldn't be helped; Ryuji had smashed his own home... it wouldn't be fixed anytime soon.
At the dinner table, Mochizuki Tosaburo shoveled down the fragrant rice, giving Ryuji muffled instructions:
"Go fix the house right after dinner, you hear? Staying at Madam Suzuki's house like this is improper and bad for her reputation."
Ryuji buried his face in his bowl, his voice muffled: "I know, I know, I'll get it done as soon as possible..."
He was in the wrong here. He stole a glance at his teacher, feeling that the old man had adapted a bit too well to their current living situation.
But his teacher was right.
"Ac-actually... it's fine."
Suzuki Yuriko's cheeks flushed slightly, her fingers unconsciously twirling a stray lock of hair by her temple, her voice gentle:
"Having... a man in the house makes Haruko and me feel much more secure. Besides, you saved me and let us eat meat, which we haven't tasted in so long..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, almost inaudible: "I don't even know how to repay you... It really doesn't matter if you stay a few more days."
"And... the gossip in the village seems to have lessened as well."
Suzuki Yuriko spoke the last sentence almost in a whisper.
The atmosphere inexplicably filled with a hint of subtle ambiguity and awkwardness.
Ryuji's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Did Teacher's help really extend all the way to the bed?
While he was muttering to himself, a loud and urgent Crow's cry suddenly came from outside.
It's Little Red!
Ryuji's gaze sharpened. He quickly finished the remaining rice in his bowl, set down his chopsticks, and said seriously to Mochizuki Tosaburo:
"Teacher, I'm going out for a moment."
Mochizuki Tosaburo swallowed his food and nodded, his relaxed expression vanishing as he said briefly:
"Mm, go ahead. Be careful."
Ryuji grabbed Little Purple leaning against the wall and left the house without a moment's hesitation.
Outside, in the afterglow of the sunset, the jet-black crows, Little Red, stood tall on a short wooden post, its blood-red eyes staring at him.
"What's the situation?"
As Ryuji spoke, Little Red didn't answer but pointed its wing at the post behind it.
Only then did Ryuji notice that Little Red was actually standing on a lower post.
Soon, a slightly smaller crows with pure black feathers flew over and landed on the post Little Red had pointed to.
This crows bowed slightly: "The Master has issued an order to summon Ryuji."
Ryuji's lips curled up slightly as he nodded: "I understand. Where are the Kakushi who have come to guide me?"
The black crows tilted its head: "To the west. They are already in position; you will see them soon."
"Good."
Ryuji said no more. Shouldering Little Purple, he cast his gaze toward the deepening twilight in the west and strode off.
Before he had gone far, at the junction of the village path and the woods, Ryuji saw the figures waiting there.
There were about eight of them, all wearing solid black uniforms and masks, with the character for "Kakushi" written on white cloth strips across their chests.
Ryuji glanced over; the Kakushi who had come seemed to be strong, well-trained adult men.
One of them stepped forward, appearing to be the leader from his posture.
He bowed respectfully to Ryuji, his voice sounding somewhat muffled through the mask but remaining clear and powerful:
"Greetings, Lord Ryuji. We are members of the Kakushi Unit ordered to guide you."
He turned slightly, gesturing to the surroundings, and explained:
"Due to the itinerary and safety protocols, we can only camp here tonight or find another place to stay. We will travel at full speed tomorrow morning."
"That is the arrangement; we ask for your understanding."
"I understand. It's all for The Master's safety. Thank you for your hard work."
Ryuji expressed his understanding and showed respect to these nameless warriors.
Then, as if remembering something, he patted his solid arm and added with a hint of embarrassment:
"Also... I might be a bit of a burden on the way. I might be... heavier than I look."
"We know. The Master said that Lord Ryuji is a user of Stone Breathing, which is why the eight of us came together."
Beside the leader, a slightly shorter Kakushi member replied with a smile, gesturing to the bamboo basket on his back.
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