C28 Are You Worthy?

"The journey ahead is destined to be a lengthy one. Even with a perfect Immortal Body like that of Senju Hashirama, and the perfect harmony with natural energy, one cannot sustain the outburst of Strange Strength indefinitely. The greater the concentration, the more Chakra it consumes, after all."

He thus set aside the use of Strange Strength and developed Wood Escape. Despite this, he achieved near invincibility in physical combat, akin to wielding Yin–Yang Release, rendering him impervious to Ninja Technique attacks. Of course, this pales in comparison to the true essence of Yin–Yang Release. Strange Strength is about the Chakra condensing around the body, forming a protective armor akin to defensive gear!"

With each use, Yang Ming's comprehension of Strange Strength deepened. Reviewing the system's unlockables for the Immortal Body and Strange Strength, an audacious thought struck him.

"Maybe, with the system's help, I could evolve Strange Strength beyond even what Senju Hashirama achieved!"

Yet, it remained just a thought.

After resolving his affairs, Yang Ming headed back to school, but he bypassed the classroom for the library.

A Journeyman Ninja's teachings were finite; he had already mastered the Body Replacement, Clone, and Shapeshifting Techniques. Anything beyond that was better learned in the library.

Taking advantage of the noon break, he left a note excusing himself for the afternoon and drifted off to the library.

There, he poured over the books. Perhaps due to the Immortal Body, while he couldn't recall everything at a glance, skimming ten lines at a time was effortless. Soon, he had digested a book, grasping the broad geography of the Ninja World.

A mental map of the Ninja World took shape in his mind.

The system mission was now 3% complete.

He moved on to the second book...

And like that, he read through the afternoon.

The system mission reached 30% completion.

In roughly two more days, he anticipated finishing it.

As Yang Ming prepared to wrap up his studies for the day and depart...

A woman entered abruptly—it was Fujishima Zyun, the class representative.

"Gekka Ming, you're here!"

Spotting Yang Ming, Fujishima Zyun approached rapidly, her expression seething with anger.

"Are you even a student in this class anymore? How could you just take off on your own? We've all been searching for you the entire afternoon. You need to take responsibility for your actions!"

"Take responsibility? You're mistaken—I already requested leave!"

Yang Ming responded with a nonchalant tone.

"Requested leave? With whom? Who authorized your leave?"

Fujishima Zyun stared at Yang Ming, disbelief etched on her face.

"You were wrong to leave without permission, and now you're trying to make excuses. By joining the Ninja School, you should understand that a ninja must never act independently. Instead of showing remorse, you're trying to brush this off by claiming you had leave. You don't deserve to call yourself a ninja!"

Fujishima Zyun declared icily.

"Whether I'm worthy of being a ninja is not for you to decide. What gives you the right to lecture me?"

Yang Ming shot back just as frostily.

"Well, well, well. I would have never imagined our school would harbor such a defiant student. You don't even obey the class monitor's commands. Gekka Ming, you've got some nerve!"

Just then, a chilly voice echoed from outside.

A group entered, led by none other than Katsura Atsuhiro. They had noticed Fujishima Zyun's absence from the library and immediately knew something was off, prompting them to follow her in. They arrived to witness the confrontation and overheard Yang Ming's words.

Oka Seita's expression was stern as he fixed his gaze on Yang Ming.

The sharp reprimand had come from him.