C37 This Is Fake Right?

"Lord Grass Kage has come to visit us!"

The quartet was taken aback, joy swiftly spreading across their faces. They quickly prepared themselves, eager to receive Grass Kage with due respect.

Grass Kage approached with a commanding presence, his strides confident and his face beaming with smiles. In no time, he was before them.

The four rushed forward, bowing deeply in reverence.

"We greet you, Lord Grass Kage!"

They bent at the waist in unison, yet Grass Kage passed by them without a glance, making his way straight to Yang Ming. With a smile and hands clasped in front of him, he greeted warmly,

"Mr. Gekka!"

His demeanor was courteous, tinged with a measure of deference, particularly after taking a good look at Yang Ming and registering a hint of astonishment on his face.

As a sensory Ninja, he could detect the potent Chakra emanating from Yang Ming, which left him profoundly impressed.

Behind him, Mizushiro Tsubasa and the others followed suit, bowing and respectfully calling out to Yang Ming as if they were addressing a personage of high stature.

The onlookers were dumbstruck, their faces a picture of incredulity as if they had just witnessed an awe-inspiring entity.

Katsura Atsuhiro and his companions were frozen in place, their smiles awkwardly suspended, unable to fully form or fade, their expressions blank.

Hino Le rubbed his eyes, struggling to accept the reality unfolding before him.

Others gaped, some pinching themselves hard, questioning if they were caught in a dream.

"Mashi-kun!"

In the face of it all, Yang Ming returned the gesture with equal formality, addressing Grass Kage by name with a calm tone.

In this moment, his interaction with Grass Kage was on a whole new level.

Upon hearing Yang Ming address him, Grass Kage exhibited no pretense of superiority, treating him with the respect due to a peer of equal standing.

Yang Ming then swept his gaze over the crowd and turned to leave. Grass Kage, not missing a beat, hastened to keep pace.

The group departed swiftly, leaving the onlookers in a state of disbelief, still processing the scene long after they had vanished from sight.

"How can this be? Lord Grass Kage actually knows Gekka Ming. It can't be real, can it?"

Yang Ming's classmates whispered among themselves, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

"It's true. Gekka Ming is usually so tight-lipped, not uttering a single word. Who would've thought he was acquainted with Lord Grass Kage? With such connections, it's no surprise he's been underestimated by everyone!"

At that moment, Katsura Atsuhiro and his companions looked as if they had swallowed dead flies, their faces twisted in disgust.

Together, they had battled through countless challenges and were on the brink of basking in endless glory, having caught the eye of Grass Kage. Yet, they were blindsided by this unexpected turn of events.

Life's unpredictability had hit them hard, plunging from a meteoric rise to a crashing downfall.

Their spirits plummeted from the pinnacle of elation to the depths of despair in an instant.

Katsura Atsuhiro's complexion turned a ghastly pale, Oka Seita was utterly stunned, Fujishima Zyun was in disbelief, and Chang Jiaye kept her astonishment to herself, remaining silent.

In that moment, not one of them spoke.

Yang Ming, seizing the opportunity, got straight to the point with Grass Kage, sharing his desire to leave the village and explore the world.

Grass Kage, already aware of the recent events and sensing the chakra emanating from Yang Ming, nodded in understanding. He found no reason to refuse Yang Ming's request.

Nor did he need to.

A ninja's growth is forged in the heat of battle; without it, even the most extraordinary talent is but a brief blossom, easily shattered.

Grass Kage then presented Yang Ming with a proposal of his own, to which Yang Ming readily agreed.