[Secret Technique: Face Changing (Entry) 21/100] (+18)
"Hiss... This shit is harder than I expected!"
After using one bottle of ointment, Yoichi could feel that his tanned face was stiff and uncomfortable all over the place. The swollen muscles and reddened skin made Yoichi twinge in agonizing pain.
Therefore, he took a shower and let his sensitive face become used to the frigid temperature before plunging his whole body into the tub.
As a result of his refinement method, he gained a substantial amount of proficiency in his secret technique.
However, each movement of the facial muscles caused pain and irritation in his sanity. Now and then, Yoichi submerged his face in the tub just to alleviate the discomfort he had been enduring all along, gritting his teeth in the scalding sensation.
I hope this technique could truly help me in the near future! With this pain, it felt like I was in a surgical operation without any dose of anesthesia!
Coupled with the numbing climate at night, Yoichi then lay down in his bed and stiffly looked at the ceiling, unable to change his sleeping position as if like a corpse in its casket.
Soon, he was shot by a drowsy feeling and ultimately closed his eyes, falling asleep in the night. Meanwhile, in a microscopic view, his energetic cells nourished the torn-off fibers within his facial muscles, independently going through the human's healing process much faster than in a regular manner.
Along with numerous stacks of passive abilities at his disposal, his face regained its normal appearance completely at the end of the night while Yoichi was unaware of the magical process, sleeping in peace.
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...
Konoha Year 17, December.
"Still chilly even in the morning... Whoa! As expected of my passive!"
After waking up in the morning, Yoichi felt his face absolutely healed and deeply praised his passive abilities.
Thanks to the wholesome recovery, he could perform his everyday routine of waking up, showering, eating, and training without any discomfort.
Maybe I should buy some meat in the butcher shop nearby. It's quite lucky that it is a weekend today.
"Yoichi... Are you in the house right now?"
Looking at the nearly empty fridge, Yoichi dressed in his casual attire along with his weighted bangles until a feminine yet impatient voice rang outside the house which was familiar in Yoichi's perceptive ears.
"Tsunade! What are you doing here?"
Yoichi seemed quite surprised by a sudden visitation to his house. Thus, he opened the door and tentatively invited her into the spacious house.
"...Ex–excuse me for intruding!" As she went into the house, Tsunade stuttered a bit before she became remarkably polite unlike her typical blunt attitude and characteristic.
"Don't be too polite," Yoichi then took out some water in the kitchen and said, "So, what made you stop by?"
After he sat down in the opposite direction from Tsunade, Yoichi tilted his head and looked at her intently.
"Can you go out with me and visit my grandma? She's a little bit curious about your appearance." Then, Tsunade sighed and directly stated her reason, going back to her candid manner while sipping water.
"Oh, is that it? I thought it would be something bigger than I anticipated." Yoichi then stood up and summed up, "Sure, let's head out first in the market and buy some groceries. Is that alright with you?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with that." Tsunade patted her back and replied with joy in her eyes.
Soon, the two slowly walked outside and went on their way until Yoichi noticed an observer's presence behind him, turning his head in a specific direction.
"Is something wrong?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"No, no. Must have been the wind."
As both of their silhouette gradually dissipated in the distance, a man emerged from the shadows of the trees nearby and coldly said, "It seemed that this brat has some connections with the Senju and the ANBU! Tch, I must report it back to Koharu-sama."
In his mind, Yoichi was treading on a thin rope of siding with the officials instead of his clansmen. Therefore, the man vanished as fast as he came.
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In the market.
"Can you really finish all that food?"
On the side, Tsunade couldn't help but remark on Yoichi's small stature, carrying over dozens of sacks on his back with two hands as if he were Kephale, the World Bearing Titan.
The overall weight of the supplies was a staggering 10 Kilograms of assorted meat and vegetables ranging from pork chops, brisket, pork trotters to sirloin coupled with some piled-up vegetables.
"This isn't enough for me in two weeks! As a Martial Artist, we must prioritize food and nutritious meals as always. Come, follow me."
Even though the weight was heavy, Yoichi managed to pull it through his stable core and grip strength before they arrived at the lonely alleyway.
"Why did we even– What?! Where did you place them? Don't tell me..."
Tsunade complained with irritation in her voice until her eyes widened in shock as the Interspatial Pouch kept the heavy thing like it's nothing.
"Yeah... It's like a storage seal but this pouch was vastly different from these seals."
For a couple of moments, Yoichi discussed the Interspatial Pouch and the difference between the Sealing Scrolls in a much detailed description.
Storage seals primarily store many things like shinobi tools and supplies. However, the usage required extensive research and experience in the field of Fūinjutsu, an expertise in sealing techniques.
Furthermore, the storage sealing scrolls were astronomically pricey.
On the other hand, his space pouch was just like the storage seal scrolls but it had an independent space that could store any inorganic or organic objects within the dimension.
"Whoa! That was so awesome! Can you get me one? Please! I need it!"
As Tsunade held Yoichi's shoulder and shook his entire body from excitement, her mind began to see some possible sneaky scheme she could make with a beaming smile on her face.
"You are making me dizzy! This is one of a kind... Maybe in the future, I could consider another one for you."
"Really?! Then, I'll wait for it!" Tsunade's mouth curled up, impatient as ever while Yoichi took his time to recover from her earlier agitation.
While they were walking to the streets, Tsunade couldn't resist questioning him and said, "Why are you so good to us?"
They received so many benefits yet Yoichi did not ask for anything else aside from practicing a lot of times.
"It's because I trust you. I meant you, Tsunade." Upon hearing Yoichi's remarks, Tsunade felt her cheeks reddening slightly and glanced at him.
"You are not as cynical as Orochimaru and you are not as talkative as Jiraiya. That's why."
Although he compromises his principles and beliefs as a pragmatic person living in the Naruto Universe, his heart yearns for something that no justification or rationality could explain.
The camaraderie and emotional bond were just like sticky and irksome emotions for his rational mind yet he couldn't escape the guilt of Haruhiko's death as well as the longing for a good friendship that could last long.
How the hell did Tobirama Senju manage to balance this kind of feeling? I guess I'll never know.
"We're here, Yoichi. Let me take some time to relax for a bit."
What's wrong with me? Did I really blush in front of him?
On the corner, Tsunade cupped her supple cheeks and felt slightly embarrassed about a certain individual's honesty. Meanwhile, Yoichi looked at the grand and wide compound with approval in his mind.
Senju Clan... A clan dwindling thanks to the mighty order and power of the great Hashirama Senju...
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(Current Progress)
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Perfection) 0/1000]
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Small Success) 78/300]
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Small Success) 52/300]
[Phantom Steps: (Small Success) 101/300]
[Secret Technique: Face Changing (Entry) 21/100]
[Tickets: 1 Prismatic, 0 Gold, 0 Silver.]
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Shoutout to Obligation and HologramBuddha for the Power Stones! Holy shit! Absolute Cinema!
Thanks for reading the chapters and bookmarking the novel! See ya! XDD!