He had Great Remnant and the others go get food; after eating and drinking his fill, he felt so comfortable that he fell fast asleep.
It wasn't until the next morning.
Yang Jiu's stomach let out a series of growling protests before he dizzily opened his eyes.
The light filtering in from the cave entrance was already a bit dazzling.
"Ah—"
He opened his wolf mouth wide and let out a long yawn, his tongue curling up.
Then he slowly climbed up from the pile of furs, stretching his front legs forward and kicking his back legs back, pulling his entire body into a long line—a standard wolf stretch.
His bones made a slight crackling sound.
"There's one thing bad about transmigrating."
He shook his head to clear his mind.
"There are no cell phones, I can't order takeout, and after waking up, I still have to go out and find food myself."
Yang Jiu squinted toward the outside of the cave; the sunlight was just right.
"I'll get some food first, then look for the wolf pack while checking out the surrounding situation."
As those words fell, the system's cold notification sound rang out.
[Ding, latest mission released: Explore the Forest—Understand the situation of the entire forest in your territory.]
[mission Rewards: 100 Experience, 100 Points, Map Unlocked, Ninjutsu - Fireball Technique.]
"This mission was released at just the right time, and the reward is actually a map. Perfect."
Yang Jiu's eyes gleamed with sharp light; he then shook his fur and strode toward the cave entrance.
The world of Hokage is very dangerous.
If he didn't figure out which corner he was in, and if he happened to be too close to the Five Great Ninja Villages—especially a place like Konoha where Jonin were constantly training in the forest—then his wolf clan would have to learn how to run before they even got started.
Scout the path first, then develop.
This mission was released at just the right time.
—
Stepping out of the wolf den, sunlight hit his face.
On several large rocks by the small pool, a few gray wolves were lying on their backs sunbathing, limbs spread out, eyes squinted into slits, looking perfectly peaceful.
A few wolf cubs gathered around the pool, heads down as they lapped up water, their tail tips wagging comfortably.
Then, Yang Jiu appeared.
*Swish—*
Several gray wolves instantly sprang up, their bodies that had been slumped like mud just a moment ago now tense and straight, ears pricked high, eyes wide and round.
"Patriarch!"
"The Patriarch is here!"
"Get up, everyone get up!"
Amidst the flustered greetings, the wolf cubs were also startled; they looked up, water still dripping from their muzzles, staring blankly in this direction.
Yang Jiu glanced at them and gave a slight nod.
Hmm.
The feeling of having subordinates was indeed quite good.
"Where is Great Remnant?"
Yang Jiu scanned the area but didn't see that familiar figure.
"Patriarch, the Boss... he hasn't gotten up yet," a gray wolf quickly replied, its tone a bit cautious.
Not up?
The corner of Yang Jiu's mouth twitched slightly.
"Tsk, even more carefree than me, the Patriarch."
He shook his head.
Fortunately, he had a human soul and had no interest in she-wolves.
Otherwise, watching his subordinates sleep in while hugging she-wolves while he stood here alone sunbathing—wouldn't he be dying of envy?
"Go, wake Great Remnant up."
"Yes, Patriarch!"
—
A moment later, a rustling sound of footsteps came from deep within the cave.
Great Remnant rushed out, stumbling and crawling, his fur messy, one ear flipped over, and drool still hanging from the corner of his mouth; he had clearly been forcibly dragged from his sleep.
"Pa... Patriarch!" It ran up to Yang Jiu, panting heavily. "You were looking for me?"
Yang Jiu glanced at him.
For an alpha wolf, he was running like he was being chased by a dog.
"Yes." He didn't say much and got straight to the point. "I'm giving you a mission now."
Great Remnant was stunned, then pricked up his ears; the several gray wolves behind him also gathered around.
"During this time, I want you to thoroughly scout this forest for me."
Yang Jiu's voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached every wolf's ears.
"Where there is water, where there is prey, and where there is danger—you must find it all out."
He paused.
"Also, if you encounter other wolf packs, come back and tell me."
Great Remnant and the other four gray wolves slowly responded.
"Yes, Patriarch!!!"
Then they all began to head out.
Yang Jiu nodded in satisfaction and also set off.
It was a good time to test his current strength outside.
—
In the forest.
A gray figure swept past like a gale; wherever it went, fallen leaves swirled and birds were startled into flight.
A moment later, the figure suddenly stopped on a small hillside.
Yang Jiu stood facing the wind, his grayish-white fur blown backward by the breeze, revealing smooth and powerful muscle lines. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting a faint halo over him.
He squinted, his gaze locking onto a figure dozens of meters away at the bottom of the hill.
It was a Grizzly bear.
Its massive body, nearly two meters tall, was like a moving hill; it was currently standing on its hind legs, front paws gripping the trunk of an old tree as it buried its head to dig out a honeycomb.
Wild bees buzzed around it in a frenzy, but they couldn't pierce through that thick layer of fur at all.
Seeming to sense something, the Grizzly bear suddenly stopped its movements.
It turned its head.
Its small eyes reflected the shadow of the wolf on the hillside.
"Roar—!!!"
A furious roar exploded as the Grizzly bear let go of the tree trunk and dropped onto all fours, making the ground seem to shake.
It stared at Yang Jiu, baring its fangs, a threatening low growl rolling in the depths of its throat—this was a declaration of territory and a final warning.
Yang Jiu, however, laughed.
If a wolf's face could laugh.
"Such a big Grizzly..."
He licked his lips, an excited light flickering in his amber eyes.
Perfect, time to try out Storm Blade.
He took a deep breath, and the Chakra he had just acquired surged within him like an awakened river, flowing frantically through his meridians toward his throat.
Yang Jiu opened his mouth.
*Buzz—*
A pale blue light slowly condensed in his mouth; at first, it was just a tiny speck, but in the blink of an eye, it expanded into a rotating orb of light.
Dense wind marks flowed over the surface of the light orb, as if countless miniature blades were spinning wildly inside.
A sharp airwave spread out from his muzzle.
The surrounding wild grass was pressed flat against the ground, fallen leaves were swept up and shredded, and even branches several meters away were trembling.
The Grizzly bear's movements froze.
For the first time, unease appeared in its small eyes.
The airwave hit its face, blowing its fur backward, and from that pale blue light, it sensed something that made it instinctively afraid.
"Roar..."
This roar was several degrees weaker than before.
Yang Jiu ignored it.
The light grew brighter, and the wind pressure became stronger.
In the next instant—
He Shake head violently.
"Boom—!"
A crescent-shaped pale blue wind blade shot out from his mouth, tearing through the air with a piercing screech.
Wherever the wind blade passed, the ground was plowed into a deep furrow, with gravel and soil flying to both sides.
The wild grass along the way was sliced off at the waist, the cuts as smooth as a mirror.
The Grizzly bear's pupils shrank.
It wanted to dodge.
But it was too close.
The wind blade was too fast.
"Pfft—!"
The sound of flesh tearing was muffled and brief.
The pale blue light flashed across the Grizzly bear's neck without losing momentum, striking hard against a large tree three meters behind it; the trunk shook violently, leaving a cut half a foot deep.
The Grizzly bear froze in place.
Its mouth was open, but the roar hadn't had time to come out.
In the next second—
A massive bear head slid off the neck, hitting the ground with a "thud" and rolling several times.
Blood gushed out from the severed neck like a fountain, staining the surrounding ground red for several meters.
The massive body swayed and finally collapsed with a crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The forest fell silent.
The buzzing wild bees had dispersed at some point, and even the wind seemed to stagnate for a few seconds.
Yang Jiu stood on the hillside and slowly closed his mouth.
The pale blue light in his mouth dissipated, and the sharp airwave gradually subsided.
He looked at the headless bear carcass at the bottom of the hill, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his amber eyes.
"Not bad."
He uttered those two words.
Storm Blade's power was even stronger than imagined.
This bear must have weighed at least several hundred pounds, with a hide so thick and tough that ordinary Kunai couldn't possibly pierce it, yet before the wind blade, it was no different from tofu.
And—
Yang Jiu recalled the feeling of that moment.
Chakra consumption... about one-fifth?
He squinted.
That meant at full strength, he could fire five shots in a row.
Five Storm Blades.
Five Grizzly bears like that.
Enough.
He stepped down the hillside and came to the Grizzly bear's carcass. The smell of blood hit him, so strong it was almost choking.
Yang Jiu lowered his head and nudged the bear head that had rolled to the side with his paw. The bear's eyes were wide open, still frozen in the terror of its final moments.
"Roar, huh?" He mimicked the Grizzly's earlier roar, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness. "What are you roaring for? You can't roar now, can you?"
He withdrew his gaze and scanned the massive carcass.
The meat would be enough to eat for several days.
The hide was thick and warm, perfect for lining the wolf den.
And the bear paws... supposedly they're very nourishing?
Yang Jiu licked his lips.