allendalepharm Chapter 109 Heat Rising
Chapter 109 Heat Rising
Chapter 109 Heat Rising
It truly lives up to its reputation as the library of Daming Prefecture. The enormous room occupies two to three hundred square meters, and the entire library is as high as five stories. Inside, bookshelves are densely packed according to the types of books, and each bookshelf is filled with books.
After handing Taiichi over to the curator, the attendant relayed the daimyo's instructions: Taiichi was permitted to choose any 10 books on ninjutsu from the library. With that, the attendant returned to wait outside the library.
Inside the library, the elderly librarian led the young ninja through the various books. The vast library, with its thousands upon thousands of books, made Taiyi feel as if he were immersed in an ocean of knowledge—the crystallization of human wisdom over hundreds and thousands of years.
Taiichi's fingers trembled involuntarily. He longed to pack up all the books in the collection and take them back to Konoha, but he restrained himself. No rush, no rush, there will be other opportunities. Taiichi silently comforted himself.
Led by the curator, Taiyi ascended the spiral staircase in the center of the library to the third floor. Compared to the dazzling array of books on the other floors, this floor appeared remarkably spacious—the entire floor consisted of only a few antique mahogany bookshelves in the center.
"This collection contains ninjutsu manuals gathered from various regions by daimyo throughout history." The curator carefully stroked the edge of the bookshelf, his voice tinged with pride. "Although the number is not large, each one is a masterpiece."
Taiyi's gaze swept across the bookshelves, and he noticed that each bookshelf was neatly arranged with forty or fifty scrolls and books.
Some of the reels had yellowed edges, clearly indicating their age. He noticed that the topmost reel was bound with gold thread and had a "secret" seal on it.
"That's a manuscript left behind by the Second Hokage when he traveled through the Land of Fire in his youth," the curator explained, following Taiichi's gaze. "However, because it's sealed, I don't know what's recorded inside."
Taiyi nodded knowingly and began to carefully browse the books. He first picked up a book titled "Detailed Explanation of Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation." As he opened the title page, the librarian immediately reminded him nervously, "Please handle this book with care; it's nearly a hundred years old."
"This library was originally built during the time of the First Daimyo." The librarian proudly introduced while supervising Taichi's book selection: "Each Daimyo would order people to search far and wide for precious books. Look at that book, 'A Study of Earth Release Defense Techniques,' it was a gift left behind by the First Raikage when he visited the Land of Fire."
Taiichi carefully selected ten books covering chakra nature transformation, basic sealing techniques, and taijutsu training. The librarian meticulously recorded each book he took, repeatedly instructing Taiichi to handle them with care, as if each book was a piece of flesh being cut from his body.
Just as Taiichi had selected ten books and was about to leave, his gaze fell upon an inconspicuous book in the far corner under a bookshelf. As if guided by his inner voice, Taiichi stepped forward and picked up the book, which was titled "On the Transformation of Chakra Matter and Energy".
"Director, what's the deal with this book?" Taiyi asked the director, holding the book.
"This one... let me think, it's quite old." The librarian kept tapping his forehead with his fingers for a full two minutes. "This is also an old book. It existed before the library was even built, but everyone who has read it says it's nonsense, so over time nobody took it seriously."
As Taiyi listened to the curator's introduction, his eyes were fixed on the book. A voice inside him told him that this book was very important. Taiyi followed his heart and picked out a book on physical techniques from the books he had already chosen.
"Here's your copy, curator. I want this one, 'On the Transformation of Chakra Matter and Energy'."
"Have you thought it through?" the curator asked again to confirm. Seeing Taiyi nod, the curator led Taiyi back to the first floor, carefully wrapped the selected books, and solemnly handed them to Taiyi: "I hope you will treat them well."
Tai carefully took the package, feeling its heavy weight. He knew that the knowledge contained in these ancient texts might be the most important gain from his mission.
After leaving the library, Taiyi, led by the previous attendant, arrived at the gate of the Daimyo's residence. Before leaving, Taiyi said to the attendant, "Please tell the Daimyo that Taiyi will not let him down."
He then left Daming Prefecture with the help of his attendants.
Turning the corner at the end of the street, Taiyi could no longer see Damingfu. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and in just a moment he felt his back was soaked with cold sweat. He took a few heavy breaths and finally managed to calm himself down.
That was really exciting. In the reception room, his chakra perception sensed several auras no less powerful than his that were hidden around the Daimyo, and there were more than ten auras weaker than his that were scattered around the reception room.
If he had answered one wrong question earlier, he might have lost his life. "Damn it, being a spy is really inhuman." Taiyi cursed inwardly. Fortunately, he had safely passed the first step, and as long as he was careful, there shouldn't be any major problems.
As for the information, that's a matter for the Hokage to consider; what information to reveal is not his concern.
Composing himself, Taiyi walked briskly toward the inn.
Perhaps it was because of his cheerful mood, but upon arriving at the inn, Taiichi couldn't help but feel that the inn had become exceptionally welcoming. Of course, compared to the insincere inn in Konoha, the inn in Kyoto truly lived up to its reputation as the face of the Land of Fire.
Not only does it occupy a huge area, but its decorations are also extremely luxurious, allowing people to feel the prosperity of the Land of Fire as soon as they enter.
Entering the small courtyard assigned to the three of them, they saw Saori sitting on a stone bench as soon as they entered.
At this moment, the quiet girl was holding a book and reading it carefully. Her white training clothes made her look particularly capable. The night breeze occasionally blew the hair on her cheeks. The serious girl could only spare a little attention to tuck it behind her ears. This quiet and beautiful scene made Taiyi stop at the door. When did Saori become so beautiful?
Perhaps it was Taiichi's arrival that startled the girl, or perhaps it was the prolonged stare that alerted her. Saori looked up from her book, her bright eyes fixed on the doorway.
"Taiichi, you're back!" A surprised exclamation came from the girl's mouth, which also woke Taiichi from his silence.
"Hmm." Taiyi blushed slightly, realizing he'd been staring at a little girl in a daze. He quickly composed himself, walked forward as if nothing was amiss, and glanced at the book on the table—"Advanced Theory of Sealing Techniques."
Taiyi felt a little guilty. Looking around and not finding any trace of Yangping, he asked first, "Hasn't Yangping returned yet?"
Saori shook her head slightly, and strands of hair near her ears slipped from their confinement and drifted to her cheeks with her movement: "No, they're probably still out having fun. I heard that the night market in Kyoto doesn't close until very late."
"Did you have fun? Kyoto's night view is still very lively."
"I got bored after wandering around for a while. It just felt like there were more people than in Konoha, nothing special." Saori continued turning the pages of her book. "I might as well have come back sooner and read more books."
Good girl, you're so hardworking and diligent. If you don't get stronger, who will? It can't be that guy Yangping who's still wandering around somewhere, can it?
"I've started learning sealing techniques too. If I encounter any problems in the future, Saori, you'll have to help me," Taiichi said, pointing to the book Saori was reading.
When Saori heard that Taiichi was also learning sealing techniques, her eyes lit up. She closed her book and excitedly said, "Really? Then we can learn together! I'm currently learning the nested structure of multiple seals, but there are always some nodes that I can't connect smoothly."
Upon hearing this, Taiichi realized that this was the difficult part of the multi-light array he had learned before, so he sat down opposite Saori. After thinking for a moment, he took out the book "Detailed Explanation of Sealing Techniques Structure" that he had brought back from the Daimyo's residence from his ninja tool bag.
I had briefly browsed through this book when I was in the library, and it happened to contain this kind of knowledge.
"What a coincidence! This is a book I just found. It contains knowledge about nested sealing techniques. It might come in handy!" Taiyi said, turning to the yellowed pages and pointing to a diagram marked in red. "Look at the triple structure here. Doesn't it also fit the meaning of multiple nesting?"
Saori leaned closer to examine the book, her hair falling onto the pages, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance. She suddenly exclaimed softly, "I see. If written this way, the originally flat structure becomes three-dimensional, allowing for the nesting of even more techniques."
As if struck by a sudden realization, she grabbed a pen and paper and began rapidly calculating. Taiichi, watching Saori's focused concentration, didn't disturb her. Only when Saori was almost out of paper did he take out a new sheet from his ninja tool pouch and hand it to her.
I also learned from Saori's calculations and felt that my sealing technique was gradually improving.
The two discussed the problem head to head until late at night, as the noise outside the courtyard gradually subsided. When Saori finally solved the problem that had been troubling her for days, the latest notification appeared on Taiichi's screen.
[You have begun learning sealing techniques, and your understanding of them has improved!]
Your skill "Sealing Technique" has been upgraded; experience points increased by 100.
"Great, it's finally solved, Taichi, thank you so much this time." Saori said happily, holding Taichi's hand. Clearly, solving this problem had greatly improved her sealing techniques.
Seeing Saori's excitement, Taichi was also very happy, but suddenly he slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot about that."
As he spoke, he took out two sealing talismans from his ninja tool pouch and handed them to Saori. "I was going to give these to you before the mission, but I got distracted. These are the Multi-Light Array Sealing Talismans I used in the last competition. They can save your life in a critical moment."
Saori took the sealing talisman, her fingertips trembling as she ran her fingers over the runes on its surface. This level of sealing talisman was considered a rare treasure even within her family. The precious materials, the difficulty in its production, the challenges in its preservation, and the need for exceptional sealing techniques made this kind of sealing talisman extremely rare and valuable.
"This is too precious—" Her voice was so soft it was like a feather falling to the ground; if it weren't for the late hour, Taiichi wouldn't have been able to hear her clearly.
"Take it," Taiyi said with a smile, pointing to the sheets of paper she had just worked on. "Consider it tuition!"
"However, remember that these sealing talismans need to be infused with chakra every three days and maintained once a week, otherwise the spells inside will become ineffective."
"Yes, I know." Saori's voice was faint as she carefully put the sealing talisman into her ninja tool pouch. Suddenly, she noticed a little ink stain on Taiichi's sleeve and subconsciously reached out to wipe it off for him.
They both froze, the night wind swirling leaves between them. Saori hurriedly withdrew her hand, turned and ran back to her room, leaving only the words, "I'm going to rest now," echoing in the air.
Taiyi stared at the closed door, slightly taken aback and finding it somewhat amusing. Perhaps his body was influencing his soul, for he had actually come to appreciate the eleven or twelve-year-old "little loli."
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Taiyi looked up at the night sky. The moon was high in the sky, and even the hustle and bustle of the night market outside the courtyard had gradually quieted down.
"Why hasn't Yangping come back yet?" Taiichi thought to himself as he sat down on the stone bench to wait for Yangping. He then took out the book "On the Transformation of Chakra Matter and Energy" from his ninja tool bag and began to study it carefully.
Time passed second by second, and before they knew it, the moon overhead had crossed the midline and begun to move westward. In the courtyard, the soft sound of turning pages grew increasingly rapid, and the noise gradually increased.
Just as Taiyi was about to lose his composure and prepare to go out to find Yangping.
The creaking sound of the door hinges scraping together was particularly abrupt in the dead of night, and the jarring noise clearly startled the person who opened the door.
After a short sound, the door was immediately held shut, and the person opening the door moved it very slowly and carefully, trying not to make a sound.
When the door opened completely, the person who opened it visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but when he looked into the courtyard, he froze, completely dumbfounded. There, sitting on a stone bench, was Taiyi, his eyes fixed intently on him. "This—Taiyi—, let me explain!"
"sneaking!"
"It's late at night!"
"Disorganized and undisciplined!"
Taiyi stood up and walked step by step toward Yangping, his powerful aura forcing Yangping to retreat. Taiyi circled Yangping once, his nostrils twitching.
"You've been drinking? How come I didn't know my teammate was already a 20-year-old adult?"
Suddenly, a fragrance wafted into Taiyi's nostrils. This was different from the faint fragrance on Saori's body; it smelled more like the pungent odor of cheap rouge.
Considering Yang Ping's late return, Taiyi suddenly turned around, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You went to a brothel!"
"That—Taiyi, it's not what you think." Yangping waved his hands frantically, his face full of anxiety, explaining in a flustered manner, "I—I was just pulled in there and did something, I didn't do anything!"
"Then what else do you want to do?" Taiyi asked in a low voice, sounding a bit disappointed.
"This—that—" Yangping was already rambling incoherently, his eyes darting around, trying to find an excuse to get by.
"Was it its original form, or did it transform?" Taiyi suddenly asked.
"Of course it's transformation." Yangping answered without thinking, but as soon as he finished speaking, he covered his mouth and chuckled foolishly at Taiyi.
Taiyi looked at Yangping with a strange expression, then sighed, "Forget it, I can't control that much. Just know what's going on. A ninja, a ninja, only one who can control himself can be called a ninja! You should go and rest."
"Taiyi, you—you won't blame me, will you?" Yangping was starting to panic. "I promise I'll never do it again!"
"It's alright. As long as you feel it's okay, then I have nothing to say. It's just that we're on a mission right now, and not returning home late at night is against the rules."
"Yes!" Seeing that Taiyi wasn't angry, Yangping's cheeky demeanor resurfaced: "Taiyi, you have no idea, that girl—"
"Get out!" Taiyi said, raising his foot to kick him, but Yangping seemed to have expected it and ran back to his room in a flash.
Just as his door was about to close, Taiyi's voice came, "Wait." Then, Taiyi threw two sealing talismans into the room. "Keep them for self-defense. I've written down how to use them on a piece of paper."
Yang Ping looked at the two precious sealing talismans in his hand, and after a long while, he uttered a "Thank you!" before closing the door.
Looking at the light coming on in Yangping's room, Taichi rubbed his temples hard. How did he end up with such a friend? Could he really be taking Jiraiya as a role model? Thinking back to how he had used Tsunade as an example before, a scene involuntarily flashed through his mind.
Ahead, the older generation of Konoha members involved in prostitution, gambling, and drugs are laughing wildly with their hands on their hips; behind them, the new generation of Konoha members are bowing and learning.
A chill ran through him, and Taiichi shook his head violently, as if trying to shake the image out of his mind. No, at least Saori and he wouldn't feel that way.