When Guy slowly opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was the roof of a tent.
Gray canvas.
A wooden crossbeam running through the middle.
An oil lamp hanging from above while its dim flame flickered gently.
Guy stared silently at the crossbeam for several seconds.
Grrr
His stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Hungry.
Very hungry.
"How many days was I unconscious...?"
He slowly propped himself upward with his elbows.
A dull pain immediately throbbed from his right leg.
Guy lowered his head and looked downward.
Bandages were tightly wrapped around his calf.
They stretched from the ankle all the way to the knee while two wooden splints were secured firmly along both sides with strips of cloth.
He carefully moved his toes slightly.
It hurt.
But they still moved.
"A comminuted fracture... and it's already recovered this much?"
Guy immediately felt pleasantly surprised.
"Was it the recovery effect from the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic?"
"Or did a Medical Ninja treat me?"
He rolled his shoulder afterward.
Crack. Crack.
His joints remained flexible without any major issues.
At that exact moment, the tent flap suddenly lifted open.
Ebisu walked inside while carrying a tray with three steaming bowls stacked neatly on top.
While lowering his head toward the tray, he muttered quietly to himself:
"That idiot has been unconscious forever. Who even knows when he'll finally wake up..."
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
Ebisu froze instantly.
He abruptly raised his head and saw Guy already sitting upright on the bed.
"You're awake?!"
Ebisu hurried over quickly before placing the tray onto the small table beside the bed.
"When did you wake up?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Does your leg still hurt?"
Guy ignored the questions entirely and simply pulled the tray toward himself.
Three bowls.
One bowl of rice piled extremely high.
One bowl of miso soup.
And one bowl containing stew with radish, potatoes, and several pieces of meat.
Without hesitation, Guy grabbed the rice bowl and stuffed a huge mouthful directly into his mouth.
"Ahhhh... much better~"
An expression of satisfaction instantly appeared on his face.
Ebisu sat nearby on another cot while quietly watching him eat.
"How... munch... many days was I unconscious?"
Guy asked while chewing with his mouth full.
"Two days and two nights."
"Granny Tanaka from the Medical Unit treated you."
"She said your right leg suffered a comminuted fracture and that you'd need at least half a month of bed rest before properly standing again."
Guy continued chewing his food calmly.
"And the captain?"
"The captain's completely fine."
Ebisu pursed his lips slightly.
"After taking that pill you gave him, he was completely energetic again the very next day."
"Even Granny Tanaka said she's never seen someone recover so quickly after eating two Akimichi Clan secret pills."
Guy grinned silently before continuing to shovel food into his mouth.
Ebisu stared directly at him afterward.
"What about you?"
"How do you actually feel?"
"I'm fine."
Guy placed down the now empty rice bowl before immediately grabbing the bowl of stew and practically pouring it straight into his mouth.
Watching his terrifying appetite, Ebisu subconsciously swallowed.
"You had a comminuted fracture in your right leg and yet you're already sitting up after two days?"
"You really are a monster..."
After finishing the stew, Guy lifted the miso soup and drank the entire bowl in one gulp.
Then he stacked the bowls together before patting his stomach comfortably.
"Anything else to eat?"
Ebisu stood up helplessly while collecting the empty bowls.
"Stay here. I'll go get more."
But before exiting the tent, he suddenly turned around again.
"Your recovery speed..."
"...isn't that completely abnormal?"
Guy immediately gave a thumbs up.
"The power of youth."
Ebisu rolled his eyes before lifting the tent flap and leaving.
Guy leaned backward against the bed while lowering his gaze toward his bandaged right leg.
A comminuted fracture.
Yet he was already capable of sitting upright after merely two days.
Even with treatment from a Medical Ninja...
...the primary reason was probably the recovery effect of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic.
The recovery abilities of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic were far stronger than he originally imagined.
"At this rate, I'll probably recover completely within several more days."
Guy slowly grinned.
"Good thing I didn't waste that Small Restoration Pill on myself back then."
On the battlefield, something like a Small Restoration Pill...
...was equivalent to another life.
That sort of thing was incomparably precious.
Guy had already guessed that if his body could naturally recover, there was no reason to waste another one.
And now it turned out he was right.
Not long afterward, Ebisu returned once more carrying another tray.
This time there were four bowls stacked together.
"The kitchen uncle heard you woke up and added another serving."
Guy immediately pulled the tray over and started eating again.
Ebisu sat beside him while quietly watching.
Before long, footsteps sounded outside the tent once more.
The flap opened again.
Genma walked in first with his usual toothpick hanging from his mouth.
After seeing Guy sitting up, he simply nodded.
"You're awake."
Behind him, Choza bent down while entering the tent.
Because of his height, he needed to duck every single time he entered.
"You're awake?"
Choza walked over slowly.
Guy nodded immediately.
"Captain."
Choza carefully looked him up and down while his gaze lingered on the bandages wrapped around Guy's right leg.
"How are you feeling?"
"Hungry."
Choza smiled slightly before glancing toward Ebisu.
Ebisu's mouth twitched.
But he still stood up immediately.
"I'll get more food!"
Choza sat down heavily at the edge of the bed.
The cot creaked loudly beneath his massive weight.
"Guy."
"While you were unconscious these past two days, I already submitted the battle report from that night."
Guy blinked in surprise.
"Nine Genin."
"Three Chunin."
"All killed by the three of you."
Choza paused slightly afterward.
"Mainly by you."
Guy scratched his head awkwardly.
Choza continued speaking without stopping.
"As for the Jonin... although you technically killed him, I reported it as an assisted kill."
After saying that, Choza stared directly at Guy.
Guy immediately grinned.
"Thanks, Captain."
Only after hearing that response did Choza finally relax slightly.
If someone truly insisted on assigning full credit for killing Iwami Jūzō...
...then yes, technically Guy was the one who killed him.
But at the same time, it was also true that their squad worked together to defeat him.
However, if news spread that a child not even nine years old had killed an Iwagakure Jonin...
...that would absolutely not be a good thing.
Especially during wartime.
Once such information spread, Guy would instantly become one of Iwagakure's highest priority assassination targets.
And not only Iwagakure.
Other hidden villages would also never allow a terrifying genius like him to grow safely.
But if the kill was reported as an assisted achievement instead, everyone would naturally assume Choza was the primary combat force while the children merely contributed support.
No one would think too deeply about it.
So although Choza's report looked somewhat like he was taking away Guy's credit...
...the truth was that he was protecting him.
Choza nodded afterward.
"Good. As long as you understand."
"But even with the report adjusted this way, your achievements are still among the best on the entire Mount Kikyo front."
"When I submitted the report, the logistics officer reread it three separate times because he thought I made a mistake."
Then Choza suddenly changed the topic.
"Oh right."
"In several more days, you'll probably be promoted to Chunin."
Guy froze.
"Chunin?"
"Yes."
Choza nodded firmly.
"A Chunin under nine years old."
"In Konoha's history, besides Kakashi, you'll become the second."
At that moment, Ebisu pushed open the flap while carrying another tray and happened to overhear everything.
"What?! Chunin?!"
Ebisu rushed over immediately.
"You're getting promoted to Chunin?!"
Guy calmly pulled over the food tray.
"Mhm."
He answered while chewing.
Ebisu immediately turned toward Choza.
Choza nodded again.
"The report has already been submitted."
"Now we're only waiting for Lord Third's approval."
Ebisu slowly turned back toward Guy.
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Finally
"You're a freak."
Guy burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright."
"I'm a freak."
Ebisu sat down while puffing out his cheeks unhappily and continued staring at Guy eating.
After watching silently for a while, he suddenly spoke again.
"Hmph."
"It won't be long before this elite Ninja also gets promoted to Chunin."
Guy raised his head toward him before nodding naturally.
"Yeah."
"You definitely will."
Ebisu froze momentarily.
Then he immediately turned his head away awkwardly.
"Hmph. Obviously."
Genma leaned casually against the tent pole with his toothpick still hanging from his mouth while the corners of his lips curled upward slightly.
Choza slowly stood up afterward.
"Alright."
"Get proper rest."
"Don't move around recklessly these next few days."
"We'll handle the missions."
"The Medical Unit said your leg needs at least twenty days before healing completely."
Guy naturally knew it would never actually take that long.
But he still nodded obediently.
"Got it."
Choza turned around and began leaving the tent.
But after reaching the entrance, he suddenly paused before looking back.
"Guy."
"Hm?"
"That night..."
"...thank you."
Without waiting for Guy's response, Choza bent down and exited the tent directly.
Ebisu and Genma exchanged glances briefly before standing as well.
"Get some rest."
Genma nodded afterward before following outside too.
Soon, only Guy remained inside the tent.
He leaned backward against the bed before slowly closing his eyes and opening the System panel.
...
[Congratulations Host]
[Medium Grade Supreme Technique: Precept-Breaking Blade has reached the Perfection Realm]
[Reward Obtained: Random Martial Skill Gift Pack]
[Open?]
...
This was the System notification from that night.
The Precept-Breaking Blade had already reached Perfection.
But the reward gift pack remained unopened.
"Open Martial Skill Gift Pack."
Golden light exploded instantly.
A secret martial arts manual slowly appeared inside his consciousness.
Three sharp and domineering characters were written across the cover.
[Mercy Blade]
[Medium Grade Supreme Technique]
[One of Shaolin's Seventy Two Supreme Techniques. Named for mercy, not slaughter. Drawing the blade is equivalent to sheathing the blade. Killing is saving.]
[Cultivation Method: Meditate daily while holding a blade and comprehend the meaning of 'mercy.' Every time an evil being is delivered, proficiency increases substantially.]
After reading the description, Guy remained silent for several seconds.
"Receiving a Mercy Blade manual while fighting on a battlefield...?"
Suddenly, he felt a headache coming.
But at the same time, he also understood.
Mercy Blade did not literally mean becoming softhearted.
"Killing is saving."
That final sentence already explained everything clearly.
Precept-Breaking Blade represented breaking rules.
Breaking戒律.
Killing.
Drinking.
Destroying restraints.
Meanwhile, Mercy Blade represented salvation.
Deliverance.
Compassion.
Redemption.
One broke rules.
One showed mercy.
One specialized in offense.
One specialized in defense.
The two martial arts actually complemented one another extremely well.
Guy closed the System panel afterward before reopening his eyes.
The tent roof remained the same tent roof.
The oil lamp remained the same oil lamp.
Yet after the Precept-Breaking Blade reached Perfection...
...he no longer possessed a suitable blade.
The old great saber had already shattered completely.
Broken into dozens of iron fragments beneath the rainstorm that night.
Originally, after the Precept-Breaking Blade reached Perfection, the ultimate move "Precept-Breaking Slash" would have become one of his greatest trump cards.
But now he needed another blade.
And with the arrival of Mercy Blade, further training in blade techniques absolutely required a proper weapon.
Guy lowered his gaze toward his empty hands.
"Looks like I need to find a new blade."
But he wasn't worried.
On a battlefield like this...
...there would never be a shortage of Ninja blades.
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