Chapter 21: The News of the Shousaki Lizard!
Chapter 21: The News of the Shousaki Lizard!
Bang!
Tang Ping bumped into someone, knocking them to the ground.
"Are you okay?"
Looking at the figure on the ground, he found the person somewhat familiar.
Of course, there was also the cane that had slipped a short distance away.
Hearing Tang Ping's voice, the girl who was just getting up lifted her head. Her face, wrapped in bandages like a mummy, revealed a pair of excited eyes.
Though her face was obscured, Tang Ping recognized her.
She was the Hyuga girl who had been beaten up in the forest by the clan, Hyuga Aotsuki.
There was no way to forget her, with her Byakugan and the missing leg so distinctive.
"It's you? How's your injury...?"
Tang Ping nodded, acknowledging that he was the one who had saved her. There was no reason to hide it, but he felt a bit strange.
Her injuries, after using healing potions, shouldn't still be this bad, right?
"Sometimes, not having injuries can be a bad thing!"
Hyuga Aotsuki's voice grew low.
From her words, it was clear why she maintained the appearance of being injured.
She wanted those who bullied her to see how miserable she was, so they could vent their anger and leave her alone.
Tang Ping didn't press further about her injuries, but he had something else in mind. He asked tentatively:
"By the way, can you access the Hyuga clan's historical records?"
The Hyuga clan was an ancient and prestigious family, and unlike the Uchiha, they hadn't experienced the chaos of a clan leader's departure. So, their historical records should be well-preserved, right?
And such non-ninjutsu-related materials were likely only kept by these ninja clans.
"No problem."
Hyuga Aotsuki thought for a moment and nodded, though she was unsure why he was asking her this.
"Can you help me look up some information?"
Tang Ping's eyes lit up. This could be a great help to him.
"Sure!"
This time, Hyuga Aotsuki answered decisively.
Since her parents' death, she had been living in hell. During the incident in the forest, she might have been considering ending her suffering.
But he had been a ray of light that pierced through the darkness in her heart!
Now that he had something to ask of her, she would do anything to help.
(Just like how future Orochimaru's subordinates, such as Shisui and the devoted son, were manipulated by the Hokage's psychological tactics, this situation is quite normal and even reasonable!)
"I want to know if there's a place called 'Shousaki Castle' in the shinobi world."
Tang Ping stated his request.
At that moment, he didn't realize that he had unintentionally achieved what future "Uncle Snake" would do.
He gained a devoted follower!
He had saved a life, while someone else had succeeded with just a few words.
It just showed the difference in their skills.
"I'll go check right away!"
Hyuga Aotsuki quickly left, abandoning her cane, much to Tang Ping's surprise.
Even with one leg missing, her speed was no slower than a sprinting ordinary person.
But then, he remembered her identity.
She was a shinobi!
With chakra, the impossible could be made possible.
Her speed and balance also indicated that her chakra control was far superior to his.
Perhaps!
Her usual inconvenience and clumsiness might all be an act.
Because it was the only way for her to survive.
In the brutal shinobi world, age didn't necessarily reflect maturity.
Just like a certain devoted son who, at seven, could think like a Hokage, Hyuga Aotsuki's act of feigning weakness wasn't unusual.
With the matter of Shousaki Castle still unresolved, Tang Ping returned to the clan grounds with his books.
The bustling streets along the way seemed out of place in the harsh shinobi world, especially compared to the desolate and barren areas outside the village.
But Konoha's prosperity was entirely built on the strength of its shinobi.
After returning to the lab, Tang Ping went all out with his "pay-to-win" strategy.
Over the next few days, he used every last bit of the several thousand ryo he had earned from his missions, along with his savings, to purchase materials for the Clarity Elixir.
Pay-to-win!
Was it just a figure of speech? Not for Tang Ping.
He especially raided the Yamashiro Flower Shop multiple times.
In the past, to create a single Clarity Elixir, he had to gather materials slowly and discreetly to avoid drawing attention.
Now, with the pay-to-win approach, he didn't have to worry about being noticed, and he could quickly produce several batches for his use.
His body felt drained!
Using several Clarity Elixirs, Tang Ping experienced what it was like to have his brain "emptied."
But the gains were substantial.
He managed to finish ten dictionary-thick books.
Not just reading them, but memorizing and digesting the knowledge within.
If he had just wanted to read them, he could have used techniques like "quantum reading."
But to truly remember and understand the content, he needed the "Sage Mode" state induced by the Clarity Elixir.
Knowledge that would take ordinary people months or even a year to learn, he mastered in just a few days.
The only downside was that this state didn't enhance his combat skills; otherwise, it would have been too overpowered.
However, today, Tang Ping had to leave the lab.
First, Minato Namikaze, having finished his own business, called together the Third Squad to review their recent progress.
Second, Hyuga Aotsuki had some news.
She had found something.
It took her a few days to sift through the vast Hyuga library, working alone.
With these two matters piling up, Tang Ping had no choice but to leave his beloved lab.
Of course, he hadn't been idle in the lab.
His healing potion had undergone a significant improvement.
Animal tests had been successful, and the next step was human trials.
Once confirmed, he could announce that he had a crucial trump card in his arsenal.
But that's where things got stuck.
Human trials!
Even in the shinobi world, where human life was often valued less than a dog's, conducting human trials wasn't easy.
Especially not with his current status and position.
Moreover, Root was watching him closely.
If Tang Ping dared to proceed, he would be discovered immediately and end up in Root's prison, singing "Tears in Iron Bars."
As for using himself as a test subject?
Sorry, Tang Ping wasn't that brave or willing to "sacrifice himself for science."
With these thoughts in mind, he made his way to a small forest near the training grounds.
They had agreed to meet here.
After meeting, they would head to the nearby training ground to join the Third Squad.
"Here, Tang Ping, this is the map of Shousaki Castle!"
Hyuga Aotsuki, her face still wrapped in bandages, handed him a scroll (shinobi customarily wrote everything on scrolls).
She had drawn the map herself.
As for the name?
Tang Ping didn't find it odd.
Swish!
Unrolling the scroll, Tang Ping examined the map and the annotated information.
So, that's how it is!
Shousaki Castle didn't exist anymore, replaced by the Drowning Marsh, as the city had vanished.
The marsh was located in the southwest border region of the Fire Country, bordering the River Country, a completely uninhabited area.
It wasn't too far from where the Third Squad had completed their last mission.
As for how to obtain the summoning scroll?
Tang Ping had a plan.
For a shinobi, with the right information, pulling off a scheme wasn't too difficult.
The simplest method was to use someone else's strength.
Of course, he wasn't referring to the Uchiha clan.
If he asked them to get the scroll, it was uncertain who would end up with it.
Summoning beasts were too valuable for anyone to turn down.
So, Tang Ping planned to use a specific ability.
(End of Chapter)
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