novelraw Chapter 43: The Low-Level Code
Chapter 43: The Low-Level Code
The process of catching the cat went smoothly. After demarcating a general area, the four of them surrounded the kitten.
Finally, the Jade Dog summoned by Fu Heiyao suddenly burst out of the shadows, grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck, and finished it off.
"The kitten is so well-behaved and cute!" Kushina poked the unusually quiet kitten and exclaimed how adorable it was.
"Aside from ninja beasts with chakra, which do you think is smarter, a cat or a dog?"
Fu Heiyao looked at the three little ones and said with a rather meaningful expression.
"I think it's a dog!" Nawaki was the first to express his opinion.
He doesn't like dogs, but he dislikes cats due to the influence of the older generation.
"Dog, please." Sakumo chimed in.
He had owned dogs before, but never cats, so his tone wasn't very certain.
"I think it's a cat. I've heard that cats have very fast reaction speeds, and the Shinobi Cat can even talk. Even before it gained intelligence, it wouldn't be bad, right?"
Watergate opposed the proposal.
"Hmm... I choose the dog."
Kushina carefully examined Fushiko's expression, intending to say "cat," but decisively switched to "dog."
She didn't know much about cats and dogs, but she knew Fu Heiyao as a person.
"Cough cough" Fu Heiyao took out a roll of stickers from the shadow space without anyone noticing.
As Yu Quan put Hakimi down, Fu Hei Yao swiftly stuck a sticker on Hakimi's forehead.
Then, something happened that shocked everyone for a whole year.
Hakimi seemed to have been touched on some deep-seated code, and immediately started scratching the foreign object on his forehead.
However, just as the paws are about to reach the mouth, a higher-priority licking code is triggered, and after licking the fur, it tries to scratch the sticker on the forehead.
This endless cycle greatly shocked the three innocent children who were just beginning to understand the world.
Fu Heiya laughed, truly living up to his nickname as the most humorous creature, especially when it came to low-level code.
Even the well-informed Sakumo was full of questions.
What kind of situation haven't I seen?
I've never seen anything like this before!
"What happened?" Minato was a little confused.
"Instinct." Fu Heiyao smiled slightly.
"Instinct?" Rope Tree scratched his head.
Fu Heiyao then gave everyone a lesson on the basic facts about cats relying on various instincts to operate their bodies.
Of course, ninja cats don't count; chakra is such a mysterious energy that it's too incredible for even kittens to be intelligent.
Minato and Nawaki then realized what was going on.
"This is amazing!" Kushina's beautiful eyes widened.
"This is a bit unexpected. I didn't know that ordinary cats are like this." Sakumo was also taken aback.
"No wonder he sometimes does things that ordinary people can't understand."
"Hurry up and hand it in, or we'll burn his brain out." The group observed the cat's strange state of crashing and restarting for a while longer.
Finally, Sakumo couldn't stand it anymore and, seeing that the kitten was about to be ruined, quickly tore off the sticker.
The group handed the broken kitten to the lady, and under her hesitant gaze, they hurriedly left to continue their next mission.
By 6 p.m., the four had completed D-level tasks such as catching cats, weeding, and even doing farm work.
It wasn't that they were tired, but that Shuo Mao wouldn't let them take on any more missions.
"Not everyone is as gifted as you. Many ninjas never even reach the level of Chunin in their entire lives and can only make a living by doing D-rank missions."
Sakumo's words filled Minato and Nawaki with awe, making them feel that their understanding of the Will of Fire had deepened.
Of course, they weren't idle during this time either.
Sakumo began to fulfill his duties as a Jonin instructor, patiently guiding the four in their training.
"Through my previous investigation, I have gained a new understanding of you all." Sakumo scanned the four of them.
"Besides taijutsu training, I will teach you lightning and wind techniques."
"Of course, you can leave it for now if you don't have the other attribute."
Sakumo looked at Kushina and Fushiko, noting that Kushina did not possess the innate lightning attribute.
Fu Heiyao does not have the wind attribute. Although he can cultivate it later, it would be too time-consuming. It would be better to learn only one attribute.
But then another problem arose: Sakumo felt that he couldn't teach Fukuko anything about lightning techniques.
After hesitating for a moment, Sakumo didn't say it. He could just teach him the Hatake sword technique if necessary.
Everyone present possesses at least one of these attributes, so no one has any objections.
Fu Heiyao nodded in agreement. Although his skill in lightning release was not low, it was not as impressive as Sakumo had imagined.
They didn't finish their cultivation until dusk.
Shuo Mao settled the task rewards for the group.
The four tasks together amounted to 50,000 taels, which is roughly equivalent to 10,000 yuan in purchasing power in my previous life.
This made Fu Heiya sigh, no wonder so many people want to be ninjas, it's really lucrative.
Shuo Mao did not accept the 50,000 taels of silver as payment, but generously distributed it to his subordinates.
Rope Tree didn't want it either; he wasn't short of money at all.
As for Kushina, Fukuyo had overheard her say that Mito had converted the Uzumaki clan's businesses in Konoha into a commercial street and transferred it to Kushina's name.
Her biggest worry about money is that she's busy collecting rent every day. This is a problem that Kushina has had since she became an adult; when she was a minor, Mito would help her collect the rent.
Fu Heiyao and Minato exchanged a smile, then split the money in half, 25,000 each.
Unlike Minato's pure joy at receiving his reward, Fukuko was laughing at his own foolishness.
"Kushina, are you coming back for dinner?" After watching his best friend Minato go home, Nawaki looked at Kushina, who was walking further and further away from him.
Kushina:o(￣ヘ￣o#)
Although Kushina didn't say a word, Nawaki already knew her determination.
Nawaki suddenly felt a pang of heartache. It was one thing for Fushiko to be liked by his older sister, but why did Kushina like him so much too?
How could Fu Heiyao be so wicked? He's the only one they're taking advantage of!
Seeing that Kushina seemed a little down, Fukuyo decided to take her shopping.
Kushina clung to Fushiko's clothes amidst the dense crowd, as if afraid he would get lost.
When it got dark, the two bought two beautiful lanterns, which were quite expensive, costing ten thousand taels each. Fu Heiyao casually took out his earnings to buy them.
What he wants is an experience; if spending money can buy happiness, then it's a great deal.
Of course, after that, he would have to spend Kushina's money, since he was broke.
The soft glow from inside the lampshade made Kushina's cheeks look like little tomatoes.
Looking at Fukuyo's genuine smile, Kushina finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked in confusion, "What will I do if you leave?"
In the two years since arriving in Konoha, Kushina has not been able to find anyone she knows well, except for Tsunade and her brother and Fushiko.
Little Yellow Hair counts as half, but this group is all together, so if they leave, they'll leave together.
Kushina felt a little lost, and she suddenly realized that her whole world seemed to consist of only a few people.
Without them, the world seems to have lost its soft filter, returning her to the original cold and dark world.
"Kushina, don't rely too much on others. You need to grow up."
Try to find your true thoughts, ask your heart what you want.
Fukuyo was a little annoyed, even though Kushina's position was more important to him than that of others.
However, Fu Heiyao was still displeased by this appearance of having no independent thoughts and being manipulated like a puppet.
Others might find Kushina easy to control, and a little comfort would greatly increase her favorability, but Fushiko is no ordinary person.
He's the kind of person who thinks the Uchiha clan would become even more interesting after awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan.
Although Fukuyo didn't have the extreme brain circuitry of the Uchiha clan, he acknowledged that brain circuitry.
Love should be passionate; right or wrong doesn't matter.
"Does not relying on you count as growing up?"
Kushina was somewhat saddened by the lack of comfort she had hoped for, but more than that, she felt lost.
"Only the weak rely on others, but you are not weak," Fu Heiyao said after a moment's thought.
"In my eyes, Kushina is a strong person, both inside and out."
Fu Heiyao continued:
"The two should not be confused."
Growing up requires finding a balance between dependence and independence; not being "dependent" is far from being considered growing up.
It's good that you can ask this question; it means you're starting to crave growth and the ability to make choices.
Fukuyo took Kushina's soft little hand in his, and said with unusual gentleness:
"But don't get the direction wrong. No matter how powerful you are, you can rely on me."
"Um!"
Kushina's eyes seemed to shine even brighter than the lantern in her hand. She turned around and gripped Fukuyo's hand tightly, pulling him forward as if she had left her worries behind.
Fu Heiyao pursed his lips. This little tomato, it always felt like he only listened to the last sentence.