This extreme Chakra control training really had a significant effect on Hoshiyomi and the others. Take Hoshiyomi himself, for example: he previously ran low on Chakra after using Crescent Moon Slash three times, with four being his absolute limit. But now, he could use it one more time, and even after five uses of Crescent Moon Slash, he still had enough Chakra left for two C-rank jutsu.
Don't underestimate that extra use of Crescent Moon Slash. Such an opportunity for a sudden advance is precious; it might even save Hoshiyomi's life in future battles.
Orochimaru and the others also gained considerable benefits, but surprisingly, the one who gained the most among them was the unassuming Jiraiya. After completing this Chakra control training, it was as if something clicked for him, or perhaps the method of forming Chakra spikes gave him immense inspiration. For the next few days of "black course" training, he was secretly slacking off, much to Tsunade's displeasure.
It's worth mentioning that after the brown bear incident, finding scrolls seemed to become much easier. Hoshiyomi and his team spent about a week gathering the first batch of six scrolls, earning them three days without "black course" training. Tsunade was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't had a proper bath in a week, only managing to wipe herself down by the river every night, which she found incredibly frustrating.
The group happily spent three days in the Central Tower. The only strange one was Jiraiya; for those three days, except for bathroom breaks, he kept himself locked in his room. He looked as if Orochimaru had possessed him.
Until the third night, Jiraiya kicked open the door with a bang, strutting towards Hoshiyomi and the others with a "I'm a genius" look on his face. "Ahem, everyone, I have some good news to announce."
Silence. Everyone remained focused on what they were doing; no one paid Jiraiya any mind. Sakumo quietly wiped his White Fang, Shinku was reading manga. Orochimaru was discussing philosophical topics about life and death with Hoshiyomi, and Tsunade was on the side, eating fried chicken and teasing Lobo, Hoshiyomi's ninja beast companion. The little guy had been growing very fast recently, already about the size of an average adult small dog. Although still very clingy, he couldn't just lounge on Hoshiyomi's shoulder anymore.
A crow seemed to fly across the sky, cawing in mockery of Jiraiya's embarrassment.
"Hey!!! I'm not kidding, I've developed an original jutsu!"
Jiraiya slammed the table, trying to assert his presence, only to be met with Sakumo's critical hit: "You?"
Those two simple words instantly boosted Jiraiya's anger by +999.
A vein throbbed on Jiraiya's forehead. He suddenly raised his hands, quickly formed hand seals, then clasped them together and shouted, "Behold my newly invented ultimate move!"
As Jiraiya spoke, the silver hair on his head suddenly began to grow rapidly. His hair, which originally only reached his shoulders, extended all the way to the ground, then began to wrap around Jiraiya himself. Jiraiya was completely enveloped in his silver hair, and that wasn't all. The silver hair continued to change until it formed a defense covered in dense, fine spikes.
At this moment, Jiraiya looked like a human hedgehog. He opened a slit in his mass of hair and proudly boasted to Hoshiyomi and the others, "This is my super powerful secret technique, Needle Jizo, developed by combining the Akimichi clan's secret techniques and a lot of inspiration! Pretty amazing, huh?"
Sakumo glanced at him and said blandly, "Looks pretty ordinary."
Tsunade added, "And it's ugly."
Jiraiya indignantly said, "That's because you don't know how powerful I am! Sakumo, try to stab it with your White Fang."
Although Sakumo was sharp-tongued, he was genuinely curious about Jiraiya's new jutsu. He picked up his White Fang and charged forward, thrusting it towards Needle Jizo. Of course, he didn't use much force or apply Chakra; he was afraid of injuring Jiraiya.
However, a shocking scene unfolded. Sakumo's White Fang was actually blocked by Jiraiya's Needle Jizo! The two clashed, producing a ringing sound like metal striking metal. Sakumo became interested. He applied a bit more force and found that the sharp White Fang truly couldn't pierce Needle Jizo. Thinking of this, he instinctively began channeling Chakra into his blade.
This scared Jiraiya, who quickly stopped him. "Idiot! Are you trying to kill me?! Even if it can defend against ordinary attacks, it can't block the enhancement of a very powerful Chakra blade!"
This scene did indeed grab Tsunade and the others' attention, though most of their comments were:
"Tsk, tsk, who would've thought Jiraiya would have a day where he develops his own jutsu." "It's just that this jutsu is really ugly; it looks so weird."
However, they only said this out loud; in reality, they still admired Jiraiya greatly. Jiraiya felt quite pleased. He proudly stated, "If you want to learn this jutsu, just introduce me to some pretty ladies, and I'll teach it to you!"
His reply, of course, was:
"You wish!" "Boring." "Isn't Genjutsu more appealing?" "Hopeless pervert."
Only Hoshiyomi kindly comforted him with a couple of sentences: "This jutsu is quite practical. In future coordinated battles, the task of drawing enemy fire will be yours."
Well, that didn't sound like a compliment either.
Although no one wanted to learn the jutsu from Jiraiya, he was still very proud. Regardless, it was the first jutsu he had developed himself. Especially after receiving praise from Torifu and Homura, Jiraiya became even more conceited.
But his pride didn't last long. A week later, Hoshiyomi broke through to Intermediate Swordsmanship, stealing all the limelight. Hoshiyomi had already accumulated 75 experience points. During half a month of "black course" combat, he maxed out his experience, reaching Intermediate Swordsmanship: 0/500.
In the system, Hoshiyomi's swordsmanship evaluation changed to:
Your swordsmanship can barely be considered as having entered the hall. You might now be able to open a swordsmanship dojo in some obscure corner and trick some swordsmanship newbies into becoming your students.
While this evaluation wasn't exactly flattering, Hoshiyomi was still touched. No matter what, it could at least be considered a positive evaluation, right?
Wait, something felt off.
Inside the Sword Heart System, Hoshiyomi rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked at the experience bar again: Intermediate Swordsmanship: 0/500!
Holy crap!
I, Gekkō Hoshiyomi, must say this 'mmp' (motherf*er)!
What kind of scam is this? Why does the system experience multiply by five for Intermediate Swordsmanship? Are you even human?!
Sigh, what can I do about this scam? It's my own system; I'll just have to grit my teeth and accumulate the experience. I can't just stop training because the experience requirement went up a bit, right?
Don't overthink it. Let's just draw a skill first.
Coming to the skill drawing interface, Hoshiyomi, who was still a bit annoyed, suddenly noticed some new changes in the skill drawing interface.
Is this what they call giving a slap, then giving a sweet date (a treat)?
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin