"Kazuya, thanks to you, I got promoted too!" Kurenai said with a smile, handing over the tea.
"Oh?"
Kazuya turned slightly, accepting the steaming cup.
"The order just came in—you've been promoted to Captain of the Second Anbu Division, and I've taken your old position as Captain of the Seventh Squad."
"I see. Well, Kurenai, keep up the hard work!"
"I will! I joined the Anbu to follow in your footsteps and become an exceptional ninja. I'll give it my all!" Kurenai clenched her fists with determination.
At 18 years old, she still had a youthful, innocent charm.
"And besides, my father always said..." Kurenai hesitated, then spoke softly, blushing slightly, "That I owe you a great debt, Kazuya. I'll make sure to repay you."
"Your father is my comrade too. It's the least I could do," Kazuya replied, waving off the thanks.
"You are as kind-hearted as ever, Kazuya." Kurenai stood up and winked playfully. "Now, I'd better get back to training!"
"Alright."
As he watched her walk away, Kazuya couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
So it's true... even in the world of ninjas, looks matter.
A handsome benefactor gets a 'thank you, I'll repay you with my life.' An ugly one probably gets a 'I'll be sure to repay you in my next life!'
"Women can be so practical," Kazuya mused with a smirk.
Good thing I'm easy on the eyes—just like Sasuke and Madara, a true heartthrob.
For the next few hours, Kazuya sipped his tea and sat by the training grounds, lost in thought. The Anbu ninjas training nearby couldn't help but find it strange that their new captain seemed so laid-back.
Still, none of them said anything about it. They all knew that Captain Kazuya had just been discharged from the hospital and might still be recovering, so a bit of rest was understandable.
Little did they know that Kazuya's perspective was entirely different.
Sitting on the sidelines, leisurely drinking tea, he continued to absorb golden orbs as they appeared.
[You have collected 50 points of combat experience.]
[You have collected 50 Chakra points.]
[You have collected 40 Chakra points.]
[You have collected 100 points of Substitution Jutsu experience.]
[You have collected 50 points of Taijutsu talent.]
[You have collected 100 points of Body Flicker Jutsu experience.]
Every time a ninja sparred or trained, golden orbs would fall, and Kazuya would collect them effortlessly. Anything within a 100-meter range would be automatically absorbed as soon as he saw it.
After two hours, Kazuya had gathered over a hundred orbs, collecting 3,000 Chakra points, over a thousand points of combat experience, 400 points of Taijutsu talent, and more.
His Taijutsu talent was now just 500 points away from maxing out!
The stronger the talent, the more powerful the corresponding skills.
I wonder, once my Taijutsu talent is maxed, will I be able to hold my own against Might Guy in close combat?
Probably not yet... but definitely before he opens the Eighth Gate.
But Kazuya wasn't worried—he had plenty of time. With enough attributes collected, he could eventually overpower even the likes of Madara or Kaguya.
Before long, the Anbu's daily training session wrapped up. The ninjas either took a break or went out on missions.
Kazuya sighed.
Good things never last.
It was a shame, too. The Anbu's training mainly focused on Taijutsu, Substitution Jutsu, and weapon techniques—rarely did anyone use ninjutsu during these sessions.
It made sense, really. With the Anbu training in an indoor setting, they couldn't exactly unleash firestorms, floods, or lightning without making a huge mess. As a result, Kazuya hadn't been able to collect any of the golden orbs related to jutsu or Kekkei Genkai.
Looks like I'll need to organize some real combat training sessions soon, Kazuya thought, forming a plan in his mind. As the captain of the Anbu's Second Division, he had four squads under his command, totaling sixteen ninjas. These "experience points" couldn't be wasted.
Over the next two days, Kazuya was fully occupied with handling the transition to his new role. Being an Anbu division captain turned out to be a complex job. It took him more than a day just to sort through the responsibilities left by his predecessor.
"No wonder Naruto barely had time at home once he became Hokage…" Kazuya sighed, feeling the weight of leadership.
Still, no matter how busy he got, he always made time to patrol the Anbu training grounds. After all, those golden orbs dropped by the training ninjas had a 30-minute expiration. If he didn't collect them in time, they'd disappear.
Kazuya wasn't about to let those resources go to waste. He made sure to pick up every orb he could.
As a result, the Anbu members often saw their captain wandering around the training grounds, offering the occasional tip whenever he noticed an incorrect technique.
"Kazuya seems to care about us!" Uzuki Yugao said excitedly.
In truth, she had admired Kazuya ever since learning of his bravery on the night of the Nine-Tails attack.
"Hmph…" muttered Hayate Gekkō beside her, his face darkening. Seeing his childhood friend look at another man with such admiration made him a bit uncomfortable. But since Kazuya was now his superior, he kept his feelings to himself.