NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Chapter 11:
Chapter 11:
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Not long after explaining to Xiao Wu that the headmaster was likely interested in taking her on as his personal pupil—something she fervently denied, as she had no interest—Itachi reassured her that the headmaster wouldn't make any further moves unless he was certain she had no ties to any powerful clan or Spirit Master. Following that conversation, both Xiao Wu and Itachi followed the receptionist down the hallway to a room full of drawers.
"Both of you, tell me your sizes," the receptionist requested in a monotone, disinterested voice, as though he'd spent decades doing the same repetitive tasks.
Itachi answered with precision, while Xiao Wu, always a bit more spontaneous, blinked in confusion before giving her own size. The man quickly pulled out two blue school uniforms from separate drawers and placed them on the counter with a dull thud.
"These are the standard uniforms for all students. If you need more, you'll have to purchase them yourselves."
Itachi calmly took his uniform without showing any reaction. Xiao Wu, however, grabbed hers reluctantly, eyeing the uniform with clear disdain.
"Do I really have to wear this?" she muttered, giving Itachi a pleading look.
"It's mandatory," Itachi replied, his tone calm and detached, as though he had already resigned himself to the situation. Seeing that he didn't object, Xiao Wu sighed dramatically and resigned herself to her fate, though her dissatisfaction was clear.
The receptionist ignored their interaction and continued giving instructions in his monotonous tone: "The seventh dormitory is on the far side of the campus. That's where both of you will be staying. Follow the main path to the farthest building."
Itachi nodded briefly in thanks before heading off with Xiao Wu, who was already beginning to complain softly about the length of the walk and how uncomfortable the uniform looked.
"Brother Itachi doesn't even try, and he still looks good in anything. But me… is this blue or depressing gray?" she grumbled, holding the uniform like it was cursed.
"It doesn't matter how you look. It's functional," Itachi replied, keeping his pace steady.
"But it matters to me!" Xiao Wu huffed, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
Itachi shook his head slightly, already used to her constant minor complaints, though he had learned to find some strange comfort in her boundless energy.
…
Before heading to the dormitory, Itachi made a strategic decision. Although the seventh dorm would be their temporary refuge, he knew they needed to prepare properly before settling in. During his prior research on the academy, he had discovered that work-study students, like them, all slept in the same dorm—with no gender separation.
Knowing this, he decided not to go to the dorms just yet. Instead, he chose to gather first only the necessary supplies to make the place more livable and ensure both he and Xiao Wu could settle in comfortably.
…
Shortly after they left the academy, Tang San arrived in Nuoding City with Old Jack.
From Holy Spirit Village to Nuoding City wasn't far; two people walking could reach it in half a day. After eating some simple travel rations along the way, they saw the city walls by early afternoon.
However, their arrival was shadowed by Tang Hao, who had been secretly following and protecting them throughout their journey without anyone noticing his presence—or almost no one.
That's because his sudden arrival was detected by Itachi's clone, which immediately went on high alert.
This man was strong. Incredibly strong.
Through his clone's eyes, Itachi saw the man and couldn't understand why someone like him—a Spirit Master, and a very powerful one—was here.
This man was certainly strong enough to detect Xiao Wu's true identity as a Spirit Beast if he happened to see her, which made the situation extremely dangerous.
....
'This could turn into a problem…' Itachi thought as his mind began rapidly evaluating potential threats and formulating his next moves.
Not wanting to alarm Xiao Wu, Itachi turned his attention back to her, his voice calm and free of concern.
"What do you think about exploring the city a bit more? You might find something you like," he suggested casually, using a lighthearted tone to distract her. He didn't want to worry the young girl, so he focused on keeping her entertained and, more importantly, far away from the powerful man who had entered the city while seemingly remaining unnoticed by everyone.
"Really?! You suggesting something fun? That's rare!" Xiao Wu exclaimed excitedly, her face lighting up with a big smile.
Itachi nodded slightly, hiding his true intention.
"Hn. We might as well take the chance to look around and pick up everything we still need before heading to the dormitory."
What Xiao Wu didn't know was that Itachi was carefully manipulating the situation to keep her as far away from the man as possible. Meanwhile, his clone had received new orders.
At the time, the clone had been using the alias "Fugaku," the identity Itachi adopted for Innovation Forge. However, Itachi ordered the clone to temporarily abandon its work at the forge, switch to another identity, and subtly observe the dangerous man—from as far away as possible—while Itachi ensured Xiao Wu stayed safely distracted.
The clone swiftly complied, adopting a new disguise and beginning to tail the man from a safe distance, using its Spirit Bone ability to camouflage itself and remain undetected.
The man eventually stopped near the academy and stayed hidden for some time. Itachi, however, remained vigilant. While keeping Xiao Wu entertained, he monitored the man's every move through his clone.
…..
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After a while, the man finally began moving again, gradually leaving the city.
Itachi instructed his clone to continue following him at a distance. Although tracking him was challenging due to the man's ability to move through the shadows at incredible speed—a speed only Itachi's Sharingan could follow—the clone managed to keep up.
The only reason the clone could track him was that the man never moved too far away, staying within the clone's visual range.
…
A few minutes later, the man finally left Nuoding City, traveling a few kilometers beyond its outskirts.
Itachi made sure his clone continued observing him. Luckily, the man was now moving at a slower pace, making it easier for the clone to keep up without relying solely on its vision to determine his location.
But, as Itachi knew all too well, nothing ever goes perfectly—especially when dealing with someone powerful. Even when everything seems to be going smoothly, things can change in an instant.
And that's exactly what happened.
Itachi's clone had been tailing the man with extreme caution, using both its ninja training and the Spirit Bone's ability to fully blend in with the surroundings. However, despite these precautions, the man eventually detected it.
Once they were far from the city and any population centers, the man seemed to sense something—or someone—following him. This was surprising, given the significant distance at which Itachi's clone had been keeping itself and the fact that its Spirit Bone literally allowed it to assimilate into the environment like a chameleon, completely hiding itself, its Spirit Bone, Soul Ring, Martial Soul, or even its very presence.
Yet somehow, the man still detected it.
Suddenly, he appeared in front of the clone with astonishing speed. The clone barely had time to process his movement before the man grabbed it by the neck, glaring at it with a menacing expression.
Itachi was genuinely impressed. The clone hadn't just been using its Spirit Bone to stay hidden; it had also ensured every movement was silent and precise, blending seamlessly into the surroundings—whether among people in the city or the natural environment. These habits, honed during Itachi's time in ANBU, left little room for error.
But this wasn't a mistake.
The man staring down the clone was simply that strong. His senses were so sharp that he had likely just felt something watching him. Following his instincts, he had acted decisively until he found the source of his discomfort, pinpointing its location with precision.
"Who are you? Why are you following me? How did you find me? Who sent you to track me? Was it the Spirit Hall?" the man barked, firing off a series of questions in a threatening tone.
The man didn't seem particularly surprised or impressed by the clone's ability to camouflage itself, likely assuming it was a Spirit Ability.
"Answer my questions, or you die this instant," he threatened, loosening his grip just enough for the clone to speak.
Naturally, the clone had no intention of responding. The moment it had the chance, it "committed suicide," biting its own tongue and vanishing instantly.
Itachi, who had been monitoring the situation closely—even while spending time with Xiao Wu—processed everything the clone experienced.
When the clone finally vanished, it sent all its gathered information directly to Itachi's mind. While most of it was unnecessary—since Itachi had already seen nearly everything—he took note of the man's apparent assumption that the clone worked for the Spirit Hall.
This suggested the man was likely an enemy of the Spirit Hall, which was the most powerful organization on the continent. If so, this man could be someone of considerable renown.
Itachi resolved to investigate further. Before doing so, he stepped away from Xiao Wu briefly to create another clone. He used 70% of his Spirit Power and then he ensure the clone effectively patrol the city's surroundings under a new disguise, confirming the man hadn't returned.
Even if the man was as powerful as he appeared, nothing escaped Itachi's eyes.
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Hello, the author here!
Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the story, and if you do, please leave me some feedback about what you think is going great and what you think can be improved.
If you have any interesting and coherent idea that can be used, I'm more than eager to read it and consider using it as long as it fits the plot I have in mind for the whole story.
Oh, and now we are going to set a new goal, more likely than the last one. If this fic reaches 70 power stones today, then I will upload one more chapter! So let's hope that the goal is met in order to inspire me to write faster in my leisure time, heh.