After finishing his exercises, Santoryu collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. He stared up at the sky, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion, letting his body rest in the quiet stillness of the courtyard.
But the moment of peace didn't last long.
The system's voice echoed in his mind, brisk and efficient:
"Host, lying on the ground like this is an inefficient way to recover. Prepare the herbal solution and take a proper bath. Eat afterward, then rest. You'll recover faster and be ready for the second round of training this evening."
Santoryu exhaled and muttered, "You're absolutely right, System. Okay—I'll do it now."
Without wasting a moment, he got to his feet and headed inside. He retrieved the herbs and began grinding them into a thick solution. While working, he called out to his mother, asking her to prepare a hot bath.
By the time the herb mixture was ready, the bath had been drawn. He poured the solution into the steaming water, watching as it turned a deep, cloudy green. Then he stepped in, letting the warmth and the herbal mixture soak into his aching body.
As he leaned back and closed his eyes, he thought to himself,
The effect of these herbs is incredible. This morning during training, I didn't feel a trace of the fatigue from yesterday. It was like I'd recovered completely overnight. The system really does have everything planned out.
He let his thoughts drift as the water worked its magic, knowing this recovery was just as important as the training itself.
After half an hour in the herbal bath, Santoryu stepped out, feeling noticeably lighter. The tension in his muscles had eased, and his body felt rejuvenated. When he entered the dining area, he found the food already prepared.
As promised, his mother had followed the dietary plan he'd mentioned the day before. The meal was rich in protein—plenty of meat, beans, and hearty vegetables—exactly what his recovering body needed.
Santoryu sat down and ate with clear satisfaction, each bite helping replenish his strength.
"This is amazing, Mother," he said between mouthfuls. "Thank you for making such delicious food."
His mother smiled warmly and gently ruffled his hair.
"There's no need to thank me. This is what I'm here for."
His father wasn't home—he had already left early to tend to the fields, as usual.
Once he finished eating, Santoryu stood and stretched slightly.
"Alright, Mother, I'm going to rest now."
She nodded. "Okay. Take care, my son."
Santoryu returned to his room, but he didn't lie down right away. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and entered a state of meditation. He mentally reviewed everything from the morning's training—each sword swing, each stance, each moment of imbalance.
He visualized corrections, cleaner transitions, stronger postures. He knew physical mastery would take time and repetition to build muscle memory—but refining the techniques in his mind was still valuable. Every small mental improvement would eventually shape his form.
After nearly thirty minutes of focused reflection, he opened his eyes and finally lay down to sleep.
Within minutes, he drifted off—resting, recovering, preparing for what came next.
After nearly five hours of sleep, Santoryu was awakened once again by the familiar voice of the system:
"Get up, Host. You said you'd buy training equipment for yourself. It's time to follow through."
Santoryu stirred from sleep, but he wasn't annoyed. He'd expected this wake-up call even before lying down.
"I understand, System. I'll head out right away," he said, pushing off the covers. "But tell me—can't I just buy raw metals instead of the equipment itself? That would be cheaper. You could create the training tools for me, right?"
The system responded immediately:
"Yes. That's entirely possible. Purchase the metals, and I will handle the rest."
As Santoryu got up and stretched, a thought struck him.
"System," he said, more serious now, "I've got a concern. The stronger I get, the heavier and larger the equipment I'll need—just like Zoro's massive weights. That kind of gear must be insanely expensive. Even the raw materials might cost a fortune."
The system responded calmly:
"You don't need to worry about that, Host. I can manipulate gravity around you during training. It would have the same effect as training in a gravity chamber—like in the anime Dragon Ball Z, if you recall."
Santoryu's eyes lit up.
"Wait, then what's the point of buying equipment at all? Can't you just increase the gravity around me? That would boost my training exponentially!"
"That's not possible right now," the system replied flatly.
"With your current physical condition, even doubling the gravity would place immense strain on your body. It could damage your internal organs and hinder your progress instead of helping it."
Santoryu let out a thoughtful sigh.
"I see… I got ahead of myself. So when can I train under increased gravity?"
"You'll need to reach at least the strength level equivalent to a Chūnin," the system said.
"Only then will your body be able to endure the pressure safely."
"Understood," Santoryu nodded. "In that case, I'll go buy the metals—steel should be strong enough and long-lasting."
With that decision made, he approached his mother and asked for additional money to buy the materials. Without hesitation, she handed it over.
She didn't question him. Both parents had agreed to support his training however they could, and this was a necessary step in his journey.
Santoryu stepped out of his house and made his way into the village. It didn't take long to find a blacksmith's shop. Instead of browsing weapons or armor, he went straight to the point.
"I need raw steel—about 30 kilograms."
The blacksmith raised an eyebrow but didn't ask questions. Moments later, a hefty pile of steel was brought out and weighed. Santoryu paid in full. This amount would be more than enough for the training equipment he needed.
Just like yesterday, when he'd touched the wooden log and it vanished before the carpenter's eyes, the same thing happened again. As soon as the blacksmith set down the steel, it disappeared—absorbed instantly by the system.
"Materials acquired for crafting training equipment," the system announced in his mind.
"Estimated crafting time: two hours."
The blacksmith stared in stunned silence, mirroring the reaction of the carpenter from the day before.
Santoryu gave the same explanation, offering a calm nod.
"I'm a ninja."
He turned and walked away before the blacksmith could ask more. There was no time to waste.
Feeling fully refreshed from good food, a long herbal bath, and solid rest, Santoryu returned home, ready to dive into the next round of training.
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