Chapter 101: Gaining an Overpowered Master again

Chapter 101: Gaining an Overpowered Master again

We were currently walking in a completely random direction, heading away from the Hidden Rain. There wasn't a plan—just distance. After a while, I asked, "So… Do you have any idea what you want to do? Or what do you want me to do?"

Tetsuya looked over at me while we kept moving. He was still half-naked from the earlier fight, not that it seemed to bother him at all.

"What do you mean?" he replied. "You're going to train with the spear until I decide you're worthy. Until I say the training's done."

He slowed slightly, as if something had just occurred to him.

"Wait a second," he said, looking at me more closely. "Where's your spear? The old man must've given you a mission in exchange for one. Don't tell me… you came all the way here to train in the spear—without a spear?"

I glanced away, avoiding eye contact. His expression shifted like he understood immediately.

He let out a long breath. "Seriously? So what was your mission?"

"To find out where his family is—and save them," I answered.

Tetsuya blinked, genuinely surprised. "That's what he asked of you?"

"Yeah," I said. "And once I help him escape, he'll forge weapons for me and my organization."

Tetsuya gave me a side glance. "Wait—you have your own organization?"

I didn't say anything at first, but he already understood.

"So you're the leader of it?" he asked.

I nodded.

He gave a thoughtful hum. "And since I'm your master… doesn't that technically make me the leader of your organization?"

I opened my mouth to argue, "That doesn't really make any—"

But before I could finish, he threw his arms up slightly and cut in. "Oh my god. I went from being an important member of the biggest criminal group in the world to joining another organization—but this time, I'm the one in charge. This is actually amazing."

He looked genuinely pleased with himself.

"It's like checking something off a bucket list," he added, fully serious.

I stared at him for a second.

'What kind of sensei did I end up with? Did I really go from the Mad Monk… to this?'

"So, how much funding does our organization currently have, young disciple?" Tetsuya asked cheerfully, as if expecting a number that might impress him.

"Zero," I replied flatly.

Tetsuya visibly deflated. "Right. Of course."

After a second, he straightened up a bit. "Well then, I guess we're heading to the Land of Earth."

"Why?" I asked.

"I know a bounty there—someone with a decent price on their head. Once we deal with him and I turn it in, we'll finally have some money to start building a proper base of operations."

He paused, then looked at me. "Where's your current base, anyway?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Technically… I don't have one. I'm a rogue ninja, kind of wandering. I had started setting up something before all this, but it wasn't exactly usable. Not long-term."

He sighed. "Then we'll need to build a base from scratch too. Great."

He kept walking, hands tucked behind his head as he continued, "Once we've done that, we'll go track down the old man's family. And through all of this, you'll be training in the way of the spear."

I raised my hand to stop him.

He noticed and raised an eyebrow, clearly inviting me to speak.

"Actually… I'm already working on another big project. So I won't be able to stay with you the entire time."

He gave me a deadpan look. "What could possibly be more important than training in the way of the spear?"

I looked away slightly. "It's kind of… a secret."

He was quiet for a moment, then said, "If you want me to train you, you need to trust me. I'm not asking for your full life story, but I do need to know what I'm working with."

I hesitated, then said, "Trust builds over time. I'm not trying to keep secrets forever. Just… not ready to share all of it yet."

He didn't press further. We kept walking, the dirt road stretching quietly in front of us.

"Alright then," he said after a while. "Since you're a Senju, you're probably already familiar with the shadow clone training method?"

I nodded.

"Good. Then leave one with me at all times. If you can't even manage that, there's no point continuing this training."

That gave me pause.

It was a problem. My chakra wasn't high enough right now to split it cleanly and still be able to focus on Sage Mode training with my main body. Even just keeping a clone active while sustaining my current pace would strain me. My real body was already pushing its limits.

Then I heard a familiar voice in my thoughts.

'I might have a solution to this,' Matatabi said.

'What kind of solution?' I asked.

'Just make a wood clone. You'll understand.'

I nodded once and performed the hand seals. A [Wood Clone] emerged beside me. Tetsuya looked mildly surprised—not at the clone, but more at the way my chakra split.

The moment the clone stabilized, I felt it—the split in perception. It wasn't like a regular shadow clone where I felt slightly disconnected. This was different. I was fully present in both bodies at once, almost like I was living in two places.

One clone held barely the chakra level of a Genin.

But then I felt it—Matatabi's chakra surged into the clone, stabilizing it, then building up. Within moments, Genin-level chakra began to swell. It rose steadily until it matched the level of an elite Jonin.

'Now this,' I thought, 'was going to be incredibly useful.'

…

Authors note:

You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator