16: New film takes office, my sword skills have been unlocked

Back in Hidden Sand Village, Maki's kind warning still echoed in Tang Yan's ears.

But he merely chuckled at it.

Greed?

No.

For true powerhouses, that's called ambition.

Inside his room, Tang Yan sat cross-legged, sinking his mind into his sea of consciousness.

The dark star meteorite iron he had brought back from Takumi Ninja Village was now held in his hand, its icy touch piercing to his core.

As the Xuantian Skill's inner force circulated, the Myriad Forms Ingenuity Box hummed once more.

This time, it wasn't taking, but giving back.

A massive stream of information surged from deep within the Myriad Celestial Crafts Box, pouring directly into Tang Yan's mind.

It wasn't mechanism techniques, nor toxicology.

It was a complete set of swordsmanship!

Tang Blade Transposition!

In an instant, countless fragmented memories of swinging, chopping, blocking, and thrusting exploded in his mind.

Those movements, those techniques, were as familiar as if they were his innate instincts.

This was the foundation he relied on for close-quarters combat in his previous life as a Tang Clan disciple, besides hidden weapons and poisons!

After absorbing the stellar power of the dark star meteorite iron, the Myriad Forms Ingenuity Box not only unlocked the secret of 'Forging Star Souls' but also re-imprinted this forgotten blade art from his past life!

Tang Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils sharp and piercing.

He needed a blade.

The next day.

Hidden Sand Village, First Training Ground.

Yellow sand filled the sky, and the scorching sun beat down.

Tang Yan stood alone, holding a Ninja blade he had taken from his own Ninja tool shop.

He closed his eyes, and the movements he had practiced thousands of times in his previous life flowed through his mind.

The next second, he moved.

His figure left an afterimage in place, and the Ninja blade in his hand transformed into a streak of white, tearing through the air before him.

Sweep!

The blade swept horizontally close to the ground, raising layers of sand waves.

Chop!

Power coursed through the blade's tip, descending from above with the force of a thousand tons, leaving a deep gash in the ground.

Parry!

The blade spun deftly, precisely deflecting a flying pebble, the power applied with exquisite precision.

Slice, skim, parry, cut, thrust!

The eight basic blade techniques were executed flawlessly in his hands, without any hesitation.

Every movement felt like an instinct etched deep within his bones.

The body's memory is more honest than the brain's.

Although this body was encountering this blade art for the first time, the familiarity deep within his soul made his progress terrifyingly fast.

In just one morning, he had already re-mastered the essence of Tang Blade Transposition.

All that remained was daily refinement, using the Chakra of this world to push this blade art to a whole new realm.

Sheathing his blade, Tang Yan exhaled a long, murky breath.

Sweat drenched his clothes, but he paid it no mind.

Feeling the surging Chakra and Xuantian Skill inner force within him, and the solid sensation from the long blade in his hand, an unprecedented power filled his heart.

With this blade art, his last weakness was also covered.

Aside from not being as accustomed to it as a Tang Blade, everything else felt like it was recovering well.

The atmosphere in Hidden Sand Village these past few days was distinctly different from usual.

New banners and lanterns hung in every street and alley, and an irrepressible festive mood permeated the desert air.

The gloom of the Third Kazekage's disappearance seemed to be swept away by this wave.

Today was the Hidden Sand Village's annual 'Sand Festival,' and also the inauguration ceremony of the new Kazekage.

Rasa, the man who wielded the Magnet Release Bloodline Limit, would officially take over the heavy responsibility of protecting the Village from the Third Kazekage, becoming the Fourth.

Kazekage's Office.

Rasa wore a brand new Fourth Kazekage's ceremonial robe and a straw hat, his expression stern.

Granny Chiyo and Ebizo, the two elders, stood to his left and right.

“Rasa, from today onwards, this Village is entrusted to you,” Granny Chiyo's aged voice carried an undeniable solemnity.

“The burden of the Kazekage is heavy, especially in these troubled times. Those Konoha fellows are always eyeing us covetously,” Ebizo also reminded him in a deep voice.

Rasa bowed slightly, his tone steady and firm.

“Elders, please rest assured, Rasa will do his utmost to protect Sunagakure, until death!”

There was no wavering in his eyes.

Between the Elder Council and the new Kazekage, there was no tension, but rather a tacit inheritance and trust.

In the evening, the Sand Festival officially began.

The festival grounds were bustling with people, lively and vibrant.

Tang Yan and Zi Luo wandered idly through the crowd.

“I say, Yan, what's so fun about this kind of festival? We might as well go to the training ground and practice a few more sets of punches,” Zi Luo scratched his head, a bit unaccustomed to the surrounding noise.

Tang Yan slowly ate a box of takoyaki.

“Relax occasionally, balance work and rest. Besides, there's a good show to watch today.”

“A good show?”

Before Zi Luo could react, he heard Tang Yan “tsk” and lifted his chin towards a direction.

“See, isn't that it?”

Zi Luo followed his gaze, and instantly, his eyes widened.

Not far away, Chiyo was slowly walking over.

Today, she was like a different person from the capable female Ninja she usually was.

A moon-white kimono accentuated her snow-white skin, and her normally tied-up long hair was styled into an exquisite bun, with a few silver hairpins adorning it, gently swaying with her steps.

Light makeup was applied to her face, and a breathtaking radiance shone through her cool eyes.

Passing Ninja, both male and female, were involuntarily drawn to her gaze.

“Holy moly!” Zi Luo's mouth was wide enough to fit an egg, and it took him a while to blurt out, “Chiyo, are you going to participate in the Daimyo's concubine selection? You're so dressed up!”

Chiyo walked up to the two of them, and upon hearing Zi Luo's teasing, her pretty face flushed slightly, and she raised her hand to give him a sharp flick on the forehead.

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

She glared at Zi Luo, then her gaze fell on Tang Yan, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

Tang Yan popped the last piece of takoyaki into his mouth, nodding gravely.

“Hmm, clothes make the man, indeed. This outfit pretty much hides your tomboyish demeanor.”

“You!”

Chiyo's eyebrows shot up instantly, and just as she was about to retort, she burst out laughing.

She knew this guy just had a sharp tongue.

“Better than some people, who almost emptied out Takumi Ninja Village's Ninja tool shop after one mission, truly a big spender, Boss Tang!” She mimicked Tang Yan's tone, retorting sarcastically.

“Business strategy, you wouldn't understand,” Tang Yan said, his expression unchanged.

The three teased each other, the atmosphere light and pleasant.

Just then, at the highest point of the festival grounds, a dazzling light suddenly appeared.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, appeared in everyone's sight.

He raised the torch in his hand high, and his voice, amplified by Chakra, spread throughout the entire festival grounds.

“I, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, hereby swear!”

“The glory of Hidden Sand Village, I will protect!”

“The future of the Village, I will forge!”

“Any enemy who dares to covet our homeland will face the desert's most merciless wrath!”

As his words fell, he threw the torch in his hand fiercely towards the giant fireworks that had been prepared.

“Boom—!”

Splendid fireworks soared into the sky, exploding in the night, turning into a sky full of stardust.

The entire Hidden Sand Village was immersed in a sea of jubilation.

People cheered the name of “Fourth Kazekage,” celebrating the arrival of a new era.

Zi Luo and Chiyo were also infected by the atmosphere, excitedly waving their arms.

Only Tang Yan calmly watched the fireworks continuously blooming in the night sky.

The fireworks were splendid, illuminating everyone's faces.

But in his eyes, reflected was the endless darkness and dark star meteorite iron deep within Hell Valley.

Rasa's era had begun.

And his, Tang Yan's, era was also about to begin in the near future.

This prosperity, this Village, would eventually become the foundation for him to forge his Star Soul and reach the pinnacle.

He looked at Rasa, who was full of youthful vigor in the crowd, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, unnoticed by anyone.

Kazekage, huh?

It sounded like a good position.

But Tang Yan had no interest.

As the afterglow of the fireworks faded, the heat of the festival gradually receded.

The night in Hidden Sand Village finally returned to the tranquility proper to the desert.

Tang Yan, Zi Luo, and Chiyo of the Fifth Squad were currently seated around a famous teppanyaki restaurant in the Village.

The sizzling hot plate and the rising aroma of food dispelled the night's chill and whetted appetites.

“Boss, bring us all your signature dishes! Double portions of sand scorpion meat!” Zi Luo's voice was still loud, his excitement not yet faded.

He had just taken off his festival overcoat and was now rolling up his sleeves, looking ready to feast.

“Dinner's on me tonight!” Tang Yan said, swallowing his food. “To celebrate the inauguration of Lord Fourth Kazekage! And to celebrate… to celebrate the successful completion of our mission a few days ago! Also, as compensation for you two helping me transport the Ninja tools from Takumi Ninja Village.”

Chiyo had changed back into her usual Ninja uniform; the stunning moon-white kimono was gone, but the smile in her eyes was more relaxed and natural than at the festival. “You talk too much, hurry up and eat.” She glanced at Zi Luo, but a smile played on her lips as she reached out for the cutlery handed to her by the chef.

Tang Yan, on the other hand, seemed much more composed. He leisurely added to the teppanyaki chef: “Besides what he ordered, add three portions of premium Land of Lightning beef, two portions of grilled desert vegetables, and one portion of teppanyaki sand scale fish.”

Zi Luo's eyes widened: “Wow! Yan, you know me too well! Beef! Sand scale fish!” He was practically drooling, his eyes shining as he looked at Tang Yan.

Chiyo raised an eyebrow and looked at Tang Yan: “Boss Tang is indeed generous. Are you going to have us help you with ‘strategic procurement’ again?” She remembered Tang Yan's earlier talk about the sales route for Ninja tool essentials and couldn't help but tease, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Tang Yan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of freshly grilled beef, and savored it. Tang Yan's resistance to delicious food was getting lower and lower. He said calmly: “It's only natural to improve the strength of Sand Ninja. As for the profit, I’ll tell my sister to keep it to a minimum.”

As he ate the grilled meat, his gaze swept over the customers, who were filled with hope due to the new Kazekage's inauguration, then glanced at the ravenous Zi Luo and the slowly chewing Chiyo beside him.

The teppanyaki chef worked deftly, the ingredients flipping under the spatula, making enticing sounds.

Oil was forced out by the high heat, and the aroma filled the small restaurant.

“Speaking of which, Lord Fourth Kazekage's speech was truly inspiring!” Zi Luo said indistinctly, chewing his meat, “Protect Sunagakure, forge the future! It made my blood boil! I can't wait to go patrol the border right now!”

Chiyo also nodded, a hint of longing in her expression: “Yes, Lord Rasa indeed has the charisma of a leader. The Village should get better and better under his hand.” Her voice softened, carrying anticipation for the future.

Tang Yan didn't respond directly, merely looking calmly at the sizzling grilled meat on the teppanyaki grill.

Rasa's era, I remember he seemed to be a part-time miner, causing permanent damage to the already barren land of the Land of Wind.

He ordered some more dishes.

“Eat more,” Tang Yan said to the other two, his voice calm, “Your training volume tomorrow will be doubled. Zi Luo, your hidden weapon techniques are still very lacking. If you practice seriously, haven’t you noticed that since you learned hidden weapon techniques, you also have long-range attack methods?”

Zi Luo's mouth, just stuffed with meat, instantly froze, and his face instantly fell, wailing: “Ah? Yan, boss, no way… It's a holiday…”

Chiyo, however, glared at Zi Luo and responded to Tang Yan: “Understood. Zi Luo, you just need to keep up with my progress.” She knew Tang Yan never spoke idly. Tang Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils sharp and piercing.