Noticing the reactions of everyone present, Nobu was seized by the sudden urge to punch himself in the face. Unfortunately, this was the only thing he could think of in this particular instance thanks to his brain basically shutting off.
Taking advantage of the fact she was the closest person to Nobu's current position, the little girl in the center of the group, possessing peculiar teal hair and pupilless orange eyes, immediately raised her hand and replied, "I'll do it! I'll be your friend! P-Please pick me...!"
Though the girl had forced a radiant smile, she was unable to conceal the desperation in her tone as she fumbled her request. This caused her to pale considerably, and, though she did her best to restrain actual tears, a fair layer of moisture began to build across and at the corners of her eyes.
Feeling a sensation akin to physical pain in his chest, Nobu inadvertently exacerbated the situation by wincing. This caused the little girl to begin sniffling, something the other two girls immediately attempted to capitalize on by volunteering their own friendship.
Frightening all three girls, Nobu hung his head and began before massaging it with his left hand. At the same time, he quickly navigated to his Friends List using his right thumb, the pupils of his eyes contracting momentarily before dilating quite a bit as a sensation he could only describe as relief washed over his buzzing mind.
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[Yoshitsune Midori] would like to add you as a friend. (1493AU)
[Yoshitsune Satchiko] would like to add you as a friend. (1362AU)
[Yoshitsune Nariko] would like to add you as a friend. (1411AU)
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Thinking a bit more clearly now, the frown on Nobu's face turn to genuine annoyance as he noticed that the girls actually had enough Aura to advanced to the Realm of Copper Trainee. This conflicted with what Kumiko had told him, so, after a brief pause, Nobu looked towards the woman who had escorted them, asking, "Why haven't these girls been promoted to Copper...?"
Raising her brows ever so slightly, the woman, Yoshitsune Kiara, answered, "Each of these girls has been given numerous chances to advance to the Realm of Copper Trainee. Unfortunately, their base simply wasn't high enough."
Furrowing his brows even further, Nobu unhesitantly replied, "That's bullshit. The girl with the green hair is almost halfway to the Second Rank. You're telling me that isn't enough to break into Copper? Are you fucking kidding me...?"
Showing a slightly offended look, Kiara did her best to sound calm as she explained, "That is what we believed as well. However, even after absorbing the essence of more than 300kg of Copper ore, Midori was unable to advance. Her mother and elder sister didn't have any issues and we've already investigated her father's ancestry as comprehensively as possible. She also lacks the Divine Energy of Inari Okami-sama so the most reasonable explanation is that she simply lacks the aura necessary to advance..."
Though he wanted to punch the woman in the face, Nobu managed to calm down after reminding himself that the only reason he knew the girls' exact cultivations bases was thanks to his cheat. This was a boon others lacked so he couldn't really blame them for their inability to sense something he required a tool to detect.
Ignoring the strange looks he received, Nobu held up the stone tablet and activated the camera function. He reasoned that it shouldn't cost nearly as much to analyze them as it did someone like Yui, so, hoping to learn something useful, he took a photo of the green-haired girl and spend 308 Aura for a comprehensive analysis...
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Name: Yoshitsune Midori
Age: 8
Gender: Female, H:124.3cm, W: 24.9kg, B: 59.2cm, W: 46.4cm, H: 62.7cm
Blood Type: O-
Cultivation: N/A
Aura Units: 1375/1493
Status: Cursed(+), Natural Jade Body(+), Confusion(+), Fear(+)
-Cursed by the Goddess Inari Okami: Probably of bearing daughters increased to 99.5%. Life expectancy drastically reduced.
-Natural Jade Body: A rare constitution that makes the user immune to most diseases by preventing the absorption of detrimental or impure materials.
-Confusion: Has very little understanding of the current situation.
-Fear: She thinks you are going to eat her.
Main Hand: Right, Ambidextrous
Preferred Weapon: Chain Sickle, Hoe, Fists
Strengths: Increased Natural Regeneration, Immunity to Disease, Affinity with Plants and Animals
Weakness: Crybaby, Weak Bladder, Airheaded
Orientation: No Preference
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Preferred Position: Enjoys Hugging
Favorite Food: Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Onigiri, Manju, Dango
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Though there was a fair amount of information he didn't want or need to know, the (+) symbols next to Midori's statuses provided the answer Nobu was looking for. To confirm this, he shifted his attention back to Kiara, asking, "You said you used copper ore? You didn't try using anything with a higher purity?"
Shaking her head, Kiara explained, "Only trainees who show considerable promise are provided with such valuable resources. The raw materials become completely inert after the fact so we cannot risk wasting them on people who have shown little to no talent..."
Resisting the almost overwhelming urge to throw the stone tablet at the woman's face, Nobu just shook his head and said, "Whatever. I'm taking these three with me to meet the Matriarch. If there are no issues, I'll have someone send the money over later this evening."
Though her eyes widened when she heard Nobu mentioned the Matriarch, Kiara managed to bow her head the moment he finished speaking. She hadn't been made aware of his identity but Kumiko had come to her with the Information Elder's seal. This demonstrated he had a remarkable position, so, rather than press him to pay upfront, she had someone retrieve the trio's personal effects before seeing the group off with a smile...
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After a return trip that was even more awkward than his first ascent up the mountain, Nobu was only made to wait twenty minutes before being granted an audience with Hitomi. This ended up taking place in the same room as their first meeting. She also wore the exact same outfit, so, for a brief moment, Nobu felt as though he had stepped backward in time until the silver-haired woman offered him a cup of tea and asked, "So? What's this about? I was told you had something of great importance to discuss. Tell me, what great matter have you uncovered in the nineteen hours since your arrival? Color me curious."
Though he had been thinking about what he was going to say throughout his wait, Nobu hesitated when pressed for answers. He would be taking a big risk by revealing things like this early on, but, believing the Matriarch was already in on a number of his secrets, he explained, "You already know about my strange cultivation method, right?"
Seeing Hitomi nod her head, Nobu went on to explain, "Well, I also possess the ability to analyze people, places, and things at the expense of my aura. I'm still figuring out how it works, but I just confirmed I can use it to analyze people weaker than me when I went down the mountain."
Raising her brows ever so slightly, Hitomi resisted the urge to silently sip her tea. Instead, she placed it down on the table, leaning forward slightly as she said, "Go on..." in an audibly intrigued tone.
Though he didn't realize he had done it, Nobu instinctually leaned away from Hitomi, a look of aversion on his face as he said, "The three girls I brought back with me possess more than enough Aura to advance to the First Realm. They just possess constitutions or affinities that make it difficult for them to practice the Metal Infusion Technique. I've only performed a detailed analysis on the girl named Midori, but she possesses something called the Natural Jade Body. It-"
Stopping Nobu before he could finish speaking, Hitomi displayed an expression of genuine surprise as she asked, "Natural Jade Body? Are you absolutely certain...?"
Nodding his head, Nobu was about to explain further when Hitomi promptly raised her fingers and began flaring her aura. Moments later, a blonde-haired kunoichi garbed in brilliant orange clothing, completely unsuited to stealth, appeared out of thin air. Before she could even complete the usual formalities, Hitomi beat her to the punch, ordering, "Bring over the trainee named Midori and have someone retrieve 100kgs of our purest copper. Make haste."
The moment Hitomi finished, the blonde-haired kunoichi disappeared in a yellow flash. It was only after this that Hitomi sat back, visibly pleased as she explained, "If what you stated is the truth, that girl called Midori will doubtlessly become one of the most important members of our Clan once she reaches maturity. The Natural Jade Body is an incredibly rare constitution that provides immunity to most poisons, toxins, and even diseases. It is one of the most highly sought-after bloodlines among both Noble and shinobi clans. After all, immunity to illnesses is quite an enviable trait to possess..."
Frowning in response to Hitomi's words, Nobu was starting to feel like he had just royally screwed over the young Midori. Fortunately, this didn't seem to be the case as Hitomi promptly giggled and explained, "You have nothing to worry about, Waka-chan. Midori would have been discarded were it not for your sudden interest in investigating our clan's failed products. We can't let her leave the village but she will remain your property until you either discard her or sell her back to the Clan. As for the matter of her descendants...well, that is something we will discuss once she has matured. For now, it is more than enough knowing you possess such a unique ability. I believe we may have just discovered how you can best contribute to the clan..."
Though he wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of being granted ownership of an eight-year-old girl, Nobu ultimately nodded his head in response to Hitomi's words. He didn't really have any reason to support his claims, but he believed she was a hell of a lot safer in his hands than with the Yoshitsune Clan. Given what he had learned about them thus far, it wasn't difficult to imagine them turning Midori into a broodmare the moment she had her first period. The only alternative he could think of was them selling her off to one of the Noble Clans, a fate that was bound to reflect the one she would experience back in the village...
Seeing through Nobu's thoughts, Hitomi adopted a discernibly flat tone as she explained, "Waka-chan...I understand your apprehensions, but have you considered what might happen if you start concealing the information related to the people you'll be analyzing? If there isn't a reason behind why the girls are unable to advance to the First Realm, I'm afraid they will have to be discarded...not all lives have the same value, Waka-chan. If everyone was provided with the same opportunities and resources as everyone else, the world will simply run out. Before that, excess and waste will result in the corruption and stagnation of society. This is the most important lesson we have inherited from the Progenitors who survived the Age of the Gods. Thus, while your thoughts are undeniably noble, history has proven, time and again, that such ideologies only lead to destruction..."
Clenching both his hands and teeth, Nobu wanted to refute Hitomi's words, but, no matter how he thought about it, she was right. His home country of The United States of America was perhaps one of the best examples of this truth. They were one of the wealthiest and most prosperous countries in the entire world yet the people were always dissatisfied and wanting more. Hell, they were even on the verge of an environmental crisis that threatened the very survival of humanity yet, as high up the ladder as the United States Senate, there were still asshats denying the very existence of global warming...
With thoughts like this waging war within his mind, Nobu found himself, once again, massaging his forehead. This was something he had rarely done back on Earth, yet, ever since his reincarnation, he found himself doing it upwards of ten times a day. He had never been this stressed out before, and, based on how things were going, it was only going to get worse until he began accepting things at face value or became strong enough to force the change he wished to see in the world...
"Fuck my life..."
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(A/N: Power, wealth, and time...)