Rite of Passage
A few days after the 'Kaori Incident', I found myself sneaking into a relatively unused training ground near the outskirts of the village. It was an area near the now abandoned Uchiha Clan compound which was now left desolate of any human presence other than Sasuke's.
The training ground which had been located within the territory of the Uchiha Clan was demarcated as a restricted area – more out of courtesy and respect for the last Uchiha rather than any purposes of formal bureaucracy.
Now only Sasuke ever entered the forested area, and only rarely from my observations. Right now he should be going through some taijutsu katas by himself in his family dojo. If there was one thing the boy followed, it was a rigid, self-imposed training schedule fuelled by his thirst for strength and vengeance.
Hence, I was taking advantage of his absence to adopt the training ground for my own use. I had several reasons behind this decision.
Recently, I had been experimenting with the possibilities of [Power Strike]. It was a skill that had automatically been created upon the completion of a quest, and thus I never had to learn the inner workings and chakra manipulation behind the underlying processes of the technique.
However, the energy needed to fuel the skill didn't come from nowhere. It was powered by my own chakra pool, evidenced by the fact that my CP would reduce whenever I used the skill. Just that whenever I gave a mental command, my chakra moved automatically without any need for me to personally manoeuvre the energy to unleash it.
However, through repeated usage, either in mock duels with other students or grinding the skill to level it up on my own, I became more and more familiar with the movement of the chakra that occurred when I activated the skill. After a few tries, I was able to slowly replicate how the chakra moved through my chakra pathways.
It came to the point where I no longer needed to even give a mental command and was able to naturally form the chakra behind an attack that gave it its devastating outcome. I was able to truly call the technique my own, rather than just a skill I could only use with the aid of the gamer system.
However, this got me thinking about the fundamental mechanisms of [Power Strike]. The written description of the skill only stated that at level 5, it was able to "increase the damage dealt by my next physical attack by 100%". In short, I could double the power behind any physical attack with just 80 CP, and by the time it was max level, it would triple the power – an oddly high efficiency to cost ratio.
So I tried to push the limits of what physical attack meant. So far I had discovered that any body part when used for an attack could receive the buff. Even if it was a finger flick or a headbutt. Next, using a weapon also counted as a physical attack, although the chakra was being channelled to my arms rather than into the weapon. But that also meant that throwing said weapon did not receive the double damage effect, only increasing its momentum and speed when thrown.
And then, during a meditation session, I had a thought. What if when I channelled the chakra needed for [Power Strike], but instead of using just 80 CP worth of chakra, I injected double or even triple the amount? Would that correspondingly double or triple its effects?
So I tested it out. Long story short? It didn't work. The excess chakra pumped into the technique dissipated into the air upon releasing an attack. I conjectured the possibility that my chakra control wasn't currently enough to properly multiply its effects in such a manner. It was probably through a similar method that let Tsunade wield the superhuman strength she displayed.
Okay fine, I couldn't multiply its effects even after using more chakra. But, what if instead of releasing the stored up chakra with an attack, I accumulated the energy into certain body parts to maintain a constant flow of chakra to enhance my strength for a period of time rather than just a one-time effect?
Again, I tested it out. Long story short? It… kinda worked? I was successful in holding on to the chakra in my arm without releasing the stored up energy for my attack, but instead of a sustained enhancement of my physical capabilities, the accumulated chakra simply stagnated uselessly, waiting for me to unleash it.
The force dealt with the accumulated chakra in my arm was no different than an attack without it unless I released the chakra within, which only repeated the effects of a regular [Power Strike].
From what we have been taught in the Shinobi Academy, as well as bits and pieces of information here and there I was able to pick up, all shinobi consciously or unconsciously enhanced their physical capabilities to perform the superhuman feats we were so used to seeing.
That was the reason why even the academy students in training had abilities that surpassed grown men; allowing them to jump higher, run across tree tops without issue and hit harder too.
The subconscious enhancement naturally occurred when shinobi consistently developed their chakra pathways as they trained from a young age. The quality and quantity of the chakra flowing through these pathways would thus increase with added training as they aged.
Thus, even when I was not actively using chakra to bolster my movement, I was still able to perform far greater feats than the civilians without any shinobi training at all.
However, what I wanted was advance to the next level of chakra enhancement – which was to consciously focus chakra into different parts of the body to reinforce my muscles that would make me even stronger, faster and tougher than usual.
Focusing chakra into my legs and feet would let me run faster or jump higher, while focusing chakra into my arms would let me hit harder or block heavier attacks without issue.
I had read that the physical development of a body would allow for more chakra that I could safely focus within my limbs, since better trained muscles would be more capable of withstanding the additional energy and the force it exerts.
It was possible that my 8 year old physique was currently not strong enough to maintain the accumulated chakra, but without proper guidance from an actual teacher, I couldn't be sure. I could just be doing it all wrong for all I knew.
Hence, for now, I had to shelve this particular experimentation with chakra enhancement until I acquired more information about the technique. Even with my [Gamer's Body], I still wanted to avoid hurting myself with reckless experimentation of chakra that could ruin a tenketsu.
Speaking of reckless experimentation of chakra that could ruin a tenketsu, I also tried to replicate the effects of a Shunshin; the body flicker technique that would allow the user to move a short distance extremely quickly to the point where it would look like teleportation to the untrained eye.
Instead of releasing the gathered chakra as an attack, I wanted to unleash it from my feet as I was stepping off the ground to somehow push me forward rapidly. This would allow me to move in a burst of speed using [Power Strike] not as an attack but as a movement technique.
The difference between what I was trying out and the traditional movement technique was that Shunshin is accomplished by channelling an absurd amount of chakra into the leg muscles for a brief moment of time to temporarily vitalize the body and move at extreme speeds. But only for a split second as any longer would see the muscles torn.
So once again, I tested it out. Long story short? HAH! It was a success, BABY!
It took a few hours, and more than a few bruised bones as a result of crashing into the ground or into the trees, but somehow or another, I was able to create a new skill. Initially, all I did was dig out large chucks of soil whenever I released the chakra through the soles of my feet.
After a while, I was able to adjust the circulation of the chakra and the speed of the output, along with fine tuning the amount of chakra needed without blowing up the dirt beneath me.
For some time, all I accomplished was creating a tiny explosion of chakra between the soles of my sandals and the earth underneath which sent me flying at whatever direction I had been facing at the time.
However, with some more refinement of the technique, I was able to successfully push myself off the ground in a burst of speed that was more controlled than before. I barely had time to celebrate my first successful attempt before a notification popped up.
[Through repeated actions, you have created a new skill! ]
[[Flash Step] has been added to your skill page!]
[Through continuous training, you have gained +1 DEX!]
[Flash Step] (Active) LVL: 1
CP Cost: 100
When used, allows for high speed movement up to a range of 5 metres
Improved proficiency in the ability increases speed and range of movement
I couldn't help but grin stupidly with a successful experimentation at long last. I immediately tried out the new skill repeatedly, hoping to familiarize myself with the new skill.
However, I found out the hard way that there was an unintended side effect for using the skill multiple times in a row consecutively and without rest.
After the fifth or sixth consecutive use of [Flash Step] that saw me speeding around the thankfully empty training ground, I suddenly felt excruciating pain in my right calf before collapsing with a muffled scream while clutching my leg.
-782 HP!
IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS
The blinding pain was all I could think about for a few seconds as I lay in a fetal position on the ground, holding on to my right leg while screaming into my shirt. But it was only for that few seconds as a refreshing cleansing effect from [Gamer's Mind] cleared my head of the distraction.
Being able to focus better now, I looked down and saw blood pouring out of the pores of my calf. There looked to be no outward damage on the surface of my skin, but the unbearable pain told me otherwise. The damage must have been internal. It didn't feel like a torn muscle, that I had been through before and was incomparable to what I was feeling now.
Even now I could feel the pain shooting through my body like someone was digging a rusty knife into my leg, twisting and mangling the nerves and strands of muscles. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. A pain that could hardly be described with words.
But thankfully, probably with the aid of [Gamer's Body], the pain was slowly receding, but it still dully throbbed, echoing throughout my body. Which was bizarre, since [Gamer's Body] usually only used pain as an indication that I had taken damage, and only for a few moments before dissipating completely.
I called out my status to see what was happening to me.
On my status page, I saw that I currently only had a little over 1700 HP from my maximum of what had been 2500 but was now inexplicably sitting at 2100 instead. Next to my HP bar was my current HP regeneration rate at 34.5/min. Which meant it was going to take me around 11 minutes or so to fully recover the lost HP.
I was confused at exactly what had just happened until I saw that underneath my stats, I had a new status effect [Ruptured Muscles]. How the hell did I get that? I was only practicing my newly acquired skill when… oh.
I pulled up my skill page once more to check out the skill, only to see a new addition to the skill description that hadn't been there before.
[Flash Step] (Active) LVL: 1
CP Cost: 100
When used, allows for high speed movement up to a range of 5 metres
Improved proficiency in the ability increases speed and range of movement
*Consecutive usage at current skill and physical stat level will cause [Ruptured Muscles] status debuff*
Oh that's just brilliant. Excellent timing, system. Thanks.
The [Ruptured Muscles] permanently reduced my max HP by 400, reduced my movement speed by 80%, and would emit a throbbing pain until the status debuff was removed. Fortunately, it should be removed after a good night's rest in a bed, but until then I was stuck with it.
I breathed out in frustration. Looks like any further physical training would have to be postponed until I recovered fully.
From the position of the sun I was able to guesstimate that it was an hour or so until evening, something I learned to do in the Shinobi Academy. I had some time left until I needed to leave the training ground so I might as well put it to good use.
Since physical training was out, I decided to try out the new jutsu that I had received as a reward from the [Kaori's Secret] quest – Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu, the great fireball technique. I had read through the scroll in the privacy of my apartment, and after some time I was able to familiarize myself with the mechanics of the jutsu. After memorizing the hand seals needed and understanding the movement of the chakra which said hand seals would guide, the skill for it was created.
What was different about the new skill was that there was no set chakra cost needed for the activation of the technique. Instead, the size, strength and range of the fireball depended on the amount of chakra pumped in. And as the skill level progressed, less chakra would be needed to achieve the same results as before.
Functionally, it was simple enough: gather chakra in the chest and knead it, before pushing it into a mouth and expelling it out, turning it into fire to exhale out a large stream of fire that formed into a flaming sphere. It was a C-ranked, fire release technique popularized by the Uchiha Clan.
I picked myself up, wiping off the blood that had been excreted from when I ruptured my muscles. I thought to myself that I really needed to experiment with [Flash Step] and find out its limits. Such as how long in between uses would be considered safe, or how long after five consecutive uses until the 'cooldown' was refreshed.
I ambled slowly towards the nearby lake, every step sending a sharp pain up my right leg, to try out for the first time the jutsu I had learned without leaving any large patches of burnt grass. It was fitting that I would be trying out the jutsu treated as a rite of passage into adulthood for the Uchiha clan for the first in an Uchiha training ground. I was technically half Uchiha after all.
I looked out at the small lake and took in the smell of damp moss and the comforting sounds of the forest.
Putting my hands together, I formed the hand seals necessary for guiding the chakra into my chest and out of my mouth. If I had to be honest, I was truly excited for this moment. It would be the first time I ever used a "real" jutsu that I had only ever seen on screen, and it was the great fireball technique at that. This was definitely every man's romance if they had grown up watching Naruto.
Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.
"Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!"
I pushed and expelled the accumulated chakra out of my mouth and breathed out a stream of orange-yellow flames that soared out, forming a large sphere of fire that was hot enough to cause the surface of the water to fizzle and steam. The fireball flew into the lake but the flames holding the spherical shape scattered before impacting the waters.
I had injected an estimated 300 CP worth of chakra into the technique, and it was apparent that it wasn't enough to form a truly destructive fireball. Thankfully too, since I didn't want to cause any large commotion out here in a restricted area.
Wiping away a bead of sweat, I gazed appreciatively and let the hot air that still remained wash over my body. For some reason, I truly did feel the solemnity of the occasion. I had performed the Uchiha Clan's signature Katon technique, going through the clan's rite of passage. And could now be officially, or unofficially at least, recognized as an adult of the Uchiha Clan. The feeling was truly remarkable.
[Congratulations! You have undergone the Uchiha Clan's coming of age rite by successfully performing their rite of passage technique for the first time!]
You have earned the title [Uchiha Clan Member]
You have earned the perk [Natural Fire Affinity]
You have unlocked the skill [Sharingan]
Uh… wait what?