Hyūga Clan

In the morning, Akuma woke up and began his daily chores at the orphanage. After finishing, he didn't head toward his usual training area—today was his free day. Instead, he made his way toward the Hyūga Clan's district. His plan was to lose the Anbu spies by passing through their territory, where the Anbu wouldn't be able to follow him. From there, he would head to his secret cave, a place he hadn't visited in four months. He had refrained from practicing Satsui no Hado all this time, unsure of how much stronger he had become. But today, he intended to find out. 

As always, Akuma walked with his hands in his pockets, slipping the Absolute Dimension Lock ring onto his finger. The moment he put it on, he immediately sensed the presence of Anbu silently trailing him. He had to admit—their tracking skills were impressive. Even with the ring's abilities, there were times when he struggled to detect them. They would seamlessly blend into shadows, transform into objects, or hide in corners, making it nearly impossible for even experienced ninja to spot them. Fortunately, Akuma possessed the ability to perceive everything around him, rendering their camouflage useless. 

Still, he pretended not to notice them and continued walking toward the Hyūga Clan's district. Usually, on weekends, he did odd jobs to earn money, so wandering around the village was a common routine. Even so, he made an effort to avoid crowds whenever possible. He neither wanted to cause trouble nor attract any unnecessary attention. 

Upon entering the Hyūga Clan's district, the Anbu operatives did not follow Akuma inside. He wandered around, observing the surroundings, until he stopped in front of the clan leader's massive estate. From the main gate, he spotted two girls walking out—Hinata Hyūga and her younger sister, Hanabi. 

From his past memories, Akuma recalled that Hinata was five years older than Hanabi, making Hanabi the same age as him. The sisters walked hand in hand, but Hinata lagged behind, her steps hesitant, as if unsure of taking the lead. In contrast, Hanabi strode forward with confidence. 

When Akuma's gaze met theirs, Hinata quickly averted her eyes, unwilling to make eye contact with a stranger. Hanabi, on the other hand, met his stare directly, showing none of her sister's shyness. Without a word, Akuma continued past them, quietly exploring the clan grounds. 

For more than fifteen minutes, he wandered, ensuring that the Anbu were no longer tailing him. Once certain, he began searching for a secluded spot. As he walked, he unexpectedly crossed paths with the sisters again—this time, one of them was holding a piece of candy. 

Akuma paid them no mind and continued walking, but a voice called out from behind him. 

"Excuse me, are you lost? You don't seem to be from the Hyūga Clan. Do you need help?" Hanabi asked from behind. 

Akuma glanced at them briefly, shook his head in response, and walked off. 

Seeing this, Hanabi leaned closer to Hinata and whispered, "Sister, I finally met someone as shy as you." 

Hearing that, Hinata's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She quickly grabbed her sister's hand, gently tugging her away before the boy could notice. 

After a few more moments, he finally found a quiet place to be alone. Then, from his pocket, he retrieved a special spray designed to suppress his scent for more than three hours. The spray had been expensive, but he considered it a worthwhile investment. Right now, it was exactly what he needed. 

After applying the spray, Akuma knew that not even tracking dogs or insects would be able to detect him by scent. With his precautions in place, he quietly left the village territory and headed toward his secret training cave. 

At the cave, Akuma sat down, closing his eyes as he focused on his Ki, channeling it throughout his body. Meditation had become a crucial part of his training, allowing him to refine his control and strengthen his body. Over the past year and four months of relentless practice, his mastery over Ki had grown exponentially. Now, he could manipulate it with both precision and power. 

Akuma slowly raised his fist, and instantly, flames erupted around his hand, flickering like a roaring blaze. The fire coiled around his knuckles as if his entire hand had been set ablaze. Then, with a sharp exhale, he thrust his fist forward. 

"BOOOOM!!" 

A deafening explosion shook the cave as fire burst outward, consuming everything in its immediate radius. The sheer impact of the strike caused the entire cave to tremble. Dust and loose rocks fell from the ceiling. When the flames finally subsided, the aftermath of his attack became clear—a massive crack had formed in the ground, stretching nearly fifteen feet across. The scorched earth bore evidence of the sheer destructive force he had unleashed. 

As Akuma surveyed the destruction around him, he took a moment to reflect on the nature of his Ki. One thing was clear—his Ki was far more versatile than he had ever realized. Through intense focus and precise channeling, he could momentarily alter its properties, transforming it into various elements. Fire, lightning, wind, water, and even earth—each could be manipulated and controlled by his mastery of Ki. What was more, his Ki was intricately tied to his emotions. The stronger his emotions, the more powerful his Ki became. 

In the Street Fighter universe, fighters enhance their attacks by tapping into various elements, with some even discovering ways to combine these forces, altering their effects. But just as every individual is unique, so is their Ki. Some fighters have the ability to access elements that don't exist in nature, unlocking abilities that are entirely their own, pushing the limits of what is possible. 

But Akuma could only sustain these elemental transformations for brief moments. If he tried to maintain them for longer than two seconds, his control over Ki would begin to waver, making it increasingly difficult to manage. The complexity of using his Ki in multiple ways at once was overwhelming. Strengthening his body, focusing Ki into his fists, and simultaneously converting it into an element—juggling all three at once required an immense level of precision. 

Because of this, Akuma only used elemental enhancements in bursts, primarily when striking an opponent. A single, well-timed punch infused with fire or lightning could maximize damage without compromising his control. For now, mastering this balance was his top priority. 

From his own experiments over the years, he learned that the elements he controlled best were lightning and fire, the same as Akuma from Street Fighter. 

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If we reach 100 stones, I'll reward you all with a bonus chapter!