Chapter 28: Unlocking the Ren Mai – A Major Breakthrough

An Urge from Within

The sky was still pitch dark.

Inside his shabby lodging, Satoru sat cross-legged in meditation, his breathing steady and slow.

Normally, he could only sense a faint trickle of chakra within his body, but tonight…

Something was different.

From deep within, he felt an urging force.

He didn't know why, but it was as if a vast river of chakra was trying to flow.

Yet…

It was obstructed.

"What is this?"

Focusing intently, he slowly traced the flow of his chakra.

Immediately—

He sensed a 'mountain' blocking the pathway in his frontal meridian, preventing the energy from circulating properly.

His eyes narrowed.

"The Ren Mai?"

---

**Breaking the Barrier**

The medicinal effects of the celestial pill he had consumed the previous night had fully integrated.

Yet instead of dispersing, they had accumulated at this blockade in his meridians, seemingly on the verge of erupting but being held back.

"If I can just break through…"

He tensed his body slightly, adjusted his breathing, and focused all his willpower on the blockage.

At that moment…

The world became eerily silent.

No chirping of insects.

No rustling wind through the cracks in the door.

Even his heartbeat seemed to slow.

Then—

*BOOM!*

A thunderous roar echoed within him—not externally, but as a reverberation in his inner world.

The mountain was shattered.

The Ren Mai was unblocked.

Instantly, his chakra surged forward, flowing through his frontal meridian like a dam bursting open, releasing the pressure that had been contained for so long.

Satoru's eyes snapped open, sharper than ever before.

He took a deep breath, feeling as if his entire body had been reborn.

---

**Testing His New Power**

He couldn't wait any longer.

Flipping himself off the bed, he sprang up, full of excitement.

Rushing to the backyard, he inhaled deeply, sensing the changes.

Everything… felt clearer.

His hearing had sharpened—he could make out the faint sound of insects rubbing their wings together in the nearby grass.

His vision was keener—he could see the precise motion of falling leaves as if in slow motion.

His body felt lighter, his reflexes slightly faster.

It wasn't an overwhelming surge in strength, but it was undeniably a critical breakthrough.

He narrowed his eyes, feeling the fresh chakra flow through him, and carefully channeled a small amount—

A completely different sensation from before.

His chakra reserves hadn't grown substantially, but…

They were more refined.

The quality of his chakra had clearly improved, making ninjutsu execution smoother.

To test it, he formed a simple hand seal.

"Fire Style – Fireball Jutsu."

*Fwoosh!*

A fireball slowly took shape in front of him, but this time…

It was far hotter than before.

Previously, his flames could barely scorch a tree trunk. But now…

He could feel the heatwave surging outward, instantly charring the grass beneath his feet as soon as the flames burst forth.

"So the Ren Mai directly affects chakra quality…"

"No wonder high-level shinobi can fight for prolonged periods, while lower-ranked ones burn out after a few techniques."

He smirked, feeling himself step closer to true strength.

---

**A Hidden Observer**

At that moment—

*Ting!*

A notification from the system rang in his head.

[Satoru, since you didn't whine about buffs for once, I'll give you a hint.]

[All of your recent actions… are being watched by a certain pair of eyes.]

Satoru: "…???"

His entire body tensed.

A cold shiver ran down his spine, from his neck to his heels.

His instincts screamed at him.

Someone was watching him.

He swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, but…

That eerie sensation didn't fade.

---

**System Shop… and a Price That Could Make One Cry**

Without hesitation, Satoru turned back into his house, feigning nonchalance.

But inside—

His mind was racing.

"Who is watching me? Hokage? Danzo? Root?"

"Or… something beyond my control?"

He didn't dare keep guessing. The only thing he knew for sure—he needed to grow stronger immediately.

So…

He opened the system shop.

A virtual interface appeared before him, and he quickly scrolled to find the next level of Observation Haki.

When he saw the price…

He fell silent.

5,000 points.

He said nothing.

Not because he didn't want to.

But because he *couldn't.*

After a long pause—

He let out an exhausted sigh and closed the shop.

---

**A Big Step Forward – But a Long Road Ahead**

Regardless of who was watching him, regardless of what the future held…

He had to keep moving forward.

Satoru sat back down, took a deep breath, and resumed his meditation.

Tonight, he had unlocked his Ren Mai.

But…

This was only the first step.

The path to true strength, to becoming a genuine powerhouse, was still a long one.

And he wouldn't stop.