Good news: it seems I am a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths. Bad news: my "cheat" is homegrown.
Watching his mother, who was sensing the changes in her body's chakra with her eyes closed, Ryoto mused to himself. He didn't much believe in such things. The Inuzuka Clan could very well be descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. After all, all these ninja clans were related in one way or another, scattered across the five great villages, and their origins truly traced back to the Sage of Six Paths.
"If I become great and famous, when I tell my descendants about my life, I'll definitely have it written on my tombstone that I'm a descendant of some famous person. Even if I'm not of imperial lineage, I'll find some famous person with the same surname in history, choose them as an ancestor, make up a story, and somehow attach myself to their lineage. After all, so much time has passed, who's going to know the difference."
But his own "cheat" couldn't be related to the division of Chakra Seeds. There shouldn't be any connection. Besides, Ryoto had never heard of the division of Chakra Seeds enhancing another being's abilities and talents.
Although, wait, it had happened! The golden chakra pills that the Ōtsutsuki clan created at the cost of their own lives were, in essence, a kind of Chakra Seed as well. At this thought, Ryoto's expression darkened.
However, his "cheat" had the ability to copy a target's talents onto himself. And that was not a Chakra Seed.
I don't believe it!
"Astonishing..." Rin opened her eyes and looked at her hand. The skin on her palm stirred, then became covered in dense bristles that rippled like the surface of water.
The finest control over the body. What would happen if a person gained complete control over their body? Muscles, hormones, pores, internal organs, cells, bacteria, the brain, blood, energy, the biomagnetic field—a chain reaction of all these would lead to the development of many amazing abilities. For now, Ryoto and Smarty were only at a very primitive level. Supernatural five senses and chakra control were just side effects.
His "cheat" had another ability: it could bestow upon a target the abilities he himself possessed.
"So, it can not only enhance but also grant talent," Rin said. "Chakra Seeds are truly a marvelous thing."
No way! She was already convinced it was a Chakra Seed. Ryoto himself was beginning to have doubts.
"This conversation is over. Don't tell any outsiders about this," Rin said. "And now, I will teach you."
"Mother, that girl I met yesterday can also use Beast Calamity. And she has ninja cats."
"I saw," Rin replied. "That's the Kageyama Clan; they deal in information and weapons in the ninja world."
They seem very rich.
"And what do they have to do with us?"
"Nothing," Rin said. "That clan is an ancient ally of the Uchiha. During the Warring States Period, they, along with the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans, opposed the alliance of the Senju, Hyūga, and Kaguya clans."
I know that.
"With the founding of Konoha, the Senju and Uchiha made peace. The Kaguya Clan, unable to let go of the hatred born from generations of enmity, fled to the Village Hidden in the Mist in its entirety. The Hagoromo and Kageyama clans also refused to join Konoha."
"And what kind of clan is this Hagoromo?"
This clan was very mysterious; Ryoto knew little about it, but his mother seemed to be much better informed.
"The Hagoromo Clan specializes in using summoned beasts in battle," Rin explained. "Due to heavy losses in past wars, they have practically disappeared."
Ninja cats, ninja dogs, summoned ninja beasts, the division of Chakra Seeds... and she says there's no connection. They're definitely related! It's obvious that they are all descendants or disciples of that legendary person who first shared Chakra Seeds with beasts. Due to the differences in the animals they bonded with, an internal division occurred. The Sage of Six Paths is the progenitor of ninja, and this descendant of his is the progenitor of ninja beasts. The Hagoromo Clan are his direct descendants, true descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Are you sure there's no connection? But she can use Beast Calamity, and hers is bigger than yours," Ryoto pointed out.
"So what if it's bigger!" Rin smacked Ryoto on the head. "Beast Calamity is not some outstanding technique! It's as unremarkable as its foundation—the Four Legs Technique. The ninja world is full of those who can use it. And at the core of it all lies the simplest skill that every ninja possesses—releasing chakra."
"Walking on trees and water."
"You know about the Hyūga Clan, don't you?" Rin stood up, lightly tapped Ryoto on the shoulder, and continued, "The foundation of the Gentle Fist is releasing chakra through the points on the palms to strike."
Rin chuckled.
"They call it a secret technique, a treasure not passed on to outsiders, something a stranger cannot easily learn."
I can't move! Ryoto sat motionless, his mother's chakra having blocked his tenketsu. Rin lightly tapped his body again and sat back down.
"It's like borrowing hands for seals: you use your chakra to guide, control, or disrupt the flow of chakra in an opponent's body. And the reason it's so difficult for outsiders to learn lies in their eyes. The Hyūga Clan, with their Byakugan, can directly see the chakra pathways in the body. Every person's chakra flow frequency, intensity, and even direction, as well as the layout of their meridians and tenketsu, are slightly different. This requires an extremely powerful ability for instantaneous 'X-ray' vision. Guess how I see it."
"With your ears..." Ryoto's gaze fell on his mother's ears.
"Correct. I hear the sound of chakra flowing. All my life, I have listened to the voice of chakra. It's like a raging river: when the current is weak, when it's strong, when it hits reefs, when it passes through narrow points, when it's calm—the sounds are always different. It's as if the chakra is telling me what it's doing at that moment. And before me, repeating over and over, a complete map of its course is drawn."
Echolocation...
Sitting cross-legged with her cheek propped in her hand, Rin looked at Ryoto with a slight smirk.
"The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan is called the 'Insightful Eye' because it allows them to see the flow of chakra. That's why they can quickly memorize the general pattern of the 'chakra river's' flow—its direction, its layout—and instantly copy an opponent's techniques. I can do the same thing. By ear."
A monster!
It sounded simple, but Ryoto, possessing similar abilities himself, found it incredible.
"Since you are my son, don't focus only on developing your sense of smell and sight. Use your ears properly."
"Yes, Mother."
Lesson learned.
"Alright, let's start the training with the most basic thing."
Rin extended her hands, and chakra emerged from her palms.
"This is the beginning of all techniques—releasing chakra."
The chakra spread, covering her palms and reaching her forearms.
"This is the Four Legs Technique."
Rin continued to manipulate the chakra. It swirled on her hands and eventually took the form of two dog heads with bared fangs. Ryoto raised an eyebrow in surprise. That's Hinata's Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!
"This is shape transformation. And it is still the Four Legs Technique."
With a flash of fire, the dog heads instantly transformed into crimson flames that burned calmly on Rin's hands.
"And this is nature transformation. And it is still the Four Legs Technique."
"Watch closely..."
Rin thrust her hands forward, and the two fiery dog heads crashed into the dojo wall with a roar.
"And that is the Hyūga Clan's Mountain Crusher!"
Rin looked at Ryoto.
"So, do you understand now?"
What am I supposed to understand?
"Mom, you'd better explain it more clearly. I haven't read much, so I don't get it," Ryoto blinked.
Looking at her genius son, Rin was completely bewildered. He doesn't even understand this?
"Master one thing, and you master them all! In the end, so-called ninjutsu is just chakra control! The Four Legs Technique and Fang Over Fang are precisely for honing that foundation!"
Oh, you mean that. I know that.
Ryoto nodded.