Chapter 14: The Spark of Lightning
"What is it?" D asked, finally looking up, sensing her hesitation.
"Nothing," Samui said, the words dying on her lips as an image of her younger brother's smiling face flashed in her mind. She bowed slightly. "It's of no consequence."
She turned and walked out of the secret room, the heavy door sliding shut behind her. She had almost confessed everything. But telling D and the higher-ups wouldn't change the core issue. The problem wasn't the specific sentence she had uttered; the problem was that Yotsuki Takumi had found a lever and was willing to use it. Even without that particular slip, he would have found another excuse. The essence of the situation was that he was unsatisfied with the current offering and was demanding more. And the powers in Kumo, within reason, would inevitably give in, step by step, to secure his prized bloodline.
And if, one day, Takumi did genuinely return to Kumogakure, her recorded "casual observation" would remain as a political stain, a mark of disloyalty. It would not only limit her own advancement but also cast a shadow over her brother's future. Omoi was just starting his shinobi career, his path still bright and full of potential.
A wave of irritable melancholy washed over Samui. Why had she been put in charge of handling Yotsuki Takumi? Simply because he had, for whatever reason, fixed his unsettling gaze upon her.
Uchiha Compound, Takumi's Residence
Moonlight streamed into the sparse courtyard as Takumi slid the paper door shut behind him. In his hands, he held two ninjutsu scrolls. The effects of [Textual Comprehension] and [Rote Memorization] allowed him to quickly decipher the dense script and commit the contents to memory. He had already memorized the 'Lightning Release: Lightning Finger' technique from his first encounter, but he had yet to practice it. This marked his first foray into actively molding Lightning Release chakra.
For the past six days, his focus had been on mastering the foundational E-rank exercises. The grueling tree-climbing practice, accelerated by his [Muscle Memory] entry, had given him the baseline chakra control necessary to attempt genuine ninjutsu. The next step in his curriculum would be transitioning from tree-walking to water-walking.
Settling into a meditative posture, Takumi began to draw forth the energy within his cells. Strands of raw chakra, a mix of physical and spiritual energy, flowed through his network of chakra pathways. All ninjutsu, no matter how simple or complex, were driven by this fundamental force. Even the purely physical Eight Gates Formation required chakra to initiate and sustain. The very "stamina" a shinobi possessed was, in essence, unshaped chakra waiting to be converted. When a shinobi died from chakra exhaustion, it was because this life energy itself had been utterly depleted.
He extended the index and middle fingers of his right hand, focusing his will on transforming the neutral chakra into the sharp, vibrant nature of Lightning. His natural affinities—Lightning, Fire, Yin, and Yang—gave him an inherent advantage in this endeavor.
A faint, prickling sensation began at his fingertips as a weak electrical current sparked to life, diffusing into the muscle tissue beneath the skin. A dull numbness followed. Takumi gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort as he carefully maintained the precise flow of chakra.
He didn't know how long he sat there, the night silent save for the rustling of leaves in the courtyard. Then, the familiar, silent chime resonated in his mind.
[Entry: Novice Lightning Practitioner (Novice) - ACQUIRED.]
[Effect: Your proficiency with Lightning Release chakra nature transformation is increased by 10%.]
[Note: This skill is capable of further evolution.]
[Advancement Route 1: Integrate [Muscle Memory (Novice)] and [Robust Physique (Novice)] to advance to [Lightning Release Specialist (Adept)].]
Takumi processed the information. So, this was how advancement worked. The system would reveal the path forward once he met most of the prerequisites. The "Novice" designation clearly matched his current level—a student, an apprentice in the truest sense.
"Robust Physique…" he murmured, looking down at his arms, which were indeed showing more definition than a month ago. "That entry must be related to continuous physical conditioning."
A 10% increase in talent from a novice-tier entry was significant. The boost from an adept-tier entry would likely be far greater.
After a short break, he unsealed the second scroll. 'Lightunder Release: Lightning Finger' was a straightforward offensive technique; success was simply a matter of activation. He decided to focus his efforts on the second jutsu, the one designed to fortify his body directly—'Lightning Release: Iron Fortress'.
A shinobi's power with any given technique wasn't static. Deeper understanding and higher proficiency allowed them to draw out vastly greater effects. The difference between Sasuke's first, feeble Great Fireball and the devastating inferno he could later create was a perfect example.
"Alright," Takumi whispered to the silent room, his resolve firm. "Let's begin practicing Lightning Release: Iron Fortress."
Hokage Tower
"Hiruzen, Uchiha Takumi must be placed under constant surveillance," Shimura Danzo stated, his voice leaving no room for argument.
It had been over a month since the Uchiha patrol had discovered the boy and brought him to Konoha. The initial investigation into his background was concluding.
"Danzo, didn't you already dispatch one of Root's finest infiltrators to assess him?" Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, not looking up from the mission report he was reviewing. He tapped his pipe against an ashtray, sending a plume of smoke into the air that gradually filled the office.
Danzo's frown deepened. According to the intelligence gathered by Yakushi Nono, who was expert at reading micro-expressions and subtle tells, the boy showed no signs of being a trained spy. He had committed no overt acts against Konoha. But that wasn't enough for Danzo.
Not being a spy does not mean he possesses the Will of Fire, Danzo thought bitterly. An Uchiha, inherently prone to emotional extremes, now mixed with the savage blood of Kumo bandits? What kind of monster will he become? Such an unstable variable needed to be controlled at the source, its potential for chaos neutralized before it could ever sprout.
"Hiruzen, give the boy to me," Danzo insisted. "I will cleanse him of his past. I will remake him into a loyal shinobi of Konoha, from the foundation up."
"No," Hiruzen said, his refusal immediate and final. He finally looked up, his aged eyes firm. "The relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village is delicate enough as it is. This would only breed resentment and discontent."
As a veteran of the First and Second Great Shinobi Wars, Hiruzen could smell the storm brewing on the horizon. Kumogakure was amassing its military, its expansionist ambitions barely concealed. Konoha had enjoyed only a few short years of recovery. If war broke out again, he feared it would be more brutal than any that had come before. He could not afford to alienate the Uchiha now; their combat prowess was a cornerstone of the village's defense.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo's voice rose, sharp with frustration.
"That is enough, Danzo!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice carried the full, uncompromising authority of the Hokage. He set his pipe down with a definitive click. "I have made my decision. The subject is closed."
In his heart, Hiruzen knew that Danzo's perspective was, as always, fatally narrow.
(End of Chapter)