Moonlight flowed like water along the eaves of the Uchiha compound.
Seated cross-legged at the center of his bed, Uchiha Jin let the pale light fall through the lattice and dapple his face.
He closed his eyes, breath growing long and even, and sank his mind into the sealed domain.
Since awakening his Sharingan and discovering the Holy Master within, nightly meditation had become routine.
Mist drifted in the dim space, its edges hazy and uncertain.
A vast crimson gate split the world in two, the Holy Master's ferocious dragon statue looming behind the bars.
Magic pulled from the Holy Master had become a surging black haze, circling above like a living thing, at times coalescing into a savage dragon, at times scattering into endless smoke.
"Brat!" The Holy Master's roar rolled through the space, the scarlet dragon eyes blazing with fury.
Ignoring the raging across the bars, Jin lifted a hand. A wisp of black vapor fell to his palm as if summoned.
He absorbed it as usual. Warm power raced through his body, then he began the true work of the night: ninjutsu training.
The Academy's lessons meant little to him now. Chunin instructors could only teach so much theory about chakra and jutsu.
Basic arts like the Three Techniques he had already mastered.
Tonight he was tackling what the Academy never touched: high-level ninjutsu involving chakra nature transformation.
Ox - Hare - Monkey.
His fingers flashed through seals, and chakra roared to life.
He raised his right arm, fingers spread like a claw. Threads of lightning danced at his fingertips.
As chakra gathered, the glare grew fierce.
ZZZZT...
The chirping of a thousand birds echoed through the space, and harsh light flooded the seal.
Jin's right hand trembled under the surge. He caught his wrist with his left to steady the flow.
With his Sharingan fully open he could see every strand of chakra, guiding the dangerous technique into form with pinpoint control.
"Lightning Release - Chidori."
With a low murmur, the raging current compressed at last into his grasp.
Lightning pooled in his hand, and framed by the Holy Master's statue he cut the figure of a young god.
He lifted his right hand, admiring the A-rank jutsu he had perfectly reconstructed.
Dazzling arcs leaped like a living thunderbird, ready to strike.
Created by Kakashi, this jutsu seemed tailored for the Sharingan.
A blinding thrust paired with dynamic vision could pierce an enemy in an instant.
More importantly, the design had immense room for growth, spawning countless variations.
The brief thrill faded, and Jin released the lightning.
Sparks drifted like fireflies, then vanished.
"Still not perfect," he murmured.
As it stood, Chidori was only A-rank. It was far from the refined S-rank Raikiri that could cleave falling thunder once nature transformation reached its peak.
Sasuke's Chidori Stream in his memories was also worth studying.
Freely shaping Lightning Release to suit the fight, building distinct modes on the fly, that path held real promise.
He replayed the ways Kakashi and Sasuke had developed Chidori, cross-referencing their styles.
He sketched a Chidori school of his own, and in the mindscape tested each variant as he formed it.
Soon the space rang again and again with the thousand-bird chorus.
It drowned out even the Holy Master's roaring until Jin's chakra ran dry.
He sat to drink in more of the black vapor, recovered for a spell, then resumed practice.
He repeated the cycle until dawn touched the sky. Only then did Jin open his eyes.
Though he had trained all night, the Holy Master's power had nourished him. He felt no fatigue. His chakra reserves had grown noticeably.
Clenching his right hand, savoring the force surging within, he let a satisfied smile rise to his lips.
The feeling of getting paid back for every ounce of effort was addictive.
After a careful check of his condition, he dressed and stepped from the room.
"Mikoto, I am heading to school."
He grabbed the prepared breakfast with easy familiarity, called a greeting to Mikoto as she packed a bento, and walked toward the Academy.