Back home, Byakuya rummaged through the fridge. He stewed the last of his vegetables, steamed some rice, and grabbed his usual protein sources: eggs and milk.
After finishing his meal, the initial excitement began to settle, allowing him to finally focus on testing his new ability: Storm Style.
"So this is a Kekkei Genkai," he mused. "It doesn't require the strenuous effort of weaving signs like standard Ninjutsu. It feels like a natural extension of my body—there when I call it, gone when I dismiss it."
The Storm Style granted by the system was essentially a "blank slate." How powerful it became would depend entirely on how Byakuya developed it.
Regardless, he now had the capital to rise. Compared to the god-tier cheat codes of the Naruto world's top bloodlines, this was a smaller advantage. But as the saying goes, a small cheat is still a cheat.
The deep, comprehensive changes to his bloodline were ongoing.
Byakuya focused chakra into his palm, condensing a pea-sized droplet of azure water. He shook his hand slightly; the droplet wobbled, clearly fluid. Yet, inside and around the water, arcs of lightning flickered, contained but ready to burst.
It was a perfect fusion of Lightning and Water chakra.
He stared at the azure droplet, analyzing the power within. "The ratio of water to lightning is about 7:3. It behaves more like Water Style right now."
He dispelled it and condensed another one.
This time, it didn't look like a water droplet. Though still the size of a pea, it resembled a compressed ball of lightning. The blue-white light was blinding, and a faint sound of chirping birds emanated from it.
"This time, the ratio is 2:8... With the Water chakra involved, the lightning sphere is incredibly stable, but it demands way more chakra."
"I underestimated Storm Style. I can adjust the ratio of Water and Lightning chakra at will to bring out different characteristics."
"Tomorrow, I'll test its power in the forest."
Despite his excitement, Byakuya forced himself to clear his mind and rest. Adequate sleep meant faster recovery, which was crucial for completing the system's training missions.
---
The Next Day.
The moment he opened his eyes, Byakuya pulled up the status interface to check the daily mission.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (1 Day): Hit 100 Bullseyes with Shuriken (0/100)
> Reward: Increase in Chakra Capacity.
Byakuya was ecstatic. Because of his naturally poor talent, his chakra reserves were pitifully low. The previous rewards had been "minor" increases—a drop in the bucket.
But today's mission promised a straight "Increase," without the "minor" qualifier. The effect would definitely be significant. 100 bullseyes in one day was a tight schedule and a heavy workload, but for that reward? It was worth the grind.
He ate breakfast as fast as he could, packed lunch and dinner, and rushed out the door, heading straight for the forest outside the village.
The woods were quiet. He took a winding route to reach the secluded clearing he had chosen previously.
He nailed a target to a large tree.
Closing his eyes, he focused entirely on his new bloodline. After a night of integration, Storm Style felt completely his own.
To adapt to the Kekkei Genkai, his physique and mental energy had also been boosted.
Breathing rhythmically, he controlled his chakra, setting an 8:2 ratio of Lightning to Water, and infused it into a shuriken.
The ordinary metal weapon instantly glowed with a blue-white brilliance.
Byakuya observed the change. "Good thing my chakra control got that minor boost. The old me couldn't have pulled this off. But the consumption is high; I won't be able to do this many times."
"Go!"
He aimed for the bullseye and threw with all his might.
Enhanced by Storm Style with a heavy Lightning bias, the shuriken flew at breakneck speed. It hit the target, but missed the center by a wide margin—hitting the four-point ring.
"Even with the bloodline, lack of practice makes me clumsy. A high ratio of Lightning chakra increases the speed and power but also the difficulty of control and the chakra cost. It's still easier to control than pure Lightning Style, though. If I increase the Water ratio, the shuriken should be more obedient. I'll ramp up the difficulty slowly."
He switched to a 6:4 Lightning-to-Water ratio.
The Storm Style coating the shuriken turned a bright, fluid blue, like seawater holding a charge.
He threw again.
Eight points.
"Not good enough."
5:5 ratio.
Thwack!
Ten points! Bullseye!
Byakuya walked to the target and pulled out the shuriken, examining the marks left on the wood. "High Lightning ratio means high attack power but low control. High Water ratio lowers the power but makes it easier to handle. Or rather... my base stats are just too low. I don't have enough chakra to bring out the true power of Storm Style yet."
He spent the entire morning practicing. He managed to hit 34 bullseyes.
With Storm Style, his accuracy improved drastically, but his chakra drained just as fast. He had to stop and rest multiple times.
Leaning against a tree, Byakuya ate a rice ball and strategized. "If I want to use Storm Style like a guided laser, I'll need massive chakra reserves and specific ninjutsu scrolls."
"But right now, I only know the Three Basic Jutsu, simple nature transformation for Lightning and Water, basic Leaf Taijutsu, Genjutsu dispelling, and throwing techniques."
"The path of laying low is hard. I need to find a way to learn actual Lightning and Water ninjutsu."
Suddenly, he heard the soft sound of footsteps.
Byakuya whipped his head around. "Who's there?!"
A boy slightly younger than him stepped out from behind a nearby tree.
He had messy silver hair, wore a Leaf forehead protector, and a face mask covering the lower half of his face. "Your shuriken throwing technique... it's unique."
That outfit... that hair... it was obviously the future Copy Ninja, the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake!
Byakuya feigned ignorance and dropped into a combat stance. "Who are you?"
"Sorry to interrupt your training. I'm Kakashi Hatake."
"Kakashi Hatake. It's rude to spy on people while they're training."
Kakashi's eyes showed a hint of apology. "Sorry. I was just passing by and the way you threw that shuriken caught my eye. I stayed a bit too long. Please forgive me."
Byakuya remained guarded and said nothing. He ripped his battered target off the tree and quickly walked away.
If he wanted to survive, staying away from main characters—especially ones with as much baggage as Kakashi—was rule number one.
"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before... where was it?" Kakashi muttered, rubbing his forehead as he watched Byakuya leave.
---
Byakuya found a new, even more secluded spot and resumed his training.
After fusing with the Storm Style, the system had passively improved his body to help him adapt. He could feel his stamina recovering faster, his focus sharpening, and his chakra growing.
He trained through the afternoon without further interruption.
Leaning against a tree, he watched the sunset burn the sky red.
"After completing just a few missions, my strength has improved significantly. The old me couldn't have sustained this intensity for a single day."
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (1 Day): Hit 100 Bullseyes with Shuriken (100/100)
> Status: Complete.
> Reward: Increase in Chakra Capacity.
He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of getting stronger.
The meridians throughout his body were widening and strengthening. His physical and spiritual energies surged in unison. His speed, sensory perception, vitality, and stamina were all being pulled up along with them. Chakra was the core of a ninja; increasing it improved everything across the board. The return on investment was insane.
Byakuya hoped all future rewards would be related to chakra.
"I need to study the nature and shape manipulation of Lightning and Water more deeply. The better I understand the basics, the better I can use Storm Style. The Academy library has plenty of theory books... but what about actual Ninjutsu scrolls?"
"Where do I get those? Do missions to save money and buy them on the black market?"
A thought popped into his head, making him snort with laughter. "It's not like I'm going to get scouted by 'Root' and earn jutsu by doing dirty work for that dehumanizing organization."
Root. The cryptic ANBU training division founded and commanded by Danzo Shimura.
"In the unseen darkness, supporting the great tree of Konoha."
He pulled the target off the tree, tucked it under his arm, and melted into the shadows of the forest.
"Bullshit. Bunch of psychos."