Hiroya, that old snake, acted as if he had bestowed some heavenly favor upon Byakuya. He gave a pretentious pep talk, then clasped his hands behind his back and sauntered off.
Watching him leave, a wave of emotion rose in Byakuya's heart, but he quickly suppressed it.
If he were a typical hot-blooded teenager, he might shout some cliché about how "fortunes change" or "don't bully the young for being poor."
But in reality, if he uttered such threats to these people, they would simply squash him like a bug—a civilian orphan Genin with no backing.
Byakuya possessed a mature soul.
He would never expose even a hint of ambition or desire for revenge while he was weak.
He would only focus on gaining benefits, steadily increasing his strength, and walking carefully, step by step.
"My life is like treading on thin ice. Do you think I can make it to the other shore?"
Byakuya gripped the katana tightly, focused his mind, and swung. Storm Style chakra flashed briefly along the blade's edge.
---
Evening.
End of the workday.
After swinging the sword all day, Byakuya's arms were screaming in pain.
Teacher Izumi, dressed in a cute outfit, was standing coquettishly outside the Academy gates, looking around as if waiting for someone.
When she spotted Byakuya—dressed in his black shirt and trousers, handsome face framed by his Leaf forehead protector—her face lit up with a smile.
"Byakuya! I want to eat barbecue."
"Sorry, I have to go home and practice my sword work."
She leaned forward slightly, hands clasped playfully behind her back, and walked up to his side. "Wow, you really are carrying a sword. So cool! Okay, it's a deal then. After we eat barbecue, you can go home and practice."
Byakuya had a sudden urge to smack her baby face with the hilt of his sword. What, am I just a KPI metric to you now?
"Sorry. I'll treat you next time, Teacher Izumi."
He quickened his pace.
Izumi followed closely, lowering her voice. "Fine, fine. I know you want to get stronger. It's been long enough, hasn't it? You should give me an answer by now."
"I don't want to get involved in any of your affairs. I just want to practice my sword."
Dropping that sentence, Byakuya leaped onto a nearby wall. Moving like a startled rabbit, he vanished from Izumi's sight in a few breaths.
She stood there, looking forlorn and helpless, her head bowed so her hair obscured her face.
However, she muttered something very quietly under her breath.
Byakuya treated himself to a deluxe meal at Ichiraku Ramen—he wasn't going to starve himself.
The moment he got home, he immediately started swinging the sword again.
The system's rewards were generous, but the tasks were grueling. It was purely "no pain, no gain."
One minute before midnight.
Byakuya's arms were in so much pain he couldn't hold the sword anymore. It clattered to the floor.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (1 Day): Swing Sword/Katana (20000/20000)
> Status: Complete.
> Reward: Increase in Kenjutsu Talent.
Suddenly, he felt a deep attachment to and confidence in the blade. It felt as if, as long as he held a sword, he could take the head of an enemy general amidst an army of thousands.
The simple sword techniques he had learned at the Academy suddenly made sense in a new way. Every move, every stance, now felt like a lethal killing technique.
This was the most brutal, direct upgrade yet!
The mission refreshed.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (2 Days): Deplete 90% of Chakra, then perform Taijutsu training for 30 minutes (Incomplete)
> Reward: Increase in Vitality (Life Force).
> Destiny Choice 1: Pledge loyalty to the Third Hokage (Incomplete).
> Reward: Master Fire Nature Chakra.
Byakuya only glanced at "Destiny Choice 1" and dismissed it immediately.
He'd have to be brain-damaged to choose that.
He had just received the Second Hokage's Water Formation Wall, almost certainly authorized by Danzo Shimura. If he ran to Hiruzen Sarutobi now, he would be offending Danzo to the point of death.
The next moment, Byakuya collapsed on the floor and fell into an exhausted sleep.
---
He vaguely heard an alarm clock ringing.
He jolted awake.
The piercing pain in his arms from yesterday had improved significantly. He could feel the Storm Style chakra endlessly soothing his muscles.
This was the power of a Kekkei Genkai rooted in his bloodline.
He moved his arms. Not too bad. He could handle today's training.
He pulled up the status interface.
When he read "Deplete 90% of Chakra, then perform Taijutsu training for 30 minutes," Byakuya froze.
If the reward wasn't so irresistible, he would have given up right there.
This damn system wants me dead!!
"But an 'Increase in Vitality'... that is definitely good stuff. It fits my Way of Laying Low perfectly."
Other ninjas had their "Ninja Way." Sorry, Byakuya didn't have one of those. He only had "Survival."
He decided to skip work at the Academy today to test the limits of Hiroya's patience.
Carrying his sword and pack, stocked up on kunai and shuriken, and with Tobirama's Water Formation Wall scroll tucked in his shirt, he headed straight for the forest outside the village.
Last time, he ran into Kakashi. Lesson learned. This time, Byakuya went much deeper into the woods. He found a relatively open clearing, tossed his bag of rice balls on the ground, sat down, and opened the copy of the Water Style: Water Formation Wall scroll.
The difference between Tobirama Senju's Water Formation Wall and the standard version lay in its execution. Tobirama's version spewed a waterfall-like volume of water from the mouth that rotated around the user in a circle, creating a 360-degree defense without blind spots. And it only required two hand seals.
The standard version just created a vertical wall of water in front of you.
If not for the shared name, they were basically two different jutsu.
The scroll's explanation was very detailed; Lord Second seemed terrified his successors wouldn't be able to learn it.
After reading it all, Byakuya—whose Ninjutsu talent had already been boosted—still sighed helplessly.
Tobirama's version required massive amounts of chakra and precise control to use in an environment without water.
Byakuya found a river in the forest.
He focused his mind.
He wove the seals.
Gathered chakra. Spat water.
With the help of the river, he successfully activated Tobirama's Water Formation Wall. However, only a thin layer of water rotated around him, and it moved slowly.
He canceled the jutsu. Cold sweat poured down his forehead. He leaned over, hands on his knees, gasping for air. His vision flickered dark and light. The massive chakra drain had instantly affected his physical and mental state.
Over 90% of his chakra was gone in a flash.
If this was the result, he might as well use the standard version. It was more reliable.
"I miscalculated. Tobirama's version isn't something I can use effectively right now. And that was with a water source. If I tried this on dry land, it would be suicide."
"While my chakra is drained... 30 minutes of Taijutsu."
Byakuya felt terrible. He was dizzy and on the verge of passing out. He began to go through the motions of the Leaf Style Taijutsu, one move at a time.
Several times he nearly collapsed, but through sheer willpower, he managed to scrape together 30 minutes.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (2 Days): Deplete 90% of Chakra, then perform Taijutsu training for 30 minutes (Complete)
> Reward: Increase in Vitality.
Thud.
He collapsed on the riverbank and passed out, one hand dangling into the water.
The river flowed gently.
A school of small fish, discovering a new object, nibbled at his fingers.
Byakuya jolted awake, yanking his hand out of the water.
Although his body was extremely weak and his mind was groggy, he could feel himself recovering in a good way.
"So this is increased Vitality... No wonder the Uzumaki clan members were so hard to kill."