Some news only circulated among the big shots; the rank-and-file ninja were kept in the dark.
This was where Hiroya proved his worth, sharing every piece of intel he had without holding back.
Byakuya pondered what kind of mission Danzo would give him next.
It would likely depend on how the situation on the battlefield evolved.
After leaving Hiroya's office, Byakuya grabbed a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku for lunch, then headed back to the Academy warehouse.
The brutality of the war was becoming more palpable. The village felt somewhat empty, with noticeably fewer people on the streets. Some of the civilians out buying groceries had hollow looks in their eyes, radiating an indescribable sorrow.
Hiroya had also mentioned the casualty rates for ninja on the battlefield.
Young ninja were at the top of the list.
Especially the commoner ninja who were sent to the front lines shortly after graduating.
Although complaints were rife among this group, they persevered, driven by their belief in protecting the village.
Byakuya couldn't quite describe how he felt. In his view, these young commoners shouldn't have to bear such a heavy burden.
But there was no other way. In the ninja world, weakness was a sin.
If he didn't have the Destiny System rewarding his diligence, would he have just been another number on a casualty list?
Byakuya clocked out.
First, he bought two sets of clothes that actually fit him. Then, after eating and drinking his fill at home, he put on the "Shuten-doji " mask and headed to the forest to complete the new mission from his System.
The reward—increased chakra control—was crucial for him. It would allow him to develop new Storm Release jutsu.
His current technique, Storm Release: Torrential Lightning, was decent in terms of attack power, penetration, paralysis, and speed. However, his offensive options were severely limited. He basically had no other combat strategies.
It all boiled down to using Shadow Clones as distractions to set up Torrential Lightning.
This limitation had been glaringly obvious during his fight with Pakura.
His accidental skirmish with Orochimaru had proven that his Storm Release-infused Water Formation Wall was effective for both offense and defense. But for now, it was purely reactive; he couldn't shape it into anything else.
"Now that I have the Flying Thunder God, at least I won't be as helpless against Kage-level opponents as I was before."
He went deep into the forest outside the village.
He arrived at the riverbank where he had previously practiced the Water Formation Wall.
Task: Using only the tip of your index finger to release chakra, create 100 non-dispersing water droplets on the water's surface and maintain them for 30 seconds.
It looked hard, but doing it was even harder.
Byakuya had already received a few minor boosts to his chakra control, yet he still failed over a dozen times before finally managing to create the 100 stable droplets with his fingertip.
"Thirty seconds... done."
He withdrew his chakra.
The droplets instantly merged back into the river.
This training method was mentally exhausting. Byakuya wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and started the next attempt.
Failed!
No matter. Again.
Success.
Okay, keep the chakra steady. Don't let the droplets disperse!
At twenty-nine seconds, a droplet on the edge lost cohesion. Failed.
Byakuya sat down hard on the riverbank.
Ripples from the failed droplets spread outward in circles.
Sweat wasn't just on his forehead anymore. His spiritual energy was draining rapidly, and his physical stamina was dropping, soaking his new clothes in sweat.
He pulled up the panel.
[Fortune Favors the Diligent]
Time Limit: 6 Days
Task: Using only the tip of your index finger to release chakra, create 100 non-dispersing water droplets on the water's surface and maintain them for 30 seconds (2/100)
Reward: Increased Chakra Control
"No wonder they gave me six days. This is insanely difficult. Doesn't matter. My effort is visible. As long as I put in the work, there will be a reward!"
Byakuya rallied his spirits and continued training.
The moon climbed high into the sky.
A thin mist drifted through the forest.
His clothes were completely soaked through. He had succeeded twenty times.
He rested for a moment.
Byakuya left a Flying Thunder God formula on a tree by the riverbank.
"I wonder if my remaining chakra is enough to teleport home."
He had only been learning this S-Rank space-time jutsu for a few days. Without a teacher to guide him, he had to figure it out bit by bit. There were no shortcuts.
"Let's try. The System boosted my vitality. As long as I don't overdraft my chakra too severely, it won't kill me."
He followed the steps: sensed the Flying Thunder God formula he had left at home, converted chakra into spatial energy, broke the spatial barrier, and jumped.
In a blink, Byakuya was back in his house.
But immediately after, his vision went black, and he knew nothing more.
When he woke up again, it was past six in the morning.
His body had recovered well; there were no major issues. However, he was starving, his eyes practically glowing with hunger. He forced himself up, raided the fridge, and devoured everything edible. Only after refueling did he feel comfortable again.
"The distance was too great. I can't handle long-range teleportation yet. Unless it's an absolute emergency, I can't risk that again."
This was the benefit of the vitality and stamina boosts from the System. A slight chakra overdraft was manageable.
If an ordinary ninja dared to overdraw their chakra like that, they'd be in serious trouble.
He changed clothes and headed out for work.
Passing by the market, Byakuya saw a woman with red hair carrying a vegetable basket.
Red hair, he thought. Could that be Kushina Uzumaki?
He sensed her chakra.
Even though she was just standing there, her massive chakra reserves astonished him.
Byakuya kept his expression neutral, pretending nothing had happened. Just as he was about to walk past her, the red-haired woman slowly turned her head. "Don't sense other people's chakra without permission in the village. It's very annoying."
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to..."
The red-haired woman placed a few radishes into her basket. "You didn't look like you didn't mean to. That was a targeted probe."
Since he'd been caught red-handed, Byakuya asked, "You must be Senior Kushina Uzumaki, right?"
"You know me?"
"Yes. I'm the warehouse manager at the Ninja Academy. I saw your name by chance while organizing old ninja tool request forms."
Kushina frowned. "You recognized me just from my name?"
"Not just that. There are graduation photos hanging in the Principal's office. And, well, the Principal said Senior Kushina left quite an impression on him."
"Haha..." Kushina laughed awkwardly. "Quite an impression, huh?"
"I'm going to be late for work. Next time, I'll treat you to BBQ, Senior."
"What's your name?"
"Byakuya Senkaku."
Kushina watched his retreating back. The kid felt strange—weird personality, and weird chakra.
As an Uzumaki, her sensory abilities were exceptional. Byakuya's chakra was clean, pure, and of very high quality!
A ninja like that... was just a warehouse manager at the Academy?
Meanwhile.
Byakuya was feeling emotional. Kushina Uzumaki—the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki of the Leaf, wife of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and mother of the future protagonist Naruto Uzumaki.
She was a tragic character.
He remembered watching the scene in his past life where Kushina gave her final words to Naruto. He had cried his eyes out.
He opened the three heavy doors of the warehouse.
A teacher arrived right on time to request tools.
"Sorry, Byakuya. Here to bother you again."
"What's up?"
"There's this kid from the Uchiha clan. He's got good talent, so I want to teach him some advanced shurikenjutsu."
"An Uchiha kid? What's his name?"
"Shisui Uchiha. My guess is, he'll be graduating from the Academy very soon."