With contentment, Arthur stepped back from the open clearing where he had been training.
He could feel his muscles crying out for rest, but the exhilaration coursing through him was irresistible. As he began to pack his gear, he considered what else he would train.
After all, his latent abilities did not have any limitations. This meant that all his techniques had boundaries that could be broken.
What he reflected on was his smoke Kekkei Genkai.
Like he knew, he could create techniques unique to himself but still had to perfect them. That also meant that he couldn't afford to become complacent; he needed to continue pushing himself beyond his limits if he needed to be more than just adequate in combat.
As he walked back home, his mind mulled over several things like his skills. They were impressive, but still only part of the equation.
Even with his Kekkei Genkai and the techniques he had created, he was acutely aware of the danger he'd face against ninjas who wielded power with years of experience.
Let's consider characters like Jada, who was an Uchiha, and Itachi, who's also an Uchiha. While Arthur was able to defeat the former, he wouldn't be able to last against the latter. Not because Arthur was weak, but because Itachi's visual prowess was stronger than Jada's.
Almost every styles and jutsus from almost every character in this world were stated to be lethally effective—styles that Arthur had only glimpsed.
The topics excelled in his head: elemental perfection, powerful bloodlines, and primeval techniques. All of these organized thoughts left him with a sense of urgency that he desperately needed more knowledge and skills.
After reaching his hotel room, he filled his mind with ideas and theories about his new smoke techniques.
'What are the restrictions on it?' he thought to himself as he settled into a chair.
He had always been fascinated by what could be achieved with Kekkei Genkai and understood that creativity was sometimes needed to expand their potential.
So he reached for a scroll and began writing down information on rare techniques from ninjas of the past, particularly grappling with how physical manipulation of the body could amplify existing powers.
The more he wrote, the more ideas began to spark.
He envisioned creating hybrids of smoke that acted not only as a distraction but could also impose elemental damage—perhaps through scalding heat or freezing chill that could momentarily paralyze an opponent.
To do that, however, he would need to spend training the smoke's shape transformation.
Like he remembered, shape transformation was an advanced technique in chakra control that enabled a ninja to manipulate the form, movement, and potency of their chakra to create or modify jutsus.
It also allowed the user to determine the size, range, and purpose of their techniques, exemplified by the Rasengan, which is a sphere of rotating chakra created without hand seals.
This was stated to be crucial for developing complex techniques, often in tandem with nature transformation, which altered the chakra's attributes.
That being said, shape transformation was essential for crafting powerful advanced jutsu, like his smoke techniques, and manifest them in their physical forms.
Arthur's thoughts raced as he considered even more.
He could explore combinations that incorporated sound or even light, potentially distracting enemies with illusions. Each scribbled idea opened new avenues of possibility within his evolving arsenal.
Hours soon slipped by as papers shifted and ink stained his fingers. What he had done was transition his initial ideas to sketching out possible attacks on.
His smoke could provide cover for a barrage of fire-infused smoke. And if combined with water techniques, he could try to dissolve or absorb any incoming attacks.
The night's shadows lengthened around him, infused with a zeal for exploration and to exceed his own limitations.
Yet something irked in the back of his mind.
While this was all grand, he understood that a lot of prerequisites would be required to put everything in place. Meaning, training something like this would use up a lot of time!
The lamp beside him eventually sputtered, dimly illuminating the cluttered table.
Arthur glanced outside after having lost track of time. The moon was still out, as if it hadn't moved since he left the clearing.
'My chakra's replenished enough,' he thought. 'It's time I start testing these ideas out.'
He soon rolled up the scrolls and tucked them close to his chest. There was an irrepressible urge to expose his innovations to the world and bring them into existence despite their feasibility.
So, he set off once more, moving back into the quiet forest.
Once again, he found a space where nothing obstructed his view; it was the perfect focal point for what he aimed to develop.
Deciding to begin with his newly imagined elemental technique, he concentrated on channeling his chakra into his Smoke jutsu to infuse it with enhanced qualities. Calculating every move in his head, he focused on his hands, understanding that he also needed to conserve chakra while still retaining potency.
Training in this world was not as straightforward as people believed. One wrong flow of chakra, and whatever a person was concentrating on would falter.
But that's also what made Arthur quite incomparable to others: he had impeccable chakra control that would leave even the Kages speechless.
Extending his arms, he filled the air around him with smoke. Then he focused on how it would feel to become a swirl of smoke suffused within his arms. The sensation of warmth encased his hands, and a neutral haze wafted around him as he condensed clusters of smoke into a dense cloud.
But as the first attempt unfolded, the result was less than what he had envisioned: the smoke boiled with minimal thickness and failed to bring about the intensity he yearned for. Afterwards, it dissipated, leaving him in a cloud of grayish haze.
Arthur showed no expression at the failed attempt. Who was he to ever give up hope?
"Again…"
He focused deeply, allowing his essence to mingle with his smoke-like chakra. This time, he held a firm grip on the smoke's form.
Thrusting his arms forward, a ripple of it erupted from his fingertips and raced toward a nearby boulder.
Crack!
The boulder had snapped. Yet Arthur sighed with disapproval.
While yes, a new technique was unleashed, it was small compared to the damage his other techniques could do. The smoke had also only managed to maintain enough integrity to create a semblance of his true power.
Things needed to be scaled further.
'Time to test something else,' he declared in his mind.
Concentrating, Arthur gathered chakra within the hollows of his skin.
Rather than the crackling energy that blasted from a conventional jutsu, he directed his chakra into producing vibrations that rippled through the air—the kind that could disorient, confuse, or even temporarily debilitate an opponent.
The smoke quickly surged forth, causing the area to erupt into a discord of clouds that made trees sway and stagger. Leaves rustled before quaking under the weight of his command.
'Interesting,' he thought.
As he remained focused, it became increasingly clear how effective these smoke waves could be. They were experimental yet held potential, giving him the confidence to explore further.
✟
Two days later.
For two days, each experiment blended into the next.
Arthur had incorporated aspects of altering the smoke's trajectory and shaping abilities by solidifying it into a multifaceted arsenal to both dazzles and entangles opponents.
His training was nonstop. And as the long night continued blurring into early dawn, exhaustion finally crept upon him.
Arthur was now seen panting and surrounded by the remnants of his creations lingering in the moonlight. He had done it; after two days, he had successfully expanded on his original Smoke jutsu and weaved together techniques that held promise for combat.
They weren't the elemental combination of attacks he had drawn on paper, but they were high-ranking ones that could undoubtedly be used.
The techniques he had advanced were three new ones.
"Smoke jutsu: smokescreen," a technique that allowed him to blast opponents with dense clouds of smoke that could knock them off balance, even if he hadn't fully harnessed the intensity yet.
Then there was the "Smoke jutsu: smoke fist," an extension of his existing powers that allowed him to punch through the air like a cannonball, potentially surprising anyone foolhardy enough to challenge him.
Lastly was the surreal "Smoke jutsu: smoke dance." What it allowed him to do was transform his lower body into smoke, increasing his mobility in both land and air.
The final one was perhaps his most valuable skill, as it opened up an entirely new avenue of strategy in combat.
Initially, his movements felt a bit awkward, but he soon understood how much easier it was to glide across the air and ground while wielding a weapon. That being learned, his movement speed nearly doubled when in his smoke form, making it harder for opponents to target his legs. And if they couldn't target his lower body, they could only go for his upper—making their attacks predictable.
The best part was the new combos he could execute when transitioning from smoke to his physical form.
Training physically was nothing compared to training a Kekkei Genkai. Because of this, characters such as Rock Lee had their limitations.
But Arthur was not like Rock Lee; he wasn't like anyone.
He may not have had enough time to infuse his elemental techniques into his smoke (like ice particles), but due to the insane control required, he understood that one day he might be able to.
As he felt a warm heat enveloping him, the morning slowly climbed to the sky.
Each fiber of his body recognized the smoke chakra's new potential. The thought, however, wasn't enough to bring even a giddy smile to his face.
How could he rejoice in this development when he had only discovered a style after taking it from others? Intrinsically, it was his, yes, but that also meant that others could develop counters if they knew how to fight against it.
'I need to rest now,' he reminded himself.
He was covered in sweat, and all parts of his insides were drained. Those two nights taken to hone himself had been triumphant ones.
And if there was something going on in his head, it was a burning desire to refine and perfect his techniques until they became virtually impossible to defend against in a real battle.
Whoever or whatever these challenges might be, there was one thing for certain: no one would be prepared to best him in anything. Kekkei Genkai, Kekkei Mōra, Kekkei Tōta, taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, medical ninjutsu, barrier ninjutsu, time-space ninjutsu, kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, forbidden jutsu, senjutsu, summoning jutsu, jinjutsu, dōjutsu, shurikenjutsu—Arthur was unbeatable!