章 36: Skills

Chen, lounging in his room, mused over the most powerful Mangekyou Sharingan abilities he knew from the Naruto series. Shisui's and Obito's eyes particularly stood out in his mind as examples of sheer power; Shisui's could manipulate people's wills, while Obito's could traverse dimensions.

As he held Kaiden's eyes in his hands, a thought crossed his mind.

"I wonder if the system would let me unlock the specific abilities of these Mangekyou," he murmured to himself.

Carefully, he stored the eyes in his system backpack and, with a familiar gesture, clicked on them within the grid.

To his surprise, a new tab popped up, displaying detailed information about the eyes.

Chen smiled, remembering how he had stumbled upon this feature by accident not long ago. "You surprise me more every day," he thought.

As he read through the information, his eyes widened. "The first ability is... Amaterasu?" Chen began to grumble internally. "Really? Of all the possible abilities..."

Despite his initial disappointment, Chen had to admit that Amaterasu was a solid technique. "Well, it's a powerful technique, can't deny that. Though in Naruto, it hardly killed anyone. What a shame for a fire that's supposed to be unstoppable," he reflected.

However, as he read about the second ability, Chen's face lit up. "Phantom Body? Now, this sounds intriguing."

He eagerly read the description: the Phantom Body allowed the creation of an invisible, undetectable double with 80% of the original's strength. Additionally, the user could swap places with the phantom during battle.

"This is pure magic!" he exclaimed, thrilled by the possibilities this ability offered.

But every rose has its thorns, and Chen soon discovered the downside of this seemingly perfect ability: its high chakra consumption. The phantom would vanish as soon as the chakra ran out, limiting its use in prolonged battles.

"Still, with smart chakra management and strategy, this ability could be devastating," Chen thought.

Satisfied, Chen closed the system windows. The scent of dinner made by Mikoto wafted into his room, reminding him that he had spent quite some time holed up. "Better join her before she worries," he murmured.

...

After finishing the meal, Chen watched in surprise as Mikoto hurried back to her room, as she never went straight to her room after eating.

Curious, he activated his Tenseigan to see what she was up to and discovered she was immersed in intense training.

A smile of pride crossed his face as he saw Mikoto's dedication.

Mikoto's talent was undeniable. It had been over a year since she had awakened her Sharingan, a secret only Chen knew.

He remembered the day Mikoto shared this information, revealing that her grandfather's death had been the catalyst for activating her Sharingan.

Initially, Chen was shocked, but soon he understood the deep emotional impact the loss of Mikoto's only relative had on her.

With a couple of days off ahead, Chen decided to make the most of this time for his own training.

Using the Tenseigan's gravitational force, he significantly upped the ante on his physical workouts.

This type of training not only improved his strength and endurance but also fortified his internal organs comprehensively, providing him with accelerated and holistic physical development.

Meanwhile, Chen delegated ninjutsu training to his Clones, allowing him to focus on refining other crucial skills. He dove into practicing Armament and Observation Haki, refined control over his Devil Fruit, and dedicated hours to fencing.

This latter not only improved his swordsmanship but also significantly contributed to his overall physical conditioning, thus optimizing his training.

As he practiced, Chen pondered the challenge of mastering such diverse skills.

He acknowledged that without his talent, mastering all of them would be nearly impossible.

____

After two well-deserved days off, the Ninja Academy of Konoha reopened its doors, welcoming the students with the familiar scent of ink and parchment.

Chen utilized the early morning hours to continue refining his chakra.

In the afternoon, during class, Chen, bored, decided to move to another part of the training field.

He quickly drew his customized short sword. Chen began his training routine, moving the sword with deliberate slowness.

Every movement of Chen was precise, controlled. His muscles tensed under the invisible strain of the increased gravity he had imposed on himself.

Drops of sweat began to bead on his forehead as he executed the technique with controlled, steady breathing.

Nawaki, who was also strolling through the training field, stopped upon seeing him. With a mocking smile, he approached Chen.

"Hey, Chen, what are you supposed to be doing? Practicing how to lose a fight in slow motion?" Nawaki laughed at his own joke. "That sword technique of yours is completely useless. You couldn't even cut butter at that speed!"

Chen, without stopping, managed a wry smile. "Ah, Nawaki, there's so much you don't understand. This 'slowness' you see is the result of training under extreme gravity. Every move I make now is like moving a mountain."

Nawaki scowled, clearly skeptical. "Extreme gravity? Yeah, right. I bet you're just making up excuses for your lack of skill." Then, with a gleam of pride in his eyes, he added, "Anyway, want to see something really impressive? I've learned a new ninjutsu. A real jutsu, not like your turtle moves."

Nawaki's words drew the attention of the other students in the training field.

"Really, Nawaki?!" a girl asked with shining eyes. "You learned a real ninjutsu?"

"Amazing!" another student exclaimed. "As expected of the Senju clan. They really are powerful!"

Chen, who had stopped his training amidst the commotion, sheathed his sword and joined the group forming around Nawaki. "And what kind of ninjutsu have you learned, Nawaki?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Nawaki puffed up his chest, clearly enjoying the attention. "It's an impressive jutsu. I'll show you! But you'll need to step back a bit, I don't want anyone getting hurt by accident."

As the students excitedly backed away, Shikaku Nara, who had been lounging under a nearby tree until then, sat up with a sigh. "Nawaki, remember that using ninjutsu is forbidden at school. You could get into trouble."

But before Nawaki could respond, Professor Kuri appeared on the field, drawn by the commotion. "What's going on here?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over the group of students until it landed on Nawaki. "Did I hear something about a new jutsu?"

Nawaki's eyes lit up at the professor's presence. "Yes, sensei! I've learned a new ninjutsu. Can I show it? Please!"

Kuri considered the request for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Nawaki. Show us what you've learned. But be careful."

Nawaki could barely contain his excitement. He positioned himself proudly in the center of the field. "Watch everyone! This is the power of the Senju clan!"

With somewhat clumsy movements, Nawaki formed a hand seal. "Water Element: Water Turbulence!" he shouted with all his might.

There was a moment of anticipation... and then, to everyone's surprise and disappointment, only a small trickle of water emerged from Nawaki's mouth. The "turbulence" barely reached a meter before falling to the ground, forming a pathetic puddle.

The silence that followed was broken by muffled giggles that soon turned into open laughter.

"Wow, such turbulence, Nawaki!" someone shouted among the laughter. "You've created an oasis for ants!"

Chen, trying to hold back his own laughter, approached Nawaki with a serious expression. "Nawaki, are you sure you didn't confuse the jutsu? Because that looks a lot like the legendary spitting technique my three-year-old brother has mastered."

Another student turned to Kuri, with a concerned expression. "Sensei, is that the kind of ninjutsu we'll learn in the future? Because if so, I think I'd rather specialize in taijutsu."

Nawaki's face turned a deep shade of red. "No, no! I did it wrong! It worked perfectly yesterday, I swear. Let me try again!"

Kuri, seeing Nawaki's humiliation, tried to intervene. "It's alright, Nawaki. Chakra control can be difficult, especially with new jutsus. Maybe we should..."

But Nawaki was already forming hand seals again, this time with more desperation than technique. "Water Element: Water Turbulence!" he shouted with all his might.

This time, to Nawaki's horror and his peers' amusement, he couldn't even produce a drop of water. Only a pathetic gurgling sound emerged from his throat, followed by a dry cough.

Laughter erupted louder than before. Even Kuri had to struggle to maintain a serious expression.

________

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