บท 2: Chapter 2: The Bloodline Limit?
The voice was ethereal, dreamlike, as if it came from an illusion, fleeting and surreal.
Kazen, however, remained completely unaware, fully absorbed in Practicing his chakra.
Another half an hour passed, and his body began to feel fatigued, forcing him to stop. When he opened his eyes, a dull ache spread throughout his body, as though he had just run laps around the entire village of Konoha.
"Awake?" Youta's voice broke through his haze. "The first-time training chakra is just to get a feel for it. Once you can extract it consistently, you'll be ready for the next stage."
As he spoke, Youta massaged Kazen's muscles with expert precision. "Remember, practice should be done in moderation. Overdoing it can strain your body."
Youta continued, "I didn't let you start earlier because you were too young. Most kids don't begin refining until they're at least five."
Kazen realized the hidden dangers behind chakra controlling. It seemed straightforward, but the risk of overexertion was real.
"Half a month," Youta said, setting an encouraging goal. "If you can refine chakra in that time, I'll be satisfied."
He reminisced about how long it had taken him—half a month. He had been overjoyed back then. The same was enough for his son; that kind of talent would mean Kazen had potential to reach jonin someday, as long as nothing went wrong.
"Half a month? Uh... Dad, your expectations might already be shattered," Kazen remarked casually.
Youta raised an eyebrow, confused. Had Kazen failed? Did his son lack the talent to become a ninja?
Seeing Kazen's seemingly regretful expression only deepened Youta's concern. In his mind, that look confirmed his worst fear—his son wasn't cut out for the life of a shinobi.
"Sigh... it's okay," Youta said, trying to console him. "Even if you don't have talent, I'll always protect you, Kazen."
Kazen twitched with annoyance, his mouth pulling into a grimace. What was his dad imagining now?
As Youta's worrying grew more dramatic, Kazen couldn't take it anymore. "Dad, I've already refined my chakra."
"Oh, you've already... Wait, what?!"
Youta froze mid-sentence, his voice suddenly escalating in disbelief. It was as if he had seen a ghost.
He thought he might have misheard. It hadn't even been that long—barely an hour.
Seeing the doubt still plastered across his father's face, Kazen sighed and concentrated, gathering the faint wisp of chakra he had managed to mould. It flickered briefly like a fragile candle flame, weak but undeniably present.
In Youta's eyes, it might as well have been a miracle. He could actually see chakra flowing within his son. It's real!
Words couldn't begin to describe Youta's emotions in that moment. It was like a tidal wave of astonishment and disbelief had crashed over him, shattering his understanding of the world. His mind was spinning, and for a moment, it felt like his entire worldview was about to collapse.
Youta stared blankly at Kazen, completely dazed. It was as though his soul had left his body.
"Dad, are you okay?" Kazen tugged at his sleeve, speaking softly.
Youta snapped out of his trance and suddenly grabbed Kazen by the shoulders, his expression brimming with excitement. "You little monster! You're a freak of nature!"
Kazen's face darkened immediately, and he shot his father a huge, exasperated glare.
Realizing his mistake, Youta coughed awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed. If my son's a little monster, what does that make me?
He cleared his throat and reined in his excitement. "Ahem... Since you've already control your chakra, I guess I can give you these jutsu a bit earlier. Practice them whenever you have time."
Kazen's eyes lit up with joy. He hadn't expected to get his hands on actual jutsu this early!
"Thanks, Dad!" he said, beaming with excitement.
After thanking his father, Kazen's expression turned hesitant, as if something was weighing on his mind.
Youta noticed immediately. "Is something bothering you?" he asked, concern flickering in his voice.
Kazen hesitated for a moment longer, then decided to speak honestly. "While I was practicing chakra earlier, I felt something strange with my eyes."
The atmosphere around them instantly grew heavy. Youta's face clouded with an unreadable expression as he let out a deep sigh.
"Is that so?" Youta's voice was calm, but laced with seriousness. "It seems you've awakened a kekkei genkai."
Kazen was stunned. What? A bloodline limit? His family had a kekkei genkai?
Judging by Youta's tone, it was clear that this wasn't something entirely new to their family. His father even seemed somewhat resistant to the idea, as though this wasn't the best news.
Originally, Kazen had thought that by mentioning the odd feeling in his eyes, his parents might assume he had a rare ability. But now, it seemed like there was no need for deception.
"Dad... has anyone in our family awakened this ability before?" Kazen asked cautiously.
Youta's gaze turned introspective, lost in memory. "Yes," he replied. "Your grandfather awakened it decades ago."
Kazen's eyes widened. So it's true. The family had a history with bloodline limits. But why had his father never spoken about it before?
As if reading his son's thoughts, Youta continued, his voice more solemn. "However, his bloodline limit didn't last long. After a few years, he developed the kekkei sickness and passed away. Since then, it's never surfaced again."
Now it all made sense to Kazen—why he had never met his grandfather, and why Youta had always been tight-lipped about him. The kekkei sickness was like a cruel twist of fate, a punishment for wielding such power, and it was incurable with the current level of medical ninjutsu.
"Kazen," Youta's voice broke the silence. His expression was serious, laced with concern. "If you ever feel anything strange, or if your body doesn't feel right, don't hide it from me. Understand?"
In Youta's dark eyes, Kazen could see the weight of loss, sorrow, and fear. His father's wounds from the past were still very much alive.
Kazen quickly flashed a bright smile, hoping to alleviate some of the worry. "Come on, Dad. I've only just awakened it. You're worrying way too much!"
His pure, innocent smile brought a sense of relief to Youta, calming his frayed nerves.
"You..." Youta chuckled, shaking his head. "You've always been far too mature for your age."
Knowing his son was responsible enough, Youta decided to drop the matter for now. "Alright. You keep practicing. I'll go look for your grandfather's old notes. They might be of help to you." With that, Youta headed back into the house, leaving Kazen to his training.
Kazen didn't rush to start practicing the newly acquired jutsu. Instead, he made sure his father was gone and that he was alone. He moved to a quiet corner of the yard and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes.
Suddenly, a sensation of weightlessness washed over him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange, dark space. In front of him was an ancient clock, weathered and rusted, yet exuding a certain gravitas. It seemed to carry the weight of countless ages, dignified and imposing despite its decay.
Kazen surveyed his surroundings—an endless, oppressive darkness. Aside from the clock, there was nothing else in sight. It was as though the entire world was shrouded in shadow.
With no other options, Kazen focused his attention on the clock. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something peculiar. The clock face was divided into twelve sections, but only the area between twelve and one o'clock was clear and illuminated. The rest of the sections were darkened, obscured by a thick shadow.
Curious, Kazen extended a finger and lightly touched the clock face. The moment he made contact, the entire clock blazed with a radiant light.
The brightness was so intense that Kazen had to shield his eyes with his hands. Amid the blinding light, a small blue beam of energy shot out from the illuminated section of the clock.
It traveled straight into Kazen's eyes, faster than he could react. His vision flared brightly for a moment, and then everything went black as he lost consciousness.
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