Three Ninja Arts

Senkaku Byakuya had a massive appetite, so he whipped up a batch of old-fashioned sweet and sour pork. Eating that stuff felt satisfying; the frustration, tension, and exhaustion of the entire day seemed to vanish into thin air.

Rebirth was one thing, but he couldn't let his culinary skills go to waste. He was already thinking about saving up some money to open a restaurant next to Ichiraku Ramen, just to show this bunch of lunatics in Konoha what real delicacies from another world tasted like.

He slept until dawn.

Sitting on his bed, he moved his right arm; the pain from his excessive sword training had mostly faded away.

It wasn't because his physique was particularly impressive, but rather because his Storm Release chakra was constantly soothing and revitalizing his muscles like a gentle spring breeze.

"Is this the power of a Kekkei Genkai rooted in one's bloodline?"

After finishing a simple yet nutritious breakfast.

He looked at the handsome youth in the mirror, then at a photo of himself with his parents. The soul from another world constantly reminded him that this was his "anchor" in the ninja world.

Konoha was much quieter today. He arrived at the Ninja Academy warehouse, pulled out his key to open the gate, and gripped the iron sword he had used yesterday to continue his training.

"Senkaku Byakuya?"

"Teacher Izumi Orange."

"Ah, the principal ordered me to come to the warehouse to fetch you. I thought it was just someone with the same name, but I didn't expect it to really be you, Student Byakuya."

Izumi Orange had a petite, delicate figure and a baby face; two dimples would pop out whenever she smiled. She was a history teacher at the Ninja Academy, primarily teaching village history and the Will of Fire to foster a sense of patriotism in the students.

"I owe it all to the principal."

"So, that makes us colleagues, then."

"Yes."

"To celebrate our new colleague, I'll treat you to barbecue after work."

"How could I let Teacher Izumi Orange treat me? I should be the one treating you."

The baby-faced woman suddenly leaned in close, and Izumi Orange said happily, "Then it's a deal. Student Byakuya, no backing out."

"It's a promise."

The two walked toward the office.

"Come to think of it, being a warehouse manager at the Ninja Academy at a time like this is something many people dream of..." Izumi Orange said with a squinting smile, "After all, you don't get forcibly sent to the battlefield to die for the village."

"Especially for a ninja like me; if I went to the battlefield, I'd just be cannon fodder waiting to die."

Izumi Orange smiled at Byakuya, "So, Byakuya, you can never repay the principal's kindness!"

"I will definitely work hard and not let the principal's trust go to waste. Someone as outstanding as Teacher Izumi Orange must be the principal's right-hand person; I will have to learn from you in the future."

"The principal of the Ninja Academy is the Hokage; I am certainly not the Hokage's right-hand person, haha. Besides, I don't have anything worth learning from for Student Byakuya."

They arrived at Hiroya's office.

"Principal, Senkaku Byakuya is here."

"Oh, thank you for your hard work, Teacher Izumi Orange."

Izumi Orange bowed and said, "If the principal has no other orders, I'll head back to prepare for class."

"Mm."

Hiroya beckoned to Byakuya, "Sit down and let's talk."

"Yes."

He looked at the three ninja scrolls placed on the desk, and a sense of foreboding immediately arose.

Hiroya pulled Byakuya's file from the drawer: "You are proficient in both Lightning and Water style chakra?"

"Yes, Principal."

"I have applied for the Shadow Clone Technique, Lightning Release: Earth Flash, and Water Release: Water Wave for you. Since you have become a genin, you need to have your own signature ninjutsu."

Byakuya put on a look of pleasant surprise: "Thank you, Principal, I..."

"Byakuya, don't be so impatient. I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Yes." He immediately sat up straight, listening intently.

"The Anbu Training Department is also known as 'Root,' and you are now a ninja of 'Root'." Hiroya put down the file, stood up from his chair behind the desk, and paced over to Byakuya's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Root has no need for people without value, but if you demonstrate your worth, the rewards are equally generous. What lies before you is the reward for completing the mission I assign to you. Isn't it tempting?

Of course, ninjas from prestigious clans don't care about such ninjutsu, but you are different. Besides me, there is no one else in the Hidden Leaf Village willing to teach you."

Byakuya feigned panic: "But Principal, I... a person with such low ability like me, what kind of mission could I possibly complete for you?"

The hand Hiroya had on his shoulder suddenly tightened: "These three ninjutsu are an advance payment for you. Seven days—you have only seven days to master them, then come find me to receive your first mission as a root of Konoha."

Watching Byakuya tremblingly pack away the ninja scrolls, Hiroya smiled and patted him again: "Time flies like a white horse passing a crack; everyone is very busy, so I won't keep you."

"Thank you, Principal. This subordinate will take his leave."

Izumi Orange was leaning against the wall at the corner of the corridor, spotting the ninja scrolls in Byakuya's arms: "Byakuya, congratulations on taking the most critical step as a ninja. Don't forget to treat me to barbecue after work."

"Shall we meet outside the school gate then?"

"Very well."

Izumi Orange gave a charming smile.

Returning to the warehouse, Byakuya opened the ninjutsu scrolls with an expressionless face; when alone, there was no need to act, and he felt much more relaxed.

First was the Shadow Clone Technique, a ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, for espionage activities; because it was so incredibly useful, it eventually spread among ninja groups in every nation.

Lightning Release: Earth Flash and Water Release: Water Wave were considered basic ninjutsu, and having mastered the nature transformations of Lightning and Water, they were not difficult to learn.

Ever since Byakuya had fused with the Kekkei Genkai Storm Release, he had gained some indescribable insights into the nature transformations of lightning and water chakra.

He formed the hand seals.

Boar-Ram-Snake.

"Lightning Release: Earth Flash."

Lightning-attribute chakra gathered in his right palm, which he slammed into the ground, causing electricity to spread out like a snake.

He formed the hand seals.

Dragon-Ox-Hare.

"Water Release: Water Wave."

He channeled water-attribute chakra to his throat, opened his mouth, and spat out a stream of water.

Reflecting on the sensation of releasing both ninjutsu, Byakuya shook his head inwardly.

These ninjutsu were indeed suitable for him at the moment, but their shortcoming was that their power was too weak to handle the upcoming Root missions.

One had to know that the missions issued by Root were never simple; having more trump cards meant having more ways to survive.

Furthermore, the way Hiroya looked at him was clearly that of someone viewing a disposable tool!

After completing the time-limited Fate Grid cultivation task, he would have to go to the library to borrow books, study the nature and shape transformation of chakra in depth, and develop a Storm Release ninjutsu that belonged solely to him.

As it neared the end of the shift, a Ninja Academy teacher came to the warehouse to request a stack of chakra induction paper.

"Why is there water all over the floor?"

"I was cleaning up."

"You're the new warehouse manager? So young? What's your name?"

"Senkaku Byakuya."

"Oh, never heard of you. You must be a relative of the vice-principal, right?"

"..."

Byakuya remained silent, and the Ninja Academy teacher took his silence for agreement, chuckling: "You have a powerful relative in a high position to arrange for you to be the Ninja Academy warehouse manager. If it were anyone else, they would have already been mobilized by the village to the battlefield to die. I heard the fighting on the front lines is brutal; many chunin have died at the hands of the enemy without even knowing what hit them."

After seeing the man off.

Byakuya swung his sword a hundred times.

Heaven Rewards Diligence, the persistent shall succeed.
Time limit 2 days: Sword swings (16000/16000)
Reward: Slight increase in swordsmanship talent.

Suddenly, he felt something and looked at the sword in his hand, feeling an immediate sense of intimacy.

It seemed as if he were born with a love for swordsmanship and possessed a unique understanding of it.

Enduring his aching right arm.

He swung the sword.

Clearly not using much strength, he instinctively utilized the inertia created by the weight of the iron sword to increase its lethality.

He locked the warehouse door.

Concentrating Storm Release chakra into the muscles of his right arm, Byakuya frowned sharply; it only felt better after he reduced the chakra. Compared to the silent, nourishing relief of soothing and revitalizing fatigued muscles, this active stimulation to relax the muscles was an effective form of massage.

He went to the Ninja Academy library to borrow two books on chakra nature transformation and shape transformation, then hurried to meet up with Izumi Orange.

"Student Byakuya, you're late. You should be punished!"

Izumi Orange's baby face leaned close to him again, saying angrily: "What kind of logic is it to ask a girl out to dinner and then be late yourself? And this is... could it be that Student Byakuya intends to be self-taught?"

"I had no choice; I can't let the principal down. Teacher Izumi, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Facing the setting sun, Izumi Orange's face was flushed red, and she suddenly whispered: "Student Byakuya really is an interesting person."