Three Ninjutsu

Byakuya had a hearty appetite and made some old-fashioned guobaorou. It felt wonderful to eat, and all the gloom, tension, and exhaustion of the day seemed to vanish.

Rebirth aside, he couldn't let his cooking skills go to waste. He even wanted to save up some money and open a restaurant next to Ichiraku Ramen, so the bunch of lunatics in Konoha could learn what delicacies from another world tasted like.

He slept straight through until morning.

Sitting on the bed, he moved his right arm. Most of the pain from overtraining with the sword had faded.

It wasn't because he had an exceptionally strong constitution. Rather, Storm Release Chakra had been constantly soothing and invigorating his muscles like a gentle spring rain.

"Is this what a Kekkei Genkai rooted in one's bloodline feels like?"

After finishing a simple yet nutritious breakfast,

he looked at the handsome young man in the mirror, then at the photo of himself with his parents. The soul from another world kept reminding him that they were his "anchor" in the Shinobi World.

Konoha had quieted down considerably. He arrived at the Ninja Academy warehouse, took out his key, opened the door, and gripped the same iron sword he had used yesterday to continue his training.

"Senkaku Byakuya?"

"Teacher Izumi Orange."

"Ah, the principal sent me to the warehouse to fetch you. I thought you might be someone with the same name, but it really is you, Byakuya."

Izumi Orange was petite, with a baby face and dimples that appeared whenever she smiled. She was a history teacher at the Ninja Academy, mainly teaching the village's history and the Will of Fire to foster affection for the village among her students.

"I have the principal to thank for that."

"Then we're colleagues now."

"That's right."

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

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

Her baby face suddenly moved closer. Izumi Orange said happily, "Then it's settled. No backing out, Byakuya."

"Agreed."

The two of them headed toward the office.

"Come to think of it, being a warehouse manager at the Ninja Academy right now is a dream come true for many people..." Izumi Orange said with a smile, her eyes narrowing. "After all, you don't have to be forcibly sent to the battlefield by the village to die."

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

Izumi Orange smiled at Byakuya. "So, Byakuya, you'll never be able to repay the principal's kindness!"

"I'll do my best and live up to the principal's trust. Someone as capable as you, Teacher Izumi Orange, must be one of the principal's confidants. I'll have to learn from you from now on."

"The principal of the Ninja Academy is Lord Hokage. I'm not one of Lord Hokage's confidants. Hehe. Besides, there's nothing about me worth learning from, Byakuya."

They arrived at Hiroya's office.

"Principal, Senkaku Byakuya is here."

"Oh, thank you for your efforts, Teacher Izumi Orange."

Izumi Orange bowed. "If you have no other instructions, Principal, I'll head back and prepare for class."

"Mm."

Hiroya beckoned Byakuya over. "Sit down."

"Yes."

He saw three ninjutsu scrolls on the desk and immediately had a bad feeling.

Hiroya pulled Byakuya's file from a drawer. "You're proficient in both Lightning and Water Release Chakra?"

"Yes, Principal."

"I applied for the Shadow Clone Technique, Lightning Release: Earth Flash, and Water Release: Water Wave for you. Now that you're a Genin, you need to have some ninjutsu of your own."

Byakuya put on an expression of delighted surprise. "Thank you, Principal. I..."

"Byakuya, don't be in such a hurry. I haven't finished speaking."

"Yes." He immediately sat up straight, ready to listen.

"The Anbu Training Department is also known as the Root Division. You're now a Root Division ninja." Hiroya put down the file, rose from the chair behind his desk, and walked over to Byakuya, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"The Root Division has no need for people without value. But if you prove your worth, the rewards are just as generous. What's in front of you is the reward you'll receive after completing the task I give you. Doesn't that tempt you?

"Of course, ninjas from the great clans don't care about these kinds of techniques. But you're different. Aside from me, there isn't another person in the Hidden Leaf Village willing to teach you."

Byakuya feigned alarm. "But, Principal, I... someone as weak as me, what task could I possibly complete for you?"

Hiroya's hand on his shoulder suddenly tightened. "I'm giving you these three ninjutsu in advance. You have seven days—only seven days—to learn them. Then come to me to receive your first mission as a root of Konoha."

Watching Byakuya nervously put away the ninjutsu scrolls, Hiroya smiled and patted him again. "Time flies. We're all 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 hallway. When she saw the ninjutsu scrolls in Byakuya's arms, she said, "Byakuya, congratulations on taking the most important first step on the path of a ninja. Don't forget to treat me to barbecue after work."

"Then shall we meet outside the academy gate?"

"Sure."

Izumi Orange smiled charmingly.

Back at the warehouse, Byakuya opened the ninjutsu scrolls without expression. He didn't need to act when he was alone, which made things much easier.

First was the Shadow Clone Technique, a ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju for intelligence-gathering. It was so useful that it gradually spread among the ninja forces of various countries.

Lightning Release: Earth Flash and Water Release: Water Wave were basic ninjutsu. Since he had mastered the nature transformations of Lightning Release and Water Release, they wouldn't be difficult to learn.

And ever since Byakuya had fused with the Kekkei Genkai Storm Release, he had gained an indescribable insight into the nature transformations of Lightning and Water Release Chakra.

Hand Seals.

Boar–Goat–Snake.

"Lightning Release: Earth Flash."

Lightning Release Chakra gathered in his right palm. He slapped it against the ground, and lightning spread like a snake.

Hand Seals.

Dragon–Ox–Rabbit.

"Water Release: Water Wave."

He guided Water Release Chakra to his throat, opened his mouth, and spat out a stream of water.

Reflecting on how it felt to release the two ninjutsu, Byakuya shook his head to himself.

These techniques suited him for now, but they were too weak. They wouldn't be enough to deal with the Root Division's imminent mission.

After all, there was nothing simple about a mission issued by the Root Division. The more trump cards he had, the better his chances of survival.

Besides, Hiroya had clearly looked at him like a useless tool to be used up!

To complete the Fate Grid's timed training task, he needed to borrow books from the library and study Chakra nature and shape transformations in depth, then develop a Storm Release technique of his own.

As the end of the workday approached, a Ninja Academy teacher came to the warehouse to request a stack of Chakra Nature Transformation test papers.

"Why's there water all over the floor?"

"I was cleaning."

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

"Senkaku Byakuya."

"Oh, I haven't heard of you. You must be the vice principal's relative, right?"

"..."

Byakuya said nothing. The teacher took that as confirmation and chuckled. "You've got a relative with a lot of power, arranging for you to be the warehouse manager at the Ninja Academy. Anyone else would've already been mobilized by the village and sent off to the battlefield to die. I heard the fighting at the front is brutal. Quite a few 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, Perseverance Leads to Success

Time limit: 2 days — Sword swings (16000/16000)

Reward: Slight increase in swordsmanship talent]

A sudden feeling stirred in him. He looked at the sword in his hand and felt an unexpected closeness to it.

It was as if he had always loved swordsmanship and possessed a unique understanding of it.

He forced himself to endure the ache in his right arm.

He swung his sword.

He was barely using any strength, yet instinctively took advantage of the inertia created by the iron sword's weight to increase its killing power.

He locked the warehouse door.

Byakuya focused Storm Release Chakra into the muscles of his right arm and frowned sharply. He felt better only after reducing the Chakra. Compared with the silent relief that soothed and invigorated his tired muscles, this active stimulation to relax the muscles was also a highly effective form of massage.

He borrowed two books on Chakra nature and shape transformations from the Ninja Academy library, then hurried to meet Izumi Orange.

"Byakuya, you're late. You deserve a punishment!"

Izumi Orange's baby face moved close to his again. Annoyed, she said, "Who asks a girl out to dinner and then shows up late? This is... Could it be that you're trying to teach yourself, Byakuya?"

"I had no choice. I couldn't disappoint the principal. Sorry for the trouble, Teacher Izumi Orange. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Bathed in the evening sunlight, Izumi Orange's face flushed red. She suddenly lowered her voice. "You're really an interesting person, Byakuya."