Talent! Power of Stealing and Devouring

"It took me nearly an entire day to figure out how to execute the technique while only needing to refine half the usual amount of chakra, and the mixing ratio is completely different as well..."

Neji spoke with a face full of hardship and toil.

But then he revealed a gratified smile and said, "In the end, I succeeded, and I found the most suitable mixing ratio. As a taijutsu, the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm only requires refining twenty percent of my chakra, channeled into my left hand."

"This is the taijutsu of the Hyuga Clan, a unique ability I have honed through thousands of trials. It only requires one palm, but the other technique is something I spent the entire day perfecting."

Neji said this with a dismissive huff.

"What is it?" Asuma grew increasingly curious. Could it be that, just as Neji claimed, he had actually realized his idea?

Combining ninjutsu and taijutsu into a single release—Asuma swallowed hard. At least for a ninja at Neji's stage, there had never been a precedent for this in the ninja world!

"It is this. If not for thousands of attempts, it truly would have been impossible!"

As Neji spoke, he extended his right hand and began to gesture in front of his chest. It took watching four or five movements for Asuma to realize what was happening.

He was performing one-handed seals!

This was something even Asuma himself could not do, yet Neji had mastered it in a single day!

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"

"Wind Release: Palm Wave!"

Inside Neji's body, two streams of chakra fused in a ratio of 2 to 8. A cyclone-like substance immediately began to swirl around Neji's body.

Powering up...

Strike!

Both palms thrust out simultaneously, swift and decisive!

The Vacuum Palm shook the air, while the Palm Wave whipped up a gale. The air pressure formed by the Vacuum Palm merged seamlessly with the wind, causing both the range and speed to increase exponentially.

The strike surged forth with the force of a landslide. In an instant, the Vacuum Palm crossed the twenty-meter distance from Neji's position and slammed directly into the forest!

"BOOM!"

A massive storm, with incomparable destructive power.

The forest where Asuma had only managed to shear off a few branches with his full strength was now largely decimated by Neji's single move. The branches were all shattered by the wind, dancing wildly in the gale!

"Boom, boom, boom"...

Several trees were even uprooted by the wind, collapsing one after another.

This was at a distance of twenty meters; it was hard to imagine what kind of violent attack a person would suffer if they were hit by this move in close-quarters combat.

"Teacher, I have finished."

Neji let out a breath and said.

Following that, his legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground, appearing to have exhausted all his strength.

Standing behind him, Asuma was speechless for a long time.

This kind of thing could not be achieved through mere hard work.

It was more than just effort; Neji's understanding and application of chakra were perhaps beyond anything he could even teach.

This child is truly a genius! Asuma was deeply shocked!

"Get some good rest. We'll go eat grilled meat tonight."

He took a step back, not disturbing Neji, who was so tired he had collapsed onto the ground to rest.

As a teacher, having the opportunity to instruct a child who was both this hardworking and possessed such high talent was already the greatest honor Asuma could ask for.

After Asuma left, Neji drifted into a deep sleep, unaware of how much time had passed in the darkness.

He only felt his body gradually regaining some strength when the system popped up.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host! You have completed the novice stage!"

"Obtained novice rewards: Advanced Water Release Ninjutsu Scroll x1, Advanced Earth Release Ninjutsu Scroll x1, Basic Sealing Technique Scroll x1!"

"Congratulations to the host for activating the talent: Power of Stealing and Devouring!"

Host: Hyuga Neji
Age: 13
Basic Ninja Skills (including throwing and all other fundamentals) Proficiency Progress: 100.0% (Reaching 100% completes the novice stage and activates the proficiency consumption system!)
Proficiency Points: 0
Talent: Power of Stealing and Devouring
Rank: Konoha Genin
Ninjutsu: Wind Release: Palm Wave (12959/30000)
Taijutsu: Gentle Fist: Tenketsu Needle (77979/100000), Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin (48703/100000), Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms (33834/30000), Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm (23729/30000), Eight Trigrams Body Strike (16911/30000)
Genjutsu: None
Bloodline Limit: Byakugan (49990/100000)

Byakugan Purity: 13%

Basic Items: Explosive Tag *10

Advanced Items: Advanced Water Release Ninjutsu Scroll *1, Advanced Earth Release Ninjutsu Scroll *1, Basic Sealing Technique Scroll *1

Special Items: None

"Talent? Stealing and Devouring? What does that mean?"

Hyuga Neji was puzzled by this unfamiliar ability; he had never seen anything like it elsewhere. Generally, didn't systems usually provide something incredibly overpowered?

Hyuga Neji didn't hold out much hope. From the first day he transmigrated, he understood that this system required him to risk his life to have any chance of becoming stronger; relying solely on talent to grow was impossible for him.

"Stealing and Devouring: When battling a ninja of a higher rank than the host, there is a probability of stealing the enemy's ability and selectively devouring it. The base proficiency of a devoured ability is 0, requiring the host to practice and master it personally. The limit for devoured abilities is 2; when choosing a new ability, existing ones must be cleared to make room. The limit for devoured abilities will increase as the host's ninja rank rises."

Whoa!

This was a big deal.

After reading the system's introduction, countless ideas suddenly sprouted in Hyuga Neji's mind!

The most crucial point was that he had to fight ninjas stronger than himself!

In other words, peaceful practice could no longer satisfy the path to Hyuga Neji's continued growth, and since the capacity for devoured abilities was limited, he would have to be very careful with his choices.

At first glance, this ability seemed like a trash skill, but after years of enduring humiliation, not only had Hyuga Neji's body improved, but his mind had also undergone a second developmental spurt during his childhood, becoming extremely rational and advanced.

If used well, this would become the strongest ability to help Hyuga Neji grow stronger!

At night, at the barbecue restaurant.

"Ah~ barbecue..."

Choji stared at the meat on the grill, almost drooling.

"Wait a moment, don't be so impatient, it's hot!"

Ino and Shikamaru kept a close eye on Choji, terrified that he would burn his mouth again just to get a bite.

Meanwhile, Asuma habitually joked around with his students.

At this moment, Tenten, who had been sitting quietly to the side, leaned toward Hyuga Neji.

"Did your training really succeed?"

Hyuga Neji was startled, then offered a faint smile: "I've just made some progress."

Upon hearing this, Tenten let out a long sigh: "I told you, you're just overthinking things! It's better to just practice honestly."

Shortly after, Asuma raised his glass and said to everyone: "I didn't expect you all to progress so quickly. Our training has ended early—twelve days in total, two days ahead of schedule!"

"Hey, I'm just saying, eating barbecue is a reward for Choji. Since we all passed the training, shouldn't there be some rewards for us too?" Ino said with a grin.

Cold sweat dripped down Asuma's forehead as he touched his wallet, feeling a bad premonition.

Shikamaru: "What a drag. Then just give me an extra taijutsu training session. Although being promoted to Chunin is a hassle, since I've already committed to it, I must succeed."

Ino: "I want a new set of clothes!"

Tenten: "I want a ninja tool model~"

"I really can't do anything with you lot. Can't you learn a thing or two from Shikamaru?" Asuma scratched the back of his head, but there was no doubt that as a teacher, he felt gratified to see his students achieve success.

He looked at Hyuga Neji, who had been quietly eating meat on the side, and asked: "Tell me, Neji, what reward do you want?"

At this question, the entire table fell silent.

Everyone looked over with curiosity; they were all eager to know what the hidden genius who had changed their impressions over these past few days—Hyuga Neji—actually wanted.

Hyuga Neji hesitated for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled up: "The reward I want is a live combat spar with Asuma-sensei."