Talent (Part 2)

PS: I finally got a recommendation, so here's an extra chapter. Please recommend and bookmark!

Little Whale's third reason for being unable to keep reading fanfiction: simps!

"This is... Lava Release?!"

"This is the other gain I mentioned. Last time, I got inspiration for developing a Body Technique from my teacher, so I went home and tried it out. I succeeded, but my chakra also underwent a strange change. When I practiced the Great Fireball Technique, this was what I ended up spitting out!" Suifeng said, looking innocent. "I can't figure out what it is, but I can say for sure that my Fire Release is much more powerful than ordinary Fire Release now!" Suifeng described the unexpected change that had happened to him in just the right amount of detail. After all, apart from his transmigration and his Zanpakuto, there was nothing he needed to hide.

"Of course. This is Lava Release, a Kekkei Genkai!" The Great Elder's gaze was as gentle as that of a kindly mother. "It's a Kekkei Genkai produced by combining Fire and Earth chakra. I imagine your body has changed to some extent, too, hasn't it?"

"Yes, Great Elder. After my chakra mutated, I could clearly feel that my body had become much stronger, and the amount of chakra I have has increased as well. I don't know what happened!"

"Your body was strengthened when the chakra fusion produced a Kekkei Genkai!" Kekkei Genkai were a secret to ordinary ninja, but to someone at the Great Elder's level, they were common knowledge.

"Practicing this Body Technique can produce a new Kekkei Genkai?!" Uchiha Fukuyama was stunned. Could something like that really happen? Was it possible for such a thing to occur?!

"No. This may have just been an accident, a coincidence!" The Great Elder calmed down from his initial excitement. This matter was simply too significant.

A powerful, widely applicable defensive Body Technique would be very useful to the Uchiha. A newly acquired Kekkei Genkai could help the Uchiha train a powerful Jonin. All of that was within their control. But if practicing this Body Technique could make Uchiha ninja the source of a new Kekkei Genkai, then that was a whole different matter.

In the Ninja World, almost all Kekkei Genkai were inherited through bloodlines. That was why they were called bloodline limits. As for their origins—how they had come about—no one knew anymore.

Even newly formed Kekkei Genkai had come about through various coincidences, and could not be replicated.

That they could not be replicated was the most important point, because even the sources of those bloodlines had no idea how they had acquired them.

But Suifeng had just described the entire process by which he had acquired this Kekkei Genkai right in front of them. He repeatedly insisted it was just a coincidence, but the coincidence was only in the process; the result itself was not a coincidence. It was inevitable. In other words, it was very likely that this could be reproduced to a considerable extent.

That was terrifying.

Lava Release was an ordinary Kekkei Genkai, but it was still a Kekkei Genkai—something naturally a cut above ordinary ninjutsu.

The Uchiha Clan already possessed the powerful Sharingan and was known as the greatest clan in the Ninja World. If they gained a second Kekkei Genkai that could be widely developed, there was no doubt that the clan's strength would increase enormously, and that increase would have a cascading effect.

"Suifeng, Fushan, this matter ends here. Neither of you is to tell anyone else. As for you, Suifeng, just claim that you mastered Lava Release by accident. If anyone asks how you did it, say you don't know. Understood?"

"Yes, Great Elder!"

"Also, apart from giving the clan a copy, don't pass on the Body Technique you developed."

"Yes!" Suifeng answered obediently, without asking why.

"Last time, you told me you seemed interested in learning swordsmanship?"

"Yes. I'm very interested in swordsmanship, but I don't feel like I have enough time to learn it right now!"

"Hmm, that's true."

Not to mention the Body Technique he had developed himself, even Lava Release alone was enough to keep him busy studying. After all, this was the power of a Kekkei Genkai, not part of a ninja's usual arsenal.

"Don't worry. The clan will provide you with all the information on Lava Release and the related techniques. The clan will also start collecting more information on it. You don't need to worry about ninjutsu."

"Thank you, Great Elder!"

"You deserve it." The Great Elder's voice was as gentle as that of a kindly father. "Suifeng, you're a genius of the Uchiha Clan. At such a young age, you've developed your own Body Technique and Kekkei Genkai. But remember, the Sharingan is the very foundation of our clan. Developing the Sharingan is the top priority. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"With a Kekkei Genkai, your chakra should have reached the level of a Chunin. Next year's Chunin Ninja Exams shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

"Huh?! The Chunin Ninja Exams?!" Suifeng paused, then looked up. "I... I can take them?!"

"Of course you can. You're a genius who defeated Kakashi, and you've developed a Body Technique that's uniquely your own. Passing the Chunin Ninja Exams won't be difficult. But before that, you'll need to go through some training!"

Some training?!

A trace of confusion flashed through Suifeng's mind.

"Great Elder, Suifeng is only six years old. He just became a Genin. Isn't it a little soon...?"

"He's already a ninja, and a genius of the clan, at that. Should he spend all his time in the village playing ninja games?" The Great Elder glanced at him. "Don't spread word of the Body Technique any further. Suifeng can show off his Lava Release Kekkei Genkai while he's getting used to it. Let everyone know that we Uchiha are the greatest clan in the Ninja World, and that our clan's geniuses can dominate an entire era!"

"Yes, Great Elder!"

Hearing what the Great Elder meant, Fushan sighed inwardly. He understood the old man's intentions all too well: put Suifeng out there as a target—or, rather, as a standard-bearer—to showcase the Uchiha's greatness and restore the clan's reputation.

Being put on display made Suifeng very vulnerable, because he would attract the attention of everyone hostile to the clan. At the same time, however, he would gain considerable benefits. The clan would certainly reward him accordingly.

The resources Suifeng received now were already beyond what anyone his age could get. Even the clan leader's son might not receive as much as Suifeng.

In this respect, the clan was always fair.

"Fushan, the war isn't over. It's only paused for now. No one knows how long this ridiculous peace will last. Suifeng is already a ninja, and if war breaks out, he'll definitely be sent to the battlefield. If you don't want him to become cannon fodder, he needs to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Fushan, you're his instructor. You can't keep going easy on him. You can give him time, but war won't wait for us!"

"Yes!"

Though he didn't want to admit it, the Great Elder was right. Peace in the Ninja World was fragile, and no one knew whether the whole world would erupt into war once a single spark was lit. Everyone was waiting, watching, and growing stronger. A genius like Suifeng would be a prime target once war came. If he didn't want to die, he had to prepare for everything.

So there was really nothing to agonize over.