Practicing Transparency Release

Hoshi's next test was, of course, his own Transparency Release. He had suspected before that the system might have helped him awaken his Kekkei Genkai in advance.

Now that he had the time, he naturally had to verify his theory. With that in mind, Hoshi tried to make his body invisible directly without using Secret Technique: Assault.

But after standing there chanting and forming Hand Seals for quite a while, there was still no sign of invisibility.

Fine, he would activate the skill first and get a feel for it. With a thought, Hoshi activated Secret Technique: Assault, and as the skill started, that afternoon's sensation surged through him again.

Chakra flowed on its own through his limbs and body. This time, Hoshi focused intently. Rather than paying attention to the tingling sensation across his body, he concentrated fully on memorizing the path of the Chakra flow.

Perhaps because he was standing still, his Chakra consumption was noticeably lower than it had been that afternoon. Hoshi maintained it for a full seven or eight minutes before his Chakra finally began to run low.

After releasing Secret Technique: Assault, Hoshi rested where he stood. Only after his Chakra had recovered considerably did he begin circulating it according to the route he had just memorized.

He started with his abdomen, controlling the Chakra to spread outward from his dantian. This time, it seemed to be working, because he felt that tingling sensation.

But it did not last long. The moment his Chakra left his abdomen, it lost its way. Having forgotten the rest of the route, Hoshi could only force the Chakra back.

Again. He activated Secret Technique: Assault once more, but this time Hoshi had gotten smarter. A good memory was no match for a bad pen, so he simply pulled out a Human Meridian Diagram.

Comparing it with the direction his Chakra was flowing, Hoshi marked the route bit by bit on the meridian diagram. By the time his Chakra was about to give out, he had finally completed the route map.

Lying on the bed and taking several deep breaths, Hoshi felt a little dizzy. So this was how awful it felt when Chakra was nearly depleted. No wonder Kakashi would pass out for three or four days whenever he ran out of Chakra. It really was not pleasant.

This time, his rest lasted much longer. Hoshi spent over two hours recovering before his Chakra finally rose past half. He figured that should be enough for another two or three minutes of practice.

Hardheaded Hoshi began his third attempt. This time, he controlled it with extreme care, following the route map bit by bit. At last, he felt that tingling numbness again.

But this still did not count as success. Looking down at his hands, he saw that they were indeed covered in a faint layer of shadow.

Yet the shadow was so pale it was almost indistinguishable from nothing, and it was patchy, darker in some places and lighter in others. Hoshi slowly moved over to the mirror and examined himself from head to toe.

Sure enough, his reflection was patchy all over, like a human-shaped mosaic. At best, this could be considered putting on a layer of camouflage.

It might fool an opponent from afar, but if they stood face-to-face, even someone with severe nearsightedness could probably spot him.

This was probably because his Chakra Control was lacking. Whether it was ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or a Kekkei Genkai, none of them could do without strong Chakra Control.

Secret Technique: Assault worked so perfectly because of the system's enhancement. But before he mastered techniques like tree climbing and water walking, his Transparency Release would probably remain in this mosaic state for quite some time.

In that case, he should just use the skill directly in battle. Still, this could serve as a way to train his Chakra. He had heard that using Chakra at such high intensity could help increase one's Chakra reserves.

After quietly committing these insights to memory, Hoshi suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness. After yawning several times, he finally could not withstand it any longer. He turned over, pulled the blanket over himself, and drifted into sleep.

Repeatedly exhausting his Chakra at high intensity in a single night was indeed more than a beginner like him could bear. His mental fatigue left him desperately needing a full night's sleep.

Because he was so exhausted, Hoshi woke up very late the next day. Unsurprisingly, he was late.

Teacher Mitsui was somewhat displeased, but it was only the second day of school. He merely told Hoshi to be more careful next time before letting him in. Still, he gave the Wooden Sword on Hoshi's back and the Dagger in his Ninja Tool Pouch a few extra looks.

As a responsible teacher, he had put considerable effort into understanding every student. He knew that Hoshi's and Sakumo's fathers had both once been famous blade users in the village.

He had always supported children following in their fathers' footsteps. So while reminding Hoshi not to accidentally hurt himself, he also told him to train diligently. That gave Hoshi a few more favorable impressions of him.

Teacher Mitsui, you've got a bright road ahead of you.

After joking to himself, Hoshi slipped quietly into the classroom through the back door. However low-profile he tried to be, his looks and the Wooden Sword on his back still drew plenty of attention.

Most of the girls were admiring Hoshi's face, while the boys cast curious looks at the Wooden Sword behind him.

One or two of the bolder students sitting nearby directly asked why he had brought a Wooden Sword to school.

Hoshi casually explained that his mother had asked him to begin learning his family's swordsmanship from today onward, only for several discordant voices to chime in:

"If you want to show off, just say so. Why make up some excuse about your mother telling you to? What a joke."

"Exactly. It's so obvious you're trying to imitate Sakumo."

"If you're so amazing, do you dare spar with Uchiha Iwa and Sakumo?"

During the Placement Assessment on the first day of school, Hoshi, Uchiha Iwa, and Sakumo had been the most eye-catching students in the class. With their outstanding looks and formidable strength, most of the girls had become fans of the three of them.

Naturally, that made some of the boys unhappy. They were all little geniuses spoiled by their families, yet once they arrived at school, only those three were popular. Of course the others were bitter about it.

But among the three, Uchiha Iwa was already famous, while Sakumo seemed powerful and cold. Hoshi looked like the weakest of them and did not seem to have much of a temper, so he naturally became the target of those jealous boys.

Those words were truly unpleasant to hear, prompting several of Hoshi's female fans to glare angrily at them. Jiraiya stood up, ready to argue with the entire crowd. With Rie's assistance, Jiraiya had already come to see Hoshi as his best friend.

Even Sakumo, sitting farther away, frowned at the scene. But seeing Hoshi's calm expression, he chose not to stand up for him. Still, he quietly remembered the few who had shouted the loudest.

Hoshi ignored their mockery. With a mental age pushing thirty, he found the sour comments of these little brats utterly harmless.

Compared to the system's sarcastic remarks, and the vicious online trolls he had encountered in his previous life, what were these few halfhearted jabs worth?

Pressing Jiraiya back into his seat, Hoshi put away his Wooden Sword and sat down with casual grace, his demeanor seemingly detached from the world. For a moment, more than a few of his female fans let out quiet squeals.

Even Tsunade behind him gave the boy in front of her a few extra looks. This guy really wasn't angry. For a moment, even little Tsunade felt a trace of curiosity toward Hoshi.

Watching their sarcastic remarks not only fail to provoke Hoshi but instead earn him another wave of admiration, the jealous boys in the class were so angry they nearly suffered internal injuries.

Ah, so annoying.

The contract has already been sent out, so it should change to signed status in the next couple of days. Feel free to invest with confidence. Also, if you have any suggestions or opinions about this book, leave them in the book reviews or comments. Ye Zhi is having a hard time writing alone, so let me interact with you all too.