Lightning Release

"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!" Chakra surged beneath Toru Kujyo's feet, and an electric current spread in an instant, paralyzing Sasuke. Then Toru appeared at his side like a phantom and delivered a precise knife-hand strike to his neck.

"Urgh!" Sasuke grunted, his body going rigid.

The fierce, half-hour battle ended in an easy victory for Toru Kujyo. Covered in wounds, Sasuke lay sprawled on the ground, but an unyielding fire still burned in his eyes.

"I lost." Sasuke panted, his voice hoarse.

Toru Kujyo looked down at him without a trace of sympathy, only calm. "You've improved a lot, but it's still not enough."

Sasuke struggled to his feet and said through gritted teeth, "I'll get stronger!"

"I'll be waiting." Toru Kujyo held out a hand. "As agreed, I get access to your ninjutsu archive."

Sasuke fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. He knew what Toru Kujyo was after.

The Uchiha Clan's ninjutsu archive had once been one of Konoha's richest treasure troves. Now, however, it was all but empty, with only a handful of low-level release technique scrolls scattered in the corners.

"The village confiscated all the advanced ones, or Itachi took them." A hint of bitterness crept into Sasuke's voice. "All that's left are some basic fire release and taijutsu scrolls."

Toru Kujyo searched through the pile of scrolls. Although he possessed powerful chakra and the [Sage Eye], his ability to transform its nature was practically nonexistent. He needed to study the Uchiha Clan's release techniques to make up for that weakness, master all five nature transformations, and ultimately perfect his SS-rank ninjutsu-"Super Hurricane Multi-Ball."

He picked up an old fire release scroll, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. Even if it was only a basic technique, finding inspiration in it would be enough.

"One day, I'll surpass you!" Sasuke's voice came from behind him, firm with resolve.

Toru Kujyo did not turn around; he merely curled his lips slightly. Surpass me? That depends on whether you can keep up with how fast I'm moving forward.

In late March of Konoha Year 60, the first rays of morning sunlight passed through the window lattice and fell gently across Toru Kujyo's face. He rolled over out of habit, only to be awakened by a gentle shake.

"Big brother Toru, it's time to get up... Today's the graduation exam."

A girl's clear voice, tinged with shyness, sounded beside his ear. Toru Kujyo slowly opened his eyes to see Hinata Hyuga's face, which had shed its childishness and grown ever more refined. Her dark blue hair now reached her waist, cascading down like a waterfall, and her fair skin looked almost translucent in the morning light. Her pure Byakugan eyes held a faint lavender tint as she gazed gently at him.

Toru Kujyo's lips curved with a hint of mischief. "Oh my, our Hinata's all grown up. You're so gentle when you wake me that I almost thought I was still dreaming."

Hinata's cheeks instantly flushed. She waved her hands in flustered protest, though a hint of a smile lingered in her eyes. "Big brother Toru, hurry and wash up. I've already made breakfast." With that, she turned and hurried out of the room, leaving Toru Kujyo to rise with a soft chuckle.

Entering the bathroom, Toru Kujyo stood before the mirror and studied his reflection. Six years had flown by, and the once scrawny child had now completely outgrown his boyish looks. His hair was ink-black, his blue eyes deep, and his features sharply defined, with just the right balance of handsome refinement. He tried activating his Byakugan, and his eyes instantly took on a pale lavender sheen like Hinata's. What pleased him most was that the veins at his temples no longer bulged when he used it. This change had begun to appear at the start of the year and was now nearly perfect, signifying that his control over the Byakugan had reached an entirely new level.

After washing up, Toru Kujyo sat at the dining table. The generous breakfast Hinata had carefully prepared steamed before him. As he ate, he summoned the system panel that only he could see with a thought.

The familiar blue screen unfolded before his eyes, displaying line after line of shimmering golden text.

[Host: Toru Kujyo]

[Talent traits:]

[Otsutsuki bloodline (red)]

[Sage eye (red)]

[Prince of the Byakugan (red)]

[Six Paths aptitude (red)]

[Kekkei genkai: Byakugan (gold)]

[Chakra Control (gold)]

[Uzumaki bloodline (purple)+]

[All-attribute constitution (purple)+]

[Medical genius (blue)+]

[Points: 12391]

As Toru Kujyo examined the traits on the panel, especially the four dazzling instances of "red," a barely perceptible ripple passed through his eyes. The Otsutsuki bloodline, the sage eye, the Prince of the Byakugan, Six Paths aptitude... Any one of them would have been an extraordinary stroke of fortune for someone else, yet he alone enjoyed them all.

His years of grueling training, his shadow clones' tireless work day and night, and every desperate battle with Sasuke had been about more than simply improving his strength. They had also been meant to continually awaken and perfect these latent talents. He knew full well that power beyond ordinary understanding lay behind these traits. And those 12391 points were a substantial fortune waiting to be unlocked.

He looked away, lifted his bowl, and drained the miso soup in one gulp. Today was the graduation exam, after all.

After breakfast, Hinata carefully straightened Toru Kujyo's collar and said softly, "Big brother Toru, I'll wait for you at the academy." Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her eyes were full of anticipation. The Ninja Academy's graduation exam took place over two days. Today was the first day, covering the written exam and basic ninjutsu assessment.

"All right." Toru Kujyo agreed with a smile and watched Hinata hurry away. In no rush himself, he ambled out the door.

Sunlight spilled across Konoha's bustling streets. Toru Kujyo walked with seemingly casual steps, but the extraordinary perception granted by the [Sage Eye] brought everything within an eighty-kilometer radius into his awareness. Every rustle of grass in the wind, every chirping insect and singing bird, even the sweat shed by the ninja on distant training grounds and the flow of their chakra-all of it was perfectly clear.

Iruka-sensei should already be in the classroom, sorting the exam papers, Toru Kujyo thought. Naruto probably overslept again.

That sense of almost omniscient control put him in a pleasant mood.

Suddenly, Toru Kujyo stopped, his brow creasing almost imperceptibly. A strange stirring came from deep within his eyes, as though something was about to break through, carrying a trace of indescribable heat and longing.

"Hm? This is..." He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation. Like a newly formed fetus, that stirring pulsed gently through the chakra pathways around his eyes. Each beat seemed to draw some special energy from the vast reserves of chakra within him.

Is it finally coming? Toru Kujyo's heart stirred, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. This was the "first fetal movement" he had long awaited, a sign that his eyes-or rather, his power-were about to undergo another evolution. Almost a year had passed since his Byakugan absorbed an enormous amount of yin release chakra and evolved from purple to gold. The sensation had come and gone ever since, but today it was exceptionally clear.