Chikage continued swiping his finger across the virtual screen.
The taijutsu and chakra burst category offered all sorts of skills.
The first one he noticed was the Eight Gates of Death.
This taijutsu technique certainly packed a punch. With the Gate of Death open, he could even kick Madara Uchiha half to death.
But Chikage swiped straight past that option.
You've got to be kidding.
He was a clerical employee of the Konoha Military Police Force who wanted a nine-to-five job and to leave work on time.
Using a move that hurt him almost as much as his enemy would leave him hospitalized for half a month after a fight.
That completely violated his safety-first policy.
He kept scrolling.
Strength of a Hundred Technique, priced at eight thousand points.
Chikage paused and carefully read the skill description.
It required concentrating chakra precisely in a particular part of the body, then releasing it all in one burst.
That demanded a high degree of chakra control.
Chikage shook his head.
His chakra reserves approached ten Kakashis' worth, but he had never specifically trained in fine chakra control.
Concentrating such a huge amount of chakra precisely in his fist would take far too much effort.
If his control slipped and he punched through a load-bearing wall in the Konoha Military Police Force building, Fugaku would demand compensation.
That wasn't worth it.
He continued browsing the list.
An icon flickering with blue electricity caught his eye.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Priced at fifteen thousand points.
Chikage tapped the icon to read the detailed description.
It covered the entire body in lightning release chakra, stimulating the body.
It could greatly enhance the user's speed, defense, and reflexes.
The greater the chakra reserves, the stronger the lightning cloak and the longer it would last.
Chikage's eyes lit up.
This skill was practically tailor-made for him.
It required no complicated hand seals, nor did he need to concentrate chakra in one spot for a burst like the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
Upon redemption, the system would also impart the complete method for operating Lightning Release Chakra Mode. As long as he circulated chakra along the corresponding pathways, he could maintain the lightning cloak.
Other people using Lightning Release Chakra Mode had to ration their chakra carefully, worried they would soon run dry.
For now, he had no such concern.
With his current chakra reserves, he at least wouldn't have to worry about being unable to maintain the lightning cloak for a short period.
If he encountered Root's Assassination Unit, he would have another layer of protection when breaking through head-on.
Of course, he still needed to watch out for poison, sealing jutsu, and explosive tags.
But that was far better than knowing only the Three Body Technique and the Great Fireball Technique and standing around waiting to be assassinated.
"You're the one."
Without hesitation, Chikage clicked the redeem button.
[Ding! Confirmed: spend fifteen thousand points to redeem Lightning Release Chakra Mode.] [Redemption successful!]
The moment the system notification sounded, Chikage felt a change inside his body.
A surge of lightning release chakra welled up within him and swiftly flowed through his entire chakra network.
His muscles grew warm, and faint sounds came from his bones.
At the same time, the circulation pathways and practical experience for Lightning Release Chakra Mode flooded his mind.
Chikage stood up and tried clenching his fist.
A faint pop sounded in the air.
He didn't need to figure it out from scratch. As soon as he mobilized his chakra according to the method imparted by the system, pale blue arcs of electricity appeared across his body.
Those points had been well spent.
With the lightning cloak, he at least had a way to protect himself and break through an encirclement during tomorrow's business trip to the border.
If the assassins Danzo sent couldn't even penetrate his defenses, the scene would certainly be entertaining.
Chikage sat back down on the tatami and looked at the system panel.
His original balance of eighteen thousand five hundred points had fallen to just three thousand five hundred.
That wasn't enough to redeem any major items for now.
Chikage rubbed his chin and returned his gaze to the kekkei genkai category.
He found the Sharingan option.
One-Tomoe Sharingan, priced at one thousand points.
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, being seventeen without having awakened his eyes certainly made him an oddity in the clan.
Members of the Uchiha Clan usually needed to experience intense emotional upheaval to awaken their eyes.
Either profound grief or extreme rage.
But Chikage was an emotionally stable person.
He went to work on time, left on the dot, and never got involved in pointless disputes.
Even when Danzo laid a death trap right in front of him, all he thought about was how to get his travel expenses reimbursed.
Expecting him to awaken his eyes through emotional stimulation was probably hopeless in this lifetime.
Although Clan Head Fugaku never said anything, a hint of regret always appeared in his gaze whenever he saw Chikage's ordinary black eyes.
Since he still had some points to spare, he might as well solve that problem while he was at it.
Besides, the motion tracking provided by the One-Tomoe Sharingan would complement Lightning Release Chakra Mode perfectly.
Once Lightning Release Chakra Mode was activated, his movement speed would increase dramatically.
Without sufficient motion tracking, he could easily lose sight of his enemy while moving at high speed.
The One-Tomoe Sharingan would neatly fill that gap.
At least under his current circumstances, the combination was an excellent fit.
Chikage decisively clicked redeem.
[Ding! Confirmed: spend one thousand points to redeem the One-Tomoe Sharingan.] [Redemption successful!]
The system notification sounded again.
This time, the change occurred in his eyes.
Chikage felt his eye sockets grow hot as a peculiar chakra flowed into both eyes.
His vision first blurred, then quickly sharpened.
He turned to look out the window.
In the darkness, a few insects circled beneath the light.
Their flight paths, once difficult to follow, now looked much clearer to Chikage.
He could precisely track every turn and every beat of their wings.
Even the tiny shadows of insects resting on the windowsill didn't escape his notice.
Chikage stood up and walked over to the full-length mirror in his bedroom.
He looked at his reflection.
His black pupils had turned a vivid red.
A single black tomoe slowly revolved in each red pupil.
Chikage raised an eyebrow at himself in the mirror.
"Finally starting to look like an Uchiha."
Standing before the full-length mirror, Chikage continued examining the changes in himself.
His red pupils were striking.
The two black tomoe slowly revolved, one in each eye.
He raised a hand and touched the corner of his eye.
Everything in his field of vision had become exceptionally clear, and even the slightest movements were unlikely to escape his notice.
He rolled his neck, reasonably satisfied with this redemption.
Just as he was about to deactivate his Sharingan, wash up, and go to bed, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.
Immediately afterward, someone pounded on the gate.
"Chikage!"
"Open up!"
The voice was loud and filled with unmistakable anxiety.
Chikage recognized the voice of the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku.
He was a little puzzled.
What was Fugaku doing coming here in the middle of the night instead of staying home with his wife and children?
Chikage turned, left the bedroom, and walked down the corridor into the courtyard.
He pulled open the gate.
Fugaku stood outside, panting, dressed in a casual kimono with his heels not even properly seated in his shoes.
"Uncle, what brings you here so late?"
Fugaku shoved Chikage aside and strode into the courtyard.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"I heard from Yashiro that you accepted the official assignment letter Root sent over?"
"And you're going to the border to investigate some smuggling case?"
Before you continue