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Time flies like a fleeting shadow, and before anyone realized, a full year had passed in the blink of an eye.
On the Hyuga Clan's training grounds, the air was filled with the sharp rhythm of fists and feet cutting through the wind. Two six-year-old boys were locked in fierce combat—Riku and Hyuga Sōtai. Though small in stature, their movements were fast, precise, and brimming with energy. Each collision of their palms and legs echoed with crisp thuds, like drumming beats of determination. To ordinary eyes, their sparring looked like an incredible display of talent—almost like two miniature superheroes clashing.
But to true shinobi, their skills still seemed rough and immature. Standing nearby, Hyuga Seisai watched with calm eyes, hands clasped behind his back. He was impressed yet critical. Both children had surpassed ordinary people by far, but compared to a genuine Genin, there was still a noticeable gap.
Still, Seisai couldn't hide his satisfaction when it came to Sōtai. In terms of taijutsu proficiency alone, Sōtai had already reached the level of a Genin. His movements flowed naturally, and his strikes carried the refined precision of the Hyuga's Gentle Fist. As for Riku… well, that was another story.
Despite receiving guidance and support from Hinata Katyu, Riku's apparent talent seemed mediocre. No matter how hard he trained, he always appeared to lag a step behind Young Master Sōtai. To the Hyuga elders, this was disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. After all, not every child—no matter how hard they tried—could become a prodigy. Eventually, they had accepted this reality. They had simply stopped expecting too much from Riku.
Yet, what they all saw was merely what Riku wanted them to see.
Behind that calm exterior, hidden beneath his polite smiles and average performance, Riku's true strength lay recorded in a secret that no one else could glimpse—his status panel, freshly updated and gleaming with silent power.
Status Panel
Ninjutsu: Clone Technique (E) — Lv10 (MAX) (Breakthrough possible)
Ninjutsu: Transformation Technique (E) — Lv10 (MAX) (Breakthrough possible)
Ninjutsu: Substitution Technique (E) — Lv10 (MAX) (Breakthrough possible)
Chakra Refining Technique (D) — Lv10 (MAX) (Breakthrough possible)
Taijutsu: Hyuga Gentle Fist (C) — Lv9 (1432/3600)
Sealing Technique: Sealing Pulse Seal – Evil Break (C) — Lv10 (1972/2000)
Ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique (C) — Lv8 (2656/3200)
Dōjutsu: Byakugan (A) — Lv4 (6045/12800)
Free Experience: 135,430
Evaluation:"Genin? What kind of monster are you!?"
Over the past year, Riku had not learned many new techniques, but he had pushed the ones he already possessed to their limits. His foundation had grown stronger than anyone could imagine. The basic Three Body Techniques—Clone, Transformation, and Substitution—had long been mastered to perfection. At this point, even the original creators of those techniques might not surpass him in control or versatility.
Each of those ninjutsu now bore a "Breakthrough possible" mark, meaning Riku could pour free experience points into them to transcend their natural limits. The thought was tempting—but he decided to hold back. For now, his focus was on something greater.
His Gentle Fist, the pride of the Hyuga Clan, had nearly reached its peak. After countless hours of secret training, the technique had become an extension of his body. He could read the flow of chakra in an opponent, disrupt it with a single touch, and even destroy internal organs without leaving a mark. His mastery was approaching that of a true Gentle Fist master.
If he wished, he could likely develop advanced techniques derived from Gentle Fist—like the famous Rotation—just by analyzing its principles and refining them. But after much thought, Riku chose not to. Those techniques, while impressive, were defensive in nature. He desired something stronger—something lethal.
"Soon, it will reach its limit," Riku whispered to himself between breaths during training. "Once that happens, the Divine Sky Attack won't be far away."
The Divine Sky Attack—an ultimate strike said to have originated from Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself—was a technique that had always fascinated him. In Riku's eyes, only the Eight Gates Released Formation could rival it. That forbidden taijutsu allowed a mortal to challenge even gods, but at an immense price. To fully open all eight gates was to invite death itself.
Even if Riku ever had the chance to learn the Eight Gates, he doubted he would dare to use it recklessly. "Who doesn't know," he mused, "that the final gate means standing with one foot in the grave?" For ordinary humans, only beings with divine or tailed-beast-level vitality could survive such a technique.
Even the legendary "Blue Beast," Might Guy, had paid dearly for using it.
While Riku's Gentle Fist and Sealing Techniques reached new heights, other areas also improved. His Body Flicker Technique had advanced to level eight—an accomplishment that put him above nearly all Chunin in terms of speed. If he ever unleashed his full movement ability in public, people might start calling him "Little Body Flicker Riku."
His Byakugan had also grown stronger, now at level four. Riku valued it deeply—it was, after all, the Hyuga Clan's most sacred heritage. He had trained it in secret, never revealing that he could already activate it. Each time his Byakugan evolved, he could feel subtle changes in his body—his movements became lighter, his chakra purer, his control more refined. His chakra reserves, though currently limited by his young body, were already at the upper limit for a Genin. Once he reached his teenage years and his physical growth accelerated, that chakra capacity would likely soar. After all, he carried Ōtsutsuki blood within him. To lack chakra would be a disgrace to such a lineage.
Still, even when suppressing his Byakugan and power, Riku's presence occasionally leaked out in the form of invisible pressure. Yuto—his sparring partner and closest friend—noticed this more than anyone. To him, it simply felt like Riku had grown stronger through hard work, his aura naturally becoming sharper and heavier. He had no idea that the subtle pressure he felt was actually the influence of Riku's purer Hyuga bloodline awakening.
Fortunately, as long as Riku kept his emotions calm and didn't release his fighting intent, the pressure remained dormant. Otherwise, the old man Hinata Katyu—ever vigilant and curious—might have long since dragged him away for "study and analysis."
Looking back, the progress of that single year was nothing short of astonishing. Riku's development was no longer that of an ordinary child—it was closer to the steady rise of a monster hiding in plain sight. Yet his growth was uneven. Some aspects of his skillset were outrageously advanced—like Taijutsu, Sealing Jutsu, and mobility—but others were glaringly underdeveloped. He had almost no experience with elemental ninjutsu or genjutsu, leaving him vulnerable to certain opponents.
Riku's current power could overwhelm most Chunin-level enemies if conditions were favorable. But if he faced someone who specialized in illusions or long-range combat, he would struggle.
That imbalance annoyed him. He didn't want to rely solely on raw strength and speed; he wanted to be complete—to have no weaknesses. After freeing himself from the cursed Caged Bird Seal through his mastery of Sealing Jutsu, his next goal became clear: he would fill in the gaps. It was time to learn elemental ninjutsu and genjutsu.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Riku stood quietly under an ancient tree at the edge of the training field. His body was drenched in sweat, his breathing slow and even. Around him, faint traces of chakra pulsed in the air, responding instinctively to his will.
He opened his hand, and a small, glowing seal appeared above his palm—the Sealing Pulse Seal: Evil Break, a jutsu that had once seemed impossible for someone his age. Now, its intricate symbols shimmered effortlessly under his control.
"It's almost at its limit," he murmured, gazing at the pattern of light. "Just a little more tonight… and it'll be complete."
He could already feel the pulse of power running through the seal, like a living heartbeat in his palm. Once perfected, this sealing technique would be capable of breaking through complex chakra restrictions—perhaps even countering cursed seals or powerful barriers. It was the culmination of countless nights of quiet study, hours spent copying ancient scrolls, and sleepless experiments under moonlight.
For a moment, Riku closed his eyes. The world fell silent except for the whispering wind. He recalled the past year—the pain, the sweat, the endless repetition of basic exercises. The countless times he had to hold back his strength to avoid suspicion. The frustration of pretending to be average when his instincts screamed to go all out.
A faint smile curved his lips.
One year… he thought. And this is only the beginning.
The chakra seal in his palm pulsed once more before fading away. Riku turned toward the clan compound, his expression calm but his eyes gleaming faintly with white light that vanished just as quickly.
Tonight, he would finish filling the last fragments of experience needed to perfect the Sealing Pulse Seal.
And when that was done, a new chapter of his power