Thirty seconds later, Itachi, battered and swollen, lay on the ground, his eyes vacant. Facing Riku—whose Taijutsu and Body Flicker Technique nearly rivaled a Chunin's—how could he, barely at the Genin threshold, hope to compete?
As the victor, Riku gleefully collected his "spoils of war." Naturally, he once again sealed away more than half of the Chakra in his body after the battle.
Watching Riku, Itachi felt a flood of expletives rise in his mind.
"This old schemer is truly shameless!"
Muttering under his breath, Itachi forced himself to stand despite the sharp pain coursing through his body. Looking at Riku, he asked, bewildered, "Why, Riku? Why do you hide your strength?"
Riku turned to him, gently pointing to his forehead, tightly wrapped in a black ribbon. "You should know, right? The Hyuga Clan's tradition—the Caged Bird Seal."
At the mention of the Caged Bird Seal, Itachi's questions began to resolve. Yes, the Caged Bird Seal—the chains that had bound a clan for a thousand years. No matter how brilliant a young ninja might be, how could they break free from such an indestructible cage?
Itachi regarded Riku with a mix of regret and awe. Even though they were both Konoha ninja, the gap between their abilities was immense.
In Konoha, status among ninjas was strictly tiered: civilians at the bottom, followed by the Hyuga Branch Family, then ordinary civilian ninjas, and finally Clan ninjas. Strength could shift one's position, but for Hyuga Branch Family members, these distinctions were immutable. They were forever bound to the control of other Hyuga members.
No matter how talented Riku was, his life and death were never truly his own. So what was the point of displaying such talent? Of striving to grow stronger?
Itachi pondered whether he would have done as Riku did if he were in his shoes. After much thought, his answer was always the same: no.
If one could not control their own life and death, it was better to be a lazy, unambitious "salted fish." A useless salted fish might live a longer, more comfortable life, while a capable "slave" would inevitably be exploited, reduced to cannon fodder until nothing remained.
This was not only Itachi's view—it was the shared sentiment of most Branch Family members.
But then he remembered a dream Riku had mentioned during his introduction. His expression froze.
To revitalize the Hyuga Clan? Even as a Branch Family member, even bound by merciless chains, he would still fight with everything he had?
"Is this your Ninja Way, Riku?" Itachi thought. "It seems I underestimated you. Your magnanimity may even surpass mine."
Imagining the possibilities, Itachi momentarily forgot the pain in his body. Looking at Riku, his gaze became layered with complex emotion. His previous dislike had quietly dissipated, replaced by admiration and regret.
From that moment, Itachi felt he had found someone he could confide in. Compared to the dark hell Riku endured, the trials Itachi himself faced seemed insignificant.
Unaware of Itachi's thoughts, Riku carried a large pile of ninja tools and prepared to leave.
"Itachi-chan, thank you for the Uchiha gift! I'll be going now!"
Walking along the path, Riku felt a deep sense of satisfaction—not only from acquiring ninja tools but also from the system prompts that appeared:
[Taijutsu: Hyuga Gentle Fist experience +32]
[Ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique experience +35]
Combat was undeniably the best way to open the experience panel. One battle had already raised both skills a notch! At this rate, in ten days at most, Riku could max out these two skills and break through their limits.
Typically, Genin use Taijutsu and D-Rank Ninjutsu, Chunin master C-Rank, and Jonin can unleash B-Rank Ninjutsu. The power gap between ranks was immense. Even a maxed-out C-Rank could not compare to a B-Rank technique.
The higher the quality of a ninja's skills, the stronger their abilities. Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were like engines; Chakra was the fuel. A superior engine could burn more fuel efficiently, releasing far greater power.
Each time Riku surpassed a skill's limit, its quality improved, enabling maximum output with minimal Chakra. Now, his Gentle Fist and Body Flicker Technique were near maximum. Once he broke through, their quality would likely reach B-Rank. The Gentle Fist would rival a Jonin's attack power, and the Body Flicker Technique would achieve Jonin-level speed.
This would mark a true transformation in Riku's combat prowess.
Yet with such power came a significant drawback: Riku's Chakra reserves were insufficient even for a Chunin. Using high-level techniques could exhaust him instantly, unless he could rapidly increase his Chakra.
He considered the basic Chakra Refining Technique. After one breakthrough, Riku's technique refined Chakra at twice the speed of a normal method. Yet it could not increase total Chakra—unless another breakthrough occurred.
"I can't just wait. I need to increase my total Chakra. Without it, even maxed skills won't reach full potential," he resolved.
As if sensing his thoughts, a long-ignored prompt reappeared:
[Chakra Refining Technique (D) is max level. Do you want to break through?]
Break through!
Riku silently chanted, and detailed breakthrough instructions returned:
[Breakthrough Option 1: Significantly increase Chakra refining speed. Requires 8,000 experience points.]
[Breakthrough Option 2: Slightly improve Chakra quality. Requires 9,000 experience points.]
[Breakthrough Option 3: Apply to external objects, slowly absorbing their Chakra to replenish your own. Requires 10,000 experience points.]
None perfectly matched his needs, yet Option 3 intrigued him. It resembled the Star Absorbing Great Art. While it wouldn't increase total Chakra, it was the best choice available.
Riku was unsure what "external objects" meant—items containing Chakra, or perhaps other ninjas? Still, 10,000 experience points seemed reasonable.
"Let's do it. The system won't trick me," he decided.
The points were instantly deducted. A mysterious power surged through his body, transforming his original Chakra refining method. The skill prompt shifted:
[Breakthrough successful! Chakra Refining Technique (D) → Chakra Refining Technique: Devour (C)]
The level remained max, and the skill retained the potential for further growth.
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