Of course, the theory that Half-Star pools provided "knowledge keys" while One-Star pools provided "innate skills" was just a hypothesis. With such a small sample size, it was hard to say for sure.
You have to pull at least a dozen times before you can draw a conclusion. After all, you can't say you're obsessed with Scandinavian minimalism just because you bought one jacket from Jack & Jones, or that you're a devotee of Japanese style because you bought a pair of Uniqlo socks. Sometimes, it's just that your paycheck was small and you couldn't afford anything else.
After some careful deliberation, Mai decided to give the "Dog System" one more chance. He clicked the familiar interface and spent 100 Style Points. The pool spun briefly, and the reward popped out without any fanfare or suspense.
[Jean-Claude Van Damme's 360-Degree Helicopter Kick · Half-Star]Description: Allows the host to quickly master Van Damme's signature spinning kicks. Deep study will unlock more of Van Damme's legendary leg techniques.
Ask, and you shall receive!
Mai was extremely satisfied. It was exactly what he needed to round out his system. He knew of Jean-Claude Van Damme—the "Muscles from Brussels," a Hollywood action icon who stood alongside the likes of Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
Unlike typical Western action stars who were all "show muscles," Van Damme had legitimate martial arts credentials.
Growing up thin and sickly, he was inspired by Hong Kong action films and Bruce Lee. Starting at age ten, he studied Karate, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai, eventually racking up a competitive record of 44 victories.
His kicks were not just visually spectacular; they were fast and powerful.
Van Damme was famous for his legs; so was Might Guy. Van Damme's idol was Bruce Lee; Guy's archetype was Bruce Lee.
The parallels are perfect!
As for the argument that Van Damme's spinning kicks were "too flashy" for real fighting compared to modern MMA... this was the ninja world! Flashy was a prerequisite for being a top-tier shinobi.
Mai accepted the skill and slept soundly. The next day, he returned to the Academy and spent his free time practising his new repertoire.
Asuma Sarutobi, finally recovered from his concussion and discharged from the hospital, arrived at school flanked by his lackeys, ready to reclaim his territory.
However, he stopped dead in his tracks. He watched as Uchiha Mai finished a harmonica-and-dance "Style session" and immediately turned to a small tree.
Mai unleashed a flurry of high whip kicks—CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! After a few strikes, Mai's shins were bleeding, but the tree had been kicked clean in half.
Mai simply pulled out some bandages and ointment, wrapped his leg, found a thicker tree, and started over. CRACK!
Asuma swallowed hard. Is this guy a psycho? Even if you don't care about your leg, think about Konoha's green space initiative!
Someone who was that ruthless to himself would be a nightmare to fight. Asuma realised that if he pushed Mai again, he might end up paralysed. Not only would he be the laughingstock of the school, but his ninja career would be over before it began.
He secretly decided to steer clear of the Uchiha and maybe find a mission far away from the village after graduation.
"Boss, why'd we stop? Weren't we gonna jump him?" a lackey asked, poking Asuma in the back. In Konoha, a "Justice Gank" was a common way for kids to handle a bully.
SLAP!
Asuma turned and smacked the lackey across the head. "Fight, fight, fight! Is that all you think about? We are all people of the Leaf, heirs to the Will of Fire! We should be united and friendly. You've been following me for so long—haven't you learned anything?"
The lackey rubbed his head. Didn't you say we were gonna 'fix' him? Why is this my fault?
"But... what about the 'Boss Lady'?" another lackey whispered.
"Boss Lady" referred to Yuhi Kurenai. Though they were young, the campus social circles were surprisingly well-defined.
At that moment, little Kurenai walked up to Mai with a towel and a cup of warm brown sugar water, shyly offering him some words of encouragement.
Watching this, Asuma felt a pang of pain sharper than Naruto seeing Sakura cry over Sasuke. Sakura never liked Naruto, but Asuma and Kurenai had spent their childhood as "childhood sweethearts."
Losing something you once had is much worse than never having had it at all.
"Boss..."
Asuma punched the tree next to him. He hit it so hard that his knuckles bled, but he ignored the pain. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting long, lonely shadows over him.
Asuma gritted his teeth and said, "Just let her go... let her gain some experience."
"Huh?" The lackeys were baffled.
"Think about it," Asuma continued, his voice trembling with a mix of heartbreak and self-delusion. "How many people find their perfect match the first time their heart flutters? How many people are born knowing how to love or how to compromise? Without experiencing a few failed relationships, how can she understand the weight of real love?"
He took a deep breath. "Uchiha Mai is clearly a cold, heartless pretty boy. He doesn't love Kurenai. Once she's seen his true face, she'll realize how important a man who truly loves her is. That... that is when the mature Kurenai and I will finally be together."
Asuma prattled on, reciting lines from some third-rate romance novel he'd seen. He managed to convince his lackeys, and more importantly, he convinced himself.
The lackeys were awestruck. As expected of the Hokage's son! His mental state is on another level!
Uchiha Mai, of course, had no idea about Asuma's internal monologue. If he did, he would have recognised it instantly: the classic "Lickspodg" coping mechanism—waiting to be the backup plan.
As for Kurenai? Mai wasn't interested. To him, if she wasn't at least a 36E, she didn't exist.
Women only slow down the speed of my punch... unless they have huge tracks of land.
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