If Amakaze Ryōjin were still alive, Kaede was pretty sure he'd be getting a very "hands-on" lesson in fatherly love right about now.
The Amakaze Clan had once been respected.
Not legendary.
Not dominant.
But respectable.
So why did it feel like every secret only surfaced after Kaede decided to become a professional layabout?
"Really, Dad?" Kaede muttered."I'm mentally prepared to live off other people and coast through life… and now you tell me our clan has hidden techniques?"
He rubbed his temples.
"I swear, you and this Peaceful Life System were made for each other. Both love surprise attacks."
Despite the complaints, Kaede headed straight for his father's old room.
Finding out the clan possessed a hidden technique left him with two emotions:
Confusion.
Then excitement.
He already had Shōton.
Another powerful bloodline or elemental technique meant higher survival odds.
And for a small, single-line clan like the Amakaze, inheritance was everything.
"If I can't learn it…" Kaede sighed."I'm kneeling in front of Dad's grave and apologizing."
Ryōjin's room was exactly as Kaede remembered.
Neat.
Simple.
Almost too quiet.
Kaede quickly spotted the hanging scroll his father had mentioned.
Carefully, he took it down and placed it on the desk.
Behind it—
A square stone tile that clearly didn't belong.
Carved into it was a crane hidden among clouds.
Kaede pressed it.
Click.
The wall shifted.
A hidden passage slid open.
"…Nice."
Without hesitation, Kaede stepped inside.
Soft lights lined the tunnel walls.
After a short walk, the passage opened into a wide chamber.
Shelves.
Display cases.
Weapon racks.
Scrolls stacked from floor to ceiling.
Kaede stared.
"So this is what being secretly rich looks like."
His eyes sparkled.
"If I tried learning everything here, I'd still be busy when I'm forty."
But he didn't linger.
At the center of the room stood a lone display cabinet.
Inside were only two items.
A scroll.
And a sword.
The blade was elegant and restrained. The hilt was carved with drifting clouds. Two cranes were engraved along the scabbard.
On the wooden stand were three engraved characters:
Crane Song Sword
Kaede whistled.
"Yeah, you're mine now."
He picked up the scroll.
"This has to be Tenpūton."
He opened it.
And froze.
TenpūtonDeveloped by Amakaze Huachen, founder of the Amakaze Clan.A fusion of Wind, Fire, and Water chakra.
A triple-nature kekkei genkai.
Extremely difficult to learn.
Kaede's brain stalled.
"…Triple?"
He kept reading.
Tenpūton techniques cause internal freezing, molecular destabilization, or complete chakra disintegration upon impact.
z
Translation:
Get hit once.
You're dead.
Kaede swallowed.
He had assumed Tenpūton was just a rare elemental bloodline.
Not something approaching Dust Release-level nonsense.
Only a handful of shinobi in history could fuse three chakra natures.
This was absurd.
This was illegal.
This was amazing.
Kaede exhaled slowly.
"Okay… that explains why Dad never used it."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Learning this normally would take decades."
Then he smiled faintly.
"But I don't play by normal rules."
"System, open the store."
A pale blue interface unfolded.
Rows upon rows of items filled his vision.
Kaede's eyes widened.
"…They even sell phones."
"…Computers."
"…Why."
Prices quickly killed his excitement.
Five thousand Calmness Points each.
Nope.
Scrolling past nonsense like flying sandals and novelty junk, Kaede focused.
He found two relevant options.
Clear MindIncreases ninjutsu training speed.Cost: 100 Calmness Points per day.
Wind and Fire ConcertoGreatly increases training speed for Wind and Fire chakra.Cost: 4000 Calmness Points.
Both decent.
Both flawed.
Clear Mind drained points daily.
Wind and Fire Concerto didn't cover Water.
Then—
His eyes locked onto something else.
GeniusProvides deep comprehension of chakra nature transformations and jutsu construction.
Kaede's breathing slowed.
"This one."
If he wanted to master Tenpūton…
He needed understanding, not brute-force grinding.
Kaede reached toward the option.
And hesitated.
A dangerous thought surfaced.
"Once I buy this…"
"My peaceful life is officially over, isn't it?"
The cursor hovered.
Then moved closer.