Chapter 13: The Byakugan's Blind Spot
[Adam Yukimura POV]
Neji Hyuga. The Hyuga prodigy. Master of the Gentle Fist and the Byakugan. His precise chakra control, his ability to see chakra pathways, his overall stoicism – all things I wanted to "acquire." With my two deaths per person, I was ready to challenge the genius of the Hyuga clan.
"Neji-san!" I called out, finding him training in a secluded Hyuga training ground, practicing his Eight Trigrams Palms. His movements were fluid, precise, deadly. "Just the man I wanted to see! Your Byakugan! It's truly magnificent! The way it sees everything! It's like having X-ray vision, but for chakra! Do you ever use it to find lost keys?"
Neji stopped, his Byakugan eyes fixing on me. "Adam-san. What do you want?" His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension.
"Oh, nothing much!" I chirped. "Just a friendly spar! You know, for training purposes! I'm a Special Jonin now, and I need to hone my skills! And what better way to do that than by getting utterly annihilated by a true master of the Gentle Fist?"
Neji's brow furrowed. "My Gentle Fist is not to be taken lightly. It targets the chakra network. A direct hit could be fatal."
"Oh, I'm counting on it, Neji-san!" I beamed. "Hit me with your best shot! Literally! I'm hoping to learn a thing or two about… well, about having my chakra network forcibly shut down!"
We moved to a clear area. Neji, despite his initial reluctance, was a serious opponent. He moved with grace and precision, his Byakugan active, observing my every move. I, of course, was strategically positioning myself for maximum impact.
My first target: his Gentle Fist. I knew he would aim for my chakra points. I "tripped," putting myself directly in the path of his open palm. The strike was precise, a sudden, sharp pressure on my chest. My chakra system seized up, my body went numb, and then… darkness.
[ YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY: NEJI HYUGA (UNIQUE DEATH!) ][ SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC GENTLE FIST PRINCIPLES (Passive) - A rudimentary understanding of the principles behind the Gentle Fist, allowing for very minor chakra disruption with physical contact. ][ DEATHS REMAINING (NEJI HYUGA): 1 ]
I gasped, sitting up, a strange, tingling sensation in my chest. My body felt… aware of its own internal energy. "Basic Gentle Fist Principles! Excellent! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, give people really uncomfortable high-fives! Or, you know, just subtly disrupt their chakra flow when they're trying to tie their shoes! The possibilities are endless!"
Neji stared at me, his Byakugan eyes wide with disbelief. "You… you just… took a Gentle Fist strike to the chest. And got up."
"It's a gift, Neji-san!" I chirped. "Now, about that Byakugan! I've always wondered, what does it feel like to see everything? Is it like a constant headache from sensory overload? Or more like a profound sense of never being able to surprise anyone?"
Neji, clearly bewildered, activated his Byakugan, focusing on me. I knew this was my chance. I needed him to try to analyze my chakra, to push his Byakugan to its limits. I started performing a series of absurd, erratic movements, combining my "Minor Body Expansion" with "Minor Shadow Manipulation" and even a hint of "Reptilian Adaptation" to make my body move in ways that defied normal human anatomy. I'd expand an arm, then shrink it, contort my body into impossible angles, and make my shadow dance independently.
Neji's Byakugan whirred, trying to keep up, trying to analyze the utterly illogical chakra flow within my body. He was clearly struggling to process the sheer randomness of my movements and the bizarre way my chakra shifted. He tried to predict my next move, but my movements were too chaotic, too unpredictable. He was pushing his Byakugan to its limits trying to understand my chaos. And then, as he tried to trace my rapidly shifting chakra pathways, his eyes strained, and he stumbled, a faint nosebleed appearing.
[ YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY: NEJI HYUGA (UNIQUE DEATH!) ][ SKILL ACQUIRED: RUDIMENTARY BYAKUGAN INSIGHT (Passive) - A very minor ability to perceive subtle chakra pathways and detect basic chakra anomalies. ][ DEATHS REMAINING (NEJI HYUGA): 0 ]
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. My vision felt… clearer. I could almost see the faint, shimmering lines of chakra flowing through Neji's body. And I could predict his next move: a sigh, followed by a dramatic eye-roll. "Rudimentary Byakugan Insight! Oh, this is fantastic! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, win at 'find the hidden chakra point' every time! Or, you know, just subtly tell if someone's about to try and hit my chakra points! The possibilities are endless!"
Neji, utterly exhausted and bewildered, just slumped onto the ground. "I… I don't understand you, Adam-san. You're an anomaly. A… a blind spot in my vision."
"It's a gift, Neji-san!" I beamed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some new skills to merge!"
I returned to my apartment, eager to experiment with my new acquisitions. "Basic Gentle Fist Principles" and "Rudimentary Byakugan Insight." This was going to be an interesting combination.
"System, merge 'Basic Gentle Fist Principles' and 'Rudimentary Byakugan Insight'!"
[ MERGE SUCCESSFUL! ][ NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: CHAKRA NETWORK AWARENESS (Passive) - Enhanced ability to perceive and understand chakra networks, allowing for slightly improved precision in chakra manipulation and a minor intuitive grasp of chakra-based techniques. ]
"Chakra Network Awareness! Oh, this is fantastic! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, subtly mess with people's chakra flow! Or, you know, just subtly tell if someone's about to try and hit my chakra points! The possibilities are endless!"
My unique death count was steadily climbing.
[ CURRENT UNIQUE DEATHS: 42 ]
Life as a Special Jonin was a constant stream of opportunities for self-improvement through self-destruction. And with "Chakra Network Awareness," I was practically a walking, talking, chakra-manipulating prankster. Unless, of course, I wanted to be. Which, let's be honest, I always did.