Unbeatable

With contentment, Arthur stepped back from the wide, open clearing where he had been training.

He could feel his muscles crying out for rest, but the exhilaration coursing through him was irresistible. As he began to pack his gear, he considered what else he would train.

Arthur's latent abilities did not have any limitations. This meant that all his techniques had boundaries that could be broken.

What he reflected on was his smoke Kekkei Genkai.

He paused, feeling the weight of those thoughts settle heavily on his shoulders. He could create techniques unique to himself but knew further perfection was required.

He couldn't afford to become complacent; he needed to continue pushing himself beyond his limits if he needed to be more than just adequate in combat.

As he walked back home, his mind mulled over several things. His skills, while impressive, were only part of the equation.

Arthur understood that even with his Kekkei Genkai and the techniques he had created, he was acutely aware of the danger he'd face against ninjas who wielded power with years of experience.

Let's consider characters like Jada, who was an Uchiha, and Itachi, who's also an Uchiha. While Arthur is able to defeat the former, he wouldn't be able to last against the latter. Not because he was weak, but because Itachi's visual prowess was stronger than Jada's.

There were styles and jutsu he had only seen from almost every character in this world, each stated to be lethally effective.

The topics excelled in his head: elemental perfection, powerful bloodlines, and primeval techniques. All of these organized thoughts left him with a sense of urgency that he desperately needed more knowledge and skills.

Reaching his modest dwelling—his hotel room—he filled his mind with ideas and theories about his new smoke techniques.

'What are the restrictions on it?' he thought to himself as he settled into a comfortable chair.

He had always been fascinated by what could be achieved with Kekkei Genkai and understood that creativity was sometimes needed to expand their potential; he was an artist crafting his own legacy with a palette of ideas rather than just colours.

He reached for a scroll and began writing down information on rare techniques from ninjas of the past, particularly grappling with how physical manipulation of the body could amplify existing powers.

The more he wrote, the more ideas began to spark.

He recalled how some rare bloodlines merged elemental affinities—not just fire and earth naturally combined but creating unique abilities that could surprise and disorient enemies.

'What if I could integrate the elemental aspects with my smoke?' he wondered, jotting notes in his inked scroll.

Arthur envisioned creating hybrids of smoke that acted not only as a distraction but could also impose elemental damage—perhaps through scalding heat or freezing chill that could momentarily paralyze an opponent.

To do that, however, he would need to spend training the smoke's shape transformation.

Like he remembered, shape transformation is an advanced technique in chakra control that enables a ninja to manipulate the form, movement, and potency of their chakra to create or modify jutsus.

It allows the user to determine the size, range, and purpose of their techniques, exemplified by the Rasengan, which is a sphere of rotating chakra created without hand seals.

This transformation is crucial for developing complex techniques, often in tandem with nature transformation, which alters the chakra's attributes. Shape transformation is essential for crafting powerful advanced jutsu, like his smoke techniques, to manifest them in their physical forms.

His thoughts raced as he considered even more. He could explore combinations that incorporated sound or even light, potentially distracting enemies with illusions.

Each scribbled idea opened new avenues of possibility within his evolving arsenal.

Hours slipped by, papers shifted, and ink stained his fingers as he transitioned from his initial ideas to sketching out mental combos of attacks.

He planned how the smoke could provide cover for a barrage of fire-infused smoke or how, combined with water techniques, it could dissolve or absorb any incoming attacks.

The night's shadows lengthened around him, infused with a zeal for exploration and to exceed his own limitations.

And while this was all grand, he understood that a lot of prerequisites would be required to put everything in place. He always had a means of training, but training something like this would use up a lot of time!

The lamp beside him sputtered, dimly illuminating the cluttered table now covered with drawings and theoretical techniques.

Arthur glanced outside after having lost track of time. The moon was still out, as if it hadn't moved since he left the clearing.

'My chakra's replenished enough,' he thought. 'It's time I start testing these ideas out.'

Arthur rolled up the scrolls and tucked them close to his chest. There was an irrepressible urge to expose his innovations to the world, or at the very least to his own techniques—to bring them into existence and assess their feasibility.

He set off once more, moving back into the quiet forest.

Once again, the moon hovered above him. He found a space where nothing obstructed his view; it was the perfect focal point for what he aimed to develop.

Deciding to begin with his newly imagined elemental technique, he concentrated on channeling his chakra into his Smoke jutsu to infuse it with enhanced qualities. Calculating every move in his head, he focused on his hands, understanding that he also needed to conserve chakra while still retaining potency.

Training in this world was not as straightforward as people believed. One wrong flow of chakra, and whatever a person was concentrating on would falter.

But that's also what made Arthur quite unique, incomparable to others: he never hesitated, having impeccable chakra control that would leave even the Kages speechless.

Extending his arms, he filled the air around him with smoke. He then focused on visualizations—on how it would feel to become a swirl of smoke suffused within his arms. The sensation of warmth encased his hands, and a neutral haze wafted around him as he condensed clusters of smoke into a dense cloud swirling vividly.

But as the first attempt unfolded, the result was less than what he had envisioned.

The smoke boiled with minimal thickness and failed to bring about the intensity he yearned for. Afterwards, it dissipated, leaving him in a cloud of grayish haze.

Arthur showed no expression at his attempts and pushed through the disappointment, channeling more chakra. Who was he to ever give up hope?

"Once more," he demanded himself.

He focused deeply, allowing his essence to mingle with his smoke-like chakra, channeling more clouds within the smoke.

This time, he held a firm grip on the smoke's form. Thrusting his arms forward, a ripple of thick smoke erupted from his fingertips, racing toward a nearby boulder with ferocity!

Where the smoke touched, the surface crackled against the solidity of the stone.

He sighed with disapproval. While yes, his technique unleashed, it was only a small victory.

The smoke had managed to maintain enough integrity to create a semblance of power. It needed to be scaled further.

This technique would take continuous honing, a fine balance of chakra, focus, and elemental fusions when the time was ripe. Without a doubt, this was not easy!

'Time to test something else,' he declared in his mind.

He shifted his focus once more. Concentrating, he gathered chakra within the hollows of his skin, feeling that familiar wave rush forth.

Rather than the booming energy that blasted from a conventional jutsu, he directed his chakra into the smoke, producing vibrations that rippled through the air—the kind that could disorient, confuse, or even temporarily debilitate an opponent.

As the swirling smoke surged forth, the area erupted into a discord of clouds that made trees sway and stagger. Leaves rustled, quaking under the weight of his command.

It was a different sensation, but as he focused, it became increasingly clear how effective these smoke waves could be. They were experimental yet held potential, giving him the confidence to explore further.

For two days, each experiment blended into the next.

He incorporated aspects of altering the smoke's trajectory and shaping abilities, solidifying it into unique techniques while at the same time creating a multifaceted arsenal that both dazzles and entangles opponents.

But as the long night continued blurring into early dawn, exhaustion finally crept upon him.

Arthur stood panting, surrounded by the remnants of his creations lingering in the moonlight, assessing what he had just developed.

He had successfully expanded on his original Smoke jutsu and weaved together techniques that held promise for combat.

The techniques he had advanced were three new ones.

"Smoke jutsu: smokescreen," a technique that allowed him to blast opponents with dense clouds of smoke that could knock them off balance, even if he hadn't fully harnessed the intensity yet.

Then there was the "Smoke jutsu: smoke fist," an extension of his existing powers that allowed him to punch through the air like a cannonball, potentially surprising anyone foolhardy enough to challenge him.

Lastly was the surreal "Smoke jutsu: smoke dance." What it allowed him to do was transform his lower body into smoke, increasing his mobility in both land and air.

That was perhaps his most valuable newly acquired skill, as it opened up an entirely new avenue of strategy in combat.

Initially, his movements felt a bit awkward, but he soon understood how much easier it is to glide seamlessly across the air and ground while wielding a weapon.

His movement speed nearly doubles, making it impossible for opponents to target his legs and also allowing him to better anticipate their strikes. Because if they couldn't target his lower body, they could only go for his upper.

The best part is the incredible combos he can execute when transitioning from smoke to his physical form. Now that he understood how to use this technique, he could incorporate it into his kenjutsu.

Arthur stood alone in the clearing for the second day in a row.

Training physically was nothing compared to training a Kekkei Genkai. Because of this, characters such as Rock Lee had their limitations.

But Arthur was different.

He may not have had enough time to infuse his elemental techniques into his smoke (like ice particles), but due to the insane control required, he understood that one day he might be able to.

As he felt a warm heat enveloping him, the morning slowly climbed to the sky.

Each fiber of his body recognized the smoke's powerful potential. The thought, however, wasn't enough to bring even a giddy smile to his face.

How could he rejoice in this development when he understood that he had only discovered a style after taking it from others? Intrinsically, it was his, yes, but that also meant that others could develop counters if they knew how to fight against it.

'I need to rest now,' he reminded himself.

He was covered in sweat, and all parts of his insides were drained. He pinched the bridge of his nose as fatigue swept over him, then glanced at the growing dawn light creeping over the horizon.

These two nights taken to hone himself had been triumphant ones.

He gathered himself, quite eager to take the next steps. If there was something going on in his head, it was a burning desire to refine and perfect his techniques until they became nearly impossible to defend against in a real battle.

As he made his way back home, he couldn't help but dream of the challenges that lay ahead and the encounters that awaited him in the distance.

Whoever or whatever these challenges might be, there was one thing for certain: no one would be prepared to best him in anything. Kekkei Genkai, Kekkei Mōra, Kekkei Tōta, taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, medical ninjutsu, barrier ninjutsu, time-space ninjutsu, kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, forbidden jutsu, senjutsu, summoning jutsu, jinjutsu, dōjutsu, shurikenjutsu—Arthur was unbeatable!