Chapter 101: The Lightning Within

Ryu made his way home, his mind still buzzing with the events of the day. Today had been anything but ordinary. 

"I'm home, Grandpa!" Ryu called out as he slid open the door, his voice filled with barely contained enthusiasm.

Dan's warm voice responded from the kitchen, "Welcome back, Ryu! How was your day at the academy?"

Ryu entered the kitchen, finding Dan busy chopping vegetables for their evening meal.

"It was incredible, Grandpa!" Ryu exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. "We had spars today, and I won mine!"

Dan turned to face Ryu, his face breaking into a proud smile that reached his eyes. "That's wonderful."

"An Uchiha girl, top of our class, challenged me," Ryu elaborated, his voice tinged with pride. "I used a cunning tactic—threw sand in her eyes and managed to push her out of the ring."

Dan's eyebrows raised, a mixture of surprise and amusement crossing his features. "That's certainly an unconventional approach for an academy spar. Creative thinking can be just as valuable as raw strength in battle. Well done, Ryu. But I think you just created a nemesis for yourself."

"I think they were already out for my blood since the academy exam," Ryu replied, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"I don't doubt it. The stunt you pulled left a bad taste for those who belong to ninja clans," Dan replied, shaking his head with a knowing smile.

Dan paused for a moment before he said, "I have something prepared for you to try. Come here for a moment."

Curiosity piqued, Ryu approached his grandfather. Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, unassuming piece of paper. "I want you to channel some chakra into this," he instructed.

Ryu's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of recognition passing through them. He knew what it was and what purpose it served due to knowledge from his past life. However, he carefully schooled his features into a look of innocent curiosity.

- Acting Mode Activated

- Managing micro-expressions

Ryu mentally chuckled at the Sudo-AI's subtle reminder. It was almost as if it was teasing him for overacting.

Ryu thought, "Ok, I can manage my micro-expressions with [Parallel Thinking]. This may come in handy when I meet Ibiki Morino. I hope it never comes to it." 

"Grandpa, what does it do?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity and excitement.

"You'll see," Dan replied with a knowing smile.

Ryu took a deep breath, centring himself. He could feel the chakra flowing through his body, a familiar yet still exhilarating sensation. Focusing his mind, he directed the energy into the paper, watching with fascination as it reacted.

Crackle!

The paper crinkled and wrinkled in his hand, the edges curling inward as if trying to escape an invisible surge of energy.

Dan's eyes lit up with excitement, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Just as I thought," he murmured, more to himself than to Ryu. Then, louder, "Ryu, your primary chakra affinity is lightning, like most people who have very good reflexes and minds to support those reflexes."

Ryu's mind raced with the implications, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling within him.

Ryu's mind raced with the implications, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling within him. Lightning: the elements of speed, power, and destruction. He remembered the devastating power of lightning techniques from his past life. He was thrilled to recall how Sasuke used Chidori Current to knock both Sai and Naruto simultaneously. 

He was aware of Chidori's weakness and reliance on Sharingan, but he was able to manage and get around it by overclocking his mind. He was excited yet he kept his voice level, thanks to [Acting Mode], as he asked, "Is that... good?" 

Dan chuckled, moving to sit at the kitchen table. He gestured for Ryu to join him, "Well, let me explain a bit about chakra natures, Ryu. You see, all shinobi have chakra that aligns with one of five basic elements: fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning."

As Dan spoke, Ryu listened intently even though he already knew all this from what he remembered from his past life. 

He nodded along, asking questions at appropriate moments to show his engagement, all the while carefully hiding the depth of his understanding.

"Lightning Release," Dan continued, his voice taking on a teacher's tone, "is particularly potent in combat. It's primarily offensive in nature, allowing users to channel electricity through their bodies or weapons. It's known for its speed and piercing power."

Ryu's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds amazing, Grandpa! Can you teach me some lightning techniques?"

Dan replied, "In due time, Ryu. First, we need to work on your chakra control and basic manipulation."

"However," Dan cautioned, his expression growing serious, "each element has its strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these relationships is crucial for any shinobi. So we will go through the basics fast before we start training. Lightning, for instance, is strong against Earth but weak against Wind."

"Wind and lightning are particularly good with weapons like swords," Dan explained. "They can enhance the cutting power and range of blade techniques. Fire and lightning are generally purely offensive elements, great for direct attacks and overwhelming opponents."

Ryu nodded, absorbing the information. "What about the other elements, Grandpa?" 

Dan smiled, pleased by Ryu's curiosity. "Earth is excellent for defence, though it can be used offensively as well. Water is perhaps the most versatile, but it often requires a nearby water source for those with low chakra reserves or less affinity for it."

As Dan delved deeper into the characteristics of each element, Ryu nodded, absorbing the information. He could already feel his mind working, calculating the possibilities and strategies. Lightning could be the perfect complement to his strategic thinking. It was fast, unpredictable, and lethal in the right hands. Just then Ryu had a moment of realisation. 

Ryu thought, "Kirin is not a registered Forbidden Jutsu or a Secret jutsu of any Ninja Clan. It can now become my go-to finisher jutsu if I learn fire release or learn another way to gather clouds."

"Grandpa," Ryu asked, his voice tinged with curiosity, "are you a lightning user too?" 

Dan's eyes took on a distant look, as if seeing into the past. "No, actually. My affinity is for wind and earth. However, throughout my years as a shinobi, I discovered how crucial it is to comprehend every element in order to execute the basics of every element—just the fundamentals. It's not just about mastering your own strength but also about knowing your potential weaknesses and how to counter them."

Ryu nodded, absorbing this wisdom. He made a mental note to study all elements, not just his own affinity. "What about multiple affinities, Grandpa? Is that possible?"

Dan nodded, a proud smile on his face at Ryu's astute question. "Indeed, it is. Most Jonin-level ninja develop a secondary affinity over time. Some exceptional shinobi even master three or more elements. The Third Hokage, for instance, is renowned for his mastery of all five basic natures."

When Ryu's eyes widened in amazement, it appeared as though the [Acting-mode] was operating overclocked as he said, "All five? That's incredible!"

Dan chuckled. "It is. But remember, Ryu, even having the same primary affinity doesn't mean two shinobi will have the same talent or potential with it. It's all about how you develop and use your skills."

"How can we test if I have a secondary affinity?" he asked eagerly, leaning forward in his seat.

Dan's expression turned serious, a hint of concern creeping into his eyes. "Not yet, Ryu. Focusing on multiple affinities too early can be detrimental to your growth. It's important to master your primary affinity first. Besides, accurately testing for secondary affinities requires advanced techniques, often involving a Fuinjutsu grandmaster."

"A Fuinjutsu grandmaster?" Ryu echoed, his curiosity piqued.

Dan nodded. "Yes, they use a special blocking seal to suppress the primary affinity, allowing the secondary to manifest. But that's far beyond what you need to worry about right now."

Ryu thought, "So you need your primary affinity blocked to check for and train secondary affinities."

Ryu enquired, "Should I concentrate only on mastering lightning for now?"

"Exactly," Dan affirmed, reaching out to ruffle Ryu's hair affectionately. "Master the basics before reaching for the advanced. That's the key to becoming a truly skilled shinobi. We will start your lightning affinity training very soon. Before then, complete your chakra control exercise. Now, do your thing."

"Ok, grandpa," he said, leaving the room to contemplate how the lightning affinity training would differ from the wind affinity training he had observed in anime during his past life.

Later that night, as Ryu lay in bed, he reflected on the day's events, including the spar at the academy and the discovery of his lightning affinity. He closed his eyes, thinking about and compiling a list of lightning jutsu he had seen in anime, contemplating their potential use in the future.

The spark of potential had been ignited, and Ryu's journey to harness the lightning within had just begun.

##A/N: Sorry for the break. I took it for edits. I made some changes to the starting chapters, but they have no bearing on the plot. I had intended to write more chapters for the future, but I got sick with a cold over the weekend. My throat is still sore. Why does it happen that you get a cold at the worst possible time when you were planning to study or do something similar?

##A/N: At first I was going to give Ryu a wind affinity, but I decided against it and took a different approach than my favourite fanfiction. I chose lighting as it was the second-best option, and I thought of a unique training method for it that is entirely my brainchild and not found in the manga, anime, or any Naruto fanfiction. You will come across this method in upcoming chapters.

Any way, thank you, jj jj, for supporting me on Patreon.

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