Chapter 102: Nature of Bloodlines

Ryu wiped the sweat from his brow as he concluded his morning training regimen. His muscles ached, but his mind was sharper than ever. He had been thinking a lot about his lightning affinity lately, trying to figure out how to harness it more effectively.

He had already marked down every lightning-based jutsu he had seen in the anime, planning to learn them one by one. Most of them came from Sasuke and Kakashi, two of the most prominent users of lightning-style techniques in the Leaf Village.

"Chidori..." Ryu mused, his thoughts drifting to the iconic jutsu. " I hope it's not listed as a forbidden Jutsu. It's fairly simple in concept, and anyone in the Cloud Village could probably replicate it."

 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his grandfather's voice calling him to breakfast. As he sat at the table, he wanted to ask some questions even though he was aware of the majority of the information regarding the various chakra natures, including the rare ones.

"Grandfather," he began, his voice tinged with curiosity, "I've been wondering about something you taught me yesterday. Are there really only five chakra natures?" 

Even though he already knew the answer, he still asked in order to learn more.

Dan thought for a while before he spoke, "The short answer is no, but it's more complex than that. Have you heard of Kekkei Genkai?"

Ryu's eyes lit up with recognition, a spark of excitement igniting within him. His mind raced, recalling the stories he had read and the scrolls he had pored over in the clan library. "Kekkei Genkai... blood limit abilities, right? Passed down through families?"

Dan nodded approvingly. "Precisely. Your studies are serving you well, my boy." He leaned forward, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Some elemental Kekkei Genkai allow users to combine two of the basic five elements, creating entirely new types of chakra nature. Ice, wood, magnetism, lava — these are just a few examples."

Ryu leaned forward; his grandfather's words painted vivid images in his mind of shinobi wielding extraordinary powers. None of the Kekkei Genkai users of the modern era were simple people. All had made a name for themselves in already not famous. He already knew that, but still he had not come to the question he wanted to ask.

Ryu asked, "Can you tell me more?"

Dan continued, "Well, one of the most famous examples in the Leaf Village is the First Hokage's Wood Release. It was an extraordinarily powerful Kekkei Genkai, allowing him to create and manipulate plants and trees at will. Hashirama Senju could create entire forests with a single jutsu."

Dan replied, "Unfortunately, the Leaf Village hasn't seen a Wood Release user since the First's time. After Lord First's death, Leaf Village lost its only elemental Kekkei Genkai, but the Leaf Village has the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, who possess the only two ocular Kekkei Genkai in existence."

Ryu nodded, already knowing about the Byakugan and Sharingan, but the fact that the Wood Release had been lost intrigued him. How could such a powerful ability simply vanish? It didn't make sense.

He added, "The current Kazekage of the Sand Village is known to possess the Magnet Release, another formidable elemental Kekkei Genkai. Too powerful in a desert environment."

Ryu finally asked, "But if Kekkei Genkai are passed down through blood, shouldn't the First Hokage's children have inherited the Wood Release?"

Dan's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered his response. "That's a difficult question, Ryu.The First Hokage's case was... special. There's no record of his descendants inheriting the Wood Release. It's one of the great mysteries of our village's history. Regarding that question, there are numerous theories."

Dan paused, then leaned back, his tone shifting slightly. "You see, not all Kekkei Genkai are passed down consistently. Some are tied to the unique chakra composition of the individual. In Hashirama's case, his Wood Release was a rare combination of Earth and Water chakra natures, but it seems that his descendants didn't inherit the same balance of chakra."

He continued, "That's just the most plausible theory. Some suggest Wood Release was some kind of mutation or a very rare Kekkei Genkai that skips generations. The Senju clan has no history of Wood Release prior to the Lord First, so that is merely a theory."

Ryu frowned, deep in thought. The idea that such powerful abilities could be lost over generations was fascinating—and a little unsettling. What if other powerful Kekkei Genkai had been lost to history? What if there were abilities out there that no one even knew about anymore?

Dan said, "Enough of the history. Let's get you to speed for Lightning affinity. I will tell you the training method for improving your affinity for lightning. Listen carefully."

He continued, "Here's what you need to do. Create a thin layer of chakra on your hands and rub them together. The goal is to generate static electricity. Use a small cotton ball to test the strength of your sparks. When you can burn the cotton with a single spark, you'll be ready for the next step."

Ryu listened intently, his mind already visualising the process. He thought, "That's new and entirely different from the wind affinity training method that I know from anime."

Dan's expression turned stern as he added a warning, his voice grave. "But be careful, Ryu. Always make sure you're insulated from the ground when practicing. Don't touch any metal objects during your training, and always wear proper footwear. Until you have developed an affinity for it, lightning chakra can be dangerous if not handled correctly."

"You can take some cotton from my workshop," Dan concluded. "Today is your day off from the academy, right? Start your training after your morning workout. And remember, patience is key to mastering any new skill. You probably won't see much result on the first day, so keep trying. And please," Dan added with a smirk, "try not to burn the house down."

Ryu grinned. "I'll do my best."

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of anticipation for Ryu. His mind kept wandering to the upcoming training, imagining sparks dancing between his fingertips.

After his workout, sweat still glistening on his brow, Ryu retreated to the backyard. He sat cross-legged on an insulated mat, a small pile of cotton balls at his side. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused his chakra, feeling it flow to his palms like a warm current.

For fifteen minutes, Ryu rubbed his hands together, concentrating intently. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the effort, a mix of physical exertion and mental strain. The air around his hands seemed to crackle with lightning energy, though whether it was real or just his imagination, he couldn't tell. There are only very slight sparks that appeared and disappeared.

He began rubbing his hands again more intently. Just as frustration began to set in, more of the tiny sparks appeared around his palms. Ryu's eyes widened in surprise and delight. Quickly, he touched a cotton ball, watching with a mix of awe and satisfaction as a small portion singed and curled.

He felt a rush of excitement, but it was subdued by the knowledge of how far he still had to go. The journey to mastering his lightning affinity would be long and challenging, but this small victory fuelled his determination.

Ryu's mind wandered to the original story of Naruto from his previous life, particularly about Sasuke Uchiha, who had reportedly mastered his lightning affinity in just a month before Chunin exam finals and learnt the powerful Chidori technique. Did he go through the same method of training his lightning affinity? The thought both inspired and challenged him.

"Was Sasuke's affinity for lightning so strong that he could learn such an advanced jutsu so quickly?" Ryu wondered. "Or was it Kakashi's teaching that made the difference?"

After a moment's consideration, Ryu decided it must have been a combination of both. Sasuke's natural talent, coupled with Kakashi's expert guidance, had likely accelerated his progress. If a prodigy like Sasuke could master lightning so quickly, then Ryu was determined to push himself even harder and complete it in record time.

As the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, Ryu stood up, his determination renewed. He may not have Sasuke's innate strong affinity for lightning, but he had something just as powerful: an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and the will to push himself beyond his limits.

With a smile, he gathered up the cotton balls and headed inside, already looking forward to tomorrow's training. His fingers still tingled from the sparks, and his palm ached a little from constant rubbing.

"I will continue this training in the academy," he thought. 

##PoWeR StOnEs##

I hope you like the training method I came up with. I always wondered why only 1st Hokage had wood release but not his brother or his children. The only excuse I can come up with is a genetic mutation that is not hereditary.

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