CHAPTER 15 : Tournament

My Eighth Birthday

On the eve of this new morning, which is also my eighth birthday, I am now playing with my brother. It makes me wonder how fast the time has passed; a few months ago, he was cradling in my arms, and now here he is running all around the house.

My brother is nearing his second birth anniversary this year. During this 2-year period, I clearly enjoyed being with him and pampering him. He is all grown up now, able to pronounce a few words, and can run in the house.

As I am now a big boy, there was not much of a birthday party. It was just a simple event where I and my maternal family were present. Also, my maternal aunt has come to visit our house for the first time.

You see, this year my maternal uncle has married and settled to form a family. So, it was another joyous emotion in our family, beside my birthday. There are no grandparents from both sides of our family, as they have died in the war. So just us and our maternal uncle and aunt attended this simple birthday party.

After the birthday event, my father called me into his room for something important. I entered the room and closed the door behind me. In front of me was my father, writing something with only a candle as a source of light. The whole room was dark and eerie; it feels like something important is going to happen here.

"Yes, father, you called me," I asked while standing at the door.

"Sit here, son. And how is your training going on?" He asked while focusing on the writing.

"Fine Father, I have almost learned all the jutsu you demonstrated for me and am currently perfecting it in my style." I replied in a proud voice.

"What a feat you have done there; mastering this jutsu in under a year is a very good achievement." He replied, smiling with relief, and then his smile vanished, and he said it in a sombre tone.

"But it's not enough for what you are going to face in the future."

"Why, father, is there a war coming?" I asked with uncertainty.

"Yes, you can say a war or you can say a gift. It depends on how you view it." My father spoke.

"What's happening, father?" I asked my father, clearly frustrated about the riddles he was giving me.

"The 11th tournament is going to happen next year," my father said with a defeated sigh.

My face contracted, and sweat began to pour out of my face. This event is HAPPENING NOW.

The tournament is a special event for the younger generation (much more like Chunin exams, except for the first stage, which is not included). This exam is funded by nobles and daimyo and associations like merchant guilds, blacksmithing guilds, potion guilds, and many more associations similar to that.

This tournament takes place in five parts of this continent (in the future, these parts will be known as the five major countries), and each tournament has special rewards such as discounts from the guilds and associations, more contracts from nobles and daimyo, and popularisation among the masses of these countries.

Each tournament takes place after a 50-year' time interval, and in each tournament, almost all clans that have some strength participate. There is an age limit of 10 years imposed on all clans, which means they can't give out more experienced players, and everything depends on kids of age below 10 years. The clans usually send their best kids to compete in this event, and according to the rankings, suitable rewards are given to the participating clans.

There is much profit for clans as they have better employers, more subsidies on guild and association rates, and many other intangible benefits. That is why this tournament is important; it gives a massive advantage to the clan and may, over a certain period of time, increase the clan's strength. The only price they have to pay is for the training of the younger generation.

The tournament is divided into two rounds. In the first round, there will be a team of 10 members that will have to survive in the wild. And in the second round, there will be a 1 vs. 1 match between the top 5 teams present on the ground. In past tournaments, mainly five clans were foremast in the ranking.

Senju clan: The Senju clan had a strong life force and chakra, which enabled them to master various skills and techniques. They also have a remarkable ability to heal from injuries and illnesses, thanks to their strong life force. They did not specialise in one area but rather mastered various forms of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.

Uchiha clan: The powers of the Uchiha clan are mainly derived from their kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, which is a special type of eye that grants them enhanced perception, genjutsu prowess, and the ability to copy other ninjutsu. The Sharingan has three basic stages, each with a different number of tomoes (comma-shaped marks) in the iris. The more tomoe the Sharingan has, the more abilities it unlocks.

Hyuga clan: They possess a unique kekkei genkai, the Byakugan, which gives them enhanced vision and the ability to use the Gentle Fist style. The Byakugan can see through solid objects, such as walls, trees, or clothing, and detect chakra signatures and fluctuations. The Byakugan can also magnify its vision to see distant objects or microscopic details, such as the chakra circulatory system and the tenketsu, or chakra points.

Kaguya clan. They were known for their unique kekkei genkai, the Shikotsumyaku. The Shikotsumyaku was a rare and powerful ability that allowed the user to manipulate their own skeletal structure. The user could create weapons from their bones, such as blades, spikes, or projectiles, and use them for offence or defence. The user could also regenerate any lost bones, making them very resilient and durable.

Chiniko Clan: They had a unique kekkei genkai, the Ketsuryūgan, which gave them the power to manipulate liquids with high iron content, such as blood or water. They also had a strong affinity for genjutsu, which they could cast through their eyes. The Ketsuryūgan was a dojutsu that made the user's eyes appear blood-red when activated. The Ketsuryūgan allowed the user to see chakra and perform powerful genjutsu, comparable to the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.

These five clans had repeatedly taken the top 5 ranking in the Fire Country region, making them more prosperous and popular. It also caused them to increase their influence in all parts of this continent.

Thinking about all this, my head hurts. I am eight years old, and I will have to participate in this clan tournament. And as you might have guessed, this tournament is nothing more than a farce to sign out possible players among the contestants and weed them out before they grow big enough.

It has been reported that some extensively good players were missing after the competition, never to be found again.

This is the perfect way to eliminate players in the wake of a competition. And many players will consider themselves protagonists and fall into their trap. It is good that there is still one year before the tournament begins.

"What are you thinking, Adi?" my father asked with a frown.

"Nothing, father; I am thinking about the competition." I spoke the truth.

My father shakes his head and suddenly stands up and walks in front of the wall, keeping his back towards me, and asks

"What about your Byakugan 'Adi'?"

My heart suddenly gripped, and I said with much difficulty, "Still no sign of awakening, father."

"You should remember, Adi, that if your Byakugan does not awaken before the age of 10, you will be marked with a cage bird seal and will be placed in the branch family".

"I know, father," I said with a defeated sigh, clearly not wanting this outcome.

In the Hyuga Clan, those who can't awaken their Byakugan are looked down upon by the whole clan, and their position is akin to that of servants of the clan. No one in the clan will do anything for their rights; they can be played, bullied, or even killed in the future, and no one will bat an eye on them. So me not being able to open the Byakugan is like giving my neck to the butcher.

"I just hope that the opening of PINGLA NADI will complete the possible evolution of my eyes." I murmured silently.

"Have you said anything?" My father asked

"No, father," I replied hastily.

"Good, remember our conversation," my father said, leaving the room.

It seems that the awakening of PINGLA NADI should be first on the agenda.

1 month later

It has been a full month since the talk with my father, and today, finally, after nearly two years of effort, I will be able to open PINGLA NADI. I can feel it, and possibly it will cause my Byakugan to activate too.

"It would be good if someone had given me mentorship about the VEDAS; figuring out something on your own is very difficult," I said in an expiated voice.

Sitting cross-legged, emptying my mind, and breathing in a strange manner, I started chanting the mantra, and after a few hours, it happened.

A large amount of vitality flowed through my body, transforming my body and soul and absorbing my chakra. It was so painful that the thought of passing out frequently appeared in my mind. But I couldn't, as this would lead to the failure of the NADI awakening. So, I persisted, and finally the process was done.

I could feel a large amount of vitality in my body; some discomfort and minor cuts were rapidly healing. My body was feeling a sense of fulfilment. It feels like my body was dried up until now, and now someone has given it water to revive itself. This time, I felt like someone had filled me with enough air to operate my body to full functionality. I am feeling like a tyre that was deflated and is now finally fulfilled.

I am feeling an itch in my eyes. It seems my Byakugan is awakening. It will take some time, so I will ignore it for now and check for my other improvements. First and foremost, I feel a lot of increase in my strength and speed. I think I have the strength and speed of a jonin now, and my chakra quality has also increased to that of a chunin. My chakra quantity has also increased to that of a jonin.

For the experiment, I took out a kunai and made a cut in my hand. The wound started to bleed, but after a minute, it stopped bleeding, and after 30 minutes, the wound closed.

"Mid-level healing factor is interesting."

And now, for the last experiment, I tried to walk on the wall. It took some time, but I finally succeeded. I can now finally tread on walls, which means I have mid-level chakra control.

The PINGLA NADI awakening has been successful, and there has been substantial improvement in all of my basic abilities. And now I can finally feel some amount of confidence for the tournament. The only thing left is my Byakugan, and the itch I am feeling seems to tell me that it will be completed soon.

It was the time of the night, and it was also time for a good night. "Tomorrow, I hope I will be able to see through my Byakugan." I wished while lying in bed.