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With the Uchiha Intercepting Style now firmly in his arsenal, Horyu felt a surge of confidence. He turned to face his teammates, his movements fluid and assured. Hinata and Shino, recognizing the change in his stance, prepared themselves for the escalated challenge.
Horyu soon realized why this Taijutsu was special to the Uchiha. It required an immense observational level. Without a Sharingan, it was difficult to 'intercept' attacks that could very well kill you. It was a dangerous style that heavily relied on anticipating an enemy's attacks, a dance on the razor's edge where one misstep meant disaster.
As they resumed their spar, Horyu's movements became more fluid, more anticipatory. He could feel the essence of the Uchiha Intercepting Style coursing through him, enhancing his agility and reaction speed. Each movement was a calculated response, a preemptive strike against the strikes of his opponents.
After battling with Taijutsu alone for what felt like hours, the trio sat down and heaved heavily. Hinata, her breath still ragged from the exertion, mumbled, "That was intense." Horyu, his smirk as sharp as ever, replied, "It sure was." There was a sense of accomplishment in his voice, a satisfaction that only came from pushing one's limits.
He glanced at his system interface, noting the progress he'd made. A small pop-up confirmed his improvement: [Uchiha Intercepting Style increased to Level 3]. The feeling of getting stronger was tangible, almost exhilarating. Unlike others, Horyu could see his progress, measure it in numbers and levels. It was a unique advantage, one that he didn't take for granted.
"Let's train some more," Horyu declared, his voice carrying a challenging undertone. Hinata and Shino, though tired, nodded in agreement. They were shinobi, after all, warriors born and bred for the trials of the ninja world. Rest was a luxury, not a necessity.
Time went on, days turned into weeks, as they trained hard every day. Each morning, the sun rose to find them already on the move, practicing, sparring, pushing each other to new heights. The routine was grueling, a relentless cycle of sweat, pain, and sheer determination.
Horyu, in particular, was relentless. His drive was like a fire that never dwindled, fueled by a constant desire to improve, to be better than he was the day before. His training was methodical, a blend of physical exertion and mental fortitude. He didn't just train his body; he trained his mind, always analyzing, always looking for the edge he needed to overcome the next challenge.
Hinata's progress was remarkable. Under Horyu's tutelage, her confidence grew, her movements became more precise, more fluid. The Hyuga Heiress was coming into her own, her gentle fists carrying a force that was anything but gentle. She was a force of nature, a whirlwind of grace and power that left Horyu and Shino both impressed and wary.
Shino, too, was a sight to behold. His connection with his kikaichū deepened, their symbiosis reaching new levels of coordination and efficiency. He moved with a calm, unshakable confidence, his insects a deadly extension of his will. Together, they were a formidable team, each member bringing their unique strengths to the fore.
The training ground became their world, a place of endless challenges and hard-earned triumphs. They sparred under the blazing sun, their shadows long and wavering on the ground. They practiced their jutsu until the air was thick with chakra, their bodies moving in a dance as old as the shinobi world itself.
As Horyu perused his stats and abilities on the system interface, he noted the significant improvements over the past few weeks of grueling training. His determination and relentless pursuit of strength were evident in the numerical representation of his growth. The addition of Uchiha Intercepting Style was a testament to his adaptability and the fierce drive to incorporate new techniques into his arsenal. [System Message: Comprehensive list of his abilities and how they've improved:
Stats:
Level: 19
Chakra: 550 + 82(Chakra Amplification Technique)
Strength: 22 (up from 19)
Agility: 25 (up from 23)
Stamina: 21 (up from 20)
Intelligence: 29 (up by 10 due to 'Master Strategist' title) (up from 27)
Free Stat: 10 (+11 from weekly quest)
Shinobi Abilities:
Precision Master (Level 18): Now provides unmatched accuracy in all forms of attacks, especially projectiles.
Genjutsu Resistance (Level 20(Max)): Offers robust resistance against even more sophisticated genjutsu attacks. At Maximum, it gives full immunity to low-tier Genjutsu.
Blade Dancer (Level 25): Mastery in blade combat, with unparalleled fluidity and deadly precision.
Lightning Reflex (Level 18): Significantly enhanced reflexes and speed, making Horyu almost untouchable.
Chakra Control (Advanced) (Level 3): Now at 59%, offering Horyu immense control and efficiency in chakra usage.
Swift Evasion (Passive) (Level 19): Further enhanced evasive techniques, making all his movements quicker and more deceptive.
Deceptive Retreat (Level 16): Improved tactical maneuverability, allowing for more effective counterattacks and strategic retreats.
Ghost Mirage (Level 17): Enhanced stealth capabilities, making Horyu's form even harder to track and predict in combat.
Chaos Strike (Level 16): Now even more unpredictable and devastating, capable of incapacitating opponents with unexpected and powerful strikes.
Precision Barrage (Level 14): Increased range and power, allowing Horyu to hit distant targets with greater force and accuracy.
Hand Seal Mastery (Level 20(Max)): Faster and more accurate hand seal formation, significantly enhancing the execution of jutsus.
Chakra Amplification Technique (Level 15): Further amplified chakra capacity and flow, increasing Horyu's overall chakra reserves and combat sustainability.
Mental Fortitude (Level 4): Enhanced mental resilience, better equipping Horyu to resist psychological stress and maintain clarity under pressure.
Newly Acquired:
Uchiha Intercepting Style (Level 7): A Taijutsu style unique to the Uchiha, focusing on swift, precise counterattacks and evasion. Enhances agility, reaction speed, and the effectiveness of anticipating and countering enemy blows.
Non-Shinobi Skills:
Cooking Skill(Basic) (Level 10(Max)): Great proficiency in basic cooking.
Jutsu Mastery:
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique (Level 16): Basic Uchiha skill to exhale a fire sphere.
Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu (Level 8): Shoots multiple fireballs, controllable mid-air.
Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet (Level 7): Creates a fire stream in a dragon shape.
Exploding Flame Shot (Level 7): Launches small fire projectiles that explode on impact.
Fire Style: Flame Bullet (Level 6): Emits chakra-infused oil from the mouth, ignitable by spark.
Shadow Clone Jutsu (Level 15): Creates clones, reduced chakra consumption and fatigue.
Flame Control Technique (16%): Advanced jutsu to create and manipulate fire.
--Calligraphy Mastery: Level 14 (for Fuinjutsu precision and control)
-Fuinjutsu Mastery Categories:
-Seal Creation Mastery:
Basic Seals: 12%
Elemental Seals: 3%
Barrier Seals: 4%
Storage Seals: 9%
-Seal Application Mastery:
Object Sealing: 9%
Chakra Sealing: 6%
Space-Time Sealing: 0%
Curse Seals: 1%
-Seal Analysis and Disruption:
Seal Identification: 11%
Seal Deciphering: 8%
Seal Disruption: 5%
Counter-Sealing: 4%
-Advanced Fuinjutsu Techniques:
Living Entity Sealing: 0%
Jutsu Absorption Seals: 1%
Regenerative Seals: 1%
Forbidden Seals: 0%
--Genjutsu Mastery:
-Basic Senses Mastery:
Sight Mastery (51%): Improved ability to manipulate and control what the target sees, making illusions more believable and harder to distinguish from reality.
Hearing Mastery (48%): Enhanced precision in auditory illusions, allowing Horyu to create complex and convincing sound-based deceptions.
Taste Mastery (41%): Ability to affect the sense of taste, useful in disorienting or distracting targets.
Touch Mastery (44%): Improved manipulation of the sense of touch, making physical sensations in illusions more realistic.
Smell Mastery (31%): Ability to create olfactory illusions, adding another layer of realism to his genjutsu.
-Secondary Senses Mastery:
Balance and Acceleration (24%): Developing ability to disrupt the target's sense of balance, potentially causing disorientation and nausea.
Pain (35%): Enhanced ability to induce or suppress feelings of pain, useful in interrogation or as a distraction in combat.
Temperature Awareness (19%): Beginning to manipulate the sense of temperature, contributing to the overall environmental feel of illusions.
Kinesthesia (14%): Early stages of controlling the sense of body position and movement, can be used to make targets misjudge their actions.
Hunger and Thirst (19%): Ability to induce feelings of hunger or thirst, potentially useful in longer engagements or psychological tactics.
Time Perception (2%): Initial ability to manipulate the perception of time, a complex but potentially powerful tool in combat and interrogation.
Space Mastery (3%): Beginning to affect the target's perception of space and distance, a sophisticated aspect of illusionary manipulation.
Emotions Mastery (13%): Early stages of influencing the target's emotional state, which can significantly impact their decision-making and mental resilience.
Physical Response Mastery:
Arousal (19%): Initial ability to affect physiological arousal states, with potential applications in distraction and psychological warfare.
Sexual Acts (18%): Early understanding of influencing intimate physical responses, an advanced and potentially controversial aspect of genjutsu.
Jutsu:
Mist Servant Technique (Level 10(Max)): Mastery of creating deceptive afterimages, making it difficult for opponents to determine the real target.
Sly Mind Affect Technique (Level 6): Improved ability to cause disorientation, making targets walk in circles or lose their sense of direction.
Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique (Level 9): Advanced control over the victim's perception of their environment, useful for ambushes or evading pursuit.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique (Level 9): Enhanced effectiveness in inducing fear and disorientation by exposing targets to disturbing visions.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death (Level 5): Developing the ability to immobilize and psychologically torment targets by trapping them in an illusionary tree.
Chakra Echo Tracking (Level 5): A sensory technique that sends out a subtle chakra pulse, which bounces back to the user after hitting objects or individuals. This allows the user to detect and track movements within a certain radius, even through barriers or hidden areas.
Elemental Chakra Infusion (Level 3): Enables the user to infuse their chakra with elemental properties, enhancing attacks or defenses with the chosen element. At this level, the user can apply basic elemental properties to their jutsu, increasing their versatility and effectiveness.
Silent Step Technique (Level 7): A stealth skill that masks the user's movements, making them nearly inaudible and difficult to detect. This technique is highly effective for infiltration or surprise attacks, as the user can move close to targets without alerting them.
Chakra Flow Control (Level 4): Refines the user's ability to regulate and control their chakra flow, leading to more efficient use of jutsu and physical enhancements. This skill helps prevent exhaustion and enhances the precision of chakra-based techniques.
Quick Healing Jutsu (Level 5): A medical technique that accelerates the body's natural healing processes. By focusing chakra to the injured area, the user can close wounds and mend minor injuries more rapidly, though it's not as effective for severe trauma or complex conditions.
Chakra Signature Masking (Level 3): Allows the user to conceal or alter their chakra signature, making it difficult for sensory-type shinobi to track or identify them. This technique is useful for evading detection or disguising oneself as someone else.
Chakra Thread Manipulation (Level 5): Grants the ability to create and control thin threads of chakra, which can be used to manipulate objects or weapons from a distance. This technique is versatile, allowing for intricate and precise movements in battle or other scenarios.
Chakra Pressure Manipulation (Level 2): The user learns to exert their chakra outward as a form of pressure or force, potentially disrupting opponents or creating a defensive barrier. At this level, the user is beginning to grasp the basics of projecting their chakra externally.]
As Horyu digested the information, he felt a surge of pride and anticipation. The numerical improvements were more than just statistics; they were a testament to his hard work and the potential that lay ahead.
His mastery over Genjutsu branches rose swiftly, a direct result of observing Kurenai's battle against Zabuza. The way she had subtly manipulated Zabuza's emotions, turning his lust and confusion into a weapon, was a masterclass in the art of illusion. It was one thing to study the various forms of erotica and doujins from Earth, absorbing the knowledge and understanding the mechanics of arousal and psychological manipulation. Yet, Horyu hadn't fully grasped how to apply this knowledge in combat, especially when an opponent was too distracted or aggressive to consider such subtle influences. But Kurenai's display had opened a new realm of possibilities, showing him the true potential of Genjutsu as a tool for control and deception.
As Hinata and Shino rested by the riverside, Horyu checked the quest again.
[System Message: New Quest - "The Waves of Change"
Description: Navigate the delicate political landscape of Wave Country. Protect Tazuna, provoke Gato, and justify Konoha's intervention.
--Primary Objective:
Assist in the protection of Tazuna and ensure the completion of the ???? Bridge. Be vigilant for attacks from Zabuza Momochi and his apprentice, Haku.
--Alternative Objectives & Rewards:
-Sparing Zabuza and Haku (First Encounter):
Objective: Subdue but do not fatally wound Zabuza and Haku during the first encounter.
Reward: +200 Reputation with Hidden Mist Village, Special Ninjutsu Scroll "Water Dragon Bullet Technique", Zabuza's Sword Technique.
-Eliminating Zabuza and Haku (First Encounter)(Failed):
Objective: Defeat and eliminate Zabuza and Haku during the first encounter.
Reward: +500 XP, Enhanced Weapon Loot (High-Damage Kunai Set x 30), +250 Reputation with Shisui Faction.
-Sparing Zabuza and Haku (Second Encounter):
Objective: Again subdue but not kill Zabuza and Haku in the second confrontation.
Reward: Assassin's Pact, Network of Shadows, Alliance Offer from Zabuza, Stealth Technique Scroll "Silent Killing", Intelligence on Hidden Mist Village's Anbu.
-Eliminating Zabuza and Haku (Second Encounter):
Objective: Eliminate Zabuza and Haku in the second confrontation.
Reward: +800 XP, Advanced Ninja Tools (Chakra Enhanced Wire x 100 meters, Flash Bombs x 10), +150 Reputation with Shisui Faction.
-Rescue Tazuna's Daughter and Grandson:
Objective: Prevent the kidnapping of Tazuna's daughter and grandson by Gato's men.
Reward: +300 Reputation with Tazuna's Family, Access to Rare Crafting Resources in Wave Country (Wave Country's Special Timber x 20, Reinforced Metal x 10).
-Confrontation with Gato:
Objective: Navigate the confrontation with Gato and his mercenaries.
Reward: 1000 Ryo, New System Function(Based on Horyu's actions) Passive Income might be activated.
--Branching Decisions & Outcomes:
-Leave Resources for Wave Country:
Decision: Choose to leave a portion of Gato's assets for the development of Wave Country.
Outcome: Long-term alliance with Wave Country (Resource discounts, special missions), +50 Ryo/day from Wave Country trade will be added to passive income, +400 Reputation with Local Populace.
-Take Everything for Shisui's Mission:
Decision: Secure all of Gato's assets for the Uchiha Clan and Shisui's mission.
Outcome: +1000 Reputation with Shisui Faction, Large Monetary Gain (20000 Ryo), Potential Future Consequences with Wave Country Relations (-200 Reputation).
[System Notification: Choose your actions wisely. Each decision will have lasting impacts on your journey and alliances. Rewards and consequences are based on current choices and may evolve based on future actions.]]
He had already completed the first part of the quest by sparing Zabuza and Haku's life. The rewards were already in his grasp: +200 Reputation with Hidden Mist Village, a Special Ninjutsu Scroll "Water Dragon Bullet Technique", and Zabuza's Sword Technique. These gains were substantial, but the path ahead was still murky. Horyu stood silently, pondering his next move.
His pragmatism told him to spare Zabuza and Haku a second time. Network of Shadows was something he wanted to have. Despite giving up XP he could gain from killing Zabuza and Haku, he would gain the alliance of two and their shadow network, but was it really wise? What really swayed him was Assassin's Pact: A pact with Zabuza that ensures he will not accept any contracts against Horyu's interest and will inform him of any major threats coming his way. This wasn't as simple as not being targeted by Zabuza; he wasn't worried about that. But if Zabuza heard anything in the black market about someone targeting Horyu's interest, Horyu would be notified. This alone swayed him from killing the duo.
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