Satisfied with his progress, Chen navigated back to the main screen and tapped on the "Backpack" tab.
A seemingly endless grid, reminiscent of a Minecraft inventory but with a custom shuriken background, materialized before him.
The first three slots were occupied with items.
In the first slot lay the rolled-up scroll of the Chakra Refinement Technique. In the second, an identical scroll but for the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu.
However, it was the third slot that truly caught his attention: a brown cloth bag labeled "Compensation Package."
"A gift from the system?" Chen wondered, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "How thoughtful!"
Without hesitation, he pressed the bag's icon, and with a *poof*, it appeared in his hands.
The bag was small, made of brown leather, unassuming. As he opened it, a blinding light burst forth, flooding the room.
"Ugh! My eyes!" he complained, covering them with his hands. "What kind of joke is this?"
Annoyed, he turned the bag upside down, spilling its contents onto the bed.
Three items rolled across the tatami: a scroll, a green sphere with a kanji (光) inscribed, and a bright yellow, spiral-covered fruit.
"What the heck is this?" Chen murmured, examining the fruit curiously. "Looks like a radioactive banana."
He touched it cautiously, and a translucent blue panel appeared before him:
[Pika Pika no Mi (Perfect Version): A Logia-type Devil Fruit that turns the consumer into a light human. Unlike the original version, this fruit lacks the weakness to water and truly allows the user to move at the speed of light.]
Reading this, Chen's jaw dropped. "Kizaru's fruit?! But without the sea curse!" he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Without a second thought, he brought the fruit to his mouth and swallowed it whole, not even bothering to taste it.
As soon as the fruit hit his stomach, a searing sensation spread through him, as if he had swallowed boiling water.
"Gah!" Chen exclaimed, falling backward onto the tatami.
His body began to convulse, feeling like every part of him, every cell, was vibrating with some unknown energy.
The violet mark on his neck and shoulder began to glow intensely, spreading like ink across his skin.
The heat intensified, but it wasn't painful; it felt more like a tingling sensation, as if tiny ants were crawling all over his body.
As quickly as it came, it vanished, and Chen felt incredibly light, as if gravity had stopped affecting him.
He tried to stand up, only to discover he was floating a few centimeters off the ground.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed in surprise. He moved his arms and legs, finding he could propel himself through the air with smooth, controlled movements.
"Amazing!" he shouted, laughing like a child.
But his joy was interrupted by a new discovery. Looking down, he saw his right hand glowing with a purple light.
"Purple? Shouldn't it be yellow?" he wondered, since when Kizaru used his powers, they were yellow. Knowing the system wouldn't answer, he brushed it off.
He tried to touch his right hand with his left, but his left hand passed through as if it were an illusion.
"Intangibility…" Fascinated, he experimented more, finding he could transform any part of his body into light at will, though he couldn't fully transform his entire body.
"This is incredible!" he exclaimed, making his whole body glow brilliantly. The room lit up as if the sun had risen, but a purple one, and Chen felt full of boundless energy.
As he played with his new powers, he ran to the mirror, noticing few changes in his appearance. His skin and hair seemed a bit more...shiny? His eyes were the same, but the obvious change was the mark from gaining the Otsutsuki lineage.
The violet mark on his neck and shoulder had spread, reaching almost to his elbow.
Now, instead of resembling tiny galaxies, the marks looked like an intricate, detailed map, glowing with purple light.
Chen grinned, ecstatic with his new powers.
Deciding to fully explore his capabilities later, he focused on the two remaining items on the bed.
First, he grabbed the scroll. Instantly, a system notification appeared before him:
[Rokushiki Manual: Special superhuman martial arts style. Contains the following techniques: Geppo, Tekkai, Shigan, Rankyaku, Soru, Kami-e, Rokuogan.]
Chen nodded, skimming through the scroll. He wasn't so interested in the techniques themselves, but rather the rigorous training regimen detailed in the manual.
The exercises he had been doing in the forest were useful, but they didn't allow him to develop his true potential.
"This will be useful." He stored the scroll in his backpack and picked up the green sphere.
[Light Bomb: Ninja tool that produces a bright flash upon detonation, disorienting opponents.]
Chen frowned. "A light bomb?" he said. "What the heck am I supposed to do with this? Play hide and seek?"
Without a second thought, he tossed the ball aside.
Ignoring the light bomb rolling on the floor, he turned his attention back to the system backpack. With a tap on the screen, he extracted the Chakra Refinement scroll.
Sitting on the bed, legs crossed in a lotus position, he unrolled the scroll with trembling hands of excitement.
The instructions were clear.
He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, following the instructions precisely.
First, he focused on his physical energy, the life force flowing through his muscles and bones. He imagined a glow in his abdomen, the center of his physical power.
Then, he directed his attention to his spiritual energy, the spark of consciousness residing in his mind. Visualizing a cool light.
With an inhale, Chen drew both energies toward his center, feeling them merge just below his navel.
A tingling sensation spread through his body, followed by a warmth radiating from his core.
"Yes!" he said with a mix of awe and euphoria. "I can feel it!"
As he continued, the warmth intensified, transforming into a river of energy flowing through his veins.
The air around him began to vibrate, and a faint purple aura surrounded his body.
Suddenly, a burst of violet energy enveloped him.
Chen opened his eyes, and a golden glow emanated from his pupils. The violet mark on his arm seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.
"Incredible!" he exclaimed, feeling chakra for the first time.
With a triumphant smile, he continued practicing the chakra refinement technique for hours, late into the night. But finally, fatigue began to take its toll on him. His movements slowed, his breathing grew heavier.
With one last effort, he collapsed onto the bed, exhausted but satisfied.
His chakra, once comparable to that of a Chūnin, had expanded and strengthened, reaching the level of an experienced Jōnin.
"Tomorrow is another day," he thought, closing his eyes with a smile. "Finally, I can start training real jutsus…"
He fell asleep instantly, the towel covering his body slipping to the floor, making the violet mark glow faintly in the darkness.
_____
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖