While walking back cautiously to the nearby town, Arthur considered how fortunate he was to have stumbled across a Kekkei Genkai user.
Characters like Yukimi were not a common find. Perhaps by chance, her story was developed by Elysium's artificial intelligence systems, allowing him to cross paths.
Or perhaps the programs knew he would tread on this path of darkness, placing her in the same situation as him. Regardless, he knew that the hardware functions of the world couldn't be altered. The moment he entered the pod, everything was static, only changeable by the player's choices.
Putting those thoughts aside, he knew what he needed—more Kekkei Genkai.
They were very unique, with only a few being effective in combat. The Smoke Kekkei Genkai, for instance, can deceive a prominent ninja's senses. This was shown when Kakashi, a user of the Sharingan, fought Yukimi's clanmates and couldn't differentiate them from real smoke.
Other Kekkei Genkai could form hardened crystals, absorb chakra, explode objects on contact, and even generate their own magnetic force. But out of all the Kekkei Genkai in this world, only one surpassed them all: the Rinnegan.
Arthur didn't want to think further about that ocular technique.
With each passing hour, his body had fully accumulated all the foreign cells. He approached the town he'd previously avoided, keeping a safe distance.
Citizens could be heard rustling about. Arthur couldn't help but feel the bitter taste of their normalcy.
He closed his eyes, focusing on his chakra. Channeling it, his body became weightless until it dissolved entirely. He was smoke, a formless cloud drifting in the breeze.
It was exhilarating—a newfound freedom of movement—but he didn't let the excitement get to him.
He drifted through the air, swirling around buildings, testing the limits of his control. It wasn't perfect; tendrils of smoke occasionally strayed from the main body, but with each passing moment, his perfection in it steadily grew.
Passing over rooftops and peering into windows, he monitored the unsuspecting townspeople. They were average citizens, oblivious to his presence.
He saw families gathered around dinner tables, couples walking along the street, and children sleeping in their beds. Nothing was needed to remind him that they were mere virtual characters.
What he needed were resources and information.
In a house on the outskirts of town, he found his answer. This, Arthur decided, was a safe target. He seeped through a crack in the window and scanned the whole home. No one was inside.
Reforming himself inside the house, he quickly scanned the living room, finding a map sprawled across a table and a worn leather satchel overflowing with weapons. This house belonged to a ninja!
He focused on the map, its faded ink depicting the surrounding area with a surprising level of detail. This would be invaluable. Shifting his attention to the satchel, he accessed its contents and found scrolls, throwing knives, shuriken, and an assortment of other weapons inside hidden compartments.
He gathered everything he could and made his way to the kitchen.
The smell of leftover meals permeated his nostrils. It had been days since he had any real food. Finding fruits and vegetables, he ate them with caution, aware that his mind was only thinking it was real food.
It tasted good.
This wasn't about playing fair; this was about survival, about rising above the limitations placed upon him.
Arthur stored some food in his satchel and reformed into smoke. A truly advantageous Kekkei Genkai for allowing him to turn whatever object on his person into smoke as well.
He drifted back out the window, the map clutched in his smoky form. Leaving the town behind, he materialized back in the forest, the tools strapped to his side. He then unfurled the map, tracing the lines with a finger.
On the front, the map focused on the five major countries: Land of Fire, Land of Wind, Land of Lightning, Land of Earth, and Land of Mist. Each ruled by a feudal lord, these equally powerful nations are scattered across a continent to maintain balance.
Like Arthur remembered, they were named after their dominant chakra nature, each housing a powerful Hidden Village led by a Kage.
Despite past rivalries, these countries were said to have come together to form the Shinobi Union after the fourth war. What interested Arthur, however, was the Land of Fire and its Hidden Village, the Leaf Village. Despite not being on the map, he knew exactly where both he and it were.
The town he came from wasn't anything special. It surrounded other towns with pedestrians and merchants.
The road ahead was long and fraught with danger. But he knew better than to tread in enemy territory. Would they open the gate for him? Would they even let him casually cross through their barrier?
Knowing it wouldn't be so simple, he set off to the nearest body of water.
The relentless march through the woods had left Arthur coated in grime and sweat until he stumbled upon a clear, running river.
Memories of childhood camping trips and splashing around in cool mountain streams with his family surfaced. He pushed them down, knowing this wasn't some idyllic vacation.
He stripped off his tunic and trousers and stepped into the river. The water was cold, a shock to his system, but it was also refreshing. He submerged himself, letting the current wash away the grime and the lingering scent of blood.
Exiting, he scrubbed his clothes against a smooth rock and rinsed them thoroughly before draping them across a branch to dry. He only had his undergarments on, but any sense of shamefulness was quickly eclipsed by a desire to hone his skills.
He wouldn't survive long relying solely on smoke jutsu; he needed knowledge to use weapons effectively. Ninjas could throw their arsenal of tools with deadly precision, and he had to be ready.
Rummaging through the satchel, he pulled out a selection of throwing knives and shuriken. They felt surprisingly light in his hands.
Finding a large, flat rock nestled amongst the trees, he designated it as his target. Throwing an object required balance—using his entire body, not just his arm.
The first few attempts were disastrous, with the blades clattering harmlessly to the ground at the rock's foot. He was hitting his target, but that wasn't his goal. What he needed to do was lodge the knife into the rock.
With each throw, a sense of muscle memory kicked in. He adjusted his grip, shifted his weight, and focused on a precise throw.
The next knife flew true, embedding itself with a satisfying "thunk" into the center of the rock. Satisfying, but still not perfect. He continued practicing, the frustration of early misses giving way to a growing sense of accomplishment. His throws became more consistent, and the blades found their mark with increasing accuracy.
When he became tired, he used the healing jutsu to restart.
Next was shuriken. Shuriken were ninja stars, demanding a slightly different throwing technique. He practiced relentlessly, sweat beading on his brow and the muscles in his arms burning with exertion.
The sun began to set, painting the sky in vibrant hues of orange and purple. Still, he continued, driven by a relentless need to improve.
As darkness finally descended, he remained still on the forest floor, his body not at all exhausted thanks to the healing jutsu. He had a long way to go, but he was increasing steadily.
The next thing he did was move on to chakra control. Control was paramount. Now that he had accumulated Yukimi's chakra pool, it was essential that he balance it. The process was simple, taking no more than a few minutes.
Once he finished that, he trained channeling his chakra externally.
Known as "chakra flow," a user can circulate their chakra through an object or their body to enhance its capabilities. When directed through weapons, chakra can increase sharpness, durability, or add elemental effects like fire or lightning.
Flowing chakra through the body can also improve physical attributes like speed, defense, or even create a protective shield. The exact effects depend on the type and amount of chakra used.
Arthur closed his eyes, focusing inward. He felt the chakra within him, picturing it flowing through his body like a warm current coursing through his veins.
When he finished, he picked up a throwing knife and concentrated his chakra on the metal. He envisioned enhancing the blade itself before gripping the handle and throwing it with all his might.
It met a weathered tree trunk with a dull thud. The knife stuck harmlessly. A good throw, but not at all what he was expecting.
He closed his eyes again, this time picturing the chakra as a muscle rather than a flowing current. He imagined stretching it, pushing it beyond its perceived limits. With each attempt, the strain grew, and the chakra protested the unfamiliar exertion.
It took several hours before a breakthrough. The chakra responded, expanding outward.
He grabbed another throwing knife, confident in his grip. This time, channeling the chakra, he focused on enhancing the blade's sharpness rather than its power. He pictured it piercing through the tree with ease, the tip imbued with his chakra.
When he threw it, the knife shot out of his hand. It met the tree trunk with a resounding clang. When he approached it, only the handle protruded.
He had done it. He had successfully channeled his chakra into the weapon, augmenting its capabilities. This wasn't an easy feat, as it could help pave the way to new possibilities.
Exhaustion settled upon Arthur. He pushed himself through one last routine, a punishing series of push-ups and lunges designed to test his endurance.
His muscles burned, and his breath rasped in his throat, but he pushed on, fueled to get stronger.
Finally, collapsing onto the forest floor, he allowed himself a moment of respite. The cool night air carried the scent of damp earth and pine needles. It felt oddly comforting compared to his time in prison.
With a grunt, he rose and made his way back to the river.
Cold water once washed away the grime and sweat on his body. He donned his clothes, now dried, and settled himself comfortably beneath a large oak tree.
The canopy of leaves provided a shield against the moon's light. The night noises of the forest were like a familiar lullaby. He was far from home, far from the life he once knew, but he was no longer afraid.
Sleep came easily.
When he awoke, he saw the first rays of dawn. Hunger pounded his stomach, so he reached into his satchel and retrieved some rice cake and dried fruit. They held little appeal, but they were sustenance nonetheless.
As he ate, he considered what crucial skill he had to perfect next. His current techniques consisted of the smoke jutsu, the healing jutsu, and the substitution juts. There was also his innate chakra control.
Solid for a starting shinobi, but not impressive in the slightest. Ninjas around his age, some younger, had a list of jutsu in their arsenal. Like Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother, he could create authentic clones and manipulate fire as if it were his dance partner. Or Kakashi Hatake, who could conduct lightning to his palm.
What Arthur found paramount was to enhance his strength, create impenetrable defenses, and achieve lightning-fast reflexes.
He arose, closing his eyes. The chakra within him had fully recovered. Rather than focusing on flowing outwards this time, he concentrated on it flowing inwards.
The chakra coursed through his muscles, invigorating them. He tensed, willing the chakra to enhance his physical capabilities. The first few attempts were met with frustration.
Nothing seemed to change. He felt no surge of power, no increase in strength. But Arthur was not one to give up easily. He remained calm and pushed himself further. With each failed attempt, he learned, adjusting his focus and refining his technique.
Finally, a change. A subtle shift, almost imperceptible at first, but real nonetheless. He felt more energy pouring through him, his muscle cells buzzing.
He flexed his arm, a sensation unlike anything he'd experienced before. It wasn't just strength; it was also a heightened awareness, a sense of control over his own body.
He punched the air, feeling the force travel through his arm, the impact resonating through the very air itself. Finding a rock, he picked it up and slightly squeezed. The rock burst into smaller pieces.
Before he could feel content, the chakra dissipated, and his strength faded. It was short-lived, but it was a start. And based on what he felt, he knew he could make it last if he practiced more.
This technique was known as "chakra-enhanced strength." It's listed as a taijutsu skill, but it implements chakra into one's arms or feet, releasing it with precise timing to achieve super strength—classifying as a support technique.
Notable characters like Sakura Haruno, Tsunade, and Hashirama were capable of this feat. Theirs, however, was incomparable to Arthur's. While they could throw boulders three times their size hundreds of meters out, he still needed proper refinement to reach those limits.
With a "humph," he picked up another rock and began his training.