Chapter 17: The Art of the Yellow Flash
Ren's eyes scanned the list of techniques on the scroll, his mind racing with possibilities.
*Hidden Shadow Snake Hand. Definitely learning this.* It was a versatile B-rank technique, perfect for mid-range combat, capture, and distraction. Its advanced version, *Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand*, was even better, summoning a veritable nest of serpents to overwhelm an opponent. Both were practical and fit his need for flexible, non-lethal options.
His gaze then fell on the Earth Release techniques: *Earth Clone, Earth Dragon Projectile, Earth-Style Wall.* Useful, but he didn't have an Earth chakra nature. The cost to acquire one was prohibitive. *Might as well cash them in.*
Then he saw it. The crown jewel of the defensive techniques on the scroll.
***Summoning: Rashomon.***
His breath hitched. *This is it. This is the one.* He remembered the colossal gates from the anime—Orochimaru summoning a triple-layered barrier to withstand a Four-Tails Naruto's Tailed Beast Bomb. The First Hokage himself had summoned a five-layered version against Madara's Kurama. To dismiss this technique as weak because it was eventually destroyed was to profoundly misunderstand the sheer, catastrophic power it was designed to block. It was an S-rank defensive barrier. Exactly what he lacked.
*I have offense covered for now—Finger Gun, Fireball, Chidori, and soon the snake techniques. But defense? I have nothing. Rashomon is a must-learn.*
The rest of the jutsu on the scroll held little interest. They were either redundant or required chakra natures he didn't possess. They were points waiting to be claimed.
He found a still-functional pen in the lab and carefully transcribed the three techniques he wanted to keep: *Hidden Shadow Snake Hand, Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand,* and *Summoning: Rashomon.* Then, he addressed the system.
"System, recycle all the ninjutsu recorded on this original scroll."
***Ding! Found 2 A-rank ninjutsu, 3 B-rank ninjutsu, and 2 C-rank ninjutsu. Confirm recycling?***
"Confirm!" Ren stated firmly.
***Ding! Recycling successful. Host has obtained: 8,500 Points.***
A wave of pure, unadulterated euphoria washed over him. *I'm rich! I'M RICH!* He did a little victory dance in the middle of the abandoned lab, whooping quietly. *This is protagonist-level luck! Stumble upon a hidden lab, find a forgotten scroll, get a massive payday! I could get used to this!*
"System, total points!" he commanded, barely containing his excitement.
***Host's current point total: 12,343. Open Exchange Interface?***
*Okay, let's think strategically,* he calmed himself, the planner in him taking over. *Offense is covered. Defense will be covered once I master Rashomon. I have mobility with Moon Step. What I'm missing… is a true trump card. A life-saving skill. An "oh-shit" button.*
His first thought was the most infamous one: Kamui. Obito's intangibility. The ultimate cheat code. But he knew it was a long shot.
"System, exchange for Kamui."
***Kamui. Type: Skill. Rank: S. Exchange Cost: 10,000 Points. Note: This skill is derived from the Mangekyo Sharingan. User must possess Mangekyo Sharingan. Host conditions insufficient. Cannot exchange.***
*Yeah, figured as much,* Ren thought, not terribly disappointed. He'd expected that restriction.
*Life-saving skills… life-saving skills…* He wracked his brain. Then, it hit him. The single most famous, most versatile, and most powerful space-time ninjutsu in Konoha's history. The technique that defined the Fourth Hokage.
"System…" he said, his voice hushed with reverence and hope. "Can I exchange for the Flying Raijin Technique?"
***Flying Raijin Technique. Type: Skill. Rank: S. Exchange Cost: 10,000 Points. Exchange?***
Ren's heart soared. *It worked! It actually worked!*
"Exchange! Confirm exchange! Do it now!" he practically shouted.
***Ding! Exchange successful. Points deducted: 10,000. Remaining points: 2,343.***
The now-familiar wave of warmth flooded his system, followed by an immense, complex flood of knowledge. Formulas for spatial coordinates, chakra conversion algorithms for instant transmission, the intricate design of the Flying Raijin seal, and the muscle memory for its application—it all burned itself into his mind.
Information unfolded before his inner eye:
**Flying Raijin Technique:** An S-rank space-time ninjutsu invented by the Second Hokage. Allows the user to teleport to any location marked with a special seal. To mark a target is to inscribe upon them a formula for their demise.
**Flying Raijin Slash (Second Step):** In combat, throw a kunai pre-marked with the seal. Instantly teleport to the kunai while in motion, striking the enemy from an unpredictable angle before they can react.
**Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder (Three-Step Process):** Utilizes a combination of marked kunai and shadow clones. The user teleports at high speed between multiple kunai within a designated area, attacking the enemy from numerous directions simultaneously with high-speed taijutsu.
**Space-Time Barrier:** A defensive application. Using pre-placed seals, the user can create a barrier that teleports any incoming attack to another location via the Flying Raijin matrix. A near-perfect defense.
**Sensory Technique - Flying Raijin Perception:** No hand seals required. By placing two fingers on the ground, the user can sense the number and strength of enemies within a vast radius by feeling the vibrations in space-time around the seals.
*Incredible… It's even more powerful than I imagined,* Ren breathed, utterly awestruck. *This is the technique that made Minato Namikaze a legend.*
Giddy with his new acquisition, he turned his attention to the techniques he'd copied. He focused on the *Hidden Shadow Snake Hand*. Following the chakra pathways and hand seals described, he channeled his energy.
His arm shimmered, its form distorting before elongating and transforming into the shape of a large, muscular serpent. It shot across the room, its maw snapping shut on an empty specimen jar on a shelf, shattering it to pieces.
*It works!* He retracted his arm, the serpentine form melting back into a normal limb. He tried the advanced version next. *Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand.* This time, his arm split into five distinct serpentine projections that lashed out independently, striking multiple jars simultaneously.
*Amazing! The control is tricky, but the versatility is insane!* he praised internally.
Now, for the main event. He took a steadying breath. This was the big one.
His hands flew through the hand seals at blinding speed. He focused a massive amount of chakra into his right hand, compressing and shaping it. A cacophony of chirping, like a thousand shrieking birds, erupted from his palm as brilliant, white-blue lightning coalesced there. The energy was so violent it made his entire arm tremble uncontrollably. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand to steady it.
*Lightning Release: Chidori!*
With a fierce cry, he unleashed the technique, thrusting his lightning-charged hand toward the heavy central table.
The table didn't just break; it exploded into a cloud of splinters and dust. The sound echoed deafeningly in the enclosed space.
*Whoa…* Ren stared at the destruction, his ears ringing. *The raw destructive power… It's unbelievable. No wonder Sasuke was so obsessed with it.*
A confident grin spread across his face. *My power… I'd say I'm easily at Chunin level now. Maybe even higher.* Official source is Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
The thought was followed by a more sobering one. *But I've been stagnant for a year. My physical conditioning has slipped. My chakra reserves might be the same, but my control and stamina have probably degraded.*
He looked around the secret lab, his new sanctuary. His grin returned, fiercer this time.
*No matter. Now I have the tools. I have the space. And I have the motivation.*
He clenched his fist, the chirping of birds still echoing in his memory.
*It's time to train. It's time to get it all back, and then some. Strength isn't everything… but without it, you're nothing.*