Holding his breath underwater for over five minutes, Ryuku stood up from the bathtub as tiny droplets of water dripped down from every part of his body.
With his height already reaching 170 cm at the age of twelve, and his long, smooth hair falling over his shoulders, no one would believe he was just a Genin-level ninja. He resembled a noble's son far more than a shinobi.
Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, he opened his violet eyes and slapped his forehead hard, frustrated that it wasn't working properly. His head had been hurting ever since he woke up.
Last night, after sending a happy and satisfied Sasuke back to his apartment, Ryuku had restructured his time-efficient workload for the next month, hidden the blood pouches in his uncle's locker, and stored the locker inside a storage scroll.
Feeling pleased with acquiring pure Uchiha blood and making minor progress with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had foolishly used the Shadow Clone Technique, pouring 80% of his chakra into a single clone to continue studying while he slept.
The idea had seemed brilliant at the time—he had indeed gained a lot of comprehension—but the resulting mental strain and pounding headache were consequences he had no desire to face again.
His sluggish brain gave him the same tormenting sensation as if countless microscopic worms were gnawing at his mind.
"Goddamnit," he muttered, gritting his teeth in irritation. His head felt unbearably heavy, and despite having slept nine full hours, it was as if he hadn't rested at all.
As it was still around six, he had more than enough time to quickly get rid of the headache using a specific method he had just thought of while underwater.
Stepping out of the bathroom after drying off completely, he entered the living room and positioned himself upside down, his back pressed firmly against the wall.
With his breathing calm and steady, he began directing chakra into his brain, applying the same principles as the Mystical Palm Technique—but this time without using his hands.
Maintaining a rooted position, the blood circulation in his brain steadily increased, working in tandem with the healing chakra flowing throughout his mind.
This entire process was only possible due to his top-level chakra control and sensitivity. Without such precision, he would've surely popped a few brain cells.
Though the healing chakra wasn't as effective without hand contact, the headache still diminished slowly but noticeably.
Ten minutes passed as Ryuku maintained his focus, masterfully guiding the chakra. The concentration was so intense that the brief span felt like an eternity.
Then, with a swift movement, he returned to his feet. The blood rushed back down through his body, bringing with it a strange, tingling sensation.
"Much better..." he mumbled to himself, gently massaging his head. He checked the clock and found the time to be 6:25 a.m. "Have to leave for the Genin Test after eating..."
Food wasn't an issue, as it took him only a few minutes to prepare a protein-rich breakfast. After filling his stomach and storing all necessary ninja tools in his pockets—including a storage scroll—he quickly made his way to Konoha's entrance, where Kurenai had told them to gather.
The storage scroll Ryuku carried now was different from the one where he had hidden Sasuke's blood and all the crucial Fūinjutsu notes he had mastered so far.
The difference between the two scrolls lay in their size and internal space.
The cheaper one could only store a few items and had limitations on the size of what could be stored. The better scroll, on the other hand, had more slots and could even hold mid-sized objects—though still not spacious enough to fit something as large as a house.
Once stored inside, items would remain in a suspended state until taken out. That meant they wouldn't decay, and their weight would have no effect on the scroll.
Because of that, the storage scroll was one of the most important tools a shinobi could carry. Almost all Anbu, Jōnin, and most Chūnin kept one or several during missions. The same applied to even inexperienced Genin.
Within a minute, Ryuku arrived at Konoha's entrance using the Body Flicker Technique. Yesterday, he had resolved to use Body Flicker as much as possible. He wholeheartedly wanted to master it to the level of Uchiha Shisui. However, without possessing the Sharingan to enhance his perception and cognitive abilities, reaching anywhere near that level would be far more difficult—at least for now.
Despite worrying about being late, Ryuku arrived at the rendezvous point earlier than his teammates. The morning was still young, and not many people were around the entrance—except for two familiar faces he greeted every day during his morning runs.
The gate guards of Konoha, Izumo and Kotetsu, were leaning lazily against the gate, half-asleep as usual. The moment they noticed the arrival of the gray-haired boy, recognition flickered in their eyes.
"Oh? If it isn't Ryuku... So it's time already?" Kotetsu said with a yawn. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was still fifteen minutes to seven. "Damn, you're early."
Ryuku chuckled and gave a slight nod. "I don't want to be late on my first day and leave a bad impression, you see."
Izumo smiled faintly and gave him a thumbs-up. "Good luck, brat. And remember—give it your all in this test, unless you wanna end up like us."
Ohh...? So they failed their Genin Test?
Not surprising, though. Not everyone makes it through.
Ryuku offered a warm smile and nodded seriously. "Yes. I'll do my best."
A few minutes later~
Kiba and Akamaru arrived with an excited grin, making a flashy entrance by flipping over the gate as if putting on a stunt show.
"Yo, Ryuku. You ready for the test?" Kiba called out, grinning. Akamaru rested silently on his head.
I can't handle this kid's energy… He's like a second Naruto.
Though he thought that, Ryuku still smirked in the end. "You bet I am. It's just a Genin Test—what's so hard about it?"
Hearing his new friend's confident words, Kiba flashed a wide smile. Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Woof."
However, Izumo and Kotetsu both flinched when they heard the kid's remark.
You didn't have to say it out loud...!
They both winced inwardly.
Moments later, Hinata arrived with Kurenai.
"Good morning, Kurenai-sensei. Hinata," Ryuku greeted politely, noticing Kiba was too busy feeding Akamaru to speak.
Hinata responded with a soft nod, while their mature sensei smiled gently and spoke in her usual calm voice, "Since everyone's here, let's head to the location where your Genin Test will be conducted."
Seeing the serious look in her eyes, the trio instantly focused. Before stepping out of the gate, Kurenai added firmly, "Group Five, follow me."
"Hai!" the three responded in unison and quickly followed her, leaping from tree to tree in silence.
Ryuku, on the other hand, did his best not to look forward. Otherwise, he might awaken something he couldn't control.
Dammit, Kurenai… wear a proper outfit, for fuck's sake…
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Author-kun