101-103

Chapter 101: Nature Transformation and Suppression Principles (Part 2) 

Sarutobi Hiruzen truly lives up to his title as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." 

His teaching is clear and easy to follow. 

Using the similarities between Water and Earth, he explains the principles of Earth Release nature transformation and the basic concept of Earth suppressing Water in one go. 

"The training method for Earth Release is like 'building with blocks,'" he says. 

"Building with blocks?"  

Seeing Hikari's confused expression, Sarutobi Hiruzen manipulates his chakra to explain in detail. 

"Picture a three-dimensional spatial structure in your mind as the foundation for everything. Based on that structure, use tiny 'chakra particles' to form slightly larger 'chakra clusters.' Then, connect countless 'chakra clusters' together, like stacking building blocks to form a cohesive whole. That’s Earth Release chakra." 

"The power of Earth Release is closely tied to the stability of the spatial structure you imagine. The tighter the structure, the sturdier the Earth Release technique. Of course, there are looser Earth Release techniques, like Doryū Taiga (Mud River), which are auxiliary ninjutsu. But those variants are still far off for you. Once you can create structured Earth Release, I’ll teach you some flashier techniques." 

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s index finger glows with Wind Release chakra as he draws spatial structure diagrams on an earth wall, from simple to complex—a total of five. 

Mastering the first structure marks formal entry into Earth Release. Being able to instantly form the fifth structure represents Sarutobi Hiruzen’s current level, nearly the pinnacle of Earth Release nature transformation. 

Hikari’s mind races. 

Her hands glow with purple chakra as she mimics the structure diagrams on the wall. Spatial structures aren’t like simple text and are harder to memorize. Fortunately, her Byakugan’s shaping ability is top-notch. Earth Release nature transformation is essentially a subtle form of shape manipulation. 

After absorbing the Nine-Tails’ chakra, her eye power has grown stronger, translating to finer control over chakra. 

With ready-made spatial structures to copy, training Earth Release is as easy as it gets. 

"Sarutobi-sensei, I have a question." 

After scanning the diagrams, Hikari notices these structures seem to only make Earth Release harder. In the original story, Earth Release techniques had diverse abilities—like the Lightweight Rock Technique, which manipulated gravity to counter Uchiha Madara’s Tengai Shinsei (Catastrophic Planetary Construction), or techniques that absorbed chakra or revived the dead. How could these spatial structures achieve such effects? 

"I’ve seen an Earth Release technique that can absorb chakra. These structures can’t do that, right?" 

Hikari avoids mentioning Ōnoki’s Lightweight Rock Technique directly. 

With his back to Hikari, Sarutobi Hiruzen draws on the earth wall while answering, "Earth Release nature transformation mainly splits into two types: solidity and support. A stable spatial structure allows Earth Release to easily carry powers that don’t originally belong to it. Over a thousand years, ninjutsu has evolved far beyond its pure origins, and Earth Release, with its excellent supportive capacity, has been heavily affected. The chakra-absorbing effect you mentioned likely comes from adding Yin or Yang nature transformations, which belong to advanced ninjutsu transformation fields. Don’t touch those forbidden powers—they’re extremely dangerous." 

Hearing familiar advice, Hikari looks up sharply. Seeing no unusual emotional bubbles above Sarutobi Hiruzen’s head, she relaxes. The chakra-absorbing ability likely falls under Yang Release, while manipulating gravity probably involves adding Yin Release to Earth Release. 

Hikari rubs her head. 

Pure Yin-Yang transformations are secret techniques. Combining a single nature with shape transformation results in standard Five Elements ninjutsu. Those Five Elements techniques with unique mechanisms are essentially fusions of secret techniques and ninjutsu. Yin-Yang natures are already complex, and when combined with other ninjutsu, it’s no wonder the ninja world’s techniques are so varied and hard to predict. That’s the root of it. 

"I’ve drawn all the Earth Release structure diagrams here. If you can’t remember them, come back and look," Sarutobi Hiruzen says, finishing the final diagram. He turns to Hikari and freezes. 

Hikari sits cross-legged on the ground, palm facing upward. Purple light gathers in her hand, steadily forming a neat, square shape. In moments, the framework of the first structure diagram takes shape before him. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen swears he’s never seen anyone train nature transformation this fast. Ordinary ninjas take three days just to memorize these intricate structures, but under Hikari’s exceptional chakra control, the structure forms rapidly. A faint yellow clump of earth even begins to condense at the chakra’s core. 

It’s been so long that Sarutobi Hiruzen can’t recall how long it took him to master nature transformation, but it was nowhere near as effortless as Hikari makes it look. And he was considered a genius in attribute ninjutsu by the Second Hokage. 

"Pause for a moment," he says. 

Hikari, on the verge of success, looks up in confusion at his words. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression is complex, with emotional bubbles popping above his head. "Have you… practiced Earth Release before?" 

The question feels familiar. 

Searching her memories, Hikari sees Sarutobi Hiruzen overlapping with Kazama Etsu. "I learned to draw when I was young, so maybe my spatial awareness is decent," she says. 

Considerate as ever, Hikari doesn’t want to discourage her teachers. As her Kaguya lineage evolves toward Hagoromo’s power, her Byakugan grows stronger. With half of Kaguya-hime’s abilities, she might sprout horns one day. There’s no need to crush these ordinary people who’ve reached the ninja world’s peak through effort. 

"I see," Sarutobi Hiruzen says, squinting as he reluctantly accepts her explanation. 

Thud! 

A condensed stone slips from Hikari’s palm, rolling far across the ground. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s mouth twitches at the absurd sight. Chatting with him while mastering Earth Release? Is she even human? If drawing could grant such ability, Konoha’s ninja academy would probably add an art class. 

"We’re short on time. Since you’ve studied drawing, practice Earth Release on your own later. For now, we need to finish the rest of the lesson." 

Hikari nods, dispersing the half-formed second structure in her hand. After Sarutobi Hiruzen’s Earth Release lecture, she’s eager to learn about the most offensive natures: Lightning and Fire. 

"Kakashi, can you keep up or not?!" 

As the old and young duo prepare to continue, Might Guy’s booming voice echoes from outside the courtyard. 

They look toward the sound. 

Carrying heavy stone weights, Might Guy, soaked in sweat, slowly drags his aching legs. Kakashi, white hair drooping, follows behind, hands hanging low, exhausted like a dead dog. 

"Huff… huff… You’re not exactly keeping up either, are you?" Kakashi says, voice hoarse from fatigue. 

Daily intense physical training—push-ups, handstand village laps, weighted runs—far exceeds normal limits. The Sharingan’s burden is immense; even covering it with a headband, its passive drain consumes over half his chakra daily. Adding Might Guy’s inhumane training plan is like pulling an all-nighter at the gym, risking a “healthy” corpse. 

Why train so hard? 

"If we don’t push harder, Hikari will leave us in the dust," Guy’s devilish whisper echoes in Kakashi’s ear. 

"Let her surpass us. She’s not exactly human," Kakashi mutters, glancing at the small figure in the training field’s center. 

"So, we continue the training plan tomorrow?" 

"Ugh…" Kakashi sighs, his competitive spirit flaring. Being outdone by a little girl stings, especially for Konoha’s former top genius. 

"Keep it down, you two!" 

"Yes, sir!" x2 

Sarutobi Hiruzen barks, watching the two struggling students hurry off. He turns back to the inhuman Hikari with a warm smile. "Shall we continue?" 

"Uh… sure." 

Watching Guy and Kakashi flee, Hikari shakes her head and refocuses on the lesson. 

Zzt! 

Blue Lightning Release chakra gathers at her fingertips, emitting a piercing bird-like chirp. 

"Lightning Release has the greatest piercing power of all attributes," Sarutobi Hiruzen says, thrusting his finger toward a sturdy Doryūheki (Earth-Style Wall). 

Pop! 

With barely any effort, his lightning-charged finger sinks into the wall. 

With experience in Earth, Water, and Wind, Hikari doesn’t need further explanation. Her Byakugan zooms in on the Lightning Release chakra. Zzt zzt zzt! Chakra particles align in a row, charging rapidly through Sarutobi Hiruzen’s meridians toward his fingertip like a disciplined army. The fingertip flashes, and the high-speed Lightning Release chakra bursts outward, swiftly piercing the solid Earth Release structure. 

As the saying goes, 'Water droplets pierce stone'—with persistence, even soft water can wear through hard rock. Lightning Release’s piercing power stems from this principle. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen pulls his finger out, revealing a deep hole in the Doryūheki. 

The key to Lightning Release nature transformation is high pressure and extreme speed. First, store energy to create high pressure, then instantly release ultrafast chakra particles for a sustained, single-point attack. Objects may seem tightly connected, but even the strongest Earth Release has invisible microscopic gaps. Lightning Release chakra moves so fast, and its energy particles are smaller than physical matter, allowing it to pierce solid objects in moments. 

Understanding dawns on Hikari. Isn’t this like her high-pressure water jet technique? Her water jet, limited by slow charging and short range, was never practical. Lightning Release follows a similar principle but with faster chakra particles and more precise attack points. She didn’t need to develop that Water Release technique—Lightning Release would’ve sufficed. 

As if reading her mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen continues, “Due to Earth Release’s strong suppression of Water Release, the Second Hokage once used Lightning Release principles to develop a powerful offensive ninjutsu, compensating for Water Release’s lack of damage.” 

He glances regretfully toward where Kakashi and Guy left. “To become a top ninja, you must have a strength that crushes others and the ability to cover your weaknesses. Kakashi has no glaring weaknesses but also no overwhelming strengths. Guy’s strengths can crush enemies, but his weaknesses are more obvious than anyone’s. Only when they overcome these will they stand on their own.” 

Hikari mentally jots down notes. Sarutobi Hiruzen’s lesson is packed with insights, even revealing the key to reaching Kage-level strength. To hit that level, her taijutsu must dominate most ninjas—her strength must be exceptional. Then, she needs to address taijutsu’s singular nature and the lack of agility due to her heavy body. 

With Kaguya’s bone pulse, Byakugan, and a Lightning Release armor, her taijutsu will eventually overpower 99% of ninjas. The Lightning Release armor compensates for her agility issues, and multiple nature transformations solve the singular approach. She’s already laid the foundation for Kage-level strength. 

“Let’s not get sidetracked,” Sarutobi Hiruzen says, focusing back on Hikari. “Lightning Release training isn’t hard. Just follow its principle and fire chakra quickly. The only issue is that it’s tricky to control, but for a ‘little artist’ like you, that shouldn’t be a problem.” 

Hikari purses her lips at his teasing but doesn’t respond. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiles. He’s not senile—he can see Hikari’s extraordinary chakra control. Unfazed by her silence, he continues, “Knowing Lightning Release’s principle makes Wind suppressing Lightning simple. Lightning’s strength lies in the chakra’s piercing tip, but its weakness is the chakra flow’s path. The key to Wind suppressing Lightning is not to clash head-on but to use Wind’s agility to cut the current.” 

Zzt zzt! 

Sarutobi Hiruzen holds up two fingers, arcs of electricity sparking between them. 

Without needing a demonstration, Hikari pouts and blows out a wisp of Wind Release chakra. 

Whoosh… 

The loose, agile Wind Release easily bypasses the surging electric tip, precisely slicing the current’s middle. 

Crackle! 

The seemingly powerful current is severed by a single wind thread, and the piercing Lightning Release collapses. 

"Lightning Release is like a needle and thread; Wind Release is like scissors. That’s how Wind suppresses Lightning!" 

Zzt zzt zzt! A sharp, explosive sound rings out. 

Hikari grabs her right wrist with her left hand, purple chakra rapidly shifting into dazzling blue-white energy. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen flashes a toothy grin, dispersing his Wind Release chakra as a scorching orange-red flame begins to glow. 

"With a bit of time left, let’s talk Fire Release. There’s not much to say—high-frequency vibrating chakra particles create heat and explosiveness. Chakra itself is an energy source that ignites at the right temperature, making Fire Release the simplest nature transformation. Fire suppresses Wind because Fire is chakra’s intense burning reaction. The more Wind cuts, the fiercer the burn. Agile Wind is like a wildcat facing a hedgehog—no place to strike. Plus, Fire’s high heat ignites Wind Release chakra, like pouring oil on a flame. Water suppresses Fire because water absorbs Fire’s heat, rapidly lowering its temperature. Fire needs constant vibration to generate heat and reach chakra’s ignition point, but this process burns energy fast. In a burst, Water can’t match Fire, but sustained Water can gradually extinguish it." 

"So Water suppressing Fire is essentially overwhelming it with quantity?" Hikari asks. 

"Exactly," Sarutobi Hiruzen replies. 

Chapter 102: The Round Warrior 

Sarutobi-sensei’s ninjutsu mini-lesson wrapped up pretty quick. That old man’s got some serious knowledge tucked away in that noggin of his. 

Under Sarutobi Hiruzen’s guidance, Hikari got the hang of Katon (Fire Release) nature transformation in no time. She was picking it up like a natural. 

After going over the nitty-gritty of nature transformation, Sarutobi Hiruzen chatted with Hikari about everyday stuff. Of course, he couldn’t resist steering the convo toward that whole Will of Fire spiel. 

Guess that’s the price of getting stronger. 

Hikari, having already swallowed the sugar-coated pill, braced herself for the barrage of ideals. While watching the emotional glow above Sarutobi Hiruzen’s head, she dove into discussing the greatness of the Will of Fire. Sometimes, she even tossed in her own unique takes. 

Some of her points hit the mark, others… not so much. 

When she was on point, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded like a proud teacher. When she was off, he gently corrected her with patience. 

On less critical topics, Hikari would pretend to argue with him, but as soon as she saw that stubborn glow above his head, she’d act like she’d seen the light and back off. 

Worked like a charm. 

The friendly glow above Sarutobi Hiruzen’s head grew brighter, like a full moon slowly rising in the night sky. 

Just then, Kai had dinner ready, so the four of them—Hikari, Sarutobi, Kai, and Kakashi—sat down for a casual meal. Sarutobi even gave Kai and Kakashi some pointers, making it a win-win for everyone. 

Dinner done. 

Sarutobi asked Hikari if she wanted to graduate early and join the Anbu for some real growth and training. 

Hikari politely declined. 

Kakashi, with all his crazy talent, graduated early and ended up burning out in the Anbu. No way was she wasting her time there. 

The downside of skipping Anbu? She’d have to head to the Ninja Academy tomorrow. 

In Will of Fire terms, it was all about making friends, building bonds with the village, and not getting lost in the vast ocean of ninjutsu or taking detours, blah blah blah. 

Since Sarutobi had dropped so much valuable knowledge, Hikari just pinched her nose and agreed. Besides, with Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) as her ace, going to school wouldn’t waste much chakra. 

After absorbing some of the Kyubi’s power, she was practically swimming in chakra. 

So, she went all out and split off eight Kage Bunshin. 

One each for Suiton (Water Release), Katon (Fire Release), Doton (Earth Release), Futon (Wind Release), Yin, Yang, Taijutsu, and one for the Ninja Academy. 

The Suiton, Futon, and Taijutsu clones stuck to their usual routine, training in the Forest of Death on various shape transformations—slicing waterfalls, honing Juken (Gentle Fist), Goken (Strong Fist), and the Taketori style. 

But thanks to Sarutobi’s teachings, Hikari had a clearer picture of the path ahead. 

Suiton’s strength lies in its overwhelming force. She’d focus on building a Suiton battlefield, emphasizing attrition and control, creating support techniques like a python’s stranglehold. 

High-pressure water jets? Too similar to Raiton (Lightning Release) and not as powerful. Those “useless” techniques were getting scrapped. 

No path in life is ever wasted, though. 

Even though she ditched the high-pressure water jet, Hikari applied its high-compression tricks to Raiton, Futon, and Katon—all more aggressive natures. The results down the line were bound to be something else. 

Her Katon and Doton clones trained under Sarutobi’s methods, laying the groundwork for future Kekkei Genkai fusion. 

She didn’t need much from these two natures. 

Katon would focus on instant bursts and high heat, while Doton would emphasize supporting other abilities. Once she absorbed the Yonbi’s chakra to create Yoton (Lava Release), Doton would really shine. 

Yin was a bit of a mystery for now. Sarutobi wasn’t an expert in it either, so Hikari planned to casually study a Genjutsu or two. 

Yang was the key to solving her Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) crisis and would be her main focus for the next few years. The upcoming medical ninja training was also a job for her Yang clone. 

Hikari wasn’t one to ignore advice. 

Since both Chihaya Tō and Sarutobi said Yin and Yang were risky, she wasn’t about to use her real body for them. 

Until she got some stable results, Yin and Yang would stay in the hands of her fearless Kage Bunshin. 

Tasks assigned. 

The real Hikari dismissed her clones, and the chillest of them all, “Ninja Academy Hikari,” threw on a newly bought cloak and headed to school. 

Hikari’s appearance was already well-known. 

The moment she stepped through the school gates with her backpack, the chatter around her grew louder. 

Teachers with lesson plans paused to watch, whispering to colleagues. Students with backpacks craned their necks to catch a glimpse of this “genius” their parents kept raving about, wondering if she had three heads and six arms. 

Some boys and girls had literal stars in their eyes. 

The attention was so intense it made Hikari squirm. 

When she got to the classroom, the Konoha 12 swarmed her. Naruto, Kiba, and the others eagerly filled her in on what had been going on at school. 

First up, Kazama Etsu stepped down as the Ninja Academy director, replaced by the more experienced Kōda-sensei. 

No surprise there. 

Last night, while chatting about the Will of Fire with Sarutobi, Hikari had mentioned Kazama Etsu’s situation. 

For ninjas who sacrifice for the village, Konoha has a standard process. 

Two options. 

Option one: a fat compensation payout and help finding a suitable job. This was for younger ninjas with minor injuries that didn’t mess with daily life. Kazama Etsu’s case called for option two. 

Option two: a monthly pension until the ninja’s death. 

The amount depends on the ninja’s rank. For a Jōnin like Kazama Etsu, the pension was roughly equivalent to the reward for a low-tier B-rank mission. 

After regular hospital visits and dedicated care, it was enough for a family to live decently. 

Seeing Hikari bring up Kazama Etsu, Sarutobi promised to keep an eye on the pension process and nudge the village’s finance department to speed things up. 

Beyond Kazama Etsu’s deal, school gossip was just small stuff. 

Like how Hikari already had a fanbase at school. 

Yup, those starry-eyed kids who lit up when she walked in. 

Her fans were a mix of boys and girls, all ages, and the group wasn’t small. Some were even starting a fan club. The boys’ group was called something like Ten’ichi-sha—sounded like a yakuza gang. The girls’ group was like Sasuke’s old fan club, apparently with a bunch of Sasuke’s former diehards jumping ship. 

Poor Sasuke. 

Speaking of Sasuke, after he and Naruto got discharged, he went back to school for like two days before landing back in the hospital. 

No clear reason why. 

Hikari guessed he saw her training with Kage Bunshin and couldn’t resist trying it himself. The stacked exhaustion probably wrecked his fragile body. 

Naruto had his Sennin (Sage) physique to back him up, and Hikari had her Shikotsumyaku cheat code. Looks like Sasuke’s Sharingan couldn’t cushion the blow of Kage Bunshin’s side effects. 

Letting Sasuke experiment with Kage Bunshin was a little test of Hikari’s. 

Everyone knows when a Kage Bunshin dispels, it sends back both skills and exhaustion through chakra. 

The Sharingan evolves through intense emotional triggers. Hikari wondered if the stacked fatigue and pain from Kage Bunshin could sub in for negative emotions to help awaken it. 

If it worked, she’d have another use for Kage Bunshin. 

Meanwhile, “Ninja Academy Hikari” chatted idly with the gang. 

With her Good-Evil Perception and mental maturity way beyond her peers, she quickly closed the gap from being away so long. 

In real terms, her popularity was skyrocketing. 

During breaks, she’d find love letters and snacks stuffed in her desk—some signed by boys, some by girls. Who sends love letters to a “blind” person? 

She shared the snacks with her buddies and burned the love letters with Katon in one go. 

Watching the flames flare up, Hikari figured this was another kind of Will of Fire. 

Not sacrifice or protection, but rejection and ruthlessness. 

While “Ninja Academy Hikari” soaked up the sweet, easy school life, the real Hikari was having a rougher time. 

The sun blazed overhead. 

A Doryūheki (Earth-Style Wall) cast a thick shadow on the training field. 

Zzt zzt zzt! 

Thunder snakes crawled across her pale skin, blue-purple lightning flashing across the field. 

Wearing clothes made of “Black Orb,” the real Hikari sat cross-legged in the cool shade, training her long-dreamed-of Raiton Chakra Mode (Lightning Release Chakra Mode). 

This “Black Orb” stuff was legit—fireproof, waterproof, and made from some special insulated silk. 

No more awkward moments of burning her clothes while practicing Raiton. 

Crackle! 

High-energy Raiton particles pierced the air, scorching arcs hitting her soft skin. Hikari’s body flinched instinctively. In a blink, her snow-white skin split, revealing stark burn marks. 

Hiss—…didn’t hurt. 

Hikari sucked in a breath. 

With pain blocked, the current still raced up her nerves to her head, like a red-hot blade slicing from her spine to the back of her skull. 

It didn’t hurt, but it sure wasn’t pleasant. 

This was Raiton Chakra Mode resistance training—no shortcuts, no Kage Bunshin substitutes. 

Raiton Chakra’s essence is chakra, life energy, not actual lightning. 

Highly refined, high-energy chakra particles pierce cell membranes. Most cells die, but a few adapt to the energy, absorbing it to activate themselves. 

It’s like natural selection. 

Cells that can’t adapt get destroyed by Raiton. The ones that can are filtered out. 

When Raiton wipes out all the weak cells, what’s left are resistant cells that can handle it. 

That’s when Raiton Chakra Mode is officially mastered. 

From there, it’s simple: keep challenging with stronger Raiton, picking the best of the resistant cells. 

In theory, if her chakra and cell resistance grew infinitely, her Raiton Chakra Mode could get infinitely stronger. 

Crack crack! 

Her Shikotsumyaku and Kyubi’s healing kicked in. Charred, bloody flesh came alive, the crispy, slightly meaty outer layer peeling off. 

Underneath, red muscle and fascia, laced with lightning, grew back, quickly filling the wounds. 

Her Byakugan wasn’t slacking either. 

Its pupil power slowly tamed the wild lightning. 

Zzt zzt… 

The lightning on Hikari’s skin weakened. 

The piercing thunder faded to a low hum, like a phone vibrating. 

Faint threads of lightning flickered across her skin, like light leaking through jade or agate. 

Such weak lightning couldn’t do much damage. 

Under the Byakugan’s microscopic view, a current passed through her muscles, leaving at least 90% of healthy cells alive. Dead cells were quickly flushed out by metabolism. 

Her body healed so fast that minor damage patched up right after the lightning passed. 

New cells grew more resistant. The second wave of lightning left 97% of cells alive, and the third hit a perfect 100%. 

Then, her Byakugan slowly eased its grip on the lightning. 

Rinse and repeat, looping endlessly. 

Steam from tissue repair burst from her pores, along with dead cell debris and black blood clots. 

Her skin cracked, then shed, revealing tougher, softer skin beneath. 

Time flew by—who knows how long. 

Memories of training Katon and Suiton started surfacing in Hikari’s mind as arcs reappeared on her skin. 

Zzt zzt. 

Hikari slowly opened her eyes. 

The sun, in the east when she started, was now on the opposite side. 

She raised her left hand. 

Arcs climbed her distinct knuckles, the wild lightning tamed by her Byakugan, softer than a strand of hair. 

Under the Byakugan’s microscopic view, currents flowed through her blood vessels. 

Tiny spindle-shaped muscle cells twitched, absorbing lightning and visibly growing stronger. 

Each finger snap stretched countless cells. 

Each stretch brought incredible elasticity. 

Countless lightning-laced muscle cells formed fibers, twisting and stretching like rebar in concrete. 

She slowly clenched her relaxed fingers into a fist. 

Zzt zzt… 

Raiton Chakra surged through her arm. 

A rush of power, like blood pumping, spread from her palm to her whole body. The world slowed down, her once-heavy body now light as a feather. 

Raiton Chakra Mode felt tailor-made for her. All those supposed dangers? Paper tigers in the face of her Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku. 

Piece of cake! 

Hikari, buzzing with excitement, clenched her fist, itching to punch something. 

Kakashi, with his dead-fish eyes, strolled onto the training field. 

As Kai’s training buddy and part-time landlord, he had the right to step away from the kitchen and hand the spatula to Kai. 

“Hikari, dinner’s ready,” Kakashi called, waving at the lightning-crackling figure in the distance. 

Zzt zzt zzt zzt zzt! 

A pale blue afterimage streaked through the air. In a blink, an iron fist wreathed in lightning grew huge in Kakashi’s pupils. 

His dark pupils trembled and shrank. 

Zzt zzt~ 

Arcs danced between his legs. 

Kakashi’s body exploded into motion, veering left to dodge the punch that pushed past visual limits. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” 

“Spar with me, Kakashi!” 

Her body flickering with faint lightning, the silver-haired witch danced lightly across the training field. 

Boom boom boom! 

The ground shook like a herd of elephants had stampeded through, numbing Kakashi’s feet. 

His right eyelid twitched. 

His battle-honed instincts screamed warnings. Kakashi’s eyes narrowed, hands flashing through seals. 

Poof! 

In an instant, Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) smoke filled the space. 

“I’m not feeling great these days. Next time!” he called. 

“Tch!” 

Hikari, brimming with pent-up energy, bounced restlessly around the field. 

Raiton Chakra Mode wasn’t without side effects. 

Even with resistant cells, using Raiton came with slight pain. 

High-energy cells brought vitality, like blood rushing to her head. Her lightning-charged nervous system got hypersensitive, easily triggered into sudden excitement. 

On a macro level, Raiton Chakra Mode ninjas often had a strong urge to destroy or fight—kinda like those roughnecks from Kumogakure. 

She didn’t want her head turning pointy. 

Gotta keep it under control! 

Chapter 103: Unexpected Visitor 

Weekend. 

"Hikari, we're heading out on a mission for a few days. Take care of your meals." 

"Got it." 

Her crisp, detached voice echoes in the air. 

The faint smell of something burning wafts through the breeze. 

Might Guy and Kakashi glance at Hikari, sitting cross-legged in the center of the training field, motionless for an entire day. They shake their heads helplessly. 

No keeping up. 

Truly, no keeping up. 

No matter how hard they train, the gap between them and Hikari doesn’t shrink—it only widens. 

This monster eats one meal a day, enough for ten people. 

Eight shadow clones plus her real self train together, sitting on the ground without moving, crackling with energy and getting stronger by the minute. 

Someone more talented than you works harder than you. How do you even compete? 

Kakashi secretly learned to use shadow clones for training too. He split into two clones, trained for about three hours, and when they dispelled, he collapsed for half a day. 

Guy can handle it, but as a pure taijutsu ninja, training doesn’t change much. He endures the pain, but his muscles don’t grow. 

Gradually, they come to terms with it. 

A monster like Hikari might be one of a kind in the whole world. No need to push themselves to death—just keep training steadily. 

The overheated enthusiasm sparked by Hikari fades, and life returns to normal. 

With Hikari, the human money pit, around, Guy keeps an eye on new missions at the Hokage Tower. Recently, a well-paying mission to hunt a rogue ninja popped up. 

According to intel, the target is a taijutsu expert with strong counter-surveillance skills. 

Kakashi handles tracking and scouting, Guy handles the taijutsu beatdown—perfect fit. 

"The money’s in the second drawer by the bedside. Take what you need. We’re heading out." 

"Uh-huh." 

Hikari squints, giving a half-hearted reply, her focus entirely on her body. 

Blue-purple lightning races through her muscles, cells dancing with joy as they absorb the Lightning Release power, unlocking deeper vitality. 

After days of training, her body’s capacity for Lightning Release has noticeably grown. 

The Lightning Release Chakra Mode fits her perfectly. Each session makes her body feel more alive, more flexible. 

Her once-heavy body now feels light, like shedding a burden. Her lightning-charged reflexes, paired with the Byakugan’s insight, make everything around her slow down. 

She watches her agility weakness slowly turn into a strength. 

The thrill is so intoxicating, she’s almost addicted. 

After the joy of Lightning Release training, every evening brings a flood of insights—nature transformations, taijutsu, shape manipulation—released from the depths of her mind. 

One day, she might get an idea for a Water Release technique, and within days, she’s built its framework. 

When she hits a bottleneck, a breakthrough in another nature—like Lightning or Earth—solves it. 

A few days later, she might realize a near-finished technique has a fatal flaw and abandon it. Its techniques become nutrients, fueling the foundation for new ninjutsu. 

She’s almost hooked on this lifestyle! 

If only her Kaguya bone pulse would behave. 

Hikari sighs regretfully. 

Lightning Release boosts her physical vitality, but it seems to trigger a chain reaction with her Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse). 

Gray bone matter spreads faster. 

Her spine and limb bones, like overripe bananas, are speckled with spots. Some spots connect, forming web-like structures. 

Even the bone membranes under her skin start showing strange patterns. 

She had her "Ninja Academy Hikari" clone specifically ask Kurama for intel. 

At first, Kurama was prickly, refusing to talk. After some coaxing and trading bits of original story intel, she pried two sentences from it: 

It never saw Hamura’s power, only heard bits from “that one.” The Byakugan is the starting point of all intangible forces, while gray bones are the endpoint of all tangible things. Hamura’s inherited power is the opposite of Hagoromo’s. 

Kurama clammed up after that. 

Those two sentences were enough. Combined with the original story, Hikari pieced together plenty. 

Hamura and Hagoromo’s powers are opposites. 

If the Rinnegan with tomoe is the ultimate “intangible force” or the endpoint of ocular jutsu, then the Byakugan, innate to all Ōtsutsuki, is its starting point. 

If the Sage’s body, brimming with life force, is the origin of life, then the decay-filled gray bones represent the end of all things. 

The brothers split Kaguya-hime’s power, but the younger got the short end. 

The Byakugan, the source of ocular jutsu, pales next to the Rinnegan’s raw power. The gray bones are devastating but come with heavy drawbacks, unlike the highly compatible Sage body. 

It shows in their descendants. 

Hagoromo’s line split his power—Asura and Indra were both powerhouses. 

Hamura’s descendants, inheriting his weaker traits, produced no notable figures in the Hyūga or Kaguya clans. 

Hinata and Kimimaro reflect Hamura’s legacy: pure but useless Byakugan with no offensive ocular jutsu, and the powerful but double-edged Shikotsumyaku, which absorbs chakra aggressively. 

Combined, they make Hikari—insanely strong but likely to die worse than Neji and Kimimaro combined as she ages. 

Her hope? “Yang Release Hikari” might uncover something real in medical ninjutsu. 

She’s got a plan. 

If her Yang Release clone finds a direction, she’ll have all her shadow clones and her real self focus on developing a reverse Eight Gates. 

If no progress is made, she’ll use the next two years to grow stronger, hit Kage-level, then storm the Root’s hideout to steal “Hashirama cells” and gamble with her life. 

She’d rather not take that path. 

Danzō’s a tough old bastard to kill, and Root is crawling with secret technique experts. 

One-on-one versus group fights is a huge gap. 

Even now, much stronger, Hikari could take Yagetsu with minor injuries if she plays it right. But two Yagetsus? She’d struggle. Three? She’d die. 

Unless she’s leagues above her opponent, numbers are hard to overcome. 

Hikari calms her mind, closing her eyes to continue training her Lightning Release Chakra Mode. 

All her current dilemmas boil down to insufficient firepower. 

As lightning surges through her veins, bringing power and a tingling, massage-like sensation, time slips toward dusk. 

Thud, thud, thud… Boom! 

Heavy, familiar footsteps suddenly echo in her ears, sounding like Guy training with stone weights. 

"Guy, didn’t you—" Hikari looks up, but her ashen pupils shrink in disbelief. 

The visitor, pleased with her reaction, presses their hands down, eyes curving into crescent moons. 

"No rush. Let me explain slowly." 

Three hours earlier, Konoha Hospital. 

In a temporary classroom converted from a meeting room, Chihaya Tōru leans on a small blackboard, facing two rows of teenage ninjas. 

Sweat beads on their foreheads, hands hovering above desks, glowing green as they illuminate carp on the tables, their gills faintly twitching. 

The fish’s black-and-white eyes glint eerily. 

“I’ve said it many times: the most critical part of medical ninjutsu is control,” Chihaya Tōru says, scribbling “Control” on the blackboard with chalk through a wet cloth, circling it for emphasis. 

“Uncontrolled life energy can cause horrific mutations at the injury site. If your chakra is too strong, it can disrupt cell division’s core logic, causing bizarre growths at the wound.” 

Squinting, Chihaya Tōru glares at the irritable girl whose green chakra glow outshines the others. 

“I once saw a young ninja with immense chakra turn a simple food poisoning case into a ‘toad’ covered in tumors. Trust me, students, invasive life energy is no less destructive than volatile Lightning Release. Brute force doesn’t work in medical ninjutsu.” 

Targeted, “Yang Release Hikari” bites her lip, dialing back her chakra output. 

The writhing carp calms, but its gasping gills slow, barely moving—either breathing or convulsing. 

She’s hit a problem. 

In the last place she expected. 

Whether it’s Shikotsumyaku or Kurama’s power, healing her body never required control—just ample chakra, and all sorts of wounds healed on their own. 

Even her “body manipulation” seems precise but is simple. Her Byakugan issues commands, and her activated Shikotsumyaku flesh executes them without her micromanaging. 

She’s like a king, providing energy while her Shikotsumyaku realizes her vision. 

Medical ninjutsu, though, is all manual. 

Human wounds heal via cellular processes, intricate and precise. Medical ninjutsu requires the ninja to manually replicate these physiological activities one-to-one, demanding extreme precision. 

With her Byakugan, this shouldn’t stump Hikari. 

The issue lies in her abnormal chakra. 

After absorbing the Three-Tails and Nine-Tails, her chakra quality is sky-high, naturally infused with Yang properties. When she uses medical ninjutsu, the effect isn’t just good—it’s overbearingly potent. 

For normal people, healing uses a “strand” of chakra. For her, even “half a thread” causes wound mutations. 

Medical ninjutsu is already tough, and as a transfer student lacking physiology basics, her rogue chakra slows her progress. 

Not her healing speed, though. 

The carp’s internal wound healed long ago, but extra tumors grew, squeezing its organs and causing pain. 

No choice. 

To save the carp’s innocent life, she secretly uses Wind Release to slice its belly, cuts out the excess flesh, and heals it again. 

After several rounds, the fish is barely hanging on. 

Huff… puff… 

Its mouth gapes weakly, eyes bulging, staring skyward in despair. 

Facing Miss Hikari’s torture therapy, its fishy life has gone numb. 

Flop, flop, flop! 

The dying carp suddenly springs to life, tail thrashing vigorously. 

Blocking the fishy water spray, Hikari retracts her fingers from the carp’s body, the blue-purple electric glow fading. 

Medical Ninjutsu: Shock Therapy. 

“Oh! Someone succeeded! That fish is so lively!” 

“It’s that Hikari from the Sunlit Path!” 

“What a genius!” 

Her classmates, studying medical ninjutsu, are drawn to the commotion. 

Their envious gazes shift from the lively carp to the genius girl before it, filled with admiration. 

Chihaya Tōru, drawn by the carp’s “vibrant” life force, sets down the chalk and strides to Hikari’s side. 

Flop, flop! 

The carp thrashes wildly, tail slapping the desk as if cheering for Hikari’s brilliance. 

Chihaya Tōru frowns, inspecting closely, then relaxes. “Perfect score!” 

He starts clapping. 

Clap, clap, clap! 

The other students join in, celebrating Hikari. 

No one saw her kill an elite jōnin, but successfully healing a carp on her first try earns their recognition. 

Embarrassed by the misunderstanding, Hikari licks her lips, unsure how to explain. 

Pop, pop… 

The carp spits bubbles, its vigorous body slowing. Hikari purses her lips, gently patting its head. 

Zzt! 

A faint electric current surges from her palm. 

Slap, slap! 

Eyes rolling back, the carp thrashes again. The crowd’s gazes grow even more fervent. 

Ring, ring, ring! 

The alarm clock chimes. 

Whew. Hikari sighs, grabbing the carp’s tail—now faintly smelling cooked—and tosses it into a red plastic bucket nearby. 

Chihaya Tōru wipes his hands with a wet tissue, then rolls up his sleeve to reveal a pale gold watch. 

“Time’s up. Here’s your homework: keep your carp alive. I won’t check if it’s the same fish, but don’t fool me—or yourselves. Class dismissed!” 

Whoosh! 

Students grab their buckets and scatter. 

“Hikari, stay a moment.” 

About to ponder what to do with her carp, Hikari freezes, guiltily hiding the whitening fish behind her. 

Chihaya Tōru’s malnourished face breaks into a smile. “Stop torturing that carp. Medical ninjutsu isn’t that simple.” 

“You noticed?” Hikari sets the bucket down. 

“You nearly cooked it. If I didn’t notice, I wouldn’t be a doctor.” 

Packing his things, Chihaya Tōru smiles at her. “Without physiology knowledge, you’ll never master medical ninjutsu. I have some professional medical ninjutsu books at home, written by Tsunade-hime herself—way more detailed than your textbooks. Want to come take a look?” 

Faced with Chihaya Tōru’s tempting offer, “Yang Release Hikari” glances up. 

Whirr… 

Golden and black lights weave above Chihaya Tōru’s head, distinct yet intertwined. 

Half good, half evil. 

Impossible to untangle.