Chương 78

A couple of days passed, filled with frustration as I tried to form a lightning sphere powerful enough to stun, unstable enough to leap from one object to another, yet not so charged that it exploded upon touching the first kunai. The kunai were arranged randomly, closely clustered as instructed. The scroll specified that I needed to successfully chain the lightning between at least six kunai for the jutsu to be considered effective.

Personally, I thought even chaining a couple of targets would be enough, but whoever wrote the scroll apparently had grander ambitions. A small note at the end hinted the creator was building towards an evolved form of the technique before his untimely demise, which sounded ominous and a bit concerning. After a few days of relentless attempts, I was consistently managing five kunai without issue, yet the final kunai remained stubbornly out of reach.

The charge always weakened just enough at the last moment, or my chakra control faltered, causing the jutsu to fizzle out frustratingly short of success. It seemed like a combination of both issues, and I knew I needed to fine-tune my approach. After some thought, an idea struck me like thunder. I quickly formed hand signs and whispered, "Stormdrive." Lightning chakra immediately surged through my body. My senses sharpened dramatically.

Birdsongs slowed gently, sunlight brightened warmly, and even the earth beneath my feet felt oddly comforting, as though welcoming me home. My body glowed faintly, small sparks crackling around me from Static Shell, making me feel like some divine child blessed by lightning itself. Looking confidently at the scattered kunai, I smirked and, without even bothering to form hand signs, shaped the lightning chakra into a compact sphere and shot it forward.

The lightning arced sharply, striking the first kunai and rapidly chaining to the second, growing even more intense as it connected to the third and fourth. By the time it reached the fifth kunai, the charge was strong enough to shatter part of the metal blade. When it finally leaped toward the sixth and final target, the impact was so fierce it exploded a large fragment off the kunai altogether. I stood there, momentarily stunned by how much Stormdrive had enhanced my control over the jutsu.

More than that, I realized something profound. Stormdrive allowed me to precisely sense the exact chakra ratio needed for the technique. With my ridiculously heightened lightning affinity in that state, I arrived at the perfect answer, overcoming that stubborn final obstacle through refined chakra control and a perfectly balanced chakra output. The realization filled me with renewed confidence. I deactivated Stormdrive and immediately tried again.

Forming the seals carefully, I focused on maintaining the balance I had just discovered, I created another lightning sphere and released it toward the kunai. This time, the chaining was smooth and flawless. One, two, three, four, five, and finally, perfectly hitting the sixth kunai without fail. A wide grin spread across my face. I had finally mastered it.

The thought that Stormdrive could significantly accelerate my mastery of lightning techniques filled me with even more excitement and curiosity for future possibilities. Chuckling to myself, I formed hand signs for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It was time to test this technique on actual targets. The moment two clones appeared in twin puffs of smoke, I nearly collapsed from the sudden chakra drain.

Barely looking up, I saw them marching in circles, monotonously chanting like disgruntled workers at a union rally, fists raised defiantly.

"Equal rights for clones! No more abuse!" I sighed and rubbed my temples as they continued passionately, "What do we want? Paid vacations! When do we want them? Now!"

"You idiots," I shouted, thoroughly irritated.

"You're literally me. Now quit clowning around and stand next to each other!" They glared accusingly, each clone giving me the finger as they deliberately moved at a snail's pace to their positions. I sighed deeply, already irritated before even trying. Gathering my composure, I formed the seals and unleashed the Pulse Chain jutsu.

The lightning sphere instantly shot toward the first clone, hitting and dispelling it immediately before jumping to the second clone with impressive speed and precision, stunning it thoroughly. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. However, to my horror, the charge then surged toward me. I'd forgotten to break the chakra lock-on. The lightning homed in on my chakra signature, and I was too stunned and confused to react quickly enough.

It struck me dead-on, sending shocks through every nerve in my body, leaving me paralyzed on the forest floor. I lay helplessly curled up in a fetal position for several minutes before finally managing to gather enough strength to stand. I decided against summoning more clones. I already knew exactly how they'd mock me, so I simply began the long walk home. Walking back slowly through the lively, friendly streets of Konoha helped soothe my battered pride.

Unusually for me, I chose not to stop and buy supplies today, as tomorrow I'd be visiting Sena's household. If I played my cards right, I could easily eat enough for two, maybe even three days, provided they were generous. That comforting thought eased away the lingering embarrassment of being shocked by my own technique. Once home, I took a hot shower, washing away the aches and humiliation of the day's training. As I lay in bed, one stray thought crossed my mind. Shizuru hadn't visited daily like before.

She only came by twice this week, and when I questioned her, she'd hastily changed the subject. Considering she'd never pressured me for answers in the past, I chose to extend her the same courtesy. I woke up the next morning feeling uncharacteristically cheerful. The sun seemed brighter, the air pleasantly cooler, and my stomach growled insistently. Deciding wisely to skip breakfast, so I'd have maximum appetite at Sena's, I mentally congratulated myself for my incredible planning skills.

After another quick shower and some outdoor meditation, which earned me a nice handful of ryo I dressed in my best available attire, the eternally reliable Orphan Uniform Number One, and set off toward the Yamanaka compound. I followed the precise directions detailed in the exquisite invitation. As I approached, everything around me grew increasingly lavish. When I reached the Yamanaka compound's entrance, two guards scrutinized me suspiciously.

Handing them my invitation, they examined it carefully before exchanging skeptical glances and summoning their captain. The captain took one look at the invitation, then at me, sighed heavily, and muttered, "Let him pass. Lady Sena warned me about his... unique appearance." I raised an eyebrow, feeling insulted, but the thought of free food quickly erased any lingering annoyance as I entered. Fortunately, Sena's estate wasn't too deep into the compound.

After ten minutes of walking, I began questioning whether I'd accidentally stepped into the Daimyo's private residence by mistake. Every inch of the place practically screamed money. The stone pathway beneath my feet was polished to mirror-like perfection. Decorative lanterns lined the route like vigilant sentries, their immaculate paper surfaces hand-painted with intricate floral patterns worth more individually than my entire luxurious wardrobe.

The air itself felt expensive, a delicate perfume of gardenias and freshly inked parchment hung everywhere, as though wealth itself had a distinct fragrance. The estate's main gate towered before me, crafted from some dark, rare wood I didn't even recognize, possibly grown only once every century, protected atop some remote mountain by mythical chakra bears or something equally ridiculous.

Two impeccably dressed Yamanaka guards nodded politely, as if even acknowledging my existence required extra effort on their part. As the gate slid open automatically, triggered, I sensed, by a faint chakra signal because manual gates were for peasants, I stepped into gardens that looked like they'd been personally tended by the Sage of Six Paths during his divine landscaping phase.

Perfectly trimmed trees, elegantly blooming flowers, and a koi pond whose fish seemed to swim with deliberate, aristocratic grace all surrounded me. At the path's end stood Sena's house itself, an intimidating structure of sheer elegance, constructed from the finest materials money could buy. Smooth timber, delicate paper walls, gracefully curved roofs, Intricate golden carvings adorned every surface.

Approaching felt less like stepping into a home and more like preparing for judgment by some pompous rich lord, or possibly being administered a tax audit just for standing too close to that much wealth. A man waited patiently at the entrance while I stood there looking around like some clueless village pumpkin. Impeccably dressed in tailored dark robes. He projected an air of authority that forced me unconsciously to focus and straighten my posture.

His polite yet calculating gaze sized me up quickly and efficiently. This had to be their head butler or perhaps some guardian deity for rich people's affairs. Without thinking, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ornate invitation, now slightly damp from my sweaty hands, and handed it to him like a humble peasant offering tribute. Words caught in my throat, and for once, my trademark sarcasm abandoned me.

I just stood there, silent and stunned, completely overpowered by the sheer weight of wealth surrounding me. They weren't just rich. They were "my koi eat better than you" rich.