Renkai crouched at the edge of the training field, his breath steady, his mind focused. The chill of the early morning bit at his skin, but he ignored it. His body ached from the previous night’s training, his muscles protesting as he moved, but there was no time to rest.


    The Academy graduation exam was approaching.


    He had made progress. The crude, brute-force method he had used to stabilize his chakra for the Clone Jutsu had worked—but only barely. If he had to apply that kind of effort to every jutsu, he would exhaust himself in the middle of a real fight.


    That was unacceptable.


    He needed a better solution. Something that fit his strengths instead of forcing him to compensate for his weaknesses.


    His fingers brushed against the kunai in his holster, feeling the weight of the metal. His lightning-infused kunai and chakra threads had proven effective, but they weren’t enough. His combat style was sharp, efficient—but not complete.


    Not yet.


    Rika arrived first, landing on the branch above him with a soft thud. “You’re at it early,” she said, smirking. “You’re gonna burn yourself out.”


    Renkai didn’t look up. “I don’t have the luxury of pacing myself.”


    Rika clicked her tongue but didn’t argue. She knew by now that there was no stopping him once he had set his mind on something.


    A moment later, Shigeru joined them, arms crossed. “You wanted to spar.”


    It wasn’t a question.


    Renkai finally looked up. “Yes.”


    Shigeru frowned slightly. “You’re still working on the Clone Jutsu, aren’t you?”


    Rika grinned. “Oh, it was painful to watch.”


    Renkai ignored her, standing up. “I’ve made progress. But I need to test something.”


    Shigeru’s eyes narrowed. “You mean in a fight.”


    Renkai nodded.


    Shigeru sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Fine. But don’t complain if you get knocked around.”


    Rika laughed. “Oh, this should be fun.”


    They moved to the center of the training ground. The morning sun had barely risen, casting long shadows through the trees.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Shigeru took his stance, solid and grounded. His taijutsu was sharp—predictable, but refined. If Renkai let him dictate the pace, he would lose.


    Rika, on the other hand, stayed light on her feet, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She was waiting, watching.


    Renkai exhaled slowly.


    Then, he moved.


    He flicked his wrist, sending a kunai flying toward Shigeru. A test.


    Shigeru swatted it aside with practiced ease—but that was fine.


    Renkai’s fingers twitched.


    The kunai jerked back mid-air, the chakra thread pulling it toward Rika instead.


    She saw it—ducked—then blurred forward.


    Fast.


    Renkai pivoted sharply, dodging as her kunai sliced past his ribs. She was already moving again, attacking from a different angle.


    Shigeru rushed in at the same time, aiming a heavy kick at Renkai’s side.


    He twisted, barely avoiding the hit.


    But this was expected.


    He didn’t need to win the first exchange.


    He just needed data.


    He flicked his fingers—sending out a pulse through his chakra threads.


    Lightning surged.


    The kunai in the air snapped toward Rika faster than before.


    She barely dodged, her eyes widening. “Okay, I saw it in training, but it’s really fast when I’m the one being targeted.”


    Shigeru didn’t hesitate. He pressed forward, forcing Renkai back.


    Renkai adjusted.


    He pulsed lightning through a second thread, redirecting another kunai mid-air.


    Shigeru deflected it, but the moment of distraction was enough.


    Renkai slipped past him, landing lightly a few meters away.


    This was his moment.


    His voice was calm, but firm. “Raikō Higi: Senpū Kunai.” (Lightning Secret Technique: Whirlwind Kunai.)


    Naming a jutsu helped him visualize its mechanics, control his chakra, and maintain focus under pressure.


    He activated a seal, summoning multiple kunai into the air.


    Instead of attaching a thread to each one and controlling them individually, he funneled Lightning Release


    through a single chakra thread—then released.


    The kunai exploded forward


    at blinding speeds in straight lines.


    Before the first even reached its target, he had already detached the thread and transferred it to the next kunai, firing it in rapid succession.


    Shigeru and Rika were caught off guard.


    Shigeru barely managed to sidestep the first, his expression shifting from focus to alarm as another shot toward him. Rika twisted mid-air, dodging by a hair’s breadth before the third kunai forced her back further. By the sixth, both were on the defensive, unable to close the distance.


    The speed and frequency


    of the attack left no openings


    for a counter.


    But—


    Renkai felt it immediately.


    The strain.


    Lightning Release was fast, powerful—but exhausting. Each kunai drained his reserves faster than he expected. By the sixth kunai, his breath was coming in short gasps, sweat dripping from his brow. His fingers trembled slightly from the sheer exertion of maintaining the rapid bursts of chakra.


    He exhaled sharply, lifting a hand in a wordless signal to halt the spar.


    Rika landed lightly, shaking her head. “Alright, I’m impressed. That was terrifying.”


    Shigeru exhaled. “It’s an incredible attack, but you’re pushing your limits.”


    Renkai didn’t respond immediately.


    Because he could feel it.


    The attack worked. But the cost was high.


    He needed to refine it. Optimize it. If he burned himself out in a real fight, it wouldn’t matter how fast his kunai were.


    Rika tilted her head. “You’re still thinking, aren’t you?”


    He finally spoke. “I need to optimize it.”


    She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, no kidding.”


    Shigeru nodded. “Your control is sharp. But it’s not sustainable.”


    Renkai already knew that.


    He was making progress.


    But he still had a long way to go.