Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Hidden Potential
1. Awakening the Unknown
Rin sat at the edge of the training ground, his mind racing. The events of their first mission replayed in his head—how he had accidentally copied Hinata's Byakugan. Even now, his hands tingled from the lingering sensation of her chakra merging with his own.
"Copying Kekkei Genkai… That's not something a normal person can do."
He had tested it in secret after the mission. A simple hand seal, a slight push of chakra, and—boom—his vision transformed. He could see through objects, read chakra networks, and even detect subtle movements before they happened.
"This is insane."
A system notification had confirmed it:
[New Skill Acquired: Copy Kekkei Genkai (By Touch)]
[Current Kekkei Genkai Copied: Byakugan]
But there were questions.
1. How many Kekkei Genkai can I store?
2. Can I use multiple at once?
3. Do I lose the copied ability if I replace it with another?
There was only one way to find out—experiment.
2. Testing His Power
The next morning, Rin woke up early and sneaked into the forest behind the training grounds. He had to be careful—Kakashi was too observant, and Naruto was too loud.
"Alright. Let's start with the basics."
He activated his Byakugan. Instantly, his vision expanded in all directions. The entire forest became clear, every chakra signature outlined in glowing blue energy. Birds fluttered above, a squirrel scurried up a tree—Rin could even see ants moving inside a hollow log.
"Unbelievable… This is what the Hyuga experience every day?"
He focused on his chakra reserves. His system gave him a breakdown:
[Chakra Control: 42% (Improved)]
[Chakra Reserves: Medium-Low]
[Byakugan Consumption Rate: 4% per minute]
"Four percent per minute? That means I can only hold this for about 25 minutes before exhaustion kicks in."
Rin deactivated the Byakugan and sat down, panting slightly. His head ached.
"I need better chakra control… and more reserves."
A notification popped up.
[New System Feature Unlocked: Passive Training Mode]
[Would you like to enable Passive Training for Chakra Control? (Y/N)]
"That's a thing?!"
Without hesitation, Rin selected YES. Immediately, a warm sensation spread through his body. His chakra flowed more smoothly, refining itself without him actively doing anything.
"This system is broken… and I love it."
3. Team 7's New Mission
Later that day, Team 7 gathered at the mission office. Naruto was grumbling. "I swear, if this is another fence-fixing job, I'm gonna—"
The Hokage chuckled. "Don't worry, Naruto. This time, your mission is a bit different."
Rin's eyes narrowed.
"Different how?"
Hiruzen continued. "There's a caravan heading to the Land of Waves. They need protection from potential bandits."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "A fight?! Finally!"
Hinata, standing beside Rin, fidgeted nervously. "D-do you think it will be dangerous?"
Kakashi waved a hand. "Probably not. But stay alert."
Rin, however, felt uneasy. The system hadn't given him any main quests related to this mission yet. Usually, that meant the situation wasn't serious… or that something unexpected was about to happen.
4. The Journey Begins
The caravan consisted of four wagons pulled by oxen. Rin, Naruto, and Hinata walked alongside the carts while Kakashi sat in the last one, pretending to nap.
"He's always watching, even when it looks like he's not," Rin noted.
Naruto walked beside Rin, sighing. "Man, I thought being a ninja meant cool fights and secret techniques. Not walking all day."
Rin smirked. "What, already tired?"
"Of course not! I'm just saying… something exciting better happen!"
It was at that exact moment—
A kunai flew out of the trees, slicing through the air toward Hinata.
5. The Ambush
Rin reacted before thinking. Byakugan—Activate!
His vision expanded instantly. Two figures were hiding in the trees, masked and armed. More kunai flew toward the caravan.
"Hinata, duck!"
Hinata barely managed to dodge as Rin kicked her out of the way. The kunai grazed his shoulder, drawing blood.
Naruto's eyes widened. "We're under attack?!"
Kakashi vanished from his seat, reappearing on a tree branch. "Bandits… No, mercenaries."
Rin's mind worked quickly. Two enemies visible, possibly more hidden.
"How strong are they?"
He checked his system.
[Opponent Analysis…]
[Mercenary A – Genin Level]
[Mercenary B – Chunin Level]
"A Genin and a Chunin? This is bad."
The Chunin-level enemy leaped down, landing in front of Rin. He smirked. "You kids should just run."
Naruto clenched his fists. "Like hell we will!"
The enemy charged, drawing a blade—
Rin stepped forward. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try.
He brushed his fingers against the enemy's arm, activating his ability.
[Kekkei Genkai Detected… Scanning...]
His body shuddered as a new power entered him.
[Kekkei Genkai Copied: Steel Release]
"Steel Release?!"
The enemy slashed downward—but Rin's skin darkened, turning metallic.
The blade bounced off his arm.
The enemy's eyes widened in shock. "What the—?!"
Rin punched him in the chest. With his newfound Steel Release-enhanced strength, the mercenary was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "What was that?!"
Kakashi, watching from above, narrowed his visible eye. "Interesting…"
Rin exhaled, his mind racing.
"I can copy multiple Kekkei Genkai. And I can use them instantly."
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
"This just got a lot more fun."
6. Aftermath & Realization
The remaining mercenary, seeing his partner defeated so easily, turned and fled.
Kakashi appeared behind him in a blur. "Going somewhere?"
A second later, the enemy was unconscious.
Naruto cheered. "We won!"
Hinata rushed to Rin's side. "A-are you okay? Your arm… It turned into metal?"
Rin glanced at his hand. His skin had returned to normal.
"I copied his ability and used it for a short burst. Can I keep it? Or does it fade?"
His system answered.
[Temporary Kekkei Genkai Acquired: Steel Release (Expires in 24 Hours)]
"So I can't keep everything permanently… Unless I find a way to override that."
Kakashi approached, staring at Rin with a curious expression. "You copied his ability."
Rin met his gaze, heart pounding. Did Kakashi suspect something?
The jonin simply patted his head. "You're full of surprises, Rin."
Then, with his usual lazy tone, he added, "But let's keep that little trick between us, hm?"
Rin froze.
"He knows."
But… he wasn't telling anyone.
For the first time, Rin realized something important.
Kakashi was watching him. Closely.
"If I want to survive in this world… I need to grow stronger. Fast."
— To be continued…