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Buzzing with lingering excitement, Rokuro followed Kuro through the labyrinthine Root base.
They eventually arrived at a sprawling subterranean residential sector bustling with Anbu operatives.
Kuro led him into one of the private quarters.
Despite being underground, the residence was massive.
It was easily five times larger than the cramped single room Rokuro had occupied at the orphanage branch.
It even featured a fully equipped private training room with everything a shinobi could need.
After giving Rokuro a quick tour of the seven-room suite, Kuro turned to him.
"You've seen the layout. You will live here from now on.
For the next two months, I will instruct you personally.
After that, your training will be entirely in your own hands."
Rokuro nodded firmly.
"Don't worry, Master. I won't let you down!"
Kuro smiled faintly behind his mask.
"I hope so.
Lord Danzo has never paid much attention to Taijutsu specialists.
If you can reach the level of a Kage using pure Taijutsu, it will undoubtedly change his perspective.
When that happens, you will truly make a name for yourself."
Ah.
So that's why.
Rokuro suddenly understood why Danzo hadn't been overly enthusiastic about him earlier.
The old hawk simply didn't value Taijutsu ninjas highly.
And thinking about it... it made sense!
In the entire ninja world, there were only a handful of truly terrifying Taijutsu masters.
Aside from the Raikage, you rarely heard of a Taijutsu specialist being able to throw down with Kage-level powerhouses.
This is great news!
He had dodged another bullet.
If he were a Ninjutsu prodigy, Danzo's scrutiny would be infinitely stricter.
Being dismissed as a "simple Taijutsu brute" gave him the perfect cover.
Thank God for small mercies!
Keeping his internal celebration off his face, Rokuro nodded seriously.
"Rest assured, Master.
I'll make Lord Danzo look at us in a whole new light!
Let's start training right now!"
Kuro glanced at the eager boy and chuckled.
"I just returned from a long mission and have matters to attend to.
Rest for today.
We begin your true training tomorrow morning."
Rokuro thought about his Daily Quests.
He still had half of them left to complete.
"Alright, Master," Rokuro agreed.
He pointed to one of the bedrooms.
"I'll take that room."
"Take whichever you like.
The training room is right down the hall.
You may use it whenever you wish."
Kuro gave him a few more basic instructions before turning to the door.
"Feel free to explore the suite, but do not wander outside.
The operatives in Root do not take kindly to nosy people."
Ugh.
Grounded on the first day.
It seemed the people in Root headquarters were exactly like the kids at the orphanage: silent, hyper-focused on training, and totally antisocial.
How boring.
He needed to increase his strength quickly.
Only when he was strong enough would he have the leverage to request a pass to stroll around the actual Hidden Leaf Village.
Two months, right?
I'll use these two months to make Kuro's jaw drop.
Target locked, Rokuro marched straight into the private training room to finish the day's grind.
Even after he heard the Ding! confirming his Daily Quests were complete, he didn't stop.
He continued running through basic Taijutsu katas, punching and kicking the heavy bags until the early hours of the morning.
Since he couldn't afford to look like an anomalous, rule-breaking genius, he had to disguise his System-granted power spikes as the result of blood, sweat, and tears.
The harder he worked, the less suspicious his rapid growth would seem.
Rokuro made a vow: for the next two months, he would train eighteen hours a day and sleep for only six.
If he looked like a suicidal workaholic, no one would question his absurd progress.
The Next Morning.
Rokuro had just woken up and was preparing to head back into the training room when Kuro walked through the front door carrying a tray of food.
"You trained until very late last night," Kuro noted.
Rokuro nodded, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"I can't waste any time.
I need to get stronger quickly so I can be of use to you, Master, and make Lord Danzo acknowledge us!"
Kuro chuckled softly, setting the tray down on the table.
"Good. You have ambition.
Eat your breakfast, then come find me in the training room.
Today, I am going to teach you a Nintaijutsu that will double your combat strength."
Rokuro's eyes instantly lit up.
Double my strength?
With his current stats, doubling his power would put his Taijutsu firmly in the Chūnin tier.
He didn't waste a second.
He inhaled his breakfast like a starving wolf.
Ten minutes later, washed and dressed in fresh training gear, Rokuro practically kicked the door to the training room open.
Kuro was already waiting inside.
He pointed to a scroll resting on a low wooden table.
"The Tyrant Step you learned is merely a byproduct of this technique.
Read the scroll first.
If you have any questions, ask."
Rokuro hurried to the table, unrolled the scroll, and began to read.
After just a few lines, his expression turned deadly serious.
This Nintaijutsu was absolutely insane.
The technique required the user to continuously detonate micro-explosions of Chakra inside their own body.
The constant internal damage forced the body's cells to rapidly regenerate, adapt, and evolve.
Over time, this cycle of destruction and rebirth would temper the physical body until the muscles and bones were as hard as steel.
Of course, the process was meant to be gradual.
A beginner would start with microscopic Chakra detonations, just enough to let the body adapt to the trauma.
As their tolerance grew, the yield of the internal explosions would increase.
Not only would the body become incredibly durable, but the massive kinetic energy generated by the internal Chakra explosions would also grant the user a terrifying, temporary surge in physical strength and speed.
It was a Jutsu of pure self-torture.
The more you tortured yourself, the stronger you became.
However, the Jutsu had a fatal, glaring flaw.
Human cells can only divide a finite number of times before they degrade and die.
Forcing the body to constantly regenerate from internal explosions would drastically rapidly burn through the user's natural lifespan.
Fortunately, this is the Naruto world.
Between Hashirama Senju's Wood Style cells, Tsunade's Creation Rebirth, and Orochimaru's insane biotech, cell division limits were practically a joke.
This also explained why Kuro had specifically requested "resources" from Danzo yesterday.
He needed high-grade medical supplies and nutrient serums to sustain Rokuro's cellular repair during this suicidal training.
Having memorized the theory, Rokuro put the scroll down and looked up.
"Master, practicing this technique is extremely dangerous, isn't it?"
Kuro nodded solemnly.
"Absolute power demands an equal price.
If you are afraid, you may refuse.
I can send you to the general facility to learn standard Ninjutsu instead."
Afraid?
I have a System that instantly heals fatigue and restores stats!
I'm not afraid of shit!
Keeping his internal monologue to himself, Rokuro looked Kuro dead in the eye.
"I want to learn it.
Please guide me, Master!"
Kuro's posture visibly relaxed.
He smiled.
"Excellent.
Let us begin.
Sit here and do not move.
For your first session, I will use my own Chakra to trigger the micro-explosions within your pathways.
Once your body acclimates to the sensation, you will learn to detonate your own Chakra."
Oh!
A guided tutorial.
Having a veteran control the initial damage would definitely make the learning curve smoother.
It would hurt, but he could tolerate pain.
Rokuro obediently sat cross-legged on the floor.
Kuro sat down directly behind him and placed both hands flat against Rokuro's back.
Three seconds later...
Rokuro felt a sudden, agonizing flare of pain erupt along his spine.
It felt like thousands of blazing, red-hot needles were being driven directly into his nervous system.
He ground his teeth together, refusing to let out a single cry of pain.
He squeezed his eyes shut and focused his mind, enduring the fiery torture.