Chapter 6: The Echo Ring
Sasuke POV
The night was soon approaching as he took a walk to clear his mind. His eyes narrowed, spotting Kujiro, who's posture was laidback as if he didn't have a care in the world. Remembering this familiar bastard, Sasuke clenched his fists, approaching the boy and gripping him firmly by the collar, thoughts drifting back to earlier that day. "You think you can make fun of me not having parents?"
Sasuke didn't just want to beat him. He wanted to make Kujiro understand the gravity of what he'd said. Beating him in front of everybody earlier was not enough, and he wanted more. He heard the boy mumble under his breath, "Look, I'm sorry about what I said, alright?" Sasuke said nothing at first. He was already too far gone to say anything that would make sense. Without warning, he moved, slamming him against the tree as a couple leaves fell overhead.
"You think I'm weak, huh?" Sasuke's voice was eerily low, tight with tension he couldn't release any other way. His blood-red sharingan burned into Kujiro's face, and his grip tightened further. "You're a nobody, you're not from any clan and you'll never be a shinobi." Sasuke's fist swung upward, landing a devastating blow across Kujiro's face. The sickening sound of knuckle meeting flesh echoed in the clearing, and Kujiro toppled over like a spaghetti noodle.
A moment of realisation washed over as Sasuke thought about what he just did. This was not satisfying at all, and he let his anger get the better of him. Staring at the punching bag sprawled on the floor made him feel pity. He took a step back, before turning around and walking off.
Back to Kujiro
Holy shit. This is definitely the worst day of my life. Tears slowly trickled down my face as I buried it into the dirt. My head is spinning and my entire face throbbed like hell. This metallic taste of blood is flooding my mouth as I can't stop coughing, having to wipe my busted lip with the back of my hand. My vision blurred for a couple seconds. I began blinking hard as I try focussing my eyes to no avail. I attempted to stand up, but my knees buckled beneath me, causing me to fall forward sprawled against the dirt beneath the tree. Ding~
[Passive Skill Upgraded: Pain Tolerance:
Level 2: 20% resistance to pain]
Not... not now system. I slowly lifted myself onto my elbows, wincing at the soreness in my limbs. My body screamed at me, but I didn't care. I needed to get up, regain a sense of control, some dignity, but it was hard. I've been humiliated. Not once. But twice. Sasuke did it earlier in front of everyone during the sparring match, and then out here, when he practically threw me into the dirt just for daring to talk about his parents earlier. I don't have any parents anymore either, so fuck him. Anyway, I just wanna sink into the dirt and disappear.
The coldness in his eyes, the way he didn't even hesitate, it all made me feel so small and pathetic. And that's the worst part of it all. The only thing that hurts more than my face right now is my pride. My pride hurts more than anything. I never thought I'd end up like this—especially not from someone like Sasuke. Even if nobody was here to see it, this still feels terrible. I glanced up toward the spot where Sasuke left me, his back turned, walking away with that same cold, emotionless edgelord demeanour. My fists squeezed, and I felt a flicker of something dark, angry and real. I'll make him regret this. Ding~
Title Unlocked: Vengeful
Your power is moderately boosted but there
are drawbacks upon feeling intense hatred
+30% Taijutsu
+50% Intimidation
+30% Stamina Drain
-?% Sanity
Normally I would be happy for a new title, but I couldn't give less of a shit. This humiliation keeps strangling me endlessly, and all I wanna do is breakdown in tears.
[Hidden Quest Complete! Unlock 3 Titles.]
Reward: Random Equipment (?)
Equip? [Y/N]
My body felt heavy, disoriented, all I could do was surrender to exhaustion. The last thing I did is press 'Y' before the pain pulsed through the my body, the weight of my fatigue overwhelming everything else. Darkness overcame my vision as I fell asleep.
Host Unconscious. Ring equipped.
Echo Ring (B-)
Partially absorbs damage aimed toward the ring.
Damage accumulated within 30 seconds can be released all at once.
Cooldown: 1-60 Minutes based on intensity absorbed.
Danger: Can inflict harm on the user.
I feel my eyes flutter open as I stand up after what feels like the nap of a lifetime. My joints are wobbly as I stare up. 'Shit. It's bright outside? How long have I been out?' I panic internally and begin wandering around. 'Status'
Kujiro Fukumoto:
Summary: Disliked for being reckless
Titles: The Unfortunate, Airhead, Vengeful
Chakra: 115/115 (Genin)
Available Stat Points: 0
Stats:
- Taijutsu: 8
- Ninjutsu: 3
- Dexterity: 14
- Vitality: 3
- Defence: 7 - 8!
- Chakra Control: F+
Equipped: Echo Ring
I stared blankly at 'Echo Ring?' My confusion became cleared up as I looked at my right hand, my index finger had a pitch-black ring with no visible details. I read the description as my mood lightened up considerably. Finally something good. The only downside is the 'harm on the user' but who cares... anyway, how the hell am I gonna get back home to the orphanage? I'm starving...
Taking a deep breath, I crouched low to the ground, feeling the wind breeze past my hair and what I assume to be the pulsing of chakra flowing through my system. I focussed, feeling the familiar sensation of energy pooling in my legs, ready to explode. SWISH! The ground beneath me blurred as my body shot forward like a bullet, gliding across the streets effortlessly. 'This will never get old.' I grinned.
[Passive Ability Upgraded! Running Lvl 2
+30% Increased movement speed when running.
-25% energy loss while running.]
An upgrade, huh. The difference in speed is not as noticeable as when I first got the skill, but I can definitely tell I've gotten slightly quicker. I slowed down, resuming walking at a normal pace until I suddenly collided with someone. "Watch where you're going, idiot." I looked to my side as I heard the harsh voice enter my ears, only to meet the glare of a Genin—one of the village's lower ranked shinobi who clearly wasn't in the mood for an accident. His arms were crossed, and his posture exuded arrogance. The Konoha headband was wrapped tightly around his forehead, a sign of his status.
"I'm sorry," I replied, stepping back. But the Genin didn't seem interested in apologies. "You're an academy student, right? What's the matter? Can't watch where you're walking?" His voice dripped with disdain. "It was an acciden-" I stopped myself upon hearing an a ding~
Optional Quest:
Defeat the Genin in combat
Reward: 5 Distributable Stat Points
Failure: A beating
Without hesitation, I slammed my fist into his jaw.
THWACK!
"You son of a-" I felt a jab aimed at my face, causing me to raise my hand and block. Absorb. Second hit—a swift kick to the shin—Absorb.
Defence: 8 - 9!
I gritted my teeth and weathered the blows, focusing on the ring curiously—it seemed to release a faint glow the more I endured. I felt oxygen escaping my lungs, but the stat points and desire to test my new ring rejuvenated me like a splash of cold water. I saw a few civilian onlookers begin staring intently. This bastard was relentless, landing blow after blow. A punch to the shoulder. Absorb. A kick to the ribs. Absorb. A knee to the stomach. Absorb.
[Skill Activated: ENRAGE:
Taijutsu = 200%
Dexterity = 150%
-50% to reasoning]
My body felt battered, each strike stacking onto the last. Rage began building up inside me, mainly due to his cocky smirk which only widened with each strike. He was enjoying this too much. I'll be damned to lose another fight, especially to some nobody. But I knew something he didn't, and a cunning smirk etched itself onto my face as I watched his one shift to confusion.
Every moment he continued to attack, the damage grew more and more potent, but I remained indifferent. "Go to hell!" He barked. My body was aching, but I could feel it—the moment was coming. I watched fiercely as a punch was heading toward my chest. In retaliation, I began pouring some chakra into the ring, stretching my hand out and opening my palm toward him. "After you."
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from my hand, slamming outward with such force that the very air seemed to shudder. The ground beneath me trembled as the wave of energy rippled through the street, sending debris flying in all directions, along with the genin who crashed into a fruit stand, the wooden frame splintering under the impact, and a cascade of fruit exploding into the air like fireworks. Oh shit.
But to my horror, the shockwave didn't stop there. It pushed through the entire street, blowing carts aside and sending people scattering in all directions. Pedestrians who had been walking nearby were knocked off their feet, some crashing into shop doors or skidding along the street. The wind picked up violently, whirling dust and debris through the air like a small tornado.
WHOOM!
A loud, ringing sound filled the air as the shockwave reverberated through the marketplace. Windows shattered, wooden beams collapsed, and the entire area seemed to hold its breath for a moment before everything fell silent. People stared wide-eyed at the destruction, unable to comprehend the force they had just witnessed. I watched a few scramble for cover. One being a vendor who dove behind his cart, pulling his dear merchandise away from the flying debris. Another being a woman who clutched her child tightly, pulling them down behind a nearby bench as the shockwave swept through the area.
I don't think it's the overall force of the shockwave, but being released entirely from the miniscule space of a little ring combined with the 'ENRAGE' skill likely may have caused this catastrophe. If this is B rank gear, what the fuck is A rank? I clutched my hand in pain. "Is everyone okay?" I attempted to speak, but my voice was hoarse from shock, panic and fear as I scanned the scene, realising my voice had not even been heard. My heart was racing. The ring had drained me more than I anticipated, my hand was numb and tingly and my legs were shaking from the strain of releasing so much energy.
I looked at the Genin who laid crumpled in the middle of the street, his body motionless but breathing, groaning weakly. He had been knocked unconscious from the sheer force of the ring's release, having been flung with his clothes torn and bloodied. The damage to the surrounding area was severe—the fruit stand was now obliterated, nearby carts laid overturned and disfigured, with debris littering on the ground. People were slowly starting to stand up, shaken but mostly unharmed. I couldn't help but wince, looking at the destruction with regret. I didn't mean for this to happen.
Optional Quest Complete!
You have annihilated the Genin.
Reward: 5 Distributable Stat Points + 2 bonus
I watched as a pink-haired girl nearby approached cautiously, questioning a nearby civilian. "Are you okay..? What happened here?" she said, her voice tinged with concern and disbelief. "I heard a loud sound, and it looks like a bomb detonated or something." Kujiro, still catching his breath, looked down at his hands. The Echo Ring was still glowing faintly before fading out, its power now spent. At least, I don't think anybody knows it was me, except that one Genin—and he's out cold. However, me standing unharmed in the midst of this chaos is definitely not making me look good.
What did I just do? I need to run. Without thinking, my legs started to move. My body felt light, almost as if my feet weren't even touching the ground. I felt piercing eyes against my back as I heard a familiar annoying voice call out. "Hey, whoever that is, stop running!"