The sky above Konoha was cloudless, a bright blue canvas stretched endlessly across the heavens.
But Henri wasn't looking up.
He was underground.
Beneath the Hokage Tower, in a sealed training chamber built for forbidden techniques and chakra experiments, Henri sat shirtless in a glowing circle etched with runes.
The Mutation Unsealing Ritual had begun.
Tsunade stood on one side, arms crossed, her eyes hard with worry. Shizune worked a slow chakra flow into the seal, maintaining the containment field.
Jeneya stood just beyond the ring, clutching Henri's shirt in her hands.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked.
Henri smiled tightly. "If I want to survive Shinji… I don't have a choice."
---
🟢 [SYSTEM INITIATING: MUTATION TREE – SECOND ROOT UNLOCK]
→ Base Tree: Skywalker
→ Unlock Path: Path of the Sky Pulse
→ Requirements Met: Level 9, Void Stability 45%, Mental Sync 88%
→ Warning: Unlocking deeper roots may trigger genetic backlash
→ Mutation Catalyst Detected: "Void Echo Seal" (Acquired in Daiyu)
→ Proceed? [YES]
Henri selected YES.
The world tilted.
---
🧬 Mutation Zone – System Realm
Henri stood in a glowing void, suspended midair.
Before him bloomed a massive chakra tree, its glowing branches stretching infinitely into the sky.
Each leaf was a skill. Each branch, a path.
A voice echoed—not a system alert, but a whisper of something ancient.
> "To leap forward, you must break the ground behind you."
Henri stepped forward.
---
🔓 [MUTATION TREE – SKYWALKER]
→ Branch 1: Sky Pulse (Unlocked)
→ Branch 2: Aerial Kinetics (Available)
→ Branch 3: Riftwalker (Locked)
→ Branch 4: Skyforge Memory (Locked – Timeline Access Required)
→ Unlocking Branch 2…
---
Aerial Kinetics burst to life.
Blue fire surged down the tree into Henri's body.
He screamed—not from pain, but pressure. Like gravity itself was folding in on him.
Then—
The system chimed.
---
✅ [SECOND ROOT UNLOCKED – "Aerial Kinetics"]
→ Passive Unlocked: "Midair Dash" – Allows midair redirection up to 2x per jump
→ Active Skill: "Sky Pivot" – Instant burst spin kick from any midair point
→ Buff: +10% Jump Efficiency / +5% Reaction Speed
→ Mutation Core Status: STABILIZED
---
🏞️ Reality – Training Chamber
Henri's body lit up.
Glowing sigils pulsed across his back in wing-like patterns.
He gasped—and opened his eyes.
Then collapsed forward, coughing.
Tsunade rushed in. "Vitals holding. Mutation didn't reject. He's… stable."
Jeneya ran to him. "You did it?"
Henri grinned, breathless. "I think… I can fly sideways now."
---
🏋️ Training Field – The Next Day
Henri launched into the air—spun mid-flight—and redirected himself horizontally, moving like a cannonball between trees.
"SKY PIVOT!"
He flipped, slammed both heels down, and crushed a stone dummy.
Jeneya clapped from the sidelines. "Okay, now you're just showing off."
"Training is just flirting with sweat," Henri replied, wiping his brow.
They laughed.
But behind their smiles, both knew—
The real test was coming.
---
📢 [CHŪNIN EXAMS – FINAL ROUND ROSTER POSTED]
→ Match 1: Henri vs. Kaito (Leaf – Lightning Clone Specialist)
→ Match 2: Jeneya vs. Juno (Mist – Water Fang Mutation)
→ Match 3: Shinji vs. Oroku (Sand – Puppet Style)
→ Special Note: Mutation Users Will Be Monitored by ANBU Black Section
---
📖 Interlude – Hidden Scrolls Room
Tsunade read the report in silence.
> "Shinji's system has no clear origin. We believe it is a precursor model of Henri's. Possibly created by Orochimaru—or something worse."
> "We recommend isolating Henri if Shinji's memory pulses escalate. Cross-contact may destabilize Henri's root system."
She exhaled.
"This isn't a Chūnin Exam anymore. It's a countdown."
---
🌌 Night Before the Finals
Henri and Jeneya stood atop Hokage Rock, staring down at the arena lit by torches.
Jeneya leaned against him.
"You ready?"
"No," Henri said. "But I'm going to jump anyway."
She smiled. "Then I'll be right behind you."
He looked at her.
"I love you."
Her eyes widened—but she didn't look away.
"I know."
---
🟢 [SYSTEM UPDATE – FINAL STAGE UNLOCKED]
→ Mutation Tree: Aerial Kinetics (Active)
→ Void Pulse Mastery: 59%
→ Current Level: 10
→ Bonus Skill: "Jump Chain" – Combo midair moves unlocked
→ Final Round Begins in: 12 Hours
---
[To Be Continued…]