Recalling the Haki training principles that Zephyr had taught him, Kaito tried to guide this so-called latent power within his body.
Having spent two and a half years training in the Ryūchi Cave, Kaito was already intimately familiar with sensing both his own power and that of nature.
Slowly, a black coating began to spread from Kaito's hands up to his wrists.
As he stared at his pitch-black hands, he could clearly feel the surge in strength. In this state, even without entering Sage Mode, he could unleash power equivalent to what he normally had in Sage Mode.
But Kaito wasn't satisfied. There was still something he hadn't tested—chakra and natural energy.
"If I enter Sage Mode, and then use Sage Chakra—chakra infused with natural energy—to reinforce my Armament Haki... what kind of transformation will it trigger?"
With that thought, Kaito activated the Sage Mode of Ryūchi. A faint purple eye shadow appeared at the corners of his eyes.
He began injecting Sage Chakra into his hands, which were already coated in Armament Haki. But as soon as the Sage Chakra flowed in, an intense pain shot through both hands, as if they were splitting open.
Beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down Kaito's face. Unable to endure it, he stopped the infusion of Sage Chakra.
He realized he was being too impatient. Everything needed to be done step by step. Reinforcing both hands at once was too much for someone just beginning to learn Armament Haki.
After taking a moment to recover and letting the pain subside, Kaito resumed the process—this time only focusing on his dominant right hand.
Although the pain was still difficult to bear, working with just one hand allowed him to channel the energy more precisely and effectively.
Gradually, the black coating of Armament Haki began to gather at the center of the back of his right hand. Kaito's Rinnegan eyes gleamed with purple light as he growled under his breath,
"Armament Haki, Ascend!"
In the next instant, the Haki on his right hand fully condensed into a single black circular emblem—like a miniature black sun.
Looking at the pattern on the back of his hand, Kaito murmured to himself,
"The ascended Armament Haki is now stored here. This will serve as another heart that provides me with power... I'll call it the Dominant Heart."
With a single thought, the circular emblem on his hand pulsed, sending five thick black lines streaking out toward each of his fingertips.
These five black lines looked like dark veins, pumping a destructive energy straight into his entire right arm.
"Hrah!"
Clenching his fist, Kaito threw a punch into the air. The moment his fist moved, the emblem on the back of his hand pulsed like a heartbeat, and the five black veins throbbed in sync.
A fist-shaped shockwave burst forth and blasted toward a small hill in the distance.
Boom!!
With an ear-shattering bang, the hill—dozens of meters tall—was instantly leveled. Debris scattered everywhere.
Kaito was quite pleased with the power behind that strike. However, when he looked at the clearly diminished size of the Dominant Heart on his arm, he couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied.
"Incredible attack power... but the Haki consumption is way too high. With my current Armament Haki, I still can't use it as a regular move."
Reflecting on the form of that punch, Kaito thought of Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
Although the power level was still a bit behind, he shamelessly decided to name this move "Vacuum Strike"—the youth version of the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
Of course, it would eventually evolve into the flagship version.
With the successful initial ascension of his Armament Haki, Kaito deactivated Sage Mode. The emblem on his hand vanished as well.
The moment he returned to his normal state, a wave of fatigue washed over him. Kaito shook his head and used the Deva Path's ability to float into the air, then slowly flew back toward the dorm.
...
"Kaito, Boss, you're back!"
Kaito opened the door to the dorm and was greeted by the sight of Breach's face, bruised blue and purple. He asked in confusion,
"Breach, what happened to your face? Got into it with upperclassmen?"
"Haha, nah, I was just messing around with Glefos earlier and accidentally slammed into the table. What can I say... bad luck!"
Glefos walked over, cigar in mouth, and threw an arm around Breach's shoulder. He leaned in close to his ear with a grin.
"You're just too careless. Want a cigar? Numbs the pain!"
Breach forced a grimace worse than a cry and quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, I'm not used to cigars. Won't ever be."
"Come on, don't be shy! I'll light it for you. We're bros, right?"
"No, really, Glefos, I'm good!"
"Hm? You're turning me down? Light it!"
"Alright, alright! I'll take one!"
"Why are you sticking your head out like that?"
"Aren't you lighting it for me?"
"I meant you light mine!"
...
These two clowns... Kaito could only shake his head helplessly as he walked over to his bed. To his surprise, the quilt and bedding were already neatly folded.
Tch, such thoughtful roommates! If this were Earth, Kaito would've at least given them the honorary title of "Good Son."
Satisfied, Kaito plopped down onto the bed. The moment he closed his eyes, he drifted off into dreamland.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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