---
Chen Xing, drenched in sweat, staggered slightly. His breathing was ragged, but his chakra suddenly surged—purple and vibrant, far denser than before. His stance was a little off, but his hands extended as he molded the chakra. It rose several meters into the air, condensing into a vaguely beast-like form. The chakra coalesced until it resembled a meter-wide, fierce, fanged creature.
The construct roared silently, held for only a few seconds before dissolving into scattered motes of purple light.
When the chakra beast dispersed, Chen Xing smirked faintly and lowered his hands, drawing the remaining purple chakra back into himself. His shoulders relaxed, and he gasped for breath. Clearly, he had been training for hours—if not all day.
"Oh… I still can't condense it into a complete entity. Without stability, I can't attack with it," he muttered, shaking his head. But his tone held little frustration. After all, he had only been learning the Peacock Secret Technique (Kujaku Myōhō) for less than a week. To reach this point so quickly was already an achievement, enough to surprise even Xia Xing.
"I really want to fly…" Chen Xing whispered, collapsing onto his back. Sweat soaked his clothes, which stuck uncomfortably to his skin, and the damp fabric picked up dirt from the training ground. His thin chest rose and fell quickly, but his eyes still shone with determination. Gazing at the clear blue sky, his mind grew quiet. Slowly, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
High above, a faint purple-black speck appeared, growing larger as it descended. At its center was a figure—Xia Xing—using the chakra wings of the Peacock Secret Technique to fly. She landed lightly, holding a small metal lunch box in one hand.
Walking softly to Chen Xing's side, she looked down at the sleeping boy, shook her head with a faint smile, and whispered, "You really are a stubborn little one… you've worked yourself to exhaustion again."
This wasn't the first time Chen Xing had collapsed mid-training. His relentless effort shocked her. She had tried more than once to persuade him not to push himself so hard, but he never lessened his pace. Once she confirmed that his body could withstand the strain, she stopped trying to dissuade him and simply trained alongside him.
Chen Xing was fortunate in other ways, too. Once the Third Hoshikage learned that Chen Xing refused to return to his so-called "home," he granted the boy a modest stipend. It wasn't much, but it covered his food, clothing, and basic training needs. Chen Xing rarely visited the village to shop—most necessities were provided through the Star Ninja compound.
From time to time, Xia Xing would bring him meals she had prepared herself. This freed Chen Xing from distractions and allowed him to focus entirely on training—something that set him apart from most of the other young ninja in Hoshigakure.
Quietly, she set the lunch box beside him and left. Her own free time was scarce; aside from caring for her own son and teaching Chen Xing, she still had to take on missions—often tedious ones—to contribute to the village's limited resources.
Half a month passed in this steady rhythm. Chen Xing's mastery of the Peacock Secret Technique improved rapidly. He could now condense a chakra beast that could strike a target, though his flying technique was still incomplete.
Flight, as Xia Xing explained, was far more difficult than it appeared. It wasn't simply a matter of shaping chakra into wings; it demanded precise control and constant adjustments in output. Chen Xing's chakra control was still lacking.
Under Xia Xing's guidance, Chen Xing began basic control drills—tree climbing and water walking. Though some ninja could master tree climbing in a week, others struggled for months. Chen Xing, despite his naturally thin build, managed to complete tree climbing in five days—a testament to his determination.
---
Morning, by a quiet pond.
Wearing only shorts, Chen Xing stepped carefully onto the still water's surface. Ripples spread from his bare feet as he focused chakra evenly beneath them.
One step… two steps… three… all the way to nine—
Splash! He plunged into the pond, sending up a spray of water.
Surfacing, he swam to shore, shaking his head. "Ah… still only nine steps…" He squeezed water from his hair and muttered, "Every step needs perfectly level, stable chakra output… it's so hard."
Though his control was improving, river currents would be another challenge entirely.
Just then, a distant purple-black speck caught his eye. "Hm? Xia Xing?" he guessed.
Indeed, she descended gracefully, chakra wings glowing, and landed in the pond as if walking on solid ground—much to Chen Xing's annoyance.
Dismissing her wings, Xia Xing looked at him with an uncharacteristically hesitant expression. "Chen Xing, there's something you need to hear…"
He frowned. "What is it?"
"Your father and your brother… there's been an accident." Her voice was complicated; she had never liked Chen Xing's father, but she knew the news would still matter. "They were traveling in the hills when a starving wolf pack attacked in broad daylight. They're missing… presumed dead."
Chen Xing's brows drew together. His "father" had only ever brought him pain—memories not worth keeping. "Dead…" he murmured. It wasn't grief he felt, but rather the disappointment of not punishing the man himself. Still, a certain weight lifted from his heart.
He sighed when thinking of the younger brother he had never truly known. He had no resentment toward him—only a sense of distance, as if fate had never given them the chance to be brothers.
Later, he paid his respects—mostly for his brother's sake, not his father's.
---
Months later, Chen Xing completed water walking before his seventh birthday. His chakra control reached the standard Xia Xing had hoped for, so she began teaching him lightning-style chakra basics alongside further Peacock Secret Technique refinement. She still held off on advanced ninjutsu—his body, though stronger, was still young.
Chen Xing also refused to neglect taijutsu. He understood that a strong body was the foundation of a ninja's power. He was determined not to be like those who could be overwhelmed by sheer physical force—like how Might Guy could overpower even powerful jutsu users in Konoha.
---
One hot afternoon, on an empty field:
"Peacock Secret Technique—Feathered Hunt!"
Purple chakra flared from Chen Xing's back, streaming upward and shaping into a snarling beast.
Roar!
The beast lunged at a massive boulder.
Boom! Stone exploded into fragments. The power was astounding—especially coming from a seven-year-old.
With a change of hand signs, the beast collapsed back into raw chakra, forming wings that lifted him into the air.
---
Two years passed. Now eight, Chen Xing's progress astonished both Xia Xing and the Third Hoshikage. His control and stamina had grown so much that his Peacock Secret Technique was nearly on par with Red Star's—without the dangerous side effects.
The Third Hoshikage granted him a forehead protector, officially recognizing him as a genin of Hoshigakure. Chen Xing disliked wearing it on his forehead—it slipped easily—so he kept it tied around his neck instead.
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