Chapter 7

(Timeskip, Three Weeks Later)

A viera and a black-haired Hume walked down to the Muthru Bazaar, both of them chatting happily about the day's hunt. "I tell you, that Flowering Cactoid was more trouble than it was worth; I think I'll have needles in my skin for the next few weeks," said the man, yanking out a needle to emphasize his point (see what I did there?).

The viera chuckled lightly at that. "At least you did not have to deal with its minions; I have never seen such angry cacti. I am lucky they did not try to gang up on me, else things would have become complicated."

Hashirama snorted. "You would say something like that. You were in the back row while I was in the front lines, so you didn't get nearly as many needles in you as I did. Anyway, at least the hunt is over; joushi was so excited we were able to complete it so quickly."

Synneva had to agree. "I think that you have become his new favorite. It used to be a young fellow named Vaan, but we haven't heard anything from him in quite a while. Last we heard he was in the Golmore jungle along with several known criminals; the boss prays that he is alright. After all, that forest is quite dangerous."

The wood user nodded. "I have not been in many jungles, but I am well aware of the risks of traveling with company like that. I just wish I knew how my precious people back home were handling themselves, especially my brother and fiancé…"

"I am sure that they are quite capable of caring for themselves. After all, you say that both of them are powerful warriors like yourself. If they are anything like you, they can handle anything that is thrown their way," said the woman, approaching the stall selling wares to clan members only. She calmly purchased several Warp Motes and looked over to her partner who had selected a Bundle of Needles.

A curious look from her spurred the shinobi to answer. "My kunai and shuriken stores are low, especially after the hunt we were just on."

The former Wood-dweller raised a white eyebrow slightly. "And those are a suitable replacement?"

The Senju nodded. "They are quite similar to the senbon that are used by other shinobi back home, just not as thick. If I can bond them together with a fire technique, I can use them just like my kunai and shuriken. A simple Fire spell ought to be enough," he concluded. Thanks to his training alongside the clan, he had been learning the art of magick.

Synneva shook her head. "That sounds feasible on paper, but I know from experience that it will take much more than that to bond these together. By my estimate, it would take at least a Fira-level spell to melt them together. You may want to ask Montblanc about that. On another note, I believe that Monid dislikes you."

"Why is that?"

"I do not claim to know what goes on inside his head, but Krjs has informed me that he seems to be quite jealous of the rate at which you are ascending in our ranks. You are rising even faster than our previous record holder, which happens to be Monid himself," she said while sitting down on the stone steps at the top of the bazaar.

Hashirama sat down on the stone handrails next to her. "I did not intend to spark his ire; I am merely doing what joushi is asking of me, just as he does."

"I know that, everyone in the clan does. Regardless of that, he dislikes how quickly you have risen. It would be prudent to be careful around him. On another subject, how is your search for information doing?"

The young Hokage sighed. "Not well. Only a few of my fellow clanners know anything about the East, and none of them have been there. If this were to continue, I do not know if returning to Konoha is even possible," he said, hanging his head down. "In fact, my arrival still seems like a dream. One moment, I am fighting my friend at the Valley of the End, and the next I am in the Estersand. All of it is unbelievable."

The viera nodded in agreement. "To anyone else, your story would be unbelievable, but we clanners have been known to do the impossible. As a matter of fact, the boy named Vaan was supposedly captured by the Archadians and taken aboard the Leviathan. Then recently we heard that the ship was sunk and the boy escaped somehow. If that is not impossible, I do not know what is."

In the meantime, Hashirama found that neither his Fire spell nor the only Katon jutsu he knew were enough to fuse the needles together, so he settled for an alternative. He used his sheer strength to forcibly wrap one needle around another into a sort of braided shape; while they would not be as fast as regular senbon, the drill shape would seriously injure the target, not to mention that they would be rather difficult to remove. "That is true. In the time I have remained here I have seen things thought impossible to do back home."

She tugged on one ear; it was her nervous habit when she was lost in thought. "Actually, there is something I would like to ask you." When she said that, the Senju turned up from his work to look at her questioningly. "About three weeks ago, when you first arrived in the city, I was wandering around when I felt a surge of power coming from an unknown source. A short investigation revealed a tree in the Bazaar that pulsed with life stronger than any other plant I have encountered. Do you know anything about that?"

He took his time to answer. "Do you mean the tree at the base of the stairs? I always thought that the tree was already there…" He did not like lying to her, but as a shinobi he knew that deception was a part of his job description.

She gazed at him in a way that made him uncomfortable; it felt as though she was staring into his very soul. It reminded him of the way that his precious Mito would look at him whenever he lied to her. "It was not. That type of tree is not native to this area; I know that since I once lived in an area where those trees were widespread. Additionally, there is no rain or any other sort of irrigation in this area, yet not only is the tree alive, but it is thriving. A curious phenomenon, since there are three other trees just like that one spread throughout the city."

The wood user began to sweat, and it was not due to the heat. "Maybe those trees are sustaining themselves using Mist. I have heard of plants living that way before…"

Synneva shook her head. "Even if it did use Mist, it would still need to obtain water or at least have something resembling soil. All there is around here is stone pavement; hardly a good base for an oak as solid as that one. It is like that tree is imposing its will to live upon the environment, which goes for the other three as well. If I did not know better, I would say that the Wood itself has manifested here, but that is naught but a dream. Although I will say that you possess a similar feel to those trees. And there was one other thing that interested me."

Hashirama swallowed nervously; though he expected someone to figure out his secret (eventually), he did not know it would be so soon. "What was that?"

"As you know, I am somewhat versed in the spiritual arts; I can feel what Mother Nature is saying. When I touched that tree, I received strange visions," she continued. "I saw a man with red eyes, a woman with a symbol on her stomach, and a horrific monster with nine tails. But what I saw after that was a man giving orders to someone. The man was…you. Nature holds the memories of those who cross her path; why would she remember you so specifically?"

The Senju fought to keep the hard lump in his throat down. There was no going back; now that someone was onto him, there was no choice but to reveal what he knew. He knew that he could trust her, yet some small part of him wondered whether this was a good idea. "I suppose that there's no way around it. What I'm going to tell you must be kept between us; no one else may know of it, not even joushi. But I cannot show you here, is there anywhere in this city that we will be completely undisturbed?"

The viera nodded. "Follow me. There is a secluded area near here where I do my training. You can show me what you will there," she said, walking off with him in tow. Soon they arrived at a lonely cul-de-sac that had a set of stairs to one side that led downward into the Garamsythe Waterway. They walked down into the Waterway and stopped when they came to an open space. "Rest assured: we will remain unnoticed by anyone."

He nodded his head slowly. "Back in my home, I employ an ability that causes miraculous plant growth that I can use for offense or defense. But it is not just a battle weapon; the plants I create brim with life and will grow no matter the environment. They are even capable of restraining the strongest monsters, the Biju."

"What are Biju?"

"They are a group of nine fearsome demons that have taken the shape of animals. The strongest of their number, the Kyubi, is said to be able to level mountains and create tsunamis with a mere swipe of one of its tails. That was the monster you saw; the mighty nine-tailed fox. I have faced the beast in battle and emerged victorious thanks to my powers. Allow me to demonstrate. Mokuton (Wood Release)!"

When he said that, he raised one hand and had it in a half Ram seal, which caused a mid-sized oak to suddenly sprout from the stone aqueduct. Its sturdy trunk was tough as any century-old oak, and its bright-green leaves pulsed with life. The tree's roots branched out (pun intended) until they reached the water in the deep pools of the Waterway. It looked so out of place, yet at the same time it looked right at home.

Synneva's jaw almost dropped to the floor. Did this man have the blessings of the Wood? No, that was impossible…yet how was he able to perform miracles like this? "H-how did you do that? Your trees are healthier than those created by the Wood herself! Yet it was not magick, so how..?"

The Senju shook his head. "I do not know the full reasoning behind it either. I have been able to do this since I was little; my parents explained that it was a Kekkei Genkai, or bloodline limit. Yet, no one else in my family could do it, not even my brother. My abilities are just as mysterious to me as they are to anyone else. I hope that no one else finds out about this; it might prove disastrous to all involved."

She could only sputter out her agreement; she knew about bloodline abilities, of course, but she was still utterly stupefied at the information she had just received. "Y-yes…I shall keep your secret. You do not have to worry about me spreading rumor about what you can do…but I want to know about what you use to power your…unique talents."

He scratched the back of his head. "My wood release is powered by an energy we shinobi call chakra. It works like this: as I'm sure you know, our bodies are constantly absorbing Mist from the air. The body then converts that Mist into an energy called ki; the amount of ki that can be used and held varies with each person. After that, ki can be used to power magick; this is the reason that, although Mist is seemingly infinite, we have a limit on how much magick we can use. Those with enough training, however, can obtain the ability to use chakra, another more refined form of ki. Chakra can even come in different elements, which can be mixed to create different results. There are five elements: fire, earth, water, wind, and lightning."

The viera nodded her head in understanding. "I know of abilities like that; that type of energy is most often employed by the martial artist I have encountered in my adventures. Would it be possible for you to teach me to harness this energy? It may become useful."

Hashirama smiled. "I don't see why not. Just, remember to keep what I am teaching you to yourself. While the usage of chakra is not very much of a secret, it can be deadly when improperly applied. Just make sure to follow my instructions exactly and you should be fine."

"In that case, would you mind if we began immediately? Perhaps I may even be able to create trees in the same manner that you do."

"I don't know about that. Using my wood release techniques requires a very specific balance of water and earth-element chakra, and learning it is not possible if either element is not an affinity of yours. However, I have seen many different mixes of chakra, so you may have the right combination. Who knows? Okay, let's begin. I will start by teaching you how to produce chakra."

He crouched down somewhat and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Another swirl of leaves indicated his new position perched atop one of the oak's branches. "In order to produce chakra, you need to channel Mist into your entire body as opposed to just your hands or chest; that forces your body to form special coils to hold the Mist so that it won't harm your body. Then you can mold that Mist and ki into chakra."

Synneva nodded and began focusing while the shinobi kept dictating instructions. "In order to achieve the formation of coils, you can start by charging Mist as though you are casting a spell. But instead of releasing it as soon as it's ready, I want you to instead keep focusing and molding the Mist until it feels like the spell is coursing through your body. Then, hold that process until you begin to feel as though you are being pricked by red-hot needles. When that feeling stops, your coils have formed and I can begin to truly teach you."

"Does the type of spell matter?"

The Senju shook his head. "The type of spell you are going to 'cast' doesn't matter, though you can choose a White or Green magick spell to reduce the odds of injury. The actual odds of you injuring yourself are higher if you are a beginner, however, so I recommend one of the White Magick spells. Cura or Curaga will work fine."

The viera began to glow as she channeled the Mist necessary for a Cura. She focused her magick into her hands as though to cast it, but then remembered his instructions and instead allowed the magick energy to spread through her arms and then her entire body; she could feel the warmth of the rapidly-heating Mist as it coursed through her. Her body temperature soared.

Synneva could remember the last time her body reacted like this: it was when the Leviathan sunk high above the Urutan-Yensa Sandsea and released all of its internal Mist. Last time it had almost gotten the better of her, but this time she made sure to be completely in control. The heat was beginning to become unbearable, but she toughed it out; she truly wished to be able to use the same abilities as her partner.

The Shodaime watched his partner with interest, ready to spring into action if he was needed. He knew that she would keep her promise to remain silent about his chakra usage, but he never expected her to ask him how to use it herself. This world was getting curiouser and curiouser…

The magickal glow around her intensified, giving her a greenish tint. For her part, she had never felt such pain; the hot needle sensation he had described was there, alright, but it was so intense she couldn't help but to cry out. It felt like she was being torn apart! Not to mention the needles were everywhere! She couldn't handle any more!

Then, just as quickly as the feeling had begun, it suddenly stopped. She dropped to her knees as she tried to comprehend what had just happened to her. In the meantime, the glow had vanished, leaving behind her tanned skin with a slight flush. Synneva sucked in air hungrily as beads of sweat cascaded down her forehead. She could feel something strange in her body; it was like there was something foreign but not entirely uncomfortable. "What is this? There is something strange inside of me."

"Congratulations! You now have the necessary chakra coils! That means I can begin to teach you what I know about chakra manipulation," he said, noting her tiredness. "After a brief rest, of course."

The viera sat down on the stone steps, sweat still rolling off her body in spite of the cool atmosphere of the Waterway. She took a grateful sip of her canteen. "How did you handle that pain? It was unbearable!"

Brief laughter. "I didn't, actually. Back in my home, members of my family are all born with their chakra coils fully formed, so we don't have to worry about that. I know of the process only because a good friend of mine had to go through it. Once you've adjusted to the coils' presence, I will teach you how to store chakra so you can use it at any time. You'll have to consciously gather it yourself until your body learns how to do it automatically."

His partner leaned back on the stairs. "Hopefully the training for that will not be as painful as this one was. I never want to experience that again."

"Heh, he said the same thing. But don't worry; the rest of the training won't be so bad. After a while, you'll get the hang of it."

"That might have to wait, kupo. There's something I need to talk to the two of you about, and it's rather urgent," said Montblanc as he descended the stairs.

OMAKE

"YES! I'VE DONE IT! I'VE OBTAINED THE MANGEKYO! HAHAHA!"

The loud shouts and insane laughter coming from Makoto's apartment alerted everyone to the new development. She ran through the entire village, leaving Makoto-shaped holes in the walls of many buildings.

In the Senju compound, Mito calmly sat and drank her tea. Today is such a beautiful day, she thought. Perhaps I'll go on a stroll through the village. I could use the fresh air.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when the Uchiha kunoichi suddenly burst through the wall, sending bricks everywhere, one of which hit Tobirama on the head and knocked him out. Blood slowly seeped from his head which went unnoticed by the two kunoichi. "What the hell are you doing, Uchiha?!"

Makoto turned to face her, an insane expression on her face and her eyes alight with her dojutsu. "I've done it. I got the Mangekyo. That means I can challenge you for the title of strongest kunoichi in the Leaf! Fight me!" she challenged, pointing her finger dramatically at the redhead.

"No," answered the slightly irate Uzumaki.

"Why not?!"

"You do not have the Mangekyo," Mito responded.

"Yes I do! My eyes look different and they feel odd and everything!" shouted the brunette, throwing what was apparently a tantrum.

The Senju-to-be facepalmed. "You baka! You don't have the Mangekyo! You just have pinkeye with your Sharingan active!"

Makoto calmed down instantly. "Really?" She went over to a nearby mirror and checked herself over. Sure enough, the sclera of her eyes was pink and infected. She laughed nervously as she turned to face the Uzumaki. "Hehe, sorry?"

The screams of pain coming from the compound warned everyone to stay away from Mito that day. Meanwhile, nobody bothered to help Tobirama, so he passed out from blood loss until the next day. He turned out okay, though he now had an irrational fear of bricks. Oh, well.

It was just another day in Konoha.

A/N: Here we go guys, another chapter of Unfamiliar Territory. See you next week! Unknownbyself, away! *grows bird wings and flies away*