Warning: This chapter contains some light gore and heavy bore.
Author's note: Happy holidays everybody ^^
A month of training and research about the Youkugan is what it took for me to fully comprehend its uses, though it definitely would've taken much longer if it weren't for my teammates and sensei. Using the eye itself has become pretty natural over the past few weeks, though getting used to its limits and my own abilities with the eyes are still in the works.
The first thing about the Youkugan is that the creations that are made with it fall under a separate category called shinjutsu, which means something along the lines of "the art of reality." This, I learned from an old scroll that Tsunade-sama kindly dug up for me. I assumed she got such a thing from the wasteland of Nareigakure, though it only described the eye and said nothing about its secrets. I guess it doesn't really matter if there were secrets in the scroll to begin with, since the point of my training was, in a sense, to uncover the secrets of this eye.
The most obvious thing about the Youkugan was how it made my genjutsu a reality. When I create something through shinjutsu, a portion of the pattern in my eye would disappear and reappear on the object I made. I've assumed that the transfer of the mark acts like a seal or a bond in order to keep the creation intact. The sensation of creating things with the Youkugan is something that's learned through experience. It's like holding an object together with several phantom limbs. Although I'm not physically holding onto my creations so that they stay as a form of matter, it feels although I have a sixth sense keeping tabs on these creations. As such, this means I'm consciously aware of what I'm doing with my creations. So, like genjutsu, they don't have a conscious mind. I'm the one manipulating the objects at my will, so the more creations I make, the more I need to focus. However, I'm sure it'll become much easier as I get more used to this kekkei genkai.
Naturally, the fact that the patterns from my eye disappear as I create things limits the amount of objects I can make. Size also matters. For example, a rock the size of my head "costs" one triangle, whereas a rock as big as me will require four triangles to hold together. The marking may not be entirely distinguishable but it's always there, so if what I make is something as small as a senbon needle, a black section will look more like a black band around the needle. If I make anything small enough, the object itself would simply be black.
Finally, the properties of shinjutsu are similar to genjutsu. I need to control the movement of my creations consciously. If I lose focus, my shinjutsu will falter and flicker away like a genjutsu would. However, while genjutsu leaves the sensation of being injured, shinjutsu will actually leave wounds on the victim, even after the shinjutsu was cancelled. To counter a shinjutsu, it depends on what I created. Whatever I make acts like the real deal, so if I made a fire, my opponent would have to put it out with water. They can't readjust their chakra like they would to get themselves out of a genjutsu, which is what I find to be the greatest part of this kekkei genkai.
"Damn it, Riku! Get those creepy things away from me!" Ino shouted while jumping away from the two shadowy figures that were inching towards her. In the middle of each one's head, where a nose might usually be, was the pointed circle, one from each of my eyes.
"All they want is a hug." I responded with a faint smirk while making the figures reach their arms out in front of them. "Don't tell me you're scared."
With a small yelp, the kunoichi pushed Chouji towards the figures so she could get away. As a result, the make fell into the figures, though I had them push him back onto his feet before cancelling the shinjutsu.
"W-Who wouldn't be a little freaked out by those creepy things?! Geez, they're worse than Shikamaru's Kage-Kubishibari no Jutsu." She muttered while crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.
"That's enough, you three." Asuma-sensei spoke out with an amused grin. "You guys did well today, and you've improved quite a bit with your Youkugan, Riku." He noted with a satisfied nod towards me. "Why don't you guys take the rest of the day off? The Souzou Festival is coming up, so-"
Before the jounin could finish, Ino gasped loudly and clasped her hands together as she smiled brightly. "The Souzou Festival!" She repeated, now wearing a grin amusingly similar to Naruto's. Before I could even ask what that was, she was already going on about it like it was the reason of her existence. "It's an annual event, and maybe the biggest event in Konoha, too! It celebrates the founding of our village, so we pay our respects to the first Hokage such. We all wear a yukata and there's hundreds of stalls with games where you can win prizes or buy adorable little trinkets—"
"And food, too!" Chouji interjected happily. To my surprise, Ino didn't seem annoyed by his mention of food. In fact, she nodded excitedly with a grin and went on about what sort of snacks they have, like kebabs, dango, small rice patties, and all that good stuff.
"We'll be sure to show you everything there is to see when the festival comes around." The jounin added with a laugh while lighting another cigarette. "Well, I have some business to attend to. Don't overwhelm Riku too much, got it?" With an exchanged of goodbyes, our sensei was gone.
Despite being in several villages, I've never been there for a festival. Ino seemed to be caught in her own fantasies and such while Chouji drooled over the thought of the food, I suppose, but I wasn't all-too pumped up about it. Maybe it's because I don't know what festivals are like, so I don't know how excited I should be. Maybe I'm supposed to be excited because it's something new that's supposed to be fun, though it doesn't change the fact that I'm rather...indifferent towards it.
Ino seemed to notice my lack of reaction and immediately questioned about it when she snapped out of hey daydream. "It's nothing. I'm just not very fond of wearing a yukata or anything." I answered with a shrug and earned a rather dramatic gasp. "…Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, but we can make you look so pretty!" She nearly cooed while grabbing my hands and holding them up below her chin. There was an incredibly hopeful look in her eyes that I wasn't sure how to respond to. "I can put your hair in a really cute bun and we can decorate it with really pretty hair accessories- oh, I can already see it now! Let's bring the other girls, too. We can all pick out a yukata for you! It'll be a girl's night out!"
"I, uh...it's alright. I can find a yukata myself. I wouldn't want to cut into your own preparation time, after all." I managed to say while trying to resist the urge to pull away. Dressing up or looking nice was never really anything that I've wanted to do. Though I'm pretty neutral about wearing a yukata - as unfitting as I find it to be - I liked to steer away from any "pretty hair accessories" or, let's say, make-up. I find that I'm rather unsuited for such things and as a shinobi, they shouldn't really be things I should be worrying about to begin with.
The disappointed look in my teammate's eyes almost made me want to say that I would gladly let her do whatever it was she wanted to do, but Ino seemed to understand where I was coming from and gave a faint smile. "I'll let you go this time, but I'll get you to change your mind some time or another." Huh. I suppose I'll need to practice differentiating an understanding look from a devious look. This should count as harassment.
After washing up and eater dinner, I decided to spend the rest of the evening finding more information in the library. It was only about seven, so I had a good number of hours to read. Although I didn't have any specific questions I wanted answered anymore, I've taken a liking to the atmosphere there. It's calm and relaxing, which makes it easy to sort through my thoughts. I pulled out another old book on Nareigakure and flipped through it until I came across a section on my clan. There weren't many scrolls or books regarding my country, village, or clan, but I guess Konoha got a hold of some common information, since the Fire and Sun country were on pretty good terms, so I've heard.
The first few paragraphs spoke of the Youkugan, and some of its common uses in battle, though I've already read and dissected this section down to every single character. The rest of the section spoke about the ancestry of the clan. This, I've only skimmed. As I went through the text, I came across the latest generation of the Shurikane Clan's descendants. Before I could really absorb any of the text, however, I was interrupted.
"You seem to come by quite often, Riku." A familiar voice called from behind. I glanced back to see Kakashi-sensei approach me with a couple of scrolls in his possession as well. "What brings you back here?"
"Nothing really," I answered while staring blankly at the pages before me, but still didn't exactly read any of the words. "And you?"
The jounin took a seat before me and set the scrolls down before answering. "Tsunade-sama wanted me to bring him a few scrolls, but that can wait. Let's chat for a bit." He suggested with his usual kind smile, though I felt like he wouldn't give me a choice in the matter. At least this wasn't starting to feel like an interrogation, or I may have come up with some ridiculous excuse to get out of there.
"How are you holding up with your new team? I hope you get along with them." My reply was a simple nod. "My genin like to tell me that they miss having you around. If you have time, they'd love to have you join us for a training session or two."
This time, I looked up with a faint smirk. "Even the Uchiha?" I asked with a doubtful look, earning a soft laugh from him.
"I'm sure he'd miss a decent sparring partner, though it would be nice if he could just simply get along with Naruto." Kakashi-sensei answered with a slight shrug.
"I'm having a hard time deciding whether that was an insult to my skills are a shinobi or not." I murmured in response, which earned me a soft chuckle from the jounin. I got no clear answer and decided that he was just being difficult.
He seemed to just notice what I was reading and shifted his gaze back to me. His eyes were just slightly more serious than before, but there was no tension rising. "You know, we were rather shocked when we heard about your last mission out in Tetsu no Kuni." He murmured while resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "I'm sure you were, too."
"Discovering that you're the descendant of a supposedly-extinct clan tends to shock oneself." I answered indifferently while playing with the edge of the page. "It's earned me a few stares and whispers when I walk around, though. Especially from other shinobi. I suppose it's lessened over time, but I'd rather it stopped completely. I guess this is what it's like to be Sasuke."
Another faint laugh came from Kakashi-sensei, but didn't make any notable comment in return. "Are you learning about your clan's history?" He asked, somewhat changing the topic while gesturing towards the book. I shrugged and stared down at the page, this time scanning through the page.
"I suppose so." I murmured and paused when I came across a certain name. My gaze froze upon it as I read it over and over, wondering why it seemed so familiar. Well, I suppose it's because it's the name of the last Head of the clan, but there was something else about it that was so…nostalgic.
The jounin seemed to notice how I grew silent and asked if I was all right. I nearly jolted up as I was snapped out of my thoughts before shaking my head to clear them. "Shurikane... Misaki." I murmured to myself while glancing back to Kakashi-sensei. I could've sworn his right eye widened just the tiniest bit in reaction to the name. I narrowed my eyes just slightly, wondering if it was just my imagination or if he had some sort of twitch. "I feel like I know her, aside from her being the Head and all." I clarified before closing the book.
When I looked back at the jounin, he still seemed to be in his own little world. "Kakashi-sensei?" I called out, bringing him back to reality. He looked back at me with a distant look in his eyes before it was blinked away. Hesitantly, I asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"Hm? Maa...no, it's nothing." He answered with an odd smile, fumbled a bit when grabbing the scrolls he was supposed to take to the Hokage, and stood up in a way that seemed subtly unnatural. "If you have any concerns, feel free to come find me." The jounin was gone in a heartbeat.
That night, I had another dream. It started off with several hazy images of a familiar house. No, it was more like a manor of some sort. There were a few voices around but I couldn't seem to hear them. I felt myself being lifted and set onto my feet. I realized that I had been crawling. I was a toddler until the scene changed and I was standing in the middle of a grassy field. Sitting next to me was a young woman, roughly into her mid-twenties or early thirties. She had dark brown hair that reached just past her shoulder blades. The light of the sun blinded me from seeing a portion of her face, the only thing visible being a warm smile.
Before I could move to see who the woman was, a sharp pain struck my chest. I looked down to see a kunai sticking out of it. I was older now and the bright scenery shattered, leaving me in an empty dark space. There was nothing around me until a figure began to appear before me. It was the woman from before, but her back was turned to me. I approached her slowly before realizing she seemed to be taking to a little girl. I could hear the woman's voice, but her words were a mess. Both her voice and the little girl seemed familiar.
"Riku, you must promise me you will always stay strong."
I stopped walking and found myself staring at the woman and the little girl. That little girl was…me? No wonder she seemed familiar. If that little girl was me, then did that mean...?
"Wha-...Mommy, where are you going?"
That woman is my mother? I stepped forward and tried to reach out for her. She gave the younger me a hug and stood up to leave, a regretful look in her eyes. I looked down at the younger me. She was on the verge of tears, but fought them back while choking out, "No...Mommy told me that I have to be strong. I can't cry...!"
"Misaki-sama, you must hurry!" A distant voice called. My mother responded and disappeared into the darkness. Misaki... It didn't take me long to put the pieces together. My mother was the Head of the Shurikane Clan.
When I looked back to where the younger me was supposed to be, I almost jumped back to find that she was replaced by a distorted figure. It was a dead body, with half its head blown off. I could see its bare teeth and its right eye hanging out, resting on the ground in a small pool of blood. The darkness around the corpse seemed to disappear, spreading across my field of vision. It was replaced by a terrain that's been chewed up from battles. I was in the middle of the war once again.
I found myself wandering around the place, seeing faceless shinobi fighting against each other, though none paid any attention to me. Suddenly, I was almost knocked off the ground from what felt like an earthquake, but I heard the loud crashing sound from behind. As I turned around, a large shadow loomed over me. I looked up to see a large red, hairy beast. I was right under it, so I couldn't tell what it was. I rushed out of its way and in front of it to see what it was. When I finally saw its face, I was once again in shock. It was the Yonbi.
The beast noticed me and looked down, its white pupils staring right at me. It seemed to hold much hatred in its eyes and raised its arm to smash me, probably, but I didn't react. This is a dream, after all. "Seeing you in my dreams isn't exactly something I imagined, Yonbi." I commented nonchalantly, but was almost knocked off my feet from the bijuu's response.
"Don't call me by that wretched moniker!" It roared, looming over me in a manner that would definitely make me run for my life if this wasn't a dream. "I have a proper, honourable name, bestowed upon me by the Sage of Six Paths himself!"
Before I could utter a sound, the Yonbi was introducing itself - if this could even count as an introduction - in a rather prideful manner.
"I am -! I am the -! You address his holiness of all heavens, -! Ho haa haa!" Its voice ripped across the battlefield and I had to steady myself as the ground shook from the sheer volume of his bellowing. Unfortunately, as most dreams tend to be hazy, I couldn't quite catch his name, or whatever else it was he was saying.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" I asked in a slightly hesitant manner, afraid that the demon would get irritated. As I feared, it threw a bit of a fit.
"Damn brat, use your ears! Stupid human, my name is -! -!" It roared while glowering at me. Although I still didn't catch his name, I decided to nod and refrain from asking once more.
As the echoes of its roaring died away, its eyes went back to staring right at me. The bijuu was now crouched down enough so that its nose was right above me. I wasn't even as tall as one of his elongated canines. "Hmph. So you ended up here, huh? I take it you're going to try and enslave me now, eh?!"
My brows were now furrowed in confusion. "Why would I try to do that?" I responded, causing the Yonbi to give me a curious look. "I can barely use ninjutsu. What makes you think I'm capable of controlling a bijuu?"
"You...You're sensible, for a human at least." It huffed while straightening up, though its intimidating eyes remained fixated on me. "If you're not here for my power, then what the hell are you here for?" It spoke with a growl in its voice, almost as if I was being threatened into a somewhat uncomfortable conversation of some sort.
"I-" I stopped myself immediately after uttering that one sound.
I was going to say that this wasn't by choice since this is a dream, and that everything around me, including the Yonbi, was just a product of my subconscious imagination, but that didn't seem like a good thing to say right now. Telling such a prideful being that they don't really exist, whether they be real or not, didn't seem like the greatest idea.
After clearing my throat, I gave it another shot. "Why are you destroying the village?" That seemed like a good start. I was pretty curious about that, anyway. I'm pretty sure my clan used the Yonbi to win the war, so why was it simply going on a rampage?
"Hrmph. Those selfish humans dare to enslave me, the Great -! Fools, the lot of you stupid humans, enslaving me like this! Us intelligent apes should be the ones enslaving humans! Hoo haah!"
Although I knew why he was so angry, I didn't fail to realize that the selfish humans he was talking about was my clan. I kindly informed him of this fact as humbly as I could so I wouldn't upset him even more. His fit of raged died down and he lowered his glare to me. "Ho haa haa! You're not like the rest of your clan, but being weak isn't much better, ignorant brat."
I woke up after that.