Article 30 - Chapter 26 - Inspiring the Next Generation
Warnings: I do not own Naruto, it's intellectual property is owned by none other than Masashi Kishimoto. I own the OC's that I've added to the story and nothing more.
Notes: Wow, another 10k word chapter for you all! The words came easy when I sat down to write, but actually sitting down to write and edit is the difficult part. Everyone should thank writegood and Redderthanred31 for both Beta reading for me and helping me to make the chapter even better. You both rock!
-Also, still accepting Beta readers! Hit me up with a PM-
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Last Chapter: Excerpt)
(Hiruzen POV)
My trusted Anbu took his leave as I pulled open a desk drawer reaching into it for Trusty, my old friend. Fumbling around in the drawer for the pipe, I instead bumped my hand into a folder. Recognizing it, I pulled it out, my eye caught by the text.
"Thesis: The similarity of agricultural and medical uses of nutrient replacement."
"Mina Hyuga… What are you playing at?"
┬┴┬┴┤ Chapter 26 ├┬┴┬┴
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Mina POV)
That old codger played me! How could I say no to an early promotion opportunity and after I had practically begged to be put into the Konoha Police Force even if it was out of context. It would be in firm opposition of what I had established was my motivation. Being-X this is thanks to you isn't it?!
The elite Jonin standing before mewas one of the most dangerous people in the village to me specifically. Too wise to be reliably deceived. Too loyal and honorable to see the bigger picture. And too strong to overpower even with my puppet at the moment.
"You will start by learning the law. Your assignment over the next week is to write each of these codes and protocols twice by hand."
-And worst of all, he's not even a real teacher! He expects you to do all the work and then proceeds to take credit for it! He is infuriating!
"...Yes sensei."
Kakashi's partially covered face remained stoic, but I sensed a smugness stemming from getting to put me through the grinder.
Despite my impeccable dynamic vision, kakashi vanished before my eyes.
Although anger flooded my conscious, his artful execution of the body flicker was impressive.
Raising the tome of law and flipping through the pages, the task which was already formidable became more daunting.
He's probably still nearby, that or taking care of his duties without me. Wasn't his job basically to babysit me and he can't even do that right!
"No matter, he probably expects me to fail, and that reason alone is enough of a reason to prove him wrong."
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I had been waiting patiently for any word from Obito since I sent out a message three days ago.
I was too busy to think much about it with copying the dreadfully dull law text. My dominant hand hurt, feeling so crippled that I started experimenting with the other to questionable success. The characters were a bit larger and plenty sloppier despite spending more effort.
If I wasn't working the hardest, how could I set a proper example for my clones?
Casually maintaining 15 clones for so long, although they weren't expending chakra, gradually fatigued me leading me to question what kind of monster Naruto was in cannon even with the nine tailed fox suppressing his own chakra.
My bedroom barely fit all of us, many crowded onto my bed and the floor.
This isn't cheating, he only specified that I write the laws by hand which I am. Much like a legal specialist, finding and exploiting the loopholes of law is a necessity to force progress.
I had four days remaining before the deadline and I was nearly done, perhaps I'll write three copies to go above and beyond expectations. How else can I earn his genuine respect besides my work ethic?
Distorting buzz broke all copies of me from our collective focus, our heads swiveling along the same axis.
"Come along."
A winding vortex in the corner of my room with only an arm and mask poking out from it, the hand motioning me to enter. Before accepting his invitation, I dispelled all but one of my clones, leaving that one to hold the fort down while I stepped out. My single remaining clone already retrieved my satchel and had thrown it in my direction.
Plucking it out of the air by the fluttering strap, I swung it onto my back, then turning my attention back to the aesthetically swirling hole in space, I took an excited breath.
I've come this far, and I was but literal steps from a long time aspiration. An obsession. My relentless pursuit to find an answer to combat Being-X. I already conquered my fear of failure. I already sacrificed so much, even other peoples' lives to arrive at this moment. All that was left was to seize it.
Emotion was starting to defeat my self-discipline. I trembled with anticipation. I found myself wiping away a quick tear at the realization that what I had always wanted was now within my reach. The sensation was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.
What if it wasn't enough. What if the Sharingan couldn't rewrite me back into existence if Being-X smited me? What if Being-X was more powerful than I had ever imagined and in the end it would all be meaningless?
I wasn't terrified because I was worried about any of those things. I was terrified because I wasn't. I wasn't scared of Being-X anymore, I was afraid that my rationality had completely left me. I wasn't weighed down by doubt, or guilt, or anything. I felt free.
I had chosen my path and I would continue on no matter what. In the end, there will be one. ME OR BEING-X.
I plunged into the welcoming hypnotic vortex, my ears being assaulted by the ambiance. Spit out on the other side as the portal closed, I saw a most grand display which made my heart soar.
Humongous cubical pillars of gray stone spread in every direction. Each one seeming like its own land mass to the far reaches of visibility 'till fading to darkness. The massive stone mass we were situated on was lit with torches which could only spread its light so far.
The sky was dyed black, that is if what was above me was actually even a sky, I couldn't really tell.
Two stars, painted in what I guessed was a type of black ink, intersected themselves with Kanji written along the lines. The Stars each stretched at least 10 yards in diameter and both were surrounded by a singular circle made up of additional Kanji. The landscape and sealing area was captivating leaving my breath trapped in my lungs.
"Woah." I marveled.
"Magnificent isn't it?"
"Yeah… So this is your own dimension." I said looking over to Obito realizing he had already began preparations.
I had stepped through his portals before, but it was always like a gateway between two different spaces within my accepted reality. This was my first time experiencing Obito's personal dimension.
He crouched down running his black gloved hand along one of the many lines.
"Madara hardly talked about you, but he only ever had good things to say."
"Yeah? Well no one was closer to Madara than me."
"I agree. He said you managed to awaken your Mangekyo in life only moments after himself. The second Uchiha to ever awaken the Mangekyo. He was very proud of you."
My gut clenched at his words. Why would he say this? What is his aim? He emphasized that Izuna was the second to awaken the MS, why here, why now?
Something felt off about this, It probably wouldn't be safe to agree with him. It's a risk, but It's a risk I need to take.
"What are you talking about? I was the first to unlock the Mangekyo. I was younger than him and the pioneer of the earliest techniques."
Obito didn't move from his crouched position, his back to me.
"Is that right? I must have been misinformed... Please forgive my ignorance Izuna."
His words felt empty, like a shell of his real intention. That was a test wasn't it? Did I pass?
"Hn."
"We should get to work then. Step into the center." He said pointing to a spot with a finger.
No fear, No doubt, No regret. I am the great Izuna Uchiha, There's nothing I can do but play my part.
"Excellent. -And thank you for your assistance. I'm surprised fuinjutsu is becoming a lost art. The Hyuga don't even let me practice it…"
With a grin, I took my spot, anticipation eating at me.
"Yes, well I'm sure they don't want to arm you with the key to break their clans hidden sealing technique."
I responded with a slight nod to which Obito answered by slamming his palms into the ground.
The ink shifted color to neon blue and began glowing. The seal on the ground began collapsing on itself becoming smaller. The luminous blue chakra infused ink began crawling up my foot and leg. It felt incredibly hot to the point I was sure it would leave burns on my skin.
I clenched my teeth tight fighting to silence my pain. Distorted text and lines kept traveling up my skin reminding me of something akin to Orochimaru's curse mark.
My heart pounded inside my rib-cage as I failed to hold back an unbecoming whimper from escaping. My breath shot hot in and out of my nostrils, the notable smell of steam filling my sinuses.
"Hold steadfast. Let it merge with you." He directed.
I stilled every muscle in my body that wasn't convulsing in pain, the circle having encroached fully and the entire seal spread over my body.
Obito approached me while I was in a helpless state just trying to appear strong. The pain had subsided during the duration the seal stopped moving.
He walked past and then behind me. My mind was still hazy and discombobulated. Something hard struck me in the back between the shoulder blades. The ink covering my body broke back into movement, all in motion towards where I had been struck.
I could feel every line, every dot, and every character retreating to my back. My eyes watched in mingled horror and satisfaction as they all raced over my skin.
Just a little more. Just a little bit more!
Ragged pants fell out of my agape mouth unable to hold it shut any longer.
Still standing miraculously, I scanned over my arms and legs noticing the seal was gone from those areas, it had consolidated considerably even if it still wasn't finished.
Accept it! Become part of me… Let us merge.
Finally the pain ceased vanishing like a figment of the imaginary. My deep breaths helping me recover.
"Ultimate Neno-Katasu-Kuni Ten Prong Vanishing Seal - Complete!"
My legs faltered beneath me. As I fell I reached out catching myself on the ground before collapsing. My fingers shook and twitched about while holding myself upright.
"The seal merges with your chakra so you can call upon it at will. Also it will be hidden unless in use so you won't have to worry about people discovering it, however even if they do they won't break the strongest Uchiha sealing technique in existence."
No longer in pain and the exhaustion quickly fading, I scrambled up feeling absolutely victorious.
I've done it. I've beaten the leaf village with my secured escape plan, and I have a viable tool to use against that shitty god! All that remains is to become more familiar with that tool 'till the point it becomes an extension of my person. I'll never let 'it' look down on me again.
I burst into enthusiastic laughter. I had never felt this way before. I had never felt as in control of everything as I did in this moment. It was intoxicating. Truly Addictive.
"It's nice to be back. Hahahahahahahaha!"
Obito watched me as I caved to my overflowing elation. This moment I wished I could live on a loop.
This is it. This is pure bliss. Obito, I owe this to you.
"I'm in your debt. I can't begin to describe my appreciation. I feel sorry for those without the sharingan."
Walking closer, he stopped in front of me swooping an arm in and resting it on my shoulder.
"Glad to hear it, because there is still much to be done." He said with a nod.
My smile widened and my facial muscles were starting to feel tired. I can't think of the last time I smiled for so long so absolutely.
Making my way back to the satchel resting on the ground, I flipped it open retrieving the parchment inside my secret compartment.
Activating it in my hand, the expected half-body appeared in my hand atop the storage scroll. Reinforcing my arm with chakra, I brought it out in front of me, admiring both my craftsmanship and treasure. My spare hand rested on my chest, over the pendant that was my other treasure.
Don't worry Ayasha, I'll wipe Orochimaru off the face of the planet. I won't let him get away with taking you away. I'll make him pay.
Leon's skin had tanned a bit from petrification, his spine hung out exposed below his torso, and in the center of his forehead was embedded the remaining EMS eye awakened by Neeko. I took a few extra moments to marvel at the color and beauty of the eyes. They were black like polished onyx even sparkling like jewels and they were even more beautiful after transformation.
"You look happy."
Without pulling my attention away, I only nodded. My mouth was embarrassingly salivating quite a bit so I took the time to swallow.
Fighting back my pride, I lifted the puppet overhead, setting it down slowly on my back. Forming a stem diverging from my spine and pushing it out of my body, I merged my bone structure with the exposed spine.
I Materialized Chakra threads. I wrapped them all around the divergent spine layering the exterior with additional calcified bone connecting and merging with Leon.
"How do I activate the seal and store the puppet?" I asked.
Obito stood motionless staring off into space turned away from me again.
"Imagine a dark bottomless hole in your mind and the target you wish to store, then imagine a bit of your chakra and your target disappearing into the void. To retrieve it you'd nearly do the opposite, imagining chakra entering the void and the stored target exiting it being exchanged for said chakra."
"I see. So the trick is visualization. Got it."
This should be easy for me. I've imagined the arc and trajectory of many things in both lives. This will be an exercise on a similar level I imagine.
I closed my eyes painting a hole… darker… It needs to be even darker. A void not even light can escape -yes. Now, Imagine Leon with his frosted highlights in that mop of his hair.
I imagined His tanned complexion, his toned musculature, his three onyx black eyes, the scroll grasped in his hand, and his merged spine.
Now… Everything disappear, vanish into the void!
Inside my head Leon and the parchment he clutched in his hands fell into the unending and bottomless void. Channeling chakra through my body, consciously I imagined part of the flow joining Leon disappearing and leaving only the black nothingness which originated.
I suddenly felt considerably lighter, opening my eyes and reaching an arm behind me patting the place where Leon had previously been mounted. Something hard and shaped like several of those popcorn packaging pellets of my old world except hard as rock touched my fingertips. The puppet was gone and all that was left was my exposed spine.
Consciously I imagined my skin stretching out and coming together mending the gap where my skin no longer sat. I felt the tightness and elasticity of the skin as it pulled and reformed. The gap had been rectified and I was a new person.
I am Izuna Uchiha!
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(Neji POV)
The room was warm and noisy. Murmurs of other students as well as chirping birds filled the air. The seat beside me was noticeably vacant making me drum my fingers on the desk of impulse.
"Yeah, we should totally play ninja when class is over but I get to be a team captain!" I heard recognizing the voice's owner as Kagetsu.
I bit my lip gently, only hard enough until the pain was the focus of my mind.
"Ha~ yeah. Anyone who wants to come play can -Except you Lee, no one wants you on their team." Tatsuya said.
Mina and Sasuke were both absent from the class, Mina because she was excused due to extracurriculars while Sasuke still hadn't returned since the incident.
Everyone in class was doing their own thing now that class was effectively over even if we hadn't been dismissed yet. I would need to head back to the clan as soon as we were finished here.
While sitting restless and bored, I spied two people in the corner of the room which were the only two not talking, a boy and a girl.
The girl is from a trash clan and probably wouldn't make it to graduation so I hadn't bothered to remember her name, but the boy sitting next to her I did know, Iwaizumi Nara. He was a failure compared to clan kids always in the middle of the pack, but I could tell he was smarter than he let on.
He never spoke unless spoken to, and he hardly showed any interest in improvement meaning he was worthless. I hadn't talked with him but maybe twice of necessity since joining the academy.
He always spent his free time reading which reminded me vaguely of someone else I knew when she wasn't training.
I had already written him off, but I still found myself curious.
Maybe I'll go talk to him for a minute, just to confirm my suspicions.
Pushing my chair back and standing, I grabbed the chair moving it over to the desk behind his because of a lack of free chairs in the room.
"Is all you do read?" I asked catching the attention of the brunette girl beside him.
She looked between us several times as he provided no response, not even bothering to look up from his book.
"He's not really a people person." The girl said.
"Nara, Did you hear me?" I asked a bit perturbed.
With a sigh, he slipped a bookmark into the book closing it. He turned around in his seat sideways swinging his neck and stopping to lock onto me. After seeing me his brow pulled together seeming irritated.
"What is it?"
"Do you do anything except read?" I rephrased the question.
"Do you do anything but train?" He retorted.
He was irritating trying to reverse my own question like that.
"If you don't train then you won't be prepared to become a ninja." I said with a smirk.
"And even if I trained like you it wouldn't guarantee I'd be prepared either. Are we done here?"
"So what, nothings guaranteed so why try? Is that it?"
He slouched over in his chair harder, leaning closer to myself. "Not everyone is fit to be excellent, it must be hard to comprehend for you isn't it prodigy?"
The girl's jaw hung in awe open watching the discussion heating up.
"I can't get him to say more than a few words to me." She announced.
I ignored her, smiling harder at my apparent victory by the Nara's forfeit. "Yes, well we can't all be born destined for greatness, that much is true. It seems you understand your place."
Slamming his hands on the desk capturing the attention of the rest of the room, He started towards the door.
"Iwa-chan, where are you headed? We've still got 11 minutes." Watari Sensei said.
He turned around scowling from between the door frame. "Bathroom."
Acceptingly Sensei nodded excusing him.
I was right after all. Uninspired and worthless.
"Don't mind him. My name is Tenten, it's nice to meet you." The girl said with a friendly smile.
I looked back to her having my curiosity already quenched. "Did I ask for your name?"
She frowned, crossing her arms now pouting. "You two deserve each other."
What? He was nothing like me. I had conviction and talent, while he was undisciplined and talentless. There was no comparison, was there?
"I don't understand." I said confused.
"Figures."
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(Mina POV)
A gentle knock arrived from my bedroom door. Without even finishing the sentence I was writing, I dropped my pen and dispelled my clones.
"You have a visitor Mina." Tokuma's voice rang out through the door.
"Who is it? Neji?"
The door slid open revealing a short girl with lustrous dark blue locks aside my parental figure.
"Hinata! What are you doing here?" I asked as I noticed her eye the various papers lying scattered around my room.
"Umm… Well, I -erm- came here to see you."
Quickly I made my way over to her giving her a hug which she accepted timidly. I struggled internally knowing how long was acceptable to hold the hug so I released her prematurely not to cross any lines.
Physical contact helps build rapport which would be ideal, but it often requires the use of knowing when to gradually escalate after having already gone so far.
Tokuma smiled after witnessing the display waving as he retreated back downstairs.
"So whats up?"
"... Well, you see… Do you remember when you said… that you'd help me be more confident?"
"Mhmm!" I hummed giving her an energetic nod and a smile. "You want me to help you?"
Hinata pressed her fingers together playing with them turning away and looking at the floor.
"...Yes."
"Well, what's in it for me?" I asked sarcastically.
Hinata looked up surprised probably not expecting that.
"Well… I have-"
"-I was only kidding. Of course I'll help you. I said so before didn't I?"
A genuine smile spread across her face and her cheeks reddened. She wasn't having trouble holding eye contact with me after that which was awesome. My heart beat faster in my chest.
I am lucky I get to see such pure emotions from her.
"Thank you so much." She said without hesitation.
"-But it'll be difficult. There will be times you'll want to quit, but when it's all over you will feel like a new person."
The shining admiration and excitement was as evident as a ray of light in the dark. It was a rare experience I felt blessed to witness.
Love is much simpler than people make it out to be. The core of Love stems from a willingness to interpret people's behavior and understanding why they are behaving that way. True love is not about accepting the whole of us. We as people are appalling, I know this better than anyone, but Hinata might be the least appalling person I've ever met.
"I'll-I'll never give up." She said with determination despite stuttering, her eyes sparkling.
Romanticism is a lie. We are not pure, kind, loving beings looking for a soul mate. We are dangerous beings on the brink of insanity. That is what it means to be human. We all have impulses, feelings, and desires. I desire to be better, can Hinata make me better?
"Great. That passion is great Hinata, It means you really want to change."
Lovers want to see you become better people, that's why they need to critique us. I want to make her better and protect her… and maybe I could become just a little more like her.
A vision of Leon's half mutilated body entered my thoughts to my horror.
"Is… everything alright?" Hinata asked.
If I could just be with her for a while before I defect… Can she make me better? Can she make me more like her?
"Ha~Yeah, sorry, I was thinking about what training we could do." I lied.
I'm getting ahead of myself. There's no guarantee Hinata will even accept me.
"Let's go outside." I said, shifting my weight onto my toes raring to go.
Hinata smiled and nodded determined.
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Hinata was too gentle. She didn't like the idea of inflicting pain, but underneath all of that I noticed she hated the idea of being a burden even more. A glorious flame of desire burned within her, and that was something I could work with.
"Hold it… Another 30 seconds aught to be good. You can keep going right?" I asked.
Flexing my obliques and keeping my legs perfectly straight, my body maintained the pinnacle of steadiness.
Hinata's legs trembled and her butt lifted in the air due to a lack of strength.
"Hhhhshh" She gasped while her arms still held her up. "N-n-no problem."
Both locked into plank positions, we fought to improve ourselves. Second by second passed, An eye locked on the open silver pocket watch. Hinata's face hung close to the ground, her shoulders quaking from the building effort to persevere.
She dropped landing in the dirt panting. Frustrated she slapped the ground with her hands.
"Urgh! Useless!" She whispered to herself.
"Hinata, you did great, you shouldn't be upset." I said in honesty.
"Your… just trying to make me feel better right?" She asked tears welling in her eyes. "-Because I'm useless."
Blood in my temple throbbed while jumping to my feet.
"Not at all. You have a terrible habit of comparing yourself to others. Do the best you can and be content with that."
I was giving her advice, but despite knowing of its validity, it was difficult advice to accept. After all, I still struggle not comparing myself to others.
"Why do you think we're doing things you could do by yourself?" I asked hoping to convince her.
"..."
Hinata's silence let me know to keep going.
"It's because they are things you can compete versus yourself in. Strive for self-progress and understanding then everything will come in time. Tunneling on the destination should be the last thing you want to do. Instead, focus on the journey of improvement."
My hypocrisy cut into me. I had found myself now sputtering off the words of Tokuma, but that was fine as long as they helped Hinata. I just wanted her to be happy with herself and if that was possible it would be acceptable.
"Alright, grab some water and then you'll run a lap around the trail. I'll time you to get a baseline, but it won't help us unless you dig deep and give me everything you've got so that next time when you beat that time it will already show your improvement."
Wobbling onto her feet, her eyes glinting with hope met mine despite the obvious discord with her mentality and her body.
"I'll get better. T-T-Thank you so-oo much." She said with a sniffle.
I let her take a quick break before starting the next exercise, not of pity, but of wanting to see her do her best. Afterwards I counted her off and she passionately burst over the starting line I drew with a branch.
I followed behind her as she ran, glancing down every now and again to check on the stopwatch.
[00:03:32] - [00:05:47] - [00:07:04] - [00:09:36]
"Pace yourself, you've still got another 2 miles."
She was caked in sweat, panting ruggedly still determined to finish strong. Stains had formed down her back and beneath her arms.
If she doesn't have an opponent she needs to compare herself to, seems she can give it her all.
She was amazing. Fury ignited inside nearly blinding me from my shaking vision. The unfair treatment she was given all this time was unwarranted. She always had the potential. How were they so blind they never saw it?
Inside her I saw a younger version of myself. Nieve about the workings of the world wanting to be accepted. Her limitations were that she was falling behind her competition and left to dry which was oddly similar to how I once felt.
Being so short, coaches and trainers didn't see a worthy investment for their time to nurture my talent, spending their time on taller and more naturally athletic players. I hadn't improved solely on my own merit back then, but it was a constant struggle to prove myself worthy to receive that help that pushed me to be the best I could. And still in the end, it was like everyone who doubted me was proved right when my eyesight deteriorated. Not for any of the reasons they might have thought, but because I hadn't achieved the greatness I craved.
It's such a shame.
Although I found a lot of positive qualities about her, with my active Byakugan I could tell her prolonged chakra cultivation throughout her body for enhancement was still at a novice level.
Hmm… She became proficient enough to use it in short spurts over the course of the clan training, but couldn't maintain it. I guess she never needed either stamina or long-term control because she would fail before it was necessary. It's something important to instill in her.
She kept running, gradually losing steam and pace.
"It's now when your effort will mean the most. If you can keep giving your all till the end you'll be closer to change than you have ever been!" I encouraged.
Her legs moved faster after my words, hardly enough that would matter towards her time, but the effort didn't slip past me unnoticed.
[00:11:29] - [00:13:27] - [00:16:44] - [00:21:15]
Her running form had long broken down from fatigue, being compelled to move forward from pure willpower. It was inspiring to witness. I broke out in goosebumps and got chills even though it was sweltering outside.
The finish line where we had started appeared tantalizingly at the edge of visibility.
Her speed had died down on average over the long expedition, but she still seemed to me to be putting most (if not all) of her effort into it still which was all that I asked of her.
"You're so close. Finish strong Hinata-hime."
"Hueeeeph-pheeew-Hueeeeph-pheeew"
She didn't kick up her speed or shift gears with the objective, being the finish line, so near.
"You can cheat me, but can you accept cheating on yourself?" I coached.
Her speed fell slightly at my words. I noticed that she took my criticism as negative reinforcement even though it had not been meant that way at all.
Slightly upset by the ending, but still massively impressed by the majority of our practice session, I congratulated Hinata as she crossed the finish line while glancing at my watch.
"You did wonderful for your first time out, You really pushed yourself and now you have a goal to beat, but don't think I didn't see you losing focus there at the end."
[00:22:21]
I hoped I laced my last statement with enough positives to offset her self destruction at criticism.
She collapsed onto her butt trying to suck all the air from her surroundings greedily.
"You'll have an easier time breathing if you put both your arms overhead, it opens your airways." I said showing her by example. "-Like this"
She panted for some time before leaning back and lying on the ground.
"I failed! I gave up at the end just like you said. I'll never be confident! I'm hopeless! I can't change, I'm so sorry!"
Shocked by her sudden outburst, I walked over to her and slapped her in the face.
"Hinata! Look at me. Hinata!" I shouted while she gaped at me in distress. "Confidence comes from preparation. -From knowing that you've done everything you could so that there is no longer any room for doubt or regret."
"-I'm just not strong like you. You were confident before you ever prepared! What makes you think I can be anything when I've always been nothing!" She shouted.
"Hinata. Since when have you ever been able to talk to me like that? It's only been one day and you can already speak your mind more clearly."
Realizing this, she sheepishly turned away flushing even redder despite already being overheated and taxed.
"Hinata. What do you fear?" I asked.
"..."
"Do you know?"
She sat still and silent for several creeping moments. I wanted to shout the full extent of everything on my mind, but knew that it would accomplish nothing if she wasn't ready to hear it.
Finally she shook her head 'no' indicating I could continue.
"The greatest fears we experience are internal. They come from inside us, and that's because we all have dreams. It can be scary to accept your dream and even scarier to say that you want that dream for yourself. Do you know why?"
She frowned looking deeply puzzled.
"Because I might fail?" she asked hoping for me to clear it up.
"Because when you dedicate yourself and put your soul into something and fail, your worried all that effort will be wasted and you question how you'd feel about yourself if that happens. It's easier to not try and never fail, than to give something your all and never reach your dreams isn't it?"
"That's exactly how I feel! It's the worst. I-I've always been like that, I don't want to! I-I hate it!" she said.
"Then you have to be fearless. You have to just go for it and be damned if it doesn't work out. You won't know unless you try! When someone tells you that you can't do something doesn't it make you upset? Does it make you angry? Channel that rage into something more constructive than feeling bad. Just think 'You don't know that!' or 'yes I can.'
"...Y-y...YES I CAN!" she shouted. "YES I CAN!"
Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her emotion was proof that she had what I had. She had the Mamba Mentality. She had my most desired trait that took so long to instill in myself and all she needed was for someone to help drag it out of her. She had the heart of a champion, like my greatest idol from my last world: Kobe Bryant.
"YES YOU CAN!" I encouraged.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
My footsteps fell in a steady rhythm on the pavement. I was certain that my appearance was a disgrace to womankind, hair in disarray and smelly from training, but I had already been in the vicinity so I figured I might as well stop by the hospital anyways.
Outside the building I noticed a man garbed in white robes etched with red. He also wore a large white brimmed hat embroidered with the land of fire's emblem. The Sandaime.
"Ah Mina-kun, how are you enjoying your mentorship?" He asked.
Like chewing on glass.
"It's been… educational." I admitted.
"Wonderful, glad to hear." He said his eyes pinching shut with a smile. "Do you have a moment?"
He wants to talk to me? About what? Was he waiting here for me?
"Of course Hokage-sama." I said with a slight bow of necessity.
He opened his body up uncrossing his arms. "Yes. I hear you've attempted to visit Sasuke-kun daily since your arrival back in the village."
My guard and alertness jumped several levels. I tried to determine what conclusions he may have jumped to with that knowledge and if it were actually important enough to be standing in front of the hospital for such a reason.
"He is a treasured friend. I'm sure he would do the same for me."
"Yes, well I went ahead and informed the staff to allow you to visit him now."
Something wasn't right. He could have had an underling send news but instead he came here himself. There must be more to this.
"You're troubling yourself personally so that I can visit Sasuke then? Thank you. I'm not trying to sound unappreciative or anything, but did you have to come personally or…?" I asked confused.
He chuckled under his breath, life leaking from the elders laugh.
"The village is my family and I wish for nothing more than everyone's well being. I wanted to inform the staff in person for no other reason than to help."
In all those words, he somehow found a way to not answer my question… that is unless he meant that he wanted to feel better by delivering the news himself in person. If that's true how do you get any work done at all?
"Yes, I see… So I can go see Sasuke-kun then?" I said unable to hold my excitement back.
He nodded sagely at my question. "Indeed, don't let me keep you." he said with a friendly wave.
Nodding back, I decided to leave him with another pleasantry before parting. "Thank you again Hokage-sama, It means a lot to me."
"Heh, Go run ahead now and see your friend." he said with a grin turning his back to me and making his way down the path.
People along the walkway parted allowing him to pass. Bystanders had stopped and stared at us or perhaps just him as we had been talking, but now they were only watching him as he left.
I let out an uneasy breath, tension fading from my body from the encounter.
Entering the hospital and making my way to the receptionist on duty, I was shortly escorted down a staircase by an on duty ninja after informing them of the nature of my visit.
Following him down a narrow hallway, we stopped outside a room with two people seated outside clad in obfuscated ninja attire beneath traveler robes. They looked as if they were trying to blend seamlessly into the environment, both of their eyes' training on me as I approached.
One of the hallways lighting fixtures eerily flicked on and off quickly every couple of seconds. The rooms along the way all seemed vacant. This wing of the hospital seemed deserted besides for the Shinobi.
Without words, one stood up and opened the door to the room revealing a dim room devoid of active light.
I stepped inside, the door closing behind me leaving me closed into the dark space.
The room wasn't dark enough to blind me, but all the same I flicked up the lightswitch mounted on the nearest wall. The figure lying still in bed hissed tossing upside down from the light.
"Turn it off!"
"Are you allergic to light now or are you just trying to wallow?"
The boy turned to me squinting and shielding his eyes with his hands while still lying down, his expression sullen.
"..."
"How are you physically? Are you hurt?" I asked.
The boy still refused to say anything, likely still struggling to see anything being bathed in the overhead fluorescent bulbs light.
Realizing my current approach wasn't working, I decided to try something different.
I approached his bed, turning and sitting beside him where he lay. The recognizable Iodoform scent mixed with body odor might have been enough to gag me if I hadn't spent so much time in the sewers lately.
I reached for his hand which was snaked underneath his white medical sheets, but he pulled it back not allowing me to grab it.
"hn."
"You are especially personable today." I emphasized.
"You are especially intolerable today." he finally responded.
At least he's got jokes.
Our stares met in a heated deadlock, but he relented gazing off to his side.
"You smell like shit." I said.
"Yeah? You smell especially personable."
I couldn't help but crack a grin, and despite knowing he was fighting back his own, it still slipped onto his face.
"I'm… such an idiot."
"Why?"
"The person I thought I could trust the most… He destroyed my life, my family, and my home."
I thought about his words, fishing for something I could say. Maybe something sympathetic but I hadn't ever been in a situation like his.
"I can't imagine. I lost the most important person in my life... twice. I lost my home before, but I don't think it quite stacks up to what you've been through…"
"It's impossible to ever go back. I can't move on and be the same person I was before."
"I can't blame you." I said. "So what is it? Is revenge what you want?"
"I… I thought I understood. I thought I understood what you meant back when you told me about Orochimaru, when he took Ayasha-san from you... I'm an idiot. I understood nothing. It's people like them who are everything that's wrong with the world. They are a plague that consumes everything until nothing is left."
This was my opportunity.
"You're right. I couldn't agree more." I said. "Sasuke, we are different. Everyone else is going on about with their lives oblivious, Content to just keep living. But us? We are stuck standing still. We will use that pain as a source of fuel to see change. We are avengers."
"I'll kill him. I can't stand even the thought of him. He used - He…" He choked. "He lied to me and pretended to be my loving brother, slaughtered my entire family. And for what? To measure his abilities?"
Tears welled up in his eyes. His breathing staggered and several of his words had gotten trapped in is throat trying to open up to me. My stomach churned and I thought I might vomit.
"He s-spared me because he thought I was worthless unless I had his eyes. He told me I had to kill my best friend to have the same power he had. I'll never listen to him. I refuse to walk his path and let him control me like-like a puppet!" Sasuke cried.
The irony… If he only knew that I was kind of doing the same thing. That is brother loved him more than anything. My chest hurt hearing him break in front of me. The reality of my own actions causing his suffering was a price I would have to live with the rest of my life. I didn't know it would be this hard. I knew everything that happened to him before, but it didn't help soften the blow. I am the monster.
"He used his ultimate power to make me watch him kill everyone! Everyone I ever cared about, Everyone who I called family. He even killed the illusion of my loving brother. ALL AT ONCE HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! I CAN NEVER FORGET - NEVER FORGIVE!"
He threw his arms around me panting into my ear. His moist tears dripping onto my shoulder soaking it. His sobbing chokes deeply disturbed me. My blood ran cold throughout my body, my arms were limp and numb and I couldn't find any words at all to say.
I had done this to him. I knew what I was doing all along… I couldn't have changed it, not without giving away the opportunity to get my hands on the mangekyo. As bad as sasuke feels now, if he knew the threat of Being-X he would understand right? He could forgive me correct?
I squeezed him back trying to hold myself back from crying. The image of Ayasha filled my mind, she couldn't even look at what I had become.
She had forsaken me - vanishing from my mind like a tactical retreat. If she ever really knew, there's no way she could love me after what I've done - What I've become. I'm too deep to ever return to the folds of humanity. I am Izuna Uchiha, the monster.
"You and me, that's all we need. W-we don't need anyone else, okay? I'll help you kill Itachi. We will become an unstoppable team of destruction. We'll wipe every monster from the face of the planet." I said
That means we would have to kill me.
"It's a deal, you can help me kill Itachi, and I will help you kill Orochimaru. Together we will become lethal weapons. I… I don't know where I would be without you."
I do.
"We can't tell anyone. This has got to stay a secret between just us." I said.
"Duh? I might be an idiot but I'm not stupid… wait I-"
"-I think you're plenty stupid, just the way I like you." I teased dabbing at my itchy eyes still clouded. Sasuke's face was distorted from the refraction of my vision.
"Yeah? Well you're still a loser. You're lucky you have an idiot like me." he said.
"You're right. I couldn't ask for a better friend. Thank you."
Seriously, thank you. You and Neji might be the only people I can be myself around even If i can never tell you about some of the terrible things I've done. I wonder if I'll ever be able to repay my debt to you.
Look at me… I've become attached. Attached to people I'll probably just end up losing. But I'm different than I used to be, I will cherish the bonds I have while I have them, You taught me that Ayasha.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
He was supposed to meet me in the morning, at this spot at 9am.
A week has passed since my assignment to copy the tome of law twice over. Pride swelled within me as I flipped through the innumerable pages in hand.
Instead of two copies, I had managed to finish the third copy to go above and beyond despite still having the free time to train Hinata, participate in clan duties, send the Hokage a report on the inner workings of the Hyuga, and visit Sasuke twice inside the hospital.
I might be a monster, but I am a very competent little monster.
Sasuke would soon be discharged which was good news. He's been pestering me to let him know what I had been up to but I told him it would be a secret 'till he got out. I didn't want to have to explain that I was doing a vocational apprenticeship to be allowed early promotion in what would be historically his birthright, the Konoha Police Force. It would cause problems and I could deal with those repercussions after he was out.
The four stone faces of the past and present Hokages carved in the mountain loomed over the village. The sun high in the sky beating down with heat informed me how late sensei was for our rendezvous.
He was as inpunctual as I remembered, if not worse. I feared I may pull my hair out of frustration before he would show.
Does he think my time is valueless? Does he realize that I could be doing more important things right now with my time than waiting around for him?
A cloud of smoke materialized alerting me to the arrival of another. The copy ninja standing before me with a disinterested expression. His face was covered, and it was doubtful he would show me anything he didn't want me to see, so it was just a hunch, but I doubted my hunch was too far off base.
"You are - 3 hours and 14 minutes late. I bet you have a wonderful excuse." I said not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.
"I got lost on the road of life."
Ah yes… I remember this, this is going to be cancer to have to deal with on a regular basis.
"Wonderful. Perhaps you should take a map with you next time?" I poked.
"I don't think I like you." He stated matter of factly.
"No? But I like you so much I even wrote an extra copy of the tome of law, just for you sensei." I said holding out the papers to him for him to accept.
Instead he looked dumbly at me.
"You wrote… three copies?" Grabbing the papers out of my hand, he flipped through three or maybe four pages before stopping, folding them up, and then sticking them into his pouch mounted on his rear end. "What a dedicated pupil I have."
"So what are we going-"
"What do you think the purpose was of copying the laws?" He asked.
"To commit them for memorization as to not make mistakes policing the village." I said proudly.
Correct. These-" He said patting his pouch "-These are the laws of the land. Rules citizens abide by, as well as rules for those who are trusted to enforce them. What do you think happens when someone breaks these rules?"
"Your question is very broad. Do you mean a citizen or shinobi sensei?"
"Either."
Taking a moment to formulate and organize my thoughts I finally said:
"They are disciplined to attempt to reform them?"
That is a logical conclusion.
"Yes, yes. But why do they need to be reformed?"
Why must they be reformed? Because they are criminals? Is there any other reason?
"Because society requires an equilibrium to function properly?" I asked despite meaning for it to be an answer.
Kakashi sighed at my answer sparking my displeasure he was being so nit picky.
"While yes that's true, but it's because rule violators are regarded as scum of the earth by the shinobi world. Their prioritization of their ideals over the ideals dictated by society is heavily frowned upon, but those who would abandon their comrades and loved ones are worse than scum. Remember that."
Did he seriously make me write all of that just to give me his 'those who break the rules are scum but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum' speech? You don't like me? Well the feelings mutual. It's no wonder all of your students from cannon went and got new sensei's. You're deficient as a teacher.
"I see… I will remember that Kakashi-sensei."
He tilted his head to the side looking like he had a question for me.
"Great. Now for your next lesson. Teamwork is invaluable both as a shinobi and in life, so I'm requiring you to go find Chunin from this list to fill the two empty spots in our team before we assemble our police task force. Feel free to take your time, in fact take as much time as you need."
I snatched the paper out of his hand, turning it around, and scanned its contents.
Are you fucking kidding me? This is Kakashi's own order to assemble the task force and the qualified inductees which were recommended. He was supposed to do this himself but is instead pawning it off on me! Not to mention he probably wants me to take as long as possible so he can shirk his responsibilities.
I didn't even want to do this, to even end up on this task force, but now being told this? I'll make you work Kakashi, I'll finish building a team before the nights out. I'll make you regret underestimating me...Or is making me finish the team as fast as possible his true motive. Damnit! I hate being forced into lose-lose situations. I'd much rather be the one making someone else choose between two losing options. Are we more alike than I first gave him credit? Well, I just have to make sure I'm not the only one losing. If I lose than I'll make sure Kakashi loses with me.
My head started to hurt from my dark violent imagination trying to formulate a plot to catch Kakashi in. Something he would absolutely hate, when I arrived at a beautiful thought.
At that moment, a Squaaak screeched out causing my head to shift skyward toward the approaching noise of flapping wings.
A hawk dove down at a blitzing pace before slowing and landing on Kakashi's outstretched arm.
Nimbly he untied the scroll tied to the birds left talon in what I figured was the blink of an eye. Leaning closer to the paper unrolled in his fingertips, he stood like a statue for half a minute before looking back to me.
"I've got to run, remember the importance of teamwork." He said cheekily.
Oh, I'll remember. I thought with a smile.
His hand shot behind him, and a scroll was tossed overhead. As the item fell from gravity, His hands came together near his mouth, his teeth tearing apart skin beside a knuckle.
No way!
His fingers shifted in and out of hand signs masterfully only the least bit visible to my quick eyes while I was at full attention.
[Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram]
My heart beat hard within my chest. I gambled on not activating my byakugan, but Kakashi would have certainly noticed and been concerned if I activated my Dojutsu at such a time. After all, he wasn't Ebisu-sensei.
A webbing spread out after his bloodied hand struck the ground releasing a cloud of smoke.
"Paku, I need you to head to the northern guard post. A scouting team needs you to locate a hiding spy. I'll be heading to the western outpost."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Just a simple drill us Jonin do, nothing to worry your little diligent head over, " He said belittling me.
"Of course..."
The summoning jutsu! HE JUST DID THE SUMMONING JUTSU! -Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram!
I now have half the puzzle of the Summoning technique and now all I need is to find the rest of it. I need to commit this to memory. No, perhaps I should write it down in case I somehow forget. Regardless, it would seem fortune smiled on me today.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
Authors Notes: Let me know how I'm doing. When I see your comments telling me what I did either good or bad, It helps me motivate myself to write more often! Thanks everyone for making it this far in the story.
Reviewer Question: - Who is a famous role model/character who's inspired you to be better? (When I mentioned Kobe Bryant in this chapter, he certainly is one for me. His drive for never being satisfied with where he currently is and obsession on his goals make himself the best version of himself speaks to me. The Mamba Mentality is all about self improvement and warding off complacency, something I have to focus on or else I end up coasting.)
…
**SPECIAL THANKS and COMMENTS to the great people below who left me a review, It means a lot!**
-Irina Akashira - " While Hiruzen probably doesn't think that Mina was the one that did it or is involved, lets face it, she's just so young and shouldn't be capable of even knowing how at her age without being a reincarnate, Her natural parallels with Orochimaru and the fact that she was caught so early on having at the very least found Orochimaru's papers in the past and the fact that the disappearance of the family seemed Orochimaru-esc, I'm sure it's in his mind, which is why Kakashi is now responsible for her."
-18sprar1 - " Like I said in the above comment's answer, Hiruzen has many suspects in mind, but without definitive proof that the Uchiha family didn't actually defect, he won't be able to zero in on them without resourcefulness. Kakashi is now Mina's mentor and could spot suspicious activity causing them to dig deeper into her, but Danzo, Orochimaru, and a few others are probably higher priorities to him."
-Re Fenrir - " Whoops, that's a silly mistake, one that my entire story is riddled with. Thanks for pointing that out, I'm going to make major edits to the story, so that's another thing on my list I'll need to change when I get to it. I'm trying to pick up the pace a bit in the story now that we're past most of everything that is important to her Pre-graduation. One more significant arc is upcoming, a few loose ends here and there that need to be wrapped up, and then She'll graduate and I'll separate the first part of her story, her childhood into a volume, and after graduation will start volume 2. I'll likely write them all in this same thread/story not requiring people to jump to a different page to view it and just add volume 1 to each chapter heading and make a table of contents for chapter 1 so that people who want to skip over the childhood for the power fantasy can. Thanks for your support!
Ps. While yes there technically will be a different energy than chakra implemented eventually, and yes there will be dimension travel, the dimension travel will be near the very end of the narrative only after it is explainable. Hope you stick around long enough to see it come to fruition. "
-phelipebr - " Naruto has had barely any 'screen time'. Also just how I imagine Mina I think there is likely too much incompatibility between them. Naruto is so incredibly bull headed especially at the beginning of the story. To the point that when Sasuke is willing to compromise with Naruto, turning around to fight him instead of fleeing the rest of the way on foot at the genin level Final Valley confrontation. He gives Naruto the chance to try to convince him, but Naruto was unable to understand Sasuke, only greedily wanting him to remain for himself. Mina understands that relationships are built on understanding and compromise, something she likely believes is impossible/impractical with Naruto."
-Ahmed Maged - " Good. She's meant to be a bit creepy and odd. She's an antagonist and has multiple character flaws. At the beginning of the story she's borderline narcissistic and sociopathic despite biologically wanting affection. She's creepy because she was written that way. I rate your observation skills 8/8 Great mate."
-Robinrin - " I'm glad you enjoyed the story so far! I've put in a fair amount of work so I'm glad that you spent the time to express your appreciation. I like your idea as well, but I don't know If I'll end up using it. I will keep it in mind moving forward though. Hope to hear your opinions/criticism on this new chapter! "
-WesternReader - " I'm kinda bound and limited by what Kishimoto wrote into his story, however, whatever he chose not to establish I have free reign over. Abortions would likely be available for at the very least top class kunochi, because they are too important to let go of if they still want to serve especially in wartime. The Byakugan also would assist in this, and like it was said in the chapter she went to someone from the clan she trusted, so it's not like she thought she was free to do as she wished, she wanted to sneakily abort the baby before anyone could find out. As for puppets, I believe they are fairly strong used by tacticians from range, and Mina has a range deficiency only really capable of close range Taijutsu and slight mid-range combat with the Dead bone pulse. However, if you've read up to here you'll know she was already hatching her plot to gain the MS puppet even from that early on."