Author Note
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for uploading later in the day than usual. This seems to be a recurring issue for me on Fridays, I'll try and keep it more regular in future.
By reading, following and reviewing this story you have made it great fun for me to write it so I will try to keep to the schedule I promised.
As always thanks for reading,
Me
Please enjoy chapter 23, A Devastating Technique.
MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE – A DEVASTATING TECHNIQUE
Atop a Lake, Near the Hidden Leaf Camp
The lake is a quiet place, a place where people have come for all manner of reasons. Quiet reflection, to enjoy a leisurely swim or perhaps to engage in a bit of fishing. Indeed, all of those are quiet pastimes. The blue surface of the lake shines beautifully as it reflects the sun. Birds and insects divebomb towards the surface, looking for a drink on this exceptionally hot day. However, the lake currently has taken on a new purpose. Stood atop the lake are a grandfather and granddaughter sharing the surname Sarutobi. This lake has become the training ground which Hiruzen is using to train Mirai.
While the lake is normally near silent, Mirai and her grandfather do little to protect the reputation it had amongst the now-dead locals. As they repeatedly practice with the aim of increasing Mirai's strength things only get louder. As the blazes of fire sizzle and the gales of wind whoosh with increasing volume, one could hear the racket it was making for miles around. This power is a demonstration, a demonstration of the incredible strength of Sarutobi Mirai. Her strength from the past though, is not good enough for what is required in the here and now.
In the left hand of Mirai is a blazing inferno, flames so intense that they were almost unrivalled. This fire would be hot enough to melt even the most resilient of metals, to evaporate the oldest of rocks, against this sort of fire there is only one defence, the defence Mirai herself is using at this very moment, the defence provided by chakra.
In Mirai's right hand is the invisible formless power of wind. While it cannot be seen by the naked eye it can easily be detected, the whirling air may not create an impressive visual effect but it generates so much sound that harmonics begin to appear in the water below her. This is a symbol that Mirai is pushing the very boundaries a shinobi can reach through normal means.
"That's right" Hiruzen begins, looking at the two elemental powers Mirai is wielding, "Release the wind first, then all you need is spark".
Mirai follows the 3rd Hokage's instructions, first swinging the hand manipulating wind chakra. As the wind chakra leaves her hand it creates a packet of super condensed oxygen in the space before her, just as she had planned.
Next she throws the fire chakra from her right hand, straight towards the packet of oxygen she created but a moment ago. Fire always gets bigger when exposed to more oxygen, however, when suddenly exposed to such a super condensed sample the effect is much more dramatic.
BANG!
An enormous explosion, it leaves the ears of both Hiruzen and Mirai ringing for a half minute before their hearing is finally restored to them. If that attack were to hit anyone below the Kage level, they would surely die.
"Impressed?" Mirai smiles to Hiruzen as she places her hands on her hips.
Hands behind his back and with a frown fixed to his face, Hiruzen shakes his head. "No, that wasn't it".
The 3rd Hokage is thinking back to his sparring session against Mirai. During that session, a small spark had mixed with her wind natured chakra to create an explosion that was not impressive in size but instead impressive in power. Despite his distance from the attack at that time he could feel it radiate through his skin. This attack that Mirai had performed was incredibly impressive but it wasn't the same, instead it is completely different. Furthermore, in Hiruzen's opinion this sort of attack would not be enough to hurt a Colonel.
"Grandpa, aren't you overestimating me" Mirai sighs as she places her hands behind her head, "I don't have any special power, none of this is working".
Mirai's point is not that she is weak. On the contrary her training has indeed proved that she is very strong. Her point is rather that while her power is impressive it still follows all the rules, it is still as you would expect.
"No" Hiruzen retorts, "I have seen it with my own eyes, you have a truly wonderful power, something unlike anything I have ever seen before".
It must be understood that even at this stage of his life, Hiruzen has experienced more than any other Hokage. He has seen other Kage rise and fall, he has witnessed the emergence of many great shinobi with strange and wonderful techniques. Though it could be his bias as her relative, he claims the power he saw in Mirai is truly unique, that is a symbol of just how important that power has the potential to be.
"We don't have time to give up" he continues, "Using that power is the only way that we can defeat a Colonel".
"Don't you hear yourself old man? Are you saying that you don't think you can win? Are you saying you no longer believe in yourself?".
Hiruzen pauses before answering, "I'm saying that your chances are better than mine".
Mirai's shoulders relax as she takes a deep breath of air. She looks to her grandfather's face and sees no deception. It would appear that he really does mean what he says.
"Do you really believe that?" she asks, still refusing to accept the fact she could have more potential than a Hokage of the past.
"Mirai, I truly believe that within this month we have been given, that you will reach a level that I could never reach. I believe you will shatter through a barrier that even I could not".
"Old man…".
The 3rd Hokage continues, "If I can help to push you to that level than I will have fulfilled my role as the Hokage".
"And if I can't reach that level?".
"I don't need to consider that" he answers.
"Because I know for a fact that you can".
"Thank you".
Hiruzen lifts his arms above his waist and positions them in front of himself, adopting a specialised fighting pose. "Now come at me Mirai, fight me with your full power. And, let's bring that hidden potential out of you".
Raising her chakra blades to her hands Mirai smiles, "I hope you are ready".
"Always".
Hiruzen quickly summons Enma to his hands, the monkey king already in staff form as he arrives making it obvious that this attack has been planned in advance. Not hesitating for a moment, the 3rd Hokage swings the staff towards Mirai, not a full force attack but the first in a potential barrage of battering blows.
'Last time I only needed to use the friction' Mirai thinks to herself, 'Then the spark can fuse with the wind natured chakra'.
Mirai makes this assessment and throws one of chakra blades towards the staff.
Hiruzen starts. "Oh".
Her thinking pays off, like a stone the chakra blade skims along the surface of the staff-formed Enma. Each time it touches the blade a small spark combines with the wind circulating around it, a small explosion being the result.
Seeing these explosions dance along the body of his friend, Hiruzen releases Enma from his end, causing the blade to deviate from its calculated path. Instead of along Enma's body, the blade instead hangs in the air, falling slower than usual due to the circulating wind around it.
The blade doesn't reach the floor though, it is caught by a dashing Mirai, on her path to Hiruzen. The explosions had not only served as an attack but also a distraction, not even the 3rd Hokage had noticed her approach amongst all the sound and light. As Mirai catches the blade she soon reaches Hiruzen, lifting the blade to his neck.
In this exchange, she is the winner.
"See what I mean now" smiles the Hokage, "You have to believe in that special power Mirai, you have to believe in yourself".
"The power to create explosions using wind and fire?" she smiles, not quite believing that such a power is worth all the hype Hiruzen has been placing on her.
"So that's what you think your power, oh well". As he comments that his body disappears in a puff of smoke.
A hand touches Mirai's back from behind, the second it does she knows this hand belongs to her grandfather.
"You still have a lot to learn" he chuckles.
'A clone'.
"This is no time to rest" the 'old man' suggests before leaping backwards to create some separation, "Come at me again".
"Yes".
After that Mirai and Hiruzen continue to train, improving her technique her power. The rate of improvement has seldom been matched throughout the history of the ninja world, such is the power of Mirai's ability.
Just what is her power?
Three Days Later, Just Outside the Leaf's Camp
"Is something like that really possible" comes the questioning voice of Uzumaki Mito.
She has heard some very strange things from this man in her life, he had always been a creative man, a pioneer in the process of creating jutsu. Regardless, this time her brother-in-law, Senju Tobirama, had truly surprised her.
"Only for an Uzumaki" he answers.
"An Uzumaki" Kushina questions. The trio having the conversation does consist of one Senju clansman and two Uzumaki clanswomen, therefore Kushina feels it unlikely that Tobirama has the most extensive Uzumaki clan knowledge among them.
"Your clan is famous for its recovery rate, its ability to use seals. Only you two could possibly do it".
"I think you're right" Mito nods while scratching her chin.
"Mito" Kushina's voice lowers as she gets further through the word. She sounds as if she is whingeing, as if she has heard this line of thought before and doesn't like where it goes.
"Independently we may not have much of a chance but if we work together we can do it".
Kushina smiles at Mito's confidence, she has always admired this woman and this only adds to that admiration. "You understand the risks?".
"The risks are nothing compared to what we are facing".
Kushina's smile persists, just as she is about to respond a voice calls, "HEY".
Up to the group walks the newcomer. The 4th Hokage, the yellow flash, Kushina's husband, his name, of course, is Namikaze Minato.
"Minato" she smiles, "How is your training going?".
The blonde smiles cheekily, his extroverted movements making it clear that he is an even better mood than usual. "I have made a breakthrough".
"Really?".
"That's great".
"Congratulations Minato".
Minato enjoys the praise of his peers. To be praised by this group is truly something special even for someone like him who Hiruzen believed to be the hope of the hidden leaf village. Praising him is Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the 1st Hokage and a legendary shinobi in her own right. Also, offering praise to him is the 2nd Hokage, the man who created so many jutsu including the flying thunder god jutsu that he bases his entire offense around. Lastly, praising him is his wife, Uzumaki Kushina; there is nobody in the world he likes to please more than this woman.
"I came up with the idea when I was watching Hiruzen practice that fire technique with Mirai" he explains. Minato had been spending a lot of time watching Mirai train when he was unable to make any progress. It is always good to observe others, to learn from others, watch those who are learning and see what they are doing differently to yourself.
"Are you going to show us then?" Mito asks.
"We've been waiting eagerly for you to succeed".
"Very well" Minato answers before stepping away from the others, distancing himself so that he can avoid injuring them or catching them off guard.
Raising his hand above his head a rasengan forms in it, that is not all though, the rasengan begins to spin faster and faster. Its rotation keeps improving until several blades form around its perimeter, these blades symbolise the transformation from the rasengan into the rasen-shuriken.
"This is Naruto's technique, the rasen-shuriken".
"Notice the blades rotating around the outside of the rasengan, they only have one axis of rotation".
"Of course; you can only focus on the one direction" Tobirama folds his arms, "It would be impossible to spin it in every plane at once".
"That may be true if you only depend upon a shinobi's ability to control the wind" Minato nods, "However, heat also has an effect on air flow".
"And if you heat it exactly the right way, constantly moving the heat to the area of the greatest gaseous density…". As Minato explains his theory he uses fire natured chakra, not to change the nature of the rasengan, instead to change the temperature of different parts of the 'ball' repeatedly.
Suddenly the blades of the rasen-shuriken multiply, appearing not only in the one axis but every other access as well. The rasen-shuriken expands into a giant white ball and the screeching sound evolves into a far louder howling noise.
"Isn't that just a giant ball?" Mito asks.
"No" Tobirama replies with wide eyes, "He's done it, that rasen-shuriken is spinning in every plane at once".
"Minato" the 2nd Hokage continues, "Does this technique have a name".
"I call it the super 360 spinning rasen-shuriken of doom" Minato smiles.
As Mito sweatdrops she looks towards Kushina.
"He never was good with names" Kushina closes her eyes as she raises her hands up before her, "Minato, how about calling it the rasen-bomb".
Minato thinks for a moment before the lost smile returns to his face once more, "Yeah, that sounds good too".
The 4th Hokage waits for a few moments before gradually shrinking the technique down. First it turns back into a rasen-shuriken, then back into a rasengan, finally fizzling out as it stops rotating and gently pops.
Despite the gentle dispersion of the jutsu, Minato falls to one knee. Prompting concern from those around him.
Kushina calls her husband's name, while running to his side and lifting his arm around her neck.
Despite his poor condition Minato chuckles, "That technique uses a lot of chakra, unless I improve I will only be able to use it once".
Tobirama snickers, "One shot is all you need with something like that, 4th Hokage".
"That's right" Kushina says in an attempt to comfort the ever-self-critical Minato, "The rasen-bomb… it truly is incredible".
Suddenly from a nearby bush appears a man with short dark hair, he is tall and has a familiar set of clothing. A bronze cape, a uniform marked with the number three, this man is showing all the signs of the invading forces. His presence is truly threatening.
This man is a captain!
The captain wastes no time with formalities, immediately lunging for Kushina and swinging a knife vertically downwards.
The attack doesn't reach Kushina. That is because with the last vestiges of his strength Minato places himself in the way.
Minato is cut!
As the 4th Hokage falls slowly to the ground the captain raises the knife once more, his plan seems to be attack as furiously and repeatedly as possible, his next target is Kushina.
The only reason this has been allowed to happen so far is because of the human reaction time. As the knife, lower towards Kushina again, Tobirama doesn't let pass. With a flash, he appears between Kushina and the captain before swiftly kicking the latter in the chest.
As the captain stumbles, backwards the 2nd Hokage looks for an opportunity to pursue him but that is quickly lost. The bronze cloak disappears from sight as its owner vanishes into the foliage. His plan must have been a hit and run attack, for now it seemed his decision is to flee.
"MINATO" Kushina shouts as she slowly lowers him to the ground.
"Don't worry Kushina" Mito's maintains her cool as well as she can, "It's only a light flesh wound".
Despite this warning Minato's body begins shaking. It's not dis-similar to a fit as he shakes uncontrollably, foaming at the mouth as he agonises on the floor.
"No, something is wrong" Kushina looks to her fellow Uzumaki.
Eyes widening Tobirama understands instantly. "He's been poisoned!".
"Oh my god" Kushina's breathing accelerates as she holds Minato's head, "Minato, can you hear me, keep calm, take deep breaths".
"We need to get him to Mitsuki" Mito asserts, trying to bring some order to the chaotic scenario, "That guy has a cure for most poisons".
"That was an enemy Captain" the younger Senju brother announces, "The chances are he was using a poison we haven't seen before".
Minato's wife frantically turns her head to look at the 2nd Hokage. "Then how are going to get the antidote?".
"Kushina, you take Minato back to Mitsuki and the medical shinobi. Tobirama and I will chase the Captain".
Nodding, Kushina lifts her husband up as delicately as she can and starts running towards the make-shift hospital.
As Tobirama throws a kunai into the distance Mito places a hand on his shoulder.
Then together, they disappear.