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Regular speech: "Wryyyyyy."
Thoughts: 'Wryyyyyy.'
Summon's, higher beings regular speech: "Wryyyyyy."
Summon's, higher beings thoughts: 'Wryyyyyy.'
Locations: Somewhere in the deep ocean…
Techniques: Kawarimi!
'Document, quotation'.
Italics can be used for certain kinds of emphasis or snide comments.
Bold can be used for forceful yelling/shouting/screaming.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or JJBA.
Chapter V
The aftermath of the intense battle with Zabuza and Heizu was better than it could've been.
With now almost healed Kakashi and Sasuke, the team was getting back on track. While Sasuke was still incapacitated, Kakashi tasked Naruto and Sakura the Tree Climbing practice, the latter learning the skill on the spot, while Naruto had to train for the rest of the day to master it.
Kakashi said that the reason was the huge difference in genin's chakra reserves: while the blonde had an enormous amount of chakra, he had little control over it, and vice versa with Sakura, to the point that her control was so good, Kakashi mused she would be a good medic-nin, but her reserves was half-empty after running up the tree, so Naruto continued to train alone for the rest of the day, until Kakashi interrupted him.
"That's enough for today."
"What?" the sudden сall made him stop in his tracks. "But sensei, I still can't run up to the end of the tree!"
"And you shouldn't be able to. No one with your size of chakra reserves would. Come next day, this exercise would be child's play for you," he reasoned with the genin.
"Besides, I have to talk to you about something."
With that, the duo walked further into the woods, away from the clearing. When they stopped, the jonin asked Naruto, "How do you feel?"
"I'm alright, sensei," the boy suddenly looked gloomy. "But… I still don't feel good about killing that guy."
"I completely understand what you feel, Naruto, but you had no other choice — he was moments away from killing your comrade, and he would kill everyone in the Wave he could get his hands on," Kakashi tried to reassure the genin. "In the ninja world, you sometimes have to do inhumane things for a humane cause. It's just how we live. No matter what you do, time and time again you'll be faced with enemies that you can't save, and you will have to protect yourself and your friends from them. You have a good heart, Naruto. Don't let it be stained by what we have to do as shinobi." It was due time for Naruto to learn the hard truth of this world.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei, but I wont have anyone else die if I can help it. I wont change my mind about it, believe it!" Naruto was determined to stand by his morals, even while being a shinobi.
"I thought so," the jonin smiled at his pupil. He understood now why Hokage cares so deeply about this kid. The unshakeable will he possesses is even rare among adults, let alone children like himself. Although he was a long way from becoming a real shinobi, he had all the signs of becoming one, and Kakashi was going to make sure that he'll grow up to be a great shinobi.
"Now that I see that you're in the right state of mind, I have to ask you about what you did during the fight with Heizu," it's no joke matter when genin awaken their powerful kekkei genkai, especially in Naruto's case.
"W-what do you mean? Are you saying that…"
"…I saw you stop time? Yeah, I did, thanks to my eye," Kakashi needed to know some things about his powerful ability. "When did you notice that you can stop time at will?"
"In the fight against the Demon Brothers, when they cornered me. They suddenly froze for a moment, but I couldn't move, so I thought was seeing things," Naruto recited what happened to him. "But then, when we fought against Heizu, it happened again, so I kinda figured out that It was I who was doing it. Then, when he held Sasuke… I thought that I had to stop time, and then it activated."
"Hmm, peculiar, never heard of such a kekkei genkai… Have you practiced it yet?" Kakashi was determined to find out the limit of the boys ability.
"Well, I tried to, but I can't do it on my own. Previously it sort of was like a reflex, and I cant seem to recreate it no matter what I do." Naruto was truly puzzled as to why he couldn't activate his ability at will.
"Maybe because you haven't got a name for it yet?" Kakashi wondered. "I heard that some people had to name the technique that they've developed to utilise it properly. It's purely a psychological occurrence and is pretty rare, but still try to think of a fitting name, then we'll test it."
Naruto then began searching for a name for his unnamed technique, 'Hmm, back then I shouted 'Time, stop!', but after that, it wouldn't activate when I say it. Good grief, it's hard to think of a proper name…' he was trying to recall what he felt in the stopped time. 'It felt almost like I were under water, or in the different world… Wait!' the sudden realisation hit him.
"That's it! I've got it!"
Kakashi lifted his headband from his Sharingan.
"Well, let's see if it'll work. Be in my line of sight, so I could see your chakra pathway system and try to create a Kage Bunshin, then have him throw a couple of kunai into that tree right ahead of me," he showed the said tree. "I'm ready when you are."
'Okay, I got this,' Naruto mentally braced himself.
"Za Warudo!" he shouted, and his surroundings once again become incased in the dome of distorted light. "And time shall stop!"
It is obvious that the influence of Naruto's kekkei genkai sets its own rules. Kakashi, having witnessed Naruto's demonstration, managed to jot down a few that he managed to see:
1. In the duration of the stopped time, only Naruto can move within it, the only exception being Sharingan users like myself, who are conscious, but cant move or use their chakra. It is unknown if Byakugan or Mangekyo Sharingan have any similar abilities.
Note: It is most likely that first and second stages of Sharingan do not allow its user to be aware of time being stopped.
2. Being able to use or witness The World in action is very chakra-taxing.
Note: Just 3 seconds of stopped time cost me a third of my reserves, try to close your eye when Naruto uses his ability.
3. Said ability exacts a heavy toll on the users' stamina, possible correlation between the fitness of one's body and the duration of the stopped time.
4. In The World of stopped time, the user's chakra pathways contracts heavily, making it harder to use any jutsu. It is possible that strengthening chakra control may negate this effect to a certain point. Also, users clones can also move within the stopped time.
Note: Naruto, who normally can create a thousand clones, was hard-pressed to make even one.
5. All projectiles that are launched in the stopped time, halt just before its intended target, hitting it only after time resumes. Only opponents with the best reaction time or Sharingan can evade or block a point-blank kunai, but even a flurry of kunai wont have any effect if the enemy is protected by armour, or jutsu, unless hit in the weak spot.
6. CRUCIAL: The use of this ability puts a heavy strain on the user's heart, until the user's body Is acclimated to the technique, it is advised not to use it more than thrice in combat situations a day. However, for training purposes it can be up to five times a day. If these restrictions are ignored, there is a high possibility of cardiac arrest, or possibly worse.
Note: Training alone is not advised.
"So, that's what I wrote down Naruto. I want you to learn these rules so you could know both weaknesses and strengths of your kekkei genkai," Kakashi gave the scroll to Naruto, who started going through it.
"And please, do not experiment with your ability without me watching over you. The points that explain the strain on the user's body are very much serious, and that's just what I managed to see with my Sharingan." With that, he closed his eye with the headband once more.
"I see. But, I still don't understand how your eye allows you to witness The World in action," Naruto questioned out of curiosity.
"Well, my guess is that when you activate your ability, the dome of light that rises from you is actually either your chakra, or made of it. In a sense, it makes it eerily similar to how genjutsu work. And Sharingan, being able to easily dispel the foreign chakra's influence, to a point, resists the influence of your The World,» Kakashi explained coolly, as if it was a subject in the Academy.
'Damn, I'll have to write that down too,' Kakashi realised.
Naruto was so baffled with the fact that Kakashi seemed to understand so much about his The World just in 3 seconds, more so that he could ever hoped to discover on his own, that he eventually stopped thinking.
"I'm gonna go and get some sleep," he said with a sense of defeat.
"Good night Naruto, and please, don't tell anybody about this ability, would you?" Kakashi was worried that his loud mouth will bring down serious problems upon him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just so tired…" with that, Naruto passed out because of being exhausted both physically and mentally.
Luckily, Kakashi managed to catch him. Lifting his student on his back, jonin went back to Tazuna's house…
= = = To be continued... = = =
「The World」
Power - none
Speed – B: it takes up to 2 seconds for the user to activate it.
Range – B: currently, during the stopped time, the user can reach anything within the radius of 15 meters
Durability – C: the usage of the ability is currently limited by 3 seconds of movement within the stopped time, three times a day.
Precision - none
Development Potential – B: the duration of the stopped time can be increased depending upon the users' chakra reserves, physical fitness.
I'll be the roundabout
The words will make you out 'n' out
I spend the day your way
Call it morning driving through the sound and
In and out the valley...