A month passed in the blink of an eye.
The Hokage Office spreads the news of the Uchiha Massacre and the involvement of Danzo among the villagers. All of Danzo's misdeeds were revealed to the public.
The reputation of the Villager elders plummeted, and the people raised many questions. It took the Hokage Office a month to calm down the villagers.
Uchiha clan restored some of its lost prestige, but their power and prestige plummeted in the eyes of the civilians. The Uchiha clan moved to their old compounds inside the village.
--
Inside the Konoha Hospital,
Akira, Yagami, Izuna and Shisui are anxiously moving outside of the operation room. Fumiko has been pregnant for nine months and it is time for her delivery.
Tsunade is taking care of the delivery together with Aiko and Shizune.
"Everything will be alright. Aunt Fumiko and the baby will be fine." Izuna tries to assure them, but anxiety could be seen on his face.
"I trust in Tsunade-san's medical proficiency. She is the best Medical Ninja in all villages. I am sure everything will be ok."
Akira and Yagami nod their head but there is still nervousness on their face.
'I want a small little sister.' Izuna closes his eyes and prays silently.
Creak…
The door of the Operating room opens up. Tsunade walks out of the room with sweat on her head. She wipes away the sweat and turns towards them.
"Congratulations, it was a success. Both the mother and the baby are fine. A little princess has arrived in your family."
"A baby girl!..." Akira wipes away his tear and rushes towards the room.
'Am I a father or an Uncle now?' Yagami question himself.
'It doesn't matter… there is a cute little daughter in our family.' Yagami follows Akira.
Shisui and Izuna also rush towards the room.
"Please be careful. The mother is weak from the delivery, she needs plenty of rest to recover." Tsunade warns them.
Shisui enters inside the room. Izuna stops before Tsunade and bows his head.
"Thank you... Tsunade... for your help. I can't express my gratitude in words." Tears flow through his eyes.
Tsunade shakes her head and replies.
"It is the least of the things I could do for you. You have helped me during thorny times and opened my eyes."
Izuna wipes his tears and enters in the room.
The baby girl is wrapped in a blanket as it peacefully sleeps near Fumiko.
Izuna walks up to the baby and tickles her with his finger.
Giggle… giggle…
The baby giggles and grabs his finger with her small hands. Izuna gently takes her in his arms while Akira and Yagami are conversing with Aiko and Fumiko.
Shisui walks up to Izuna and anxiously looks at the baby.
"Izuna… Izuna nii-san, can I hold her in my arms? I am already a big brother now, but… but she is my first little sister... I will pamper her every day."
Shisui gently takes her in his arms.
Izuna walks towards Fumiko and infuses some Sage chakra to rejuvenate her body.
Fumiko slowly opens her eye. Izuna turns towards his parents and asks.
"Mom, Dad… have you thought of a name for the baby?"
Aiko nods her head.
"I have already thought of a name for her. She is like a colourful flower which bloomed in our life during this summer. So, I will name her Ayaka."
"Ayaka, the colourful flower which bloomed in summer." Akira nods his head.
"It is the most suitable name for our little princess. Her smile will bloom happiness in our life." He wipes his tears.
"Yes, she is our little princess. I won't allow anyone to treat her rudely." Fumiko slowly sits up and signals to Shisui.
Shisui hands over Ayaka to Fumiko. Fumiko gently caresses Ayaka.
"Ok, all of you shoo… shoo… get out of here. It's time to feed the baby."
Aiko pushes them out from the room.
All the males helplessly walk out from the room.
"Let's celebrate the birth of our little princess." Akira plans the celebration.
Hu… hu…
Yagami frantically nods his head.
"So, our Uchiha clan is finally blessed with a princess."
Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke walks up to them.
"Yay! I am big-brother now." Sasuke cheers in happiness.
"I will check on her." Mikoto enters in the room. Sasuke follows her.
Itachi walks up to Shisui and Izuna, whereas Fugaku talks with Yagami and Akira.
"Let's protect Ayaka together."
Shisui and Itachi nod their head. They walk towards the roof. Izuna jumps on the roof and lies down.
Itachi and Shisui follow him and imitate him.
"What are your plans, Izuna nii-san?" Itachi asks Izuna.
"The Akatsuki got scot-free after this attack. We can't allow them to live in happiness when they killed so many of our clan members." Shisui remarks.
"Do you have any plan, Shisui nii-san?" Itachi questions him.
"I don't… but Izuna nii-san might have one."
They turn towards Izuna and waits for his response. Izuna closes his eyes while pondering.
'Akatsuki is not a big problem. After mastering Sage Mode, I can easily solo fight against them all.
The real problem is Kara. I don't know who and where are Kara members. Some of them aren't even born yet or way too unknown or hidden.
I can't take a risk and engage with Isshiki without any preparation. I need powerful allies on my side whose sole purpose is to hunt Kara members.
I can count on Shisui and Itachi and maybe Kakashi. But Kakashi needs to grow stronger... then only he would have a shot against them.
Hmm… Maybe I will create a team of my own. I can recruit some figures who died in Original Naruto and train them. This might work... I just have to figure out the people who will easily work for me.
I don't want any wild card on my team. Any unstable factor can create a crack in the team and I might lose a chance against Kara.'
Izuna stands up and stretches his arms.
"I have a plan and both of you are part of it."
Izuna turns towards Itachi and Shisui.
--
Somewhere in Land of River,
Inside a small restaurant.
A group of shinobis with a headband of Land of River enters the restaurant. They rudely push a cloaked figure sitting near the entrance of the restaurant.
Another smaller cloaked figure sits near the other end of the restaurant.
"Hey you, waiter! Bring your special dish." One of them orders.
The waiter hurriedly ran towards the kitchen and bring the special dish of the restaurant.
One of the jounin bites a huge chunk of meat and gulp it down in one mouthful. They start to discuss various news flying around in the Shinobi world.
"Hey, have you heard of the recent news from Konohagakure?" the Jounin gulps down another mouthful of meat and question his friends.
"What's so special about it? Is there another rumour from the so-called Hidden Villages? They are always trying to spread their propaganda of peace and exploit us small nations." Another jounin shakes his head.
"No, it's not about that." The first jounin shakes his head in denial.
"Then what it is?" One of the jounin asks him curiously while gulping a mouthful of sake.
"Waiter! Bring me another bottle of sake!" He yells at the waiter.
The First Jounin signals them to come closer as he whispers.
"Apparently, one of the most powerful clans of Konoha, the Uchiha clan, was massacred by one of the elders of Konoha."
"What?..." They exclaim in surprise.
Shh…
The jounin silences them.
"Such a thing happened in one of the Hidden Village. We won't believe it if someone else mentioned it to me." Other jounins replies.
The jounin nods his head and continues.
"Not only that, he even succeeded in the massacre, but Izuna Uchiha also is known as 'the Silent Shinigami' arrived in the village. He quickly dealt with the elder and killed him."
"Wow! 'Silent Shinigami'. Isn't that the person with one of the highest bounty on his head in the Bingo Book?" Another jounin remark.
"Yes, he is the one. Not only he killed the elder, he even killed another mercenary of the criminal organization 'Akatsuki'. What was his name again?" The jounin tries to recall the incident.
He strains his memory to recall the name of the 'Akatsuki' fellow.
The smaller cloaked figure attentively listens to their conversation as he mutters to himself.
'I have yet to find any trace of that bastard father of mine. He ra*ed my mother and left her to die. But she survived and gave birth to me, only to die shortly after.
From then onwards, I decided to hunt down that bastard father of mine. Mother only gave me one name for father the Bloody Dino.'
"I recalled it…" The jounin yells in exclamation.
"He is quite a famous killer who murdered various small villages and is quite a psychopath. He is 'the bloody Dino'. The 'Silent Shinigami' executed him." The Jounin describes identity.
"What?..." The small cloaked figure stands up.
He turns towards the group of Shinobis and questions them.
"What did you say? Who was it again?" The small cloaked figure yells at them in anxiety.
The group frowns and turns towards the small cloaked figure.
"Hey, kid! You better watch your mouth. Don't try to test our patience, or we will…" The jounin makes a throat-slitting action.
"I said, 'Who is the killer?' Answer me." The small cloaked figure yells at them.
"I don't care. Just get rid of him. He is being a nuisance to my meal." One of the jounin lazily signals his teammates.
Tlick… tlick…
One of the ninjas licks his kunai and dash towards the small cloaked figure.
"Just die, you bastard!" he yells at the figure.
Stab…
A sharp black metallic rod pierces through the ninja.
Guffaw…
The shinobi pukes out a mouthful of blood and drops in his own pool of blood.
"This bastard! Kill him… he murdered Kyosuke."
The ninjas attack the cloaked figure.
Clank… clank…
They engage in heated combat with the small cloaked figure. The waiter and the restaurant owner immediately runs out of the restaurant.
--
Plop… plop… plop…
One by one, the dead bodies of the ninjas fell on ground-stacked on top of each other.
Huff… Huff…
The small cloaked figure breathes heavily, but there is a creepy smile on his face. He slowly walks towards the large cloaked figure who hasn't moved an inch from his spot and is still drinking juice.
Clang…
The small cloaked figure attacks the large cloak figure, but he blocks the attack.
"Quite an interesting power, you have here?" The large cloaked figure muses.
"It is none of your damn business. I will kill you."
The small cloaked figure attacks again, but the large cloaked figure easily overpowers him.
"I can see the potential in you, kid. Want to work for me?" The cloaked figure questions him.
"Will you help me get my revenge?" The small cloaked figure questions.
"No! I won't…."
The small cloaked figure turns around and walks away.
"Then I don't see any benefit in working for you."
"… I won't help you directly, but I will make you strong enough to do it with your own hands." The large cloaked figure finishes his sentence.
"Deepa!..."
"Huh?" The large cloaked figure frowns.
"My name is Deepa and I will work for you."
The small cloaked figure removes the cloak to reveal his clock.
"Oh! A kid. That's unexpected."
The large cloaked figure removes his cloak and shakes hand with the kid.
"Nice to meet you, kid. My name is Amado."
--
Huff… Huff…
'Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu'
Itachi makes some hand signs and spews out a large fireball. He takes out a kunai from his holster and throws it together with the fireball.
'Wind Style: Great Wind Breakthrough'
Shisui makes some hand signs and enhances the fireball with his wind jutsu.
"It is still not enough."
'Shurikenjutsu: Lightning Style: Phoenix Sage Purple Lightning Assault'
Shisui infuses purple lightning through three shurikens and forms a lightning bolt. The purple lightning bolt shoots forward and circles around the fireball.
"Co-operation Ninjutsu: Lightning Overload"
The cooperation jutsu of Shisui and Itachi smashes into Izuna. Izuna coats his hand with darkness chakra and blocks the attack.
Skid...
The attack pushes him back.
Sizzle….
Smoke rises from Izuna's hand and he gets some burn-marks on his hand.
'They have improved a lot in this period. But where is Kakashi? He must have hidden somewhere nearby.
In terms of firepower, talent, and chakra reserves; Shisui and Itachi surpass Kakashi. But Kakashi outshines them in terms of patience, wits, and ninja-tactics.
He always looks for the ideal window to deal a deadly strike and end the enemy in one fatal blow.'
Rumble… rumble…
The ground beneath Izuna trembles and collapses. A large pit with many earth spikes appears beneath the ground.
'He would have to do something better to land a hit on me.'
Izuna jumps in the air and avoids the trap.
Swish… swish…
Many sharp wires wrap around him.
'Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Flames'
Itachi channels fire chakra through the wires. The flame engulfs Izuna.
Crunch… Crunch…
Izuna's figure shatters into many fragments of light and appears in front of Itachi.
Bam…
He lands a kick on Itachi. Itachi blocks the kick with his arms, but the kick is followed by a punch to the gut.
Augh…
The punch lands squarely in his gut and sends him flying.
"Finally, I can join the fight."
"Dynamic Entry"
Might Guy jumps in the air and performs a somersault to build the momentum. He performs a jump kick and directs it at Izuna's face.
Bam…
Izuna blocks the kick with his arm. Might Guy performs a back-flip and dash towards Izuna.
"First Gate… Second Gate… Third Gate… Fourth Gate… Fifth Gate… OPEN!"
Might Guy's skin turns red and a green aura forms around him.
Swoosh… Swoosh… Swoosh…
Guy runs around Izuna in a circle to search for an opening.
"Oye! Oye! Guy… it is a spar, not a fight. Why are you using Eight Gates in the spar?"
Izuna takes a taijutsu stance and follows Guy's movements.
"Be it a fight or a spar, I will always give my one hundred percent because that's the spirit of YOUTH!"
"Then don't mind me doing the same." Izuna chuckles and crosses his arms.
"First Gate… Second Gate… Third Gate… OPEN!"
Izuna opens three gates and engages in a taijutsu battle with Might Guy.
Bang… bang… bang…
Multiple shock waves spread through the air as both of them trade blows…
Bam… bam… bam…
The ground beneath them breaks apart as multiple crater forms.
"Sorry, Guy! But I have a natural advantage against you. My natural perception is higher than you."
Bam…
Izuna punches Might Guy in the gut.
"Violent- Leaf Adamantine-Strength Whirlwind"
Izuna performs a severe roundhouse kick and sends Might Guy flying…
Boom…
Might Guy crashes into a large boulder and blows it into smithereens.
"I am not done yet!"
Might Guy jumps out from the dust and dashes towards Izuna.
"This is the chance. We have to create an opening for Guy. Ninjutsu techniques are quite slow, and Izuna can dodge them easily.
But Guy's taijutsu is different. If we can distract Izuna for a while then Guy will be able to finish him off."
Kakashi signals Itachi and Shisui.
"Yes, Captain!"
Three of them dash towards Izuna. All three of them activate their Sharingan.
"Fire Style: Crimson Phoenix Fire Bullet"
Itachi infuses a large amount of chakra and fires a gigantic crimson phoenix at Izuna.
"Wind Style: Spiralling Vacuum Gale"
Shisui launches a wind jutsu in combination with the fire jutsu.
'Shadow Body Flicker: Quadruple Body Clone'
Swish… swish…
He flickers and disappears as multiple afterimages follow him.
"Don't leave me out of the fray."
Kakashi follows them and draws out a kunai and gathers lightning chakra in his hand.
"Lightning Release: Purple Lightning Flare"
Bam… bam… bam…
The three jutsu slams in Izuna who barely dodges them.
"Oye… Oye!... Cut me some slack alright. I have a handicap in this fight. Do all of you want to beat me this badly?" Izuna frantically escapes their attack.
"Yes, we won't relax until we beat you to the pulp." All of them speak in unison.
"…"
Izuna sweat drops at their remark.
"Leaf Village Secret Technique: Turbulent Trinity Heavenly Slash"
The three of them combine hands and launch a volley of attacks at Izuna.
'Damn! These three are eager to beat me to death.'
"Come on, guys! It is just a spar, don't be so mean to me." Izuna dodges their attack while keeping an eye for any surprise attacks.
Fwoosh… Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
Shisui, Itachi, and Kakashi grab his arms and legs.
"Do it, Guy. We won't be able to hold him for too long." Kakashi yells at Guy.
Sniff… sniff…
Guy sniffs as tears and snot flow through his eyes and nose.
"Everyone, I won't disappoint your trust and belief in me. I will give my all and overcome this difficult situation. This hurdle! I will blast it away with my YOUTH!"
Guy clenches his fist and crosses his arms.
"Huh! Kakashi-senpai, what's he talking about? We have to just beat Izuna nii-san." Shisui question Kakashi in confusion.
Sigh…
"This guy, he is always like that. He is too passionate for his own good."
BOOOM….
A burst of shockwaves travels across them. A dense green aura surrounds Guy as debris and dust rise in the air.
"Sixth Gate… Gate of View… OPEN!"
Haah…..
Guy yells loudly and dashes towards them.
"My passion and youth will fuel my will for victory."
Haah…
"Morning Peacock…"
Guy rapidly punches the air and releases a barrage of punches at them. The sheer speed and friction set his fists on fire and release a blaze of fireballs.
"Oye!... Guy! We are also in the range of this attack."
Guy collapses on the ground and raises his hand and gives thumbs up to them.
"I did it, guys."
Pooh…
He faints and facepalms on the ground.
"Sorry guys, not today. I don't want to get torched. Maybe next time." Izuna grins at them.
"Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain… OPEN…"
Izuna opens the fourth gate and spins. Kakashi, Guy, and Itachi tightly held on to him.
"Dammit! Just this time, we almost got him." Shisui yells in frustration.
'Leaf Whirlwind'
Izuna performs a roundhouse spin and throws them towards the Morning Peacock.
BOOOM…. BOOOM…
The fireballs land on them and all of them fall on the ground. Smoke rises from their body and they angrily stare at Guy.
"Dammit Guy! Just you wait."
Augh… Augh… Augh…
Three of them collapse on the ground and faints.
Sigh…
'They almost got me. It wasn't a wise choice to give them a handicap.'
Izuna heals them with his Medical Ninjutsu and rejuvenates with Nature energy.
'They have improved tremendously in these past six months. At this rate, they will overpower me in few more days with the handicap.'
Sigh…
'Tsunade left the village with Shizune. It has been six months since Ayaka came to this world. Tsunade left for 'the Land of Medicine' half a year ago. I have nothing left to do in this period.'
Zzzzz… Youth… Zzzz… Youth
Snoring sounds interrupts his thoughts. Guy is snoring while sleeping.
"…"
"Does he always sleep like that?"
'Shadow Clone Jutsu'
Izuna makes four Shadow clones and picks them up.
"Carry them to Konoha Hospital. They just need some rest."
The clones flicker towards the Konoha Hospital.
He lies down on the ground and recalls the terms of their fight.
Flashback-no-Jutsu*
Izuna, Kakashi, Shisui, and Itachi are walking towards the training ground.
Shisui turns towards Izuna and folds his arms in annoyance.
"It's not fair... Nii-san. You always beat us like a rag doll and then train us to death."
"But, Shisui, I always heal you using Medical Ninjutsu; so you can continue your training without any problem," Izuna replies to him.
"But… but Nii-san, this is torturous too much for us. Nowadays, the Anbu missions feel more like a break than an actual mission. But sadly, they aren't requested that often." Shisui sighs in annoyance.
"So, what's the solution? Do you have any idea?" Izuna questions him.
Humm...
The gang ponders for a solution.
"I have an idea." Kakashi snaps his finger.
"What it is? Captain Kakashi!" Shisui asks Kakashi. Itachi silently listens to them.
Kakashi turns towards Izuna and suggests.
"Let the three of us spar with you, while you have a handicap. In our spar, you won't use any Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Senjutsu to attack us, not even your Sharingan. You can only use Taijutsu to fight back though you can use ninjutsu to defend yourself."
Shisui and Itachi immediately agrees.
"This is a good suggestion. We agree with you, Captain Kakashi."
"At least, this way I will be able to beat up Nii-san and soothe my sore heart." Shisui silently murmurs to himself.
"…"
'I can hear your inner thoughts, Shisui!'
Izuna sweat drops at Shisui's thoughts.
"Did I hear Taijutsu and training?" A raspy voice interrupts them.
Might Guy walk towards them on his hands.
"Guy, what are you doing?" Kakashi question Guy.
"OH! It's nothing but the passionate training of YOUTH. My young heart is brimming with lots of energy, ready to explode. YOUTH!"
Guy does some push-ups. Guy flashes a smile with his sparkling teeth, which almost blinds the entire gang.
"I heard all of you are training. Can I join your passionate session of training and YOUTH?"
"You are welcome to join our training. I will spar with Kakashi, Shisui, and Itachi using only Taijutsu."
"Oh! Is that so? Then the green beast of Konoha shall join your training. It has been a while since I last spar with you... Izuna."
Flash Back Ends*
Izuna carries all of them to the hospital and admits them.
"Naruto and Sasuke joined the academy. Ayako is too small to play with. Maybe, I should check on Tsunade during this time."
Izuna walks up to the Hokage Monument and sat on top of Third Hokage's head.
"I am pretty bored these days."
Izuna flips open a soda can and drink it.
Gulp… gulp…
"This taste is bland and so-so. At this point, I can't even remember the taste of Coca-Cola. Maybe I should pay a visit to the Land Of Honey in my spare time. I heard their beverages are pretty good."
Izuna crushes the can and throws it in the air. The Can levitate around him.
"Magnet Release is pretty dope. But it lacks the power to do any decent damage. I have to learn its advanced version if I want to use it super effectively rather than manipulating some dust or metal chunk as a medium."
The image of Magneto controlling the entire electromagnetic field pops up in his mind.
'I wonder if I can develop it to such a stage. Kekkei Tota is a combination of three nature transformations, and Kekkei Mora is a technique that involves five or more Nature Transformations.
Kekkei Mora is out of the question for now. I need to have Rinnegan or 'Six Paths Sage Mode' to tap into its power. But what comes before Kekkai Mora and after Kekkai Tota?
I have no clue about it. If I see it as a Nature transformation then it should involve Four different Nature transformations. That shit is quite hard and almost impossible to pull off if you don't have any cheat.
But lucky for me, I am a cheat. I have to just figure out a way to use it and master it. Sigh… I may have grown strong, but any Otsutsuki can use a Kekkei Mora and just erase from my existence with a simple touch.
Damn, those Truth-Seeking Balls are too much of a cheat.'
Izuna closes his eyes while planning for his future power up.
'If only I had Rinnegan.'
'Should I steal it from Nagato?'
'No!' Izuna immediately denies this option.
'There is so much hate to build upon those eyes.'
Yawn…
Izuna stands up and stretches his arms.
"Guess I will check on Tsunade then. It has been a while since I last saw her. The boys will take at least three more days to recover from the previous fight. I should drop by Tsunade and say hello."
Izuna closes his eyes and senses the Space coordinates of his 'Flying Thunder God Seal'.
"Found her. I want to give her a surprise. So, I will teleport some distance away from her location."
Whoosh…
Izuna disappears from his position and reappears inside a forest.
"This 'Flying Thunder God' feels like a watered-down version of Instant Transmission of Dragon Ball. I have improved it over the years, allowing me to teleport a distance away from the target, but I still need my Chakra infused seal to sense the location.
I have to improve my understanding of Space to further remove the conditions of this jutsu."
Izuna slowly walks towards Tsunade's location. He takes out a Premium wine from his storage scroll.
"She will like this wine. I will give it as a gift to her."
He pockets the scroll and continues to move towards the inn.
Rustle… Rustle…
A nearby bush rustles a little as a silent breeze passes by. Izuna ignores the rustle and continues to move forward.
Rustle… Rustle…
Another shrub rustles, but Izuna continues to walk towards the inn, ignoring them.
--
A few minutes earlier,
Swish… Swish…
A group of Five Ninjas rushes toward the nearby tiny village.
"They haven't gone too far. We can still catch them."
One ninja reminds others.
"This time we will be able to hunt him down and earn quite a bounty. The Raikage's head ain't cheap, at least we can sell him to other nations and reap around a billion Ryo." Another ninja rubs his hand in excitement.
Humph…
Another ninja scoffs at the previous ninja.
"Your brain is small, just like your little brother, Rimushi."
"Hey, that's rude. Don't make fun of my size. You aren't packing a Bazooka yourself, so stop bitching around." Rimushi counterattacks.
"Shut up, you both. We have an urgent mission to complete. The target is Raikage. He won't go down that easily besides other ninja are guarding him.
Lucky for us, he will slowly die on his own. We have to just wait and retrieve his corpse." Himushi, the leader of the group, chides them.
"Yes, our Nokizaru group lost its base of operation after our village was annihilated by Kumogakure. We have to act as a 'Mercenary Organization' and take commissions from other villages.
Lucky for us, this mission leads us to Raikage of Kumogakure. We can complete the commission and take revenge for our village. Thus, killing two birds with one stone." Another ninja laughs in excitement.
Shhh….
Himushi gestures to them to maintain silence.
"If we do it correctly, we can kill three birds in a stone." He whispers to his team and points towards Izuna, who just walked from the deeper part of the forest.
"Do you recognize him?" Himushi question his team.
"Isn't he 'Silent Shinigami' of the leaf? What's he doing here?" Rimushi tilts his head in confusion.
"Rimushi, you idiot! It doesn't matter what he is doing here? If we can take him down before fetching Raikage's corpse we will earn double the amount of money. The bounty on 'Silent Shinigami's head is worth 400 million Ryo." The first ninja rebukes Rimushi.
"But would we able to take him down?" Another Shinobi questions.
"We should be able to. Look at the situation, even Raikage is running away from us. This 'Silent Shinigami' is just a jounin of Konohagakure. We can take him down." The Third Ninja explains the situation.
"I know little, but if you think so. Then let's head hunt him." Rimushi tilts his head in confusion.
"Rimushi, release the 'Exploding Insect Larvae'. Let him inhale death. Later we will engage in a fight against him and force him to infuse chakra to speed up the growth of explosion." Himushi formulates a plan.
"As you wish, Captain." Rimushi makes some hand signs and releases micro-sized particles towards Izuna.
--
Izuna senses the presence of stalkers, but he ignores them.
'There are a total of five of them. I don't why they are stalking me, but their intentions are far from friendly.
I will allow them to make their move first, this way I can learn more Kekkai Genkai techniques, albeit if they have any. It would be too boring to end them this early.'
Whoosh…
A gentle breeze passes by and Izuna's long hairs flutter in the wind.
'Have they made their move? But I felt nothing.'
Izuna carefully inspects his body. He feels an itching sensation in the nose.
'What's this? Did I inhale something? My body has grown sensitive to any change occurring inside it due to my Senjutsu training. Did I inhale a poison? But I can't feel anything.
Let me activate my Sharingan to inspect it.'
Izuna activates his Sharingan and uses the 'Eye of Insight' to look around.
"This…"
He spots various small microscopic particles hovering around him. Izuna magnifies the particles and spots various Microscopic Insect larvae trying to invade his body.
'Damn! They have to choose the insect, of all things. I really hate these insects. One Aburame Clan is enough.'
'Lightning Release: Purple Lightning Flare'
Izuna infuses lightning chakra in his palm to generate purple lightning. The purple lightning incinerates all microscopic larvae.
Throb… throb…
Izuna feels a throbbing sensation in his chest. He checks his body and notices a lump of larvae insects clumped up in his lungs.
'Fuck! I inhaled them and now they are sucking my chakra.'
He turns towards 'Sin Seal' and mocks it.
"One sucker is enough. Now you won't allow them to take your position right?"
Bzzzt….
Dark black lightning sparks from the 'Sin seal' as it angrily responds to Izuna's mockery. The Dark black lightning crawls through Izuna's nerves and enters inside his lungs.
Bzzz...
The dark lightning incinerates all intruder larvae and Izuna exhales a turbid black smoke from his mouth.
'Now I need to brush my teeth. This smell of fried worms is choking me.'
--
The Nokizaru Group notices Izuna using a lightning jutsu.
Rimushi frowns and turns towards Himushi.
"Leader, I have lost contact with all my larvae. I think… I think… he discovered them and… and killed them with his lightning jutsu."
"What?... He detected them and even got rid of them. Damn! We have to kill him faster or else it will reveal our Secret technique to the rest of the world." Himushi immediately signals his team.
Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
The Nokizaru group turns into smoke and surrounds Izuna. "Silent Shinigami! Today we will claim your head as a bonus with Raikage."
Swoosh… Swoosh…
All of them reappear before Izuna. One of the ninjas makes some hand sign and release a blinding flash of light to disrupt Izuna's vision.
The rest of the members turn into smoke and disperse in the surrounding area.
"Huh! Who are you guys?"
Izuna tilts his head in confusion and looks at them.
"We have no homeland nor a master."
"People seek us out, and we fulfill their wishes."
The group starts their monologue.
"So, you bunch are mercenary ninjas." Izuna looks at them prancing around.
'I can see you alright. There is no need to jump around here and there. Your technique can't hide you from my Sharingan.'
Izuna spots five Mercenary Ninjas wearing sashes that resembled the tails of monkeys. They had painted faces and wore outfits that stripes on one side, while the other stripe had a solid color.
'Is this a Dragon ball Reference? Why all of them look like a bunch of Saiyan with all that tail and color strips?'
"We are the wandering phantoms of the forest."
The bunch of mercenary ninjas continues their introduction.
"I had enough of your bullshit."
'Lightning Release: Chidori Senbon'
Izuna fires multiple Chidori senbons at them.
Whoosh... whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple senbons pierces through the smoke, dispersing it in the process.
"Hiding in Water" One of the ninjas appears from a puddle of water near Izuna.
"Hiding in Shadow" Another member pops out from the shadow of Water member.
"Hiding in Fire" Another ninja appears in a swathe of flames.
"Don't leave me behind." Rimushi jumps down from a tree.
"Silent Shinigami, this is the end?" Himushi tunnels out from Earth.
'Are they pretending or something?' Izuna tilts his head in confusion.
"Now explode." Rimushi makes some hand signs to blow Izuna.
Nothing happens. Rimushi makes more hand signs.
"Explode."
Still, nothing happens.
"…"
Izuna silently stares at them.
'They are depleting my brain cells. If I wasted even a second with them, I will turn into a retard because of these clowns.'
"Genjutsu: Sharingan"
Izuna casts a powerful genjutsu on them and restrains them. He reads their memories.
"Interesting, these bunch of clown made the unruly A of Kumogakure run for his money. They have stolen some kind of secret jutsu from Kumogakure."
Izuna searches their body and finds a sealed scroll.
'Release'
He removes the seal from the scroll and checks its contents.
"Hmm… secrets of Black Lightning. No wonder Kumogakure is so desperate to retrieve this scroll."
Izuna rolls the scroll and pocket it.
"I don't have any need for this scroll since I already mastered Black Lightning. But I can use this scroll to make him fork out some resources.
I am planning on forming an organization after all. I need lots of resources in the process. Kumo is quite rich with that haul they made after the Second Shinobi War."
Argh…
Izuna hears a groan and notices the members of the Nokizaru group.
'They are not pleasing to the eye, but I can trade them with Kumo.'
Izuna walks up to them and places his hand in front of them.
'Kamui'
He seals their chakra and sucks them in his alternate dimension.
Fufu… fufu…
Izuna whistles and walks towards Tsunade's direction.
--
Inside a gambling den,
"Alright! Place your bets!"
The dealer hypes up the crowd.
"Even!"
"Even!"
"Even!"
Three people bets on even.
"Odd!"
Tsunade forks out a Million Ryo from her purse and slaps them on the table.
"But… but Tsunade-sama, that's our last sum of money. We won't be able to afford the inn and food expenditure after you lose it in gambling." Shizune tries to convince Tsunade nervously.
"It's fine… it's fine…" Tsunade waves her palm and continues the bet.
The dealer places two dices in a cup and shakes it vigorously before rolling.
"It's even ladies and gentlemen." The dealer shouts in excitement.
"I lost." Tsunade hangs down her head and depressingly forks out the money.
"But… but Tsunade-sama, they are obviously cheating. The dealer is in cahoots with these people." Shizune flusters while pointing at the people.
"What are you talking about, Ojou-sama! Honesty is our policy. We won't rip-off our customers." The dealer turns serious.
"But… earlier I saw you rigging with the dice…" Shizune retorts.
"It's fine, Shizune. Let's get back to the inn."
Tsunade walks out of the gambling den.
"Hai! Tsunade-sama."
Shizune picks up a pink piglet and hurriedly follows Tsunade.
"Wait for me, Tsunade-sama."
"-Thanks for your patronage."
"-Thanks for your patronage."
--
Later, inside the inn,
"That was a refreshing bath."
Tsunade fills a cup with sake and chugs it down.
Gulp… gulp… Haah…
"The taste of Sake never turns old. But I would prefer Izuna's special wine imported from the Land of Honey."
"Tsunade-sama, what on earth are you doing? You can't go into debt to make more money anymore!" Shizune yells at Tsunade.
Oink… oink…
The pink piglet squeals with her.
"It's fine… it's fine. I can always borrow some money from Izuna. He won't say no to me." Tsunade waves her hand.
"Well, that is true." Shizune drops down her head.
"Yo! Did someone mention me?" Izuna hangs upside down from the window right in front of Tsunade.
"…"
Slam…
Tsunade immediately closes the window.
"What was that? I think I saw a ghost for a while." Tsunade mutters to herself.
"Tsunade, I won't lend you any more money."
Swish… slam…
Tsunade immediately opens up the window.
"I was… I was just joking, Izuna. Don't take it to heart. Come inside." Tsunade gestures to Izuna.
Izuna enters the room and looks at Tsunade.
"You reek of alcohol." Izunapinches his nose.
"Yes, Izuna. Tsunade-sama has been chugging down sake for a while now."
Hicc...
"It's fine. Let's celebrate Izuna-kun. Where is my gift? I want to see it."
Tsunade stretches out her hand.
Sigh…
Izuna sighs and forks out the premium wine bottle.
"It is the last one in my collection. I have to visit the Land of Honey to restock. So, don't drink too much."
"Alright… Alright… I heard you." Tsunade pours out a cup from the bottle and chugs it down.
Gulp… gulp… Haaah…
"Nothing beats the taste ofthis wine."
Izuna ignores Tsunade and looks at Shizune.
"Shizune, how is your training going on?"
"I have learned and progressed a lot in these few months. It's a hard task to become the successor of one of the Legendary Sannin after all." Shizune sighs.
Oink… Oink…
The pink piglet jumps out from her lap.
"Oh! Is this our dinner, Shizune? It looks quite juicy." Izuna looks at the pink piglet and takes out a fork and knife from his storage scroll.
"It will take me a few minutes to make a delicious dish out of it. I have all the ingredients ready with me."
Izuna takes out all the ingredients with pepper, salt, and cumin.
OINK… OINK…
The pink piglet squeals in fear and hide behind Shizune.
Gulp…
Tsunade wipes drool from her mouth and gulps.
"It will be a fine dish if you are the one making it Izuna-kun. I really like your boar dish."
Tsunade looks at the pork.
OINK… OINK… OINK…
The pink piglet squeals even more and hides in a closet.
"Stop joking around you two. Tonton is not food." Shizune rebukes them.
"Oh! Such a waste of a fine ingredient."
Izuna places all the ingredients back into his storage scroll. He turns towards Shizune and questions her,
"Where did you find this pinkpiglet?"
"Tonton is a gift from the lady of Land of Medicine's Daimyo. Tsunade-san cured her severe illness and as gratitude, she rewarded us with 50 million Ryo and Tonton."
Shizune picks up the still cowering pig in her arms.
Sigh…
"Tsunade-sama lost all that money in gambling. We are almost broke again."
Shizune narrates her experience with Izuna.
"It's fine, Shizune. You had it hard." Izuna pats Shizune's back.
"Let me book another room in this inn. We will travel together for the next couple of days."
Izuna informs Shizune and starts to walk out of the room.
Thunk… Thunk…
Izuna feels a pull on his clothes. He turns around and notices Tsunade pulling his clothes.
Hicc…
"Don't go, Izuna. Stay with me."
Swish…
Tsunade applies some force and pulls Izuna in her embrace.
Boing… boing…
Her massive jugs jiggle. She hugs him tightly and presses his head in her chest.
Squish… Squish…
Izuna is pressed in between her massive jugs.
"Don't… don't leave me alone."
Tsunade murmur before hugging him tightly.
'Hah!... I can't even complain, Can I? I guess I will enjoy this feeling.'
Izuna stops resisting, and Tsunade falls asleep while hugging him tightly.
Izuna slowly turns to Shizune and asks her.
"Did something happen recently? Tsunade looks a tad bit sad."
Shizune nods her slowly before replying.
"The Lady of Land of Medicine's Daimyo had a similar past to Tsunade-sama. She too lost her brother and lover in the past.
Due to political circumstances,her family forced her to marry the Daimyo. This reminded Tsunade-sama of her past and her mood was a little off in these past few days." Shizune narrates the story of LadyDaimyo.
"So, that's the reason behind her gloomy mood. Thank god, I met her on time."
"Mmm… don't leave me alone, Izuna."
Tsunade mumbles in her sleep.
Sigh…
Izuna sighs and helplessly looks at Shizune.
"It can't be helped. Izuna you sleep in this corner with Tsunade-sama, I will sleep in the other corner."
Shizune prepares the bed.
Knock… Knock…
Someone knocks on the door of their room. Izuna raises his head and activates his X-Ray vision.
'It's the Raikage A. Damn! he is disturbing my pleasant time.'
Izuna makes some hand signs and places a silencing seal in the room. The noise of the knocking dies down.
'Let me throw some reinforcement seals in the mix. That A is hot-blooded, he won't hesitate to barge in through the wall.'
Izuna places a bunch of reinforcement seals around the room and makes it as strong as a castle wall.
'Now, no one will disturb us.'
Shizune raises her head and question Izuna.
"What was that Izuna-kun? Someone is knocking on the door."
"It's nothing Shizune. The debt collectors are chasing after Tsunade. I have placed some seals to keep them at bay. They won't disturb us anymore." Izuna replies to her.
"Thank you, Izuna. That's a relief to hear."
Shizune rolls over her blanket and falls asleep. Izuna also falls asleep while pressed in between two giant mounds.
'This is heaven.'
Next Morning,
Izuna wakes up. He groggily opens his eyes and looks around. He recalls yesterday's event and turns towards Tsunade.
Tsunade is hugging his left arm while sleeping soundly.
Zzz…
"I need some booze. Shizune! GIVE ME SOME BOOZE." Tsunade sleep talks.
"Yes… yes… Tsunade-sama."
Shizune opens her eyes and stretches her arms.
"…"
Izuna speechlessly looks at them.
'Is this their usual sleep routine?'
Shizune hurriedly stands up and runs towards the door.
"I need to order breakfast for Tsunade-sama."
As if recalling something, she pauses and turns towards Izuna.
"Iz… Izuna! Can… can you lend me some money for breakfast? Tsunade-sama spent all of her money yesterday and we don't have money for breakfast."
Sigh…
Izuna rubs his forehead and looks at Tsunade.
"This woman."
He forks out some Ryo notes and hands them to Shizune.
"Shizune, go and get our breakfast. I will wake her up."
Shizune nods her head and approaches the door.
Oink… Oink…
Tonton follows her. She is still traumatized by Izuna's joke. Shizune opens up the door and slowly exits the room.
Izuna shakes Tsunade.
"Wake up, Tsunade! Wake up!"
He shakes Tsunade. Tsunade refuses to budge from her place.
"Tsunade wakes up or you won't get any booze."
Izuna plays his trump card.
"No… No! I am awake." Tsunade immediately sits up.
"Where is my booze?" She demands Izuna.
"That is…"
Kyaah… OINK…
A scream and squeal interrupt them. Izuna immediately stands up and dashes towards the scream.
"That's Shizune's scream." Tsunade also stands up and follows him.
Outside the entrance,
They notice a trembling Shizune and Tonton who are staring at A. A has dead fish eyes with big dark bags under his eyes. His brows are twitching and his hairs are a mess.
"You finally opened the door." A yell in his hoarse voice.
There are various fist-sized holes on the wall and door of the room. A's hands are trembling and he is staggering.
Bam…
A face plants on the ground and faints.
"Raikage-sama… Raikage-sama… are you okay, Raikage-sama?" One of Raikage's bodyguard shakes him.
"He is completely fine. He is just exhausted because of sleep deprivation. Just allow him to rest for an hour or two."
Izuna walks away from Raikage's unconscious body. Raikage's bodyguard raises his head and notices Izuna. He immediately puts guard against him.
"You don't have to worry. If I wanted to kill him, then him being awake or unconscious won't make any difference. Regardless of the situation, he would get a certain death."
Izuna ignores the bodyguard and walks away. Tsunade and Shizune follow him.
"I am hungry. Let's eat some breakfast."
"You bastard! Don't underestimate us, Kumo ninjas. Silent Shinigami or not." The Kumo ninja takes out a kunai and runs towards Izuna.
Huh!
Izuna turns around and activates his Sharingan.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan"
The Kumo ninja's body paralyzes, and he stops mid-air.
Bam…
He feels on the floor and angrily stares at Izuna.
"Please forgive him for his rudeness." Another ninja immediately bows his head to Izuna and begs him.
"You better tell your subordinate, there are some people he can't mess with."
Izuna deactivates his Sharingan and turns to Tsunade.
"Let's go."
The Kumo ninja wipes the cold sweat from his forehead and turns towards his partner.
He makes some hand signs and dispels the genjutsu.
"Amai, why you apologized to that Konoha bastard. As an elite Kumo ninja, how can you neglect your pride so easily?" He questions Amai.
Smack…
Amai slaps him and answers.
"Wake up! Togai. You don't know the full extent of his prowess."
"What's so special about him? He just made a name for himself during the Third Ninja War." Togai sobers up.
"Togai! Three years ago during our peace treaty with Konoha, Raikage-sama planned to capture the Byakugan during this opportunity." Amai explains to him.
"Uhu... I know about that. But sadly, we failed to get our hands on it." Togai shakes his head in frustration.
"No Togai! You don't know the entire event because Raikage-sama suppressed the news. Let me tell you, since you are one of his bodyguards.
We had to pay a price to get away from the situation. It was during that time, the 'Silent Shinigami' of the leaf engaged in combat against our forces.
He single-handedly faced against fifty of our elite ninja. It wasn't a fight; it was a slaughter. He killed all of them in just under a minute…"
Togai gulps his saliva as he looks at Amai in disbelief.
"It can't be true, right? There is no way such a terrifying ninja exists in the Leaf Village."
Amai shakes his head and continues.
"… It is the truth, that's the terrifying power of 'Shinigami'. Not even our Third Raikage-sama was capable of such a feat. I was a part of that mission. He spared me and Raikage-sama because he did not want to start a war with Kumogakure by assassinating Raikage-sama."
Amai turns towards Togai and rebukes him.
"Don't be too rash next time. Tsunade of the leaf is our only hope if we want to save Karai. Take Raikage-sama to our inn. Meanwhile, I will search for Tsunade and beg for help."
Amai flickers out of the inn. Togai picks up A and enters another room. He slowly places A on the bed and wipes his sweat.
'Thankfully, he didn't kill me. I thought I was about to die there. But what was the deal with all those green creatures? What sort of Genjutsu was that?'
--
Izuna, Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton ate their breakfast.
"I want to gamble," Tsunade yells in frustration.
"Do you have the money?" Izuna questions Tsunade.
"I don't. But you will pay for me right?" Tsunade smirks at Izuna.
"And why would I do that?" Izuna tilts his head.
"Because as my favorite apprentice and as a man, it is your responsibility to pay for a woman's needs." Tsunade smiles at Izuna.
"…"
"What's gambling had to do with your needs? I can pay for your booze but not gambling." Izuna rubs his forehead.
"Ok! Let's drink booze. You said you will pay for it, right?" Tsunade laughs at him.
"I fell for your trap." Izuna sighs and follows her.
--
Hicc…
"Booze is the best thing in the morning." Tsunade chugs down another cup of sake.
"It is noon already," Shizune replies to her.
"Now… now… just ignore such minor details." Tsunade waves her hand and gulps down another mouthful of sake.
Izuna lazily lies against a wall and drinks a can of cola.
Creak…
One of the Kumo ninjas opens up the door and enters the inn.
"You are one of the Legendary Sannin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves… Lady Tsunade, I have sought you out to make a request!" He bows before Tsunade.
Hicc…
"Who are you?" Tsunade questions him.
"Yes! I am Amai, a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village!" Amai bows before Tsunade.
Shu… Shu…
Tsunade waves her hand at him.
"If your comrade is hurt, then you heal him."
"The situation is behind my skills… please save our comrade." Amai pleads to Tsunade.
"You tried to steal the Hyuga's Byakugan. Now you want to seek help from me." Tsunade rebukes him.
"That was settled between the two villages. Our Kumogakure suffered huge losses in that incident." Amai replies to her.
"I NEVER EXPECTED HER TO LISTEN WILLINGLY! LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO…" A barge in the room.
"YOU HAVE TO WHAT?..." Izuna raises his voice and stares at A.
Gulp…
A swallows his next words and turns to Tsunade.
"Heal Karai and we will pay suitable compensation to you once our backup arrives." A tones down his voice and request Tsunade.
"Well, now… So the big shots waltzed in. Do you think I need your compensation?" Tsunade raises her eyebrow and smirks at A.
"You don't…" A reply in a bland voice.
'I have to somehow convince her to treat Karai. I can't use force here, Shinigami is with her. I have to think of a way.' A churns the gears of his brain.
'Found it. Tsunade likes to gamble, but she always loses the bet. If I can make a bet with her and win it; then I will be able to save Karai without suffering any loss. That's it!'
He turns towards Tsunade.
"How about we make a bet? If you lose the bet, then you will have to heal Karai. If you win, you are free to leave." A try to entice Tsunade in accepting the bet.
Hicc…
"Humm… it sounds interesting. There is no harm in giving it a shot." Tsunade ponders for a while.
"Let me do it, Tsunade. I will take part in bet instead of you." Izuna walks in front of A.
"Do you have any problem, unruly A?" Izuna raises one of his eyebrows.
'Damit! He has to interfere with this. I almost got her.'
"No… no… I don't." A shakes his head.
'I do. I am sorry, Karai, I can't win against this monster.' A close his eyes.
