Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto are all owned by Masashi Kishimoto. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. Please support the official release.

Chapter 10: Lightning Strikes

"Itai, itai, itai, itai, itai, itai, itai!" Whimpered Ruby, her eyes barely holding back tears of pain. "Why of all times was there lightning in the middle of a snowstorm!? What are the chances of that!?"

After Shirou caught Ruby in her fall, the snowstorm had then picked up in strength to send down a blizzard accompanied by green lightening. He was prepared for the weather situation using one of his own fuinjutsu inventions utilizing a set of paper tags spread around their campsite to create a field repelling all weather phenomena, and he used his expert Fire Release chakra to keep himself and Ruby warm. Ruby eventually awoke from the smell of Shirou's cooking of a rabbit stew over a fire, but instantly winced from the pain of her burns.

Shirou had already begun to treat her injuries before she had awoken, applying band aids on the burn marks soaked in salve made from crushed herbs in Water Release chakra. He had next tried his best to patch up the singe marks in her clothes, but did not dare to touch her red cloak. The Uzumaki new well enough how much Ruby valued her red cloak despite its scorched state. Currently, the sun had set, leaving the sky a black canvas decorated by the wonders of cosmos and shining under the light of a waning crescent moon. Ruby's head was resting on top of Shirou's thighs as he tended to her burns.

"You know this wouldn't have happened if you just came down from the tree." Shirou lightly berated.

Ruby gave a look to Shirou that seemed she was about to argue with the redhead. She tried her best to look as mad as possible, but it was severely lessened by the band-aids applied on her skin combined with her already cutesy look. Her face of rage was no better than a puppy on a temper tantrum. It was not like Ruby could bring herself to stay mad at Shirou, so she instead made a complicated noise between a squeal and a whine while burying her head into Shirou's lap.

Shirou, like the pure soul he is, lightly patted Ruby's head in a gesture of comfort. Like Ruby, he could never stay mad at his best friend, especially after the Uchiha girl was struck unconscious by a bolt of lightning. In a morbid sense, she got what she was literally asking for, and he was slightly relieved in the fact he never had to fire a lighting bolt himself.

"Well, at least you got what you were asking for, right?" Shirou said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah." Ruby admitted. "That was not a good experience."

"You did figure out the breathing pattern, right?" Shirou asked while also fearing she may need to get struck by lightning again.

A small smile lit up on Ruby's face. "Yep. It's confusing, but I now get what I have to do."

Shirou sighed in relief. "That's good to know."

Ruby tittered behind her lips as her smile grew. While the stings of the lingering burns were there to bully her, Ruby was enjoying herself under Shirou's careful ministrations. It felt so relaxing feeling his soft touch on her skin and the steel gaze in his eyes as he studied Ruby's burns before applying the necessary treatment. His unique concoctions of herbs grounded into a lotion-like paste to then soaked in their band-aid gave such a soothing sensation to her skin. Suddenly, Shirou stopped his movements and his head perked up when his mind reached a thought.

"Ruby," Shirou said, "didn't you think to use shadow clones? I could have blasted one and they could have transferred the memory of the shock. I'm pretty sure that could've worked."

Ruby's silver eyes glared, glowered, and gazed at Shirou's mismatched green/purple pair in a mix of shock and irritation. She opened her mouth to respond, but she could not bring utter whatever words to fire back at Shirou's perfect logic. Her mouth closed and opened again as Ruby persisted to make a comeback. It was inevitable that no such sass or back talk could be made by Ruby. He was perfectly right, and the Uchiha girl had made a grave mistake.

Tears traveled down her face, crying in despair at her lack of ingenuity of the legendary clone technique that has solved all of her training problems so far. She grabbed her red cloak and bundled some of it into a pillow-sized ball. Ruby then pressed the ball to her completely cover her face and unleashed muffled screams and sobs of both agony, rage, and despair all in one. Her legs kicked in the air, sending snow and dirt flying into the air. All Shirou could do was sigh at Ruby while also feeling some pity for her.

"There, there." Shirou comforted, lightly patting the top of Ruby's head and ruffling her hair. "You did what you thought best. At least you found out the breathing pattern. It'll be alright."

The screaming did not stop for some time. It was good thing to Shirou that he applied that last band-aid, and he should expect Ruby to have healed her burns away in about three days time. Whether she can continue physical training or not would depend on how she can walk. If not, then Shirou was not looking forward trying to restrain Ruby from training to the point she becomes permanently paralyzed. He gave a silent prayer to whatever deities in the heavens for Ruby to have full ability to do her chakra and Ki exercises.

(Tomorrow)

The storm's great power had the effect of wasting the sky's strength, leaving the rest of the following day in quiet calm. Snow fell far and slow from the white sky. Ruby was clothed in her usual black kimono and red hood, restored to the best of her abilities from its previous burns they were inflicted with. She was going to have to either buy or forage for cotton and use red dye to restore her red cloak's edges. Sheathed at her hip was a normal katana, where she settled her left thumb to press on the tsuba. With a flick of the digit, the blade jumped forward and the hilt flew into the grasp of her right hand.

Ruby lowered her stance, pushing her right foot forward and stretching her left foot back. She exhaled, spraying the air with a fine mist-like cloud. If one could see closely, they would notice small zig-zag bolts in the exhaling breath. As she breathed with her lungs filling to capacity, she focused Ki through her respiratory system as they circulated with oxygen. It was in all in a pattern with Ruby using the image of a crashing bolt of lightning and the feel of the plasma forcefully flowing through her body. Oxygen filled with her Ki flowed through her body, and Ruby felt the sensation of that lightning strike again but more harmonious this time. The next time Ruby exhaled, her lips also released a small swarm of red sparks that crawled and danced across her body. Where her right hand gripped her sword, tiny bolts of red lightning raged like an electric ball.

'Thunder Breathing, First Form...'

From where Shirou was standing, the air felt it was vibrating, enough to imagine it would shatter like glass. He saw how one moment Ruby was surrounded by sparks to then suddenly become a literal lightning storm. Bolts of red shot from her body, scorching the earth and subliming the snow on contact. Her eyes shot open, glowing with power and flaring out crimson electricity. The wind picked up force from the very pressure of the power she was releasing. She glowed brighter than the light shining down from the white, cloudy sky. From the entire display, the most shocking to Shirou was that he never sensed a spike of chakra from Ruby.

'...Thunderclap and Flash!'

There was no subtle lift nor her body blurring through the air. One moment she was standing in her stance, then vanishing in a red flash. At the exact same moment, Ruby was in the exact same posture, but behind the tree that she was previously facing. She was had moved so fast that the ground had a scorched line from where Ruby was before to now. The tree standing in between then began its cue to timber. Not only was the trunk cut cleanly through, but her blade left a still glowing burn mark through where the blade had sliced through.

A wide smile spread Ruby's features. After six months of forcing herself through the stances and the motions of the Breath of Thunder, to always come up to a failure, she had finally done it. Ruby knew she did so because unlike every other try before it finally felt right.

"I finally did it." Ruby cheered as she rose to her feet, red lightning still sparking off her body. "I totally did it! Ha-ha-ha, YEAAAAHHH!"

Shirou to his regret was going to have to soil on Ruby's victory screech.

"Um, Ruby-san," Shirou said, "I know you have the first form done, but should you practice the other forms? Did you even look them over?"

Ruby froze as her mind processed Shirou's words. A bead of sweat went down her brow of the horrid realization dawning on her. She was so excited when she first saw the Breath of Thunder tomes Ruby had not paid full attention to the rest of the breathing style stances. The Uchiha girl reasoned to herself that she had to master the forms in order, and not once did she look at the other forms of the Breath of Thunder with how hard she was trying to master the first form.

Her thoughts turned grim when she reminded herself of Isshin's return in several days. It was because of him that she finally managed to actually do the form, but Ruby knew well enough the Sword Saint has his expectations higher than that. She did have the tomes for a long time, and there was no reason for an outside perspective like Isshin to assume that she looked over every form. What would happen if Ruby showed she only did the one?

'H-He wouldn't mind if I managed to get one form, right?' Ruby tried to reason herself, even as she was starting to freak out. 'M-Maybe I should look over the rest of the Breath of Thunder forms. They're probably just as awesome as the first form.'

Ruby was about to make a dash for the Breath of Thunder tomes, but something had to fail her in that moment. Her right leg that was supposed to launch her forward refused to move at all. She realized too late when Ruby put her weight forward and was about to have her face meet the ground. Fortunately, Shirou saw this and closed the distance with a lightning Body Flicker. Instead of the ground, Ruby felt strong arms holding her up. Looking up, her face erupted in a bright flush seeing Shirou hold with his face so close to her own.

"Are you alright, Ruby-san?" Shirou asked in concern.

Ruby's blush increased hearing the genuine worry in Shirou's tone. "I-I'm okay, Shirou-kun. It's just that my leg wouldn't move."

Looking down at the culprit leg, Ruby realized the problem. Not only did she lack feeling in her leg from everything below the knee, red electricity sparked violently around the area. The lightning must have attacked the nerves of her leg, but Ruby hoped that this didn't inflict any burning damage to the skin beneath her pants. A bit more self reflection on her actions that would have caused the phenomenon gave a quick answer.

Ruby sighed. "Damn, it's not as simple as manipulating the Ki in my lungs. I need to have both total and constant concentration when using the breathing style. Otherwise, the Ki in my body will run rampant and attack my body. What a troublesome thing."

"I'll have to look the leg to make sure there isn't any permanent damage." Shirou informed. "You know what that means, right? No more strenuous activity for today."

"Don't be so ridiculous, Shirou-kun!" Ruby exclaimed. "That's too extreme."

Shirou did not give Ruby a reply to her 'complaining'. Rather she suddenly found herself carried in Shirou's arms bridal style as the redhead walked to their campsite. Her heart hammered against her ribs threatening to break through from the heavenly physical contact.

"Honestly, you are such a training nut sometimes." Muttered Shirou under his breath before glancing back to Ruby. "Your health is my priority. There's no swaying me on this."

The blush on Ruby was making her face glow in a shade darker than her favored red cloak, and it finally got Shirou's notice.

"Why is your face so red?" Shirou said in worry, leaning closer for a better examination. "You're not catching a cold, are you?"

"No." Ruby firmly denied, unconsciously snuggling herself closer to Shirou's body. "... you're so comfy..."

Shirou almost faltered in his walk when he heard those words. He did not know how to even make some sort of reply to that. What reason would Ruby ever comment he felt 'comfy'? The redhead glanced to Ruby for answers to his bewilderment, but he gave a slight gasp of surprise to what he saw. Ruby had quietly fallen asleep, resting her head against the space between his shoulder and neck. A peaceful smile was plastered on her face as she softly snored. As much as Shirou wanted to get an understanding to her earlier words, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up.

Shirou sighed. "Yare yare, Ruby-san."

(About two weeks later)

Train, practice, and improve. That was all Ruby did on the days following Isshin's return. Her mind was set long ago to master the Breath of Thunder when she first discovered the sword style. The use of gathered memory from her shadow clones added more time for her training. An hour working on the stances from the Breath of Thunder was equal to over a hundred, and they were put into groups assigned to each form. The real Ruby in meantime kept up her physical abilities through meditation to increase her efficiency in the form and occasionally spar with Shirou who was her only match in the way of the sword.

Ruby stood in the same clearing she had practiced both her Ki manipulation and the Breath of Thunder forms. She held her katana at her hip, still mostly sheathed with the an inch or two of the steel revealing itself in the light of waxing crescent moon of the late evening. The Breath of Thunder called for some of the starting motions to begin at a samurai's traditonal iaido stance. Assuming that the Breath of Thunder initially starts off with Form One, which always needs to be started in iaido where the sword was the fastest and most fluid being drawn forward from the sheath. Her training in the mystical lightning techniques had left burns visible on the hilt and guard, and there were scorch marks on the steel. Unfortunately as Ruby discovered her blade as it was right now was unsuited to using the Breath of Thunder due to the powerful surge of lightning, and she could only hope that the blade lasted for her stay here in Iron Country.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."

Those words were just spoken and then Ruby completely disappeared in a red bolt. The very same millisecond, a tree was cleanly cut through leaving a scorched line on its trunk before it timbering. Unlike the other forms which she had just started three days since her arrival, Ruby was the most well versed with the First Form due to having practiced the motions for six months without relent. It essentially became second nature to Ruby from dropping to an iaido stance to burst into a literal rose-red bolt. Even now, Ruby wasn't done with the form, having felt to go beyond.

"Twofold.

Rose-red lightning exploded off her body, breaking apart the earth at her feet before she disappeared yet again. This time two more trees were cut down at the exact same moment. If one blinked they would have missed the tiny appearance of a crimson streak of lightning zipping through them.

"Sixfold."

Again, Ruby flashed into lightning-fast speeds, this time going at six full dashes. She didn't let up to slow down for a single instant, each step essential in keep her speed. In those six dashes, six more trees were cut down just as fast as the initial attack. She finally reappeared in full form, sweat trickling down her brow. Six dashes at a time were her limit with the Thunderclap and Flash. Ruby did not however click the katana back into its resting sheath and held it out before

Silver eyes peered forward at a tree ten meters away. Normally, a user of a sword needed to dash the distance to close for the blade to reach the target. Form One was the best at closing the distance before her target even knew she moved at all. However, there was a form Ruby negated all together.

"Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder."

She swung her sword in front in multiple slashes, each one sending out a roaring bolt of thunder as if she were the thunderstorm. Each one struck the tree, leaving scorched cracks in the shape jagged lightning bolts all the way up its trunk till it suddenly exploded in a mess of burnt of splinters. The whole form was done in the span of one half of a second, it may as well seem her slashes were meant to make the tree explode instead of sending ranged lightning bolts.

Sweat covered her entire body, making her clothes stick to her person and made the chill around her bite on her skin. Ruby reeled back her Ki and reintegrated with her Chi to make chakra and then focus it through Water Release to cool her body. She took a glance over herself to check if there were no side-effects. Red electricity sparked off her body, but none of her body was paralyzed which was good thing. It took half a day under Shirou's care to alleviate the paralysis from her body.

Looking around the area, Ruby could not hide the sheepish smile. The whole clearing was significantly bigger since Ruby and Shirou first arrived. Many of trees surrounding the area were all cut cleanly to their stumps when they served as Ruby's target practice. At the rate she was going, Ruby might as well chop down half of the forest until she leaves.

'It's not like I can use Shirou for practice like that.' Ruby thought. 'He can never be harmed like that. I won't let them!'

From Shirou's vantage point in the canopy of the trees, he watched as Ruby was enveloped by a dark purple miasma. He did not need to look at it to feel the terrible chill running down his back, much less the horrid sense of pity for anyone not him. The redhead soon calmed down, leveling into his own stance with his katana settled over his right arm while his hand gripped tightly near the tsuba. Shirou closed his eyes in concentration, imagining his pool of chakra only to cut off one end that made up the spiritual half and only allowing his physical energies, Ki, to fill. Muscles bulged, blood flowed quicker, and his senses skyrocketed with the use of Ki flowing his body, and he zipped into basic motions.

Like Ruby, he also learned to draw out his Ki from his chakra. The very moment Ruby started, Shirou joined her flowing through the trials and errors at her side. It was the norm for the both of them to learn together as they went, rarely leaving out what the other was doing. Sometimes, he would decline and had to force Ruby to not let him join from how much she would drag to train with her, whether it be meditation or kata exercises.

For now, Shirou was leaving Ruby, to her constant pouting, to her own devices in mastering the Breath of Thunder. While Shirou was happy with his own results in the applications of Ki, he did not find himself to be using the Breath of Thunder. When he tried (by Ruby's insistence) the form simply did not feel right to him. So Shirou completely abandoned in using the same breathing style, and he was perfectly fine with that since he didn't want to intrude on what was Ruby's personal sword art.

Perhaps he could use a breathing style if he found the right one. Isshin did say and even demonstrate in front of their eyes that there was a variety to the breathing arts. By logic, there should be one that suited Shirou's preferences.

"You are going to get the lumberjacks out of business at this rate, Okami."

Both Shirou and Ruby jumped in unison at the surprising voice, and like before the source was the aged Sword Saint, Isshin Ashina. His attire was unchanged from their first encounter, and like before had caught the pair completely off guard by his introduction. It was frightening that this man, not a shinobi but a samurai at that matter, was able to sneak up on them. Laid behind him was a giant gourd the size of a chair, empty as it would seem. His nodachi was held in front of him like a cane, his eyes peering down at a sheepish Ruby.

"Ehm, konichiwa." Ruby greeted nervously. "I didn't know you would be here so late."

Isshin grunted. "Day. Night. Doesn't matter. If an old man wants a stroll in the night, then I will get a stroll through the night."

Shirou and Ruby's reaction was complete silence, but the awkward sweat drop down their neck said it all. This man was simply chaotic!

"And also," Isshin coughed before his voice rose to a roar, "get down from that tree, brat! If I wanted your companion dead, then the both of you would be corpses."

Like a repeat from last time, Shirou jumped from the canopy and into the open, though in a more shocked manner. Mismatched eyes regarded the man with nervousness with just a hint of suspicion. Isshin paid it no mind and glanced back to Ruby.

"So what's your progress like?" Isshin asked, meeting abject silence. "Go on! Show me what you have learned! I am getting closer to my grave here!"

"Hai!" Ruby answered, standing ramrod straight.

Ruby's silver eyes found a tree good enough to be a showcase of her progress. Her fear disappeared into only a face of complete focus, which raised one of Isshin's brow at the sight. She instantly spun on the spot and lowered into a traditional iaido stance. Ruby took a breath, the mist of her exhale taking the shape of lightning bolts. The moment of her first inhalation of air, red sparks came to life around her body and the wind picked up from the increasing pressure of her power.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form..."

The red sparks grew into roaring bolts of lightning lashing off of her body, scorching the ground and heating the air. Her eyes opened revealing the crimson plasma orbs they have turned into sparking with high amounts of electricity. Isshin stayed silent, but no one could not doubt how his eyes widened at that moment feeling the power wash against him. For Shirou, it amazed him just how much power Ruby was generating without the use of chakra.

"...Thunderclap and Flash."

Thus, Ruby became the bolt of lightning that struck forward to her designated target. As soon as that flash appeared did Ruby settle down at the same time behind the tree, resheathing her katana with an audible clip. The tree took its cue to timber over, the stump from where it was cut cleanly scorched pitch black. Another inhalation and exhalation and the lightning around her died down to small sparks before tapering off completely.

"How's that?" Ruby said with a smug grin.

Ruby waited for Isshin's reaction. Time ticked by as if seconds were minutes. His shoulders started to shake and to Ruby and Shirou's surprise the old Sword Saint started to laugh uncontrollably. He cackled like a madman after having the ground fed with the blood of his enemies. It was a laugh that sent chills down their spines.

"Of all things that you would've done. How stupendous!" Cackled Isshin. "At most, I expected to have grasped on total concentration on your breathing. Not to have mastered it and figure out to focus it into your lungs to use the breathing art. Ah, to think I am honored to see the Breath of Thunder in my frail age. I thought I croak in my sleep before seeing the roar of that thunder again. Congratulations, Okami, you have exceeded my expectations by miles. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Then... what were you really going to test me on?" Ruby asked curiously.

Isshin gave a round of chuckle and reached behind to grab the giant gourd. He hefted over his shoulder and dropped the gourd in front of Ruby, landing with a hollow thunk. Ruby blinked in confusion at the massive gourd and directed that gaze to Isshin.

"Blow into it." Isshin said, gesturing to the gourd. "Humor these old bones, will you?"

Ruby sighed, grabbing a hold of the mouthpiece. She pressed her lips over the hole, inhaled through her nose, and exhaled. The silver-eyed Uchiha expected the usual sound of air blowing in a hollow place. Not for the giant gourd to shatter into pieces.

"What the hell!?" Ruby exclaimed, throwing the broken mouthpiece away. "What was that for!?"

"There's that bite of yours, Okami." Isshin said. "That was to prove that you have mastered the total concentration breathing. It's become basic nature to you to use it, even if you have not realized it."

Ruby and Shirou could only gape at the Sword Saint. They could not believe that the breathing exercises used for the Breath of Thunder actually carried over like this. Isshin smiled wryly at the reactions from the two kids in his eyes. Ridiculously talented, miracle-working kids, but still kids. It would seem that his stroll will have to be cut short. He at least give one last test per say.

'Perhaps I should bring the Hashira withe me next time.' Isshin wondered in thought.

"Keep on improving, Okami." Isshin said, turning his back to the pair. "In ancient times when this breathing style was common knowledge, the greatest masters of this art were those who created their own. Perhaps, you might find one yourself and add your own flare to this ancient knowledge. Until we meet on the day thrice before your departure."

As Isshin left the pair, he missed how his words made them still in their spot. Their eyes did not linger on his back but rather on the words he left for them. Ruby and Shirou's eyes trailed up and down the steel of their blades whilst their minds explored new possibilities.

'A style I can create?' Ruby thought in bewilderment. 'Is that possible?'

'My own style.' Thought Shirou. 'Something created by me, that defines what I am.'

Two things occurred in that moment. The moonlight on Ruby's blade shined back in a dazzling white light into her eyes, making her wince and trail her eyes to the crescent moon in the sky. That silver cosmic body hanging in the night sky reflected her own silver pools, and she found herself enraptured by its beauty. As for Shirou, the moonlight highlighted the edge of the blade, exemplifying the refined steel it was made of.

'The moon... is so beautiful this night.' Thought Ruby, staring at the moon's current crescent shape. 'It always looks like the sharpest blade like that. Any weapon as sharp would be the greatest in the land.'

'Steel is strong.' Shirou thought, running a finger along the blunt of his katana. 'It surpasses stone. Resists fire. Absorbs lightning. Triumphs wind. If one were to breath steel, they would be invincible.'

Their minds in that moment gave creation to an inspiration that defined their own unique capabilities. From that was conceived the legend of the Dancing Moon and the Shining Steel, the mightiest sword masters the Elemental Nations would bear witness.

Nice filler/training arc all to serve to give the hype for Ruby and Shirou. In the coming years, they'll hardly be anyone to stop them. As is the path to become a God of Shinobi, and to prepare themselves for the coming calamity of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

So while Ruby recreates the Breath of the Moon from Kokushibo, Shirou will create his very own original style, the Breath of Steel. If we are going by Demon Slayer logic here, the Breath of Steel would fall under as being derived from the Breath of Stone. Let me know what particular forms can make up Shirou's this new breathing style.

And remember. Pure boi Shirou is life. Pure boi Shirou is justice.

Up next is Chapter 11: Dancing Moon, Shining Steel

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