Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 38
"Winding Down"
[Spiral Ahead, Part 6]

Among the ever deepening craters scattered across the field, Naruto gathers his chakra once more. Two clones, set up around his right hand. One shapes the chakra he is emitting, the other adds wind chakra to the structure as it grows.

An extremely heavy sensation going through the air. Vibrations and a loud, high pitched screech that intensifies as the jutsu grows in size, from the sphere with four small wind blades around its middle into something else. A most unsubtle technique, which only makes sense considering who has created it. Larger and larger still, the points grow in size as Naruto continues to add chakra, raising the completed structure above his head.

"Here it is! Finally!" he yells.

A loud, heavy, chakra intensive jutsu. Very much Naruto. Something that only he could pull off. But the most important thing is that he's done it, at last. His father's signature jutsu is now complete.

"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"

"..."

It's petty of me. I know.

I'm really trying to be nice. But...it's such a lame name. Rasenshuriken. Rasenshuriken? Really? I get it. The four points make it look just like a Fuma shuriken. I get it, I really do. That doesn't make it any good. When Kakashi came up with his technique, he gave it a cool name. When I discovered new forms of Mobius, I put in some work to ensure that the technique names were cool-sounding and intriguing all at once. But this? It's upsetting. The boy has no naming sense. Then again, that might be inherited, from what Hiruzen was telling me about Minato. After all, his signature technique is called Rasengan...

Ugh. I can't say anything...it's not my technique, and I don't want to take this moment away from him. I'll get over it. Eventually.

"You're thinking about something silly," Hina says to me.

"Not really."

"Are you sure? I thought you would have something to say about the name he gave it."

I grumble quietly and nod.

"Thank you for considering his feelings, at least."

"Hrm." I go back to focusing on the jutsu itself, instead of being annoyed at the lack of creativity on display. It really is a monstrous thing, isn't it. Judging from his chakra levels, I believe he could make about two or three of them in his normal state before tiring out. Considering the amount of chakra Naruto has, that really is notable. I can see why Kakashi and Minato had trouble completing the Rasengan if it took this much effort to complete. I wouldn't know about Minato's full strength, but it would definitely push Kakashi to the brink of exhaustion after a single use.

The feeling of the chakra tells me that it's also very heavy, weight-wise. Effort to use and effort to carry. It's unstable as well, and unlike the earlier version, cannot be moved or thrown without dissipating. In fact, it's taken several tries today alone to get it into a state where it can sustain itself. This makes it a melee technique once more, which has implications for any battle it's used in.

"Let's have a go with it on a simple target," I say to Naruto. "Yamato?"

"Got it." He weaves seals and makes a sturdy wall of earth behind Naruto. Then he adds a thick wall of wood in front of it. "That should make a good test, I think."

"Yes."

"Alright, let's try it!" Naruto says eagerly. He gets ready to move before I notice something.

"Wait, darling."

"Huh? What's up, Lili?"

"Kakashi, please have a look at the jutsu in detail. Hina, I would like for you to do the same."

"Yes," they say in unison. Kakashi reveals his Sharingan, and Hina activates her Byakugan.

"Yamato, my apologies. We're going to make a change...I would like for you to create a wooden dummy instead for Naruto to attack, so that we can properly observe the effects on a comparable battlefield target."

"No problem." Yamato makes handseals and creates a blank faced wooden dummy using the wood that was originally in front of the wall. It's set up at a distance that should properly arrest it once the Rasenshuriken – god, seriously – lands and propels it backwards.

"Now we should be okay to start," I say.

"Alright! Here I go!" Naruto yells. He rushes ahead with the screeching jutsu in his hand, and this time it's holding itself together. One more burst of speed just before he reaches his target, and he pulls his right arm back before thrusting it forward into the wooden dummy.

And then, things get a bit dramatic.

There's an extremely sharp release of chakra as the technique lands, and as I stand still I can feel the vibrations in detail. This technique doesn't...seem like it's cutting. Not in the way that I think it should be. The dummy is lifted off the ground and shoots ahead, with the Rasenshuriken grinding into it all the while. Then before it can hit the wall, the jutsu shifts and detonates. A massive vortex of wind forms, swirling around the dummy.

"That sure is something..."

Kakashi's commentary is simple and apt. The dummy is being sliced to bits, but it's on a level that I can't even see. The only way I can tell is by watching the wood virtually disintegrate, and the rock wall just behind it get pummelled into specks of dust.

"That's...definitely a jutsu," Yamato says with awe. "Whoa."

"Naruto, come here. Now," Hina orders.

"Eh? Did I screw up something-"

"Just come quickly, it's urgent. Please."

"Alright, I'm coming. But seriously, that looked awesome!" he says as he reaches Hina. She has a concerned look on her face as she pushes up the sleeve on his right arm. "It even rips through rocks like butter! This jutsu is so nuts, I can't believe I came up with it! Of course, it's all thanks to you guys that-"

"Naruto...I'm sorry."

"What're you sorry about, Hinata?" he says to her. "Seriously, you're kind of freaking me out right now, even though I'm pumped. What's the matter?"

"You can't use this jutsu. Not now, not ever."

Everyone is silent for a few moments.

"Uh...what? What do you mean I can't?" Naruto asks her.

"Hina, what do you see?" I ask.

"It might have something to do with the number of attacks inflicted, and their nature," Kakashi says. "Once the Rasenshuriken lands on a target, its properties start to change. The core is packed with chakra, which is the usual fare for a Rasengan. It detonates after contact with a target and causes severe damage at that point of contact some time after sending it away. In the same way, this version with wind chakra also explodes, and because of the nature of wind chakra, has the added effect of cutting and slicing opponents. This leads to even more damage. The Rasenshuriken, however, goes a step above that. Once it detonates, as you saw just now, it creates a vortex over a wide area. Within that vortex, a countless number of wind blades are formed on a microscopic level, and attack the opponent all at once. It's a devastating, inescapable sort of attack, which I suppose justifies the incredible chakra cost."

"And I suppose that is where the problem lies," I conclude.

"Naruto...please listen to me. I don't...mean to throw away all of your hard work," Hina says quietly. "But I care about you, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I don't want you to lose the ability to chase after your goals as a shinobi."

"Now I'm really getting scared. Seriously, just tell me what's going on. I won't get mad, I'm just...I dunno, shocked, is all. We spent a few days getting this up to speed, and now I'm not allowed to use it ever again," Naruto says.

"What Master Kakashi was saying is exactly what I managed to observe. Countless microscopic blades moving at high speed to pierce through a target. And it is the size and sheer quantity that makes them so dangerous. The effect is much less pronounced in your arm, but what it does is attack and destroy on a cellular level. Every cell in the body is ripped to pieces, and its connection to the chakra pathway system is severed. In the case of the user, the damage is much less severe and can be healed given time and proper treatment. But a human being that is hit with that jutsu directly will have their chakra network obliterated, and they will no longer have the ability to create chakra. That means that if they somehow survive, they will never be shinobi again."

Naruto gulps and swallows nervously at that.

"And this is the danger of the jutsu for you," she says, placing a hand on his chest. "The recoil and effect of the Rasenshuriken affects you as well, even if you end up outside of the vortex area. You take on the same kind of damage at a lower level. The more you use the jutsu...the closer you come to severing the chakra network in your hands and arms. And once that happens, you will never be able to mould chakra properly again."

"Can't-"

"No. There is no medical jutsu in this world that can heal damage on that level. You can ask Lady Tsunade yourself if you doubt my words. Once the damage is done, it cannot be undone. Even if it is partial, it will affect your ability to create and use jutsu. You might not even be able to use a normal Rasengan, let alone the Rasenshuriken."

"Oh...huh."

Naruto steps back and takes a seat on the grass, sobered. Hina kneels down to meet him.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I was so eager to see this...to see you do something amazing. I just...think that your health is worth far more than any jutsu, no matter how strong and useful it might be."

"Don't blame yourselves. It's my fault," I say. "I should have seen something like this coming. All jutsu have risks, and maybe if I had-"

I feel a hand rub the top of my head roughly.

"Oi, that's valuable. What are you going to do if my hair starts falling out?" I ask Kakashi, annoyed.

"Stop being a brat for once and listen. All of you should listen up, in fact," he says firmly, lifting his hand from my head.

I take note of his tone and straighten up.

"These past two weeks or so have yielded great progress. We've helped Naruto learn a chakra nature and two new techniques, and completed something that even the Fourth Hokage couldn't. What you're not going to do is throw yourselves into a hole over setbacks. We figured out a problem in training instead of out in the field. That's valuable. It's something that given time, we might be able to fix. So don't go having a pity party over this. You've done too much and worked too hard for that. Understand?"

Hina nods. "Yes, sir."

"Yeah. Got it, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto says.

I sigh and nod myself. "You're right. I understand, Kakashi."

"Good. I just needed you three to remember where you've come from. You don't need to have the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time. You're still young. You still have time to learn and make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. These things happen. Don't go around hanging your heads and acting like you're failures."

"Senpai's right," Yamato says. "You've done amazing work over this past while, so don't beat yourselves up over something that you couldn't possibly predict. You'll be able to fix that in time. I didn't get this control over Wood Release in a single day. Mistakes are going to happen. And honestly, you should be proud of yourselves for figuring it out so quickly. If Lili hadn't had the foresight to have people with doujutsu on hand and observing, and Hinata didn't have her insight and medical training, things might have been a lot worse. We might not have noticed the flaw with Rasenshuriken until it was too late."

"Yamato and I are going to grab dinner back in the village. The three of you need to take it easy for a while and think positively, so no more training or any kind of work. Alright?"

"Yes, sir," we say in unison.

"Good. Let's head out, Yamato."

"Yeah. See you guys in a bit."

They take off, leaving the three of us alone. I sit next to Naruto on the grass, and Hina sits on his other side. From here, I can see the large depression left by the Rasenshuriken from earlier. It's more of a pit, actually...a very impressive thing for the first time. Maybe there have been some setbacks, but Kakashi is right. We have a lot to be proud of.

"I almost forgot," I say.

"Forgot what?" Naruto asks me. I pull him close with my left arm and kiss him on the cheek.

"That. Congratulations, my love. You've done very well, and I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Lili...I'm glad I could make you happy. It was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it."

"I'm proud of you too," Hina says, kissing him on the opposite cheek. "You're a hard worker, and you've earned this. Regardless of what happens from now on, you at least have one advanced technique in your hands. It will allow you to move forward towards your goals, as you always wanted."

"That's true. The new Rasengan should be good enough...and I still have the Rasenshuriken if things get really desperate."

"Of course. No holding back in emergencies."

"Yep. Wish there was a way to fix it, though..."

"You can't throw it because it's so unstable," Hina says. "If only there was a way to refine it...but that might be asking for too much, since it's something so big and heavy as it is."

"There is a solution," I say. "Though it requires use of a certain skill. Stabilizing and enhancing techniques is possible with the use of natural energy, and the formation of sage chakra. Infusing it into existing arts should help."

"Natural energy?" Naruto asks.

"That's an entire branch that you're not quite ready for, and would take some time to explain. Your sensei said not to worry about work, so we should try to abide by that. I just wanted to plant the idea in your head, that's all."

"Hm..."

"As Lili said, don't worry about it," Hina tells him. "Let's take things easy."

"Yeah."

Kakashi and Yamato come back quickly enough, with plenty of treats for everyone. Tonight's dinner is fried chicken and noodles, and ice cream for dessert. We take our minds off of the recent training and get to chatting about different happenings within the village.

For the first time in a while, it feels like we can relax and wind down. This outing was a great success, and we'll be able to get back to the village tomorrow with our heads held high. Later on, Naruto and I will definitely find some time for ourselves to work on our combination jutsu. I have more data than I know what to do with, and plenty of ideas. If we get it right, it won't take more than a day or two. I really can't wait.

"It's really a shame that things ended the way they did. There were a lot of fun ideas in the series, but then it descended into page after page of mean spirited jokes. I don't understand what changed so suddenly," I say to Kakashi. We've all finished eating and are enjoying some warm tea while talking.

"Me either. There were definitely a few moments that didn't match with the tone of the previous books..."

"What're you guys going on about?" Naruto asks.

"I believe it's one of those raunchy book series that Master Kakashi enjoys so much," Hina says. "A spin-off, I believe?"

"Oh, you mean one of Pervy Sage's books. Yeah, the one series of side novels he recently rushed out was a super big hit. Never read it though, looked pretty boring like his other weird stuff. He made me proof read one of the main ones recently, and..."

The gears in my brain turn, and I slowly lower my cup of tea to the ground.

Did I...hear that correctly? Jiraiya? Jiraiya is the one who writes the Icha Icha series? He's the one behind Icha Icha Garden?

"Master Jiraiya writes those books?" Hina asks, surprised. She looks over to me, her eyes wide. "Oh...oh, dear."

Kakashi looks to me. "Wait. Lili, you didn't...oh. Naruto didn't tell you."

"Tell her what? That Pervy Sage wrote dirty books? I...guess I didn't. Yeah, he does his so called research at hot springs and junk. But why's that important?" Naruto asks. "Did something happen? I mean, aside from his getting slapped the other day for being a turbo creep..."

"Icha Icha Garden has a character that..." Hina tries to find the words. "The main character, from what Lili has told me, bears a very strong resemblance to her. And there are other supporting cast members that one might recognize with a small bit of effort."

"When you say rushed out," I start slowly. "How rushed out did you mean, Naruto?"

"Oh. Now that you mention it...we did have a conversation about you, way back when. Like, maybe three or four years ago now."

"And Jiraiya is one of the people you trusted, which met the conditions I gave to you about my disposition," I finish for him. "Well, that much is fair...he didn't go out and reveal my secret to everyone. Not yet, or directly..."

"Yeah. It must have been around that time...he was stopping and talking to a lot of book guys while we were out looking for Granny Tsunade later, and then while we were travelling the world and stuff. I guess if I had cracked one of those books open, I would have noticed what was going on."

"..."

"Lili, I'm begging you. I know that you probably want to strangle him-"

"No, don't worry about that. I don't believe I have anything to be upset about at this moment," I say calmly. "Your master will be safe from physical harm, as gross as his actions might have been."

Naruto lets out a relieved breath and nods. "That's good to hear. I'm really sorry about that, Lili."

"You did nothing wrong, my love."

"Not to be a downer or anything, but...senpai, you just found out that you're the main character of a very widely distributed erotic novel series, written by Lord Jiraiya himself," Yamato says. "You seem calm, but are you really okay with this?"

"I'm perfectly fine, dear. Thank you for your concern. The only thing I will need is a meeting with Lord Jiraiya to talk about this matter, and straighten a few things out. That's all." I take a long sip of my tea.

"There's nothing too terrible in those novels, is there?" Hina asks Kakashi.

"Nothing unique to the genre, and the writing is usually pretty well done," he replies. "It's just that...well, you can get a sense that the writer wanted to vent a bit, before getting things over and done with in the last few books so that he could move on. And from what I've been hearing about Lili and Jiraiya's dealings with each other...a lot of things are starting to make sense in context."

"That sounds unpleasant."

"Just a bit."

"These things happen," I say to everyone. "It's flattering that I could be the unnamed star of something that appeals so much to me. Expressing my appreciation in detail, now that I know who the author is, only makes sense."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did more than that," Hina says knowingly.

She's right to say so. I am a bit shocked, and definitely repulsed that the great king of lechers himself would steal my likeness and mannerisms in order to satisfy himself and line his pockets. And then to make me suffer by proxy at the tail end of his book series because I dared to rightfully embarrass him each and every time he crossed the line with me.

But anger and bluster? Oh, no. Nothing like that.

"Mhm." A small smile comes to my lips.

I know what it is I'm going to do, just as I've always known. I made a promise that I would wring dry the person who had the nerve to do something like that. I am going to make sure that promise is kept. And I am going to have a wonderful time making Jiraiya suffer for his trespasses against me.