AN: Here's some more, I hope you enjoy.
I was officially a Ninja now.
I kill people professionally for a living.
It's finally sunk in as I trek back to the training grounds, fully intent on pushing my new ability.
The slowing field, as I'm beginning to call it, seems to be a pretty useful tool. After all, it took Kakashi by as much surprise as it did me. I doubt the Jonin had been going full out on us during the bell test, beyond just trying to temporarily disable us, but the output of my cursed energy was certainly a boon.
A tool for me to master.
Naruto had Kurama.
Sasuke had the Sharingan.
I had this.
In order to pull my weight, I've really gotta figure out what this is.
My senses tickle.
I stop moving.
Pulling the bandages from my eyes, the world expands around me in an infinite clarity. Nothing remains hidden, especially the same two ANBU signatures from earlier.
"I can see you" I sigh almost beneath my breath.
They're ANBU. They can hear me quite clearly even from so far away.
I just think it's weird to try and hide from someone that knows you're there.
Two masked figures appear before me suddenly.
The Weasel and the Monkey masks.
"How"
The demand for an explanation catches me off guard.
'Oh. That's a little abrupt'
I lamely point up at my eyes, "your chakra. I can see it"
Looking between Sasuke's older Sister and this other-
I finally take note of the glossy white orbs behind the other mask.
Byakugan eh? A Hyuuga?
He'd been the one who'd spoken. A guy going by the voice. Young too. Probably only a bit older than me.
Not enough geniuses are going rogue in this timeline for Hiruzen to repeal the accelerated graduation laws it seems.
I feel like I should recognise this guy's voice though…. It just seemed so famil-
"Our Chakra was masked. Even a sensor would struggle to discern it from wildlife" the Hyuuga spoke with rigidity and a strong military backbone in his cadence. I felt my own posture straightening in response.
I sheepishly grin, "yeah well… I don't think it matters man. I see everything…. You think those masks are doing anything right now?"
The Hyuuga stiffens.
But says nothing.
Weasel on the other hand, reaches up to her mask and unclasps it.
"S-senpai!" the Hyuuga stutters.
Oh wow.
Her expression was neutral, but her natural grace was almost threatening. Regal and sharp features made up an almost pale yet ethereal face. But her crimson Sharingan ensnared me.
"I am Uchiha Itami"
She looked over at her shorter compatriot.
The Hyuuga held her meaningful look for only a moment, before his shoulders sagged.
He too removed his mask.
….
What the fuck-
"And I am Hyuuga Neji"
My brain skipped over a flurry of thoughts. Oh fuck. I need to think about that one later. What does that mean for team Gai?! It'll be Tenten, Lee and who?! Did the incident with Neji's dad even-
I bow slightly, aggressively clearing my thoughts.
"Pleased to meet you" is all I can barely manage to say.
Itami doesn't hesitate to explain their presence, or the fact they've removed their masks before me.
"Genin Ryo. After explaining your condition to Hokage-sama, you asked him if you could have an extra set of eyes upon them"
'Well you took that a little literally, Hiruzen' I couldn't help but gripe to myself, nodding outwardly with an admittance of, "I did"
The elder ANBU nodded toward Neji and then herself.
"Now you have two of the best"
No. Way.
Holy shit.
That-
She holds up a hand.
"You will learn to understand and test your capabilities under our direct supervision…" her expression seemed to relax somewhat. Emotion vanished from her features.
"Likewise, the Hokage will also understand and learn of your capabilities from our supervision"
…I see.
"Do we understand one another?"
They would do their best to train me, and even though they knew about as much as I did when it came to this 'Cursed Energy' and what I could do with it…. These were ANBU. The cream of the crop.
The best killers ever produced by the Hidden Leaf.
But they weren't just here to help me sharpen my own skills.
They were here to figure out how to put me down as well.
Damn.
So it was like that huh?
…I suppose it was too much to hope for Hiruzen's complete trust?
Maybe it was.
Sukuna seems like some kind of force of nature, like the Nine tails in a way. But where the Nine tails was held back by Minato's sealing techniques and the guarantee of Naruto's own Uzumaki bloodline, what did Sukuna have with me?
Hiruzen doesn't even know what the cranky bastard even is, nor what Mister four eyes is capable of, so why would some ghostly 'binding vow' bring him any sort of comfort.
The Hokage had to be prepared for every scenario, no matter how dreadful any hypothetical situation could be…
And it was up for debate whether or not I'd be able to keep Ryomen Sukuna down. That chance was only exacerbated by the unknown degree of threat that the haughty bastard sealed in me inherently presented.
'And I struck a deal with him….'
Maybe that wasn't the best choice to make at the time. I should've considered my options more carefully.
Fuck.
'Should've, would've, could've' I gripe to myself.
"We do" I confirm to the ANBU.
"Good" Itami nods, before gesturing to the training ground "I suppose you came here with the intention of training"
I grin cheekily.
"I did"
She nods, "then let's begin"
In the next second my world melts away, the last coherent thought in my mind being, 'NO! DON'T TOUCH HIM!'
But it was too late.
The Genjutsu had taken hold.
"Again? Was my message not clear the first time?"
The air around Ryo instantly changed.
As soon as Itami's technique touched the boy's mind, he suddenly locked up.
Black tattoos faded into existence all across his visible form, the sharp geometric lines dressing his wide and surprised features.
When his eyes suddenly burned bright red, and the small slits beneath each now crimson orb also opened revealing another set of eyes, Itami began to draw her weapon.
Each crimson eye darted to her.
The Chakra flow to her illusion immediately shattered, a foreign spike of energy slicing cleanly through it.
A sickly sweet voice, much deeper than Ryo's, came drawling from the boy's mouth.
"Do what you will to the brat"
Red eyes narrowed at her, the tone of voice dropping into a much more threatening octave.
"But you do not touch my soul, insect"
This was Ryomen Sukuna.
Itami ceased drawing her sword.
…The Entity had been classified as extremely hostile.
And Itami was observant, even in the milliseconds she had expended preparing to instinctually attack a threat.
But her hesitation only sprung forth from one clear observation. The entity had just appeared before her.
Yet it hadn't come at her as it did Kakashi during its first release… it scared Inoichi Yamanaka, but didn't harm him…
So why hadn't it attacked her yet?
'Pride and vanity'
The Hokage had suggested that the entity seemed to be a vicious yet narcissistic thing. Self serving, with no consideration and care for others simply because it was so very dangerous.
Itami wasn't sure what line she had crossed, but Genjutsu seemed to not only have an effect on Ryo, but on his passenger as well.
But the entity had some kind of counter.
So she didn't attack.
Instead, she differed to it with direct courtesy.
"My apologies, I did not-"
Fingernails were suddenly at her neck, the sharp claws touching just beneath her chin. Itami had never seen him move.
"Kneel"
The command was simple.
Blood red eyes remained fixed on her.
Beside Itami, Neji began to move.
Itami swiftly grabbed her younger partner's shoulder, taking the boy to the ground with her as they knelt before the released entity.
Itami kept her head bowed.
She had just stopped her younger partner in the nick of time.
Neji had been about to attack or run, Itami still wasn't sure which, but the sudden emergence of Sukuna had thrown the Byakugan user for a trip.
He was sweating all over his features, his expression shaky and fearful, for what reason in particular Itami couldn't say for certain.
"You have no idea what Chakra truly is, do you?"
The question was so casually delivered, the being's tone so full of pity and disgust, that Itami nearly gazed up at him.
But no, she wouldn't do that.
"Perhaps I do not"
"You don't" came the automatic and harsh correction, "and you never will. By the time you figure it out, I'll have killed you all"
Such a factual explanation, as if the events predicted above were immutable truth. Unavoidable.
"But it's been nice to be free from that damn cage. The fresh air is wonderful"
He stepped back from the kneeling pair, exhaling with a carefree note to his following words.
"...I'm in a good mood. This will be the last time"
The tattoo's receded from the boy's body and face, his eyes, including the second set, began to close.
For a second Ryo's body stood there, seemingly asleep on his feet.
Blue orbs sprung open a moment later, the pinkette nervously smiling at the kneeling ANBU.
"Uh yeah… he really doesn't like any of the mind stuff"
Itami's gaze almost narrowed, but she kept her expression professional. Her left hand had been shaking. She'd almost been killed.
The small and bizarre line between life and death had been right before her, and any step in the wrong direction would have cost her dearly.
Neji as well.
The boy had recognised the threat that had suddenly erupted before them, but whereas Itami remained in control, the boy had almost shattered.
Which was odd.
The Hyuuga boy had been involved in missions hunting down Orochimaru's spies, he'd seen combat to a vicious degree.
To have his composure so completely shattered… Itami looked at him closely, immediately noting how the sweating and panting youth had bulging veins around his eyes.
His Byakugan had turned on…
Itami was certain that his eyes had seen something.
Refocusing on the moment, the Kunoichi steadied herself and stood.
Between the mind reading failure and her own attempt at Genjutsu, Itami made a firm and distinct note for her future report.
'Do not use Yin abilities on the youth"
That was the common thread between the Yamanaka mind walk technique, and her own Genjutsu. Both Inoichi's clan art and her own ability were classified under Yin techniques. It was an educated guess at best, but also a safe assumption to make considering the Entity's words.
'Do not touch it's soul' was the specific demand…
Very curious indeed.
"Neji. At attention"
The Hyuuga wearily but quickly composed himself.
"Report back to base for now. I will handle the training for today"
Take a moment.
Center yourself.
Neji couldn't even argue against the order, his heart was just not in it.
Her younger subordinate quickly nodded and promptly vanished.
Turning back to Ryo, Itami reprised him once more.
"I understand now. No Genjutsu will be used in your training" she replied to the boy, "very well. Let's try that again"
She got into her own combat stance.
"Prepare yourself"
Ryo hastily brought up his guard.
I got punched in the face pretty quickly.
A strong hit to be sure, but not a Kakashi knuckle-dusted K.O.
I felt my nose explode in a shower of blood though, my vision jarringly darting skyward as most of my face took the hit that had immediately slipped through my guard.
The follow up jab nearly winded me, but the kick was what really sent me flying into a tumble.
'Oh fuck' I wanted to groan out, gasping at the earth as I quickly tried to roll onto my side.
Miss Uchiha-sensei was kind enough to stand back as I righted myself.
"That fuckin' hurt!" I yelled, coming onto my feet as I grasped my nose.
Itami sounded as if she couldn't care less because all the said was,"Then I suggest you do what you can to block"
Something…
Something twists within me…
"No holds barred, huh?"
A blossom of fire comes forth from within my soul.
Itami doesn't react.
Oh, cuz your so damn tough huh?
Just a freaking perfect soldier?
You didn't massacre your clan but you sure as shit already have put plenty of poor fuckin saps in the dirt, you bitch. How the fuck am I supposed to stand against that?! A remorseless killer beating on a fucking teenager is considered training!?
I take hold of my cursed energy.
My eyes flare up in response.
I can sense the space around me, I can see and feel the fiber of each and every molecule in the air.
For a second, I'm overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of this connection.
Everything…
My once rigid body relaxes, my hand coming away from my face as I let the blood from my busted nose leak freely.
Eventually, my calm gaze fixes on my 'teacher'.
Itami's eyes narrow at this.
Her Sharingan could probably make some sense of Cursed Energy, considering she had also reacted in my jail cell when I first flared up.
But it doesn't matter… I grin, gesturing a hand at her with an open palm.
I curled my fingers once in my direction.
"Come on then, Sensei, don't keep me waiting"
To my senses alone, the air around me hums alongside my anticipation.
I was going to knock the stuffing out of this crazy Ninja.
Itami, after taking a sturdy moment to analyze her opponent, held her attack.
While he was coated in the strange energy, it wasn't as visible as it had been in the cell… which was presumably when he'd first unconsciously used it.
But now… this was a direct effort to not only channel this 'Cursed Energy', but also to use it in a coherent capacity.
She hesitates, pulling back and observing the youth with her Sharingan. She'd done as such during the Genin's test, watching once Ryo had unveiled his eyes in an effort to hunt down Kakashi.
A thought crossed her mind.
Ryo had seen herself and Neji now with his eyes, had he also detected them back then?
The answer was likely yes, and thus that meant the functioning effect of his new eyes was an intuitive thing.
Uchiha spent years training to unlock the Sharingan and master it, sometimes the method of which had been passed down from generation to generation, the lessons headed from long ago proving to be crucial to development of ability.
The youth was using his eyes on instinct.
What was he instinctively capable of?
…on the off chance she was wrong, and the Genin didn't have a fucking clue about what he was doing, then she'd have dove straight forward to beat him down.
Ryo eventually made the first move.
The boy swiftly -for a Genin at least- closed the distance between the two of them.
Itami engaged in hand to hand combat immediately, slipping between his-
The Uchiha ANBU was wrecked to a halt as Ryo's hand closed around her fist.
Her senses went haywire.
'He- he caught-'
Ryo flung her guard open, his other fist coming around in a tight ball behind a vicious swing.
Itami barely managed to get a cross guard up before the blow struck across her. The vambraces of her ANBU armor absorbed the blow, but a veritable gust of air snapped around her guard as the sheer force of the blocked strike sent her reeling.
Itami's mind calmly observed the sudden attack, bare concern and intrigue lacing her thoughts.
'He's really fast…?'
She landed back on her feet, facing the Genin directly.
The ANBU's Sharingan snapped back to Ryo, who was smugly standing there with a grin on his face.
Itami's eyes visibility narrowed as her stance shifted.
'No…' she mentally remarked as she studied the Gening, 'no, that's not it…'
She'd watched Ryo go hand to hand with Kakashi during the Bell test.
…at the time, Itami had just thought that Kakashi was taking it easy on the kid and allowing him the grace of a 'fair-fight'.
Ryo had been just fast enough to evade Kakashi's more threatening attacks, but now the Uchiha thought differently.
Rather than Ryo being faster, Kakashi had been made slower.
She immediately threw a Kunai at Ryo, drawing another and charging behind her deadly projectile.
Her Sharingan, now paying very close attention to her 'trainee' right in front of her, saw the moment the Kunai began to slow down perfectly.
Ryo deftly plucked the blade from the air, pulling it into the Academy reverse grip as Itami got within range of him.
The ANBU agent moved at her top speed, attempting to disable or non-lethally harm the Genin in a blitzkrieg of attacks.
And Itami, now looking for evidence to support her theory, watched as her speed was reduced with every centimeter she drew closer to her target.
However before she could ever come to a complete stop, Ryo would intercede the attack with his own counter, something that Itami was having a hard time responding to.
The extreme reduction in speed hampered her significantly, which conversely made the Genin's own effectiveness in combat skyrocket.
While she could and did indeed dodge or block, finding exploits or working around him seemed impossible.
But she was certain of what she was witnessing.
'A slowing field'
Even taken at face value, she could tell it was a very dangerous technique.
A keenly observant Ninja could be taken by surprise with this ability. One doesn't expect their opponent to be capable of forcibly 'slowing' them. Ryo could handle threats far above his estimated caliber with ease, if he learned to utilize this 'field' properly.
She set this understanding in stone.
Now she just had to see what Ryo's 'slowing field' was capable of.
'He can hold his own in hand to hand combat… Genjutsu is out of the question because of the Entity… but how will he handle Ninjutsu?'
The ANBU slipped away from the Genin's next strike.
Itami leapt far and high, her hands flying through signs.
"Katon-
She intended to push him to his limit.
"-Goryuka no Jutsu!"
That fucking wiped the smirk off my face.
My eyes saw it perfectly.
They saw the hand signs, the mountain of chakra that moved through the ANBU's body, the steel in her expression as she called out the technique.
They also saw her spit forth the inferno before her.
As a giant fireball formed in the shape of a god damned dragon head in the sky above me, I made a definitive and final declaration.
"I fucking hate Ninja's"
No one but myself would hear the words I quietly muttered beneath my breath.
Sasuke's sister was currently directing a roaring dragon head fire ball directly in front of her face, so I doubted she would have heard my exhaustive decree.
But in the short few seconds before that vicious head of flame came surging toward me, I was given a brief period of grace to make a decision.
And they were as such.
'Dodge or block'
It was going to come at me fast, I knew that. So I could cut the flow of cursed energy and attempt to scram.
Or… I could try and catch the dragon's head in my 'slowing field', hopefully giving me enough time to step around and away from it.
My only hesitation was the possibility of the flames themselves getting too close to me… could my field stop heat itself from reaching me?
Dodging the explosion was one thing, but I didn't want to risk burning myself alive to essentially 'catch' the fire ball.
There was just enough doubt to concern me.
'So I should dodge-'
The attack came rocketing forward.
My body jumped on instinct.
Itami's attack was incredibly fast.
Planting both feet on the ground, my hands swept forward.
I felt Cursed Energy rocket out from my core, swiftling passing through me like a hurricane. A slight shimmer appeared around me, and my eyes focused on this odd apparition.
My thoughts danced at what I was witnessing.
'... I'm repelling… everything?'
So I'm like a magnet, but instead of metals being the only thing I interact with…. My power can affect everything?!
Holy shit that's so fucking busted.
My gaze focused back on the storm of chakra that was approaching me.
And every bit of distance it traveled, the slower it became…
The field enveloped Itami's attack, forcing it to bend to my will.
It would not reach me. Not even the heat of it.
It would never reach me.
For all eternity it would crawl further and further forward, traveling less and less distance each time.
I couldn't help but gaze up in wonder at the traveling fireball, watching the rolling waves of chakra energy expressed in the form of fire. My eyes dance over it all, studying each individual piece of energy.
I have so many thoughts.
What is Chakra, truly? Just an energy source? Or is it much more?
I look down at my hands.
'What is Cursed Energy? Is it just an energy source? Or… or is it something else entirely?'
The dragon's head fireball detonates against my barrier of protection.
It was trapped in infinity. It had no way of escaping.
My mind latched on that word.
"Infinity" I grin to myself, clenching my fist as smoke and dust seemingly avoids my person, "that's a sweet fucking name"
I look toward the Uchiha Shinobi, my grin directed toward her as I raise an eyebrow.
"Well, come on now, let's get back…"
…huh?
My legs had wobbled.
I feel the sting in my eyes before the rest of my body convulses in pain.
"Idiot"
The snarky and familiar voice is in my head, the brash tone of Sukuna deriding me as pain slowly creeps into my very nerves.
"Every sorcerer has their limit, brat. You have just discovered your own"
Even as blood explodes from my noses, drips from my eyes and lips, I'm barely able to latch onto the one specific word before I collapse.
As my eyes roll up into the back of my head, I see Itami dash toward me.
'Sorcerer?'
It's the last thing I think of before my thoughts go blank.
Itami swiftly caught the Genin's falling body.
His field must have deactivated, because she'd met zero resistance upon grabbing him. As his weight settled in her arms, she made an immediate judgment call.
He was unconscious, but he was certainly wounded.
She'd seen the blood suddenly burst from all the orifices of his head.
The crimson liquid was even leaking from his ears…
Itami made for the hospital at a considerable pace, careful not to jostle or damage the youth in any way during her breakneck travel.
Neji Hyuuga doubled over in an alleyway, his stomach voiding its contents against the ground behind a dumpster with relative ease.
He hadn't made it back to the ANBU complex before a vicious panic attack had cut across him.
The shivers had yet to leave his body completely, his wild eyes recalling the sight over and over again.
It was the entity that had brought up this reaction.
He'd seen it as it had taken over Ryo's body. While his normal vision would have easily seen the multitude of black markings erupt across the Genin's figure, his active Byakugan had witnessed far more.
The energy… as soon as his eyes made contact with the Entity's energy, a vision had taken him.
It had only happened in a second, but the moment was carved into his mind.
A beast with four arms, crimson eyes and a malicious smile.
He'd seen mountains topple and valleys form as the monster had come for him.
It couldn't be stopped…
He saw and felt a clawed hand stab through his chest.
A pained scream from another voice had then blasted his mind.
"HAMURA! NO!"
Neji clutched his head in agony.
This vision… what the fuck is going on?!
Neji was panicking. His heart thumped violently in his chest.
"What… ugh-" he gasped to himself, his stomach churning once more.
'It felt so real…'
Neji gasped in the air loudly, his quaking body slowly but surely settling down.
His mind was on fire with both emotion and thought.
But of the vision, he could only compare it to one thing…
'...it felt like… like a memory…'
"You're a greedy little brat"
I hardly care for his cruel barbs, instead relishing in the cool water that I'm laying in. Floating in our shared Domain, my eyes remain fixed on the twinkling sky above me.
A limitless expanse…
"I wanted to win" I steadily replied, a lazy lilt to my words.
Fuck I'm tired…
"You almost killed yourself"
That gets my attention, but for a very specific reason. Even though I'm tired, this is a chance to dig for some answers.
"Would that have killed you too?"
Sukuna is rigidly staring at me, his hands folded before him in the sleeves of his robe.
He doesn't attack me.
But he doesn't say anything either. He's pissed though, I can tell by the expression. For some reason he isn't trying to thrash me for my attitude.
His silence feels like enough of an answer, so I don't push him.
"I won't do that again… didn't know there was a damned limit though"
"There is" Sukuna harshly affirms.
"Well" I sat up slightly, looking at him fully, "can I increase my limit?"
The glare recedes somewhat.
"You can"
I nod.
"Got any tips on how to do that-" I steadily get to my feet, "-Sukuna-sensei"
He doesn't react again.
The silence slowly becomes unnerving.
But he agreed to teach me? That shouldn't be too much of a thing to ask of him? This guy's an egotistical prick, but we've made a pact, something that seems to be a pretty serious-
"Every Sorcerer has an innate technique"
His words are calm and concisely delivered.
I dare not interrupt.
"These are unique to the individual. You're technique has manifested at a far later time than usual, but you have seemly grasped how intuitive your innate ability is"
Interesting.
So my impulses regarding the usage of Cursed Energy are effectively built in instructions on my technique?
"Following your impulses will push the understanding of your ability. You can train this, that is certainly one way…"
Sukuna brought a nailed hand to his face, a finger tapping against his chin as he considered me.
"This can take time. Considerable time"
A question slips out of me faster than I can wrangle it down.
"There's an alternative?"
His grin is horrid.
"A cornered beast is the most dangerous state an animal can be in. There is nothing it will not attempt in order to survive"
Sukuna's face twists into a gleeful smile.
"A fight to the death, brat, will show you how limitless you truly are"
I'm taken aback for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
Sukuna chuckles, "fight. Never run. Even when you know you've lost, you never surrender. Not to another, not to fear, you tear everything apart before you"
His figure is suddenly drenched in shadows of red and black, his form shifts.
"When you are hungry, you eat"
The shadows coalesce tightly, obscuring my vision of him.
"When you talk, others listen"
Four gleaming eyes burn from within the spiral of shadows.
"When you are opposed, you kill"
Darkness takes the space around me. Even my eyes can no longer see everything around me.
"Become what you were meant to be, brat"
The four eyes are gigantic now, looking over me in this dominating darkness.
"And what's that, exactly?!" I shout out, defiance only partially coating my words.
I should have expected the answering word that following the cruel and booming laughter.
"A Monster, you fool!"
The instant I open my eyes, the world is normal again.
Nothing extra.
I can't see the people in the hallway, I can't see their chakra, I can't see anything, besides the ceiling.
There's a slow spinning fan above me.
Huh.
I turn my head to the side of the comfy pillow it rests on.
My first reaction at the sight of the open window and the sunny day beyond it, is to breathe as deeply and calmly as I can.
'Just relax' I calmly remind myself, trying not to be uneasy.
I'm in a pure white room, laying on a gurney, there's only one place I could be.
"Not one to take a word of advice from their Sensei, huh?"
The voice comes from my other side.
Tentatively rolling over, my gaze meets with a familiar one eyed man.
"Yo" Kakashi nods at me.
My mouth fails me as my body reminds me of its condition.
Speech becomes insanely difficult as I grunt in agony.
Holy fucking shit it's like my nerves were on fire.
'AH FUCK-'
Kakashi sees this sudden response, before turning his cyclops gaze turning back to the open book before him. He gives me a moment.
After shortly convulsing, my first words are gasped out.
"It fucking hurts"
"Your whole body was dying. Doc's say its a miracle you pulled through" Kakashi said succinctly, idly flipping a page in his book as I slowly settled down.
My whole body felt… tender, was the best word for it.
I looked at my teacher.
My sensei.
I watched him idly flip through the pages of his book.
His stupid fucking book.
Anger was the first emotion that took me.
My mouth seemed to work just fine in the next second.
"Here to say I told you so?"
Kakashi's gaze lazily swung to me.
"You shouldn't push yourself carelessly" he tonelessly replied, "a good Sensei would caution you of such things. I believe a good Sensei did"
My anger slips somewhat.
He was right after all.
Chakra exhaustion was taught in the academy. As soon as we had been taught to unlock and utilize it, we immediately were taught of its benefits.
And of its dangers.
It wasn't a leap in logic to understand that a similar concept existed with cursed energy. Whereas Chakra exhaustion rendered your organs dead…
Cursed energy seemed to try and rip you apart…
And I could command a great well of it…
"But your situation is unique, my sweet Genin"
Kakashi's levity drew my blank and wandering eyes.
He had stood from the short chair he had been lazily resting in.
"I hope you've learned from your error"
I nod at him.
"Good" he sighs slightly, "as my dear friend Asuma would put it, you've been dealt an odd hand Ryo, no one can deny that. But how you choose to play it is ultimately up to you"
I snort.
"Sounds like your telling me to gamble, Sensei"
"Ryo"
The serious note in his voice conveys a single question.
'Do you understand?'
A part of me did.
Another part of me, was wearing a savage grin.
I had felt infinity.
I knew that I was capable of something completely unimaginable to this universe…
The pain was gone.
I smirked at Kakashi, airly admitting with complete joy in my voice.
"I know my limit, Sensei. Don't worry about a thing"
AN: and that's that. Some D-ranks, team training, and ability experimentation coming soon. Also some more AU stuff. I hope you can dig it.
All the best,
Freedom.