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Chapter 12

oh, you can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait

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64年7月8日

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"Ready, set, go."

At Kirimaru's signal, they jump into action. Beneath them, the river roars angrily. They engage. Block, dodge, hit. Disengage. Akuto pants, almost losing his footing. But Shizuki doesn't look too good either. Her breaths come fast, sweat drips down her forehead, and her kimono is damp and clinging to her arms.

Almost as if she read his mind, she says with a smirk, "Think today's the day you finally beat me?"

"Sure." Akuto grins. "Once you stop hidin' behind all these taijutsu-only spars, maybe."

She answers with a high kick to his head. He tilts it to the side, narrowly escaping a painful hit to his chin. Ruthless, he thinks, grinning. She follows it up with a barrage of hits so quick, the air around her fists blurs. Akuto escapes with a handspring, sends some chakra to his palm, and flicks a harmless jet of water toward her. It lands on her stomach, right by her Keimon.

Kirimaru sighs. "Akuto cheats, Shizuki wins, water is wet."

"Maybe next time." Shizuki wrings out her kimono. "Or, let's be real— only in your dreams."

"In my dreams? You're not there. Blissful, really."

She shoves him lightly. He catches himself, flips her off, and jumps off the river to join Kirimaru. His hair has grown longer over the past weeks, touching his ears now. It's brighter than before, but still too dark to be Uzumaki red. Which reminds him—

"There's this girl I know," he starts, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. "Auburn hair, kinda like yours—darker, maybe. Goes by Terumī Mei. Sound familiar?"

Kirimaru smiles half-heartedly. "My Ofukuro told me my father wasn't one, and neither were my grandparents."

"Oh." Akuto scratches the back of his head. Warmth spreads to his cheeks. "What're you workin' on, then?"

Shizuki sighs, sounding done with the world. "Oh, now you've done it."

Kirimaru rolls his eyes at her. "I'm working on storage seals," he explains. "I want to make them work on cloth and skin, not just paper."

"Or parchment," Shizuki adds.

"Yes. Or parchment."

Sealing? Now that's something he can get behind.

"Oh yeah?" Akuto lays down next to Kirimaru, propping himself up on his elbows. He quirks a brow. "Why?"

Kirimaru lights up, the way he always does when he really cares about something. "Paper's too fragile. One tear, one drop of water, and it's done for. Parchment's better—scrolls prove that—but not ideal. If you can make seals work on cloth or skin, you'd always have your supplies with you. Imagine a seal stitched into your flak jacket or inked onto your arm. Instant access to food, tools, weapons—whenever you need them."

Akuto frowns. Sounds logical, but— "And it doesn't already work? C'mon, we've got explosive tags. They stick to all kinds of stuff."

He's also pretty sure he saw Sasuke with storage seals on his arm in the anime— but then again, that might've been an Orochimaru-only thing. And he'd sooner die than share his knowledge with anyone. Which is a shame, really.

Kirimaru shakes his head. "Explosive tags are simple. They do one thing: explode." Akuto nods along. That makes sense. "Storage seals are way more complicated. You're storing chakra, containing it, and releasing it on command. It's like building a box out of chakra and making sure it doesn't collapse while it's full."

Akuto snorts. "Sounds like a pain in the ass."

"It is," Kirimaru admits. "Cloth bends, stretches—distorts the seal. Skin's even worse. It moves constantly and regenerates. If the seal's not stable, it either fades or... explodes."

"That actually happen?"

Kirimaru hesitates, then mutters, "Not... recently."

Shizuki and Akuto burst out laughing. When he calms down, he asks, "Wait—recently? You're sayin' it has happened?"

"It was an experiment," Kirimaru protests. "And it wasn't an explosion— just a little… pop."

"Sure," Shizuki says, still grinning. She shares a look with Akuto, wiggling her eyebrows. "A pop. Totally harmless, I'm sure."

Akuto snorts, high-fives her, then turns back to Kirimaru. Back to the topic at hand. "Okay, but how do storage seals even work? What makes 'em so complicated?"

You can buy them for pretty cheap literally everywhere.

Kirimaru's expression shifts, eyes narrowing and back straightening as he switches into Explanation Mode. "Think of storage seals as instructions for chakra. You tell the chakra to create a space— a pocket dimension— and store something in it. The kanji define the 'what'— what you're storing, how much, for how long. The shapes around the kanji define the 'how'— how it's stored, stabilised, and accessed."

"Like the shapes? Circles, triangles, that sorta thing?" Akuto asks, gesturing vaguely at Kirimaru's scroll.

"Exactly," Kirimaru says, nodding. "Circles are for stability— they keep the space intact. Triangles add structure and strength, making the seal harder to break. But you can't just slap shapes together. They have to align perfectly, or the seal doesn't work."

"Like your calligraphy needing to be flawless, huh?" Shizuki asks, her eyes gleaming.

Akuto feels wary all of a sudden.

"Exactly," Kirimaru says.

Shizuki looks at him, a bright grin on her face, all teeth. Akuto already knows what's coming. "Bet your awful scrawl would set off explosions where you didn't plan 'em."

Akuto snorts. "Yeah, sorry my priorities don't line up with yours."

"Your handwriting is terrible," Kirimaru agrees, a soft smile on his face.

Akuto ignores them and leans closer to Kirimaru. "What if you added a trigger? Somethin' that kicks it into gear automatically. Could that work?"

Kirimaru's eyes gleam. "You can, but it's tricky. You'd need control structures— symbols to create conditions for activation. Like a seal that releases a weapon automatically when you're attacked. But the more conditions, the more complicated the seal. One mistake, and.."

"Boom," Shizuki says cheerfully.

"Yeah," Kirimaru agrees gravely. "Boom."

Akuto grimaces, that reminds him of programming… he wasn't the worst at it, back then, but it was also incredibly tedious and frustrating at times. Almost always, actually. Except when things were working and the program did what he wanted, the way he wanted.

Akuto's gaze drifts to the scroll in Kirimaru's hands. "Where'd you even learn all this?"

Not like Kiri loves sharing knowledge or anything.

Kirimaru softens slightly. "Some of it's from the Uzumaki libraries. Hoshigaki grabbed scraps during the attack on Uzushiogakure. Most of it's damaged or incomplete, but there's still usable stuff."

Akuto frowns. "The Uzumaki were sealing prodigies. Even scraps of their work'd be incredible."

"They are," Kirimaru says, frustrated. "But incomplete. The Uzumaki had entire archives of seal designs and theories. What I've got are fragments— enough to glimpse what they were capable of, but not enough to understand it. It's like rebuilding a puzzle with half the pieces missing."

Akuto nods. He knows the Uzumaki were renowned for their sealing prowess, so much so that it made them a target. Their Academy teachers never told them why exactly, but Okan and Fuguki-oji listed many things. Longevity, chakra chains, massive reserves, and, of course, fuinjutsu prowess. What he didn't realise is just how much knowledge was lost when their village fell. He always thought it ended up in Konoha, maybe in the hands of Danzō, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or even Tsunade. Her being quarter-Uzumaki or something.

"That's why I experiment," Kirimaru continues. "I'm trying to recreate their designs— or at least figure out how they worked. If I can do that, maybe I can make something new."

Akuto studies Kirimaru carefully. The way he talks about seals, the way his fingers trace the symbols on the scroll with such gentleness…

"You're not secretly an Uzumaki, are you?" Akuto asks, half-joking.

Kirimaru snorts. "What? Think I've got some Uzumaki blood hidden in my veins? Sorry to disappoint, but no."

"Aww," Akuto says. "Shucks."

Kirimaru only hums in response, focusing back on his scroll. Next to him, Shizuki flops onto her back. He leans back, watches Kirimaru move the brush steadily, each stroke slow and deliberate, painstakingly perfect. It's almost hypnotic. The faint smell of ink wafts through the air. The rhythmic scratch of bristles on parchment fills the silence, broken only by Shizuki's exaggerated sighs.

He hums, drums his fingers against the grass. Something during the conversation struck a nerve. He can't quite tell which one— doesn't know what struck it either, but he can't stop thinking. Like a loose thread he can't help but tug at.

He watches as the seal takes shape. First the kanji, then the shapes. Everything has its purpose, its intent. It's almost maddening. How can lines on a page command chakra so absolutely? Kirimaru called seals—well, storage seals— instructions but he can't shake the bigger question: why does Chakra listen at all?

The thought lingers, a stubborn itch at the edge of his mind, until it spills out of him.

"So," Akuto says, breaking the silence, "So, why do seals work, anyway?"

Kirimaru pauses, his brush hovering mid-stroke. He tilts his head slightly but doesn't look up. "What do you mean?"

"You said the kanji and shapes guide the chakra," he continues, frowning. "But why does it listen? Why follow the directions?"

Shizuki, lounging in the grass nearby, lets out a dramatic groan. "You're just as bad, you know. Overthinking it to death."

"Yeah, yeah," Akuto shoots back. "But somebody's gotta ask the real questions. We use chakra every day, but no one's askin' how it actually works. Why does it respond to seals? Or hand signs, for that matter?"

Kirimaru finally sets his brush down and turns to face him, frowning slightly. "The mechanism... It's because seals create a path for the chakra. Like a channel."

"Okay, fine," Akuto says, gesturing for him to go on. "But what makes the chakra follow the channel? What makes the whole thing actually work?"

Shizuki rolls over onto her stomach, resting her chin on her hands. "Because it's a rule. Like gravity— it just works. Stop asking why."

"That's such a lazy answer," Akuto retorts. "It's not some magical rule— it's a system. Sure, it's got rules. But rules come from somewhere, and if we could figure out where, imagine what we could do with chakra."

Kirimaru's eyes narrow slightly as he glances back at his seal. "Rules... or patterns?"

"Patterns," Akuto agrees, nodding. "That's what it comes back to. Chakra follows patterns. But why?"

Kirimaru's brush hovers over the seal, but he doesn't move it. His gaze is distant, like he is turning Akuto's words over in his head. "Maybe it's more than patterns. Maybe it's about how the patterns interact with chakra. Like... resonance?"

Akuto freezes, the word hitting him like a jolt of electricity. "Wait— what'd you just say?"

"Resonance," Kirimaru repeats. He hums in thought. "The shapes and kanji resonate with the chakra. They create vibrations, frequencies the chakra aligns with. That's why precision's so critical. If the resonance is off, the seal fails."

Akuto stares at him, his mind racing. "Resonance," he murmurs, testing the word. It feels... right. "That actually tracks. It's not just patterns— it's the vibration. The frequency.."

Shizuki frowns, sitting up. "Frequency? What nonsense are you on about now?"

"Think about it," Akuto says, excited. "Chakra's reactive. It responds to emotions, intent, all that external stuff. Resonance ties it all together. The seals, the hand signs— they're vibrations. Frequencies the chakra tunes into, like a damn tuning fork."

Kirimaru's expression lights up again. "That would explain hand signs. They're like a sequence of frequencies— a melody the chakra tunes into."

"Exactly!" Akuto says. "And that's why some seals are stronger than others. It's not just how complicated they are— it's about how well the resonance lines up with the chakra."

"But why does chakra respond to vibrations in the first place?" Shizuki asks, crossing her arms. "You're not answering anything— you're just moving the question around. Why would chakra care about resonance at all?"

Akuto hesitates. The question catches him off guard. For a moment, he doesn't have an answer. Then his eyes narrow in thought. "Maybe it's not about caring." He scratches his chin. "Maybe it's just fundamental. Chakra's not just energy— it's a force. And forces interact with vibrations. Simple as that."

Kirimaru nods slowly. "Like how sound waves can shatter glass, or vibrations can ripple through water. It's all about frequency."

"Right!" Akuto's voice rises with excitement. "Chakra's connected to everything. Resonance explains how it works, how it reacts to the world."

Kirimaru sits back. "Resonance," he murmurs. "The kanji, the shapes, even the spacing… it's all about creating the right vibrations"

"And when the vibrations sync up," Akuto adds, snapping his fingers for emphasis, "the chakra just falls in line."

Kirimaru smiles softly. "For someone who pretends not to care, Akuto, you think way too much."

Akuto grins. "Someone's gotta figure this stuff out. You're too busy scribblin' circles."

"And you're too busy gettin' your face rearranged," Shizuki adds with a smirk.

Akuto laughs.

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64年7月10日

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Nanami crouches in the patchy grass of the apartment complex's front yard, her breath coming in short bursts as she glares at the puddles scattered around her feet. The early stages of learning any jutsu are always the worst. Half-soaked techniques that leave her soaked and frustrated. Across from her, Mei stands with her arms crossed. An infuriatingly happy grin plays on her lips.

Ugh, she thinks, not unkindly. She's enjoying this way too much.

"Not bad," Mei says, leaning on one foot.

Nanami groans, pushing herself to her feet and brushing damp hands on her shorts. "Do you even hear yourself? You sound like Oji when he's getting too much joy outta watchin' us struggle."

Mei shrugs. "What can I say? It's all part of the charm."

"More like part of why I wanna dunk you," Nanami mutters, though her grin betrays her frustration. She shakes her hands out and rolls her shoulders. "Alright, fine. One more shot."

"That's the spirit!" Mei says. She claps her hands as Nanami positions herself again. "Now, let's see if you can make this one last longer than a sneeze."

Nanami exhales, focusing her chakra as she formed the seals for the Water Release: Rising Torrent. Dog, Snake, Bird, Ram, Ox, Dog. Chakra begins to gather in the pit of her stomach.

This time, the stream shoots up higher than before, twisting in a spiralling column that wavers and trembles but holds for a few moments before splashing back down in an ungraceful heap. It isn't perfect, nowhere near useful, but it's progress, and Nanami feels a tiny surge of pride somewhere deep inside, despite the mess.

"Better," Mei says, nodding. "Your control's definitely improving. Tighten up the focus, and you'll have it."

Nanami plants her hands on her hips. She grins, despite herself. "Tighten the focus? Sure. Like that's not easier said than done, Little Miss Prodigy."

"It's not a compliment if you say it sarcastically," Mei replies, smirking.

Their banter is interrupted by the sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel path. Nanami turns her head and spots Akuto walking toward the stairs that leads up to their apartment. He is walking slower than usual, his satchel hanging loosely over one shoulder. He looks distracted— like his body's moving on autopilot while his mind is somewhere else entirely.

"Oi, Akuto!" Nanami calls, waving him over. He pauses mid-step, glancing in her direction, but doesn't change course, like he used to. "We're workin' on ninjutsu! Don't make me drag you over here!"

"I'm good," he says flatly, turning away without stopping.

Nanami frowns. "What d'you mean you're good? You love this stuff! Don't even try to act like it's not your favourite."

Akuto pauses, his shoulders stiffening, before shaking his head. "Not today."

Nanami watches him go, her heart sinking. She turns to Mei, frustration bubbling over. "What's his deal lately? He used to jump at any chance to train."

Mei crouches beside the nearest puddle, dipping her fingers into the water and watching it ripple. "Give it time," she says softly. "He's been through a lot."

"I know," she says with a sigh. "But still... I've tried, okay? I've tried talkin' to him. It's like running into a wall— every time. He just shuts me out."

"Then stop pushing," Mei says simply. "Sometimes, you've just got to wait. Let people come to you when they're ready."

"That's easy for you to say," Nanami snaps, though there was no real heat behind it. "It's not your little brother shuttin' you out."

Mei stands again, brushing her damp hands on her pants before placing one on Nanami's shoulder. Her way of comforting others. "I know. I just hope my own siblings never shut me out. But pushing won't work. Just be there. Let him know you're around when he's ready."

Nanami exhales She hates feeling this helpless. Hates that she can't fix whatever is wrong. Akuto's her baby brother— he's supposed to be bright and happy and excited to see her. It's selfish of her, she knows. She knows Kiri is ugly, she knows that Kiri changes people eventually. She just hoped it wouldn't happen so soon. Fucking Katsuro. "I don't even know if he'll ever be ready," she muttered.

"He will," Mei says, strangely confident. "Just give him time. You'll see."

Nanami glances back toward the stairs, her chest tightening. I hope you're right, she thinks but doesn't say.

Mei pushes her shoulder. "Come on," she says, full of energy Nanami doesn't feel right now. "Let's go again. Keep that torrent steady, and maybe next time you'll outdo Kiyoshi."

She scoffs. "Don't start with that. He got lucky last time, and you know it."

Mei smirked. "Lucky enough to win. Twice."

"Alright, fine! Let's do this. No way I'm lettin' him show me up again."

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note: today I get to nerd off a bit :D