I don't think I've ever seen Hinata this happy, not even after figuring out a new jutsu. I often forget that, no matter how much training we put ourselves through, we're still just pre-teens.
I wanted Sakura to sign the summoning contract as well, but Tsuki was adamant that she wasn't ready yet. On top of that, it felt wrong to even think about Sakura summoning anything other than Tsunade's slugs. I knew it was only a matter of time before Tsunade was forced to come back, so my hopes for my little sister's future were high.
"You know, Kurenai will most likely be promoted to Jonin soon. Are you looking forward to having her as your Jonin-sensei?" I asked the still-smiling Hinata.
"Oh, she already told me. She will be assessed in a few months," Hinata replied, clearly excited. "What about you, Ryuu-kun? Hoping to teach Sakura-san?" she asked with her head tilted to the side.
"I don't think I'd be a good teacher for genin. That doesn't mean I can't train her on my own... or continue training with you," I said, wondering if Hinata had told Kurenai about our training sessions.
"My track record of teaching isn't great anyway," I chuckled as I watched her finally sign the summoning contract.
"Alright, why don't you try it out?" I challenged, showing her the hand seals. Was demonstrating the hand seals necessary? Probably not, but she watched me do it anyway.
She quickly ran through the sequence and slammed both of her hands to the ground, channeling an impressive amount of chakra into the jutsu. Four poofs of smoke appeared around us, signaling a successful summoning.
"See, Tsuki? I told you she'd do it on her first try," I smiled as the smoke cleared, revealing our four favorite cats.
"And she even summoned more than one of us. I was right to let her sign." Tsuki purred, a hint of smugness in her voice.
In the end, we had something akin to a birthday party for Hinata, even though we spent it running through the snow with a bunch of cats.
—
By the time the winter snow began to melt in mid-March, it was clear that Hinata was ready to finish her spirit weapon. She didn't tell me what special jutsu she wanted to seal into it, beyond the ability to shoot chakra bullets.
Given how many jutsu we had tried and failed to control by ourselves, she had plenty to choose from. I just hoped she wouldn't go overboard like I did with my bootleg Bankai. The world probably wasn't ready for two maniacs with weird weapons.
"Alright, can you hear me, Hinata?" I asked the meditating girl, receiving a small nod in return. She had to focus, but I could make the process easier by guiding her.
"Focus purely on your spiritual power," I instructed. "Coat the manifestation of your weapon in it, submerge it completely. Let your power fill it." I said softly, trying to guide her without compromising her concentration.
"Now, for the jutsu, or jutsus, you want to infuse... That part will drain a ton of your spiritual power, but you can't stop the process; doing so would set you back months," I continued. "Focus on every minute detail, explain to your own power how the jutsu is supposed to work and how to control it." I kept guiding her, the growth of spiritual power around us clearly indicating she was making good progress.
"Once that is done, let your spirit handle the rest. Stand back and let the power flow..." I whispered the last bit of advice, taking a seat next to Hinata under the tree.
We sat there, Hinata completely absorbed in her inner world for hours.
The first sign of success came when the overwhelming spiritual power she had held back for so long began to subside and retreat, pouring into the weapon.
She looked lighter, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted. The moment she opened her eyes, I knew she had done it. The glint of success, and even pride was evident in her eyes, a look that suited her much better than her usual shyness.
"I think I did it," she said with a wide smile, extending both her hands to summon two very ornate pistols.
They resembled a mix of fantasy and sci-fi design, mostly indigo with a palette reminiscent of stars and nebulae, accented by silver running down the barrel. Just above the trigger was a large ornamental purple spiral pattern that seemed to go on infinitely as it spun slowly. The only difference was that one pistol had a slightly longer barrel than the other.
"They look... artistic," I commented, unsure of what to think. They seemed impractical for my taste, but since they would be shooting Hinata's own chakra or spiritual power, their functionality would depend on her abilities, not on practical design.
"I honestly don't know why they look like this. I followed the schematics I studied," she smiled, more glad to have them working than concerned about their appearance. They did match the color of her chakra, though.
"What are you waiting for? Try them out! I want to see what you did with them," I urged, genuinely excited to see her work in action.
She stood up and aimed the shorter gun at one of the trees.
The moment she pulled the trigger, dozens of indigo-colored energy balls shot out of the barrel simultaneously, carving through the tree with ease and speeding off into the distance, leaving behind a completely warped remains of a tree.
"Maybe try shooting just one bullet," I chuckled, feeling certain that a tree wasn't the best target.
"Crystal Release: Grand Crystal Wall!" I exclaimed, raising multiple chunks of thick crystal walls. "Hopefully, these will hold up better." I smiled as she took aim again.
This time, three chakra bullets shot out instead of dozens. It seemed she was getting used to the weapon's power output.
The projectiles struck one of my walls, embedding themselves deep within and distorting the crystal around them. The wall held, but its shape was completely altered; instead of sharp edges and prisms, it had become a warped blob that spiraled into itself, cracked in multiple places.
I was sure an academy student punching it would shatter it completely. The structure was too damaged to be effective anymore.
"That's... quite a bit of power you're putting into those," I remarked, impressed by her first weapon.
Hinata nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"Um... this one has the ability to multiply the number of bullets I can shoot and do it very quickly," she explained. "As for the other one..." She shot a single spin-enhanced projectile at another wall.
Upon impact, the wall warped completely, shattering in multiple places and allowing the bullet to pass through.
It slowed the projectile substantially, but it still went straight through. The projectile hit a rock, exploding into a brilliant display of indigo chakra. It resembled a miniature exploding star, reminiscent of when I would purposefully let my Rasengan explode.
"And this one multiplies the power of a single shot, right?" I asked, asking for confirmation with a smile. She really outdid herself with these weapons.
She nodded happily.
"They can do more, but I'll need to test if it works as intended," she added, still gazing in wonder at her weapons.
"Have you decided on names? Every proper weapon deserves a name, you know," I said with a grin.
She nodded and raised the shorter weapon, the one that fires multiple projectiles.
"This one... is 'Spiral Rain,'" she said, then raised the other weapon. "And this one is 'Starlight Helix.'" She smiled.
The names were descriptive, perhaps less dramatic than I imagined, but it was nice to see that I wasn't the only one with underwhelming naming sense.
"I think those are quite fitting," I said slowly as I summoned Senbonzakura. "What do you say? Shall we see how far you can push me with these?" I gave her an encouraging look.
She got into a stance, Spiral Rain aimed directly at me.
"Good. Then I'll show you something new too," I replied with dramatic flair.
I pointed Senbonzakura down and let it drop; the entire blade sank into the ground.
"Bankai..." I muttered, and hundreds of massive swords made of crystal erupted from the ground around me.
"Scatter; Senbonzakura Kageyoshi," I commanded, causing all the massive crystal blades to transform into razor-sharp cherry blossoms, circling around me protectively, the quantity of them more than tenfold of Senbonzakura's normal release.
"Ready?" I asked, and the only response I received was a barrage of spin-enhanced chakra shots fired my way.
—
Life returned mostly to normal, with occasional missions and daily training becoming a welcome routine.
I was correct about Kurenai becoming a jonin, but I didn't expect Izumi to apply as well, and she actually got promoted, too.
Meanwhile, Hana was content as the lead medic of the Inuzuka clan, choosing to focus primarily on healing rather than career advancement.
I couldn't blame her for that; I was even a bit envious that I couldn't just heal people instead of killing them. Unfortunately, my talent for medical ninjutsu was basically non-existent. Even after practicing on and off for over four years, I still couldn't use the ever elusive Mystic Palm.
I still participated in a few missions with my past teammates, but it was mostly Izumi and I teaming up for the higher-ranked missions. It was nice to have a friendly face around. She even mentioned that she's planning on taking a team next year, most likely to train Sasuke.
With Kakashi acting as a de facto leader of the Anbu forces, it seems she will also take on the role of sensei for this world's Team Seven. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I suppose there are worse people who could be teaching a genin team.
And seeing that Gai had applied for the Jonin-sensei position for this graduating class, I knew Lee would be in good hands, too. Maybe he won't get the horrible bowl cut this time, but I'm not keeping my hopes up.
There were hushed whispers and rumors about the state of the Kiri civil war. It seemed to be at a perpetual stalemate, with hope for a quick victory for either side seemingly dashed by their evenly matched powers.
I wasn't sure if Mei was strong enough to handle Yagura on her own, but she should be able to hold him back and rely on her slightly superior forces to win most battles.
Yagura, on the other hand, often resorted to obliterating any battlefield he had unrestricted access to, causing catastrophic casualties whenever he caught the rebel forces by surprise. Safe to say the navel maps will have to be redrawn, I'm quite sure there already are a few islands missing.
Just a few short weeks after Lee and the others from my old class graduated, the rebels began sending envoys to other ninja villages asking for assistance.
Hiruzen, of course, refused any direct aid, but from what I gathered through his Anbu guards when we spoke, he struck some sort of deal with them. Apparently, he was pleased they kept their word regarding the earlier agreement we made and decided to provide silent support.
I found myself playing with the idea of participating in the conflict to help the rebels. Their cause was just; they wanted the right to exist in their home country.
Unfortunately for them, the Daimyo of the Land of Water sided with Yagura, trusting his judgment, which made the rebels' efforts even more challenging.
I decided on asking Hiruzen if I could volunteer for the cause. If there was a war I would gladly fight in, it was this one.
—
When I informed Hiruzen, he looked both mortified and calculating, and I really didn't know which reaction I preferred.
"Why, Ryuuzaki-kun?" he asked me. "Why would you risk your life for people from another hidden village? For people you do not know?" He pressed further.
It wasn't that complicated to me.
"Exactly because they are people, Hokage-sama," I explained. "They deserve the same chance to live as the rest of us. That's impossible while Yagura actively hunts them."
Just because I had no trouble killing enemies didn't mean I lacked basic empathy.
"Why not recruit them for Konoha, then?" he asked me. "That way, we can strengthen our village while giving them a place to live." This felt like another test. He definitely knew the answer to his question.
"Because you most likely already tried that, it would be foolish not to," I respond with a knowing smile. "Just like us, they are attached to their homeland. It's not just about living in peace; it's about having their homeland welcome them." I explain further,
"Seriously, Hokage-sama... I feel like you're trying to test whether it's a good idea to shove that hat on my head and retire." I allow myself to joke a little, knowing I wouldn't accept the position even if asked.
I'd much rather fight an army than push papers all day.
Hiruzen took a hit from his pipe and let out a low chuckle, clearly amused.
"Maybe one day, Ryuuzaki-kun. I still have at least a decade of life in me." He joked in return, making me carefully mask my expression to avoid revealing that I know more than I should.
If Orochimaru attacks, it's likely he has only slightly more than a year left.
"Call back Itachi for that... I don't think I'm cut out for an office job," I shrug, denying any interest in the Hokage position.
It may have sounded a bit rude, but considering his students are Jiraiya and Tsunade, he has probably heard much harsher rejections before.
"Oh? And what do you want from your life, if not to lead the village?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. He likely already had ideas in mind, but I don't think he was ready for my answer.
"To be able to retire as a ninja, grow old, and open a restaurant... or a bar, one of the two," I say without any shame.
This world needs more variety in cuisine, and I could provide it. The same goes for alcohol; most of the drinks here are either sake or low-grade beer. Absolutely unacceptable.
Hiruzen looked at me as if I had grown a second head before bursting into real, joyous laughter.
"Ah, yes, that sounds more relaxing than my job. You will make this old man feel envious." He joked but quickly returned to a serious tone. "If the Kiri civil war doesn't end by next March, I will consider sending forces there." He conceded, and I had a good idea why.
He was most likely under pressure from the Daimyo to restore trade with the Land of Water, but the ongoing war made that impossible.
If the Daimyo ordered Hiruzen to intervene, he would have no choice but to comply. Money still rules the world, even if there are people fully capable of wiping entire countries from the map. Mostly because the individuals capable of such feats are still paid in money.
"In that case, please put my name on the list of volunteers, Hokage-sama," I said with a small bow.
With my help, the war should end quickly. There is no way Yagura can win against Mei and me at the same time. At least that's what I hope.
She defeated him in the original timeline, so there's a good chance she can win again here.
"I will... consider it, Ryuuzaki-kun. But you shouldn't have to go into another war. Even the first one should have never seen you in a fight," he said with a sad smile.
It seems he regretted sending me into war back then. Not that I blame him for it. I would have gone in secret if I hadn't been assigned.
Back then, it was about ensuring the academy wouldn't let kids graduate early. Now, it's for a basic human right to live. To me, both sound like good reasons to fight.
It was now a middle of summer, and Hiruzen had given me a clear timeframe: I had about eight months to become as strong as possible.
After that time, I would be heading out to fight another jinchuriki. One that, unlike Yugito, would not take me lightly and would go for the kill. On top of that, Yagura would undoubtedly be stronger than Yugito, so I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to win such a battle.
On a positive note, I had finally figured out full-body crystallization, and it felt incredible. It connected me to my Crystal Release in a way I had never thought possible.
While transformed and merged into it, my Crystal Release became much easier to control, almost like it was a natural extension of myself. The chakra cost also decreased, allowing me to cover a much larger area.
Now, it was all about mastering it and making the transformation second nature. I wanted to be able to seamlessly shift between my normal and crystal forms. Thinking about it, it was somewhat what I imagined having a very weird Logia Devil Fruit would be like.
My plan was set: I needed to master as much of my current arsenal as possible and figure out Kirin. I would need some heavy-hitting techniques to break through Yagura's defenses.
If only my attempts at calling lightning from the clouds would stop blowing up in my face, that would be nice.
Well, at least the summoned lightning isn't aimed at me anymore. Progress is progress, even if it is frustratingly slow.