Chapter 4
….
Three months later
"Wind style: Vortex Jutsu!" Rikuto spewed wind from his mouth and a vortex of wind carved up the landscape proving his skill in Wind release.
"Very good." Temari smiled, her heart swelling with pride. Wind was something Rikuto easily picked up on. He was extremely talented in the art.
"Have you been able to activate your Hyouton abilities yet?" The blonde asked her student
Rikuto smiled. "I've managed to create a jutsu Sensei."
"That's great! Do you mind showing it-"
Temari was interrupted as a Kiri shinobi jumped down from a tree and in front of them. "Mizukage-sama request your presence Rikuto-sama."
The raven looked to his sensei and then back to the Shinobi. "Go on, you'll just have to show me that new jutsu of yours some other time."
Rikuto nods before the Kiri shinobi and Rikuto vanished using a Mizu Shunshin.
….
"I'm sorry to cut your training short young Rikuto." Said Chojuro. "But there is a mission that I could really use your help on."
Rikuto looked at his grandmother who smiled at him. He gave her a small smile before returning his gaze to the Kage before him.
"What's the mission?" Asked Rikuto seriously.
"A few towns past Kiri's borders lies a camp with one of Iwa's Rogue Shinobi and a few of his lackies Your job is to take them out. Be careful he's a B-class Rogue Shinobi for a reason. Watch each other's back out there." Chojuro looked at the chi in team he had assigned to the mission and nods.
"Sir! We won't let you down."
"Make sure that you don't."
"Uh, right."
Mei walked to her grandson and knelt down, giving him a hug. "I know your a talented kid and an even better shinobi, but don't get reckless out there you hear?"
"Hai. Baachan."
Mei let go of him and he and the chunin exited the Mizukage tower.
"Don't worry Mei. He'll be fine. I'm sure of it."
"Yeah….I hope your right. I know he's strong, but he's never had any combat experience and this shinobi he's gonna face is a B rank Rogue yes?"
"That's right. They call him Yukio the stone fist. Apparently he was a Jounin before he fled Iwa."
"He's a Jounin?" Mei widened her eyes.
Chojuro nods. "According to Kurotsuchi-dono he left the village just before the 4th great shinobi war started."
"Meaning he's had time to train. To get even stronger! Choujuro you Baka! He's had years to train! He's gonna be stronger than he was when he fled Iwa."
The blue haired Kage folded his hands together. "Just have a bit of faith. They're all talented shinobi in their own right. They'll be fine."
"I just hope you know what your doing Choujuro."
...
Rikuto and the others could be seen dashing away from the Village gates.
"Rikuto-sama. We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Ruka."
"Yosuke."
"Hisaki Eiji at your service."
Rikuto smiled. "It's nice to meet you all. Hm. What can you tell me about this Yukio? All I know is he's a Rogue Shinobi."
"Well." Eiji began. "Not much is known about him, obviously being a Former Iwa shinobi he's well versed in Earth Release Jutsu."
"I see."
"According to the bingo book Yukio was a Jounin before he abandoned the village." Added Yosuke
"Then we have to be extremely careful." Said Rikuto. "No doubt he's gotten stronger since the war."
Ruka nods. "We also don't know what his lackey's are capable of, we have to be cautious here."
"Right."
"Yeah. That's true."
…..
"Let's stop here for the night." Said Eiji as he jumped from a tree top. At the moment they were inside a forest a few towns away from Kiri.
"Our destination is just a few hours away, I think it's also a good idea we get our sleep. We're definitely gonna need all the energy we can get." Said Ruka
"While I want nothing more than to charge in there, I have to agree. It wouldn't be smart. We've been traveling for hours and we're all exhausted."
"Yeah." Said Ruka. "Let's just call it a night, whose taking first watch?"
"I'll do it." Said Rikuto
"Are you sure? I mean-"
"It's ok. We'll rotate every three hours." Said the Hyouton user as he watched the sun slowly set
"Well…ok."
Rikuto watched as they all got their packs out, he jumped atop of a tree branch and sat on top of it and kept an eye out, it was gonna be boring just watching and doing nothing but he couldn't go asleep. He couldn't risk his teammates losing their lives because of him.
He thought back to the training he had endured from Temari. The woman was a slave driver. The blonde would make him run for hours to build up endurance. Wasting Chakra was another thing he got used to training under her.
Rikuto understood the end result, she was trying to increase his already large Chakra reserves. Being part Uzumaki had its perks. It depended on what Jutsu was used but his reserves were pretty massive able to summon over 800 Mizu clones without even feeling winded and that was before his training with Temari.
If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he had improved immensely these past three months. Rikuto remembered the look of shock when he showed her one of his own creations. One of his best Water Jutsu.
….
2 Months ago
"Make this quick kid. You still have running to do." Said Temari
Rikuto laughed scratching the back of his head.
"What did you want to show me?" She asked
"A new Jutsu."
"One Mei taught you?"
Rikuto shook his head. "This jutsu of mine is an original creation of mine."
"Oh…um go ahead then." Temari wondered what could this new Jutsu of his be.
Rikuto nods before leaping in the air going through a series of handseals he glanced at a set of trees to the right. Suddenly A vortex of swirling water escaped his mouth.
"Water Release: Breath of The Dragon Jutsu!" The vortex of Water destroyed the tree's and the surrounding area changing the landscape.
Temari gaped at her student as he landed on the ground.
"What do you think?"
"I think it's an amazing technique…but…"
"Yea?"
"You didn't use it at full power did you?"
"No. If I did you would've got caught up in it." Said Rikuto
"Oh…I see. Color me impressed, but still your gonna be running for the next two hours."
"Aw darn it!"
…..
Rikuto smiled at the find memories between him and his Master. Before he could reminisce anymore he sensed a presence below him. Looking down he noticed it was Eiji. Had it already been 3 hours?
"I'm here to relieve you." He said. "Go on, get some rest."
Rikuto nods before jumping down and walking to his pack, unfurling it he laid down. He saw Eiji jump atop of the tree taking his spot. He closed his eyes sleep coming quickly as darkness surrounded him.
…..
Back in Kiri
"How do you think he's doing?" Mei asked looking at Temari as they sat in a dango shop waiting for their food.
"Well, I doubt he's encountered them yet." Said Temari. "But he's a talented Shinobi Mei. I can say that he's one of the more powerful Wind users. Not only that he's created his own Water Jutsu."
"That's the first I'm hearing of this. What is this Jutsu of his?"
"Well if used proper it could pierce an enemy's body or reduce the body to multiple parts and change the landscape."
Mei opened her mouth slightly. If he had time to work on a Jutsu like that it made her wonder if he had created any other Jutsu.
"That's impressive." Said Mei. "That's my grandson for ya."
Temari smiled. Just then they're dango arrived. The two former Shinobi looked at they're plates filled with Dango before digging in.
It made Mei feel better knowing he had a special move up his sleeve.
"And supposedly he's created a Hyouton Jutsu."
Mei widened her eyes.
'This boy….will he ever stop surprising me?'
…..
Eiji and the others rotated keeping watch and by the time Rikuto woke up it was time to move again. The Shinobi put their packs up before jumping from tree to tree in order to get to their targeted location. After a few hours they arrived stopping on a tree top hearing laughter.
Ruka held a hand out telling them to remain quiet. It sounded like it four of them including Yukio.
"The one with the brown hair is Yukio." Whispered Eiji. "I recognize him from the Bingo book."
"Not only that, but his companions are-"
Rikuto widened his eyes before pulling out a kunai deflecting a barrage of Shuriken
Yosuke cursed.
"Look at what we have here boys!"
"We've been made!"
Rikuto frowned. "Separate them! Let's take them out separately!"
"Right!"
"Sounds good."
Each of them ran off in separate directions, of course Yukio and his Lackey's gave chase with evil looks on their faces.
TBC