AU: We are so back!
First off, Merry Christmas, everybody!
It's been a while—almost two years. I've been working on my story again, trying to continue where I was with fresh ideas.
I thought of writing a recap for this story, and I still have a draft if you're interested.
I'll stop wasting your time now! For those who waited, thank you for being so patient. As usual, I hope you enjoy the story!
Previously, in the chapter titled "Leaving the Anbu Black Ops," Ryuu and Kakashi's legendary careers ended as Sakumo called them to release them from their contracts and assign them to their new roles, Jōnin teachers. Ryuu is given permission to establish a new division of his own, built from the defected children from Danzo Shimura's Foundation Shinobi. The chapter ends as Ryuu heads home, encountering a frightened child named Masaru.
Ryuu walked towards the training fields in the low moonlight, his footfall hardly disturbing the fallen leaves. As he arrived, he noticed Naruto earnestly practicing his shuriken jutsu. Ryuu couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as he observed his commitment.
Naruto had four kunai in each hand, aiming at various targets spread over the area, one of which was hidden behind a massive boulder. He soared into the air with a skilled motion, unleashing shurikens one after the other. They bounced off one another, altering trajectories in mid-air to hit different targets.
'I wonder if he'll truly pull it off this time,' Ryuu thought to himself. Naruto threw the final kunai, and they all landed near their targets, missing the center by an inch. However, one kunai became wedged far off the mark, embedded in the massive boulder.
"Aw, damn it!" Naruto yelled, frustrated. Ryuu shook his head, a faint smile spreading across his lips. "Never mind," he said under his breath.
He strolled back to his house, placing the goods he had purchased on the counter. "Hey, Nobu." he yelled out. Nobu sprang from his body, creating a distinct clone. "What?"
"Have you noticed?" Ryuu questioned as he arranged the food. "My hand... it's getting numb."
"I told you summoning had long-term consequences," Nobu stated matter-of-factly.
"Huh?" Ryuu turned around, his eyes wide with shock. "No, you did not! You encouraged me in using the Shinigami. Ryuu proceeded to blast Nobu's ears with complaints about his numb hand.
Nobu looked away, blatantly disregarding Ryuu's protests. "Hmm... who does this dog think he's barking at?"
Nobu, irritated by Ryuu's constant complaints, scraped his ears in frustration. "Tell me when you've stopped whining. "I have bad news," he murmured, his voice oozing with casualness.
Ryuu's tirade unexpectedly ended. "Seriously... you can be such a pain," he said, exasperated in his tone. "What is the big deal?" I said I could heal you, didn't I? It's not uncommon for a Phoenix to heal a soul, though I've never attempted it."
He sighed and ran a hand over his hair. "Honestly, you're a serious problem sometimes, you know that?"
Ryuu grunted and used his left hand to lift his right arm, which dangled lifelessly at his side. "So, how do we fix this?" he asked, lowering his arm to the table with a terrible thud. It fell like a slab of meat, devoid of vitality.
Nobu approached the arm, his sharp eyes examining the decayed flesh. Ryuu's once brilliant skin had faded to a dismal pallor, and his veins pumped with an unnatural intensity.
"I see..." Nobu said, his tone solemn.
"What do you see?" Ryuu pressed, his uneasiness increasing.
"Are you that lazy?" Nobu responded with a tinge of mockery in his tone. "Aren't you supposed to be intelligent?" "You should have figured it out."
Ryuu frowned his brow. "Well, my guess isn't really brilliant. The truth is, I've seen something similar before, just slightly different." He recalled Orochimaru's withered hand after being struck by the Reaper Death Seal.
"According to Hinote-sensei's scrolls," Ryuu said, his voice tinged with doubt, "summoning and employing the Shinigami sacrifices a small portion of the soul. The user must be willing to make the sacrifice, which is the law of will. When I cut my hand with that dagger, the slight wound allowed the Shinigami to claim a portion of my soul. "The real problem is that my soul is fading."
Nobu twisted his lips into a knowing sneer. "You are accurate. Up till the end. Your soul is not disappearing, Ryuu. "It is fighting."
"Can you heal it?" Ryuu's voice sounded urgent. "I need my hand, you know?"
"Hmm..." Nobu continued his examination, his brow wrinkled with concentration. The deterioration was spreading quickly, with the once-healthy flesh withering and decaying at an alarming rate.
Nobu's eyes rested on Ryuu's damaged arm before gently moving upward, taking in the delicate patterns engraved into his skin. A flash of recognition passed across his eyes, and a momentary grief clouded his expression. "Beyond his damaged arm," he thought, 'Ryuu displays the markings of the ancestors. Could it be...?'
He swiftly collected himself, returning to Ryuu with a carefully neutral expression. "What's wrong?" "What is it?" Ryuu inquired, his voice full of concern.
Nobu paused, then said, "It appears that I overlooked one possibility when I told you I could heal you."
"What are you talking about?" Ryuu demanded, his uneasiness increasing.
"I'm afraid I can't help you," Nobu admitted, his voice full of remorse.
Ryuu's eyes expanded with surprise. "What?!"
"I am uncertain," Nobu said. "The only thing I can be sure about is we need to sever your arm before this spreads."
Ryuu's face turned pale. "That look in your eyes... you're serious." A surge of panic poured over him, in sharp contrast to his usual confidence. "This..." He looked at his fast deteriorating arm and shook his head, hoping to restore his composure. "Have I truly done it this time? But what about getting marked?"
Nobu's expression was gloomy. "It's tough to explain because no one in modern history has left this imprint. And I can't truly show you because only my eyes can see it. Unlike yours, a Phoenix's eyes are utterly useless when removed from their socket.
"What?" Ryuu's voice was hardly audible.
"I truly am sorry for my incompetence," Nobu remarked, his voice thick with grief. He conjured a fiery katana, the blade gleaming with immense heat. "Put your arm as straight as possible on a flat surface." I must make a clean cut through the joint, nothing more or less."
Ryuu, who trusted Nobu entirely, reluctantly obeyed, placing his arm on the table. Nobu raised his katana, scorching edge pointed at Ryuu's wrist.
With a single, quick strike, the blade slashed through bone and sinew. Ryuu's severed arm hit the floor with a painful thud. A layer of ash immediately cauterized the incision, halting additional bleeding.
"That was quick," Ryuu said with a strained smile on his lips. "I didn't feel a thing."
Badump...
Ryuu's heart lurched, and a piercing agony shot through his chest. He grasped his chest, breathing in jagged gasps. His eyesight clouded and his body swayed.
"Forgive me, Ryuu," Nobu said softly, his voice filled with sadness as he saw Ryuu slump to the ground, his body lifeless and silent.
Darkness overtook him, swallowing him whole. But then, a small sound broke the calm. The peaceful sound of a waterfall.
"Ryuu? "Ryuu, wake up!"
"Come on, stop messing around!"
The voices increased and swirled about him, each with a feverish desperation.
"Big brother!"
'Haha, I'm still alive!' Ryuu thought, a feeling of relief sweeping over him despite the darkness that clung to his mind.
"You stupid brat!" whack! A sudden ache shocked him awake, and the blackness vanished in an instant.
Ryuu grumbled and rubbed his head where he had been struck. "Ouch... that really hurt," he murmured, his vision still fuzzy.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, he let out a gasp. Ryuu had long imagined the figure standing before him, his countenance a mix of concern and irritation, had vanished with the passing of time.
"Hinote-sensei..." Ryuu whispered, his voice barely audible. The sight of his former master, vigorous and seemingly unaffected, was both a shock and a source of hope in the aftermath of his tragedy.