(Akio POV)
—----------------
(In his mindscape)
How did the Golden Boy think the Flying Raijin technique would suit him so well with his fighting style?
The more I examine the seal, the less optimistic I become about mastering this jutsu.
I take back my assumption that it was based on the Four Symbol Seal; there's no way it should be this different.
The difference between them this as vast as the difference between a pakicetus and a whale!
Which makes it confusing why he chose it.
Out of all the S-rank jutsu available to him, how did he know he could utilize it to its fullest potential?
Did his intuition guide him, or did Lady Mito suggest it to him based on his skill in fuinjutsu and his quick reaction time, relayed through Kushina, who updated her on his progress?
Anyway, I should stop stressing over this for now, as it won't help me improve.
Dispelling the shadow clones within my mindscape, I focused my chakra and prepared myself.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
***
As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by darkness, my old friend. (Unfortunately, jokes aren't hitting the same.)
I checked my body out of habit, ensuring everything was as it should be, and pinched my skin to confirm I wasn't lost in my mindscape.
I still vividly remember the terror of being trapped in my own mindscape. My mind kept replaying images of my room, yet outside its walls, there was nothing but a vast, empty void. Desperately, I attempted to release jutsu after jutsu, hoping to break free.
My chakra spiked dramatically, and I found myself yelling, "Let me go!" over and over as desperation sinks before I realise I already exited the minscape. The ANBU assigned to guard me, alarmed by the sudden surge of chakra and my frantic cries, broke into my house, assuming I was under attack.
That day is certainly etched into my memory.
Knock Thud Knock
'Why is ANBU here?' I wondered, reaching for the light switch.
With a flick, the room was bathed in light. I moved towards the door and was greeted by darkness, the sky overcast, and the streets faintly illuminated by street lamps.
'No wonder my muscles ache more than usual,' I thought, scratching my head as I realized the 'oopsie daisy' I'd made.
I had been so engrossed in deciphering the Flying Raijin technique that I lost track of time and overstayed in my mindscape.
"Akio, hello? Are you alright?" The voice snapped me back to reality. I realized it was Sakumo, standing there in his casual clothes.
"Just woke up from sleep, so I feel a bit dazed," I lied casually, excusing myself to change my clothes and prepare to go out.
***
Walking through the streets, we eventually arrived at the compound of the filthy Uchiha clan after half an hour. To be honest, it felt incredibly awkward. It felt like I was crossing some invisible boundary and instantly being branded as an Uchiha sympathizer on the spot.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't set foot here. Some Uchiha know about my close ties with Blamekage, who openly criticizes their clan.
Putting that aside, tensions between me and the Uchiha in the Academy escalated after I graduated early which peaked when I bested every Uchiha Genin who targeted me during the second part of the Chunin Exam in the Forest of Death.
That exam seemed overrun with Uchiha at that time, where all of them were acting almost as a unified front. After swiftly defeating one team and knocking down an Uchiha within it, all the teams that had a Uchiha ganged up on me, though I managed to emerge victorious in the end.
Yet here I am, begrudgingly inside their compound because Aki's birthday gift is being prepared here. I did promise him I'd accompany him to pick it up.
There's no use whining now that we're already here.
The only silver lining about the compound is its proximity to my apartment in the Shimura compound, which is ironic considering the Shimura clan's historical disdain for the Uchiha has never declined considering Blamekage is the head of the clan that doesn't tolerate Uchiha tolerates and would personally eliminate sympathizers.
"Akio, are you sure you're fine? You're spacing out lately," Sakumo said, snapping me back from monologuing again.
"Don't worry," I assured him, pulling myself out of the mental narrative. It's a habit I've been trying to break—it's easy to lose focus when I start narrating my thoughts like I'm in a novel, where someone might be reading my mind to piece together the plot.
*Cling! Clack!*
Anyway, it didn't take long for us to reach the blacksmith that Sakumo had placed his order with where smell of molten permeated around the place. Placing the token marked "Order: 92 Quality: A rank" on the counter, the blacksmith glanced up, nodded, and gestured five fingers before returning to his forge.
'Sounds reasonable,' I thought, settling in with Sakumo to wait for the blacksmith to complete his work.
Glancing around the workshop, I admired the assortment of custom-made weapons adorning the walls. Most were of at least B-rank quality, with a few rare A-rank pieces catching my eye.
Most of them were swords that were often sought after by nobles from the Land of Fire and the Hatake clan, our village's lone samurai clan, who were known for their willingness to pay steep prices for such finely crafted weapons. The historical value of swords in their culture traced back through ancient, now-lost records.
After what seemed like an eternity, the blacksmith finally finished crafting the sword of a certain client to exact specifications. He then retrieved Aki's gift—a pair of lightweight gauntlets equipped with retractable claws made of chakra metal that extended whenever she extended her nails.
"Definitely cool," I remarked, admiring the gift's sleek design and its distinctly 'metal' vibe, which contrasted sharply with Aki's more delicate appearance and mannerism, but aligns with her fighting style.
Sakumo tested the gauntlets, infusing them with chakra to assess their capabilities, before paying the blacksmith in full.
The blacksmith simply nodded and waved back as we left.
"He is mute, so don't mind it," Sakumo whispered, preempting any potential complaint from me, though it not like I held no prejudice against those who bear the Uchiha clan crest.(Not saying I am not bias against them.)
"Anyway, how long before your injuries fully heal?"
"Based on what Lady Tsunade told me before leaving for Kusagakure, another week," Sakumo replied, catching me off guard.
His injuries were more severe than I had imagined, prompting me to wonder how long he would have endured using both Fire Release: Firebeam Jutsu and Electric Release: Overdrive in conjunction if my negotiations with Shukaku were longer.
'Another debt to pay,' I sighed to myself, pushing onward on the street.
"By the wa-"
"Nope, Sandaime-sama hasn't briefed me on the mission he assigned both of us," I interjected before Sakumo could finish his words.
Considering the dread I had felt upon receiving the news, it was evident that the mission was something I dreaded or fraught with peril.
'Well, it's not li-' I cut off my thoughts abruptly, unwilling to tempt fate twice in a month, the sense of dread alone weighing heavily on my mind.
----------------------------------------------------------
Note:·My little nieces came a few days ago, and they are quite a handful, so I didn't get much chance to write.
·I felt like the story was progressing a bit faster than I wanted, so I wrote this chapter to adjust the pace. I'm not sure if this is the correct method, though.
·The next chapter will be a flashback in honor of this series, because I can't write a Naruto fan fiction without including a flashback, right?