A/N: Our target is to reach 500 powerstones by Sunday for a Double Release. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 500 Powerstones! Let's increase our power ranking!
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Goro arrived at the training ground near his apartment, his newly acquired Leaf flak jacket slung over his black t-shirt. Finding an isolated spot deep in the training grounds, he took a moment to ensure no one was around before activating Storm Chakra Mode.
There were no hand signs. The chakra immediately engulfed him as it previously had, and Goro watched as the light blue, liquid-like aura surrounded him. When the aura began flashing white, Goro knew he had successfully entered Chakra Mode.
He raised his hands and moved them in front of his face, watching the ripple effect as they wiggled and blurred.
'Even with different lighting, the illusion holds. So it's just as effective in dim lighting as it is in the sunny outdoors..'
Taking a boxing stance, Goro threw a jab. The punch wiggled, shifting paths, yet still went in the direction he intended for it to at the same speed a regular jab would. Wanting to try more, Goro threw a hook right after, watching as the same effect occurred. The punches were deceptive, not following a straight trajectory but hitting his desired target with precision and speed.
'The visual distortion effect it has will be even greater if I use the taijutsu I've learned while in this world instead of my boxing abilities. By doing this, I doubt anyone will be able to track my attacks properly.'
Deciding to push it further, Goro took his usual stance. He threw a high kick, pivoted on his returning leg, and instantly followed up with another high kick. The fluidity of the movement, combined with the aura, made it appear as though he had performed a single motion.
'The attack blurred together, leaving no trace of when the first kick ended and the second began.'
Goro's eyes gleamed.
'This technique is far superior to the Lightning Chakra Mode.'
Deciding to test his strength and speed, Goro dashed toward a nearby tree, his speed blinding. As he reached the tree in an instant, he swung his fist at the trunk. The force of the punch, enhanced by the Storm Chakra Mode, blasted straight through the tree, his fist coming out from the other side.
'Just as I thought. There's nothing here I can truly test the limits of this jutsu on. I guess I'll save this for Kabuto. He'll be a better test dummy.'
Pulling his hand out of the tree, Goro instinctively tried to scratch his chest, but the chakra aura deflected his hand, pushing it aside. Puzzled, Goro attempted to scratch his chest again, but his hand was deflected for a second time, almost like he was pushing against a water current.
'This chakra deflects attacks away, similar to the Lightning Chakra Mode, but that's not all. It doesn't just push the opponent's attack off; it slides it off in a different direction, allowing for a counterattack.. Insanity..'
Fascinated, Goro decreased the amount of chakra the jutsu used, and only then was he able to touch his own body. Having understood the capabilities of Storm Chakra Mode, he deactivated the jutsu, the flashing aura disappearing as his chakra returned to normal.
Goro was about to leave the forest when he noticed movement. Sasuke and Kakashi were walking nearby, seemingly deep in conversation.
'This is around the time Kakashi trains Sasuke and teaches him Chidori. Hm.. So there's a little over a week left until the final round..'
Kakashi spotted Goro first, his gaze immediately locking onto the flak jacket he was wearing. "Goro," Kakashi called, his tone casual, but his visible eye showed surprise. "When did you become a chunin?"
Sasuke stopped beside Kakashi, confusion written on his face. "How is he a chunin? Didn't he fail the written exam? This doesn't make any sense," Sasuke wondered.
Goro shrugged and responded, "The Third Hokage hosted a personal Chunin Exam for me after my team made me fail the written one. I passed it and became a chunin," he replied simply.
Surprised that the Third Hokage would go to that length in order to allow Goro to progress, Kakashi stroked his chin and thought, "Goro must've really impressed Lord Third for Lord Third to be this eager to promote him. I heard about the Kakuzu situation, but I thought Asuma did a majority of the work... Goro must've done enough to gain the recognition of both his sensei and Lord Third."
"Ah, I see..." Kakashi said.
Sasuke remained silent, still confused, but his eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "The Third Hokage was willing to host a personal Chunin Exam for just one genin? Ever since the mission in the Land of Waves, I accepted this guy was quite skilled, but isn't that too much?" Sasuke pondered.
As Kakashi turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of the hole in the tree that Goro had punched through. He then glanced back at Goro and mused, "That child is something else. He may have been able to go toe-to-toe with me when I was younger." Without saying another word, Kakashi continued walking with Sasuke by his side.
Done with his training, Goro felt it was about time to check on his team and see how they were and how they performed in the exams so far. Goro was most interested in Ino's progression, as in the show she failed, but this time he had trained her, so he wanted to see how far she'd go. He formed a small water phoenix with a simple hand gesture, watching as it materialized in front of him.
"Go scout the village," Goro instructed the phoenix, his voice calm. "Find my team and return once you've located them."
The water phoenix started flapping its wings, soaring into the air, disappearing over the treetops.
As he waited, Goro lay down on the grass, arms folded behind his head. His thoughts shifted away from the team and onto something far more pressing—his next move. Kabuto and Orochimaru were still out there, scheming. He had to exact his revenge by destroying their plans.
His mind quickly latched onto an idea.
'Orochimaru and Kabuto wanted to bring harm to Konoha, to cause chaos. But what if I could prevent all that? What if I could protect the village from all of their attacks, not even giving them the satisfaction of seeing destruction..'
'I need to create a jutsu that could engulf the entire village, acting as a barrier, with webs of water that could drop down and bind enemies, preventing any summons or sound ninja from causing any damage to the village or killing Leaf ninja. That would be perfect...'
'System, are you able to create such a jutsu?'
[Yes, I can. Give the jutsu a name and confirm.]
'I'll call it Water Bound. And I confirm.'
[Confirmation successful. Creating jutsu...]
Before long, the small water phoenix returned, circling above Goro's head before landing softly beside him. Goro stood, brushing the grass off his flak jacket.
"Lead the way," he commanded.
The phoenix took off again, gliding effortlessly through the air as Goro followed on foot. It led him toward the outskirts of the village, to a training ground surrounded by tall trees. As he approached, he spotted the familiar figures of Choji, Asuma, Ino, and Shikamaru.
Ino and Shikamaru were drenched in sweat, clearly exhausted from their training. Choji stood to the side, munching on a snack, while Asuma watched over them, offering occasional pointers. Goro smirked at the sight.
"Miss me?" Goro called out as he walked closer.
The group turned at the sound of his voice, their expressions shifting from surprise to recognition. Shikamaru, always quick with a retort, replied, "Miss you? We never even realized you were gone."
Despite his words, Shikamaru's face told a different story. He looked relieved, almost glad to see his teammate back in one piece. Goro caught the subtle shift in Shikamaru's eyes and smirked.
Even though she was exhausted, Ino rushed over, practically jumping on Goro. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, smearing her sweat all over his flak jacket.
"You should've said something if you planned to leave!" Ino scolded, though her voice was light, clearly happy to see him.
Goro grimaced, trying to pull her off. "Ino, you're getting sweat all over me," he said, his tone exasperated.
She only clung tighter, ignoring his protests. "Well, that's what you get for disappearing without telling us!"
Asuma chuckled from where he stood, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Glad to have you back, Goro. You made us worried."
Choji, still munching on his snacks, nodded in agreement with Asuma. "Yeah, man, it's good to see you back," he said with a full mouth.
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Reminder: Our target is to reach 500 powerstones by Sunday for a Double Release. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 500 Powerstones! Let's increase our power ranking!