At the Uchiha Compound:
"Mom!" Sasuke Uchiha burst through the door, immediately asking, "Have Dad and Itachi come home yet?"
"No, not yet," Mikoto Uchiha answered, reaching out to ruffle his hair.
This kid always looks for his father and older brother first. When will I ever be the first person he calls for? Mikoto felt slightly annoyed, but she tried to hide it.
"Oh," Sasuke frowned, a little disappointed.
"Why are you looking for them? Can't I help you with something?" Mikoto asked, feeling a bit competitive. "Am I not good enough?"
"Well, you're a ninja too, Mom," Sasuke said, suddenly realizing. "I want to test my chakra nature."
"Wait right here," Mikoto smiled, pinching his cheeks gently before stepping away.
A few moments later, she returned with a small slip of paper.
"Infuse your chakra into this," Mikoto instructed, holding up the paper. "If your chakra nature is fire, the paper will burn. If it's water, it'll get wet. For lightning, it wrinkles; wind tears the paper, and earth will crumble it."
"Got it!" Sasuke said, excitedly channeling his chakra into the paper.
Within seconds, the paper split in two: one half catching fire, while the other wrinkled.
"Fire and lightning," Mikoto said, surprised. "It's rare to have dual-nature chakra."
"Only two, huh," Sasuke said, trying to sound nonchalant, but the hint of a smile betrayed him.
This kid never shows his true emotions, Mikoto thought with a soft laugh. "So, tell me, why did you want to test your chakra nature?"
"I want to learn lightning-style jutsu," Sasuke said, his tone hopeful. "Do we have any at home?"
"We do," Mikoto nodded.
After all, the Sharingan wasn't just for show—it was renowned for copying jutsu. Kakashi Hatake, using his Sharingan, had learned over a thousand techniques, earning him the title of Konoha's "Copy Ninja."
"But you should focus on fire-style jutsu first," Mikoto added hesitantly. As an Uchiha, fire-style techniques were their hallmark, along with the Sharingan. She knew Fugaku might not be pleased if Sasuke focused on anything else at the moment.
"I'll try," Sasuke replied, leaving some ambiguity in his words.
"Alright," Mikoto said, heading to another room. A few moments later, she returned with a scroll.
"This is Lightning Release: Flash Spark, a C-rank ninjutsu. It's pretty basic; most people can learn it in three days."
Sasuke carefully read through the scroll, then immediately began forming hand seals.
In an instant, his palm crackled with lightning, casting bright flashes of light across the room.
Mikoto squinted from the brightness.
When she processed what had just happened, she gasped, "You learned it instantly? That's amazing."
Sasuke stared at his hand, which still crackled with electricity. Am I more suited for lightning-style jutsu? he wondered. How did Shinho Aburame know this? Was it intentional or just a lucky guess?
"Mom!" Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts, excitement in his voice. "I need more lightning-style jutsu!"
Mikoto hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright."
"Love you, Mom. See you tomorrow!" Sasuke exclaimed, rushing back to his room with the scrolls in hand.
This boy, Mikoto thought, smiling as she watched him go.
At the Senju Residence:
When Tsunade heard Shinho's request for new jutsu, she instinctively straightened up, crossing her smooth, pale legs as her bare feet gently swayed in the air.
"You've already mastered the superhuman strength technique?" Tsunade asked, her voice carrying a hint of both pride and amazement. She had anticipated that this day would come, but it was still shocking to witness how quickly Shinho was progressing. When she was his age, her talent hadn't been nearly as terrifying.
"Yeah," Shinho confirmed with a nod.
"What do you want to learn next?" Tsunade's demeanor soft as she spoke. After all, Shinho was a potential source of future loan payments. Teaching him a new jutsu now was practically an investment.
"Mystical palm technique," Shinho responded after a moment of thought.
The Mystical palm technique allows a user to transfer chakra from their palms to accelerate the healing process of wounds or injuries. In the original series, it was a widely used technique, surpassing regular medical ninjutsu and working for both external and internal injuries.
"With your level of chakra control, you could give it a try," Tsunade mused, tapping her lips thoughtfully. "Go get a fish from the kitchen."
Shinho went to the kitchen and selected a "lucky" fish for the task.
"The Mystical palm technique requires exceptional chakra control and a solid understanding of the human body," Tsunade explained, handing him a small fruit knife. "Healing external injuries is simpler, so we'll start there."
Shinho paused for a second, realizing that Tsunade was avoiding direct contact with the fish. Right, her hemophobia, he remembered. The sight of blood was still overwhelming for her.
"I'll demonstrate first," Tsunade said, setting down the knife and clasping her hands together, her palms glowing with a soft green chakra aura.
She placed her hands over the fish, allowing the healing chakra to seep into it. However, since the fish wasn't injured, there wasn't any visible effect. After a few moments, Tsunade dispersed the chakra.
"Did you get a good look?" Tsunade asked, her expression steady.
Shinho nodded. Sorry about this, fish. With a calm expression, he made a small incision on the fish.
Tsunade quickly turned her head, focusing on the TV to avoid the sight of blood, but the scent still made her body tense.
Shizune, who had just entered from the kitchen, stopped in her tracks, startled by the scene. Already learning Mystical palm technique? she thought, feeling a slight pang of sadness. It won't be long before Shinho surpasses me at this rate.
I need to work harder, Shizune resolved, clenching her fists in determination. Even though she cared for Shinho like a younger sibling, she couldn't afford to lose her standing as the senior apprentice. Maintaining her dignity as the senior was crucial.
Time flew by, and before Shinho knew it, it was 10 PM—his usual bedtime.
The next day, Sunday morning:
After finishing breakfast, Shinho made his way back to the Aburame clan's residence.
"Hey, brother," Aburame Shino called out, walking up to him as soon as he arrived.
"Bring out your parasitic insects," Shinho said casually. "I learned a new way to utilize natural energy from my teacher."
Previously, Shinho had only explained what natural energy was to Shino, without mentioning the Sage Mode or the concept of Sage Chakra—mostly due to the inherent dangers. If Shino tried something reckless, it could end badly.
"What kind of technique?" Shino asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Have your insects maintain a 1:1 ratio between natural energy and chakra," Shinho instructed.
"Is there a relationship between natural energy and chakra?" Shino asked, puzzled.
"There is," Shinho replied, pausing briefly before continuing. "Just try it, and you'll see."
Shino eagerly released his mutated parasitic insect.
"Wait," Shinho said, stopping him. "Let's go somewhere else first."
He remembered Jugo's Sage Transformation ability, where the uncontrolled absorption of natural energy could lead to violent, uncontrollable behavior. Jugo was the source of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal, which caused chaotic transformations.
If the parasitic insects went berserk and wrecked the house, that would be a disaster.
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