NEW ARC: DEMON SEALING JOURNEY
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The Next day,
The group packs up their belongings and departs from Hojo City after eating breakfast.
While on their journey, Ritsu playfully talks with the rest of the members of Uncle Yūga's team. Most of them are also members of the Senju clan.
"Uncle Baru, did something happen last night? I think I felt something." He asks curiously.
Last night, he woke up after a nightmare. While half asleep, he felt something. He didn't pay much attention to the situation since he heard Uncle Yugo's voice, meaning the situation was resolved. And he was soon forced to sleep by his mother.
"Oh, you heard that too, young Ritsu!" another member chimes in.
"So, something really happened, Uncle Kota?"
"Haha… it was nothing much. Just a bunch of thieves who wanted to steal some goods from the carriages." Baru laughs and explains.
"We caught them red-handed and handed them over to the city guards."
"So, what did you feel, little Ritsu?" Kota asks curiously.
"Hmm… how do I describe it?" Ritsu begins to recall the sensation he felt last night.
"Umm… It was like a fire. Hmm… yes, fire! I think I saw a brown fire. But I was sleepy, so I didn't pay much attention."
"Fire!"
"Brown Fire!"
The group stares at each other in amazement. They turn to Uncle Yugo, who is also listening to their conversation.
"Captain, do you think it is what we think it is?" Baru asks in excitement.
"Young Ritsu's description certainly matches that. What do you think, Kazetsu?" Uncle Yugo turns to another member of the team.
"Captain, if what young Ritsu said is true? Then it's definitely that." Kazetsu nods in affirmation.
"What are you all uncles talking about?" Ritsu is genuinely puzzled by their conversation.
He has some knowledge of the Naruto world, like its general plot and main events. But he has no idea about the fine details. After all, who could remember everything? Heck, he can't even remember what he ate last week for breakfast unless he tries really hard to recall it. He isn't some cheat with photographic memories or other powerful abilities.
"Haha… Young Ritsu, I will teach you a little jutsu. Just follow the hand signs that I will make." Instead of answering him, Kazetsu offers to teach him a new technique.
"A new jutsu?" Ritsu's eyes lit up.
A new jutsu or technique is always welcome to him. He is already bored during this journey since there is nothing much to do. He would either gaze at the surrounding scenery or just practice the leaf concentration technique to improve his focus and chakra control. Occasionally, he would also run alongside the carriage to exercise his muscles.
The surroundings sceneries were fascinating but a person would easily get bored if you constantly gazed at a row of trees for hours. Now, Kazetsu's mention of a new technique piqued his interest.
"Please teach me, Uncle Kazetsu!" Ritsu politely bows his head.
Kazetsu makes a series of hand signs and Ritsu follows his lead.
"Now, close your eyes, little Ritsu, and try to feel your surroundings with your body."
"Ok!" Ritsu closes his eyes and attempts to feel his surroundings. After a few seconds, he could feel the wind blowing past his body and various other noises in his surroundings. He increases his focus and involuntarily uses the 'leaf concentration technique', a technique he has been practicing a lot lately. It's the only technique that allows growth of chakra reserve and improves chakra flow. Constantly circulating chakra through the body widens the chakra pathways, allowing large amounts of chakra to flow out of the body.
Wide chakra pathways allow the user to cast large-scale powerful jutsus that require large amounts of chakra output. If he has to give an analogy, then it's similar to two water tanks with similar volume but different outlet sizes. The tank with a bigger outlet will output more chakra than the tank with a smaller outlet in the same amount of time.
Large-scale powerful jutsus usually requires a large amount of chakra output in a brief time. So, practicing the leaf concentration was very useful to him.
By constantly draining and refilling his chakra, the size of his chakra vessel will grow significantly.
Ritsu recalls a memory from the anime where Naruto spam several hundred shadow clones, each of them with a Rasengan in his hand. Being an Uzumaki, I have almost the same amount of chakra as Naruto without counting the Nine-tails chakra. If I practice diligently, then my chakra reserves will surpass Naruto without factoring in the Nine-tails chakra.
Ritsu closes his eyes and follows Uncle Kazetsu's guidance.
Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
Suddenly, several multi-color flames appear in his surroundings.
"I can see it!" He exclaims in surprise.
"What do you see, little Ritsu?" The group asks in surprise.
"Hmm… there is a bright brown flame and a dim blue flame at Uncle Yugo's position. As for Uncle Baru, there is a bright red flame. Uncle Kota has a deep blue flame. Uncle Kazetsu has a dim yellow and blue flame.
Huh! Is that Mom? I can see a huge bright red flame, like a mini-sun. Lady Natsumi has a dim blue flame. Then in that direction, I can see a yellow and blue flame. That direction has a red and brown flame. That direction has a bright cyan flame and there is a bright blue and yellow flame on top of that tree."
Ritsu points in one direction after another.
"Amazing!" The group stares at each other's faces with excitement and surprise.
"So, little Ritsu really has a sensory talent." Kazetsu nods lightly.
"What's the matter?" Ishiko removes the curtain of the carriage to enquire.
"Good news, Lady Ishiko! Young Ritsu is a sensor!" Uncle Yūgo quickly explains the situation to her.
"My little Ritsu is amazing!" She is shocked to hear this and then quickly pats Ritsu's head with a proud smile.
Seeing his mother's proud smile, Ritsu feels a sense of achievement.
"Uncle Kazetsu, can you teach me more?" He asks.
"Of course, little Ritsu?" Kazetsu smiles.
"Sensing your surrounding chakra is a first step! But you have already skipped a few steps and could even identify the elemental nature of the chakra, which is quite rare and difficult to sense. So, for the next step, I will slowly teach you how to distinguish chakra signatures and identify other people.
With enough practice, you can even sense the truth and lie of a matter from a person's chakra. And at higher levels, you can even sense a person's emotions and state of mind from several hundreds of meters away." Kazetsu explains.
"That sounds incredible! Please teach me, Uncle Kazetsu!" Ritsu bows to Kazetsu.
'Sensory talent is a very rare and incredible ability. If I master it, it can effectively change my combat style and give me significant advantages in battle.'
"Haha… there is no need for you to bow. I will slowly teach you everything. Just practice hard and you will learn in no time."
With these words, Kazetsu begins to explain the basics of sensing techniques to Ritsu.
Ritsu takes out a small notebook from his pocket and jots everything down. If he doesn't understand something, he raises questions from time to time.
Ishiko stares at everything with a wry smile on her face.
'This kid is too diligent and doesn't behave like someone of his age.'
Suddenly, she recalls another prodigy from the village.
"Ritsu is similar to that young boy from the Uchiha clan. Akinao won't ever stop praising him in front of me and mother. Perhaps it had some influence on our Ritsu." She shakes her head as she recalls another promising young prodigy.
Soon, they arrive at another city at the border of the Land of Fire and Land of Grass in the Natsu province. After passing this city, they will reach the Land of Grass in a few hours.
"This is the Nanten city, the last border city of this province."
After paying the toll, the group enters the city. This city is even more lively and bustling than the previous Hojo city. Ritsu can even see several Konoha shinobis passing by from time to time.
Seeing his curiosity, Uncle Yugo explains to him.
"This city is a military city with an outpost nearby. So, you will see more shinobis here than in the other cities."
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Outside the Nanten city entrance,
Ritsu raises his head and glances at the large arc-shaped entrance with surprise.
Several pedestrians and horse carriages are constantly moving in and out of the city. The flow of traffic is so much that there is even a vast group of people lined outside the city to enter it.
However, the convoy follows Uncle Yugo's lead and walks towards a smaller gate near the large entrance. Uncle Yugo presents his identity, and the group is allowed to enter the city through the VIP entrance.
Ishiko notices Ritsu's curiosity and explains.
"Jounins are high-level officials of the country. So, in most cities, they can freely enter and exit the city with priority."
'Then their numbers must be regulated, right?'
As if understanding Ritsu's thoughts, Ishiko adds.
"Every shinobi academy in the nation can promote a shinobi to chunnin. However, the promotion to jounin is under the direct scrutiny of the Hokage. Only after the approval of the Hokage can a shinobi reach the rank of the Jounin."
"Oh!" Ritsu nods in surprise.
'That makes sense!'
The group soon arrives in front of an inn and stations their carriage in the inn's backyard. Ishiko places another warding spell and the group registers in the inn and calls it a day.
Just like in the previous city, Ritsu insists his mother tour the city. Ishiko chuckles at his enthusiasm, and the group sets out.
Ritsu walked from one food stall to another with excitement, trying every food they had to offer. His small belly swells from overeating.
"Ah, I feel so full!" He rubs his stomach, mimicking Choji.
Pfft…
Ishiko chuckles at his antique.
"At this rate, you will join the Akimichi clan."
Hehe…
Ritsu grins and shows his white teeth to his mother, earning another chuckle from her.
Zing…
Suddenly, a ringing sensation echoes in Ritsu's ears. His ears buzz and his eyes turn blurry. A pseudo vision appears in his sight. His vision fractures with several images of the different colors, constantly overlapping with each other like a premonition.
"Mom, watch out!"
Suddenly he notices a hidden weapon with crimson and purple aura shooting towards his mother.
Whoosh… Ding…
Uncle Yugo flickers in front of Ishiko and deflects the hidden weapon with his sword.
Clang…
The hidden weapon is Bo-shuriken. After being hit by Uncle Yugo's blade, it lodges into a nearby wall and emits a purple aura.
"That's…" Ishiko's eyes narrow with a dangerous glint.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
Three more figures flicker beside them and shield the group from all directions.
Swoosh…
Uncle Yugo leaps onto the roof and chases after the assassin.
Swish… Swish… Swish…
Ritsu makes a series of hand signs and activates the sensing technique Kazetsu taught him. He locks on Uncle Yugo's chakra signature and observes it.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
Uncle Yugo swiftly flickers through several buildings, chasing after the assassin.
Shua… Shua…
The assassin turns around and throws two more Bo-shuriken toward Uncle Yugo.
Ding… Ding…
Uncle Yugo deflects them and continues the chase. The two of them jump on rooftops and rush further away from the city center.
While running, Uncle Yugo also takes out a kunai from his holster and throws it towards the assassin.
Ding…
The assassin deflects the kunai with a blade of his own and doves into the crowd at a corner.
Swoosh…
Uncle Yugo also jumps down and searches for his trace in a corner.
"Uncle Yugo, on your 8 o'clock, he is turning around the corner." Ritsu's voice echoes in Yugo's ears.
"Ritsu, what are you doing here?" Ritsu's voice startles Yugo.
"Uncle, now isn't the time for that?"
Whoosh…
Nonetheless, he flickers towards the spot Ritsu mentioned and notices a cloaked figure rushing into an alleyway.
Swish…
Yugo infuses some chakra into a kunai and throws it towards the assassin.
Shua…
The kunai grazes past the assassin's face, spilling a drop of blood.
Sizzle… Sizzle…
A purple drop of blood falls on the pavement, corroding a hole in the ground.
"Demon blood?!" Uncle Yugo mutters in surprise.
Ritsu is also shocked to see the purple blood.
'What the actual fuck?! Is he an alien or something?'
However, he soon reminds Uncle Yugo.
"Uncle Yugo, he is running away!"
Whoosh…
The assassin hurriedly climbs on the wall and jumps from one building to another.
"We can't let such a dangerous man run freely!"
Swoosh…
Uncle Yugo also scales the wall and chases after him.
"Uncle, I will keep an eye on him." Ritsu also follows Uncle Yugo and scales the wall by infusing chakra on the hills of sandals.
"Little Ritsu, it's dangerous. You shouldn't be here!" Uncle Yugo attempts to persuade him. But Ritsu shakes his head.
"Uncle, without me, how will you track his whereabouts? He might hide in the city and cause chaos and destruction. Didn't you say before that this man is too dangerous to leave free?"
"Umm… well…" Uncle Yugo hesitates a bit but the severity of the situation and Ritsu's persuading tone convinces him.
"Alright! You can follow me. But stay hidden behind a cover and don't do anything reckless."
"O-ok!"
With that, Uncle Yugo picks up Ritsu in his arm and increases his speed by another fold.
"Uncle… he is hiding behind that chimney on that building!" Ritsu points towards a large chimney on a building.
"Got it!"
Swish…
Yugo summons a Fuma shuriken using the tool summoning technique. He throws the shuriken towards the chimney.
Shua… Shua…
Wires appear on Uncle Yugo's finger. He uses the wires to alter the shuriken's direction. The Fuma shuriken that was about to strike the chimney suddenly turned around the corner and struck something.
Slash…
Argh… Aah…
A muffled groan escapes from behind the chimney.
Sizzle… Sizzle…
Purple blood drips down on the roof and corrodes its tiles.
"I will kill you!"
With a roar, the assassin jumps out of his cover to confront Uncle Yugo. His eyes are red, filled with bloodlust.
Swish… Swish… Swish…
Uncle Yugo makes several swift hand signs, much to Ritsu's amazement. In Ritsu's vision, he notices a blue chakra bubble within Yugo's body.
'Uncle Yugo is about to use a water release technique.'
"Water Release: Rain Barrage,"
Several droplets of water condense around Uncle Yugo. These water droplets suddenly turn into several water needles and shoot toward the assassin at an incredible speed.
Ritsu quickly crouches behind a cover on the roof.
Shua… Shua…
Before the assassin could finish his hand signs, Uncle Yugo's jutsu hits him. His barrage of hundreds of water needles drills several holes into the assassin's body and surrounding tiles, destroying a large chunk of the roof.
The commotion has attracted several guard units. And Ritsu can sense several chakra signatures of various colors rushing in their direction.
"Is he dead?"
Ritsu peeks out of the cover to glance at the assassin. However, the sight before him horrifies, and he pukes out his food in fear and disgust.
Bleugh… Bleugh…
The assassin has turned into a beehive of a man with purple blood dripping from his body. He has a twisted expression on his face and the gruesome sight sends a shiver down Ritsu's body.
In spite of his sound mind, this is the first time he has seen such a horrifying sight. Even the horror shows from his previous life weren't so frightening. The sight before him is too full of gore and murder. The assassin's muscles twitch and chunks of his rotten flesh fall on the rooftop.
Despite being in such a state, a gruesome smile appears on the assassin's face.
"You forced me to do it!" His lips mouth these words.