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Resets Weekly! [Monday]
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At the top floor of the tower in Amegakure, Naruto sipped on hot tea while carefully examining the newly acquired scroll.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode, a B-rank jutsu, on par with the level of the Shadow Clone Technique. However, its ranking isn't due to its weakness. Although it's not particularly difficult to learn, its practical use is limited for the majority of shinobi. Yes, for most shinobi..."
Naruto paused, setting down his teacup. "In other words, both techniques are designed for the rare few who possess an enormous amount of chakra."
Konan approached, refilling Naruto's cup with a hint of playful sarcasm in her tone. "You mean someone like you? A ninja who can summon dozens of creatures and hold off an entire great ninja village for half the night without even breaking a sweat?"
Naruto looked up at her. "Konan-nee, I know you're teasing me, but at least try to smile while doing it. Speaking of which, I've never seen you smile before."
Konan thought for a moment. "Really? I could've sworn I've smiled plenty of times."
Naruto scratched his head. "Sorry, I must not have noticed. How about this—give me a smile now?"
Konan hesitated. "Is that an order from the leader?"
Naruto coughed lightly. "Let's say it is."
"Well, if it's an order, then fine."
Konan placed the teapot on the table.
Naruto, sipping his tea, stared at her intently.
With a deep breath, Konan raised her hands, patted her cheeks, and then tugged at the corners of her mouth to force a smile.
"Pfft!" Naruto couldn't hold it in, spitting out his tea. "What was that? A manual smile? Sorry, Konan-nee, that was just too funny!"
"I can't smile on command," Konan said, letting her hands drop. But as she watched Naruto laugh heartily, the corners of her own lips curved into a faint, natural smile.
After the brief interlude, Konan tidied up the tea set and spoke seriously. "It's about time to rest. You didn't sleep at all last night, did you?"
Naruto replied, "I'm not tired."
Konan glanced at the scroll on the table. "So, are you planning to dive right into training this jutsu?"
Naruto shook his head. "Mastering it would be simple—just a single night's work. But before that, there's something else I need to prepare."
Konan's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Oh? What kind of preparation?"
Boom!
A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a rolling thunderclap.
Naruto gazed deeply at the rain-soaked world outside the tower. "I need to master Purple Lightning first."
Konan furrowed her brows, searching her memory, but found no recollection of such a technique. "Purple Lightning? I've never heard of a Lightning Release technique like that."
Supporting his chin with the back of his hand, Naruto said in a low voice, "Konan-nee, I've shown you memories of the future, but many details weren't included in those visions."
"In the Fourth Great Ninja War, we worked together to seal Kaguya. During that battle, Kakashi Hatake lost his Sharingan."
Konan pondered. "Kakashi Hatake, renowned for his Chidori enhanced by the Sharingan. Losing the Sharingan must have been a devastating blow to his strength."
Naruto smiled. "Indeed. Yet after the war, he became the Sixth Hokage of Konoha—not because of his seniority, but because of his undeniable strength."
"In the years following the war, he forged a new path, extending the nature transformation of Lightning Release. That's how Purple Lightning was born."
"The power of Purple Lightning is extraordinary. Even without the high-speed thrust of Chidori, it surpasses Chidori in sheer destructive force. It no longer required the Sharingan to complement it. In fact, Kakashi's strength even exceeded his former self."
Naruto's tone shifted. "To be honest, even I was tempted by this Lightning Release technique. But back then, I didn't meet the requirements."
Konan asked, "What requirements?"
Naruto explained, "First, although I have a Lightning nature affinity, I wasn't skilled at using Lightning Release. That's manageable through practice. But the real issue was the second condition—I lacked the Yin Release chakra transformation. [Note: Yin Release is not to be confused with Yin-Yang Release; they are fundamentally different.]"
Konan asked, "And now? Do you have it?"
Naruto raised his left hand, covering his right eye. "Yes. The power of the Uchiha is the pinnacle of Yin Release. Shisui's Sharingan, in addition to its Kotoamatsukami ability, also granted me the Yin Release I once lacked. Now the conditions are met. It's time to master the Lightning Release I was once unskilled at—and elevate it to the level of Purple Lightning!"
Konan remarked, "But you said it took Kakashi Hatake years to develop Purple Lightning."
Naruto laughed. "Creating a technique and learning one are two entirely different things. My father spent years developing the Rasengan, but I mastered it in just a week. Besides, I have a unique advantage when it comes to training. That's right—the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Konan sighed, her expression tinged with helplessness. "So, another sleepless night?"
Naruto stood up. "That's right. But Konan-nee, no need to join me in the rain this time. I wouldn't want you catching a fever again."
A fleeting emotion crossed Konan's eyes. She gently brushed her bangs aside, her demeanor returning to its usual coolness.
She emphasized, "For the record, I didn't get a fever from the rain. It was due to overusing my Paper Clones, which drained my chakra and worsened my exposure to the rain."
"Yes, yes. You don't seem like someone who'd catch a cold. This time, I won't bother you or your umbrella with my Shadow Clones."
Naruto tilted his head. "Wait, Konan-nee, aren't you going to sleep?"
Konan replied, "No. Back in the Akatsuki, I got used to sleeping just one hour a day."
"Alright then."
Naruto smiled wryly. His cloak billowed in the wind as he leapt from the tower.
Konan watched his figure descend into the rain, thinking to herself, "Naruto, you are the bridge to the future of the ninja world. I failed to protect them before, but this time, no matter what, I will be the pillar that supports this bridge."
Splash!!
Konan followed him into the rain.
Naruto formed hand seals.
"Ninjutsu: Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Amidst the torrential rain, nearly a thousand Shadow Clones appeared in puffs of white smoke.
"Although I've practiced elemental transformations beyond Wind Release after the war, I'm still surprisingly unskilled with Lightning Release. Let's use this to get the hang of it first!"
Swish!
Naruto's true body completed a sequence of seals, gripping his left wrist with his right hand.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Crackle!!
Intense lightning surged around Naruto's left hand, producing the sound of a thousand chirping birds.
The Shadow Clones followed suit.
Crackle!! Crackle!!
In an instant, the sound of a thousand birds filled the night air!
Naruto shouted, "Alright, everyone! Let's master Chidori to the point where we no longer need hand seals!"
The Shadow Clones responded enthusiastically.
"Yosh! Let's do this!"
"Ganbatte, everyone!"
"Call me Uzumaki Kakashi!"
"Call me Uzumaki Sasuke!"
And so, another sleepless night began.