Chapter 61: Retail Therapy, Rocket Shoes, and One Very Suspicious Grandma
There were three things Tenten loved in life.
Weapons.
Inventing new weapons.
And discovering entirely new ways to make existing weapons considerably more dangerous.
Skypiea had been a wonderful experience for her.
Beautiful scenery? Lovely.
Exotic food? Delicious.
Friendly locals? Wonderful people.
But the Dials?
Oh, the Dials were magnificent.
For the uninitiated, Dials were strange seashell-like devices capable of absorbing and releasing different forms of energy.
Wind, fire, lightning, impact, clouds, sound.
It was like someone had taken the laws of physics, stuffed them into seashells, and started selling them at the local market.
Naturally, Tenten had bought enough to make several shopkeepers consider early retirement.
Kankuro approved wholeheartedly.
Which was exactly why everyone else was worried.
"You're telling me," Shikamaru said, staring at the enormous collection of Dials covering the workshop tables, "that you two spent this much money on seashells?"
Tenten looked offended.
"Technological artifacts."
"Seashells."
"Advanced energy-storage devices!"
"Expensive seashells."
Kankuro folded his arms.
"Some people simply don't appreciate scientific progress."
Shikamaru looked at the enormous mechanical arm protruding from the ceiling.
"Why does that thing have a flamethrower?"
Kankuro glanced upward.
"Emergency heating."
"...Heating what?"
"Emergencies."
Shikamaru stared at him.
Then turned around and left.
He had already suffered enough that morning.
Unfortunately for everyone aboard the Azure Gale, Tenten and Kankuro were only getting started.
A Very Educational Weapons Demonstration
Tenten had transformed one of the ship's training rooms into a testing facility.
Or, as Naruto called it, the place where insurance companies went to die.
Her first improvement involved Axe Dials.
These remarkable little devices could absorb cutting attacks and release them later.
Tenten had incorporated them into several of her swords.
Ordinarily, performing a powerful sword technique required movement, timing, chakra, and enough space to avoid accidentally decapitating your teammates.
Now?
She could store attacks beforehand and release them when needed.
"Observe!"
Tenten drew a sword.
A thin blade of compressed cutting force erupted from it, striking a reinforced training dummy.
The dummy split apart.
Naruto whistled.
"Okay, that's convenient."
"Very," Tenten replied proudly. "I can prepare powerful attacks in advance and release them without repeating the original techniques."
Kakashi examined the weapon thoughtfully.
"Excellent for conserving chakra."
"And catching enemies off guard," Neji added.
Tenten beamed.
Praise from Neji was worth approximately seventeen compliments from ordinary people.
Possibly eighteen.
Then she revealed her latest creation.
A sword made using an Eisen Dial combined with chakra-conductive metal.
The weapon initially looked like an ordinary blade.
Then it stretched.
And stretched.
And stretched some more.
The sword became a flexible ribbon of hardened cloud, twisting through the air like a metallic serpent.
With another pulse of chakra, it reshaped itself into a long spear.
Then a whip.
Then a broad sword.
Naruto stared.
"That's cheating."
Tenten grinned.
"That's engineering."
"Same thing, different marketing."
The weapon operated on principles similar to the water sword and water whip Tenten had previously developed for Ino.
Except this version used solid cloud material manipulated through the Eisen Dial, reinforced and controlled with chakra metal.
It could change shape, extend its reach, and adapt to different fighting styles.
Tenten had essentially invented a weapon that couldn't decide what kind of weapon it wanted to be.
Naruto considered that relatable.
Next came her upgraded arsenal.
Flame Dials had been incorporated into her cannons and rifles, giving them additional incendiary capabilities.
Her personal fire sword had also received Flame Dials.
The ice sword received Ice Dials.
Both now possessed Reject Dials capable of releasing tremendous stored force.
Tenten demonstrated the fire sword first.
A blazing slash struck a reinforced target.
The Reject Dial activated.
The resulting explosion turned the target into several hundred extremely unemployed pieces of metal.
Kankuro nodded approvingly.
"Beautiful."
Tenten switched weapons.
A freezing wave erupted from her ice sword, locking another dummy inside a thick shell of ice.
Then the Reject Dial discharged.
The frozen target shattered.
Naruto stared at the remains.
"Did that dummy owe you money?"
"No."
"Did it insult Neji?"
Tenten turned pink.
"Naruto!"
"Just checking!"
Neji looked away with the faintest hint of a smile.
Kankuro examined the remains.
"Good destructive output. We should reinforce the testing chamber."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Shouldn't you have done that beforehand?"
Kankuro paused.
"...Scientific oversight."
Everyone Gets an Upgrade. Nobody Gets Peace.
Rock Lee was the first volunteer for the new equipment.
This was either incredibly brave or an excellent example of natural selection attempting to correct an administrative error.
Tenten handed him specially modified gloves and shoes containing Jet Dials.
"These release powerful bursts of air," she explained. "You can use them to accelerate, change direction, and increase the impact of your attacks."
Lee stared at the shoes.
His eyes sparkled.
"YOU MEAN MY YOUTH CAN NOW MOVE EVEN FASTER?!"
Gai appeared behind him.
"LEE!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"THIS IS THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA!"
"YES!"
They embraced.
There were tears.
Actual tears.
Tenten stared at them.
"...They're shoes."
Kakashi patted her shoulder.
"You've created a monster."
Lee immediately began testing them.
A burst of compressed wind launched him across the training ground.
He planted one foot.
Another burst propelled him sideways.
Then he accelerated forward, moving so quickly that he became a green blur.
His shoes practically turned him into a certain fictional blue hedgehog's black-and-red rival.
Naruto watched with enormous interest.
"Okay. That's awesome."
Lee delivered a devastating kick.
The Jet Dial in his shoe discharged at the moment of impact.
The reinforced dummy shot across the training field and embedded itself in a wall.
Gai was openly weeping.
"LEE! YOUR YOUTH HAS DEVELOPED AFTERBURNERS!"
"THANK YOU, GAI-SENSEI!"
Asuma sighed.
"Great. Now there are two of them."
"Technically," Kakashi replied, "there were always two."
"Yes, but now one has rocket shoes."
"A meaningful distinction."
Choji's turn came next.
His enormous hammer had received Reject Dials.
Unlike ordinary Impact Dials, Reject Dials released stored force at approximately ten times its original magnitude.
A horrifying amount of destructive potential.
And an equally horrifying amount of recoil.
Fortunately, Choji possessed the physical strength and durability to withstand the strain, particularly with reinforced equipment.
He swung his hammer into a reinforced target.
The Reject Dial absorbed the impact.
Then Choji activated it.
BOOOOM!
The target vanished beneath a tremendous explosion of force.
Choji stared.
Then smiled.
"Nice."
Naruto scratched his chin.
"Choji, remind me never to steal your snacks."
Choji looked at him.
"You already know that."
"Excellent point."
Kiba's clawed gauntlets received Axe Dials, allowing him to store slashing attacks and release them during combat.
He tested them with a wide grin.
"This is incredible!"
Akamaru barked enthusiastically.
Kiba turned toward him.
"No, you can't have matching claws."
Another bark.
"Because you already have claws!"
Akamaru looked offended.
Apparently, technological inequality had finally reached the canine community.
Hinata and Neji received upgrades to their bows.
Lightning Dials provided stored electrical attacks, while Reject Dials allowed them to release devastating bursts of accumulated force.
Hinata tested hers against a distant armored dummy.
An electrically charged projectile struck the target.
The Reject Dial discharged.
The dummy disappeared in a spectacular flash.
Naruto whistled.
"Remind me never to annoy Hinata."
Ino snorted.
"That ship sailed years ago."
Hinata blushed.
Neji nodded approvingly.
"Good."
Nobody was entirely certain whether he was complimenting the bow or supporting Naruto's sudden concern for his personal safety.
Probably both.
Kakashi's lightning sword received a particularly interesting improvement.
The blade already enhanced Lightning Release techniques.
Now, with a Lightning Dial incorporated into its construction, it could store electrical energy and release it independently.
This meant Kakashi could unleash stored lightning without expending fresh chakra.
Or combine that stored lightning with his own techniques for an even stronger attack.
He examined the sword thoughtfully.
"Very efficient."
Naruto nodded.
"Now you can electrocute people economically."
Kakashi gave him a thumbs-up.
"Financial responsibility is important."
Kurenai received a shorter Eisen Dial blade reinforced with Reject Dials.
Her genjutsu had improved tremendously, but even the most skilled illusion specialist occasionally encountered an opponent who needed something more persuasive than seeing their worst nightmares.
Now she had a flexible, shape-changing weapon capable of delivering powerful finishing attacks.
Asuma examined it.
"That's dangerous."
Kurenai smiled.
"Thank you."
"I meant for other people."
"Naturally."
Asuma decided that was an excellent place to end the conversation.
Sakura received reinforced gloves and shoes incorporating Reject Dials.
Considering her natural physical strength, the upgrades were almost offensively unnecessary.
She tested a punch against a heavily reinforced training block.
The impact was devastating.
Then the stored force discharged.
The remaining fragments disappeared into the distance.
Naruto stared.
"...I think that qualifies as a war crime."
Sakura smiled sweetly.
"Would you like to test the next one?"
"No, thank you. I'm feeling extremely peaceful today."
Viola received Jet Dial equipment similar to Lee's, along with new knives incorporating Eisen Dials.
The combination allowed rapid movement and flexible weapons that could change length and shape during combat.
She examined one of the knives.
Then smiled.
"Oh, I like these."
Kakashi nodded.
"Very practical."
Viola glanced at him.
"Want to help me test them later?"
"Of course."
Naruto leaned toward Ino.
"Is that flirting?"
"Naruto, for the love of everything romantic, yes."
"Oh."
Ino's water whip also received Reject Dials, allowing her to store and release devastating impacts.
She received Jet Dial shoes as well.
And finally, there were the Milky Dial shoes.
Everyone got a pair.
Naruto, Gaara, Hinata, Neji, Kurenai, Kankuro, Ino, Tenten, and the rest of the group.
Milky Dials could store and release clouds, allowing users to create temporary pathways and platforms in the air.
Combined with their chakra control and existing mobility techniques, the shinobi could effectively maneuver through the sky.
Naruto immediately tested his.
A cloud path formed beneath his feet.
He ran across it.
Then launched himself into a backward flip.
Then another.
Then started performing increasingly ridiculous aerial maneuvers.
Kakashi watched.
"He's going to turn this into a competition."
Gai's eyes sparkled.
"AN AERIAL RACE OF YOUTH!"
Kakashi sighed.
"Naturally."
Even the group's new clothing received attention.
Durability seals strengthened the fabric, while defensive barrier seals offered protection against attacks.
Tenten had essentially turned their wardrobe into lightweight protective equipment.
Fashionable.
Practical.
Potentially explosive.
A perfect shinobi combination.
Of course, the Dials were still new technology.
Tenten and Kankuro had barely scratched the surface of their possibilities.
They had another week in Skypiea, and both fully intended to spend it researching, experimenting, and possibly bankrupting several local merchants.
The group had decided to help protect Skypiea.
Which meant the engineers now had the perfect excuse to keep shopping.
A dangerous development for the ship's finances.
While Tenten was busy transforming ordinary weapons into increasingly unreasonable instruments of destruction, Naruto had another project.
A much larger project.
Approximately two hundred meters long.
Her name was Nola.
The enormous snake had lived on Skypiea for centuries, witnessing generations of conflict and the strange arrival of visitors from the Blue Sea.
Naruto had encountered her previously during the café incident.
Now he'd returned with Kiba.
And an idea.
Nola regarded the two young shinobi with the exhausted patience of an elderly grandmother watching her grandchildren arrive carrying fireworks.
She knew trouble when she saw it.
These two practically radiated it.
"Hello, Grandma Nola!" Naruto called.
The enormous snake lowered her head.
One gigantic eye examined him.
Kiba folded his arms.
"She looks suspicious."
Naruto nodded.
"Probably because you're here."
"Me?!"
"Animals can sense bad influences."
"YOU'RE THE BAD INFLUENCE!"
Nola gave a low rumbling hiss.
Both boys immediately looked at her.
Naruto grinned.
"See? She agrees with me."
Kiba stared.
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE SAID!"
"Details."
Nola had already reached a conclusion.
These were definitely grandchildren.
The annoying kind.
Naruto sat on a nearby stone.
"You know, Grandma, you'd get along with my friend Sasuke."
Nola tilted her head.
"He's my best friend. Basically my brother. Very serious guy. Always looks like someone forgot to pay the electricity bill."
Kiba snorted.
Naruto continued.
"He also has snakes! Big ones! You'd probably get along."
Nola stared.
Then looked away.
Kiba laughed.
"She's not interested."
"Come on! Sasuke's great!"
Nola gave another unimpressed hiss.
Naruto sighed.
"Fine. Your loss. He's practically an old man trapped in a teenager's body anyway."
Kiba nodded.
"That's actually accurate."
Naruto grinned.
"Right?"
Nola ignored them.
She was an ancient and dignified creature.
She had no interest in listening to two children discuss matchmaking her with some gloomy snake enthusiast.
Fortunately, Naruto had something more interesting to offer.
"Anyway, Grandma, we wanted to help you get stronger."
Nola's attention returned.
Naruto stood.
"Skypiea needs powerful guardians. You're already huge, strong, and experienced. But I think we can make you much more dangerous."
Kiba nodded.
"That's where Naruto's weird chakra comes in."
"Hey!"
"What? It's weird!"
Naruto chose to ignore him.
"I can gradually infuse you with Kurama's chakra, along with Wind and Lightning Release chakra. Over time, your body should adapt and develop those elemental abilities."
Nola watched him carefully.
It was an interesting offer.
She had protected this land for centuries.
And if greater strength allowed her to continue protecting it, she was willing to consider it.
"The process would be gradual," Naruto explained. "I don't want to overload your body. I'll leave a shadow clone to supervise the infusion and monitor how you're adapting."
Nola seemed satisfied.
Until Naruto added:
"He'll probably sit on your head. Better position for chakra transfer."
The gigantic snake narrowed her eyes.
Kiba slowly turned toward Naruto.
"Wait."
Naruto smiled innocently.
"What?"
"You just want to ride her."
"That's a terrible accusation."
"You absolutely want to ride her."
"I am offering a scientifically valid chakra-enhancement procedure!"
"While sitting on a giant snake!"
"An excellent workplace environment!"
Nola's expression became extremely suspicious.
Kiba grinned.
"Actually, can I have a turn?"
Naruto looked at him.
Then at Nola.
Then back at Kiba.
Both boys slowly realized something.
The enormous snake was now staring at them the way an angry grandmother stared at children who had broken her favorite vase.
A very large vase.
With the ability to swallow both children whole.
Naruto immediately changed the subject.
"ANYWAY! We also brought you a present!"
Nola blinked.
Kiba nodded vigorously.
"Yes! A very nice present!"
Excellent.
Their survival instincts had finally activated.
The Guardian of the White Sea
Naruto's shadow clones had been busy across Skypiea, establishing barrier markings and preparing sealed reserves of chakra.
The protective network wasn't complete yet.
He intended to connect additional guardian systems to it later.
For now, however, he wanted to create something that could assist Nola directly.
Something powerful.
Something adaptable.
Something that would make anyone attacking Skypiea reconsider their career choices.
Naruto entered Sage Mode.
Natural energy flowed through him.
The surrounding clouds began gathering.
Kiba watched as enormous masses of cloud material twisted together, compressed, and hardened beneath Naruto's chakra.
The technique was an adaptation of his golem creation methods.
Except instead of using earth or sand, he was shaping the special clouds of Skypiea.
A colossal figure began emerging from the White Sea.
First came its legs.
Then its body.
Then enormous wings.
Finally, a gigantic lance formed in its hand.
When the construction finished, an enormous armored angel stood above the clouds.
Two hundred meters tall.
Its wings spread across the sky, and its immense lance gleamed beneath the sunlight.
Kiba stared upward.
"...Dude."
Naruto folded his arms proudly.
"Pretty cool, right?"
"YOU MADE A GIANT ANGEL!"
"Technically, a cloud golem."
"IT'S TWO HUNDRED METERS TALL!"
"Yes, Kiba. I was present during construction."
Nola raised her massive head.
For the first time, the ancient snake looked genuinely impressed.
Naruto smiled.
"This guardian can fight alongside you, protect the island, and change its form to support you."
He gestured.
The enormous angel lowered its lance.
Then its body began shifting.
Its wings expanded.
Its armor dissolved into enormous flowing layers of cloud.
The entire construct transformed into a gigantic serpent-shaped guardian.
It coiled around Nola, forming protective armor along her body.
Two enormous wings unfolded from its sides.
Kiba's jaw dropped.
"YOU GAVE THE SNAKE WINGS!"
Naruto nodded proudly.
"Every grandmother deserves transportation."
Nola examined the armor.
The construct shifted again, expanding to conceal her enormous body completely.
Clouds wrapped around her until she practically disappeared within them.
"Defensive concealment," Naruto explained. "It can increase its size, protect you, and help you move through the sky."
He looked toward the distant Giant Jack.
"And when you're not using it, the guardian can patrol or take a stationary defensive position."
The enormous cloud serpent separated from Nola.
It rose into the sky.
Then coiled around the gigantic beanstalk, its immense white body wrapping around the towering plant.
Naruto grinned.
"Now it needs a name."
Kiba groaned.
"Oh, here we go."
"What?"
"You always give them dramatic names."
"Of course! You can't create a two-hundred-meter guardian and call it Bob!"
"Why not?"
"Because that would be disrespectful to Bob!"
Kiba stared.
Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully.
In Alabasta, he'd created the magnificent guardian known as the Simurgh of the Sand.
Skypiea deserved something equally impressive.
Something fitting its endless ocean of clouds.
Its winged people.
Its ancient history.
Then Naruto snapped his fingers.
"I've got it!"
Kiba braced himself.
Naruto pointed toward the colossal construct.
"Seraph of the White Sea!"
A dramatic silence followed.
The enormous angel reformed above Giant Jack.
Its gigantic wings stretched outward.
The lance rose toward the heavens.
Sunlight shone behind it.
For one glorious moment, the entire scene looked like something from an ancient religious painting.
Kiba stared.
Then nodded slowly.
"...Okay. That's actually pretty awesome."
Naruto grinned.
"Obviously."
Across Skypiea, people stopped what they were doing.
Shopkeepers emerged from their stores.
Children pointed toward the sky.
Farmers stared in astonishment.
Even the guards stationed around Upper Yard forgot their duties for several seconds.
Because there was now a gigantic winged angel hovering above Giant Jack.
Two hundred meters tall.
Holding a lance.
And apparently made entirely from clouds.
One elderly Skypiean slowly lowered his cup of tea.
"...Did we get another god?"
His neighbor shook his head.
"No idea."
A pause.
"Should we be worried?"
The first man considered the enormous guardian.
Then shrugged.
"Depends. Does this one want us to worship him?"
"Apparently, the blond boy made it."
Both men exchanged glances.
Then nodded.
"Ah."
That explained everything.
Strangely, it really did.
Back near Nola, Naruto finally approached the enormous snake again.
"So, Grandma? What do you think?"
Nola regarded the colossal guardian.
Then looked toward the armor that could protect her and the wings that could carry her through the sky.
She gave a pleased rumbling hiss.
Naruto smiled.
"Excellent! Then we're agreed."
A shadow clone appeared beside him.
It would handle the gradual chakra infusion while monitoring Nola's condition.
Naruto patted the enormous serpent's scales.
"And now..."
Kiba narrowed his eyes.
"Oh no."
Naruto grinned.
"...Can we go for a ride?"
Nola stared at him.
Then at Kiba.
Then back at Naruto.
A long silence followed.
Finally, the enormous snake lowered her head.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"YES!"
He immediately jumped aboard.
Kiba scrambled after him.
"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!"
Nola began moving.
The two boys cheered like children who had just been given unlimited access to an amusement park.
Which, in fairness, wasn't entirely inaccurate.
Naruto laughed as the enormous snake carried them through Upper Yard.
"This is AWESOME!"
Kiba grinned.
"WAY BETTER THAN WALKING!"
Naruto threw his arms into the air.
"And much better than the last giant snake I met!"
Kiba glanced at him.
"What happened?"
"It tried to eat me during the Chunin Exams!"
"...Seriously?"
"Yup!"
"And now you're riding one?"
Naruto smiled brightly.
"Character development!"
Nola gave a long, weary hiss.
She had lived for centuries.
Survived wars.
Witnessed countless generations.
And somehow, after all that time, she'd ended up giving two hyperactive teenagers a joyride.
Still...
The new power flowing gently through her body felt promising.
The colossal guardian watching over the island was reassuring.
And the strange blond boy, for all his nonsense, clearly meant well.
Perhaps these children weren't so bad.
Then Naruto shouted:
"GRANDMA! THINK YOU CAN DO A BARREL ROLL?!"
Nola briefly reconsidered her opinion.