Izumi lay lazily on the sofa, a small plate of grapes resting on her lap. She popped one into her mouth, chewing slowly before speaking in a calm but slightly mocking tone.
"Mom, you haven't really interacted with him much, so you don't understand. It's not surprising for someone like him to do anything in the name of so-called 'justice'—especially when that 'justice' is just what other people tell him to believe."
Uchiha Hazuki, seated nearby with a cup of tea, raised an eyebrow. She wasn't entirely sure who her daughter was referring to, but she could guess.
"Oh? Is that so?" she replied with mild curiosity. "Well… there are all kinds of people in this world." She took a sip before adding, "But they're all just children for now. In time, they'll grow up and change."
Izumi gave a small, derisive laugh. "I'm just afraid that by the time they 'grow up,' it'll already be too late."
Hazuki didn't fully understand why her daughter seemed to dislike Itachi so much. In her mind, Itachi was a promising young man, already a ninja at such a young age. Her own daughter would soon follow the same path, so perhaps there was some unspoken rivalry or clash of values. Still, she decided not to press the issue.
Instead, something else came to mind. Her expression shifted as a memory surfaced. She set down her teacup, stood, and walked briskly into another room. After a short moment, she returned carrying a large wooden box. She placed it in front of Izumi with quiet solemnity.
Izumi tilted her head. "What's this?"
Hazuki sighed softly, running her fingers over the box's lid. "These were your father's ninja tools and scrolls—things he used when he was alive. I had originally planned to give them to you after you graduated from the Academy, but… seeing your talent, I think you're ready to have them now."
Izumi straightened in her seat, her playful expression fading into seriousness. She reached out, accepting the box with both hands. "Father's keepsakes?" she asked quietly. "Thank you, Mom. I'll treasure them… and I'll become a powerful ninja. I'll survive, no matter what."
Her mother smiled gently and placed a hand on her head, smoothing down her hair. "Don't speak as if danger is inevitable. Just… don't overwork yourself. Go to bed early, and don't study too late."
Izumi nodded. "Mm." Then, cradling the box, she retreated to her room.
---
Once inside, she set the heavy box on the floor and knelt beside it. The latch clicked as she opened it, revealing a neat but densely packed collection of scrolls, small weapon pouches, and sealed containers.
The first scroll she opened released a puff of chakra smoke, revealing a neat array of weapons.
"Wire, kunai, shuriken… and a katana."
She drew the katana from its sheath. The blade gleamed under the light—still sharp, well-maintained, as if it had been forged yesterday. Izumi smiled faintly before returning it to its scabbard.
Opening another scroll, she found explosive tags—both standard and a few that looked like sealing tags.
Then came the real treasure. Several scrolls were filled with detailed ninjutsu instructions, many of them advanced. Her eyes widened as she read.
A-rank Water Release: Water Severing Wave.
A technique that shoots an ultra-long-range, ultra-high-pressure water jet from the mouth, forming a blade capable of cutting through even the roots of the Divine Tree. Its cutting power rivaled that of Wind Release techniques.
B-rank Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
A massive water dragon forms and strikes at enemies—an iconic technique among skilled Water Release users.
S-rank Water Release: Hard Vortex Water Blade.
A dangerous move that forms a spinning water spear in the hand, launched with great force. On impact, it erupts into a massive water tornado.
Her fingers moved quickly through the scrolls.
C-rank Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide — already familiar to her.
B-rank Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall — a defensive barrier of rock.
A-rank Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld — a massive swamp that traps enemies until they are swallowed whole.
Wind Release techniques followed.
C-rank: Great Breakthrough — a strong gust to restrain or disrupt enemies.
B-rank: Vacuum Wave — a cutting wind blade expelled from the mouth, capable of slicing both flesh and chakra defenses.
She also found Lightning Release.
C-rank: Ground Flash — a short-range lightning strike along the ground, particularly dangerous when combined with Water Release.
And of course, Fire Release.
C-rank: Great Fireball Technique — the Uchiha clan's hallmark.
B-rank: Great Dragon Fire Technique — a powerful, precise flame dragon.
The collection didn't end there. She discovered perception jutsu, Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, and even Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
Izumi blinked in mild disbelief. So many techniques… and not just low-rank ones. If they were truly just commoner ninja, there's no way they would've had all this. She smirked. As expected of clan shinobi—this must be the heritage from when our branch separated from the Senju. These scrolls are probably part of the 'compensation' they received.
One scroll caught her attention—it was labeled as clan property from the Senju split, containing ninjutsu lists and financial records. She skimmed past the monetary details and found something else. Beneath it lay another scroll filled with sealing and barrier techniques.
Her eyes lit up.
She unrolled it to find instructions for basic sealing methods and the runes they used. With these, she could experiment with creating her own variations. The barrier section contained Five-Seal Barrier, Evil Sealing Method, and Perception Barrier—all useful tools.
---
That night, Izumi began with perception ninjutsu. She already had a passive sense of chakra thanks to her enhanced spiritual energy, but this refined her awareness. Now, she could distinguish details—chakra quality, movement direction, and even subtle fluctuations.
The next day, she moved her training to the forest. After setting up seals to avoid being discovered, she decided to tackle the hardest prize in the box:
"Water Release: Hard Vortex Water Blade!"
A spinning spear of water began forming around her arm, spiraling faster and faster. But before she could launch it—
Boom!
The water exploded prematurely. The shockwave hurled her backward, slamming her into a tree. She crumpled to the ground, winded and motionless for several seconds.
Finally, she groaned. "Ow… that hurts… ugh…" Blood trickled from her side where the chakra backlash had hit hardest.
Luckily, her Sage Body's regenerative power kicked in, knitting the worst of the damage quickly. Still, she sat for a while, clutching her ribs.
S-rank really is no joke. I need to control the chakra more precisely. That was too much—ended up blowing up in my face.
She tried again later, keeping the chakra output lower. After several hours, she could form and launch the spear without incident. Its destructive power varied depending on chakra input—small and quiet when controlled, massive and devastating if unleashed fully.
It was during one of these practice sessions that she froze mid-step, eyes widening.
"Water… rotation… chakra…" She grinned. "Wait—this is basically the same principle as the Rasengan!"
She laughed to herself. "How could I forget? And if I can do that, maybe I can also manage Chidori… even Lightning Blade later."
Excited, she began shaping chakra in her palm. "Rasengan!"
The result was a chaotic burst that knocked her back, but nowhere near as violently as the Hard Vortex Water Blade had. She sat up, grinning despite the dirt on her clothes.
"It's tricky… but not impossible. I can figure this out by this afternoon."
She stood, brushing herself off, and resumed practice—her mind already buzzing with possibilities.
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