"Just saying," I replied with a slight shrug.
Then we arrived back home, the night fully settled in, lanterns flickering gently around the house.
And there he was—Ashura—standing at the front door with his usual carefree grin, but his eyes clearly showed he'd been waiting a while.
"Elder brothers! Where were you both? I haven't seen you all day after training," he said with a slight pout, arms crossed, clearly a little annoyed and a little worried.
Indra looked at him and gave a soft smile. "I went to train alone behind the mountain. Needed some focus."
Ashura tilted his head. "Behind the mountain? You could've told me; I'd have come with you!" he said, voice slightly raised like a concerned little brother.
"I wanted to be alone… just for a bit," Indra replied, trying to sound casual.
Ashura blinked, then gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah… I get it. Sometimes even I want to be alone. Well, rarely. But I get it!"
I laughed softly and walked up beside them both, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Come on, let's go inside. It's getting cold. We'll eat and talk more inside."
Ashura nodded eagerly, already forgetting his earlier frustration, and dashed into the house.
Indra stood there a second longer, looking at the doorway Ashura had just run through.
"Even when he's upset, he doesn't hold it in for long," he said.
I nodded. "That's why he's going to be special… in a different way."
The night felt a little lighter after that.
The same as always—we read deep into the night, Ashura falling asleep first as usual, Indra still flipping through pages until his eyes grew heavy. I eventually drifted off too, and the next day arrived with golden sunlight pouring in through the windows.
Now, I found myself sitting alone under a tall tree near the edge of the field, the breeze gently rustling the leaves above. My eyes were closed, fingers forming a simple seal as I tried to feel it again—that warm, swirling sensation in my stomach. My chakra.
It moved slowly, rhythmically, like a lazy river. Not as wild and bottomless as Ashura's, nor sharp and intense like Indra's—but it was steady. Calm. Balanced.
"Hm…" I opened one eye, gazing out over the peaceful landscape. "I may not have a Susanoo or a huge wood, but I think being the son of a sage, the world should give me something, right?"
I took a deep breath, forming another hand sign. The leaves stirred slightly in front of me.
At that time, I heard the sound of quick footsteps and panting breaths.
Shirai came running toward me, her face pale and eyes wide with urgency.
"Danava—sigh, sigh—hurry! Ashura needs your help!" She called out between gulps of air.
I stood up immediately, eyes locking onto hers.
"Today… we saw boar prints in the village. Some of our friends, along with Ashura, went to hunt it down. But it's huge—way bigger than we thought. They're in trouble!"
My eyes shot open, blood running cold. "What?!"
Without another word, I darted past her, sprinting toward the forest at full speed. My heart pounded in my chest as leaves and branches blurred past me. Damn it, Ashura… Why did you have to go alone, and that part was today? I thought it was a filler episode!!
I leapt from tree to tree, branches cracking beneath my feet, heart racing as the sounds grew louder.
Then—I saw it.
Ashura was on the ground, dazed, dirt smeared across his cheek. Towering above him was a massive boar, its tusks like spears, moments away from bringing them down upon him.
"STOOPPPP!!!" I screamed, my voice raw, desperate.
In that moment… something inside me snapped.
My shadow moved on its own—twisting, writhing—and suddenly took form. A cold, weightless suit of darkness cloaked my body, latching to me like a second skin. My senses sharpened, and my speed surged like never before.
I vanished in a blur, landing in front of Ashura just as the boar's tusks descended.
My shadow surged outward.
It crawled toward the boar's shadow and latched onto it—just like the Nara Clan's Shadow Possession Jutsu. The massive creature roared, struggling, thrashing—but it couldn't move, not completely.
"Tch—it's strong…!" I grunted, digging my feet into the dirt as I held my ground, arms trembling.
Then—
ZZZZZTTTT!!
A crackling surge of lightning erupted behind me.
"RAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Indra's voice tore through the clearing as he soared past me, lightning blazing in his palm—like a Chidori. His eyes were glowing crimson, his expression cold and focused.
With a single devastating thrust, he pierced the boar's side.
BOOOOOM!
The beast let out a final screech before collapsing with a thunderous thud, unmoving.
Silence fell.
Ashura blinked up at me, shocked.
"Elder brother… What was that…?" he asked in awe.
I glanced down at myself—my body still covered in that living shadow armor, breathing hard.
"I… don't know," I muttered.
The dark suit of shadow around me slowly rippled—then melted away, slipping back down into my normal shadow like a tide retreating into the ocean. I stood up, breath heavy, heart still racing from the rush of adrenaline.
Indra turned around, his clothes slightly torn from the lightning burst, but otherwise unscathed.
"Are you both alright?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with concern.
Ashura sat up with a slight groan, rubbing his shoulder. "Y-Yeah, we're good now, thanks to you both."
But then his gaze fixed on Indra's face, eyes widening. "E-Elder brother… your eyes!?"
I blinked and looked at Indra too. My breath caught.
His once ordinary eyes now burned with a crimson glow—two tomoe rotating in each eye, sharp and focused.
The Sharingan...
Indra blinked, confused. "Huh? What is it?"
He spotted something nearby—one of the crude tools we often forged for training, its polished metal surface slightly reflective. He lifted it, angling it toward his face.
His eyes widened at the reflection staring back.
"Red…?" he muttered under his breath. "My eyes…?"
The weight of the moment sank in.
'So it's begun,' I thought, staring at him.
The Sharingan had awakened.
I smirked to myself.
'Nice.'
As Indra stared at his reflection, silent and stunned, something shifted in his expression—like a switch flipped inside him. His eyes sharpened, brows furrowed, and he suddenly jolted his head forward, staring intensely into the distance.
"Danava. Ashura. I have something to do," he said curtly, his voice low but firm.
Before either of us could respond, he turned and sprinted into the forest, vanishing between the trees in a blur of red eyes and determination.
"Elder brother, wait!" Ashura called after him, rising to his feet—but Indra was already gone.
I placed a hand on Ashura's shoulder, gently pulling him back.
"Leave it, Ashura. Elder brother is… perhaps busy. And more importantly, you're not hurt, are you?"
Ashura looked down and shook his head. "No… I'm fine. Just a little shaken."
I nodded, though my gaze lingered in the direction Indra had vanished.
"Elder brother, what was that shadow thing you did?" Ashura asked, his wide eyes full of curiosity and a hint of awe.
"Huh? Shadow thing?" I blinked, glancing at my hands, still feeling a faint residue of chakra lingering in my body. "Oh… I don't know. It just happened," I muttered, half-dazed.
Ashura tilted his head, clearly trying to understand. "It looked like it… came alive. Like it moved on its own and wrapped around you."
I gave a small shrug, still catching my breath. "Yeah… it was like my shadow just… reacted. It wasn't planned; I didn't even know I could do that."
Ashura grinned suddenly, punching my arm lightly. "That was so cool!"
I gave a small laugh, but deep inside… I was thinking the same.
"Okay, Ashura, I have to go. I want to test something," I said quickly, already turning around.
"Huh? Wait, where are you goi—" he began, but I was already sprinting away, my mind racing faster than my feet.
I needed to know what that power was.
I leapt through the forest, weaving between trees, my heart pounding in sync with the question echoing in my head: What exactly did I awaken?
Finding a quiet clearing, I skidded to a stop, eyes sharp, breath steady.
"Alright... shadow… Show me what you can do," I whispered, lowering into a stance and focusing my chakra again.
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Can read up to 8 chapters ahead. (For now, don't worry; I will increase the chapter count soon, and you can read chapters of Tensura: True Dragon of Sun as well. It has somewhere around 35 or so chapters ahead, maybe? Yeah, but not less than 35, so go ahead.)