Ryuga wiped the sweat from his forehead as he turned toward Shisui. His exhaustion was evident, but curiosity burned in his eyes. "Shisui-nii, what was that technique you used earlier to parry my attack? I barely saw it, but there was this... giant hand."
Shisui chuckled, though there was a knowing glint in his eyes. "That, my little snowstorm, is called Susanoo. It's a power that comes with the Sharingan."
Ryuga's eyes widened in amazement. "So it's a special technique only Sharingan users can use? That's incredible! Sharingan is really strong!"
Shisui's smile faltered for a brief second before he looked away. "Strong, huh? Maybe. But it's not as beautiful or powerful as you think." His voice carried a rare somber tone, making Ryuga pause.
Seeing Shisui's expression, Ryuga's excitement faded, replaced by a sense of concern. "Shisui-nii…?"
Shisui slowly exhaled, his hand subconsciously touching his eyes. "These eyes… they come at a cost. The more we use them, the heavier that price becomes." His voice was laced with something deeper—regret, perhaps even sorrow.
Ryuga frowned. He didn't fully understand, but he could tell that whatever Shisui was referring to wasn't just about chakra exhaustion. It was something more personal, something painful. He clenched his fists, unsure of what to say. "Even if it comes at a cost, you still use them to protect others, right?" His voice was steady, resolute. "That makes you amazing, Shisui-nii."
Shisui blinked, then let out a small chuckle. "You're too kind, Ryuga." He patted Ryuga's head, ruffling his hair. "Sad stories aren't meant to be shared with kids."
Ryuga immediately pouted. "I'm not a kid!"
Shisui smirked. "You're twelve."
Ryuga groaned, but he couldn't deny the truth. "Still!"
"Still a kid." Shisui's laughter was lighthearted now, the darkness from earlier fading. "Come on, let's get some snacks. I think we deserve a treat after all that training."
Ryuga nodded, his spirits lifted. They both turned toward the village, their steps light. As they walked back, the smell of fresh food filled the air, making Ryuga's stomach grumble.
Just as they were about to enter the main street, they saw something unexpected.
Naruto.
Flying.
No, falling.
Instinct kicked in. Ryuga's body moved on its own as he tried to jump forward to save his brother—only for a strong hand to grab him by the back of his collar, stopping him mid-air.
"Whoa there, kid," came a deep voice from behind.
Ryuga's legs dangled uselessly for a moment before he turned his head to see a tall, white-haired man holding him like a cat.
Jiraiya.
"Relax," Jiraiya said casually, waving his free hand. "Your brother will be fine."
Ryuga stopped struggling, his eyes shifting back to Naruto, who had now landed—no, bounced—off something.
A massive toad.
The ground trembled slightly as a colossal, orange-skinned figure leaped from the valley floor. Gamabunta, the Chief Toad of Mount Myoboku, landed gracefully, his gigantic form towering over them.
Naruto, standing triumphantly on Gamabunta's head, pumped his fists in the air. "I finally did it! Believe it, dattebayo!"
Gamabunta, however, didn't share Naruto's enthusiasm. The large toad simply shook his head. "Hmph. You got lucky, brat." His deep voice rumbled across the clearing.
The sudden motion sent Naruto tumbling down. "Waaahhh—" Thud. He landed face-first onto the ground.
Shisui winced. "That's gotta hurt."
Ryuga, who was still hanging in Jiraiya's grasp, sighed. "That's Naruto for you."
Gamabunta exhaled a puff of smoke from his pipe before narrowing his large eyes at Jiraiya. "This kid still has a long way to go before he's worthy of summoning me." With that, the massive toad vanished in a puff of smoke.
Jiraiya groaned, scratching the back of his head. "Man, that guy's temper hasn't changed one bit."
Shisui let out an amused chuckle. "It's rare to see a summon complain about their summoner."
Jiraiya shot him a look. "Oh, trust me, this isn't rare at all." He then turned his gaze toward Naruto, who was currently lying on the ground, groaning. "Oi, brat, get up."
Naruto weakly raised a hand. "Give me… five minutes…"
Ryuga shook his head. "Naruto, you just summoned a giant toad, and now you're already exhausted?"
Naruto pouted. "It's not that easy, Ryuga-nii! Summoning jutsu takes a lot of chakra!"
"Sounds like you need to train harder," Shisui commented, smirking.
Naruto scowled but then noticed Ryuga. "Wait a second, what about you? How's your training going?"
Ryuga crossed his arms, pretending to be casual. "It's going well."
Before Naruto could respond, a sudden chill filled the air. The leftover traces of ice from Ryuga's earlier battle with Shisui were still present. Jiraiya, who had been focused on Naruto, finally took notice of it.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the frost still lingering in the air. "Hey, brat," he said, addressing Ryuga. "Don't tell me you were the one who caused that ice blast earlier."
Ryuga blinked, confused. "Ice blast?"
Jiraiya pointed toward the clearing where the remnants of Ryuga's Ice Dragon's Roar attack had left an eerie frost. "That," Jiraiya emphasized. "That crazy strong technique. You did that, didn't you?"
Naruto perked up. "Oh yeah! Ryuga-nii used it back in the Land of Waves too, but this one seems way stronger!"
Jiraiya whistled. "If that's the case, you're not just strong—you're terrifying."
Ryuga rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit awkward under the praise. "It's not that big of a deal…"
Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Kid, if you can shoot massive ice blasts like that at twelve, you are a big deal."
Shisui grinned, nudging Ryuga. "See? Even a legendary Sannin acknowledges your power."
Ryuga felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Okay, okay, stop making it a big thing."
Jiraiya smirked. "You better hope Naruto trains hard, or else he's gonna be left in the dust."
Naruto shot up, fists clenched. "Like hell, I'll let that happen! Ryuga-nii, you better be ready, because I'm gonna surpass you!"
Ryuga chuckled. "I'll be waiting."
Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough chatting. Let's get some food. Training makes me hungry."
Ryuga and Shisui nodded, and even Naruto perked up at the mention of food.
With that, the four of them made their way back to the village, their training for the Chunin Exams far from over.