Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Faith in Humanity ❯ Uzumaki Legacy and the Yochigan ( Chapter 14 )

Title: Faith Arc - Faith in Humanity (PG-13)

Author: Karrafear

Summary: AU. What if Naruto survived a murder attempt on his life at the age of 6 and had to leave Konoha for his protection. Now 12, Naruto and Jiraiya returns to face the genin test.

 

Disclaimer: Naruto is an anime and manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. It does not belong to me; I'm simply using the characters and plot for my own creative devices.

 

"Demon's talk", /Thoughts/, "Speech", 'Speech emphasis', (FLASHBACK), Titles, (Author's interruptions)

 

Warning: SWEARING!! Back to Naruto's training. Timeline set AFTER chapter 12. Basically it is set after Naruto had his vision of Gaara and he met his Aunt again.

 

Pairings: eventually NarutoXHinata.

 

Warning: Naruto OOC. PG-13.

 

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Chapter 14 : The Uzumaki Legacy and the Yochigan

 

Naruto lay tiredly on the soft grass of an open meadow, watching the clouds slowly move across the blue sky above him. His breath was no longer panting and his body no longer hurt, all due to the demonic chakra of his body's other resident, but he would never openly thank the Kyuubi for its healing abilities.

 

It had been a week since his last encounter with his Aunt on top of the fourth Hokage's stone head but truthfully; he still hadn't completely recovered from that episode. It wasn't everyday you found out that there was another demon carrier like yourself that exist in this cruel world. In fact, he truly felt sorry for Gaara. The level of understanding due to shared experiences were bringing back a whole shit load of bad memories that Naruto would prefer to do without.

 

Hearing how Gaara's own father sent assassin after assassin to kill him reminded Naruto how close he, himself, had come to being strangled to death by his own nanny. Hell, they were even the same age at the time! Gaara's conscious acceptance of the demon inside and him embracing the joy of killing others prompted Naruto to remember how close he too, had been to give in to the Kyuubi's bloodlust, especially after the incident with Ellie.

 

Naruto considered himself very lucky that he didn't turn out the way Gaara did, if only because it was so easy to become the demon's shadow, all you really had to do was embrace it. Naruto pitied Gaara and sympathised with him at the same time. They were the same and yet, not the same. Naruto somehow found the strength to fight against the urge to kill others (or himself). He found the strength to trust others again; he learnt how to adapt and how to accept others into his own life. He learnt the true meaning of being an Uzumaki, and would do anything to make both his deceased parents proud.

 

Naruto blushed slightly as he remembered awakening in the arms of his Aunt the very next morning. Embarrassed about his outburst of emotion and his subsequent behaviour, Naruto had tried to pretend that the entire episode didn't happen but with one sentence, his Aunt was able to bring him back to the issue at hand.

 

(FLASHBACK)

 

“You are not him and you never will be.” The Lady Oracle affirmed.

 

Naruto froze under the scrutiny of his Aunt's piercing gaze, not willing to go over the event of last night and yet knowing he needed some answers too. Finally, deciding that his curiosity won this round, Naruto asked: “Why didn't you tell me he was a demon carrier?”

 

“Would it have made a difference?” The lady asked, indifferently.

 

Naruto frowned slightly, as he was not satisfied with the answer but was unable to find anything to rebuff the argument either. “What else have you been hiding from me? Why are you really here?” He continued to ask.

 

Ruri sighed but straightened herself into a more dignified manner of an Uzumaki mistress. “There are three major events that will happen in the near future. Three events in which there is nothing you or I can do to change the outcome. As I have told you many times before, the future is NOT a straight line to be followed; there are many crossroads and pathways in which a person may choose his or her own destiny. In this sense, one's destiny is in one's hand, and sometimes, if one's will is strong enough, one may even be able to defy destiny, given the chance, of course. However, from my visions, I have seen three upcoming events that will not change, cannot be changed, and they would definitely have implications for everyone involved in the Chuunin Exams.” She explained calmly, but still didn't answer his question completely.

 

“What are you hiding from me, Lady?” Naruto insisted. “What are these three events that will happen as dictated by fate?” Naruto was adamant about getting some answers and the Lady Oracle finally acquiesced.

 

“One, the Sound will invade the Leaf. Two, the third Hokage will die. Three, Shukaku would awaken. These are the three events I have foreseen.” Ruri finally answered after a long pause.

 

Naruto's eyes widened at the implications. He was so shocked that his mouth opened and closed continuously without emitting any sound. Finally pulling out of his shocked paralysis, Naruto started thinking out loud to himself. “Then we must strengthen the Leaf's defences! We have to protect the Hokage! And we...”

 

“Once again, I ask you, Naruto. Would it have made a difference?” The Lady Oracle looked at Naruto with her piercing gaze once again, as if daring him to argue back.

 

Naruto took a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly, calming his racing heart as he thought over the events that would happen more thoroughly. He sighed. “I guess not, even if the Leaf were prepared, it wouldn't stop the Sound from trying to invade anyway. And if the enemy was strong enough to take out the Hokage, I doubt that there is anyone in the Leaf currently that would be strong enough to protect the Hokage's life. As for Shukaku… even Jiraiya would have problems against a real demon.” He described as he analysed the situation methodically. “But that doesn't mean that we can just sit back and not do anything!” He finally exclaimed.

 

“We have already done what we can. I have informed your Hokage of the threat and it is up to them to fight their battles. Do not forget that you are an Air Nin, Naruto.” Ruri emphasized. “Air Nins are innately NEUTRAL! We will NOT participate in the upcoming conflict, do you understand?” The Lady demanded in a low voice.

 

Naruto gulped as he realised he wouldn't be able to assist the Leafs at all, because the law of neutrality must be exhibited by all people associated with the Hidden Air village. If a person wearing an Air protector (as he would be during the actual Chuunin Exams) involved themselves in any of the outside conflicts, it would be seen as a sign of open war between the Air village and whichever opponents come their way.

 

Naruto bit his lip as the full impact of what his Aunt was trying to tell him finally hit home. He wouldn't be able to help his friends at all. Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, Haku, Konohamaru and so many others that he had met along the way. He would be unable to help any of them if they were in trouble. The realisation hurt, it hurt in a way that Naruto never thought he would feel again. Helpless. Just as he had felt when he found Elles body.

 

Slowly, Naruto lowered his head in silent contemplation. “I don't think I can accept that.” He whispered softly, almost hoping his Aunt didn't hear him.

 

“At least try.” The Lady bit back.

 

After a long pause between the two Uzumaki's, Naruto finally resigned himself to his fate. “Is there anything I can do?” He asked in a quiet voice, pleading with his Aunt to understand that he wouldn't be able to sit aside and watch his friends die. Not again, never again.

 

Ruri closed her eyes while she voiced the only option left to him. “Train, Naruto. Train and become strong. Strong enough to defy destiny.”

 

(END FLASHBACK)

 

And that had been exactly what Naruto had done for the past week. Training. He had spent every available minute (not required for any other necessary breaks - eating and sleeping) training himself to become stronger than he already was. With desperation and concern fuelling his body with unending energy, Naruto found that he seemed to be successfully pushing his concerns and emotions aside as he continued to train his Chakra control as well as his toad summoning technique.

 

It had been at the beginning of that week that Jiraiya had suggested Naruto start re-learning and perfecting his previous toad summons. Ever since his encounter with the Tenkun no bukis, Naruto had used Jiraiya's toad contracts less and less. As of now, his ability and skill to be able to use them had probably fallen into disarray. He had to relearn all the different toad's names, abilities and how much Chakra to use to summon them.

 

It took him a full week to learn all the necessary information on every single toad summons available to him, ranging from the smallest of toads (Gamakichi) to the largest and oldest of toads (Gamabunta). Naruto had done this by summoning them first, then challenging them to a short trial fight. This process of trial and error (though time consuming) had helped Naruto become accustomed to the different fighting styles of each toad as well as learning each of their special techniques and combo techniques. However, Gamabunta still didn't see him as much of a master, even though they felt a slight mutual respect for each other, knowing that Naruto is the son of the Fourth and the Uzumaki heir.

 

The week of training quickly flew by as Naruto steadily mastered his toad summons once again and occasionally practiced the precise chakra control exercises that had been instructed on the scroll given to him by Kaga previously. It had now been exactly three weeks since his training with Jiraiya had begun. This meant that from tomorrow onwards, he would be training under his Aunt and Kaga-san once again. /I wonder what Aunt Ruri is going to teach me…/ Naruto thought as he continued to watch the clouds. /Oh, well… no point in dwelling on it now. I'll see what they're up to tomorrow./ As Naruto's body relaxed, his eyes slowly closed and he fell into a deep slumber, awaiting the sunlight of the morning to come through.

 

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The next day found Naruto being escorted to the private training ground for elite Jounins. “The last part of the scroll said to take you here. Hell if I know what Ruri's got planned for you, kid, but to take you here… whatever she's planning on teaching must be some high-class stuff. The Jounins only come here to perfect their original jutsus or some very powerful techniques.” Jiraiya explained, not at all alleviating Naruto's anxieties.

 

Upon reaching the clearing, they only found Ruri there, alone. Kaga was no where to be seen and that was already a very unusual event in itself, but what truly struck both Jiraiya and Naruto's surprise was what Ruri was wearing. For all of Naruto's previous training sessions under Ruri and Kaga, it was Kaga that he actually fought against. Never had he been forced to face his own Aunt in a one-on-one battle before, so he had no idea how powerful she truly was. However, seeing as Ruri was currently wearing a battle Gi, it must mean that this time around, she's going to be physically training him, not just sitting by the sidelines and instructing him what to do. Naruto gulped.

 

“Jiraiya. You are no longer needed here.” The Lady Oracle informed the Sennin without even turning around to face him. Jiraiya only replied with a raised eyebrow at the order, and shrugged at Naruto's desperate look, giving him a silent message: `You're on your own, kid,' before leaving the clearing in a puff of smoke.

 

Naruto gulped nervously and turned his attention back towards his Aunt, just as she, herself, turned around to face him. “For the rest of the week until the start of the Chuunin Exam, we will both stay here. Kaga, who will visit us every morning, noon and night, will bring us food and other necessities. Other than that, we are to be completely isolated from the outside world.” Ruri explained and Naruto nodded in comprehension. “For this week of training, we will be concentrating on the development of your bloodline limit technique, the Yochigan (Prediction's Eye) (1). Other than that, I will also teach you the advance Taijutsu style coupled with Ninjutsu Chakra manipulation, called the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) (2).”

 

All Naruto could do was silently nod in reply again, knowing that his Aunt would not appreciate it if he interrupted her explanations. “For now though, let's go through some general theory and history of both techniques.” The Lady Oracle finalised as she turned around and took a seat on an uncomfortable looking rock, facing Naruto.

 

Naruto, following his Aunt's footsteps, found a spot directly in front of her and sat down unceremoniously, awaiting the theoretical and historical details as it is how he had learnt all of his previous Air techniques. The training sessions with Ruri and Kaga were always divided up into three sections; the first was always the theory and history of the techniques, followed by the practical exercises, once the move was mastered, then comes the testing stage, where Naruto was pitted against Kaga to see how much he had improved and how he would find a way to incorporate the move into an actual battle.

 

“As you have learnt before, thousands of years ago, the world was dominated by Demons, and Animal spirits as well as Humans. As time progressed, the Demons were driven away by the establishments of Ninjas, while the animal spirits chose to merge with the spirit of the Earth instead of facing extinction by man. (3)” The Lady Oracle theorised as if she was a lecturer in class.

 

“The Hidden Air village was the first Shinobi village to be established because it was based on Mount Tenju (Heavenly Pearl) where a large amount of Chakra has been naturally stored up since being absorbed by the mountain for thousands of years prior. The people living in the Air Village had learnt a long time ago that the spiritual energy known as Chakra exists in all things living and non-living, and they were the first to learn how to harness it as a usable object.” Ruri began like a storyteller, describing some fantasy-like narrative.

 

“At the time, the demons wrecked havoc on all human villages, ravaging and killing as they please due to their inherent bloodlust for chaos. For the sake of peace, the Uzumaki clan (the strongest clan within the Air Village at the time) decided to gather all the fighting clans in the world into a united front to confront the demons once and for all and drive them out of our realm of existence. The leader of the Uzumaki clan was a brilliant man, intelligent and powerful, probably as powerful as your Hokages. He set up the first academy to teach man the ways of harnessing Chakra and encouraged them to form their own styles of techniques - that's why there are so many different elemental specialists in the world now, such as fire for Konoha, water for the Mist, wind for the Sand and so on.” Naruto had learnt a long time ago that whenever Ruri or Kaga started teaching history, it is best for him to listen. Not concentrating enough on the theory would only lead him to have more trouble with the practicals. Not to mention, these stories were always far more interesting than anything else he had read from books.

 

“While teaching the Shinobis how to fully manipulate and control their chakra, the Uzumaki leader was also doing research on how to better combat some of the stronger demons that exist in the world at that time. You may not know this, but there are four types of rank we have for demons. In the native language, what constitute as `C' nowadays is the lowest type of demons found - they are ground dwellers, scavengers mainly and are easily hunted just using pitchforks. `B' type demons have some special abilities that make them stronger, faster, and slightly deadlier than humans but not by much, if surrounded, these too, are pretty easy to deal with. The `A' type demons are much stronger than their counterparts; these demons are slightly weaker in comparison to your summoning of `Gamabunta'. The last type of demon class is known as the `S' class, or the `Destruction' Gods. These demons are called `Gods' at the time because wherever they go, destruction follows and there is nothing that could stand in their way. Luckily, there weren't that many S-class demons to begin with, only two that history had ever recorded and the Kyuubi no Kitsune was one of them.” Naruto blinked at the information he's been given. He'd always known that the Kyuubi was powerful but never thought that it was considered one of the MOST powerful of its kind.

 

“Then... if these demons no longer exist in the world, how come people can still do summoning no Jutsus? What's the difference between a summoning contract and the demons that once ruled the world?” Naruto asked, curious about the relationships between the two.

 

“The animal contract summons as used by Shinobis nowadays, were all originally animal spirits that develop a physical form through out the millenniums. They are different from demons because demons ultimately cannot be controlled or tamed, while a contract with an Animal spirit summon gives the Shinobi permission to ask for their help. Of course, you have to be worthy of the contract before you can even sign it.” Ruri snorted in dislike, as she had never dealt with any animal contract summoning before. Dealing with summoning the Tenkun no buki were already taking up most of her time, let alone other summons.

 

Shaking her head to clear all thoughts, Ruri then returned to the original subject they were talking about before being interrupted. “The Uzumaki leader had realised early on that even taking out an `A' class demon was going to be very difficult to handle, let alone a `S' class demon. And so, he formulated a new plan - he learnt of how to seal demons against their will. That is why the Uzumaki family are world renowned for their sealing jutsus nowadays. We've studied extensively and perfected almost every single Fuiin Jutsu (Sealing Technique) there is in the world, even those original seals, we should be able to crack. (4)” Ruri noted in a slightly proud and arrogant voice.

 

“As an experiment, he tried to seal an `A' class demon he had accidentally captured into a weapon, a sword. The `Yurei no Ken' (Spirit Sword) (5) was the first Tenkun no buki created by fusing a demon's very soul, it's very essence and life force, into an inanimate object.” Ruri's voice drifted into sadness, while Naruto's eyes widened slightly at the truth behind the creation of the Tenkun no buki. “You see, that's how all the Tenkun no bukis were created - by capturing an `A' class demon and forcing it's spirit into a workable object, only to be used by humans against their own kind. The only exception is the `Kakyu (Hollow Sphere), it's the only Tenkun no buki that does not have an active soul inside of it. (6)” She continued, still in the same sad tone.

 

Pausing for a short period of time to let the information sink in, Ruri took a deep breath and returned to her explanations. “After the creation of the tenth and final Tenkun no buki, the Kakyu, the Uzumaki leader finally realised that not everyone was capable of handling the Tenkun no buki without either going insane or dying as a result of using the weapons. Since it was his own blood that was used for the sealing ritual, he discovered that the side effects (of using a Tenkun no buki) do not affect him as much as the other users do. The same blood that runs in his veins also run within the weapon's spirit, continuously making it easier for a Uzumaki to control the demonic weapon. It was after this discovery that the Uzumaki leader made a rule that only Uzumakis', his family members were allowed to handle the weapons at any one time. That's the only difference between us using it and other people using it. The blood that stains these weapons still recognises us as their rightful masters.” Ruri noted in a sarcastic, ironic tone of voice.

 

“With the help of the Tenkun no buki - ten demonic weapons all wielded by Uzumaki clan warriors - all the demons were driven away from the Ningenkai (Human Realm) and into another dimension for demons, the Makai (Monster Realm) (7). Finally, peace was restored in the Ningenkai, or at least, that was what the leader thought at the time… How naïve.” The Lady Oracle whispered the last words as if in reprimand for her own ancestor's actions.

 

A long silence lasted for a while until Naruto finally found the courage to inquire: “What does this have to do with the Yochigan (Prediction's eye)?” Knowing that the history lessens had more to do with the Uzumaki bloodline limit technique than the Taijutsu move.

 

“The Uzumaki leader was incredibly disappointed by how man's civilisation had crumbled once world wide peace was restored.” Ruri said blankly as her mind was busy thinking about something else. “What was left of the multitude of Shinobi warriors all broke away and started a civil war over supremacy and land, the weak followed the strong and each group started setting up their own supposed `kingdoms' or `empires'. The Uzumaki leader, whose clan has been decimated until only a few members were left were not strong enough to stop the carnage caused by man in a world wide scale. All he could do was retreat from all the wars and the fighting, dedicating the rest of his life and the lives of his kinsmen to keep the dangerous Tenkun no bukis out of each and every warlord's hands. It was probably that vow that started the Uzumaki curse.” Ruri finally shifted her gaze until she looked squarely at Naruto. “Do you know of the Uzumaki curse, Naruto?” She asked in a quiet voice.

 

Naruto nodded and started explaining what he understood. “Traditionally, the Uzumaki clan has always been divided up into two houses, the main house and the branch house - or, as most people call them, the `Prophet' house and the `Breed' house. The `Prophet' house consist of only one or two members - the oldest of the each generation - the current master training his or her heir to become the next `master or mistress of prophecies', taking over the leadership of the entire Air village. While the `Breed' house consisted of all the various siblings, cousins, Aunt and Uncles whose main purpose is to both protect the current `prophet' and to produce the next heir - because the `prophet' house is unable to reproduce unless they wish to lose their bloodline ability.”

 

“It's all just a pack of lies to control the Uzumaki family so that we don't go on a rampage and use the Tenkun no buki against one another.” The Lady Oracle snorted ironically. “As you may well know, I am of the `Prophet' house while your mother is part of the `Breed' house, just as my late Uncle was one of the `Prophet's and my parents are of the `Breed'. You, on the other hand, can be either `Prophet' or `Breed', since you're the only child of Yuuki. So have you decided which you would prefer to be? I'm giving you the choice I was never given.” Ruri's stern gaze pierced Naruto's very soul as he picked up on all of her hidden anger, frustration and pain.

 

Naruto gulped. “I... I don't want to be either… If I become a `Prophet', then I'm unable to wed and have a family. I'll be forever alone. But if I become a `Breed', then my future kids will be locked in the Uzumaki curse. I don't want them to follow the traditions. I want them to be free…” He mumbled as he looked away from his Aunt's gaze. He knew he was breaking the rules, the very rules that were the foundations of the Uzumaki clan but he couldn't help speaking the truth towards his Aunt.

 

“Well said.” Ruri muttered back in a calm voice and Naruto blinked in surprise. He had expected her to be outraged or angry, but never really thought she would accept his radical opinions.

 

“I completely agree.” Ruri sighed in tiredness. “In fact, if it were my own choice, I wouldn't even have acknowledged you as my heir. But as fate would have it, the ruling council had already decided your destiny, with or without our consent. However, since you haven't signed the contract yet, you are still considered only an outside relative. A `Breed' so to say… (8) Until the day you signed the contract and officially become my heir, you are simply a distant relative of which I must take some responsibility over.” A short silence overlayed the two figures in the middle of the clearing.

 

“Anyway.” Ruri coughed for attention before bring all her wandering thoughts back to the original topic at hand. “Ever since the original Uzumaki leader set up the rule that his future descendents have to guard the Tenkun no bukis so that it will not be misused, the rest of the Uzumaki line has been unable to be free of this responsibility. It's also a reason why the Air does not associate with other countries at all. Since then, every generation of the Uzumaki line has been trying to find a way to completely destroy the Tenkun no bukis once and for all, forever releasing their future descendents from this curse. After all those years of research, we have finally come up with one solution.”

 

Naruto blinked, slightly shocked at what he heard. /You can destroy a Tenkun no buki??/ He thought to himself but his muses were interrupted as Ruri continued with her story.

 

“One of our ancestors discovered that the only way to fully destroy a Tenkun no buki is to release the soul of the demon residing inside of it and force the spirit back into the Makai (Monster realm) of which all the other demons are locked away. However, this solution has problems in its own right. One, the gateway to the Makai realm is closed to us mortals for all time, since it was located on Mount Yomi (Hell) and that mountain had been destroyed by a volcano eruption ages ago. Two, we can't just release a demon like that and let it roam free in the Ningen world if we are unable to send it back to the Makai. Three, there isn't anyone here who's really strong enough to be able to release the demon and find a way to drive it away from this dimension anyway.” The Lady Oracle concluded with a slightly depressed tone of voice.

 

“That's why the Uzumaki's have spent eons learning how to manipulate time.” Ruri stated quietly. Almost too quiet for Naruto to pick up, but he did. Naruto's eyes widened slightly at the implication of the comment and his mouth slowly opened and closed without any sound being emitted.

 

“We've been trying to find a way to send the Tenkun no buki and one other sacrifice into the past, to the old Mount Yomi and destroy it there…” Ruri paused to gather her breath. “That's why we have developed the bloodline limit ability to see into the future, the past and even came up with some original jutsus to actually go to the past. Generation after generation, we've been forcing our own bodies, our own metabolism to evolve into what it is today, all for the purpose of destroying the Tenkun no buki once and for all, to free ourselves from the mistakes of our predecessors.” Ruri said in a soft, completely defeated voice.

 

“Time travel?!” Naruto squeaked, stuttering. “Is t…that even possible?”

 

Ruri only nodded and the two spent some time in complete silence. Naruto, because he had to absorb all the secrets that had been revealed about his bloodline and the Tenkun no buki; Ruri, because she had to fight her way out of the depressing reminder of her predestined fate.

 

“So... the Yochigan (Prediction's eye)…” Naruto mumbled, unable to form any full sentences yet.

 

“It's one of the bloodline limit abilities developed for the sole purpose of predicting time. The technique itself, started off as an experiment, one of our ancestors forced chakra into their eyes and started manipulating it just so that he could get a glimpse of what would happen a few seconds ahead of time. Over the generations, many of our ancestors either turned blind, insane or finally mastered the technique. Eventually, it became a subconscious ability embedded into our bloodstreams, which is why our eyes evolve into a different colour when we use that technique. In your case, the ability usually activates within your dreams and it shows you bits and pieces of everything - namely your visions. That is, until recently, when you were able to select what you want to see and what you don't - it's a signal that you're ready to use the ability consciously instead of sub-consciously now.” Ruri continued to lecture on about the subject without showing any interest in her tone of voice, while Naruto only `hm'ed in response, acknowledging that he had heard what she said.

 

“So, that's basically what the technique entails. Push a lot of Chakra into your eyes and learn how to manipulate it so that you start seeing a double image.” Standing up, Ruri motioned for Naruto to follow her until they both stood in the middle of the clearing facing each other. “There is some important information you must know first, before we start any of the practical stuff.”

 

Looking straight into Naruto's eyes and seeing the determination there, Ruri mentally conceded to teach him the technique. /For good or for evil, he has a right to know about his family's legacy./ She thought. “The Yochigan (Prediction's eye) can vary in ability depending on how trained the user is in manipulating it. It can see several seconds, minutes or even days ahead of an event, and so too, it can also see up to years into the past. It is up to the user to pinpoint exactly what they want to see and how. When activated, the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) creates a second image within your eyes that is juxtaposed next to the image of what is happening directly in front of you, so it is up to the user to distinguish between the two images. During a battle situation, the user can predict the moves of his opponents in the future as well as react to the attacks coming towards him now.”

 

“As I said before, the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) is activated by pushing a lot of Charka into the eye sockets, so it is VERY chakra-consuming, meaning that you can't keep it up for long. Not to mention, it places a lot of stress on the user's mind to interpret between the multiple images that both eyes are seeing at the same time. If you think the Hyuuga's Byakugan was confusing, this is even worse, and it drains more chakra than even the Sharingan. When reacting to an image of the future, our bodies (due to the same bloodline limit ability) automatically speeds up in correspondence to what we are seeing. It's a sub-conscious tactic that we cannot control - the body follows what we see.” Naruto's whole attention was revoted to the words spoken from Ruri's lips. He knew that all these interesting little tibits were very important if he wanted to successfully master his bloodline limit technique.

 

“Once activated, the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) doesn't just show you one future. It shows you multiple futures, as in it will show you all the possibilities of the future. Every single variable is computed, analysed and the results shown to you, whatever you decide to do, the impacts of your decision will be known before you even take the action. It's a very stressing ability that takes up almost all of your mind's concentration just to interpret without getting an information overload.” Ruri informed firmly, silently telling Naruto that he better be prepared or else.

 

Taking a deep breath, Ruri shut her eyes and concentrated, focusing her chakra into it while consciously activating the Yochigan (Prediction's eye). After a short period of time, she finally opened her eyes widely. Naruto was stunned by what he saw. Her eyes were still the same blue tone it had always been, just slightly brighter than usual as if it could glow in the dark. But what really surprised Naruto were the two golden rings within her blue iris swirling in perfect circles. The rings were bright gold in colour and continued to glow and shimmer even as Ruri continued to speak. “As you can see, when the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) is activated, our blue eyes glow slightly in the sunlight, and within our irises, either 2 or 3 gold rings are visible. (9)”

 

Ruri closed her eyes again and deactivated the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) while Naruto tried for find something to say even as he fought against the stunned silence that over took him. After a few seconds of shifting, Ruri pulled a long piece of white cloth out of her pockets. Keeping her eyes firmly closed, she wrapped the cloth around her eyes and tied it at the back of her head. Naruto blinked but decided to keep quiet, knowing that his Aunt would explain herself soon enough.

 

Finished with tying the knot, Ruri finally answered his curiosity. “There are many side-effects to using the Yochigan (Prediction's eye). The first, most dangerous side-effect is that your eyes will become blind temporarily and it will bleed directly after usage.” Naruto suddenly noted the red stains starting to emerge on the previous white cloth. “There is nothing we can do about this side-effect; we simply have to be careful about its uses. The bleeding and blindness is only temporarily, the amount of time you stay blind coincide with the amount of time the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) has been kept activated. If the bleeding does not stop after a maximum time period of one hour, then you better go to a medic ninja to have it checked out, because it could lead to permanent blindness.”

 

“Another side effect of the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) is that it can also give the user a huge headache, especially if the user was low on Chakra in the first place. This is because during its use, the brain is put under a heavy strain, trying to keep all the different input images separate and interpreted into its appropriate streamlines. The user may suffer an information overload and in the long term, turn completely insane as a result. Not only that, the Yochigan (Prediction's eye) also places a lot of stress on the user's body due to its increased speed of reaction time to the images shown.” Ruri finally concluded while the white cloth tied across her eyes was heavily stained with blood and there was also a small trail of blood running down Ruri's face. She wiped the trails off using her sleeve as if it were an everyday occurrence. Naruto could only swallow all the information in silence as he stared at his Aunt. /MY GOD!! THIS IS WHAT I WILL BE LEARNING???!!!/ He thought with some trepidation.

 

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After a short break for lunch, as provided by Kaga, Ruri's eyes had stopped bleeding completely and she was able to see again as if nothing had happened at all. The two of them decided that they should go over the theory for the second technique that Ruri was going to teach Naruto in the limited time they had left, the `Tenshi no Doki' (Angel's Wraith).

 

“The Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) is very similar to your Rasengan so it shouldn't be too difficult to learn, especially since you've been practicing and improving your chakra control during the recent weeks of training.” Ruri theorised. “While the Rasengan forms a perfect sphere of spinning chakra, the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) actually requires the charka to spin continuously around a certain body part in order to strengthen it during a Taijutsu battle. The most common place to activate the Tenkun no Doki would be either on the palms of the hand or underneath your feet.” She detailed the similarities and differences of the two techniques.

 

“By forming the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) directly underneath your feet and manipulating your chakra in such a way that you force the air itself to condense and spin under your body weight, you're actually able to make yourself hover for a few seconds off the ground. (10)” Ruri demonstrated while listing the effects of said technique. Naruto watched in awe as Ruri slowly but surely started floating off the ground and then stayed hovering off the earth's surface for a short amount of time before she finally released the technique slowly and landed lightly back on the solid ground again. While hovering in mid-air though, Naruto could literally feel the highly condensed air pressure being forced to swirl in a tight circle underneath his Aunt's feet - it like someone literally standing on a Rasengan.

 

“Most of the time, people use a Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) on their feet so that they can repel themselves off the ground with much more force than simply pushing off with Chakra. The height, distance and speed of your jumps can be increased by about 200% if used properly with the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith). That's why it's such a useful technique when used with Taijutsu.” Ruri gave a small smile as she too, enjoyed using the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) to hover off the ground - it gave her the feeling of being free and able to fly away.

 

Standing back on the solid ground, Ruri raised her right hand. “Using the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) upon the palm of your hands, you can create both a very powerful offensive attack as well as a strong defensive shield. Basically, you expel chakra from the opening points located on your arm, and then consciously controlling this released chakra to manipulate the air particles surrounding your palm and arms into swirling directly around said appendage, either spinning in a clockwise or anti-clockwise manner. The spinning air around your arm then becomes a funnel barrier. This barrier of moving air can deflect any attack your opponents throw at you; you'd literally become immune to weapons such as kunais and shurikens because they can't penetrate the swirling air barrier (unless they're chakra enhanced, of course).”

 

Ruri started demonstrating by releasing an exact amount of Chakra from her arm's opening points. The blue aura of her Chakra then started twisting around her arm, collecting the air particles as it continued to revolve, condensing said air particles and pulling it along with the rotation. Naruto could clearly see the thick swirling of pressurised air around his Aunt's arm and yet, it was so perfectly controlled and aligned that the air didn't hurt the arm at all. This technique was truly a double-edged sword, Naruto realised, because if he weren't good enough at chakra control then there was a real chance he could cut off his own arm by accident.

 

“With precise Chakra manipulation, you can learn how to control the size of the barrier - as in, how large the circumference of the spinning air funnel is. Or you can control the length of the funnel itself, making it as short or as long as you want. Or even the shape of the barrier - as in, you can extend it and make it into some kind of invisible drill or spear. (11) Combined with Taijutsu, the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) technique becomes a highly valued addition.” Finished with her explanations, Ruri then aimed her still chakra swirling arm (palm horizontal) at a large rock located some 10 metres away. Naruto followed her gaze and wondered what she's going to do to a rock so far away. What happened surprised him to the point of speechlessness.

 

He could feel his Aunt starting to exert more chakra into the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) technique and the amount of air collected into the condensed mass increased and lengthened the funnel until the whole length of the visible wind shield was a full 3 metres longer than her actual arm. Slowly but surely, Ruri continued to focus her chakra into the extending air funnel and soon enough, the invisible tip of the air drill was fully piercing the surface of the rock, without Ruri even taking a single step towards it. Giving a small smile in triumph, Ruri suddenly lifted her arm and made a slashing movement across the rock just before she released her chakra technique. All the previously condensed air particles immediately dispersed in their own directions, having all the pressure released. It was then that the rock finally moved, half of it sliding down one side before completely falling on the solid ground underneath, displaying the clear precision of Ruri's slice through the hard granite in the first place.

 

Naruto was in silent awe, his mouth hung open and his eyes wide. He couldn't believe how powerful this attack was. It was both a close-range and distance-range attack all in one, depending on how much Chakra the user has and how well the user can control them. It had capabilities for both offensive and defensive abilities. It was simply multi-functional and almost perfect in its usability, just like many of the other Air techniques he had learnt during his stay with his Aunt. It was definitely on par with the Rasengan (or at least the 3rd level of the Rasengan where he was up to anyway).

 

Ruri coughed for some attention and Naruto slowly abide by turning his eyes towards her, still very stunned by the beauty and power of her demonstration and only just realising the huge boost in battles he would have against his opponents once he had mastered this technique. “So that ends the theory, history and practical demonstrations on the techniques, any questions?” She intoned with a very proud note in her voice, the way a teacher would take to her student.

 

Naruto could only blink for several seconds before collecting all of his scattered wit together. “Um... yeah… how long would it take to master those techniques? Both the Yochigan and the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) seems like high level techniques... So do you really think I'd be able to master it in just one measly week?” Naruto asked in a quiet voice, unable to keep the hope in his tone hidden.

 

The Lady Oracle's smile faded and she simply shook her head. “It takes almost a full year of intensive practicing to completely master these two techniques and that's the minimum time period. However, in the small week that we still have, we will do our best to reach the level in which you can at least use them in a real battle, but it would definitely be sloppy work the first few times. That means that you should be able to, as a minimum, consciously activate the Yochigan and hope that it shows you what you want to see; as well as being able to manipulate the Tenshi no Doki (Angel's Wraith) without cutting your own arm off. If you can reach that level of advancement in just one week, then you're already well on your way. With extensive practice, you should be able to master enough of it within the next 3 months or so, to make it a safely usable addition to your long list of available techniques.”

 

Naruto nodded to himself. There was probably no way he could master these two techniques in just one week anyway, but at least, he would try his very best. And it was exactly what he did for the remainder of the week. He stayed within the confines of the Jounin Training area, constantly practicing the two techniques consecutively with silent encouragement coming from his Aunt some of the times. But other than giving him some tips here and there, he had to figure everything out himself. After all, she couldn't very well tell him how he should manipulate his chakra; he had to learn it by trial and error.

 

Time flies when one is busy with important things. Soon, too soon in Naruto's opinion, the day of the competition finally arrived, the Chuunin Exam would begin tomorrow and Naruto (for the first time in almost a month) went to sleep early, trying to conserve as much energy as he could for the upcoming battles ahead.

 

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(1) Yochigan (Prediction's eye) - “Yu Zhi Yen” (in Chinese) is translated to “Prediction's Eye”, meaning that the eyes can see the future. Inspired by the power of the character Sven Vollfied in Black Cat (who has the same technique with the same name) mixed in with the Zero system from Gundam Wing.

 

(2) Original idea by a good friend of mine, Insanity. I actually wanted to call it `Angel's PALM' because it is a `Taijutsu' Technique, however, `Angel's wraith' sounds so much better. o__O;;;

 

(3) The following information is completely MADE-UP!!! O_O;; Don't look for this is the original manga/anime series, because it doesn't exist. I'm a big Fantasy addict so I'm incorporating parts of it in Naruto.

 

(4) Example, even though Orochimaru was the original creator of the curse seals, but Ruri should be able to find a weakness in the seal and somehow break it.

 

(5) Yes, this is one of the Tenkun no bukis, but it won't be in use for a while yet, so stay tune.

 

(6) I said before (chapter 4) that the Tenkun no Bukis "crave blood. These weapons are alive and they think, they desire and they will use all forms of seduction to get what they want!" The `Kakyu' is the only exception. Why? You'll find out later.

 

(7) Makai means `Monster Realm'. Ningenkai means `Human Realm'. Reikai means `Spirit Realm'. All these names were taken from Yuu Yuu Hakusho.

 

(8) To officially become the next Uzumaki heir (Prophet house), the `disciple' has to sign some kind of ancient contract (sort of like the Summoning contracts). If Naruto chooses to be a Breed, then all he has to do is to produce an heir for Ruri. It's very complicated, I know, but this is how it works.

 

(9) Inspired by the anime series Gate Keepers. If you've seen the animation, then you'll know what I'm talking about.

 

(10) I guess you could say it was inspired by the story Naruto - Way of the Ninja. -_-;; But it is different though, while in that story, Naruto expels chakra directly from his feet, here, he uses the charka to control the movement of Air underneath his feet. Slight difference I know, but it's basically why it's an `Air' technique. A_A

 

(11) Try to imagine something like Kimimaro's Ultimate spear at the end of chapter 216 of the Naruto manga. In this case, the spear/drill is made up of condensed air particles instead. Sorry for the spoiler for those who don't read the manga!