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The small house was quiet, save for the faint ticking of a clock on the wall. The afternoon sunlight seeped in through the window, casting long shadows across the wooden floor. And Kaito who sat at the table in the living room, hunched over two books laid out in front of him.
One was on Fuinjutsu, the other on Taijutsu. He hadn't had time to read them before, being too focused on preparing for his team test. Now that it was over, he could finally sit down and go through them.
Still, it annoyed him that he couldn't bring his Jutsu scrolls home. But he worked around it, sending a shadow clone to the library to learn the Jutsu's for him. Trying to study them all himself would take way too long when he could be making progress elsewhere. This way, he was maximizing his time, steadily improving in everything...Taijutsu and Ninjutsu.
He was progressing at a ridiculous pace, way faster than the average shinobi. No wonder Naruto got so strong so quickly. In just two years, he was already fighting Pain. Shadow clones weren't just useful, they were a cheat code for getting stronger.
Right now, one clone was at the library, learning the Jutsu's, while another was in the basement drilling Taijutsu. If only he had more chakra, then he wouldn't be limited to just two clones at a time.
He sighed. 'Guess I'll just see what these books have to offer in the meantime,' with some free time on his hands, he flipped through the pages of the Fuinjutsu book, skimming through the basics and getting a rough idea of how it worked.
Fuinjutsu functioned a lot like writing, individual seals were like letters, meaningless on their own, but when combined, they formed words, phrases, and even complex sentences. A single seal might not do much, but layering and arranging multiple seals in the right way could create entirely different effects.
Just like how certain words could be pieced together to change the meaning, Fuinjutsu worked the same way, combining seals altered the function of the overall technique.
Fuinjutsu itself was divided into two main categories...sealing and absorption. Sealing dealt with trapping or containing objects, chakra, or even living beings. While absorption dealt with...well, absorbing...but mainly used in absorbing chakra.
As Kaito flipped through the pages, an idea started to form in his mind. If seals could be layered and designed to interact with chakra flow, then theoretically, it should be possible to create a seal system that followed his chakra tenketsu points, one that could run along his entire body, connecting to his palms. If he could pull that off, he might be able to use Jutsu's without the need for hand signs at all.
He leaned back, considering the possibilities. It wouldn't be easy. The human chakra network was intricate, and a seal of that scale would have to be precise...one mistake, and he could disrupt his own chakra flow permanently. But if he could get it right… the potential was limitless.
Kaito sighed, tapping his fingers against the book. It was just a theory for now, but the thought of it lingered in his mind. If it was possible, he was going to figure out how to make it work.
But... 'How exactly would the seal work?' Kaito wondered, rubbing his chin.
Since seals responded to chakra, in theory, if he poured nature chakra into a seal, it could absorb, store, and then release it. But that alone wasn't enough. The seal needed to be more than just a battery for the chakra. It had to actively shape the Jutsu, contain it, and then release it, all in a seamless sequence.
That was easier said than done.
A seal wasn't like a command in a code, there was no automated process running in the background to handle the steps for him. Everything had to happen in real time, in less than a second, or else it would be useless in combat. The seal had to absorb chakra instantly, shape it into the desired Jutsu, seal it without disrupting the flow, and then unseal it at the exact right moment, all in one smooth motion.
Kaito groaned, dragging his palm along his face. The idea was there, but the execution was an entirely different beast. Honestly, it would take up too much of his time when he could be focusing on other things. "Where the hell is Deimos with that Gelel Stone?" Kaito muttered, frustrated.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Deimos in months. He knew the task he gave him was ridiculously difficult, but still, he should've at least sent an update by now. Kaito had even tried summoning the bastard, but every time, there was no response. Deimos was straight-up ignoring his call.
' Is he dead? ' Kaito wondered. It was a real possibility. If he couldn't summon Deimos, that might mean he was gone for good. And if that was the case, it was a serious problem...he needed that Gelel Stone.
"I'll try one more time," he muttered, pushing himself up from his chair. If Deimos didn't answer, well… then he had bigger problems to worry about.
Kaito pushed himself up from his chair and stepped into the open space in the middle of the living room. He bit down on his thumb, just enough to draw blood, then smeared it across his palm.
His fingers moved swiftly through a sequence of hand signs before he slammed his hands onto the wooden floor. Ink-like markings spread out from beneath his palms, forming intricate circular patterns with sharp, branching lines.
A burst of smoke exploded outward, filling the room in a thick, swirling cloud. Kaito didn't react, just waited as the smoke began to clear. Then, from within, a familiar caw cut through the air.
When the last of the smoke dissipated, there stood Deimos—or rather, perched. The large, black-feathered raven fluffed out his wings before ruffling his feathers like he had just been dragged out of something unpleasant. His beady eyes locked onto Kaito, unamused.
"Finally," Kaito said, crossing his arms. "Took you long enough."
Deimos let out a sharp click of his beak. "Took me long enough? You do realize I've been out there for months chasing down your damn lead, right?" His voice dripped with irritation. "You sent me searching after a group that doesn't even exist. I searched everywhere, I even asked my brethrens if they'd seen anything...nothing. Every lead I found? Dead end." He shook out his feathers, still annoyed. "Tell me, Kaito, are you sure the guy who told you about this wasn't just talking out of his ass?"
Kaito sighed, rubbing his chin. He wasn't exactly surprised. "Yeah… figured it might turn out that way."
Deimos let out a slow, exaggerated caw. "You know, I told you—if this turned into a wild goose chase, I was gonna shit on your head."
Kaito waved him off. "Yeah, yeah." He stayed quiet for a second, thinking. "Well, since you didn't find anything, I guess we might as well give it up then."
Deimos tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "I didn't say I didn't find it."
Before Kaito could respond, Deimos gave a rough, choking sound, his whole body jerking forward before he hacked up something, spitting it onto the floor with a wet plop. A small, glowing oval shaped orb rolled to a stop at Kaito's feet, pulsing faintly with energy.
The Gelel Stone.
'Gross,' Kaito thought, grimacing. But something didn't add up. 'The ferret should only have a small pebble in its stomach… how did he get this?'
He was about to ask, but Deimos didn't even give him the chance.
"Before you start running your mouth, let me explain," Deimos said, shaking out his feathers. "Like I said, I didn't find that mining group. But after hitting dead end after dead end, I decided to change course and look into the Gelel Stone itself. Figured maybe someone had heard something."
Kaito listened, arms still crossed.
Deimos continued. "Asked a few of my brethren's if they'd ever seen or heard anything like it. Eventually, one of them led me to some remote village...An old place, with barely anyone there. And in that village? There was this temple, ancient as hell, just sitting there with this weird glow coming from inside."
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"So I went inside, and right there in the center, sitting all pretty, was this," Deimos gestured at the Gelel Stone with a flick of his wing. "Figured it couldn't be a coincidence, so I grabbed it. And then the whole damn place starts crumbling. Almost got crushed trying to get out." He clicked his beak. "So yeah, you're welcome."
Kaito couldn't help but smile. This was more than what he asked for. Way more. 'Then Temujin's village hasn't been destroyed yet... interesting.' He rubbed his chin as he crouched down, picking up the stone, completely ignoring the crow goo clinging to it.
"Good job... I didn't expect you to actually get a stone this big," Kaito said, tossing Deimos a rare compliment.
Deimos fluffed his feathers proudly. "Of course. The Ravens of the Black Veil are adept in scouting and information gathering… so something like this is nothing short of easy." His tone was cocky. But then, a bit of curiosity crossed his mind. "So? What do you even need that for?"
Kaito smirked. "You'll see."
Without another word, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off, tossing it aside. He held up the glowing Gelel Stone, its strange energy pulsing beneath his fingertips. ' To use the Gelel Stone, it has to be embedded into the body… or at least become a part of it. '
His gaze narrowed as he raised his free hand, chakra swirling to life around his palm. It twisted and shifted, swallowing his entire hand in a smooth, controlled transformation—until his chakra sharpened into a blade.
Deimos tilted his head, watching. "You're not seriously about to—"
Kaito didn't answer. He was already locked in.
With precise control, he guided the chakra scalpel to his chest, carving a deliberate incision just between his lungs—deep enough to house the stone, but not far enough to reach his heart. The sharp sting tore through his nerves, his jaw clenching as he bit down on his bottom lip to muffle any sign of pain.
' It hurts like hell... ' Kaito exhaled heavily, steadying his breath before pressing the Gelel Stone into the wound. The second it made contact with his flesh, a strange sensation shot through him—like fire and ice spreading through his veins at the same time. His muscles locked up for a split second before a rush of energy poured into him, sinking deep into his core.
"What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" Deimos squawked, flapping his wings wildly.
Kaito ignored him, shifting his focus to his other hand as he activated the Mystical Palm Jutsu. The warm green glow spread over his wound, accelerating the healing process. Flesh began to knit itself back together, slowly binding around the stone.
The moment the wound sealed completely, Kaito exhaled slowly. The rush of power hadn't faded. If anything, it had only grown stronger, humming in his chest like a second heartbeat.
He glanced down at his chest, watching as the stone pulsed faintly in his chest.
Deimos, still staring, finally broke the silence. "You are crazy..."
" I know... " He agreed.
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