The room felt heavy with tension as Shisui stepped in, his eyes settling on me with quiet discomfort. Kaen followed, glancing around the space with clear interest, though he tried to mask it. Sena entered with her usual smile, but I caught the faint concern behind it.
She approached lightly. "Well, that is surprising. To see you sick for once. You always gave the impression of perfect health."
I rolled my eyes and smiled. Kaen's gaze lingered on my bandaged hand before he gave a small nod and looked away. Shisui-sensei stayed focused on me, his attention locked on my injury.
Sena sat beside Shizuru, speaking softly to comfort her. Kaen leaned back against the wall in his typical bad boy pose, arms folded, while Takemura watched both him and Shisui like a hawk, irritation plain on his face.
Genta finally spoke. "So you're not telling us what caused this. At least tell us what we can do to make you feel better."
Sena answered quickly. "Once you're well again, I'll take everyone to the most luxurious restaurant in the village. My treat."
They all looked at me. I grinned, despite my weakness.
"Free food makes you smile more than seeing your friends," Shizuru muttered.
Sena laughed softly, covering her mouth, while Genta chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, that's true."
I shook my head, but before I could reply, the seal beneath my bandages flared. It drew in most of the little chakra I had left, and the weakness slammed into me. My body slumped back against the bedding, too drained to even smile.
They noticed at once.
"That's it," Takemura said sharply. "I'll bring a medical-nin."
"Wait," Shisui interrupted, calm but firm. "Takemura-dono, I need to confirm something first. Otherwise, this might complicate things."
Takemura's eyes narrowed. "Why are you stopping me from helping the boy?"
"I've seen this before," Shisui said with a sigh. "And I believe I know the cause."
Takemura studied him with suspicion. Shisui turned to the others. "Sena, take Shizuru, Genta, and Kaen outside for now."
Genta started to protest, but one serious look from his father silenced him. They left reluctantly.
Once the door closed, Shisui asked, "Takemura-dono, may I cast a sound-silencing seal? Those kids are almost certainly listening."
Takemura shrugged. "Do as you wish."
Shisui pressed his hand to the floor. Chakra rippled outward, forming faint symbols that spread across the walls before fading from sight. The air grew unnaturally still, sound swallowed by the seal.
Takemura's eyes narrowed further. He knew Shisui was ANBU and would carry tools, but he hadn't expected chakra etching carved into his very body. Memories of old Senju practices stirred, techniques once locked in their fading library.
His expression hardened as he turned to me. "You etched a seal onto yourself? At your age?"
He stepped forward, fury brimming, but Shisui lifted a hand to halt him. "Calm yourself, Takemura-dono."
Takemura looked ready to strike, but Shisui's composure held him in place. "Noa," he asked, "is your injury the result of chakra etching?"
I froze. No one had told me I could reveal the truth of that night. I stayed silent.
Shisui exhaled and turned back to Takemura. "May I use my Sharingan? I will examine only his hand."
Takemura gave him a long look, then stepped closer. "Do it."
Shisui's eyes shifted, three tomoe spinning into crimson light. He traced my chakra flow from the hand up my arm and across my body, careful never to meet my eyes directly. After a long moment, he closed them and sighed. "It is as you feared, Takemura-dono."
Takemura's gaze returned to me, filled with both anger and worry. "Why would you attempt something so reckless? You are still young. Your chakra is not ready for this."
I lowered my head, unwilling to speak of that night.
Shisui broke the silence. "From what I see, you need only a few days. The seal will stabilize once it is saturated. Then your chakra will return. Rest, eat, and get fresh air. You have a good backyard so use it."
I nodded faintly. "Thank you, sensei. I will."
He rose and bowed slightly to Takemura. "Thank you for allowing me into your compound. I am honored by your consideration."
Takemura only shrugged, clearly dismissing him.
When Shisui left, Takemura sighed. "Tell no one of this. And do not etch another seal without asking me first. Next time it might kill you."
I nodded, unsure if I ever wanted to try again anyway.
With a flare of chakra, Takemura shattered the silencing seal. "Alright, you can come in now, brats."
The door slid open at once, revealing Sena, Genta, and Shizuru pressed against it as if they had been glued there. Despite my weakness, I laughed.
A few days passed as I mostly stayed in bed, forcing myself to eat though every bite was a struggle. My appetite had vanished, which was very unlike me. The only peace I found was in the backyard, sitting on the cold grass with my eyes closed. I could not use chakra, since almost every drop was drawn into the seal, but meditation helped calm my nerves and ease my mind.
On the fifth day I woke and felt… different. Strong. My eyebrows shot up as I pushed myself upright with no effort at all. I clenched my fists and smiled, energy surging through me. My chakra roared back into my body, full and wild. I laughed aloud. "Finally!"
I pulled the bandages tighter around my hand, focusing on the seal. Without delay it activated, consuming only the faintest trickle of chakra, so small it was almost unnoticeable.
The space inside was vast. "Huge," I breathed, stunned. The storage was wide enough to conceal a small army's supplies.
But then I froze. Something was already inside. One item. A faint memory returned. Master Shuzo examining the new seal while pressing chakra into it while I was too exhausted and wracked with pain to notice. It was a miracle I remembered at all.
The seal pulsed. The air split.
In a heartbeat, the object appeared in my grasp.
A spear.
It was taller than me, full metal from base to tip, its surface gleaming with cold brilliance. The moment I wrapped my fingers around it, the weapon settled into my palm as though it had always belonged there. No imbalance, no awkward weight. It simply became part of me.
Fuinjutsu patterns spiraled along the shaft, glowing faintly with power. They pulsed in rhythm with my chakra, alive in a way no ordinary steel could ever be. Reinforcement seals hardened the weapon far beyond any normal metal. Channeling seals lay in wait, eager to carry lightning through every inch. Control seals bound themselves deeper still, ready to answer intent with flawless precision.
The grip had been stabilized with layers of treated leather, fitted over the channels so chakra could flow uninterrupted. It gave me a steady, comfortable hold without weakening the weapon's ability to conduct lightning.
The spearhead gleamed with a deadly polish, its point so sharp it seemed to drink in the light. Etchings at its base flared when I pushed chakra into it, answering with a low, resonant hum like a storm cloud heavy with lightning.
This was no mere tool. It was a perfected conduit, a weapon crafted to unleash Thunderclap Spear with devastating force. My suffering, the drain, the scars. All of it had led to this.
I tightened my grip. The seals flared faintly, syncing with my chakra until the weapon felt inseparable from me. For a heartbeat, I could almost feel Master Shuzo's hand guiding mine. He had created this perfect weapon, hidden it within the seal, and trusted that once I survived the etching, I would be ready to wield it.
I could not look away. This was a weapon of war, born of sealing mastery, carrying power to shatter stone and split the sky.
A grin spread across my face. "Master… you really went all out."
I lowered the spear slowly, the weight of it grounding me. For all the pain and loss, this was his final gift to me. A legacy I would carry forward, proof that Master Shuzo's guidance still lived on in my hands.