Chapter 207: The First Bloodline Culmination?
After dinner, Genichi, Tsunade, Shizune, and Ina went for a stroll, soaking in the warm, lively atmosphere of the Hidden Leaf Village. Night had fallen, but Konoha was aglow, its bustling market district a kaleidoscope of bright, colorful lights. Though called a village, it had the heart of a thriving city.
"Genichi, it's Kushina-neechan and Naruto!" Ina suddenly tugged on his sleeve.
Genichi looked over and saw Kushina Uzumaki talking with another mother and her young son. Naruto was with her.
"Hm? Who is that with her?" Ina asked curiously.
Shizune squinted for a moment. "I believe that's Lady Mikoto, Lord Fugaku's wife, and their youngest son. If I remember correctly, the child's name is Sasuke."
It was indeed Mikoto Uchiha and her son, the not-yet-three-year-old Sasuke. Just as they watched, Naruto reached out and poked Sasuke's chubby cheek. Sasuke stared blankly for a second before his face crumpled and he burst into tears. Genichi couldn't help but laugh. It was a shame he didn't have a camera; the photo would have been priceless in a few years.
They walked over to say hello. Seeing the group of strangers, little Sasuke immediately stopped crying and hid behind Mikoto, peeking out shyly from behind his mother's leg with teary eyes.
The sight completely melted Ina's heart. "He's so adorable!" she cooed. "Sasuke-chan, may I hold you?"
After greeting Tsunade and Genichi, Mikoto gently coaxed her son forward. "Go on, Sasuke. This is Lady Hokage, Lord Genichi, Lady Ina, and Lady Shizune."
"You can just call me 'onee-chan'!" Ina said quickly, Shizune nodding in agreement.
Sasuke bravely mumbled his greetings before Ina swept him up into a hug.
Meanwhile, Naruto, who was familiar with everyone, had already started trying to climb Tsunade like a tree. She looked utterly baffled.
Genichi reached over and plucked the boy off of her. "Naruto, have you been eating well and growing strong?"
Naruto expertly grabbed onto Genichi's wrist and nodded vigorously. "Uncle Genichi, I eat a whole lot every day! Mommy says I'm getting heavy!"
Genichi used his free hand to pinch Naruto's chubby cheeks, then his little arms and legs, before giving him a playful flick on the nose. "Hm, it seems you have been eating well," he said with a satisfied nod.
Kushina watched with a helpless smile. "You're always messing with him, Genichi."
Naruto was now using Genichi's arm as a swing. "Uncle Genichi! Mommy said she's gonna teach me about chakra soon! What's chakra? Is it something tasty?"
Kushina's face instantly darkened. This kid! Why does he only remember half of what I tell him? I know I explained what chakra is!
"Naruto?" Kushina's voice went up an octave.
The boy immediately scrambled onto Genichi's back, peeking his head around Genichi's neck. Kushina cracked her knuckles ominously. "What. Is. Chakra?"
A look of fear crossed Naruto's face, and he instinctively covered his bottom with one hand. "It's the stuff you make from body energy and mind energy!" he blurted out.
Kushina's expression changed in a flash. She turned to Mikoto with a cheerful laugh. "He's just a little prankster, this one."
Mikoto, who had been slightly stunned by Kushina's parenting style, offered a polite smile. "Naruto is very bright. But… he's still so young, isn't that a bit much?"
Kushina scratched her head awkwardly. "Haha, I'm just trying to scare him! He can be such a handful!"
Naruto, meanwhile, was whispering complaints into Genichi's ear. "Uncle Genichi, Mommy broke her promise! She said she'd give me candy, but then she said it would make my teeth hurt. But I saw her eating some in secret!"
The others couldn't help but chuckle. Kushina pretended not to hear her son's tattling and steered the conversation with Mikoto toward the challenges of child-rearing. Ina and Shizune were busy fawning over Sasuke, and Tsunade, listening to Naruto's complaints, was lost in a fond memory of her own little brother, Nawaki, tattling on her in much the same way.
"I'll buy you candy, Naruto," Genichi whispered with a conspiratorial smile.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Uncle Genichi is the best!"
"But," Genichi added, his smile turning mischievous, "don't blame me when your teeth get cavities."
The boy gasped and clapped a hand over his mouth, sliding right off Genichi's back. Genichi caught him with a quick flick of his foot, setting him gently on the ground.
Naruto grabbed Genichi's pant leg and looked up at him. "Uncle Genichi, make me fly in the sky!"
Genichi nodded and turned to Mikoto. "Lady Mikoto, would Sasuke like to go as well?"
Mikoto blinked, then her face lit up with joy. "Is that alright? I wouldn't want to trouble you, Lord Genichi!"
"It's no trouble at all," Ina said with a warm smile. "I'll look after him."
"Then… I'll be in your care, Lord Genichi," Mikoto said gratefully.
Genichi nodded, then gently tossed Naruto into the air, where he simply… floated.
"Whoa! I'm flying!" Naruto squealed with delight, paddling his arms and legs through the air like a little piglet.
Sasuke's eyes went wide with wonder and longing.
Mikoto gently patted her son's head. "You have to ask Lord Genichi."
"Lord Genichi," Sasuke said obediently.
Genichi smiled and poked Sasuke's cheek. He then tapped Ina on the shoulder, and both she and the boy in her arms began to float upwards. Ina let go of Sasuke, who flailed for a moment before he saw Naruto and started paddling his own limbs in a doggy-paddle motion to stabilize himself. Ina took both boys by the hand and they ascended high above the village. From their vantage point, the people below looked like ants, and the village was a brilliant tapestry of lights.
Down on the street, other children saw them and began to chase after them, pointing and shouting with excitement.
Genichi watched them go, a wistful look on his face. If he had experienced something like that as a child, he would have been overjoyed. But that kind of simple happiness no longer belonged to him. He glanced at Tsunade, and a thought occurred to him. Happiness didn't disappear as you grew older; it just changed.
"Tsunade!" a voice called out. A man with a wild mane of white hair was waving at them.
"It's that fool Jiraiya," Tsunade said. "I'll go see what he wants."
"I'll come with you."
As they approached, Jiraiya grinned. "Genichi! Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?"
Genichi went straight for the kill. "Shizune is currently asking Kushina for parenting advice. Speaking of which, Jiraiya-sensei, when are you going to get a girlfriend?"
Jiraiya's smile froze. "Genichi," he sighed, "you're getting less and less charming as you get older."
"I'm eighteen now," Genichi shot back with a sigh of his own. "I might have kids of my own in a couple of years. Don't tell me you've never even had a girlfriend, Sensei?"
"Of-of course I have!" Jiraiya sputtered defensively. "I am the Gallant Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku! I have legions of female admirers!"
Tsunade just rolled her eyes. "You idiot."
"You have no respect for your elders!" Jiraiya whined, looking wounded.
Genichi immediately turned to Tsunade. "He's slandering me! I'm only looking out for him. Look at those excellent genes! It would be such a waste not to get married and have children. How will Konoha grow stronger? If he has seven or eight kids, at least one or two are bound to be geniuses, right? That's the future of the Leaf right there!"
Jiraiya stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. Since when is my love life tied to the future of the village?
"Look at Sakumo-sensei," Genichi continued, now on a roll. "He had Kakashi, who's already a Jonin. The Third had Shinnosuke and Asuma. Shinnosuke developed Steel Release, and I hear Asuma is doing great work with the Daimyo. And Fugaku-dono! Tsunade, isn't it true that Itachi Uchiha is a prodigy at the Academy?"
"He is," Tsunade confirmed. "Itachi is exceptionally talented. His fundamentals are perfect, but more importantly, he has a brilliant mind. He'll be a splendid ninja, just like Minato."
Genichi spread his hands toward Jiraiya. "See? Go find a girlfriend, get married, and have kids. I'll even volunteer to be their teacher. I'll teach them every Kekkei Genkai they can learn."
"He has a point, Jiraiya," Tsunade added. "Stop wandering around and settle down."
A muscle twitched in Jiraiya's cheek. He really wanted to punch the kid, but he knew he couldn't win. He settled for transferring the topic. "So, Jiraiya-sensei, what did you need to see Tsunade about?"
Jiraiya's eye twitched. Is that really a question you should be asking? He glanced from Genichi to Tsunade, sensing a strange tension.
Tsunade, feeling inexplicably flustered, shot Genichi a glare. "What is it, Jiraiya?" she asked, feigning calmness.
Jiraiya looked to the heavens and sighed, then his expression turned serious. "It's about Nagato."
Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Let's go to my office."
As Tsunade and Jiraiya left, Genichi felt a genuine pang of pity for the old sage. He had spent most of his life chasing a so-called prophecy, and yet he had still achieved so much. If he had focused more on his own training… Well, everyone has their own path, Genichi thought with a shake of his head. You can't force your own ideas onto others.
…Of course you can, a sly voice in his head countered. And it's very satisfying when you do.
Hatake Residence
Kakashi was poring over a scroll on Magnet Release.
"Not going out with your friends?" Sakumo asked from the doorway.
Kakashi looked up and stretched. "There's not much to do right now."
Sakumo's gaze fell on the scroll. "Still trying to master Magnet Release?"
"My Lightning and Storm Release development has plateaued for now," Kakashi said with a nod.
"Perhaps you should try for a Kekkei Tōta," Sakumo suggested.
Kakashi looked up, intrigued. "A Kekkei Tōta? Building on my Storm Release?"
Sakumo sat down opposite him. "Think about what you want to achieve. Do you want to further strengthen your Storm Release, or do you want to create an entirely new nature transformation?"
Kakashi pondered this. Storm Release was a fusion of Lightning and Water. He could follow a similar path. He then asked, "Father, are you training in a Kekkei Genkai as well?"
Sakumo smiled. "Genichi went to great lengths. As his former teacher, the least I can do is not fall behind." As he spoke, Sakumo vanished. Kakashi barely registered a blur before his father reappeared in the courtyard.
"So fast!" Kakashi exclaimed, leaping to his feet as purple lightning crackled around him, activating his cells and heightening his reflexes. Sakumo vanished again, and this time, Kakashi was able to track his movement. Silent and impossibly fast…
Sakumo reappeared beside him. "When did you master this?" Kakashi asked, amazed.
"Just now," Sakumo said with a proud smile. "A fusion of Wind and Lightning Release. It grants incredible speed and allows me to manipulate air currents to move without a sound. It suits my fighting style perfectly." He gave his son a meaningful look. "Genichi was right about one thing: the best path is the one that suits you. Your entire strategy revolves around your Lightning and Storm Release. What nature transformation would enhance that the most?"
"I should focus on strengthening Storm Release," Kakashi decided. "My choices would be Fire or Yin Release."
"I would recommend both," Sakumo said. "Fire to increase the temperature and power of your lightning, and Yin to create and control its shape."
Kakashi's mind went to the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and the Susanoo he had witnessed during the Six-Tails incident. "Father… I'll choose Yin Release."
Sakumo nodded, his eyes full of encouragement. "Then pursue that path with everything you have. Just like Guy."
"Right!"
Hokage's Office
After reading the report on Nagato, Jiraiya let out a hearty laugh. "As expected of a student I taught!"
Tsunade looked like she wanted to hit him. "If you hadn't taught them in the first place, perhaps none of this would have happened!"
"It was destiny," Jiraiya said, shaking his head. "The wielder of the Rinnegan was never going to live an ordinary life. My only regret is that I failed to guide them down the right path."
He then held up the report. "Speaking of which, Tsunade… do you have any idea just how strong Genichi has become?"
"Stronger than Nagato, at least," she replied. "Why don't you go test him yourself?"
Jiraiya laughed awkwardly. He knew that even with both Sage Toads, he stood no chance.
Later that night, Genichi was back in his study, reviewing the fruits of his ten-year leap. The seeds he had sown throughout Konoha were beginning to bear fruit. Kakashi, his father, Shisui, Itachi… more and more shinobi were unlocking their potential. But Guy… you were the biggest surprise of all, he thought with a strange expression.
He put away the scrolls containing the research of others and held up a single hand sign.
In an instant, his perspective shifted, expanding into a seamless, 360-degree sphere of perception. He could "see" Ina in the living room, studying his Kyōka Suigetsu. He saw Shizune in the underground lab, researching toxins. He saw Tsunade in her office, practicing Wood Release, and Jiraiya standing on the Hokage Monument, brooding.
Then, his vision plunged deep into the earth, a realm previously beyond his reach. He saw numerous White Zetsu clones hidden beneath Konoha, spying on the village. His perception continued to expand, the chakra drain immense but manageable. Soon, his vision reached the Hidden Rain Village.
Hm? Is that Konan taking a bath? He immediately averted his gaze. A gentleman does not peep. Though his Heaven's Eye only saw blurry outlines, the ambiguity somehow made it more appealing.
He shifted his focus and found Nagato, who was meditating. The man's eyes suddenly snapped open. "What was that?" He felt a distinct sensation of being watched, but his senses detected no one.
The Rinnegan is sharp, Genichi thought, withdrawing his perception.
His new Heaven's Eye was magnificent. The fusion of Yin, Water, and Wind Release—a concept he had theorized years ago—was finally complete. It was his first Kekkei Mōra.
What's next? he mused. The path was clear: continue fusing nature transformations until he had all seven. But in what order?
"I should integrate the electromagnetic sense from my Electromagnetic Release into the Heaven's Eye first," he decided.
Heaven's Eye was Yin + Water + Wind.
Electromagnetic Release was Lightning + Earth + Wind.
Combining them would give him a five-element sensory technique. That left Fire and Yang. How could he integrate those?
He paced his study. An idea struck him. "Perhaps I should create a separate dōjutsu first… Fire and Yang Release, to create a sensory ability based on heat. Thermal imaging!" All objects with a temperature above absolute zero emitted thermal radiation—infrared light, a form of electromagnetic wave. He could create a "Fire Eye" to perceive it.
Then, he would fuse the three.
Heaven's Eye (Yin + Water + Wind)
+
Electromagnetic Sense (Lightning + Earth + Wind)
+
Fire Eye (Fire + Yang)
=
A true, seven-element Kekkei Mōra.
Genichi froze. The logical path was complete. He had just figured out how to create his first Bloodline Culmination.
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