"Ah, what a fruitful day." Izumi returned home, a faint but intricate runic pattern of black ink shimmering on the back of her hand. The design pulsed softly with chakra, a testament to the power hidden within.
With deliberate care, Izumi transferred the rune from her hand to her forearm. The moment the symbol touched her skin, she felt an instant surge of strength course through her arm. The muscles tensed and bulged, power radiating outward like a current—yet, almost as quickly as it appeared, the sensation faded.
"A strength-enhancing rune," Izumi mused quietly, inspecting the intricate ink marks. "But its creation process is so complex and time-consuming that few dare to use it. My Divine Ink method is far more efficient—I simply draw it by channeling Divine Ink Chakra directly."
The ink on her arm shifted seamlessly, twisting into a coil-like, rope-shaped pattern.
"Sealing Technique: Sealing Rope Seal," Izumi explained to herself, recalling her studies. "This technique can bind and restrain enemies. It's an advanced version of the enemy-restraining technique I learned earlier. Truly, the Uchiha Clan's legacy is remarkable."
She glanced back at the array of scrolls she had been pouring over for days.
"Uchiha Reflection… Uchiha Flame Formation… Dragon Flame Release Song Technique… Dust Concealment Technique… And so many more. All these powerful Ninjutsu are at my fingertips! Honestly, who would complain about knowing too few techniques? Heh heh."
Izumi's gaze settled on a particular rune—a seemingly simple pattern without any visible components or materials. It was shrouded in mystery.
"This is the most crucial rune: a design with no known material, making it impossible for anyone to draw."
Determined, she transformed her Divine Ink once more, reproducing the enigmatic pattern onto her own body.
Almost immediately, she felt her limbs lighten, her movements becoming more fluid and rapid.
"I shall call this the Divine Travel Talisman."
Eager to test the newfound power, Izumi dashed across the room, her feet barely touching the ground as she moved with incredible speed.
"This is just the beginning. There are still countless Ninjutsu and runes to study and master."
She stood tall, hands resting on her hips, her voice bright and confident. "Who else wants to challenge me? Who else?"
---
Several days later, Izumi awoke feeling exhausted but satisfied. She stretched deeply beneath the covers of her bed.
"Ah, mmm, mmm... so comfortable," she murmured. "These last few days have been draining."
Her time had been consumed with painstakingly drawing countless talismans and printing them onto sheets of paper, a stockpile for emergencies.
She also dedicated herself daily to practicing Medical Ninjutsu, honing her healing skills.
"It's always wise to have extra talismans ready," she thought. "It prevents situations where I might run out of Chakra during a mission and can't quickly create the necessary seals."
Rising from her bed, Izumi went through her usual morning routine. She washed her face, styled her long, dark hair, and dressed in her typical attire—a purple, high-necked, long-sleeved sweater paired with loose-fitting capri pants that stopped just below her knees. White bandages wrapped her exposed arms and legs, and she wore sturdy arm guards and leg guards. Her forehead protector gleamed atop her head.
Though still young, she carried herself with the quiet confidence of someone destined to grow into a great beauty.
Satisfied with her reflection, Izumi gathered the prepared scrolls and various brushes, muttering, "I'll be needing all of you for a while."
She arranged her ink supplies meticulously, then carefully stored everything in a scroll designed for rapid travel.
"Time for a mission!" she declared with a smile.
---
At the village gate, Izumi spotted Yamamoto Kawa waiting impatiently.
"You're late again," he complained as usual. "But the client still hasn't arrived this time, either."
Izumi shrugged nonchalantly. "It's fine as long as I'm not past the deadline."
"Hmph, whatever," Yamamoto Kawa grumbled.
"I'm not late," Izumi retorted, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I just copied and mastered a secret Ninjutsu recently. Hmph, I'm going to blow your mind."
Yamamoto Kawa's ears perked up immediately. "What Ninjutsu?"
Izumi leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "Come closer, I'll tell you."
Yamamoto Kawa eagerly bent forward.
Izumi smirked. "It's a secret."
"Aha! You rascal!" Yamamoto Kawa exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger. "You're just teasing me!"
Izumi giggled. "Lululu, you're mad now, huh? Hahaha! You'll see soon enough."
"Hmph. If you're not telling, then forget it." Yamamoto Kawa turned away, grumbling.
Soon after, their client arrived and began explaining the details of their mission.
A wealthy local merchant had fallen gravely ill. The merchant's youngest son, desperate to save his father, planned to gather rare and precious medicinal herbs from the distant mountains.
However, the merchant's elder son was jealous and hoped their father would die quickly, so he sent people to destroy these herbs constantly.
Now, only one of the necessary herbs remained.
The merchant's youngest son sought to hire Konoha Ninja to transport this last herb safely to their home so the father could be treated.
---
"I see," Sarutobi Muraki said thoughtfully. "So we need to get there as quickly as possible."
The client nodded. "Exactly. The sooner we can get this herb, the better the chances of saving him."
Muraki estimated, "With our current team, the journey would take about five days."
He turned to Izumi, who suddenly raised her head with a triumphant grin.
"I can cut that down to three days."
Everyone's attention snapped to her.
"Oh? Really?" Sarutobi Muraki asked, surprised. "How do you plan to shorten the journey?"
Izumi pulled a scroll from her pouch and unfurled it carefully.
From the scroll emerged two glowing Sealing Technique formulas.
Instantly, a large painted scroll materialized along with a thick brush.
Izumi opened a box filled with special inks and dipped the brush inside.
Slowly, she began drawing four massive birds across the scroll, their forms elegant and fierce.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..." The brush strokes came alive as the images took form.
Completing a series of hand seals, Izumi suddenly shouted, "Ninjutsu—Super Beast Imitation Art!"
A thunderous "Bang!" echoed as five giant birds burst forth from the scroll, their wings stretching wide and casting shadows over the group.
Without hesitation, Izumi leapt onto the back of one great bird and called to the others, "Come on up!"
The others stared in amazement, mouths agape at the spectacle before them.
Sarutobi Muraki's eyes sparkled as he mounted one of the birds. "Where did you learn such a technique?"
Izumi smiled, "I copied it during a battle some time ago. An enemy once used it to fight an Uchiha Clan Ninja."
"That's incredible," Muraki said. "The talent to copy Ninjutsu like that is rare even within the Uchiha Clan."
Yamamoto Kawa and Akimichi Jiro exchanged looks of surprise, stunned that someone younger than them knew such a powerful technique.
Yamamoto Kawa felt a wave of despair wash over him. The gap between civilian Ninja and clan Ninja seemed destined to widen. He worried he might never catch up.
Silently, he climbed onto one of the giant birds, and Akimichi Jiro helped the client aboard another.
Izumi took control, guiding the birds gracefully into the sky.
---
"This is exhilarating!" Izumi exclaimed, arms outstretched as the wind whipped through her hair.
The others laughed and marveled at the thrill of flying on giant ink birds.
Sarutobi Muraki shook his head in wonder. "This will make missions so much easier!"
Izumi beamed. "No problem. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you flying."
Yamamoto Kawa looked down at the village below, a shadow of melancholy in his eyes. Despite his unwillingness, there was nothing he could do but keep up.
Izumi handed each of them a special glass mask. "Put these on—we're about to speed up."
The masks allowed them to breathe comfortably at high speeds.
"Swoosh!"
The five flying birds accelerated, cutting through the clouds as they raced toward their destination.
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