"Alright... shadow… show me what you can do," I whispered, lowering into a stance and focusing my chakra again.
Then I closed my eyes and imagined it clearly—my shadow rising from the ground, creeping up my legs, wrapping around my torso like flowing ink, and solidifying into armor just like before.
I focused my chakra toward the image in my mind… and slowly, I felt it—cool, weightless, and yet firm.
I opened my eyes.
My shadow began to shift, stretching unnaturally as it climbed my body. I grit my teeth, holding my focus, and then—woosh—it engulfed me completely.
Dark, semi-solid armor formed again. This time, it felt different… steadier, like it responded not just to instinct, but to my will.
I flexed my hand, watching as shadow pulsed across the knuckles.
"Heh… I can do it again…"
"Alright… let's try something cooler now," I whispered to myself, still buzzing from the tree experiment.
I focused on my shadow again, this time directing it to my hand, willing it to take shape—not just armor, not tendrils. A weapon.
"Form… a sword," I muttered with narrowed eyes, focusing hard.
My shadow rippled and twisted, crawling up my palm and wrist like liquid smoke. It gathered at the top of my hand, then stretched forward—and began to solidify. Slowly, a blade formed. Not metal, not wood—pure shadow. Dark, sleek, and humming with chakra.
"A sword… it actually worked," I said, holding it in front of me, testing its weight. It felt surprisingly solid. Light, but sharp—like it was an extension of my will.
I slashed at the air. Whish! The blade moved cleanly.
"Okay… this is insane. Am I just cracked? Or did I just unlock some kind of forgotten Kekkei Genkai?" I grinned. "Either way… I think I like this."
I burst out laughing under the tree, twirling the shadow sword in my hand."Hahahahaha… you know what? That's it!" I declared, pointing the blade toward the sky with a wild grin. "I'm naming this Kekkei Genkai… Ten Shadows! Sounds badass, right? Mysterious, ominous—yeah, that fits me."
As for why i chose Ten Shadows, well, it sounded cool.
The shadows around me flickered, almost like they were reacting to my excitement.
"And you know what else? When clans are formed in the future, when names mean something…" I sheathed the shadow blade into the ground beside me. "I'm taking the surname Zenin. Has a good ring to it. "Danava Zenin, the one who commands the Ten Shadows!"
(Yea, took it from the JJK had a nice ring to it.)
I leaned back, staring at the clouds.
Then I walked over to the base of a tall tree, its shadow stretched long under the afternoon sun. I crouched beside it, placing my hand flat against the dark patch of ground.
"Hmm… can I hide in a shadow?" I whispered, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
I focused, letting my chakra flow through my hand and into the shadow, the same way I did when forming the armor. The shadow rippled slightly under my palm—like disturbed water.
"Okay… here goes nothing."
I took a deep breath and slowly began sinking in. My hand vanished first, followed by my arm, then my torso. It felt cold, like slipping into a pool of ink, yet not suffocating. Before I knew it—fwip—I was gone.
Inside the shadow, everything was dark. But I could feel the world above, sense the movement of the wind, the rustling of leaves, distant footsteps. I was hidden. Completely.
"Holy crap," I muttered inside the void-like space, voice barely echoing in my head. "This is sick!"
I poked my head up from the shadow like a mole popping out of a hole, just my eyes above ground, grinning like a maniac.
Then I stepped out of the shadow, the surface of it rippling and sealing behind me like nothing had happened. My heart was pounding with excitement, the gears in my mind turning like crazy.
"Okay, okay... now I have a great idea," I grinned, pacing a little in front of the tree. "Venom... yeah, like the symbiote—tentacles, weapons, shapeshifting. Why not?"
I closed my eyes, standing still. The wind brushed past me as I focused all my chakra into my back, picturing thick, shadowy tendrils sprouting out like living extensions of me—fluid but strong, fast but precise.
A strange, cold sensation spread across my back.
Shrrrrrkkk!
Suddenly, four long tendrils of shadow burst out from my back, whipping around me like serpents. I opened my eyes slowly, staring in awe as they hovered and swayed like they had minds of their own.
"This… is awesome," I whispered, extending my hand. One of the tendrils obeyed and shot toward the trunk of a tree, wrapping around it with a sharp snap.
I could feel the grip. I could control it.
I clenched my fists, grinning ear to ear.
Then I focused all my will into that single tendril, gripping the tree trunk tightly. My eyes narrowed, and I gritted my teeth.
"Pull it," I muttered.
The shadow trembled slightly—and then with a sudden yank, the tendril pulled the trunk hard enough that the tree groaned, roots cracking from the earth. It didn't fully topple, but the fact that the shadow had moved it at all made my eyes widen.
"No way..." I whispered, breath caught.
Leaves fluttered down from the disturbed branches above as I stared at the scene—tree leaning, earth slightly uplifted, and that shadowy tendril still coiled around it like a living thing.
I released the grip, and the tendril retracted with a snap, merging back into the shadow armor on my back.
I looked at my hands, adrenaline still pumping.
"I could fight tailed beasts with this if I get strong enough..." I muttered with a smirk. "Let's go, Ten Shadows… we're just getting started."
Then I removed the shadow armor—it melted off my body like liquid smoke, retreating into the faint silhouette beneath my feet—and took off running toward home. My heart pounded with excitement. I had to tell Father… no, I needed to.
The village paths blurred as I sprinted, skipping over roots and dirt trails until I reached the house. Just as I was about to burst in, I paused at the door—Ashura's voice echoed from within.
He was already talking to Father.
I stepped in, catching them mid-conversation. Ashura's hands were animated, clearly recounting everything.
"And then this black shadow—like actual armor—just wrapped around Danava-niisan and he jumped in front of me! The boar couldn't move, it was like he was using your ninshu and Indra-nii's control at the same time!"
Hagoromo stood with arms crossed, listening intently, his expression unreadable.
I raised a hand, grinning. "Yeah, about that…"
Both of them turned to me. Ashura's face lit up, and Hagoromo's eyes sharpened.
"Danava," Father said calmly, "Is it true? You've awakened a new form of chakra manipulation?"
I nodded quickly. "Yes. It's like… shadow. I can manipulate it like armor, like tendrils… even pull things with it. It's alive, in a way. It reacts to my will."
Hagoromo's gaze stayed locked with mine. Then he walked toward me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder.
"This… is something different," he said.
I grinned wide, pride swelling in my chest.
"Yes, Father… I call it the Ten Shadows," I said with a wide smile, my eyes gleaming with pride.
Ashura looked impressed. "Whoa, that name sounds really cool! Like something ancient and powerful!"
Hagoromo, however, remained silent for a few moments, deep in thought. His hand slowly left my shoulder as he turned and walked a few paces away, as if weighing something heavy in his mind.
"Ten Shadows…" he repeated under his breath, then turned back to me, his expression serious but not cold. "To mold shadow is no ordinary feat. It requires incredible precision, control, and willpower. Chakra must be refined to the subtlest of intents."
I stood straight, soaking in his words.
"This technique of yours—if nurtured carefully—might become a force to be reckoned with," he continued. "But remember, Danava, power like this must be tempered with wisdom."
"I understand, Father," I nodded. "I'll train hard. I'll master it."
"Now Danava, can you demonstrate it to me?" asked Hagoromo, his eyes calm but filled with curiosity.
I nodded eagerly. "Of course, Father."
Taking a few steps back onto the open patch of dirt in front of our house, I took a deep breath and let my chakra flow. The light of the afternoon sun cast my shadow long across the ground. I spread my stance, hands open at my sides.
"Here we go…"
With a single thought, the shadow beneath me rippled like water and began to rise—crawling up my limbs and torso, forming the armor once again. Black, sleek, and almost fluid-looking, it hugged my form like a second skin.
Ashura's eyes sparkled. "It's just like before!"
Then I focused more, pushing my intent through the armor. From my back, three tendrils slowly slithered out—each made from the same inky shadow. They waved slowly in the air behind me, like tails made of living darkness.
"Now watch this."
I pointed to a nearby boulder and willed one tendril to shoot out. It extended with a blur and wrapped tightly around the stone before lifting it with ease. The boulder rose several feet into the air.
I let it drop with a loud thud and turned back, breathing a little heavier.
Hagoromo stepped forward, his face unreadable for a moment. Then… a small smile curved his lips.
"Incredible," he said. "You've not only created a new form of chakra manipulation—but it's deeply connected to your will and instincts. Like the shadow itself answers to you."
"Thank you, Father," I replied, my chest rising with pride.
He placed a hand on my shoulder once more.
"This ability… the Ten Shadows… you must nurture it, understand its depths, and one day—perhaps—it will stand beside the greatest techniques born in this world."
Ashura beamed beside me. "I always knew you were hiding something cool!"
I grinned, clenching my fist.
"This is just the beginning."
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Can read up to 8 chapters ahead. (For now, don't worry; I will increase the chapter count soon, and you can read chapters of Tensura: True Dragon of Sun as well. It has somewhere around 25 or so chapters ahead, maybe? Yeah, but not less than 25, so go ahead.)