Chapter 11 – Speed of the Storm
A week after the collapse that nearly killed him, Yuva opened his eyes to a brighter sky and a stronger resolve.
The sword that had once broken now rested at his side — whole and perfect. The memory of the purple lightning slash that felled twenty trees still burned in his mind, but so did the memory of what followed: exhaustion, near-petrification, and the loss of control.
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⚡ The Price of Power
Training resumed slowly. Yuva was careful this time, experimenting with small bursts of nature energy instead of pushing himself recklessly. That was when he discovered something new — and dangerous.
"When I channel natural energy now," he muttered to himself, focusing the faint purple lightning into his blade, "it multiplies. It's far stronger than before…"
The slash tore through a boulder like butter. But even that small use left his body trembling.
"…but the side effect is worse too."
The creeping sensation of stone spreading under his skin was faint but unmistakable. It faded after a few seconds, but the message was clear: this power came with a cost. If he used too much in battle, someone would have to pull him out or he'd risk turning to stone mid-fight.
"It's a trump card," Yuva whispered. "Something I can't use alone — not until I master it completely."
It was both a warning and a promise.
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⚡ The Art of the Body Flicker
A few days later, after dinner, Yuva approached his father with a request.
"Father," he said, "teach us the Body Flicker Jutsu."
Hari looked at him silently for a moment, then nodded. "It's about time."
The next morning, he gathered his sons in the training field. "The Body Flicker Technique," he began, "is one of the simplest and most powerful jutsu in existence. It uses a sudden burst of chakra to accelerate your body's movement. It won't make you invincible, but in battle, it can mean the difference between life and death."
He demonstrated. One moment, he was standing before them. The next — whoosh! — he was behind them, his blade resting gently on Yuva's shoulder.
"It's not about speed," Hari continued. "It's about timing, control, and direction. Those who master it dominate the battlefield. Men like Minato Namikaze and the Raikage turned this simple jutsu into terrifying weapons."
Excitement lit their eyes. This was exactly what they needed.
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🌀 Training the Body Flicker
Training was brutal.
At first, they stumbled and fell, slamming into trees or overshooting their targets. Timing the chakra release perfectly was difficult. Balancing speed and direction was harder still.
But they persisted.
Weeks turned into months, and soon, the three brothers could flicker short distances with ease. Their speed wasn't anything legendary — yet — but it was fast enough to rival a low-chūnin.
Their sparring grew more intense.
Yuva darted across the field, his sword flashing in arcs of lightning.
Tenzo blurred around him, his wind-infused blade slicing through leaves mid-flicker.
Daichi's brass-knuckle strikes came from unexpected angles, his earth-enhanced punches smashing through defenses.
Flicker clashed against flicker, and the air was filled with the sound of steel and chakra.
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⚡ Nature-Enhanced Speed
But Yuva wasn't satisfied. Late at night, when his brothers slept, he continued training alone. One evening, he took a risk — he merged nature energy into the Body Flicker.
The world blurred. The wind roared.
In an instant, he was across the field — a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
He stumbled, gasping for breath, but a grin spread across his face.
"With nature energy… my speed… it's beyond genin…"
He measured it again. He was now moving at the speed of an elite chūnin, something unheard of for someone his age.
It wasn't safe yet — the stone transformation still threatened to take over if he overused it — but it was a step closer to the impossible.
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🎓 Genin at Last
By the time the Hiwatari triplets turned nine, their growth had far outpaced anything the academy could offer. Their chakra reserves, control, elemental mastery, weapon skills, and speed were far beyond their classmates.
The academy graduation test was almost laughably easy.
Yuva performed the Clone, Substitution, and Transformation techniques flawlessly.
Tenzo demonstrated Wind Style: Great Breakthrough, cutting through the target dummies.
Daichi's Fireball Jutsu roared across the field with perfect control.
All three passed without difficulty, officially becoming genin of Konohagakure.
But there was one complication — no jōnin sensei was available to lead their team. The looming Third Great Ninja War had drawn nearly every available jōnin to missions or preparations.
For now, the Hiwatari triplets were an independent genin unit — something rare and unusual. But it didn't matter. They had someone even better.
Their father, Hari, had taken a two-month leave from active duty — the longest break he had ever taken. It was a rare chance to prepare his sons for the chaos that was coming.
"In war," he told them, "you won't always have a teacher. You won't always have time to plan. You must be able to stand alone — or die."
The training that awaited them in those two months would push them beyond anything they had endured before. Because the next time they set foot on a battlefield, it would not be a spar. It would not be a mission.
It would be war.