Drop Some power stones! If you like the chapter! It helps to keep me motivated to upload more!đź’Žđź’Žđź’ŽÂ
------
"Great-grandpa, let me go! I want to fight on the battlefield!"
Shouts from Nawaki rang out as Akio dug at his ear and sighed with a yawn.
After refusing Konoha's request for aid, Akio suddenly remembered Nawaki and rushed to the village overnight, planning to take him back to Uzushiogakure under proper supervision.
"Great-grandpa, didn't you say I could go to the battlefield?" Nawaki, having failed with force, switched tactics—pleading softly.
"Nawaki, your injuries haven't fully healed, and you'll be trained personally by Great-grandpa in Uzushiogakure. People would kill for that chance..." Tsunade tried to persuade him gently.
"No need to convince him. I'll just take him with me and be done with it..." Akio waved his hand dismissively. "Also, if you see Kagami, let him know to stay alert. Those who attacked Konoha might be targeting him."
Tsunade froze. "And Nawaki?"
Akio shook his head. "He's probably a target too. But as long as he's with me, he'll be fine—don't worry."
Without giving Nawaki a chance to resist further, Akio carried him into the sky, heading straight for Uzushiogakure. It was late, and having rushed over out of concern, Akio was nearly falling asleep mid-flight.
Once back in Uzushiogakure, Akio ignored Nawaki's sulking face, summoned two clan members, and instructed them to keep watch over him. Then, he collapsed into bed.
Not ten minutes later, Akio opened his eyes in frustration.
"I can't sleep!"
His mind kept turning over the strange "Six Paths of Pain" he had encountered, and how deliberately they seemed to be altering the timeline.
"When I saw the Deva Path, he gave me a nod... Does he know me? But I don't recall ever meeting a young man with twin buns on his head."
"Twin buns? Mito? Tenten?"
Akio chuckled at his own wild thoughts. His mind drifted, and finally, he fell asleep.
The next morning, he was jolted awake by a loud knocking at the door.
"Grandpa Akio, wake up! Time to get to work!" came Yuna's voice.
Akio sighed in resignation.
"Wait—hold on. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A sudden inspiration struck him. "How did I not think of this before? Such a useful jutsu!"
"Yuna, let's go." The clone followed her out, while the real Akio relaxed.
Now that he was up, he had no interest in going back to bed. He hadn't checked on Nawaki since bringing him in—time to see how the boy was doing.
The two clan members standing guard were nearly dozing off. Akio hadn't given clear instructions last night, and they were treating Nawaki like a prisoner.
Akio chuckled helplessly. "You two have worked hard. Go get some rest."
"Yes, Elder!"
He nodded and stepped into the room.
Nawaki had likely worn himself out struggling and was now fast asleep. Akio didn't wake him—he needed to figure out what to do with the boy.
The battlefield was out of the question. Until Nawaki could at least protect himself, Akio wouldn't let him out of sight.
As for training—Nawaki, at fourteen, was already chūnin-level. He had many shortcomings, but Akio wasn't quite sure where to start.
"Water, Wind, and Earth nature affinities. He already knows the Rasengan for Wind Release—that's good enough. Techniques like the Rasenshuriken are still far beyond what his body can handle."
"Then let's start with Earth Release. It's good for survival." Akio muttered as he glanced at the sleeping Nawaki—whose bed suddenly collapsed beneath him.
Startled, Nawaki jumped up groggily. Seeing Akio, he sighed like a little old man—clearly, he was feeling dejected.
Akio shook his head with a smile. "Come with me. Today I'll teach you two powerful jutsu!"
Nawaki perked up and followed him to the newly built Uzumaki Clan training field.
"Watch closely—Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"
Akio formed a series of hand seals and slipped in and out of the ground effortlessly.
Nawaki twitched. "Great-grandpa, this is the powerful jutsu you were talking about? It's just an escape move..."
Akio shot him a glare. "You have no idea. Back in the day, I used this very technique to dance around Madara Uchiha—built the Uzumaki name on it!"
"Built a name, huh..." Nawaki mumbled, but started practicing anyway after seeing Akio's eyes widen ominously.
The Hiding Like a Mole Technique only required four hand seals. Nawaki memorized them after one demonstration, but mastering the jutsu was another story.
Nawaki had decent talent. His form was passable, but when he finished the seals, he didn't dive into the ground like Akio.
Akio, with his sensory abilities active, quickly spotted Nawaki's mistake and began correcting him.
After about half an hour of detailed instruction, the rest was up to Nawaki's own diligence.
Akio told him to keep practicing, then walked off with a serious expression.
While using the technique, he'd noticed something odd. It wasn't just his Earth affinity at work—it had felt incredibly smooth, like second nature.
"Is it Black Zetsu?"
Akio frowned and, a hundred meters from Nawaki, lifted his shirt. There was a blotch of black on his abdomen.
"I rushed the sealing process… The fuinjutsu was a mess. Four Symbols Release!"
He undid some of the more basic Four Symbols Seals. There was no noticeable movement from Black Zetsu, but something felt different within him.
"I think I can..."
With focused concentration, he slipped into a strange state.
"Great-grandpa? You don't look so good—your face is really dark."
Nawaki had noticed something and walked over.
Akio frowned and quickly formed a seal. "Water Release: Water Shield!"
Using the reflective water, he looked at himself. His face was completely covered in black—it wasn't just dark, it was pitch black like a shadow. Even his arms were the same color. Looking at Nawaki, an inexplicable irritation welled up in him. Alarmed, Akio ended the transformation immediately.
Exhaling slowly, he muttered, "It's nothing. Go back to your training."
Once Nawaki left, Akio frowned.
"That irritability... It must've been Black Zetsu's influence. The so-called incarnation of Kaguya's will... Negative emotions personified."
"So... what's it good for?"
Curious, Akio re-entered the state. This time, without hand seals, he dove straight into the earth—faster and smoother than before.
"An ultimate escape move, huh... I should call this the 'Will of Kaguya Mode'?" Akio sighed. "Everyone else gets Tailed Beast Chakra Modes... and I seal up this piece of trash."
"Just my luck. Might as well figure out what this junky 'Kaguya Mode' can actually do..."
---
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!