As Izanami and Hinata were enjoying a peaceful day out with Hanabi, another scene was unfolding near the Uchiha Clan. Beneath the massive waterfall along the Nanga River, a hidden cave lay obscured from view.
If a member of the Hyuga Clan were to use their Byakugan in this area, they would notice the cave, its presence concealed behind the powerful roar of the waterfall. Inside, a deep, resounding sound echoed—its source drowned out by the cascading water. The surrounding mountain walls occasionally trembled with slight vibrations, a telltale sign of the powerful activity within.
Suddenly, a flash of blue light illuminated the darkness inside the cave. A blue and white sphere, resembling a water-filled balloon, rapidly expanded before shooting off into the cavern's depths.
Boom!
An explosion followed, sending a shockwave through the air, and causing gravel to scatter in all directions. The dust and debris, however, didn't escape the cave; instead, they were dispersed by a gust of wind that cut through the air.
After the chaos settled, another energy ball appeared and rocketed deep into the cave. It exploded with similar force, its impact further widening the cave's interior.
"The core is complete," Ju Liuye's shadow clone muttered, standing at the lighted entrance, assessing the results of today's training. "Now, I can start creating smaller spheres inside."
Ju Liuye had spent the past two years mastering the basics of the Super Hurricane Serial Spheres, a technique from the anime world that turned the Rasengan into a much larger form, second only to the Giant Rasengan.
Izanami finally understood why Uzumaki Naruto had needed his shadow clone, Izayoi, to assist with the Giant Rasengan. It was an impossible feat without the right training and balance, especially for someone like him, who couldn't even perform a one-handed Rasengan at the time. Turning such a massive amount of Chakra into a perfectly balanced sphere was an incredibly difficult task. Even Izanami himself had spent two full years just improving his Chakra control to a level where this was feasible.
Simply gathering Chakra and creating a large ball wasn't the real challenge. The difficulty lay in gathering a huge amount of Chakra and spinning it at an ultra-high speed. The task was close to hellish in its difficulty.
After all, the Rasengan was already an advanced form transformation, with a learning difficulty rating of A-rank. The Giant Rasengan easily scaled between A-rank and S-rank, and the difficulty was just as immense. No wonder S-rank techniques were considered secret Ninjutsu, not easily mastered by anyone, no matter how talented.
Creating a massive energy ball was one thing. But to attempt to make five smaller spheres inside it, each infused with Wind Release Nature Transformation, raised the challenge to an unimaginable level. If it succeeded, the difficulty would undoubtedly surpass S-rank, likely reaching SS-rank. Even Ōtsutsuki Asura, the revered progenitor of chakra, could not accomplish such a feat.
But that was Izanami's goal—to reach this pinnacle. With his potential now surpassing that of Ōtsutsuki Asura, all he needed was to upgrade his Chakra control talent to the gold level. Once he succeeded in developing the Super Hurricane Serial Spheres, he could wield the same kind of world-dominating power that Naruto had, relying on a single technique to defeat any enemy.
Sitting cross-legged at the base of the waterfall, Ju Liuye's shadow clone continued to concentrate, hands weaving through the air as Chakra gathered to form another basketball-sized energy sphere. But this time, he didn't release it.
The clone continued to focus until the last of its Chakra was drained, at which point it turned into a cloud of white mist and vanished. The experiences, fatigue, and results of this session were instantly fed back to Ju Liuye's main body.
Meanwhile, Izanami, who had been feeding rice cake balls to Hanabi, barely raised an eyebrow before returning to his usual calm demeanor. Hinata, who had been watching the scene with a quiet smile, didn't even notice the subtle shift in Izanami's thoughts.
Since mastering the Rasengan and beginning to develop the Super Hurricane Serial Spheres, Izanami had largely refrained from training with his main body. Most of the work was being done through Izayoi's shadow clone, deep in the cave. Even when Izanami did train, it was mostly while accompanying Hinata at abandoned training grounds.
He was also certain that Hiruzen Sarutobi, ever the watcher, was keeping an eye on him through his Crystal Ball Technique. After all, Izanami and Uchiha Sasuke had been dueling irregularly for the past couple of years. The Hokage couldn't possibly have missed their frequent matches.
Before Uchiha Itachi left Konoha, he had first reported to Hiruzen before threatening Danzo Shimura. If Izanami hadn't been concerned about his Byakugan being detected, he might have activated it to confirm whether any ANBU operatives were watching him. But for now, he kept his suspicions to himself.
By letting Izayoi's shadow clone handle the training, Izanami had long controlled the Chakra output, ensuring that the fatigue feedback was always within an acceptable range.
As Hanabi finished the rice cake ball, Izanami playfully accompanied her everywhere—giving piggyback rides, teleporting her with ease, and guiding her through Tree Climbing and Water Walking exercises. Though Hanabi was still too young to formally begin her training, she had already witnessed Hinata and Neji's battles and had seen Izanami's training firsthand. As a result, like her older sister, Hanabi dreamed of becoming a gentle yet powerful force in the future.
In her childlike innocence, Hanabi didn't much enjoy playing with other children; instead, she preferred Izanami's thrilling methods of teaching. Whether running along walls or racing through the air, she relished the adventure, the sensation of freedom, like a "roller coaster."
Once she was old enough to cultivate and extract Chakra, Izanami knew she would only grow more attached to him. But for now, the bond between them was enough to fill her heart with joy.
"Oni-chan, goodbye!""Bye-bye."
After spending the evening playing with Hanabi, Izanami waved a warm goodbye to his clingy little sister-in-law, a smile tugging at his lips.
Instead of heading home, he made a quick stop at the market to pick up some ingredients. Once done, he teleported to the deserted grounds of the Uchiha Clan, where only Uchiha Sasuke was waiting.
"You've come," Sasuke said, noticing Izanami as he appeared, carrying two bags. His eyes gleamed with the familiar intensity of someone eager for a fight.
"Let's eat first, then fight later. It'll be a good break," Izanami said with a grin.
Sasuke didn't argue. "Alright."
As night fell, the two of them sat on the veranda, enjoying a steaming hot pot together. The quiet of the night surrounded them, until suddenly, two small figures darted through the Uchiha grounds, shooting toward the nearby forest like arrows.
Bang bang bang…Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
The sound of objects colliding, heavy impacts, and the sharp whistle of projectiles cutting through the air filled the still night.
Boom!
An explosion shook the night, and red flames blossomed momentarily before quickly fading.
Half an hour later, the two figures emerged from the forest. Under the moonlight, Izanami and Sasuke stood in stark contrast. Izanami's clothes were immaculate, untouched by the chaos around them, while Sasuke's outfit was torn, his body covered in burn marks and faint scars. Despite his battered appearance, his eyes sparkled with the unmistakable gleam of someone who had gained a great deal from the fight.
"I won again," Izanami said, a teasing smile on his face as he looked at Sasuke. "According to our agreement, I'd like to take a look at the Ninjutsu library in your house."
Sasuke shrugged indifferently. "Sure, whatever. It's just a few scrolls anyway."
After the Uchiha Clan was destroyed, the village had buried the bodies of the fallen clan members and taken the scrolls. The only inheritance left were some low-level Wind Release Ninjutsu scrolls. Sasuke had asked the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, about it, and had been told that the advanced scrolls, including the clan's most valuable techniques, had likely been taken by his older brother, Uchiha Itachi.
Sasuke didn't mind that the village had taken the scrolls. The Third Hokage had assured him that once Sasuke became a full-fledged Ninja and was strong enough to take over the Uchiha Clan, he could apply to retrieve the land deed and the Ninjutsu scrolls. For now, Sasuke lacked the strength to reclaim them.
Izanami understood that the Hokage's words were true. Apart from the secret techniques like Izanagi and Izanami, there was little of worth in the Uchiha Clan's Ninjutsu library. The true value lay in the Uchiha combat prowess, not the scrolls. It was similar to the inheritance left behind by Izanami's own parents—valuable in its own right, but not worth obsessing over when compared to the power to wield it.
However, the Ninjutsu library in Sasuke's house still held some value for Izanami. His skill in form transformation was already exceptional, but his Wind Release Nature Transformation was practically nonexistent. To perfect the Super Hurricane Serial Spheres, Izanami needed to master all five elements of Wind Release Nature Transformation, each one strong enough to merge with the technique.
For Wind Release, Izanami could learn from Naruto's example, but for the other four nature transformations, he would have to figure them out on his own, either through Ninjutsu cultivation or guidance from an experienced Jonin after graduating.
Of course, there was another, far quicker way to acquire mastery over all the elements…
Awakening the Rinnegan—or the Reincarnation Eye.
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