Naruto: Amongst the Whirling Tides Chapter 20

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Pretty slow chapter, but new ideas kept cropping up and it ran away from me.

Chapter 20

Naruto continued to question Hagoromo, mostly about how to use the Sakusei Burashi, but the sage soon reminded him that their time together was limited. This gave Naruto the idea to use the brush to keep the sage around for as long as possible. Hagoromo was a legend and a wealth of knowledge that Naruto could tap into for many years.

"I don’t want to stick around," Hagoromo said, his form becoming more transparent as the chakra sustaining him started to run out. "My time has come and gone. I have a lot I would like to tell you, but I don’t have the time. Instead, I will point you to a location where you can learn the real truth about this world, but you must be at a certain level of strength before you can access it."

“How strong?”

“Stronger than your father in his prime.”

“Piece of cake,” Naruto said sarcastically. “I should be able to achieve that in no time at all.”

Naruto took note of the location Hagoromo gave him, and the man vanished shortly after.

"Well, that’s unfortunate. Imagine how many jutsu I could have learned from him."

Naruto looked around the chamber some more, but nothing else could be found. He exited and returned to the first chamber, where Hisashi was waiting.

Hisashi's jaw dropped when he saw Naruto holding the Sakusei Burashi. He opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.

“Cat got your tongue, Hisashi?” Naruto grinned.

“I can’t believe a brat like you is the one who gets to wield the Sakusei Burashi. Life is unfair.”

Naruto cupped his ear. “What’s that? I can’t hear you. Praise me some more.”

Hisashi snorted. “Where did Hagoromo go?”

“His chakra has dispersed.”

“That’s a shame,” Hisashi sighed. He pointed to the brush in Naruto’s hand. “Are you going to try it out? I expected you to be more excited since you are holding such a powerful tool."

Naruto tightened his grip on the brush. “It’s not like I don’t understand. But when I consider the implications, it’s kind of overwhelming. Where do I even start?”

Hagoromo claimed to have created the tailed beasts using the Ten-Tails chakra. The sage had revealed the existence of the terrifying existence but hadn’t provided any further details. It was difficult to imagine repeating such a feat. To begin with, Hagoromo's chakra reserves were in a completely different realm than his own. How many years, if ever, would it take for him to have the same amount of chakra?

Hiashi smiled. "Your mother expressed it perfectly. She made things to meet a specific need. That is the nature of everything built by humans in the past. The only question you need to ask yourself is whether you have the resources to create it. Why don’t you begin with something simple?"

Naruto nodded. "I will have to think about it. I forgot to ask Hagoromo about something. Is there anything on the island that the Uzumakis created with the specialised fuinjutsu?"

"Haven’t you realised it yet? Isn’t it strange that the fog surrounding the island persists to this day without intervention?"

"I never gave it much thought," Naruto admitted. "Is there a mechanism for controlling the fog?"

Hisashi pointed in the direction Naruto had just come from. "It is the same location as the mechanism for my array." To open the way, you must use the brush on the pedestal."

"I will come back tomorrow and check it out," Naruto said. "I’m not going to keep Karin waiting any longer."

"Be careful who you tell about the Sakusei Burash," Hisashi cautioned. "Its power will inspire a great deal of envy in others."

Naruto stepped outside, and he and Karin made their way back to the village. He was already thinking about how to use the brush and had some ideas. He went in search of Jiraiya and his father after dinner because they were the two people he needed to tell right away about what he discovered.

He found them in their office, where Minato was going over paperwork. Jiraiya, on the other hand, appeared to be working on something else, judging by the giggles that escaped his mouth. Naruto thought it best that he didn’t dwell on it too much, considering the man’s reputation for writing the Icha Icha book series.

“Naruto. You have an unusually serious expression on your face." Minato said. “What’s the matter?”

"I discovered the Uzumakis' secret."

Jiraiya's head shot up, his expression turning solemn. "Did you go to see Hisashi? Why didn’t you invite me?"

"Is it really that important?" Naruto shrugged. "I’m going to tell you what I discovered."

Minato looked between the two of them. “What are you talking about?”

"Oh, Naruto forgot to tell you the secret," Jiraiya realised.

“I’m not the only one,” Narito retorted. He went on to explain why Jiraiya had brought him to the island.

"So, am I finally going to discover Kushina's secret?" Minato asked.

‘That’s right,” Naruto replied. He was about to continue when Jiraiya raised his hand.

"Before we continue, I should go get Mei. I do not want to keep any secrets from her because they will affect her and her people."

"Do you think that is wise?" Minato frowned.

"You are thinking too much like a Hokage," Jiraiya said as he walked out of the tent.

Minato simply shrugged, taking the remark in stride.

While waiting, Naruto took some of the paper from Juraiya's desk and began scribbling down some notes. Jiraiya returned, followed by Mei, and they sat down at the desk.

“Alright, what is this great secret?” Jiraiya asked, almost bouncing in his seat in excitement.

“Instead of telling you, why don’t I give you a demonstration?”

Naruto chose a scroll and rolled it out on the floor. For his initial creation, he opted for a simple chair. It was a practical choice, requiring minimal chakra and time to complete.

Naruto frowned as a tendril emerged from the brush's handle and pierced his wrist. Aside from his chakra, the brush also required his blood. Instead of using ink, it used his blood. This meant he had to keep track of not only his chakra reserves but also the amount of blood he used. Although he didn’t have to worry about losing too much blood for this small project, larger projects with more intricate designs would be a challenge.

He picked up the brush and started to write the formula on the paper.

The fuinjutsu formula he used deviated significantly from the usual norm. Instead of a conventional design, he sketched three squares, each serving a particular purpose. In the first square, he described the object he intended to create, providing every detail that he understood about the design. Within the second square, he depicted the materials that made up the chair. Lastly, in the third square, he drew a visual representation of the object he was bringing into existence.

This was a basic formula for making small to mid-sized objects. Hagromo had given him a number of them, each for a specific purpose. In reality, he only needed the brush and the parchment to write down the information for the specific outcome. However, it did assist in focusing the mind and visualising the result, which would ultimately save him some chakra.

“What is he doing?” Mei inquired of the other two.

"No idea," Minato replied. "It is not your typical formula."

"I am not sure either." Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "But what is that brush in your hands, Naruto? I have never seen anything like it.”

"This is known as the Sakusei Burashi," Naruto answered. "Please be quiet; I am trying to concentrate."

After writing out the entire formula, he drew a fourth square in the centre and connected it to the other squares. The fourth square was the igniter needed to bring the entire thing to fruition. He placed the tip of the brush in the square and performed a hand seal with his spare hand. The brush immediately began absorbing his chakra, and dozens of seals emerged from it, swarming over the entire scroll.

His hand gripped the brush tightly, an unbreakable grip that held him in its grasp. He wouldn’t be able to free himself no matter how hard he tried. This was the brush's treacherous nature: he was completely powerless until it had gathered the necessary chakra to create the object. He could die if he didn’t have enough chakra. Furthermore, the effects of a failed creation could be disastrous, wreaking havoc on the surrounding environment. That is why he chose to start with something as simple as a chair. Hagoromo had assured Naruto that his chakra reserves could produce simple objects of this size.

The brush lifted from the parchment after about half of his chakra had been drained. Naruto stepped back and watched as the base of the chair appeared. The chair was sprouting from the scroll like some kind of mutant plant.

“Kami!” Mei exclaimed.

Jiraiya and Minato were taken aback, as evidenced by their wide-eyed expressions. It didn’t leave their faces for the entire time the chair was being assembled. Naruto had finished making a comfortable chair entirely out of his chakra.

"All right, start explaining yourself," Jiraiya demanded.

Naruto sat in the chair, marvelling at how real it felt. He knew he could have saved some chakra if he had spent more time detailing the formula, but he didn’t think it was necessary. It was preferable to spend chakra than his blood, which was more difficult to replenish.

He showed them the Sakusei Burashi. “This is what the Uzumaki clan was hiding. It’s the seventh treasured tool created by the Sage of the Six Paths. It grants me the ability to create almost anything at the expense of my chakra and blood."

The room fell silent as the three adults considered the profound implications of this power Naruto wielded. Their gazes were fixed on the brush, their expressions tense with speculation, as if they were wondering if they, too, could wield its powers.

"Don’t get any ideas," Naruto warned. "Hagoromo said that I am the only person other than himself who can use the tool. You are welcome to give it a shot."

"Did you just say Hagoromo?" Jiraiya leaned forward over his desk. “Are you saying you spoke to the Sage of the Six Paths?”

"That is right," Naruto said, nodding. "He answered a few questions for me before his chakra ran out and he disappeared."

"Is this what enabled Kushina to use her specialised fuinjutsu?" Minato asked. “I don’t understand. "How did she get the ability if you are the only one who can use it?"

"It allows some people who touch it to use the Yin-Yang release and the Creation of All Things technique through fuinjutsu. The method is slightly different, and it’s not as powerful, but it still ends up with a similar result."

"Interesting," Mei commented. "Did he provide any examples of how the technique could be used?"

Naruto told them about the ten-tails, which elicited some adverse reactions given how powerful such a creature sounded. The Kyuubi was already terrifying on its own, so it was difficult to imagine how powerful it would be with all of the tailed beasts combined.

"That brings up another topic I was planning to discuss with you, Naruto," Jiraiya sighed.

“What are you talking about?”

"I am talking about the Akatsuki," Jiraiya explained. Mei appeared to know what he was talking about, but Minato looked confused. "They are a mercenary organisation that hires themselves out to the highest bidder. Konoha doesn’t use their services, but some of the other villages do. Iwa is the worst offender in this regard."

“What’s got to do with me?”

"Because I discovered through my spy network that they have a goal other than earning Ryo," Jiraiya stated solemnly. "They are also after all of the tailed beasts."

“Is this true?” Mei asked. “I hadn’t heard such information before. What is their goal?”

“I am also curious,” Minato said. "They will eventually come after Naruto."

Jiraiya stood up and fetched a bottle of sake along with a cup. He poured himself a generous serving and downed it in one swift motion. He then proceeded to drink two more before answering their questions.

"When Naruto mentioned the ten tails, I had a terrifying thought. What if they are attempting to gather the tailed beasts and recombine them into ten-tails?"

"That is a bit much." Mei shook her head, though her brow was furrowed. "We need more information before we can make such a determination."

"Whatever their motivation, they are going to go after me, right?" Naruto stated.

"Well, it is a good thing you have a tool that might help you with that," Minato said, smiling. "Does holding the brush to try to obtain the yin-yang release have any negative side effects?"

"No," Naruto said, passing the brush over the desk. “Knock yourself out.”

All three adults tried holding the brush, but it didn’t respond to any of them. Although they appeared disappointed, they didn't dwell on it for long.

"You have to be careful who you tell about this brush," Jiraiya said as he handed it back to Naruto. "For the time being, I recommend you don’t tell anyone else."

Naruto nodded. "I will need my own space to practice with it. If I get it wrong, the entire village may be sent to the Pure Land."

"You could have mentioned it earlier," Mei grumbled. "Find a location you like, and we will make it off-limits to others. You don’t have to report on everything you experiment on, but if it has an impact on the village, we need to know about it."

"And be careful," Minato added. "I would like to see you on the training grounds nice and early tomorrow. If you are being targeted by an organisation, your training is even more important."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=

Later that evening, Naruto lay on his bed, deep in thought about what he needed to create first. He eventually had a brilliant idea, but there was a major stumbling block: he wasn't sure if he possessed the necessary chakra to bring his idea to life. After all, its function had never been seen before, at least not in the form he envisioned.

Before he thought about it any further, he decided to pay a visit to his mindscape. He could speak to Kurama at the same time.

He closed his eyes and entered his mindscape, approaching Kurmara's cage. His shadow clones were busy learning a new jutsu, as usual. Once it was learned, he would instruct them to begin mastering wind transformation so that he could begin combining the element with the Rasengan.

"What brings you here to see me this time?" Kurama asked.

"I'm not sure. I happened to be in the neighbourhood and thought I would stop by to see how you're doing."

“How amusing. What do you want?"

Naruto took the brush from his pocket and showed it to him. "I have gained an incredible power that will allow me to keep my promise to you, but I’m not sure if I should."

Kurama pressed his forehead against the cage, his bored expression gone. "What exactly is that thing? There is something about it that feels familiar, and it is radiating yin-yang chakra."

“This little old thing? There is nothing special about it. Just a treasured tool created by the Sage of the Six Paths."

“What!?” Kurama growled. "How did you obtain such an item?"

"The Uzumakis have been guarding it since their inception." I happen to be the first person since Hagoromo to be able to wield it."

“How do you know my father’s name?” Kurama roared, slamming himself against the cage.

"Calm down," Naruto said, frowning. “Some of his chakra was stored in the brush. I was able to have a conversation with him before he disappeared."

“I don’t believe you.”

“He told me about the ten-tails. How all of the tailed beasts were created from its chakra. That's why you call him father, right?”

Kurama turned away, not responding to his question.

"All I am saying is that I can free you, but it will take some time. But after what I learned today, I’m not sure if it is the best plan."

Kurama turned his head. "Are you attempting to break our agreement?"

Naruto told him about the Akatsuki and how they were attempting to collect all of the tailed beasts.

"Even if I freed you, it will be easier for them to capture you again if you are alone."

"That is what you say," Kurama grumbled. "I am far more powerful outside of you than I am inside of you."

“Are you forgetting that you have been split in half?” Naruto asked. "My father has the other half of you stored in himself. I’m not sure if it would be released if he returned to the Shinigami's stomach. Not to mention the fact that they have a Uchiha on their side. What if he could control you with his Sharingan?”

“So, you want me to stay imprisoned and cooperate with you? "How foolish."

"Until the threat of the Akatsuki has passed," Naruto explained. "Just give it some thought."

He turned and walked away, but he stopped when Kurama called his name.

“Did he even mention me?” Kurama asked.

Naruto didn’t need to ask about what Kurama was referring to. “He did. He said that he missed all of his children and wished that he could meet all of them again.”

He left Kurama to think about what he said and headed over to where the physical manifestation of his core was located.

His chakra core housed the reserves that he did not use daily but served as emergency chakra reserves. When he slept, some of the unused chakra that he did not use during the day was transferred to his core because that was where the majority of his chakra regenerated. If his normal reserves were depleted, they would be automatically replenished from his core. It was such a broken ability.

With his normal reserves and the chakra from Kurama, he had access to a massive amount of chakra. The core was nearly half full right now, so he expected to have more than enough for the item he wanted to make. But, as a precaution, he would wait until tomorrow, when his normal reserves would be replenished. There was also his blood to consider, which was most likely the deciding factor in whether or not he could succeed.

If he was successful, he wouldn’t have to worry about second-guessing any future creations he made.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Naruto awoke early the next morning. He took a sleepy Kushina next door to Karin's tent and asked her to look after the girl. He went over to Tsunade's tent and called out to her. It was a risk to wake her up so early, but he had some questions for her before attempting to create his next item.

"What do you want, brat?" Tsunade growled as she pulled the tent flap back.

Naruto blinked and averted his gaze, unable to bear seeing the woman in her sheer nightgown. It threw his mind for a loop. He was aware that she was an older woman, but the body she displayed was that of a much younger, sexier woman. Jiraiya would be so envious that he got to see such a sight.

“I need to ask you some medical questions,” Naruto said. “It’s important.”

Tsunade sighed. "Why did you have to wake me up at such an early hour? Give me a moment to get dressed.”

She let him into her tent a few minutes later, dressed in her usual attire. Tsunade motioned for him to sit, and she made some tea for the two of them.

"What do you want to know?" Tsunade asked.

"How long does it take for someone's blood to replenish in their body?"

Tsunade paused in the middle of sipping her tea. “Why do you want to know such a thing?"

“Humour me.”

"Well, that depends. When it comes to the volume of blood, it usually takes an average person between twenty-four and forty-eight hours to replenish."

“What else is there to consider?”

"There are also red blood cells," Tsunade said. "They are the functional component of blood that transports gasses and nutrients throughout the human body. They require a lot more time to replenish. Between four and six weeks.”

That did not sound promising. If the process of using the brush depleted his red blood cells, it would seriously impair his ability to create things. If he wasn’t careful, he could deplete his red blood cells to the point of serious harm or even death. It wouldn’t be as obvious as losing a lot of blood.

"What do you mean an average person?" Naruto asked.

"Well, Shinobi who train to increase their chakra reserves are different," Tsunade replied. "Their blood is more saturated with chakra, which makes it more robust and regenerates at a faster rate. When compared to the average person, it takes half the time for their blood to replenish."

That sounded better, but it was still not ideal. He had a lot of ideas, and he did not want to wait months or even years for them to come to fruition. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "What about an Uzumaki? Are we different?”

Tsunade gave him an approving nod. "That is a good question. The Uzumakis have stronger vitality compared to others. That is why I can use Creation Rebirth more freely without it negatively affecting me."

“Sakura told me about that technique. It allows you to heal any damage, but it divides your body's cells to achieve an extremely fast healing rate."

Tsunade nodded. "Cells can only divide so many times before they stop. This is how people age and eventually die. However, because I am a Uzumaki, my cells divide at a much slower rate than usual. But let us get back to your question. Your blood would replenish much faster than that of a regular Shinobi. It also has more vitality, so you will use less for more. Being the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi may also have an impact, but I haven’t done any research on the subject, so it is all conjecture."

Did that mean that he had already recovered the blood he used last night for the chair? There was no way of telling for sure, but that seemed to be the case.

"How long will it take for me to recover my blood? What about my red blood cells?"

Tsundae crossed her arms. "I’m not going to say anything else until you tell me why you need this information. I have a feeling you are going to do something stupid, and I don’t want to be a part of it."

Naruto took a moment to think about her offer. Technically, he didn’t need her help because he now had a general idea of his limits, but it would be nice to have someone with more expertise on the subject. He wasn’t averse to telling her about his secret, and it was part of her legacy as well. Telling more people was risky, but Tsunade was someone he could rely on.

After making up his mind, he revealed the Uzumaki clan's secret to Tsunade. Her reaction was much milder than the adults' from last night. Only a slight widening of her eyes revealed her surprise.

“I figured the Uzumaki clan was hiding something,” Tsunade said. "My grandmother hinted at it, but she never elaborated. Although I’m an Uzumaki, I’m also from Konoha, so she probably didn’t feel like she could trust me with the information."

“You are family,” Naruto said. “She should have told you.”

That reminded him that he needed to tell Karin and Kushina at some point. There was a possibility that they would be able to use the Yin-Yang release. Although he wasn’t sure if members of the Uzumaki clan had a better chance than others or if it was because they were the only ones who had the opportunity to obtain it.

Tsunade brushed off his remark. “It doesn’t matter. So, are you concerned about using too much blood to make things? It’s good that you recognise how dangerous it can be.”

"That is why I want to tackle that issue first," Naruto explained. He proceeded to tell her his plan.

Tsunade's eyes glowed with excitement. "If you are going to attempt something like this, I would like to be there to monitor your vitals."

“It could be dangerous,” Naruto warned.

“I can take care of myself. Let me gather some supplies and then we can head out.”

Naruto gathered his own supplies and led Tsunade away from the village to a remote location with no one else around.

He took a deep breath as he laid the scroll on the ground. He was apprehensive about his next creation because, unlike the chair, it was much more ephemeral in design. In reality, he needed to make two items. At first, he considered combining the functions but decided against it because he didn’t know how much it would cost him.

First, he wanted to create an item that would allow him to determine the necessary resources required to make something before committing to it. He asked Tsunade about it and she suggested that he create a small electronic device that would allow him to input the information and display it on the screen. She gave him as much information about how they worked as she could, and he began writing down the formula.

"Let me measure your blood first so I can get a reading of your total blood count," Tsunade said. She performed a series of hand seals until her hands were green in colour. She waited a minute after placing her hand on his wrist before nodding. “You may proceed.”

Naruto took ten minutes to complete the formula, which required three times the amount of blood as the chair. Tsunade's calm face indicated that he had nothing to be concerned about.

Naruto took a step back after the process was completed. The brush had completely depleted his chakra reserves, causing his core to activate. It drained the same amount once more before it was satisfied.

The small white electronic device gradually appeared on the scroll. It was about the size of his palm, with a small keyboard for entering information. When it was finished, he picked it up and examined it with a smile.

“That is incredible,” Tsunade said. “Why don’t you try it out?”

Naruto nodded and began entering information about his next creation into the device. The screen went black for a brief moment before displaying the information.

Item: Chakra, Blood Vitality Scanner

Requirements:

Chakra: 54000 units.

Blood: 700 ml

“It works!” Naruto exclaimed. “How much is 700 ml of blood? Is that a lot?”

“For a normal human to donate that much is slightly dangerous,” Tsunade said. "This amount will not affect you as long as you haven’t lost a lot of blood beforehand. I recommend that you eat a lot of iron-rich foods to help your blood regenerate faster."

“Alright, I will wait a few days, then make the second item,” Naruto grinned. “What’s with this unit of measurement for my chakra, though?”

“Beats me,” Tsunade shrugged. “Once you have built the scanner, you will have a better idea. I have never seen chakra measured so accurately before. I would be interested in obtaining a scanner for myself.”

=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Minato arrived after breakfast and found Naruto so they could begin their training. He decided he wanted it to be private, so he led Naruto back to the underground cavern.

"I have a question for you," Minato said.

“What is it?” Naruto did some stretches to loosen up.

“It’s how your shadow clones operate within your mindscape. I can’t believe Jiraiya didn’t notice this earlier."

“It’s awesome, right?” Naruto grinned. "I get the memories back from the shadow clones, which makes training much easier."

"Yes, it is overpowered, especially with your chakra reserves," Minato replied. “But you are using an inferior version of the shadow clone jutsu. You should be able to gain memories of your clones outside of your mindscape as well."

“Huh?” Naruto's eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

“How did you learn the shadow clone jutsu?”

“From the scroll of seals locked up in the Hokage’s Tower.”

"That explains it," Minato said, nodding. "There is only one written record of the true shadow clone jutsu, and it is kept secure from prying eyes. It’s passed down from Hokage to Hokage, and few Shinobi outside of them learn it. They consider the ability to be too strong to have it getting out to other hidden villages.”

“Why does it work within my mindscape?”

Minato shrugged. “You would have to ask your mother that.”

“Hmm. It may be better if it works outside of my mindscape. I will be able to keep a better eye on them and use more clones as well. So are you going to teach me?”

"I will demonstrate the method, and then you can work on it on your own time," Minato explained. "I have got other things to teach you."

Minato demonstrated the shadow clone technique, which was simple. It was a reversal of the hand sign he had previously used, where his fingers were pointed down. He had no idea they could operate in that manner. Naruto figured it out in ten minutes, which exceeded Minato's expectations. Since it was so similar to the other one, it wasn’t that hard to learn, but he overdid it a little. He summoned thirty shadow clones at once. He had each one do something, then dismissed them to test out its capabilities. Sure enough, it worked exactly like the clone’s in his mindscape.

“Alright, now it’s time to teach you something new,” Minato said. “How about we start with the Flying Raijin technique?”

So, what do you think? The flying raijin technique is overpowered, but it’s not going to be easy for Naruto to learn. He has to work for it.

Thanks for reading.