Chapter 31 – New Discovery
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The Summer holidays is on full swing even for Azuma. Azuma passed his first week of the holidays with training. He was with Ino learning the training routine of the Yamanaka sensory technique. After learning them, he left Konoha with a Uzufuyuki logistic convoy going back to the capital with his mother to visit his father and his grandparents.

 

On the way there Azuma was thinking back on the first day he was going to Ino place to start his sensory training. He felt that the whole incident awkward for him and Ino.

When he reached Ino flower shop, Ino was already there waiting for him. Before he can greet her, she apologized to him right after she saw him coming. Azuma did not know what was happening but during that situation, but he felt a glare, a glare that was emitting various emotions. He found that the source of the glare was Inoichi when he tried to search for it. He was at the shop counter staring at Azuma, it made Azuma felt cold sweat, as he did not know what is really going on. Ino was apologizing while her father was staring at him, as he want to eat him alive.

It was not until Ino’s mother that came and dragged Inoichi to the back of the shop leaving Ino and Azuma alone to talk that the uncomfortable atmosphere ended.

 

It was only then that Azuma got the explanation. Ino was apologizing to him because she revealed information regarding the ‘Chakra Reinforcing technique’ when she was in an argument with her father the previous night.

 

The argument started when Ino told her parents that she would be helping Azuma in sensory training. When her father heard about it, he told Ino that he did not want Ino to help Azuma in sensory training, as the sensory training involve the Yamanaka training secrets. He know that Azuma was helping her in taijutsu training and he was grateful about that but he still could not allow Yamanaka training secrets to fall to an outsider. It was only after her father refusal to allow her to help Azuma that lead to a heated argument, that eventually made her slip and revealed some information regarding the ‘Chakra Reinforcing technique’ training she was getting.

When her father caught on to it, he enquired about it further. Ino who is still mad at her father was not composed enough to have a proper conversation lead her to blurt even more regarding the technique. When her father got the complete picture about the technique, he was completely shocked.

Azuma talents and his willingness to actually teach this kind of technique to his daughter shocked him. Ino’s mother who was listening was also surprised, she know about Azuma and his mother Yuna. She already had a good impression of him, but now she also felt that Azuma was different compared to the others. It is not because of his talent, although now it is proven that Azuma is very talented, a genius.

However, she is more intrigue about his thought process, his decision-making. She felt that the environment that he is in is the most probable reason for the differences in thinking.

As a ninja, especially a clan they are always secretive about their technique and had always had a policy of preventing their technique to be thought to outsiders. The chakra reinforcing technique is a technique that will be a coveted technique by many. It was at a level of secret technique that clans and ninja village coveted. For Azuma to just teach Ino, Hinata and Sakura openly, as someone from a clan they could not understand it.

 

After Ino calmed down she realize that she made a mistake by breaking the promise she made to Azuma. Her parents notice her expression and realize that she made a blunder, without her explaining, they could figure that it was regarding the ‘Chakra Reinforcing technique’ training Azuma was teaching her. It must had been a secret and she was not suppose to tell anyone about it.

Looking at her daughter, Inoichi sighed and told his daughter that he agreed that she could teach Azuma the way the Yamanaka train their Sensory chakra.          

 

Azuma was glad that he could actually learn the Yamanaka clan sensory training. It took him a few days to master the complete basis of the Yamanaka clan sensory method. With it, Azuma now is able to start integrating it with his own sensory techniques.

 

…..

 

Azuma days in the capital was peaceful, he greeted his family daily, had meals with them and finally had his own time to do his things.

He has been maintaining constant communication with his clones that already completed their preliminary exploring in the area around and in the cave network.

 

The area around the cave network is a beautiful place at the Alps, although the cave network connects to many other mountains at the alps, the core of the cave network is within a limestone mountain, where limestone pinnacles could be seen. 

The preliminary reports that Azuma got form his clones’ estimates that the cave network itself is around 300 km in length. The report also had showed that the cave network has seven entrances and one of the entrance is a pit entrance.

The cave network is a work of natural wonder as it was found to have numerous subterranean waterfalls, three underground rivers, and an underground lake. The clones also discovered two cave chambers within where it was believed that those chambers was being used in the distance past.

It could be an ancient ruin. However, investigation that is more thorough is needed to confirm Azuma assumption. Nevertheless based on the initial exploration there he found indications of human presence in the area in the past. Both of the chambers has evidence of being used where one has written artifacts laying around and most importantly, human bone fragments was found there as well. He would need to analyze the artifacts and fragments to be accurate. While the other chamber that is discovered is an ice chamber. Remains of animals were found there, which indicate the ancient humans could be using it as a storage area.

If it is true that it is an ancient ruin, Azuma will start his excavation on the site.

 

…..

 

While Azuma clones is busy investigating the cave network, Azuma finally got the time to actually test out the basis of the Yamanaka clan mind reading technique. Azuma had the best test subject for that which is the wind beast that he manage to capture and had it in cryogenic freezing.

 

When Azuma was testing out the technique at the training lodge, he found some interesting information. Based on his observation Azuma got a basic understanding about the beast social structure. When he was looking through the memories, Azuma came across the young tiger that the wild beast came across. When he saw the tiger, he had a feeling that the tiger is not a regular wild beast. Azuma cannot understand their interaction, however from his observation the tiger is clearly at a superior position compared to the other beasts.

 

While Azuma was in the mind of the wild beast the young tigress awoke form her slumber.

 

‘Hm?’

 

The tigress felt the presence of someone. After a while, she tracked down the presence towards a wild beast that had a soul contract with her. When she was looking at the soul contract, she found that it was the wild beast that she lost connection with during the incursion incident (Konoha Northern Forest incident).

For her it was an unusual event. The beast that she thought was lost suddenly appeared again.

If the beast was killed then she will know it right away. The soul contract was a skill that help her in controlling the wild beasts that made a contract with her. The added benefit is that it will also provide her the images of the last moments the beast was killed.

 

When she lost contact with the wild beast, she thought of many reasons. However she discarded most of them as it was impossible. This is because of the skill she use is from her original world and the techniques to remove the soul contracts that she thought off is all from her original world. Since there is no evidence of cultivators or beasts like her in this world, she discarded all the possibilities except one.

She believe that the only possible way that she lost track of the beast was that the beast was lost in another realm or dimension. It was similar to those sealed dimensions that she recognized, she thought that the beast was caught in a rift and because of that, she lost contact. Since she was reborn in this world, she sense that this world is extremely rich in natural qi (energy). Because of the abundance of natural qi, there are possibilities that dimensional rifts being formed and she thought that the beast was caught within it. For the beast to actually appear again was an event which pique her interest.

 

‘I never expect a situation like this to occur… let me see… I guess I could use the stretch’

 

Azuma did not realize that the tigress was interested in the situation and she is already on the move to Azuma location.

 

Azuma was about to complete his initial test of the Yamanaka clan mind reading technique when his sensory inscription alerted him. This shocked Azuma as it was the first time his sensory inscription was working. He had always thought that the sensory inscription he had is a failure because of the differences between universes. This made him to study the sensory techniques of this world to help in understanding the differences and fix the flaws he had.

Azuma did not want to believe it but based on his sensor something was approaching his location and at its speed, it will reach him within an hour.

 

Azuma did not take the alert lightly. He had a sense of foreboding, for his sensory inscription to work now when it always failed. Furthermore, if his general assumption of why it failed is true then the contact he will be facing will be something he did not want to think it is possible. However for now Azuma quickly took action in preparation to encounter the being that is approaching him.

 

…..

 

‘Oh! I lost the link again. Never mind I am already close to the location. I will see if I can find the source of the dimensional rift when I reach there.’

 

When the tigress arrived, she saw Azuma training location. However, she ignored it as she spread her senses to find the dimensional rift.

 

Azuma was observing the location from his hiding space. He was completely startled by the arrival of the tigress. He recognized the tiger as the one he saw in the wild beast mind. Azuma came to realize that the situation is grim as he thought. In Azuma point of view there is only the world beasts in his original universe that is capable of doing what he think it was. In his universe, the world beasts is categorized as at least S class or above and they always manage to track their brethren using methods unknown to the Union.

Since Azuma sensory inscription alerted him, he judge that that the tiger he is observing now is probably related to the world beasts he knew.

There is no other reason it was not the case as his sensory inscription was designed particularly to track the enemies of the Union.

 

Azuma stealthy observe the beast while positioning himself to take action when necessary. Although Azuma assumed that the beast he is observing is his enemy, nevertheless he gave a benefit of a doubt to the beast. As there is always a possibility of other explanation that this event is happening as it is now.

 

The tigress was trying her best to find the dimension rift with her soul sense but she failed.

 

“Sigh… I came here for nothing. I thought I came fast enough to find the rift but it possibly closed again…”

 

‘!!! It talked! Rifts? What is the beast talking about? Rift closing? ...’

 

Azuma and the beast was figuring out what the beast was talking about and what to do next when one of Yuna summoned ninneko (ninja cat) arrived at the scene.

 

“Huh? A tiger?”

“Hmm… a cat?”

‘Why mom summoned Kai here? This is problematic. I do not want to reveal myself now but… arrgh…’

 

Azuma worried about Kai forced him to come out of his hiding. He had to, to prevent any mishaps happening to his mother summoned cat. While he came out from his stealth mode, so it startled both of them.

 

“Azuma! … Why are you dressed like that? And why did you release your seal.”

 

When Azuma revealed himself, he appeared in front of the tiger beast while covering Kai. Azuma was suited up for combat and he removed the Uzumaki identity seal to perform better in combat, as he is already in disadvantage enough with his shadow clones still exploring the cave.

 

‘! I did not notice that kid. How did he manage to mask his presence?’

 

The tigress was in shock, she did not notice Azuma at all until he appeared. His action however increase her vigilance towards him as she observe him.

It did not take her a second when she saw the suit he was wearing, her eyes grew wide. The suit was similar to the suits the humans wear in her past life, she recognize it.

 

Her mind was in a confused state, it was similar to Azuma when he saw her the first time. She did not know how to react, as she was finding other explanations to what was happening right now. She did not want to belief that there is humans like that in this world. Moreover, she did not want to go back to the state she was in in the past. Fight, kill, death, orders, and repeat from the beginning. It was an exhausting time and a state where she was tired of but she had to due to the matriarch commands, she cannot disobey it.

However since she was reborn, she had already broken loose the shackles of the matriarch control and she was free. She thought of living her past behind but now with Azuma appearing in front of her having a cross resemblances similar to her past it made her hesitant.

 

Azuma mind was racing to find a way to break the standoff. In Azuma current perspective the tiger could be a world beast in his original world. If it is true, then the only way forward is to fight and kill, it has been the policy of the Union. It was set as it was impossible to establish any form of communication with them. It was a scenario, which Azuma do not want it to happen. It was least for now as if it is true and it is a world beast, based on his past information with his current capabilities he would not be able to win, in fact, the chance of him being killed is extremely high.

Thus, Azuma hope that his other possibility is true. A possibility that the tiger could also be like other summoned beast of this world. If it is true he can calm things down to prevent any escalation towards hostilities.

 

Out of good faith, Azuma decided on the latter.

 

The tigress was extremely cautious when she noticed Azuma wearing a battle suit which she recognized in her past life. She was extremely wary about it, during her past life she knew about injuries and casualties of her kin were on the rise since a few years before her death. The reports point to the humans on suits similar to what she is seeing now as the reason. If it was true then at her current stage she would not be able to win, she need to breakthrough to at least the sprit beast stage to actually be a match.

She currently truly want an alternate option, she hope for a probability that that kid is not from her past world. She has learnt that she should not underestimate the humans there, more so the kid now with a suit emitting a similar energy field that dragged her to her death.

 

While she was observing Azuma, he moved to a position that he is covering the cat. After that to her amazement, Azuma greeted her. She did not know how to react at first but the cat that Azuma covered hoped on Azuma shoulders and also greeted her as well.

When she looked at the cat and then Azuma, she remembered Azuma actions earlier. Both of Azuma actions where he move to cover the cat and his greetings had by itself lessen her cautious view towards Azuma. From his actions, she assume that the kid did not want to escalate the situation, his action of protecting the cat also indirectly increase her opinion towards him.

She sighed internally and decided to reciprocate with her own greetings.

 

Kai was wondering what was going on when he saw a tiger at the training lodge, he the reason he was here in the first place was because Yuna asked him to relay a message to Azuma. It was a common task for him as he did it several times already.

Today however was different. At first, he thought the tiger just so happened to pass by the area and decided to take a rest here. He blurted out a comment however, he did not actually expect that the tiger also had a similar reply comment directed to him. He realized right away that the tiger was similar to him. When he was deciding what to do, Azuma appeared suddenly while wearing clothes that he did not know off however, he did recognize that he appeared with his Uzumaki seal removed.

Azuma appearance made him question his attire and his reasons that he had his seal removed. What made him quiet was Azuma action after his appearance. Azuma did not greet him but actually move to a position in front of him. It was as if he is shielding him from the tiger, it made him wonder about his action. The silence after that was making him uncomfortable, however the atmosphere made him realize that the situation was not normal and it could escalate to a fight. He kept quite while he continue his observation between Azuma and the tiger.

 

“I am sorry I startle you, I mean you no harm. Let me introduce myself I am Azuma and this is Kai, a ninja cat. I welcome you to my training lodge.” 

 

When Kai saw the way Azuma broke the silence realize that Azuma did not want escalate the situation to a fight so he decide to follow Azuma lead.

 

Kai immediately hopped on Azuma shoulders while he greeted in a friendly tone to the tiger. “Hi, I am Kai.”

 

“… I am … Yuki” The tigress was figuring out how to call herself in this world and decided on a simple name of Yuki, which has a similar meaning to her original name in her past life.

 

It was unknown to both of them that although both of them are living a new life in a new universe it was still the first established communication between humanity and the invaders.

 

After the greeting the atmosphere calmed, Yuki and Azuma manage to have a proper conversation through their polite small talks.

It got the ball rolling until Azuma politely ask about the reasons she came to his training lodge. When she was asked that question, she decided to reply Azuma. When she replied assumed that Azuma was a local kid, she did not know that Azuma mind was running wild after hearing her explanation.

 

Azuma initial assumptions regarding Yuki was correct, she had similar skills and abilities like the world beasts. What he still did not know is that she is like him, a reincarnater. It was a last thing in his mind because of the extremely minuscule probability of another one like him in the same world as he is.

The dimension rift she was mentioning was actually the sealing of the wild beast he had. However, when he asked about it, her explanation regarding dimension rift got his mind thinking about new ways to understand this ‘Naruto’ world.

It got him interested. It was something new that was not within his view and that captivated him. It was a view from a perspective from a third person that was also from a different universe. It was a perspective from Yuki universe and not from Azuma or Naruto universe.

 

Azuma wanted to know more about it, it was similar to his other times when he watched the animes. He uses the five ‘W’ and one ‘H’ were principle to try to understand the workings of the new world. The way Yuki explain provide him a new understanding towards the intricacy of the sealing technique. It was something that Azuma wanted to learn more about and Yuki was someone that could provide it.

 

“I never expect that I could be exposed to many unique ways in understanding things from you. It is truly a great day, knowing you today is probably the best thing that has occurred.”

 

“Huh? … Thank you, I suppose?” Yuki did not know how to reply but she wondered why Azuma complemented her like that.

 

“We almost get on the wrong foot, I do not know why is that. Cause now I will truly regret if it did happen. I want to have multiple discussions about many things with you. It is something that I really want and to do so we probably need to be on the same page. Because of this, I do not want my past actions reflect what I want now. I will start by apologizing to you about your subordinate.”

 

After listening to Azuma, Yuki wondered about. She agreed with Azuma, as she also did not want her past actions to reflect what she is now. Although she did not know why a kid like him was so mature in this kind of discussion she accepted it as it is. Her view on age was completely different to humans so she live by hers.

It was not until what Azuma did later that it blew off her mind. She saw him taking a scroll and it followed by him making some hand signs, what happen next made her eyes grew wide. Her senses also proved it, a kid at his age know how to make use of a pocket dimension. It was something that she thought was not possible at that age, even for her she will need more time to cultivate. With the abundance of natural qi around it will take her about a five more years to reach the spirit beast stage, based on her understanding it was the bare minimum requirement. 

 

Space-time laws were something that she understand well, it was a point where a beast could actually roam freely without much obstacles in their way. Pocket dimensions was one of the skills gained through the understanding of space-time laws.

The problem for Yuki now is that she do not have enough base qi, she had the knowledge it was retained when she was reborn. What she do not have is the profound qi to do it. However what she saw completely change her perspective, what she thought was impossible is now proven to be fact.

She completely ignored her cold freeze subordinate that Azuma presented. It was not something that she was bothered with, the main reason she is here in the first place was to track what she thought was a dimension rift occurring. But now she want to know more about how Azuma was able to control space-time laws like that.

 

The method of dimensional storage showed by Azuma was something Yuki cannot fathom.  She asked Azuma to demonstrate the sealing method several more times, so she can see if she is able to understand the intricacy of it. Every time she see Azuma demonstrate the seal, she sensed a tiny dimensional rift happening. The rift was stable and it was able to store the frozen wild beast safely. This event intrigued her greatly.

 

Yuki found that this world had more to offer after Azuma demonstration. Her horizon was broaden. She now recognized that the natives of this world is traversing an alternate route towards understanding the universe. Initially she thought that the natives skill were just unsophisticated when she caught the glimpse of the natives’ skills looking through the eyes of her dead subordinates.

It had similarities to what she knows. Physical attacks, cold weapons, element techniques it had more similarities compared to the other human universe in her previous life. The humans of that universe had evolved and adopted a route completely different from her and other universes she knew. It was viewed as heresy by the sovereigns that control her universe and as well as many others. However, for her after living in their universe along with various encounters with them, she leant that heresy or not for her it was the same. It actually followed a similar path in the most basic way. The most basic understanding about learning about the universe and benefit from what you learn, it was all the same.

 

It was Yuki second time where she realize she has underestimated the natives. Her first was during her past life that cost her life in the end. Now she has also made a mistake in judgement on the natives in this universe as well. Although the overall strength of the natives is not worth mentioning, there unique way of learning and adopting the use of the laws of the universe on the other hand is completely worth learning from.

 

When Azuma saw Yuki behavior, he knew she had arrived to the similar revelation as he did. When he first watched Anime in his past life and then again when he first saw the use of the Uzumaki fuinjutsu it truly broaden his horizon. For the Animes things that was fiction can turn to reality, while the Uzumaki fuinjutsu also influenced him the similar way.

 

It was a great start for long standing relationship between Azuma and Yuki.

 

I do not know the flow of the story is alright.

Cave references: Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins (Ishigaki Island – Japan), Narusawa Ice Cave (Mount Fuji – Japan), Shuanghengdong Cave Network (China), Clear water cave system (Mount Api – Malaysia)

 

On the other note.

I was figuring out the names and I decided to keep it in Japanese if possible. Yuki is someone I wanted to introduce but I cannot figure the best way to introduce her. I sort of did it in the Konoha Northern Forest chapters but I wanted her to be more involved in Azuma story forward. Hence the flow of the story switched from Ino to Yuki in this chapter.

Have a nice weekend.

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