MrProper

Sorry about the slow update today. Though I don't release on Sunday's, I still may have overdid with that double release on Saturday (Was a little too excited about my 100th chapter LOL). Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

(Remember, I leave progress updates for upcoming chapters on my Ko-fi page in case you're wondering when the next one is ready)

Along a narrow river long past Shimogakure

Rei was sitting quietly on the small boat Motoi was paddling. During their short trip, neither did much besides discussing mission details. It was then, Motoi saw an opportunity cross-examine him

"Sano-kun" (Motoi)

"Hm? What is it?" (Rei)

"I've already been briefed on some of your abilities...but I don't think I have the full picture" (Motoi)

"Right, guess we should talk about that" (Rei)

"I'm a tracker-focused ninja and my Kuchiyose¹Summoningis an owl great for scouting and sending messages. Also, I'm well versed in Kekkai Ninjutsu²Barrier Ninjutsuwith a little experience in Raiton³Lightning Styleon the side" (Motoi)

"Oh? Kekkai Ninjutsu is a subject I haven't explored much. I'd love for you to tell me more when we have time" (Rei)

"Heh, sure. When the time comes, I'll happily enlighten you. Now, on the subject of your abilities, all I know is you have some skill with Katon and Suiton but..." (Motoi)

"I'm a sensor-type but my fire and water are really just secondary for me. Because progress on that front has been incredibly slow {Despite "Rei's" soul not hindering me as much as it used to}, my primary ability is focused on Taijutsu and Genjutsu" (Rei)

"Genjutsu is most welcome but, Taijutsu?" (Motoi)

"Yeah, Kakuran Taijutsu⁴Disturbance Taijutsuto be accurate. Turns out I have a knack for it" (Rei)

"That's right, you trained under...Killer B-sama..." (Motoi)

"Huh?" (Rei)

SPLISH!

Motoi abruptly stopped paddling the small boat and his expression went completely downwards, the mood was quickly turning melancholy

"Motoi?" (Rei)

"Sorry...it's nothing" (Motoi)

"?" (Rei)

Motoi resumed paddling before speaking again

"You've been praised for your exceptional chakra control but your tone suggests you don't believe your nature transformation is up to par..." (Motoi)

"Sigh, well..." (Rei)

Rei's nature transformation had only improved lately due to his improved chakra control, his affinity itself was still quite terrible. The only exception was his Yōton⁵Yang/Light Style, and his Genjutsu-focused Inton⁶Yin/Shadow Style

Since his secret Kisshōten⁷Auspicious Heavensability was confirmed to be an In'yōton Jutsu⁸Yin-Yang/Shadow & Light Style Jutsu, continued use of the production-like ability was great for strengthening both his Yin and Yang natures

He sent several weapons into that strange world, and with the mysterious black orb which followed his every command, replicated and manufactured more. Whether it be shuriken, kunai, swords, or even paper bombs...he made as much as he could

Though a clever form of training on his part, Rei was still unsatisfied. Kisshōten was indeed useful, but it wasn't without it's drawbacks. For starters, it still couldn't match the level of the Sage of Six Paths "Creation of all Things" ability, capable of creating things from nothing. It could only replicate and alter objects Rei brought with him

Second, all living things he brought to that world couldn't be changed, and when he brought them back out...they died. He had experimented with several insects and mice, all with negative results

Finally, it consumed a great deal of chakra every time he brought materials forged within its white space, back into the real world. It was more of a support-type ability, meant to used before or after a mission, definitely not suited for active combat

After using his Second Lifeline, he came to understand with time, the ability could potentially evolve into something on par with the Sage's. But such an undertaking would take time, and incredibly powerful chakra. Neither of which he possessed now

"Really? I'd think your elements would be better with what I've heard" (Motoi)

"And...what is it that you've heard?" (Rei)

"Oh, sorry. I acquired information on you before requesting your aid. The files detailed the specifics of your heritage" (Motoi)

"You got my information?" (Rei)

"I prefer to be thorough, especially when it comes to my squad" (Motoi)

"...Okay, and what did you mean about my heritage? My...er...'father' was a Jonin who didn't specialize in any elemental nature. He was proficient in all forms of basic ninja skills and spent most of his time teaching at the academy" (Rei)

"I already know plenty about Keido, I was actually referring to your mother, Moriko Sano" (Motoi)

"I never got to know her as she died during child birth. What does she have to do with this?" (Rei)

"Do you know where she hails from? Or how she came to Kumogakure in the first place?" (Motoi)

"With her homeless family, she came from the far west, in the barren land now called Ishigakure. During a mission in the area, my father encountered her family under siege by criminals and rescued them. Since they had nowhere to go, he graciously brought my mother and her family to the village and eventually they married" (Rei)

"True, but what I'm getting at is Ishigakure's population. A lawless territory not only filled with bandits and miscreants, but rogue shinobi without a home to call theirs. Many of whom possess...unique abilities" (Motoi)

Motoi stared inquisitively at Rei, trying to gauge his reaction

"I think I now know what you're suggesting and...the answer is no" (Rei)

"...Are you sure?" (Motoi)

"I don't have a Kekkei Genkai⁹Bloodline LimitMotoi" {And I made sure to check} (Rei)

One of the first things Raymond did after arriving in this world was confirming if he had any special powers. According to Notitia, "Rei" came from a powerful bloodline on his mother's side but just like her, he exhibited no extraordinary abilities other than a slightly above average affinity for Katon

It was for this reason he died at the young age of thirteen. However, Raymond didn't completely trust Notitia, nor its words as a certainty. He underwent countless testing and research to confirm the truth

But after some time, he recalled the words of his academy teacher Osoi on the limitations of genetics. His mother never demonstrated any Kekkei Genkai despite coming from a gifted family. This led him to believe like his mother, "Rei" possessed recessive genes

Just as the First Hokage's grandaughter Tsunade didn't inherit his Mokuton¹⁰Wood Style, Moriko Sano lacked any special traits

{Now that I've modified this body from its original path, it's possible I may experience a lucky break but...even after all this time, the only new power my Neo-Ōtsutsuki body has shown is the Kisshōten} (Rei)

"I see..." (Motoi)

"Forget a Kekkei Genkai, even my Katon and Suiton are starting to..." (Rei)

"Hm?" (Motoi)

"Ah! Sorry, it's nothing..." (Rei)

Rei's expression was subtly went downwards

"...I still wouldn't rule it out, some abilities manifest themselves in all sorts of ways. While we can identify one's affinity with the basic elements, there's still no modern method for discovering Kekkei Genkai" (Motoi)

"Then how does one discover if they possess a Kekkei Genkai?" (Rei)

"Typically, one requires some kind of trigger in order to activate it. Sadly, the most effective type is the traumatic kind. Psychosomatic, psychogenic, or physical trauma tend to result in the awakening of special powers. Maybe it's already happened to you..." (Motoi)

"Stress levels..." (Rei)

Unbeknownst to Rei, Motoi carefully studied every subtle reaction and facial movement on his face. Using this topic as a means of finding out whether or not Rei was responsible for killing the Fuma on his last mission

Because awakening a Kekkei Genkai was commonly a traumatic experience, the emergence of such powers was generally followed with extreme violence. The exact kind of violence displayed on the remains of the Fuma-nin

Such upbringings have caused many with special powers to be discriminated against. Kirigakure¹¹Hidden Mist Villagein particular is notorious for ostracizing those with such traits

Motoi hypothesized this might be Rei's case and he was hiding the fact he had one out of fear of discrimination, or shame...for enacting such a brutal attack

{I remember the Second Hokage stating the Uchiha's Sharingan is awakened with trauma as well, and Kisshōten revealed itself when I was in a dire situation...maybe I've been going about it the wrong way? Just because "Rei" didn't awaken a Kekkei Genkai doesn't mean I can't} (Rei)

{Looks like he doesn't know. He's either a really good actor, or he really was telling the truth. Though, he could've done it subconsciously} (Motoi)

"Sorry Motoi, but the jury's still out on that one" (Rei)

"...It's fine, you have plenty of time. These strange powers can emerge at any age, even as an adult" (Motoi)

{Yeah, but I don't have the luxury of waiting that long} (Rei)

"Oh, we made it" (Motoi)

"Huh? Already?" (Rei)

Coming into view was a small boat dock. The duo had arrived on the northern part of uncharted territory just west of the Land of Hot Water. They jumped off the boat and Motoi tied it to a post

"Moving in a small numbers like us means faster transportation. As I previously stated, there are plenty of routes in which big ships carrying entire teams are unable to journey" (Motoi)

"I'll keep that in mind, where do we go now?" (Rei)

"Team F is waiting for us further down south, but they're not stationed that far. We'll be able to rendezvous with them in little more than twenty minutes" (Motoi)

{Nice. The sooner we get this done the better} (Rei)

"Let's go" (Motoi)

DASH!

Leaving with haste, the pair would arrive at their destination in no time. Along the way, Motoi observed every action Rei took, striving to not miss a single detail in his demeanor

Several minutes later, Rei noticed several chakra's too strong to be civilians. Since there were four of them, it stood to reason they were F and his squad

TAK!

Landing in front of their camp tent, F was the first to step out and greeted Motoi

"Haha! F, are you getting slow? To let visitors get this close is not like you" (Motoi)

"Please, one my students had set up wire strings all over the area, we knew you were coming. Good to see you Motoi, I didn't think you'd bring company though" (F)

"Right, this is-" (Motoi)

"I'm Rei Sano, nice to meet you" (Rei)

"Sano? As in, Keido's son?" (F)

"Yup, the very same. He's Mabui's little cousin" (Motoi)

"I see" (F)

"Sano-kun is a talented sensor-type with Genjutsu skills. I figured that'd be a welcome addition to our unit" (Motoi)

"And he's a Genin, which makes things even easier. Kumo's reputation around here isn't great and people tend to react better to kids than adults..." (F)

"Yeah, I know. That's another reason I brought him. So, are we ready?" (Motoi)

"Right, I need to talk to you about that. There's been some, complications" (F)

The one thing Motoi and Rei didn't want to hear. The information this former ninja of their village had would probably be their only chance to find out who was really behind Yugito getting kidnapped by the Fuma

"Apparently, we've got some new players" (F)

"How'd you find that out?" (Motoi)

"Well we...oh! If I'm going to explain that, I should introduce my team. Come out you guys!" (F)

Behind F, three young Genin exited the tent and introduced themselves

"So these guys are your Genin" (Motoi)

"Yup, they've really come along in the short time I've had them" (F)

Rei, who standing behind Motoi, moved to get a better look at the students. But when he saw their appearances...he realized this wasn't the first time they met

"Wait...aren't you guys-!?" (Rei)

"?" (Motoi)

"Allow me to introduce my students; Kayui, Nurui, and Yurui" (F)

{Un. Real. Is this world dicking with me or something?} (Rei)

F's students were the Genin Rei and Tai fought during their graduation. The very first ones he encountered before fighting with Sekiei. And just like Sekiei, that had failed the exam because of Rei and Tai

"Huh? Wait a sec..." (Yurui)

"Hey Yurui, isn't that the guy who punched through our earth wall?" (Kayui)

"Rei...Sano" (Nurui)

"Oh, you guys know each other? That's great, things will go a lot smoother now. You guys get acquainted, Motoi and I need to talk" (F)

F and Motoi stepped away while Rei awkwardly responded to the Genin trio

"Well...um...long time no see. How've you been?" (Rei)

"Well, we repeated a year" (Kayui)

"Ah. Right..." (Rei)

"..." (Nurui & Yurui)

{This is gonna be a long mission...} (Rei)