X

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Arc X Chapter 16

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In a far, far away land, in a far, far away village, in a far, far away office located in a far, far away clan compound, a certain girl clad in exquisite silk and garbs, throned in all her glory behind her fortress-like cherry wood desk.

 

A certain report had reached the girl in question, a report she had eagerly awaited for a long time already. A content grin adorned Asami's soft lips. The contents of the reports satisfied her. Raiden had stumbled across a most interesting find.

 

Asami folded her hands.“I guess we need to pack again~. I will need to tell Yuki chan.~”

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In the meanwhile, much, much closer, a motivated little sister further pursued her academic career, studying hard and diligently, just as her ever wise Nee-san taught her.

 

Yuki was currently paying attention to the admittedly boring history of the Third Ninja War. The teacher was bombarding the class with numerous useless dates and tedious names of some apparently important people from some no name villages the world barely remembered at all.

 

Despite all the talk about Sunagakure being evil, Iwagakure being treacherous and evil, and Konohagakure being very, very evil, Yuki still didn't understand who started the war. The entire affair was such a muddle. Not that Nee-san’s lectures were less nebulous by comparison. Nee-san told her that the moral categories of infantile concepts like good and evil were tools of little use in the field of historical analysis and foreign politics. Yuki didn't exactly understand what Nee-san meant by that, but she supposed whatever Nee-san said must ... somehow ... make ... sense ...

 

“Achooo ... Achoooooo!!! Achoooooooooo!!!” Yuki rubbed at her nose after falling prey to an insidious case of serial sneezing.  

 

Katsuki, her feline protector whom Nee-san pushed more or less on her and whom she was now responsible for to feed and take care of, gave her a worried look. “Are you feeling well, Yuki-chan?”

 

“Achooo!” Yuki rubbed at her tingling nose. “I am fine. I just have a feeling that Nee-san was thinking about me... Achooo! Achooo!!!”

 

Katsuki responded with a doubtful tone, “Nya~; I doubt so. I am sure you myast be imyagining things ... ... ... Achooo!!! Achoooooo!!! Achoooooo!!!”

 

...

  

...

 

“....” Katsuki fell silent as a cold, ominous shiver befell her. This feeling of immediate doom and peril ... It could only mean one thing ... 

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Land of Fire ... Endless forests ... Afternoon ... Ardent sun and a cloudless sky ... Time and date ... unknown ... Exact location ... even less known ...

 

Surrounded by trees, a common sight, an open glade stretched before Yuki with Katsuki safely enclosed among her arms: Reality had confirmed her dreaded premonitions. Nee-san informed her and Katsuki shortly afterwards that they were going for another journey. As usual, Nee-san didn’t ask for their opinion, but Yuki didn't mind.

 

Nee-san merely told them to prepare and pack things. Adhering to her usual secrecy, Nee-san neither disclosed where they were going nor why. Probably also because she didn't find the courage to ask nee-san.

 

Yuki lowered her gaze in shame, while fidgeting with her hands. She always becomes shy and bashful around Nee-san. Her heart is beating faster, and she is too scared to speak in Nee-san's presence ... Such an outcome was far from being acceptable. 

 

Yuki gripped her fists. Her newest objective was to more confident and less meek. One day, she might even find the courage to contradict Nee-san ...

 

Right at this moment, Nee-san suddenly appeared out of nowhere in all her radiant glory. A silken beauty armed with a scabbard and serious demeanour. Nee-san's raised eyebrow betrayed a hint of surprise, and perhaps confusion.

 

“Is there something the matter, Yuki-chan~?”

 

“…”

  

“…” Nee-san stared at her.

 

“…”

  

“…” Nee-san still stared at her, waiting for an answer.

 

Yuki hugged Katsuki.“No ...”

 

...

...

...

 

Mission failed. No confidence gained ... Once again, Yuki began fidgeting with her hands after experiencing a small scale depression. At this rate, she would never be able to talk with Nee-san. Her very words were falling apart in her mouth.

 

“I see.“ Nee-san narrowed her eyes. A bored expression occupied her face. Her lovely black eyes with a hint of purple chakra flustered Yuki only more. Stern on the surface, yet beneath rich in love and concern. “Anyway, as far as I recall,  I stressed the importance of chakra control during our last training session. I hope you have done as instructed and pursued your training with the necessary dedication. ”

 

Yuki nodded vigorously.

  

“I take that as a yes~.” Nee-san rewarded her little sister with a gentle smile, and even a head pet.

 

Yuki would if she said the head pat didn't feel good.  She trained hard. Every day. Every morning. Every evening. Her chakra control had improved considerably. Progress might be slow and arduous, but progress was nevertheless achieved. After all, she wasn't a natural talent like her Nee-san, although Nee-san claimed otherwise and denied such allegations with mediocre credibility. Nee-san was different, different from her, different from everyone else. Nee-san was truly special. That was the only explanation. Everything, even the most complicated matters, came so easy to Nee-san, meanwhile she continued struggling. No wonder that she respected her Nee-san so much. Nee-san wholly deserved her admiration, as she was a paragon of perfection. 

 

Thus, she strived every day to become a little more like Nee-san. An ambitious goal for sure, but Amegakure wasn't built in a day. With determination, she would become like Nee-san. Yuki raised her imaginary fists. Not that Nee-san would know.

 

Nee-san cleared her throat. “Enough time wasted for now. Let's start with our training. Today I will teach you the foundations of ninjutsu.”

  

Yuki raised her hand in excitement. “Does that mean that Nee-san is going to teach me ninjutsu?” 

 

“...” Nee-san stared.

  

“...”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“No.”

  

Yuki's hopes deflated. “...”

 

“It is still far too early for you to approach ninjutsu proper.”

 

Yuki pouted. “But you said that you would teach me ninjutsu ...”

  

“I said that I would teach you the foundations of ninjutsu, not ninjutsu. You still lack the necessary prerequisites, mainly logical foundation, to wield minjutsu properly.”

 

Logical what?

 

“Last time; we trained the efficient mobilisation, internal, and manifestation, external, of chakra. Today, however, we are discussing the efficient use of chakra.”

  

Yuki tilted her head.

 

“Yuki, what is ninjutsu?”

 

“Ninjutsu is the physical manifestation of chakra used to produce a phenomenon.” She had obviously studied Nee-san's handbook for definitions thoroughly.

 

“Correct. Now, what is the purpose of ninjutsu?”

 

“Ehm, well …”

  

“Let me help you, ninjutsu is a weapon, and ninjutsu must be understood as such, as a weapon. The purpose of a weapon is by nature to enact violence, to impose your will through violent means. As such, ninjutsu is inherently destructive, a lethal weapon to kill, to maim, to exterminate, to destroy. A weapon, which must be honed. This is an essential lesson that many ninja these days fail to adhere to. You must strike quick, Yuki, you must strike hard. You must make every attack, every droplet, every jutsu count. Everything else is chakra and effort wasted. Considering your meagre chakra reserves, you cannot afford to squander your resources, Yuki. You must maximise your potential to the outermost, and compensate your lack of raw strength through the intelligent and focused use of your limited means. Understood?”

 

Yuki nodded.

 

Nee-san rummaged inside her kimono before producing a single greyish ingot.   

 

Yuki stared at the metal bar. “Nee-san what's this?”

 

Nee-san grinned with a glint of inexplicable malice. Yuki gulped.

 

Nee-san giggled. “This ... This is your training for today. People usually start with leaves and similar, but giving you a leaf would be too easy, and I believe you are up to the task. This ingot is a tungsten steel alloy ... As you share  the same elemental affinities I do, I want you to cut through the ingot with your chakra. I want to see a clean cut. It will require a high degree of control and precision. It will take everything from you to succeed. Anything less and you will fail for sure. Good luck, Yuki-chan~. You will need it.”

 

Nee-san threw the ingot at her. Yuki caught the metal bar mid air. Tungsten steel ... Even judging by a mere glance, the ingot looked quite ... durable. 

 

...

...

...

 

How the heck was she supposed to cut through this?

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