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"Let us bear witness to this historical moment together." |
A subtle raindrop that sounded dissonant as it lashed against his face. A lonely grey sky, looking down as if somehow ashamed. A slight buzz in his ears, distracting him from the rest of the sounds around him. Was any of this even real at all? He felt sometimes as if his father had trapped him in a genjutsu long ago and had never released him. Maybe. Maybe not. If that was the case, would he even want to be freed? Reality or illusion, the question that seemed to underlie...everything. Nothing felt right, and his chest was suddenly aching, as if it had been tightened. He got up from the spot where he was lying on top of the family home's roof, throwing his jacket on and sliding into his sandals before leaving. Air. That was all he wanted.
Fortunately for him, the Uchiha complex was mostly empty this time of day. Yoru walked with no destination in mind, and when he realized where he was standing, he hadn't gone far. The blonde's eyes rested on the pond that graced his clan's property. He admired the way it reflected the sky, but it only made the water seem even colder than it really was on this winter afternoon. Bending over, he picked up a relatively smooth stone, and with an easy flick of his wrist sent it skipping across the pond.
Hayashi Arikane was on the other side of the pond, in the forest beyond. He was mumbling something about a tradition of the Hidden Leaf. He was wandering the village in the hopes of encountering someone worthy of inheriting his technique.
He spotted the blonde youth standing near the edge of the pond on the opposite side and noticed the grace at which he threw the stones. He is perfect to inherit this technique. I must speak to him. He brandished a kunai and tossed it across the pond, silently and accurately. When he gauged that it landed ten feet away from the youth, he teleported. He then sat on the rocks and waited for the youth to notice him.
Yoru sighed, watching the water ripple elegantly. He felt more raindrops as they nestled themselves on his hair and clung to his skin, and as it began to rain in earnest, he wondered if he should just go inside. Maybe he could finish the book he'd started last week or something.
As he pondered that, he skipped another stone, watching with satisfaction as it again skated over the water's surface and then sank. Inexplicably, he felt a kinship with that stone: he, too, felt as if he was sinking in water. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he realized it was due to the feeling of being watched. Frowning, he turned around, and was surprised to see that he was indeed being observed. Compelled, he drew closer to the rocks, his curiosity growing. Somehow, he knew instinctively this stranger was no threat. "Hey," he greeted calmly.
Hayashi was calmly staring at the ripples the sinking rocks were making. The young man slowly approached him. "Beautiful, isn't it? The ripples."
"Yeah, they're very entrancing," Yoru agreed, a smile tugging at his lips as he rubbed the back of the neck. "Um...were you...sitting here watching me?" he asked curiously. "At least, that's what I sensed, kinda. I'm Yoru, by the way. Yoru Uchiha." His attempt to introduce himself was mostly out of politeness. For some reason, he got the sense that whoever this man was, he already knew his name.
"I'm Hayashi Arikane and I hope you know me, Searing Flash."
"Sea- wait... You're the Hayashi? Hayashi of the Flying Thunder God?" he inquired, his eyes widening. Suddenly, Yoru felt intimidated. His father was a legendary shinobi, so he was used to being around figures with this kind of gravitas about them, but he still couldn't help but be impressed. Perhaps it was because this man had mastered the same technique as one of his heroes.
"So you do know me," the old man sighed. "That is reassuring. Anyway, I have a question for you, Yoru Uchiha. Do you yourself think you are worthy of inheriting my technique? Because I think you are and I am ready to pass it down to you."
Yoru felt the breath leave his body when Hayashi posed his question. Him? Inherit the Flying Thunder God Technique? "I..." he swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. "Personally, I don't know. I can't say I think I'm worthy of much, but if you think so, I guess I'd be a fool to disagree."
"I expect great things from you, Searing Flash," he said. He then crossed his arms and put on a smug face. "I think you would like your alias. I came up with that just now. What do you think about it? 'Searing Flash'? I think it suits you well."
Smiling shyly, he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I like it. It has a cool ring to it, honestly." He wasn't sure if anyone else would ever call him that, but supposed it was a challenge. Hayashi was expecting him to live up to that name.
Hayashi first opened his ninja tools and handed Yoru a kunai. The one he used for the Flying Thunder God. "What do you think this is, Yoru Uchiha?"
"It's one of the kunai you use for the technique," he replied immediately, turning the blade over in his hand. His fingers ran over the seal. "You use the seal, right? It's almost a reverse summoning. The Fourth Hokage was the first to apply this method of using the technique."
"Haha, you are educated, alright!" Hayashi laughed heartily. "It seems I have chosen correctly. Anyway, you're going to have your own unique seal." Hayashi made the Seal of Confrontation and the kunais that he had dumped out and was laying in the sand glowed orange. On the handles were Hayashi's seals for the Flying Thunder God. Once the light had faded, the handles were blank. "Now, I have erased all presence of my seal on these kunais. They're all yours now, Searing Flash. First, you will have to place your own unique seal on it. And it has to be the same seal every time. It's going to have to be natural. The formula must come naturally to you."
Picking up one of the kunai blades, he twirled it around his finger, contemplating. "Does it matter what the seal is? Or can it be anything, even a specific kanji?"
"My seal was the kanji for "Fly" superimposed on top of the Uzumaki Clan symbol," Hayashi replied. "I guess it could be anything."
Nodding, Yoru's fingertip began to glow blue with chakra. He held the kunai out away from him, and on the handle, he began to 'write' the kanji for 'miracle'. The kanji was clusmily written, and he clearly needed practice, but it felt right nonetheless.
When he eyed the kanji Yoru had written, Hayashi laughed. He placed his hand on his head and rubbed him affectionately. "You have a lot to learn before mastering my technique, Yoru! All you need is patience, practice, and a knack for chakra control. Accomplish all of that and I am proud that I chose you to inherit my technique."