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| 夜月 鋭い Yotsuki Surudoi
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| Appears in | Anime, Manga | ||
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| Birthdate |  May 20
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| Sex |  Male
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| Species | Celestial Being-Human Hybrid | ||
| Blood type | B | ||
| Kekkei Tōta | |||
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| Academy Grad. Age | 10 | ||
| Chūnin Prom. Age | 13 | ||
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"Once I let someone else's feelings poison me with doubt. It was like a darkness consumed me until I couldn't see the way forward. But...you helped me rediscover my faith. This time I can't let my it fade out without a fight! The illumination in my heart is a racing bolt of lightning! If you want to take it, fine! But you'd better be prepared, because someone's gonna burn before I give it up!" |
Surudoi (夜月 鋭い, Yotsuki Surudoi) is a shinobi of Kumogakure's Yotsuki clan. A Human/Celestial Being hybrid who spent most of his youth unaware of his heritage, he has been identified as truly gifted in the ninja arts, even compared to other prodigies in his generation. His ultimate goal is to become the Raikage, with the dream of defending the peaceful era he was born into and continuing to move the village and its people forward.
Background[]
Surudoi was born to Noroi, a former Kumo ANBU agent. After the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, he left the ANBU and became Kumogakure's first Jōnin Commander. After bonding with a fellow ninja named Nibui, he married her. Before the marriage, Nibui revealed her greatest secret: she was actually a celestial being whose true name was Toyotama, who was secretly observing the ninja world. Despite the truth being out, Noroi married her anyway. Two years after the the Moon Incident, she became pregnant, giving birth to Surudoi. Deciding to leave Earth after he was born, Toyotama faked her death, but stayed hidden in Kumo to be with her family before she left. The night she left, she revealed her true form to her husband: that of a giant dragon. Before leaving, she told Noroi that the necklace she gave him at their wedding could be used to contact her, and a toy for her son. She also promised to return when Surudoi called for her. Though unaware of what she meant by that, he trusted his wife's words and set to work raising their son while waiting for his love to return.
In his early years, Noroi worked hard to raise Surudoi while still doing his job. Unwilling to be too dependent on a sitter, he often took Surudoi with him to work during his early years of life, and he spent a lot of time near of the Raikage, watching his father and A do their part to support the village. He also used some of his free time to teach Surudoi some of the skills he learned during his ANBU days. Eager to grow, Surudoi took all the teaching head-on, and flourished in the ninja arts because of it. His father's training revealed that not did he have an incredible instinct for learning, he was wise beyond his years. When Darui replaced A as Raikage, he gave Surudoi an IQ test in secret. Upon learning of how he fared, Darui told his father that his intellect was above average and his level of wisdom was close to Jōnin-level. When he was enrolled into Kumogakure's Ninja Arts & Academics School, his talent caused his teachers to declare him fit for graduation after 8 months of teaching.
One day, Surudoi meets a strange girl at his secret training spot. When he questions her, she refuses to answer his questions. He grabs her in an attempt to get answers, but she responds with taijutsu attacks. Recognizing she is not a shinobi, but has the skills of one, he fights her for a while to test her, then stops. The girl, who enjoyed the fight, then opens up a bit, but gives a fake name when he asks. Though wary, Surudoi agrees to let her train at his spot provided she agree to train with him when he is present. The girl agrees, and the two begin training together periodically.
Right before Surudoi was set to graduate, the course of his life underwent a paradigm shift. On his way home from school, he witnessed a fire happening on his route home. Seeing a young woman the emergency fire services on site could not reach, Surudoi charged in to help. Though he managed to save her, an explosion cost him his left lower arm, and later cost the woman he was saving the use of her legs. The incident rocked Surudoi to his core, but it had an even greater effect on Noroi. On top of having his son lose his arm, camera footage of the incident showed something only he could notice; Surudoi inherited his mother's abilities and he accidentally tapped into them to survive the explosion. Knowing that life as a ninja would almost certainly expose him as a celestial being, Noroi refused to give authorization for Surudoi to become a genin in order to keep his heritage secret. Even Darui, who saw Surudoi's potential, could not get him to budge on the matter.
Assuming that his father lost faith in him, Surudoi was left wounded by this for a long time. One day, he goes to his training spot, finding the mysterious girl being there by chance. Though she notices his missing arm, she demands a sparring match. He refuses, still upset at his inability to become a ninja. The girl pesters him about it, until he snaps and unloads his feelings of inadequacy regarding his disability. Instead of getting upset, the girl listens to him, then encourages him to keep fighting to achieve his goal. Moved by her kindness, he agrees to spar with her. Even with one arm, he goes toe-to-toe with her until they both tire themselves out. With renewed determination, he thanks the girl for. He then gets her to reveal her real name: Kumoihime, Kumoi for short. Before leaving, he shocks her by revealing that he deduced her surname: Ōtsutsuki. He tells her he will keep her existence hidden, but vows to sell her out or kill her if he believes she has evil intentions.
Unable to see talent die, Darui made Surudoi an intern in his office so he could contribute without becoming a ninja. Around the same time, A began helping him adjust to having one arm and teaching him his ninjutsu style. Though A did not teach him everything he knew, he learned plenty, but still had no way to apply his training.
Personality[]
Underneath his harsh and standoffish exterior, Surudoi is a kind, honorable, fun-loving person. Living up to his given name, he is incredibly perceptive, able to quickly analyze a situation and respond. He also possesses a knack for seeing through dishonesty and deducing the truth of a matter, even with a limited amount of knowledge. When speaking, Surudoi avoids mincing words, preferring to get the heart of a conversation quickly, and he has a bluntness he inherited from his parents. He is willing to speak his mind honestly with little regard for whether his words will hurt. He is also critical of anyone he dislikes or feels is unworthy of respect. Though he prefers not to speak ill of others, when he does, he combines all of these traits to emotionally damage a person. The only line he refuses to cross is profanity; he feels uncomfortable swearing at anyone.
Because of his drive to grow strong, Surudoi is incredibly competitive and enjoys challenges that push him to grow. He also enjoys fighting with others, but knows when to take a fight seriously. Facing potentially strong opponents almost always excites him, and he usually puts his best foot forward in battle. He will only shy away from confrontation if the opponent is too weak to stand a chance to avoid seriously hurting them. Also, if he sees an opponent is not giving their full measure, he will push them to stop holding back. Should he fail, he will end the conflict as quickly as possible, seeing a onesided match as a waste of time.
When he recognizes and opponent with potential, Surudoi will push them to grow by any means necessary. His favorite tactic is to instill people with a desire to defeat him, and he is not afraid to antagonize others if it motivates them to get stronger. This is done in an effort to increase his pool of powerful rivals and to push other ninja in his generation to become better ninja and people. Though a harsh approach to motivation is his default tactic, Surudoi is able to take a gentler approach when he wants to, offering advice and encouragement to increase their determination. Surudoi's serious exterior has made laughter - his main sign of enjoyment or respect - quite rare. The only time he truly laughs is when an opponent exceeds his expectations, providing him a fun time. Beyond that, laughter from Surudoi is a rare sight.
Though he has a habit of antagonizing people due to his nature, Surudoi has a small group of people that he considers friends. He also has great respect for his rivals, whether they are friendly to him or not. Above all others, he has four people who he considers to be his "lights"; those who have had the most impact on his life. His first light is his father Noroi. Because he understood from a young age how hard his father worked to take care of him, he loves and respects him. He is always polite to him, strives to please him, and avoids adding unnecessary trouble to his life. When making important decisions, he factors in his dad's potential responses, and will usually discard an idea if he feels it may displease him. Because his approval is so important to him, it depresses him greatly when Noroi expresses displeasure with him.
His second light is Darui. Having spent more time around the Raikage than most shinobi, Surudoi developed great respect for the Raikage name, eventually deciding to become one when he grew up. He also spent a lot of time near Darui, who occasionally took time from his work to mentor Surudoi and help him hone his mind. Recognizing his exceptional wisdom, Darui would seek Surudoi's opinions on problems and actually rely on them to make decisions. Because Darui personally made him a ninja, Surudoi respects and treasures Darui's faith in him, and seeks to honor that trust in his service as a ninja.
His third light is A. Surudoi considers him an invaluable mentor and friend. Because he took the time to help him adjust to having a missing arm and train him in nintaijutsu, he has nothing but respect for A. He also relies on A's life experiences to understand what the world was like in the past to better understand how to move forward towards a better future.
His fourth light is Kumoihime. Despite not trusting her initially, he developed a strong friendship with her. Their bond is made evident by the fact that she was able to inspire him to continue training to be a ninja after he lost his arm when no one else was able to. Though he is fond of her, Surudoi also sees Kumoi as his strongest rival, and enjoys competing with her. Because he sees her as both a friend and rival, he struggles to open his heart to her completely. He eventually learns to use his rivalry to express and understand her feelings better. As such, he uses competition to share his deepest emotions with her. Over time, he falls in love with Kumohime's internal and external beauty, but refuses to act on it for fear it will strain their bond. Despite his intuitive mind, he is oblivious to the fact that she reciprocates his feelings for years.
Appearance[]
Surudoi with his new arm.
Surudoi is a dark-skinned boy with white hair and black eyes. His outfit consists of a dark colored hoodie and baggy white pants. Additionally, he has bandages around his arms, extending to the back of his hands. After becoming a genin, he began wearing a standard Kumogakure flak jacket over his hoodie and a black Kumo forehead protector. He keeps a kodachi strapped horizontally to his lower back. After a certain incident, Surudoi's missing arm regenerates, but instead of a normal arm, it grows back with dark gray skin.
After tapping into his dragon abilities, Surudoi's eyes gain the ability to change depending on his mood. Most of the time, his eyes resembles a normal human's. When upset, angry, or in a serious mood, his pupils will slit to resemble a reptile's, but his dark eyes keep most people from catching the change. At his most serious or when excited about something, his pupils will slit and his irises turn purple, causing them to fully resemble a dragon's eyes. When fully transformed, Surudoi becomes a winged black dragon with blue scales on his underside. Like his mother, he has many jewel-like growths along his body, but his are mainly red, blue, and violet. He has one large violet gem one his chest and a sword shaped spike on his tail.
Abilities[]
Even before he began official ninja training at Kumogakure's Academy, Surudoi proved himself to be an adept at the ninja arts. Unlike others in his generation, Surudoi takes his growth seriously, and trains more intensely than most people his age, being dubbed "a genius at hard work." This, combined with his father passing on his ANBU training and his instinct for learning new skills quickly, he was leagues beyond peers in his age group. Even after losing his arm, he was considered "elite among prodigies" by experienced ninja. Because he is a Celestial Dragon, he also has range of traits that enhance his skills.
Chakra and Physical Prowess[]
Due in part to his celestial parentage, Surudoi has abnormally high chakra reserves for his age. As such, he is not afraid to use learn and use techniques that demand more chakra than genin are expected to have. His father's training gives him excellent chakra control, so he is able to avoid putting too much chakra into techniques. Despite his high reserves, Surudoi prefers to conserve chakra as much as possible for fear of getting carried away. To avoid a burnout, Surudoi sets limits on how much chakra he will expend in a fight, and tries to defeat his opponents before reaching that limit. If the difficulty of a battle exceeds his expectations, he will abandon any use of conserving chakra and use whatever techniques will give him the best chance of victory.
Thanks to Surudoi's training under A, he has bolstered his physical strength to levels his peers consider monstrous. Though not as strong as his master, he is able to lift objects several times his weight, destroy walls, and rip secured objects out of the ground. His speed is also well above average, which proves useful when he needs to close the gap between himself and enemies. At full speed, he is capable of getting through the guard of a Sharingan user. A drawback Surudoi has is that he cannot move at full speed for long periods.
Surudoi also has a higher skin density than a human being, granting him greater durability than most. That, combined with the increased pain tolerance his training provided him, allows him to withstand forces that would injure most people without a scratch and continue fighting even if something manages to injure him. While he can shrug off most blunt attacks, piercing attacks and objects with enough sharpness have an easier time penetrating his body.
Ninjutsu[]
Nature Transformation[]
Surudoi's nature transformations include Lightning, Fire, and Water Release. Being a predominantly mid-range fighter, he uses his transformations to attack from a distance or create openings for close range attacks. To compliment his close quarters skills, he has learned to stream Lightning and Fire chakra into weapons to increase their power. He has also learned to create powerful Water Release constructs to fight with. To compliment his use of Water Release, he has a seal for storing a large quantity of water inscribed into his pant leg to allow him to use Water Release when there is little water around him.
Surudoi also learned to utilize Aether Release, a nature release Kekkei Tota that draws out subatomic energies for various applications. Having mastered the core abilities of this nature, he is able generate bursts of heated plasma, powerful electrical attacks, and create energy constructs of varying shapes and sizes.
Bukijutsu[]
Having been taught by a former ANBU, Surudoi is well versed in swordplay, able to quickly draw his weapon and apply it for offense or defense. He is also an adept at shurikenjutsu. A near-perfect marksman, his skill is great enough that he can use an enemy's projectiles to change the trajectory of his own to reach a target.
Celestial Dragon Transformation[]
Surudoi's Dragon Form
Because he is part Celestial Dragon, Surudoi has the ability to transform into a dragon as a secondary form. In this form, he unleashes the full measure of his abilities. As such, his strength, speed, and the power of his jutsu dramatically increase while transformed. As a winged creature, he also develops the ability to fly. The transformation also alters his physiology, allowing him to function in places with little to no air, such as underwater. He also masters the ability to transform individual parts of body in situations that don't require a full transformation.
New Era[]
Heavenly Child Arc[]
Eight months after the Ōtsutsuki Attack during the Chūnin Exams, Surudoi is asked by A to meet him at a local hospital. He goes there during his free time and finds a group of doctors from Konohagakure led by Tsunade and Sakura, along with Teams 7 and 15. He's told that, as a favor to A, he is being tested to have a prosthetic arm made from Hashirama Senju's cells made for him. He was summoned there to keep his father Noroi, who is likely to reject to the procedure - from finding out. While testing is underway, he is introduced to Teams 7 and 15, who are guarding the medics and the cells. Despite trying to be friendly to his detail, he makes a bad first impression when he makes Hanabi uncomfortable by staring at her. Tsunade's tests reveal he is not compatible with the cell, but his expectations were low, so he is not disheartened by the news.
Before departing for home in the evening, the hospital is attacked by mysterious creatures that are intangible to attack. They converge on him, circling around while also seeming afraid to get too close to him. One creature gets emboldened and bites him when he moves to keep one of them away from Boruto. Before it can attack again, A arrives with Noroi and drives them away. While the area is secured, Surudoi is treated in the emergency room when he passes out.
At the hospital, medics are unsure of how to treat his injury, so they resign everyone to waiting to see what happens. In the morning, Surudoi wakes up feeling fine until he notices that his missing arm has grown back, though it is black and appears inhuman. Everyone is caught off guard when he shows them, and he is then subjected to a barrage of tests. Once he gets a reprieve, he begins testing his new arm's strength. After exercising with it, he asks Sarada to spar for a better test. Before she can answer, Boruto suggests he fight Kawaki, who was brought along to see Kumogakure. Since neither are shinobi, Surudoi agrees, and the two spar, but it quickly escalates when Kawaki becomes frustrated that Surudoi is able to keep up with him, forcing them to end the match early.
Feeling more comfortable after testing his arm, Surudoi decides to talk to Noroi, who he suspects knows why his arm regenerated. Instead of answers, he gets into an argument when Noroi refuses to tell him anything. Angered, Surudoi leaves and goes to the hospital roof to calm down. He then decides to leave the village to visit the only other person who may have answers: Kumoihime. The following night, he prepares to leave, but he is intercepted by his dad and Team 15. They prepare to restrain him by force, but Surudoi appeals to Hanabi to let him pass. She asks for a reason to consider his request, so he shows her the toy left behind by his mother, explaining that he stared at her earlier because he sensed she would recognize it. The appeal works, and Hanabi shows her consent by knocking Noroi out before allowing him to pass. He thanks her, but she admonishes him to find answers because an international incident will ensue otherwise.
Two days later, Surudoi gets to the training ground he shares with Kumoihime at sunrise. She arrives and he explains the events of the last several days, asking if she knows anything. Because she knows of many possible reasons his arm could have regrown, she cannot give him a clear answer. Though upset, he moves on to the subject of the creatures that attacked in Konoha, and listens as she explains that the creature, known as the Enraenra, are searching for her; the creatures mistook him for her because they sensed traces of her chakra signature on him from their many interactions. Because she has been hiding her chakra from their senses, they are traveling everywhere she has been in the past. She then reveals that she plans to surrender herself to them before they find the village she has been living in.
Sensing that his friend does not wish to leave, he tries to convince her to fight the enraenra. She is reluctant, but seeing a typhoon passing by gives Kumoi an idea. Surudoi then helps her form a plan that would allow them to dispatch the by luring the enraenra and the team searching for him to Mountain Storm (山嵐, Viz: Storm Throw), a mountain that violent storms always pass by. They resolve to lure both groups into a fight where the monsters' weakness to violent winds would keep things even. The two make their way to the mountain, but they are intercepted by a child from Kumoi's village. He learns that the Enraenra found her village and kidnapped several children. Unfortunately, the explanation allows A and Noroi - who raced ahead of the rest of the rest of their group - to catch up to him. Surudoi tries explaining, but his father asserts himself, so he freezes to while his father attacks Kumoihime. Though she is able to fend him off, Surudoi spots A coming in from behind. He see A aiming to break her neck one shot, so he leaps over his father and blocks the attack with his own chop, only to be blown away by his master's power. Before he crashes, Kumoi catches him, but they're both knocked out. When he recovers, he checks on Kumoi who immediately begins healing him. While she works, he explains to everyone that she is an ally. When he finishes revealing everything, everyone then begins arguing about what to do about her, so he tells them all that civilian lives will be endangered if they don't make a decision immediately.
The group decides to support him, so he leads them to the mountain and wait in hiding as Kumoi releases chakra into the air to lure the enraenra creatures to them. However, things get complicated when they bring the abducted children as hostages. Forced inside a cave to avoid the winds, Surudoi improvises by charging the creatures. When he is knocked away, he uses the force from the strike to break through the cave wall, allowing the winds from the approaching typhoon to extend inside. The distraction allows everyone to attack, and they are able to overpower the enraenra.
The creatures become desperate and create a pitch-black barrier with a portal to another dimension inside. Unable to see or find a way to avoid being sucked into the portal, Surudoi is unsure of how to escape, but he hears a voice that motivates him to simply rage the way he normally does. The inspiration moves him to locate the creatures and attack them with Lightning Release, and he unconsciously releases the power he inherited from his mother to make his attack more effective. While blasting the creatures, he senses one slip past him and attempt to attack Kumoihime. While he saves his friend, he is stabbed close to his heart. As he begins to lose consciousness from his injury, he sees Kumoihime uses a massive lightning blast that breaks the barrier. Noticing that they have become solid, Surudoi calls on A, who uses Lightning Straight during the brief window to finish them off. While only one of the three creatures survives the attack, its essence is scattered by the typhoon, rendering it harmless. With the creatures destroyed, Surudoi passes out, but Kumoihime uses the last of her chakra to partially heal his injuries before passing out herself. He is then taken to Kumo for treatment.
When he comes to in a hospital, Surudoi is greeted by Noroi, and Darui, who has been briefed on recent events. As Surudoi is not a ninja and his action violated no laws, Darui explains that he won't be punished for harboring Kumoihime, but he asks why he befriended her at all. He explains that by the time he realized she was not human, he had determined that Kumoi had the soul of a ninja. In the end, Darui decides to spare Kumoi from the judgement of the other world leaders by making her a Kumo-nin alongside him. However, he is also made responsible for Kumoi; if she becomes a threat, he will be held accountable. He excitedly accepts the responsibility and a headband from Darui, but he is then given a one month suspension to convince everyone that his decision was impartial.
Team Samui Completion Arc[]
In order to make the most of his house arrest, he goes to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning. As it's the Yotsuki Clan's property, he's allowed to serve his time there. While doing solo training in the Valley, he detects a presence nearby, and demands that they come out. The stalker complies, coming out into the open, revealing herself to be a woman. Impressed that he caught her, she praises his instincts, claiming they came from his mother. Since few people ever actually talk about his mother, he asks how she knew her. She offers to tell him if he can take her down before she attacks him. Surudoi fails repeatedly to land a clean hit, and is even more surprised when her hands change to look similar to his regenerated arm and she reveals a tail. Using her tail, she stabs Surudoi, then tells him that she will be at his residence in the Valley to answer his question. Before disappearing, she also claims to know about the strange growth on his chest.
Though wounded, Surudoi manages to get back to the Valley's main residence. Once there, the woman heals his stab wound. He demands answers, and she gives him a picture of her and her father, and explains that she is his mother. He initially gets upset, as he's been told his mother is dead. She then tells him that Retsuryu can confirm it. Confused that she knows the name of the Beigoma top his mom left behind for him to play with, he pulls it out, and it identifies her as its creator. He then begins trying to figure out how she is alive, then looks at his arm and figures it out: she is a celestial being who left Earth after giving birth to him. He then punches his mother in the arm for not being there an letting him think she was dead. She explains why she left, and that it wasn't her decision to keep the truth from him, so he eases up. His next question why she came back at all, and she explains that the power he inherited from her awakened recently, and she has come to equip him to get through the resulting changes. She offers to train him on how to address the changes and the unique jutsu of the Celestial Dragons. Unwilling to pass up a chance to get stronger, he agrees to learn from her.
Surudoi spends his time training with Toyotama, and also begins bonding with her along the way. He also learns to embrace his competitive nature, which bothers him sometimes, and picking up the basics of Aether Release. Near the end of the month, he is visited by Kumoihime, Benkei and Samui, who decided to do a training session with him present. As they train, Toyotama covers the area in mist and attacks Kumoihime. When Kumoi lures Toyotama away, Surudoi follows until his teammate is cornered. Toyotama tries to incinerate Kumoi with her Inner Flame, but Surudoi manages to get in the way, which confounds her enough to make her retreat.
After the incident is reported, Surudoi invites his team to his house. Once there, he has to keep his mother and Kumoihime from fighting while he explains the truth to everyone. Though Kumoi and Toyotama have a hard time of it, they agree to a truce, and his human teammates agree to keep his secret. However, Toyotama decides it is time for her to leave him to finish growing alone. She tells Surudoi all of the remaining milestones of his change into a Celestial Dragon is complete. The next day Surudoi is present at her sendoff. Though still conflicted, he tells her that he is glad to have met her. After Surudoi is taken off of house arrest, he returns home with Noroi to find Toyotama there. Having been granted permission to leave her old home, she declares her intent to stay on Earth permanently.
Beigoma Tournament Arc[]
Three weeks later, Surudoi introduces Kumoihime to one of his favorite hobbies: playing Bakuten Shoot Beigoma, and learns the game exists on her world with a different name. Seeking a battle to see if he can play with his new arm, he asks her to play, and she happily agrees. The two battle, and he easily defeats Kumoi, proving his edge has not dulled. Kumoi is inspired to regain her skill for the game and asks for a rematch to train, so they battle until it gets too late to continue. When Kumoi resolves to retrain herself to her original level, Surudoi promises to keep growing so he does not to lose to her.
Several weeks later, Surudoi and the rest of Team Samui visit the special park ninja who play Beigoma frequent, hoping to find worthy opponents to practice with. Later, Surudoi watches Kumoihime defeat the Beigoma player who unofficially ran the park, earning herself the title of Park Boss. He then is challenged by Toroi, currently the best player in the village, and now one win away from surpassing the current winning streak. Because Kumoihime insisted that Toroi take the title of best by gaining the win he needs from the current holder of the streak, Surudoi has to reveal that he is the one with the longest winning streak in the village. Before he lost his arm, he was the best player in the village and was given the title of Spin Emperor. Agreeing to the challenge, Surudoi defends the title by winning the match, proving he is still the best.
A few days later, Team Samui is given an S-rank mission: to serve as the honor guard for the Raikage on his visit to Konoha. When they get there, they find that Team Konohamaru was given the same mission. While Darui and Naruto meet, Surudoi and his genin comrades leave, as they all figured out that the mission was a red herring to hide the true purpose of the visit: to let Konoha monitor Kumoihime and determine if she is still docile. The three look for a place to play Beigoma, while Team Konohamaru tries to get them to return to their post. Surudoi explains the truth to them, exposing ANBU agents on their tail. Eventually, they find a suitable spot near the Konoha Hospital. As the three practice, Sakura shows up having seen her daughter outside. Sakura recognizes the game they are playing, and asks a favor: that they come to the hospital and play to entertain the child patients. Having no problem with it, they move their game to the playground on the campus so kids can watch them.
After a while, Sakura leaves, then returns and presents a Beigoma top. Sakura challenges Kumoi to a battle and wins, prompting Surudoi to challenge her. The two reach a tie, but Surudoi edges out the win. He praises her connection with her top and asks how Sakura got it, as they are not as popular in other villages. She explains that a patient she helped many years ago gave it her as a gift. Sarada, who has been watching, asks what he meant by "connection." He explains that most Beigoma tops made in the present are factory-made, but older Beigoma tops were made for both fun and chakra control training. The method used to create them also imbued them with a will that, when connected to, made them move faster, hit harder, and access special abilities of the parts. The players who possess these tops and can draw out their maximum power are the best. Sarada then pulls out a top, and Surudoi gets serious and asks her where she got it. She explains that a Jōnin gave it to her, and also gave Boruto one too. Boruto thinks his is cool, but she has no interest in the game.
Incensed at her carelessness, Surudoi explains that their beys are the workmanship of the Kumo-nin who crafted the older Beigoma tops, all of whom died during the Fourth Great Ninja War. He deduces they were probably among the last ones made by their hands. Sensing strong wills inside both beys, he tells Boruto that his is made for one who has the guts to charge forward no matter what. He tells Sarada that hers was made for the hands of one with an indomitable fighting spirit and the will to seek the title of strongest. The problem is, he does not see either of those qualities in her. This angers Sarada, who cites her drive to become Hokage is proof he is wrong. He chastises her for not knowing the difference between becoming stronger and becoming the strongest. She then challenges him to a match to prove herself. Though he does not expect a challenge, he accepts. The two battle, and Surudoi's top easily blows Sarada's away, but when it seems as though victory is certain, Sarada's will to win causes her chakra to resonate inside the bey. She then instinctively uses the power of the resonance to launch an attack strong enough to push him back. Surudoi gets serious and resonates as well, and while he wins with a two-point finish, his bey flies out of the stadium. He catches it, and part of Sarada's bey that flew at him, realizing that she would have scored a point on him if her bey had lasted a second longer. He then leaves, but tells Sarada that while she's not as strong as him, he was wrong about her level of willpower. The group then heads back to prepare for their mission to end.
A few days later, Surudoi is walking through Kumo when he spots a news feature regarding a International Beigoma Battle Tournament being held in Kirigakure. However, he finds that he missed the registration date to enter. Angered that no one mentioned it to him, he goes to the park where the qualifying rounds are being held to talk to his friends, who he learns all entered without saying anything. Before he can find them, he learns from a spectator about a second qualifier tournament being held. Surudoi enters, and learns that the tournament is a battle royale. When he learns that not everyone will participate at once, he petitions the officials to have one battle with all participants involved. Because everyone agrees to it, the officials grant his request. Surudoi then goes on to defeat everyone in the battle royal on his own, earning a spot in the international tournament.
When the time for the tournament comes, he confronts Kumoihime about not mentioning the tournament to him. She tells him that his mother demanded that he not be told. He confronts her on the matter, but she stubbornly refuses to elaborate. Sensing the futility of getting answers, he refocuses on winning the tournament. Before the tournament starts, he is interviewed by a news outlet. Instead of answering questions, he gives a challenge to all of the other players who made it to the tournament to make it entertaining for him. However, Surudoi secretly visits Kitsui, the son of two of the original Beigoma crafters and the only Beigoma player in Kumo better than him. As the only one left who knows the old way of crafting Beigomas, he asks that he upgrade his bey for the tournament. When he asks why the Spin Emperor needs a better top, he says that there is someone he does not want to lose to.
Surudoi manages to make it to the quarterfinals without yielding a point in any match, defeating each opponent with one strike. During his match against Metal Lee, he preys on Lee's anxiety, throwing him off enough to easily win the first round. In the next round, he is shocked when Metal shakes off his anxiety and forces a draw. Recognizing how close he came to losing, he gets serious for round three. Despite going all-in, he is overwhelmed by Metal's skill and power. Being pushed to the edge of defeat, Surudoi creates a new technique that defeats Metal's Beigoma top. Before leaving, he gives Metal a new part for his top and acknowledges him as a Spin Emperor. In the semifinals, Surudoi faces Hanabi Hyūga, Kitsui's ex-girlfriend and rival. Because of their relationship, she became the only Beigoma player in the world that's Kitsui's equal, and the only person in the tournament better than him. Despite her superior skills, he narrowly bests Hanabi and advances to the finals. He thanks her for giving him a heated battle, then leaves to watch the other semifinal match.
He is surprised to see Kumoihime lose to her opponent: Sarada Uchiha. Before leaving, he warns Sarada to bring her best so she can entertain him. That night, Surudoi gets some last minute practice in, but Toyotama interrupts him, insisting he rest. He decides to listen to her, but before they go to their room, she hugs him and tells him not to lose before giving his full measure. Though he brushes it off, he is moved heavily by her gesture.
When the final match comes, Surudoi faces Sarada in a four point match. Seeing that she has improved, but is still unworthy of his full power, he manages to score two points in the first match while still holding back. In the second round, he is surprised at Sarada managing to force a draw. He decides to up his game slightly to see if she can keep up with a stronger launch. He does so, but Sarada's will to win allows her to score one point against him. He laughs it off, though inwardly he is truly impressed by her growth and decides to battle seriously. He is shocked when Sarada manages to score two points, though she injures her shoulder in the process. When she refuses to call a timeout to get medical attention, he calls for a timeout himself to buy her the time to get examined. He uses the time for a bathroom break, but before returning to the stadium, he is cut off by Naruto. Naruto shows Surudoi a Beigoma top that looks exactly like his did before he upgraded it, realizing that it came from Toyotama. He then returns to the stadium, realizing that Naruto knows that he is Toyotama's child, and that she tried to keep him from competing to keep that from happening.
The revelation of a foreign Kage learning his identity concerns him, but he sets it aside to focus on the match. However, his thoughts wander during the match, throwing off his launch, and He manages to recover, but Sarada wins the match, gaining another point. Refusing to lose another point, he goes all in. In the last battle, he unleashes his full power in response to Sarada coming close to winning, but the intensity of both players' chakra end up breaking the stadium and forcing a draw. However, Hanabi - who was refereeing - reveals that Surudoi's bey held out for a fraction of a second longer than Sarada's, granting him the championship. After receiving the first place medal, he meets up with his mother, who is happy he won but worried about the Kage finding out the truth about him. The next day, they take a train back to Kumo, but before leaving, he meets with Sarada and bestows her the title of Spin Emperor as a sign of respect. He then challenges her to improve for their next match.
Chūnin Exams Repeat Arc[]
"The Seal of Reconciliation is for the end of a match. Our fight was interrupted - and that bites - but it's not over. I'll admit this much: you're stronger than I thought. We'll finish this fight during the Exams, and we can make the seal after I defeat you, Sarada Uchiha." |
When the time for the next Chūnin Exams arrives, Surudoi enthusiastically registers along with his teammates after Samui declares them qualified to enter. He then suggests they all spar together in preparation, and agrees with Kumoihime's suggestion that they go to the training area they used when they first met. While there, he participates in a three way sparring session that quickly escalates into a serious ninjutsu battle. The fight is interrupted by an Ōtsutsuki male attacking Surudoi. As he manages to force the Ōtsutsuki off of him, the rest of team rushes to his defense, only for five more to appear. Surudoi tries to stop them when they grab Kumoihime, but is pushed back again. He managed to pin one of them down, but before he can press his attack, Kumo mentally tells him to summon his mother. Before jumping back into the fight, he shouts a battle cry loud enough for his mother to her from Kumo. He helps the rest of his team hold out until Toyotama can arrive, but he calls out to Kumoihime when she submits to her mother. This buys just enough time for his mother to descend, but before she can intimidate Kumo's family into leaving, the situation escalates when four Celestial Dragons appear and attack the Ōtsutsuki. After Toyotama calms them down, he has his injuries treated by Kumoi.
Once the violence ends and both sides are calmed, Surudoi is introduced to his aunt, uncle, and maternal grandparents. Angered that they attacked his friend, he immediately threatens to beat them all up. Toyotama convinces him to behave while she smooths things over. He then overhears the Ōtsutsuki group - revealed to be Kumoihime's mother, four sisters, and cousin - are planning to take her from Earth. Surudoi then voices support for Kumoi's suggestion to wager her fate on her performance in the Chunin Exams, even though he will be punished if she loses the bet. Surudoi spends the next few days training with Darui to ensure that he is strong enough to make it to the Exam finals. When the time comes to depart, he reunites with his team, where they resolve to do their best.
When Surudoi and his team arrive in Konoha early, he gets some last minute training in while his team settles in to relax. His training is interrupted by Sarada, who challenges him to spar. Curious to see her strength, he complies, and Surudoi notes that while she isn't yet a worthy adversary, she is stronger than he expected. He easily corners her, so Sarada tries to attack with Chidori, but her dad stops the fight and takes Sarada away. Before leaving, she tries to make the Seal of Reconciliation with him, but he refuses to make the seal until they finish the battle in the Exams.
The day of the first stage of the Esams, Surudoi and his team arrive to the site of the written test with the rest of the participants. When he completes the test, he takes time to analyze the rest of the contenders, noticing a few that may be worthy of his effort. When the proctor prepares to give the last question to decide who passes and who fails, he is one of those who don't break, allowing his team to pass the first stage of the exams. Once the test is done, he returns to his training until dinner. When a fight nearly breaks out during the meal, Surudoi radiates enough malice to intimidate everyone into calming down before finishing his food and leaving.
The following morning, Surudoi gathers along with the remaining contenders and participates in a race to Konoha's airfield, where an airship meant to transport participants to the stage of the second part of the exams. He and his team get ahead of the competition, but are stopped by a barrier, which Surudoi and Benkei both recognize as a weakened Thirty-Six Layer Self-Repairing Barrier. Though Surudoi manages to put a hole in the first layer, it repairs itself before he can pass through. Unable to break through alone, Surudoi convinces the competing teams to work together. While the strongest genin break open the barrier, the weaker ones use various jutsu to hold the breaks open long enough for them to pass through, allowing everyone to make it to the airfield. As they travel to their destination, Surudoi continues his training. He is surprised when several genin, Sarada included, ask to train with him. Deciding it won't impede him, he agrees.
When they arrive at the island where the next part of the exams is held, Surudoi listens to the rules being explained, then heads out with his team. As they traverse the island and get the lay of the land, Surudoi suggests a spot where they may find a shinobi carrying their target, a scroll. He leads his team to the spot he pointed out. His suspicion pans out, and the team find a ninja guarding a scroll. However, the guardian is Kurotsuchi. Though shocked that a Kage is getting involved, Surudoi agrees with Benkei when he suggests they try to take the scroll despite the skill of their opponent. Despite his best efforts, He and Benkei are both restrained without getting near the scroll, and can only watch as she sends a clone after a retreating Kumoihime.
While they wait, Kurotsuchi expresses disappointment in their efforts, expecting more. Surudoi replies that he has more power to show, but is waiting for Kumoi to dispatch her clone before moving. He explains that he has faith in his teammate because she may be the only genin in Kumo with as much determination as him, a fact proven true when Kumoi destroys the clone. Sensing the time is right, Surudoi and Benkei collaborate to break her restraints and renew their attack. Working with his team, he helps them to defeat Kurotsuchi's counterattack and grab her scroll. After listening to the Tsuchikage's praise, he leaves with his friends to rest before they go to commandeer an airship to leave the island and head to the finish line in Kirigakure.
The next morning, he notices Team 7 tailing them as they head to find an airship. Turning to confront them, he ignores Sarada's challenge for his scroll. When she attacks out of anger, he defeats her, and leaves a message for Sarada with Mitsuki. When he reaches the dock with the airships and sees only one remaining, he asks Kumoihime to search for remaining competitors. When she finds Team Konohamaru and two more teams heading their way, he asks his teammates to wait for them. When all of the teams arrive, Surudoi offers a truce and ride the airship to the finish line together, and when they agree, Kumoihime help get the airship moving. As all of the teams work together, they are able to overtake the remaining teams. However, once they near Kiri, Shinki turns on them and tries to steal everyone's scrolls.
Fortunately, Kumoi, who has her team's scroll, is not on the ship. Anticipating a trap, Team Samui decided to have Kumoi fly ahead with the scroll. Surudoi and Benkei collaborate to break free and escape with Kumoi. Summoning an eagle to carry his team, he orders his summon to get them to the finish line, then sets off a second set of explosive tags he hid on the airship, forcing the other teams to abandon ship. Partway there, they are intercepted by Team Shinki, following on Iron Sand clouds. As they battle, Surudoi is knocked off of his eagle, forcing him to keep up by manifesting his dragon wings. Once he does, he sees his eagle disappear, throwing his team off long enough for them to get knocked to the ground. Seeing their distance from the finish line, he risks exhausting his chakra reserves and uses Lightning Release: Body Flicker to grab his team and carry them across the finish line, being the first team to finish. He inquires about his teammates' condition, and once satisfied they aren't badly injured, he collapses from exhaustion.
Chūnin Exams Finals Arc[]
Surudoi is sent to medics, where he recovers from his exhaustion and is told that he helped his team finish the second round of the exams. He then finds his team, who inquire about his health. Kumoihime scolds him for being so reckless, and Fukai is simply glad he is alright. They explain that the finals will be held in one month, so the finalists have time to hone their skills. Surudoi decides to find a place to train apart from his team, since they ill likely be foes in the finals. Kumoi decides to go to the Valley of Clouds and Lighting. He leaves to think of somewhere else to train, but tells his friends to do their best so they can go all out when they face off.
During the month of training, Surudoi trains to finish his transformation into a Celestial Dragon. Since the final step is to actually transform, he tries repeatedly without success. His mother has taken an interest in teaching one of Kumohime's sisters, so she has less time to help him practice. To compensate, his grandparents also help him hone his Aether Release skills. He also trains with Darui, who is trying to make sure his performance reflects well on Kumogakure. When the month to train is nearly up, Surudoi has improved, but still has not transformed. During the final week of preparation, everyone warns him to be careful: the battles ahead of him could trigger the transformation, and out him to the world if it happens during the exams. The time for the finals comes, and Surudoi reunites with his team at Mountians' Graveyard: the site of the finals. They all agree to hang on until they meet at the end. They gather with the other contenders, and hear that the finals will be battle royale, and the entire area is the battlefield. Contenders must fight until they are unable to continue. Each participant is be given a single smoke bomb they can use to withdraw from exactly one fight without being disqualified. The last four participants standing after a certain amount of time will participate in a tournament bracket the next day. If less than four remain after time is up, whoever is left will fight in one final match.
When the exams begin, Surudoi begins searching for an opponent. He encounters Metal Lee, who challenges him to a match. The two engage, and Surudoi holds the upper hand due to his superior speed and striking power. Metal refuses to yield, and begins using the Eight Gates to try to turn the tides. Surudoi is still stronger against the first gate, but he loses ground when Metal opens the second gate. Not to be outdone, he counters with Lightning Release Chakra Mode, able to hold it longer thanks to training. Metal then activates the third gate, which pushes his strength to match Surudoi blow for blow. Metal manages to catch him in the Hidden Lotus, opening the fourth gate to ensure it connects, then pushes his limits to open the fifth gate for a finishing blow. Surudoi takes a great deal of damage and thinks to himself that Metal is far stronger than he could have imagined. Metal closes the gates to avoid further injury, and he drops his guard. Surudoi uses the opening to grab Metal and knock him out with a watered down Liger Bomb. Getting the win, Metal's father, who is part of the team of proctors monitoring the fighting, comes out of hiding to wait with his son for medics to arrive. Surudoi tells Rock to let his son know he would like to face him again one day, then leaves to find another opponent. Along the way, he learns from a screen set up in the forest that Fukai was eliminated after a battle with Mitsuki. The two fought until neither could continue, but there is no footage of their battle. Curious about Mitsuki's strength and saddened that his friend was knocked out, he moves on.
Twenty minutes later, Surudoi runs into a trio of opponents: Team 10, the latest Ino-Shika-Chō team. He initially thinks very little of them, but they do not retreat, so he decides to fight. Before they can start, Shinki shows up and attacks him. followed quickly by Sarada, who wants to pick up their fight. Everyone begins arguing over who he should fight, so Surudoi decides to face them all at once. However, Benkei arrives and decides to fight Team 10. Surdoi relents and decides to square off with Sarada and Shinki. Shinki tries to trap in in Iron Sand, but Surudoi is able to dodge easily. Even though their persistence begins to wear him down, he continues to push them back. Their efforts start to excite him, but he then gets overwhelmed by a strange feeling. It distracts him long enough for Shinki to bury him alive. Trapped underground and unable to move, Surudoi believes himself to have exhausted himself. He then sees a vision of a dragon telling him that he has reached his limit, but can find the strength to continue if he knows how to reach it. Surudoi then thinks back to his training with his grandparents, and realizes why he hasn't been able to transform into his dragon form yet.
Having figured out his mistake, Surudoi manages to transform and break out of his entrapment. To avoid suspicion, he changes back into a human. Before he can unleash his new strength, he begins to get sick, and spits up a saw shaped blade. He then realizes that he forgot he was fashioning a new blade that he was supposed to spit up when he transformed. He takes out his handle and attaches the blade to it, and tests it against Shinki's Iron Sand attacks. With his new tool and abilities, he manages to corner them, but Boruto - who was watching - joins the fray. Even still, Surudoi is still strong enough to overpower them. However, he catches Boruto and Sarada flying out of the path of his attack on Iron Sand, as Shinki sacrificed himself to give the other two a chance to attack him, he prepares a counter, but is trapped by Shikadai, who had been felled by Benkei already. The instant of paralysis allows Boruto to launch Sarada at him, allowing her Chidori to hit him. As he is struck, he faintly hears the referees calling off the fight. Because Shinki was incapacitated by his earlier attack, and Shikadai used the last of his strength on him, only four contenders remain. Between that and the fact that the clock for the battle royale ran out, Surudoi, the two Konoha-nin, and Kumoihime are put in the final four that will fight the next day.
When the time for the finals arrive, Surudoi is brought to a special arena prepared in the event the battle royale didn't eliminate enough contenders. He is told that his semifinal match will be with Kumoihime. He is excited to face his top rival, and is even more interested when she demands that they skip the pre-fight intermission that was scheduled. Surudoi seconds her request, so they begin their fight immediately, with both going all in from the start. Surudoi decides to unveil the new weapon he forged with the help of his extended family, and it proves to be equally effective against her new fan. The two trade blows until they disarm each other. Kumoi mixes Water and Typhoon Release to form a vortex of water, but Surudoi evaporates it with his Inner Flame. Through the steam generated, Kumoi lands a Lightning Release attack.
The two trade shots evenly for five minutes, after which they fight seriously. Surudoi ramps things up by unleashing his Aether Release (SL), and Kumoi counters with various Typhoon Release attacks. The two keep this up for twenty minutes, exchanging slashes, jutsu, and blows until they begin to tire. By this point, Surudoi begins tiring, and their clash comes to a head when she hits him with F3: Tornado Rasengan while he hits her with Aether Release enhanced strike. Pushed to the limit, Surudoi rises again and prepares another attack and walks toward Kumoi. When he reaches her, he is shocked when she forfeits the match. Surudoi follows her from the arena and asks why she refused to finish their battle properly. She tells him that since her family recognizes her strength, she accomplished everything she wanted to in the Exams and is satisfied if she doesn't progress any further, and that she isn't ready to settle their rivalry yet. She then gives him the earrings she is wearing, explaining that they are chakra pills with enough power to let her leave Earth, but they can also replenish his strength and the strength of his next opponent. He accepts them, and they go to watch the fight between Boruto and Sarada. He is surprised when Boruto surrenders his fight also.
When the final match starts, Surudoi holds the advantage, easily outclassing Sarada in strength. To his surprise, Sarada begins dodging his moves and pushing him back. He realizes that she is steadily reading his movements better. Eventually, Sarada attempts Chidori, but Surudoi is ready for it and counters him with Black Lightning, the move Darui taught him and had him save for the final match. Surudoi turns the tide, but Sarada uses Chidori a second time, a risky move as she is low on chakra. Starting to get worn out, Surudoi decides to settle it with a mutual strike. He catches the Chidori, and while it staggers him, he manages to stay on his feet, winning the match.
Afterwards, Surudoi has his injuries treated, then attends the closing ceremony for the Exams, where he and the other final four competitors are promoted to Chūnin. After the ceremony ends, he goes to gather his belongings for the trip back to Kumo. On the way to the airship headed home, he sees Sarada and her family going to their airship. He stops her and tells her that she took an important step towards realizing her dream. He also warns her to be ready, since their goals demand that they cross swords again. He then heads to his ship and returns to Kumo.
Titanic Beast Arc[]
Several months after the Chūnin Exams, Team Samui is dispatched to join a coalition formed by the Shinobi Union for an unknown mission. They are sent to the Northern Coast of the Land of Lightning before receiving their orders. Once they reach their post, he learns that they must wait for the remaining members assigned to the group to arrive. While waiting, he notices a strange sense that something troublesome is near inside the nearby volcano. His suspicion is confirmed when he is briefed that their mission is to study a large beast inside the volcano and see if it is dangerous. Surudoi is placed at a scouting post, watching for signs it is active. Later, he finds a saddened Kumoihime, and learns that the Union is making plans to kill the beast, something she is against. She explains that she is saddened that they are trying to kill a being that, like her, is not bothering anyone, and wishes her superiors would leave it in peace.
A few days later, he decides to cheer her up by playing Beigoma with her in their free time. She agrees, and the two play several matches once they are relieved from their posts. As their last match reaches a climax, it's cut off by the ground suddenly shaking. He then gets a strange sensation that alerts him realizes that the beast is waking up. As it bursts out of the volcano, he and Kumoi regroup with the coalition, and watch as their attack plan is implemented and fails. When it retaliates by creating a hurricane-force gale, Surudoi is blown away, and realizes that the coalition will be wiped out. With no other way to fend it off, Surudoi transforms into his dragon form and charges the creature. Though he is injured, he hurts it enough to scare it away from the coalition. After seeing it leave, he passes out, realizing he forgot to change back to human form.
Worn out from fighting, Surudoi rests while in dragon form, and he is too tired to check for signs that anyone pieced his identity together. While resting, he notices that the Titanic Beast flies overhead, but avoids getting too close, and he surmises that his fight made it wary enough to avoid getting close to him. Later, he senses Toyotama arriving. After a while, she comes to check on him, then reveals his identity to the Daimyō she brought along. Once done talking to them, Toyotama stays nearby while he recovers. When he is strong enough to move again, he asks his mom why she outed him. She responds that he made himself by defending the coalition against the beast. Though unhappy, he accepts the reality and returns to normal and goes to help find survivors. His actions shocked everyone, but the recovery effort kept everyone too busy to address him.
Later, Surudoi is told by Kumoihime that a new plan was approved to relocate the Titanic Beast. Put in charge of gathering help, she asks him to help her move a set of eggs that were found, hoping the beast will follow if they are moved. He agrees, and they get to work putting the plan together. When the time comes to move the eggs, he is shocked to see the weather has changed dramatically. As they transport the eggs, he notices the beast is not responding, and realizes that his mother is responsible. Taking advantage of the opening, he boards the airship carrying the eggs. Halfway to the island they're aiming to deliver the eggs too, he senses the beast's cries, meaning that it will catch up to them soon. He then watches as the beast blows through their efforts to stall it. While they get close to the island, it catches up, so Surudoi transforms and fights it again to buy extra time. He manages to distract it, but it slips past him and goes after the team moving the eggs. He flies after it, but he fails to close the distance. As it bears down on the team, Surudoi hears a beautiful, soothing song that makes both him and the beast mysteriously calm. He realizes that Kumoihime is the one responsible. Seeing that the beast is calm, he checks on the team, and leaves with them, satisfied that the mission is complete.
Dragon Mastery Arc[]
One year after becoming a chūnin, Surudoi is approached by Kumoihime about a problem she discovered: her sister Shinatobe is going to harvest a God Tree, which could lead to the destruction of someone's planet. Not wanting that, or for another Celestial being to kill her sibling, she asks him to get his mother to reach out to another Dragon who can intervene. He refuses because even if Toyotama did step in, Shinatobe would likely still be killed. Kumoi pleads for an alternative, but he tells her that she is the only person who cares enough to stop her sister without killing her.
Surudoi is later called in and told that Kumoihime is leaving Earth for training, and he must go along for accountability. He has no problem with it, so he packs his bags, says goodbye to his father, then leaves with Kumoihime and Toyotama. Their trip takes them to his aunt, who Kumoi wants to train under. When his aunt refuses, he follows Kumoi for a week as she tries to change the dragon's mind. However, Surudoi's aunt accidentally enters a elder dragon's territory, starting a fight. Surudoi tries to get involved, but Kumoi asks him to let her handle it. He watches from afar as Kumoi breaks up the fight. Her behavior then moves the dragon to offer to train her. Kumoi readily accepts, so Surudoi begins following his teammate, her new master, and her child.
Flashforward[]
"Kumoihime, I get it. You're scared that you'll be a burden, or you'll hurt me again. I know all that...but I want to marry you anyway. I love you, and I want to be with you forever. If you don't feel the same way, I'll drop it right now, but I need to know how you really feel. Please tell me: what is it you want, Kumoihime?" |
Four years after Urashiki's attack on Kumo, Surudoi returns from a mission to help rebuild Konoha after its destruction. Returning around the time of the Rinne Festival, he considers telling Kumoihime that he has fallen for her, but is not sure he has the courage to do so. The following night, he is at dinner with Team Samui, when he senses an unfamiliar presence nearby. When Kumoihime mysteriously runs outside, he follows and finds Kumoi's mother and two other Ōtsutsuki. When one of the intruders commands Kumoi to come to him, he is confused when she addresses him a father and complies. Confused, he moves to attack along with his team, only to be shocked when Kumoi attacks. With only minor injuries from her attack, Surudoi flies after Kumoi, only for the to run him through with her Typhoon Release. As he reels from the injury, he notices a strange look in Kumoihime's eyes as she enters a portal before losing consciousness.
Waking up in the hospital, he is informed that Kumoi has apparently abandoned Kumogakure. Though still injured, he tries to leave to find Kumoihime, but Darui arrives and tells him to leave the matter alone and focus on recovering. He manages to rest for three days before deciding he cannot leave Kumoihime alone. Around that time, he is approached by Isonade, one of Kumoi older sisters, who offers to take him to Kumoi. She explains that her sister's sudden betrayal of those she treasures even more than her clan confuses her, and she believes that a confrontation with Surudoi will reveal if her betrayal was premeditated or not. Knowing that Isonade is too rational to risk his wrath by luring him into a trap, he accepts her help.
Going to Darui, he requests permission to assemble a team to pursue Kumoi. He argues that as the one who fought for Kumoi to be accepted in Kumo, it's his responsibility to find out the truth, and save her if she is under duress or kill her if she has gone rogue. Darui tries to talk him out of it, but he relents and gives permission. He then takes Isonade to find a team for the task. Before leaving, Toyotama asks if his love will stop him from doing what he may need to do. He responds that it won't, then goes to assemble a team. After gathering the rest of Team Samui, he goes to Konoha and recruits Boruto and Sarada. Before leaving, he is approached by Hinata, who wants to come with them. Surudoi warns that they may have to kill Kumoihime, she is undeterred. Accepting her aid, he has Isonade take them to her homeworld.
After their arrival, Surudoi and his team prepare to find Kumoihime, but are cut off by her mother, who foresaw that he would come. She explains that she sent Isonade to retrieve him in hopes that he could disrupt her husband's plan to marry Kumoihime as part of a plan to harvest a God Tree. Because Kumoihime won't voice her opinion, even to her in secret, she suspects her husband is is using leverage to force Kumoi's cooperation. She also warns that her husband is considerably stronger than him and will kill him if he tries to intervene, but that there is a loophole he can exploit to face Kumoi without interference. With this new information, Surudoi revises his plan. Because the wedding ceremony is happening as they speak, he quickly instructs his team to go with Kumoi's mother to find out if she is being coerced at all. Meanwhile, he transforms into his Celestial Dragon form and crashes the wedding. Before anyone can attack him, he exploits the loophole Kumoi's mother pointed out. He publicly accuses Kumoi of violating a binding agreement the they made. Because the promise he made to with her back when he discovered she was an Ōtsutsuki can be interpreted that way, he has a right to punish her for attacking Kumo. He then agrees to vacate his charge against her if fights him one-on-one.
When Kumoi agrees, they head to a secluded area to fight. Surudoi manages to hold the upper hand, and he notices that Kumoi's heart is not in the fight. He can't pin the cause of her lack of words or emotion, so he decides to get answers after defeating her. Eventually, he overwhelms her and backs he into a corner. Poised to kill her, he gives her a chance to say any last words in the hopes she will offer an explanation. When she doesn't respond, he decides that he must kill her. In the instant he brings his blade down, he is caught off guard by the sensation of his Inner Fire weakening. Though he resists, he quickly loses his strength, leaving him open for Kumoihime to stab him. As he collapses, he notices emotion return to her eyes. When she becomes frantic and tries to heal him, he realized that she was being controlled, listening as she explains that her father was manipulating her body, forcing her to use a poison created to put a Celestial Dragon's flame out on him. She explains that she left Kumo to keep the shinobi of the village from being killed trying to defend her. Surudoi then rebukes her for thinking that he would not come for her and not trusting her friends to find a way to help. Realizing that he is about to die, he apologizes for not seeing that she was trying to protect Kumo and failing to get her out of her dilemma. Though he wishes to tell her that he is in love with her, he loses consciousness before he can say anything else.
Surudoi wakes up at the border into the Pure Land, ready to cross over. Before he can, he hears Kumoi's mother calling out that Kumoi still needs him. She pleads with him to come back for her sake, and he wakes up alive. Confused as to what happened, everyone explains that Kumoi's mother used her life energy to revive him, though the effort put her into a coma. They tell him that Kumoi will be killed if he does not help, so he goes to find her. He tracks her down and sees that she is fighting her father. Knowing that getting involved could get them both killed, he thinks of a workaround. He then comes up with an idea, then transforms and steps in just as Kumoihime gets cornered. He accuses her father of interfering with his agreement with Kumoi, burns down the world's God Tree as punishment, and takes Kumoihime with him. He then regroups with the rest of the retrieval team and return to Earth. Before they can leave, Kumoi's sisters tag along, as Samui promised their mother to take them to Earth.
The group returns to Earth, and Surudoi brings Kumoi and her siblings before Darui, and watches them being detained, then spends the next several days debriefing everyone on what happened. Once the debriefings are finished, he spends time alone, thinking about the way the mission went. One day, he decides to visit the clearing where he first met Kumoihime, and is surprised when Kumoi shows up and drags him to the surface of the moon. She then draws her fan on him and challenges him to a no holds barred battle to settle their rivalry. He accepts the challenge, and the two fight for several hours, neither able to hold an advantage. Eventually, Surudoi tires and uses his remaining strength for a final attack. As the two fight, his heart connects to her, allowing him to see the guilt that she is carrying: even though she wasn't in control, she feels responsible for him dying. He also senses that Kumoi is in love with him before he as he passes out.
When he wakes up, he finds himself lying next to Kumoi, both of them too injured to move around. As they wait for their strength to return, he points out that one of her horns broke off during the fight, which makes them both laugh until it hurts. He then apologizes for trying to kill her, and listens whens she thanks for trying to stop her from crossing a line she couldn't return from. He passes out again from fatigue, and when he awakes, he finds that Kumoi brought them back to Earth. Seeing she is still exhausted, he carries her to a nearby tree to help her relax while she recovers before falling asleep again. When they wake up, Kumoi opens a portal home, but Surudoi asks her to walk home with him, and they sort out their feelings along the way. Sensing that she is still worried about her father coming for her, he offers up a solution: marriage. He then offers her a necklace he planned to give her earlier and asks her to marry him. He argues that if she is engaged, her father will have no choice but to back off. She becomes flustered, and when he feels she will reject him, he tells her that he is aware of her doubts, but is unconcerned by her fears. She then hugs him and joyfully agrees to the marriage. He then gets flustered that she changed her mind so quickly, but is still glad that she agreed. Though nervous, he kisses her, and is happy when she doesn't resist him.
Surudoi then goes with Kumoi to begin telling their friends and family about their engagement. The next day, Kumoi comes and tells him that she learned Kumogakure's marriage prohibits marriages under eighteen with very few exception. Knowing this, he suggests they wait until they turn eighteen to marry to remove any hurdles and give themselves time to prepare for the commitment of marriage. He spends the two-year engagement completing missions, saving money among with Kumoihime for the wedding and plans to live together. Two years later, they officially marry, and Surudoi's father gifts them a stay at a hotel in Kirigakure for their honeymoon. After celebrating their marriage, Surudoi goes to Kiri with Kumoi. Arriving at night, he collapses alongside his wife, worn out from the wedding. During the night, Surudoi is stirred awake when he senses Kumoi in distress. He opens his eyes to see her sitting up in a fit and asks her about it. She claims it is nothing to be worried about, but he can sense her dishonesty and presses. She relents and explains that she had a nightmare about her father taking her away. Seeing her worried, he asks permission to hold her until she can fall asleep. She agrees, so he wraps her in his arms before closing his eyes again. He checks on her a few minutes later and smiles when he sees her sleeping peacefully.
The next day, he wakes up and finds himself in a room different from the hotel room. He then leaves the room with an awakened Kumoi, and they find themselves in a massive palace filled with Celestial Dragons. Confounded, the couple learns that their hotel was connected to Ryūgū-jō, a gathering place for Celestial Dragons that can exist at different points in space at the same time. After finding and speaking to a receptionist, he is told that the palace will not reconnect to Earth for three weeks. This proves problematic, as Kumoi and Surudoi were only prepared to be away for one week. With no other options, Surudoi decides that they simply have to accept it and make the extension work.
Kumoi suggests that it may be fun to explore the different places Ryūgū-jō connects to: since at least one entrance changes daily, they can easily find something to do. Surudoi agrees, so the two spend some time each day exploring a new world. The second week into their stay, Kumoi and Surudoi learn that Ryūgū-jō has anchored itself to the homeworld of the Celestial Dragons. Surudoi is curious about his ancestors' home, but he sees that Kumoihime is uncomfortable about going to a world full of beings that hate her clan, but Surudoi convinces her to come along. Changing into his dragon form for the occasion, Surudoi flies with his wife around the world. Along the way, they are accosted by a group of younger dragons who are hostile towards Kumoihime. Surudoi considers stepping in, but is impressed when Kumoi identifies herself as a Dragon Ruler and asserts dominance. Surudoi finds a hot spring, and suggests that they stop to relax there. Kumoi takes to the idea, but while they are relaxing, two Haōkenryū tell them that they have been summoned by Haōryū. Though reluctant, Surudoi follows their lead and goes with Kumoi to meet the leader of the Celestial Dragons. Once there, he finds that he wished to meet them, as he is the first of his kind to marry an Ōtsutsuki who also happens to be a Dragon Ruler. The three of them talk, and Haōryū acknowledges Kumoi as a friend. After a time, Haōryū takes them back to Ryūgū-jō, and tells them they are welcome anytime. During the night, Surudoi wakes up to find Kumoihime awake again, but this time it is not from a nightmare. He asks about her, but she tells him that she is okay. She then holds him and says that she can tell he is worried about ruining the trip and that she is happy just to be with him. Surudoi is confounded that she knew exactly ho to address his unspoken concerns, but he decides to chalk it up to her being a good wife.
