5 Chapter 5
Land of Fire.
Hidden Leaf Village.
The whole village of Konohagakure was quiet as the dawn had yet to arrive.
The obscure twinkling of stars and the radiant moon hanging in the dark sky foreshadowed the approaching rising sun.
A child could be seen in the grassy field by the lake, standing, with his eyes closed. His long black hair tied in the middle swayed in the air. The weather was superb, and the cool wind blew through the grasses to make rustling waves.
Eyes that had been closed to focus on something, suddenly opened, quickly gaining their original gleam.
Izuna let out a small breath, lowered his face, and then lightly kicked at the ground. He moved at an inhumane speed, leaving a slight blur, and arrived in front of a large rock that was large enough to crush the boy underneath.
"Yasogami Kugeki!"
Izuna's body was still in the air. Not even a second had passed since he leaped up from the ground.
He brandished his fist high in the air. Chakra filled his arm, covering it in a faint purple fire, which instantly manifested and took a distinct form.
His fist moved towards the boulder at an astonishing speed. Just the trail of a light purple shadow could be seen.
Boom!!
His fist slammed into the boulder at a breakneck speed and exploded it with loud a shriek. Massive shockwaves erupted upon the impact and the sound of the explosion reverberated all around.
If a spectator would have seen that scene of a child pulverizing an enormous boulder, which was large enough to crush a small house, astonishment would be the least he would feel.
"Whew... Not too shabby, I guess."
Showering in a rain of pebbles, Izuna soundlessly landed on the ground. His fingers tightly grasped a small rock in his hands as he flicked it aside before taking a glance at it.
Satisfied with the result, his mouth couldn't help but stretch into a smile.
The physical arts of a ninja weren't about strength. He might have been a small child, but as long as he managed to knead his own chakra properly, such things would be a walk in the park for him.
Six months after starting at the academy.
Izuna's fame spread throughout the school. He excelled to such an extent that some teachers and students said his level of talent had never before been seen at the academy.
Given the fact that the first-year classes had nothing to offer and teach Izuna, his teachers gave him special homework and tests. But Izuna easily mastered it all and his teachers threw up their hands in defeat.
However, even after all this, he still didn't feel productive enough. From the second day at the academy, he began sending his Shadow Clones in his instead, and either trained by himself or with his parents in the meantime.
Although he had been showing exceptional skills, Izuna had been slightly worried about his strength. He didn't feel satisfied enough. And to that end, he had further increased his training regime.
His father and mother, both had been training him in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, kenjutsu, and fuinjutsu.
And without a shred of doubt, Izuna excelled in all of them, not surprising in the least, considering the perks and the talent he had been born with, of course.
Results beyond approach, physical jutsu, ninjutsu, individual, team, battle techniques, or ninja tactics. Izuna excelled in every field. But despite his abilities that could even swallow up the ninja worldview, his age and physical strength held him back strongly.
It was precisely because Izuna had to overcome his age that he created an offensive taijutsu technique. Yasogami Kugeki.
Yasogami Kugeki - the two characters of the name meant the Eighty God's Vaccum Attack, and the origin of this name was very clear. It was inspired by the most offensive technique of the progenitor of chakra itself.
No. The word "inspired" was not plausible. As it was now, it couldn't even be called a cheap imitation of the technique used by Kaguya that was strong enough to break a six paths chakra complete body Susanoo.
'It'll take some time, huh?'
Izuna did indeed achieve something that was naturally unheard of, but for him, it was nothing but a modest step toward his dream. This was his sole objective - to hone his skills so that he could be a ninja among ninja.
Why a ninja among ninja? To have enough strength to protect what he held dear, of course. Izuna simply refused to accept the conception of a ninja as someone who only lived in the midst of killing.
If you had enough strength, if you had greater strength, if no ninja however strong and skilled stood a chance against you, then you could avoid the risk of losing what you love and care for. Everyone would listen to you, and obey your commands.
Izuna wanted to be that kind of ninja. And not just the perilous ninja world, he was also aware of the beings lurking in the infinite space outside the planet, who go forth and devour planet after planet.
The Otsutuski. A clan of peerless and unique beings who have enough strength to even destroy an entire planet. The members of the clan consume the life energy and genetic material of other worlds in order to continuously evolve, with the ultimate goal of attaining godhood.
After the arrival of Kaguya on Earth a millennium ago, the Otsutsuki began having a lasting influence on the human population, notably starting the history of shinobi.
Thus in order to protect and keep his loved ones, the village, and the world from those celestial beings, with a strong resolve and a clear goal, Izuna trained and believed that he would indeed become powerful and more capable than anyone else, and be able to realize his goal.
"Haah..."
Closing his eyes, he slowly pushed the air out of his lungs from the bottom of his stomach, while bathing in the light of the morning sun.
As the sun was already out when he finished his training, he decided to return home and have some breakfast.
______________
His father's room. Akio sat with his arms crossed before Izuna, who stayed silent and waited for his father to finish reading the contents of his academic reports.
"Haha, that's my son. It's only been six months since you started at the academy, and you've already come this far."
Akio said, proudly smiling at his son while putting the paper aside that he held in his right hand.
"Your grades are excellent as ever. But it seems there's something else on your mind, hm? Say it."
'He is perceptive as ever.'
Izuna looked at his father silently and thought to himself. His mouth couldn't help but stretch into a smile as he nodded his head.
"I think it's time for me to graduate, father."
"Hm? Graduate...after just a single year at the academy?"
His father caught his breath when Izuna talked about early graduation. It hadn't been even one whole year since he started attending the school. Although Akio was well aware of Izuna's capabilities, it still seemed too early for him to graduate, and that's what he felt.
During this era of relative peace, the minimum age to join the academy was five. Izuna joined the academy six months ago and has constantly been at the top of his class, the entire time.
"Of course, father, there is nothing else for me to learn at the academy. And staying there any longer would just hinder my progress."
Izuna responded with a determined look on his face, meeting his father's gaze.
"Hmm. It's understandable."
"So, do I have the permission, father?"
His father tried to understand this. After a fleeting silence flowed through the room, he let out an exasperated sigh.
"All right."
Izuna asked for his father's permission because, for a student to take the early graduation from the academy, he needed to have permission from his parents. A satisfied smile bloomed up on his face hearing his father's reply.
"So how are you at school?"
His father asked, looking at Izuna with a curious gaze.
"I don't understand? What do you mean father? Didn't you see my grades-"
"I'm not talking about that. Do you have any friends at the academy?"
It left Izuna hanging as he didn't expect his father to put this question out of nowhere. He stared at his father as he averted his eyes and absently looked up at the ceiling.
Despite being the greatest student of all time at the academy and gaining reverence from the teachers and students, Izuna didn't have anyone he could call a friend, so he couldn't even remember the last time he had a proper conversation with his classmates.
"Listen, son. I understand that you are earnest about being a full-fledged ninja as soon as possible, but don't forget to take it easy. It's not such a bad thing to take a break sometimes."
'Dad sees right through me...'
Izuna felt that he was like an open book that his father could read anytime he wanted. Now he wasn't even surprised that his father could read him, at all. But one thing he indeed knew that what his father had said, was for his well-being.
What should he do? How could he become the strongest Ninja? That's all he thought since he knew that the future wasn't to be taken easily. He didn't have time to spare.
"All right father, I'll keep that in my mind. But I better get going or I'd be late for the academy."
After the small talk with his father and getting his permission for the early graduation, Izuna left for the academy with a soft smile on his face, while reflecting on his father's words.
< Chapter 5 > Fin.
