26 Chapter 26

I was sitting in the house watching the remaining ninja.

He was short with pure white hair and purple eyes.

He was slowly checking each house and making his way to my own.

He wasn't a sensor.

Then again, the others weren't as well...

...

He approached our house and took a look in the window.

I jumped at the wall, my Byakugan and Chikaku no kyōka active.

Boom*

I burst from the wall barreling towards him with a One For All enhanced punch.

The punch got him but he promptly turned to liquid upon contact with my fist.

I blinked.

A clone?

He reformed right before my eyes.

I blinked again.

He took out his tanto and charged me without a word.

I sent another One For All punch only this time stronger.

Poof*

Half his body scattered into water droplets, only to reform a second later.

Cool!

I grinned.

He came at me again and I again scattered him with a One For All punch.

I was thoroughly enjoying fighting an opponent that didn't turn into a bloody mist when I punched them.

Sadly, I couldn't play for much longer.

I struck his arms with some Gentle fist strikes while he was reforming.

He tried to move his arms with no success...

It seems he's only immune to physical attacks, chakra seems to work fine.

He jumped back putting some distance between us.

"What did you do?!"

Sorry friend I'd love to chat, but I've got things to do.

I started towards him and he did the same.

His body turned into liquid and started 'squirming' towards me.

That looks gross.

"Sorry friend."

I made a hand-sign and launched a stream of lightning at him.

It was extremely effective.

He returned to his human form unconscious.

I walked over and struck him in the heart.

My enemy was no-more.

I sealed him up and disappeared in a Shunshin towards the direction my mom left in.

...

Mom as it turns out wasn't very far.

She had kept me within her range and circled the village keeping the hunter-nin busy.

I was supposed to flee and return with help from Konoha.

It sounded like she wanted to sacrifice herself to save me...

Not on my watch!

I Shunshined behind her slowest pursuer and tapped him on the back of the neck severing his spine with my Chakra Scalpels.

"Ambush!"

He fell from the branch.

Crack*

I blinked.

What did he break...

I didn't expect him to speak...

My super surprising surprise attack did as I expected.

Though I now had everyone's attention.

Everyone was staring at each other, we were in a tense stand-off.

"It's a lovely night to bathe in the blood of a child!"

I chuckled.

Way to ruin the atmosphere weirdo...

...

Things were quiet for a moment.

Mom looked positively ferocious and jumped at the weirdo starting their fight.

Mom and the weirdo took their fight elsewhere leaving me and the last ninja staring at each other.

"So, how's your day been?"

Let no-one say I wasn't polite.

"It was good until you killed my nephew."

Which one was his nephew?

"Sorry about that."

He shook his head.

"It's part of the trade."

His piece said, he launched a hand-full of senbon in my direction.

I dropped to the ground avoiding them before he had even completed his throw.

I watched him go through some hand-signs.

He pointed both of his hands at me making finger guns.

And promptly launched a huge blast of water in my direction.

Nope.

I Shunshined behind him, hitting him with a One For All punch.

My hand went straight through him.

Ah... another water person...

I jumped away letting him reform.

"So, what clan do you belong to?"

I was stalling so I could focus on mom's fight, she was kicking ass, I don't know why she was so worried...

I also wanted to know what bloodline let him 'nope' my punches.

He didn't have white hair like the other guy, but he did share the same purple eyes.

"I'm a member of the Hōzuki clan."

That sounds familiar...

Ah, Kiri had a Kage from that clan...

"I heard Kiri had a Kage from your clan."

He didn't waste any time and jumped at me running through three hand-seals.

Small talk ignored...

His right arm bulged and became extremely muscular, he swung his sword at me using his enlarged arm.

I met his strike with my own One For All enhanced punch.

Boom*

Our clash created a shockwave that rustled the nearby trees.

We both jumped back to gain space.

I eyed his sword.

Can he even use physical attacks without the sword?

Would he just turn into the water with every impact?

Hmm...

We continued staring at each other.

I took a deep breath used a single hand-sign and my right hand sparked with blue lightning.

My opponent tensed.

Which was a good sign?

I increased the amount of electricity on my hand.

I sent him a cheeky wink and Shunshined to his left and struck him in the ribs with my hand.

His body seized and I used my other hand to attack his leg and disable it.

I jumped back and looked at him, waiting for some other trick or hidden move.

He looked resigned, his arm deflated, and regained its normal appearance.

"You're a monster, kid."

Thanks, I try.

"Thank you."

I sent him a nod.

He shook his head.

"It wasn't a compliment."

He tensed before his whole body liquefied and he sprung at me.

A single hand-sign and a lightning arrow struck the jumping blob.

He returned to human form and kneeled on the ground, still conscious.

I readied another more powerful lightning arrow to finish him.

Though it seems he beat me to it.

"Hahaha, I'm glad I won't live to see a monster like you grow any further."

He burst into a tower of flaming blue chakra.

I jumped back putting more space between us.

There was no explosion, his body just disintegrated.

I haven't seen that before...

Seeing that there was no danger I focused on mom's fight.

She seemed to be finishing up, the weird-o's arm was dangling and he was favoring his left leg.

Hmm...

A few hand-signs and a clone popped into existence.

He wandered off to find the other hunter-nin's body and make sure the villagers were ok.

I focused back on my mother, she seemed fine but I figured I should ask.

I signed a message at her.

'need' 'enemy' 'assistance' I then gave a thumbs up and then a thumbs down.

She gave me a thumbs down and engaged her enemy again.

Alrighty...

I guess I was watching then...

...

Mom was playing with her opponent.

She'd give him an opening and when he went for it, she'd strike him destroying his body.

She slowly, strike by strike destroyed his body, until he could no longer even stand.

Eventually, she obliterated his head with a Rasengan.

I decided she had things well in hand, I deactivated my Byakugan and Chikaku no kyōka.

I started making my way to the village.

...

I dispersed my clone.

The villagers had stayed put.

I figured they'd run and scatter into the forest but apparently not.

They just huddled together awaiting whatever fate they'd be subject to.

They should have scattered, it would at least annoy the hunter-nin had they chased them.

And it would lighten the burden mom and faced in taking them to another town...

...

I had the younger Hōzuki laid in front of me.

Other then the high amount of moisture in his body there was nothing of note.

As far as I could tell anyway...

Meaning his fluidization had more to do with his chakra...

I heard a displacement of air behind me, signaling mom's arrival.

"So, what's the plan now?"

I wanted to let the villagers fend for themselves, I wasn't interested in playing shepherd.

"You should be more on guard Shiro."

I am.

"I don't have to worry, with you watching my back."

Besides, I've got an interesting subject to focus on.

"Shiro seal him up before his chakra fades."

Or not...

...

We left the village in the morning.

The women had hooked up a cart and were now traveling in style.

That style being surrounded by children and taking everything, they could fit on themselves and the cart.

A kid with brown hair and eyes interrupted my peace.

"Do you think I could become a ninja like you?"

Not unless you're a descendant of literal space gods.

"Yes! With hard work anything is possible!"

The kid smiled at me and left.

Hopefully the kid didn't become a ninja.

Having brown hair and eyes meant you were cannon fodder in the Naruto-verse.

...

We made it to the nearby village, it was a little deeper into Noodle Country and pretty unremarkable.

"So, can we leave now?"

They added another day onto the mission, something I was unhappy about.

"Yes, their fate is in their own hands now."

They were citizens of noodle country so we had no obligation to help them.

Unless mom was feeling generous.

Which didn't seem to be the case.

We departed, leaving the villagers on the outskirts of the village.

...

"You've been quiet, what's on your mind?"

I was pondering making a chakra drill on my finger similar to the Rasengan.

I'd like to poke people and have them die.

Not that I didn't already do a lot of that.

"I was thinking of ways to improve my Taijutsu."

Mom shook her head and sighed.

"Sigh... of course you are..."

What's that mean?

I raised an eyebrow.

"Your already Jonin-level, you should slow down and enjoy life."

I was enjoying life, what wasn't fun about creating new techniques?

"Alright."

I said instead, I didn't want to argue.

Mom sighed again.

"Anyways, this will probably get you bumped up-to Tokubetsu Jonin at least."

Which was good, I wasn't interested in the Chunin exams.

"So?"

She was bringing it up because she had some sort of point, she wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

"Meaning you will have new responsibility and opportunities."

I wasn't getting it.

"Like what?"

Mom took a deep breath, she looked like she was annoyed that I wasn't getting it.

"You will be expected mentor graduating Genin teams and pass or fail them depending on how they've done. You also might be offered a position in the Anbu or somewhere else."

Meaning root probably...

"I'm not interested in joining the Anbu."

Mom nodded.

"Wise choice."

She took another deep breath.

"This mission might become a A-ranked or S-ranked mission depending on how much they value the Hōzuki corpse."

Why an S-ranked mission?

"What makes the corpse so important?"

Probably potential bloodline theft.

"It becomes more important depending on how many Village secrets the body revels."

As far as I knew they mainly looked into chakra types, herbs eaten, ninjutsu, special medicine used, and kekkei genkai when examining recovered bodies.

"Alrighty..."

I yawned.

I didn't understand what might make the corpse so valuable, I decided to put it out of mind.

I wouldn't gain anything from thinking about it.

...

We arrived at Konoha in the evening.

I was able to escape from having to attend the debriefing after writing my mission report.

So, I made my way home eager for a shower.

Hopefully mom's account was enough, she had seen everything after all.

I was tired and grumpy hopefully they didn't need me, I didn't have the energy to be pleasant to be around at the moment.

...

It was a new day and I was feeling better than I had yesterday.

"We have a meeting with the Hokage tomorrow."

Though that might change.

"What's he want?"

Probably to discuss promotion...

"He wants to discuss possible promotion and he wants to hear about your version of the engagement."

I sighed... I included my fights in my report...

"Don't sigh at me, Writing 'White-haired guy noped my punches by turning into creepy liquid' doesn't accurately describe your engagement with the enemy."

I think that described plenty.

Though to be fair I was in a foul mood when I wrote that.

"Alright thanks."

Now I needed to work on the Chidori or some other way to put my hand through my opponent's chest.

"Also, we need to go see a cousin of mine, her names Shime and she just had a baby and has been bugging me to visit her."

It seems I wouldn't be putting my hand through anyone for a while.

...

I was sitting while holding baby Sakai while mom and Shime chatted and did dishes.

Hariyama, Shime's husband sat across from me and watched at I rocked baby Sakai.

"Your very good with babies."

You've only seen me with one baby...

"Yes, I'm surprised it's going so well."

Hariyama inclined his head.

"It's a good thing I'm sitting, usually I'd have dropped the baby at least twice by now."

I've never held a baby before, but who didn't apricate a little humor.

"I think I'll take her back now."

Hariyama snatched little Sakai from me, evidently not apricating my joke.

"Thanks for letting me hold her, it's the first time I've held a baby without dropping it."

The look of horror I got was delicious.

"Don't worry about it, the baby wouldn't remember being dropped."

The look of disgust I got only furthered my desire to bother him.

"You don't drop babies, do you?"

No, I do not.

"No, that was supposed to be a joke."

Though it was only for my amusement.

"Dropping babies is not a laughing matter."

Clearly...

"If you had seen someone dropping a baby, you'd understand how funny it was."

Hariyama huffed and left the room meaning further conversation was successfully avoided.

Oh, well...

I looked at the kitchen, mom and Shime were still chatting.

I think it's time I bail.

...

I had regained my day and was now ready to experiment.

I had tried to create Chidori many times with no success, I had long forgotten any training Sasuke did to learn the Chidori.

Or if his training was even shown.

So, I needed to create something different.

I wanted to create a spinning drill of chakra around my hand.

Similar to the Rasengan it would require no hand-seals.

Or at least that was the plan.

It shouldn't be too hard as I already did something similar with the Rasengan.

...