4 Chapter 4: Growing Part 1

Nine months later

"Yoshi! There you are, give me a hug!" His mother, Mitsui, wore a white dress today, accentuating her silver hair. He still felt weird having someone younger than him pick him up in their arms, even if they were his parents.

Mitsui hugged him while smiling from ear to ear. "How does birthday boy feel?" She said as she filled his face of kisses.

"Mother! Stop! I am no longer a baby, you promised you would stop treating me like a baby for my birthday, remember?" Yoshima frowned as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

She placed a finger on her chin as she pondered. "Did I say that? How come I don't remember? I must have said you will always be my baby." She said as she grinned at him. It was hard to tell who was the child from seeing their faces.

She laughed seen his expressions, as she pulled a small scroll she had hidden between her chest. "Look what I got you honey, the books you wanted! Tell mommy who is your favorite parent now." She said lifting her head in a manner full of pride.

Mitsui, seen her son not taking the scroll looked down. "Why is your face red, here take the scroll, you must be really happy you can't contain it, right? HAHAHA." She laughed out loud.

Yoshima quickly took it and ran towards his room before she said or did anything else. He did not forget to add a "Thank you Mother!" as he ran away.

He had asked his mother for books to help him read and write. Opening the scroll, there were what seemed like pictures of a few different books. It was a simple enclosing technique to seal objects to a scroll, even living objects could be sealed inside.

Since finding out he was in Uzushiogakure, Yoshima has been trying to figure out ways to not only on how to increase his chances of surviving the incoming destruction, but also how to help Uzushio from it's impending doom. He has a close tie to his birth parents, and doesn't want to see them die prematurely.

'Today is February twenty-second, but they don't keep track of years here. Mother said the First Great Shinobi War happened twelve years ago, that means I only have around eight more years or so before the Second Great Shinobi War happens, and with it the fall of Uzushiogakure. Naruto was born around twenty-two years from now, making today February 22nd 22 B.N.B'

"Where you hiding from your mother, son?" His father, Ikeda, pats his hair as he jumps.

"Father! I am not a kid anymore." Yoshima stares at his father with hopeful eyes.

"You are your mother's son. Here, I got you this two scrolls, and these." His father handed him two small scrolls and four small square papers.

"And you are the best, father! Hehe." Yoshima shamelessly smiled.

"One of the scrolls is an intermediate meditating technique, while the other one is a training regiment for ages five to ten. The four seals are Advanced Chakra Gathering Seals."

"Thank you Father."

"It is no problem, son. We have not really talked about what makes chakra, and how do you use it using two different energies. I know you are still young, but I know you understand better than many."

He took out a diagram of a human body showing chakra channels and two different colored energies.

"Both physical and spiritual energies are necessary for creating chakra. They are opposing forces, but at the same time the opposing forces balance one another. Every living being is born with chakra, and every being has a certain maximum amount of chakra their genetics allows them to use. While there is a cap for everyone, to reach it , you will have to increase both components of chakra. Physical energy can be increased by exercising, increasing endurance, training, and stimulation. While spiritual is increased with age, knowledge, meditation, and experience. Each person's chakra is different however, as it provides a signature for each individual. Chakra is produced naturally in chakra-producing organs, they then travel through chakra pathways, that connect one chakra-producing organ to another. Combining both energies, using different mixtures of each , a shinobi can manipulate it , aided with hand seals, leads to different outcomes and types of fighting."

He looked down at Yoshima, as if to say "Are you following along?" with his eyes.

"I understand."

Giving a silent nod, Ikeda continues. "There are four types of fighting using chakra. Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Fuinjutsu. There are many other sub-categories a shinobi can use, but I will just focus on these four, as you are a noble from the Uzumaki clan. Anything else is just beneath us to use them. As Uzumaki clan members, we have higher chakra levels as well as a higher cap, we can heal naturally and much faster than most, we have longer lives, due to having strong a life force and our unique chakra. As you are from the main line, it is possible to inherit our kekkei genkai. You'll know as you grow older."

"Taijutsu are fighting techniques using your body and just physical energies. It is a very important aspect of a shinobi's life to train, to not only save chakra, when fighting a war or a long battle, it all comes down to who has better endurance or more chakra. Chakra can be manipulated towards any extremity to increase the strength and improve Taijutsu techniques."

"Ninjutsu is the most nebulous of the three, and may most simply be described as anything that is not genjutsu or taijutsu. Most ninjutsu require chakra and hand seals, but this is not always the case since the mere usage of weaponry qualifies as ninjutsu. "

"Most ninjutsu use shape transformation, which deals with controlling the form and movement of the ninjutsu, while nature transformation deals with changing the ninjutsu's physical properties. With practice and experience, certain ninjutsu can become second nature to a shinobi, allowing them to perform it at will, with no hand seals or just a few. Your mother can perform most jutsus with one hand."

"Genjutsu are illusionary techniques , unlike ninjutsu, the effects of genjutsu are not real, being only illusions experienced by those who fall victim to it. A genjutsu is created when a ninja controls the chakra flow of a target's cerebral nervous system, thereby affecting their five senses. This is frequently used to create false images and/or trick the body into believing its has experienced physical pain. Genjutsu can also be used to manipulate others, by feeding the victim illusive suggestions. Most genjutsus are performed visually, requiring the target make eye contact with the caster. Audible genjutsu is deemed the most dangerous because the user can trap victims from long distances."

"The most important to anyone from Uzushiogakure, is Fuinjutsu. Fuinjutsu are a type of jutsu that seal objects, living beings, chakra, along with a wide variety of other things within another object. Fūinjutsu can also be used to restrict movement or unseal objects either from within something or someone. There are many other uses to fuinjutsus, enough to have ranks according to your knowledge about seals. Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and lastly Grand Master. Unless you are given the honorary position of Seal Sage. I am a Seal Master."

"I'll teach you more after the party. Now go get ready and put your gifts away in your room."

Ikeda once more patted his son's head before walking away, you could almost see a fleeing smile forming on his lips.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Don't forget to bow to your Great Grandfather Yoshima. He is not only the leader of the Uzumaki clan, he is also the Uzushiokage making him the kage of Uzushiokage. Not only are we in the Land of Whirlpool as well, the Daimyo is him as well. I want you in your best behavior."

"I understand, Father." Yoshima had changed to his best clothes.

'This might be one of the reasons as to why Uzushiogakure was destroyed. Daimyos could have seen this as a coup, having the Kage be the same person as the Daimyo in Uzushio would have created a precedent, putting a stress on their power. Any of the Daimyos could have orchestrated the destruction of Uzushio.'

He waited at the main entrance along with his father, to welcome the guest into the house, and accept their gifts.

He already had a small accumulation of gifts off to the side, 'who knew he had so many cousins?'

"Yoshima!" One of the guest arriving was his father's younger brother, he was a shinobi whose missions sent him to Konoha most of the time, and his favorite uncle.

"Uncle Hino! You came!" Last time Yoshima had seen him was, a month ago, he had said he had an important mission to Kirigakure(1), and would not know when he could come back.

"Of course, how can I miss your first birthday?" He gave him a handshake, knowing he didn't like to be picked up, and a scroll.

Hino looked at him expectantly. Seeing no reaction or movement besides a 'thank you' from Yoshina, he asked "You are not going to open it ?"

"It's rude to open gifts at the front entrance Hin-"

"Kai!" Yoshina said while smiling sheepishly at his father. The seal had two kunais and a small sword.

"Thank you Uncle, you are the best Uncle!" Yoshina placed the weapons on top of the scroll again, before performing a few quick hand seals, sealing them back.

"You already know the enclosing sealing technique? Usually they are taught to children age five and up! I don't know how you gave birth to such a genius elder brother" Hino said as he quickly ran inside the mansion.

Yoshina laughed a bit before placing the scroll inside his long sleeve.

"So this is my new great grandson? He has your red hair and green eyes Ikeda." Yoshima saw a kind old man full of wrinkles, with a white beard that reached his chest. He had a red-colored hilt katana tied to his side. A black kage hat on his head, while he wore a loose white robe.

"Yes Grandfather, he is Yoshima." Ikeda said with pride.

Yoshima bowed and said. "Great-grandson greats his great-grandfather!"

"Oh, are you sure he is your son Ikeda? One year old, and so polite." He chuckled as he looked at Ikeda.

Yoshima saw a girl with red hair peeking from behind his great-grandfather's robes.

"Where are my manners, this here is Kushina, come say hello."

'Kushina!?'

From behind his great-grandfather, was a little girl with fiery-red silky hair. She walked around coming to a stop in front of him.

"Pops, why do I have to bow down, when I am older than him? Besides, I am the princess of Uzushiogakure!" She pouted as she looked back at the old man.

"Cough Cough, Kushina! Manners!" He said as he turned to Yoshima. "Maybe you can teach her some, eh?"

Yoshima was staring at Kushina, she looked like his mother in a way, she had dark blue eyes, pale white skin, but red hair instead of silver. 'So this is the mother of Naruto? She seems more like a brat, well , she is probably just a year or two older than me.' He didn't even have to open his mind's eye to feel how wild her chakra around her body was.

Yoshima looked back at his great-grandfather and said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Mmh! Pops, see? He is just a baby. What can he teach me? I am a genius, everyone says so, you know?"

Yoshima ignore her and just walked towards his great-grandfather, accepting the gift with a bow, before welcoming him inside.

Seeing this, both his father and great-grandfather snickered a little as Kushina pouted.

As Kushina heads in with his great-grandfather, Ikeda approached him.

"You should try to be friends with her Yoshima, her mother died at childbirth, and she never mentioned who the father was. Grandfather adopted her and treats her like his own child, he dotes on her quite a lot actually. But, she doesn't have anyone her age to talk to, or parental love. Don't judge her on her personality, okay Yoshi?" His father whispered and patted his head.

"I understand dad." He whispered back, not saying anything about his father patting his head. Pondering about the future and what he has learned today.

After the party.

Yoshima took all his gifts to his room, quickly unsealing the books he got from his parents from the scrolls.

He had realized that if he wanted to live in Uzushiogakure, and protect the ones he loves in this life, he must be strong enough to do it, he pondered most of the night on how to do that.

Sigh. 'There is going to be no sleep tonight.' Yoshima thought as he glanced at the books in his hands.