Chapter 18: Hidden Beast! A Straight and Narrow Spine!

Hakor and his son quickly ate their supper and walked back to their temporary home back at the lake.

They arrived at a modest campsite tucked away into the tree line a small distance from the lake. It was a simple clearing surrounded by dense trees, providing ample shade and a sense of seclusion.

The ground beneath their feet was covered in fallen leaves, offering a natural carpet that muffled footsteps.

A small fire pit sat at the center of the campsite, its charred stones evidence of previous use.

A makeshift tent stood nearby, constructed from weathered canvas and supported by sturdy wooden poles. Inside, there were sleeping mats and elementary provisions, providing the essentials for our stay.

The campsite was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional chirping of insects. The air carried a faint scent of earth and vegetation, mingling with the distant fragrance of pine.

A nearby stream meandered through the woods, its gentle flow providing a source of fresh water, something the two were more than happy to accept from this boon of nature.

The trickling water soothed the senses and offered a place for the father and his son to wash and replenish their supplies.

Though modest, the campsite served its purpose as a temporary training ground. It lacked extravagance or embellishment, but its simplicity allowed the Hakor and his son to focus on their training and the lessons he provided this week.

In this unadorned setting, Hakor had imparted his techniques and skills to his son nonstop, believing after he finished imparting his knowledge, he would be able to pass the test his Father in law, Ryō Mēkā, had set for his son and placed his worries to ease, Hakor also hoped that Kekkai's training would bring benefits, that Kekkai would inherit his talent and quickly master the clan techniques with his guidance.

But he didn't expect that his son had blown his expectations through the roof!

It was only the second week since he took him out of the clan, and Kekkai had taken everything he threw at him with ease!

Kekkai's strength has already reached an extraordinary level for his age, reaching well above the power of a grown adult with raw strength alone; when using Chakra, that strength increases exponentially.

Not only that, but he also had well-rounded combat skills and an impeccable fighting intuition; Kekkai managed to gain the required understanding to use all eight basic and intermediate styles and their respective techniques of the Clan!

The overwhelming pride and joy Hakor felt as his son began showing more and more of his talent and prowess concealed by his Stoic approval, but like he said to his son, His father would be leaping for joy at the absolute genius that he had sired!

Remembering that tall, dark grizzled man in golden armor, the one that beat the meaning of Warrior into his Body and Spirit, guiding his mind whenever he was lost, and searing the importance of Guardian into his Soul, remembering that stubborn Fossil of his brought a Happy and painful smile to Hakors face.

"Umm, Dad? Are you ok?" I asked in concern seeing the look on my father's face as we walked into the Campsite; ever since we began training, he's gotten increasingly sentimental and brooding every day.

Nearly half the time he guides me, he's watching me with focus and fascination, carefully thinking over any questions I raise before giving the answer and pointers for how the stances he gave me work and how I should move my body.

And the other half, he's in a daze, lost in his thoughts and memories, primarily painful ones, I can guess, because of the sorrowful look on his face.

Whenever I snap him out of his thoughts of the past and bring him back into the now, he is always quiet for a good minute before continuing my training without any explanation at all!

My old man has a juicy and shameful past and background, which has to do with his clan and [Hati], who both seem to hold the word [Guardian] in highly high regard when speaking about it.

But neither man nor 'Wolf' appears to want to go into detail about what it means at all! [Hati] because of his bad blood with my father and his hurry to warn his family and create a Sage. And my dad because of the apparent shame of his past actions.

I worry, but I'm not impatient; I also know from experience that people will open up to you if you give them enough care and space but still be there to support them emotionally.

I'll find out when either or both are ready and willing to tell me about it. But for now, I still need my father to focus on my training! I need an experienced guiding hand to increase my strength.

Hopefully, I can achieve this growth as soon as I possibly can because If I know anything from my past life experience and knowledge, there is a guarantee that god, fate, or some R.O.B will go out of their way to throw a wrench into the works to make something go wrong with either me, my family, or my country before I'm indeed grown up.

-The possibility of a Transmigrator having a mighty strength, loving family and influential background, and potential without someone or somebody sacrificed to the sky or facing clan extinction is minimal to none!- I calculate while watching my father break out of his trance.

"Ahh! I'm sorry, Kekkai. What were we talking about again?" Hakor blinked momentarily, his eyes returning luster, only to see his son's worried look, realizing his mind had wandered off again, chuckling and rubbing his head in embarrassment. Hakor tried to ask his son to remind him of their previous topic before entering the camp.

"The differences between Hidden Techniques, Stances, and Ninjutsu, and how the Chakra changes according to the Four Channel organs." I remind him. I also remind myself silently that it was just a phase and he would get over it soon.

Ah! That's right! Now first, before we get into the Difference between them, I have to" He nodded quickly in confirmation as he remembered. Still, before he could continue to enlighten my confusion, he stopped in place as his body suddenly sank a few inches under his footing. It nearly caused him to fall off balance and face-first into the mud if I missed him.

*Squelch!!

"…." I stared silently at him, watching his face getting darker and darker in embarrassment, grabbing his shirt and pulling him back from the lake, which he had accidentally stepped into in his absent-mindedness, and back onto dry land. His body was still dry, but his boots were wet and muddy.

"Ack! Sorry about that! One second, let me dry off for a second. I'll be back with more tools to introduce Chakra Natures to you! By the way, feed our host; he looks like he's getting cranky again!" Hakor choked slightly on his spit, his face becoming more embarrassed as he ran off to his tent to change his shoes.

-My dear Old man, if you're going to be half-minded about this the entire time, I'll be worried about if you're developing Alzheimer's at such a young age! Please stay focused!- I complain in my mind while sighing at his attempt at humor and redirection.

Fixing my sight into the depths of the lake, I found out that our host was indeed becoming more disgruntled, his Chakra bubbling to the Surface of the water as he sensed our return; his extensive body slowly crept forward, making its way to the edge of the lake and the surface.

Shaking my head, I looked at the firepit and saw a large Goat set aside by the Smoking ashes, missing a leg, but the carcass mainly was still intact; I guess this was the dinner meant for our big guy.

Walking over, I heaved the carrion over my shoulder and back to the lake's edge. Waiting for the giant creature to come closer so I could feed it.

The evening sun's warm rays cast a reflection across the Calm surface of the lake; insects slowly buzzed as they flitted to and fro across its surface; if I didn't know better and see the host of this lake, I would think it tranquil and clear waters would be the perfect place to rest and maybe take a bath as well.

Luckily I wasn't an average human and knew better; otherwise, if I were just some unlucky smuck who dared to enter the vicinity of this lake, that person would be an excellent midday snack for its master.

*Gurgle

*Splash

*Gurgle

Slowly the crystal clear water began to churn and bubble; from the surface, it looked like there was nothing there a second ago, but the lake's surface still bubbled and swished side to side. It was swelling into a giant pillar of water that slowly revealed a sizeable rectangular head with chameleon-like scales that shimmered as it slowly dropped its camouflage.

As his form revealed itself, the Steel grey Chakra leaking from its body surged, a monstrous Alligator so large it looked like it came straight out of Jurrasic Park, and its cold and menacing yellow reptilian eyes glared downwards straight at me as it growled.

It started as a low rumble, growing in a pinch and strength as it announced itself in a resounding roar!

This roar was both a declaration and a warning as it looked at the tent my father had disappeared into and back to me.

My breath hitched as it did, practically seizing in my chest, as I felt its Chakra quickly expand from its body. A field of pressure and emotion Heavily, eerily, and Predatorily begin to grow and press down heavily upon my own!

-How in the Fucking Hell is this thing a juvenile, Dad! This thing looks like it could eat a moose for breakfast! Well, maybe it DOES eat moose for breakfast!- I groan and quibble in my heart as I struggle hard to withstand the increasing pressure positioned onto my mind and body as its Chakra field practically crushes my own.

I already knew that thing was grades above and beyond me in terms of size and power, and though I was shocked at first when my father told me that it had wisdom and intelligence, as long I didn't bother it, it shouldn't be bothered enough to eat me. Key words on SHOULD! Because as it looked down at me, I couldn't be sure if it was sizing up the Carrion on my shoulder or Me.

-Maybe it's both,- I tried to chid myself while fighting the fear and panic that was trying its hardest to bubble up to the surface.

How could it not?

I'm in the world of Naruto! Now the cartoon looked nice, and everything was stylized to be appreciated by children, teens, and adults. That's because it catered to a specific audience.

But facing me now is what I'd like to believe is a certified Kaiju, something straight out of those Cheesy Sci-fi Horror films that you can watch on the couch with your family. Except this time, it's in High Definition 4-D, and it's not the friendliest splash of colors to cover up the terrible creature before me, and I guess I'm not nearly as brave as one might be when sitting on the couch watching it through a screen.

Well, I guess I was always the one to cringe at the apparent jump scares.

Head raised high, it gave me a human-like glare as it began to glide forward across the lake slowly. Its large shimmering camouflage scales glowed eerily as the light reflected across the lake, as it made little noise when it made its way through the water to me.

Watching this hulking presence with large, elongated razor-sharp teeth made my heart rate spike again.

Stopping about 5 meters away, the beast looked down at me with indifference and slight hunger.

It could most likely sense my fear that I fought to keep down and probably didn't care for it either; it could still feel my father nearby and knew that if it harmed me, it would most likely incur his wrath in response!

…..

Meanwhile, Inside said tent, the sound of crates and bags falling onto the ground resounded within as Hakor tossed and turned his scrolls and equipment.

He had heard the roar of the Bijuu as it revealed itself from the lake, as it expanded its presence and Chakra with Challenging intent; Hakor snorted as he sneered in disdain; according to his thoughts, the Baby Beast thought he was going to go above his grade to fight him and kick him out of his territory.

Hakor released the momentum of his Chakra, pouring out the same if not more intent in response to silence the Challenge, and then ignored the distress of the Baby Bijuu as he turned back to his task.

"I could have sworn the brand new Chakra testing paper was in here somewhere!? I couldn't have forgotten to bring it when I started packing! Right!?" Hakor muttered to himself in a slight panic, repeatedly tossing and unloading scrolls as he searched.

Kekkai is the Golden baby of the Clan, both knowledgable and sensible since birth, besides some mischief that occurs when he gathers the young cubs in the clan. But otherwise, he was what you call an upright and talented Child that everyone loved, and he loved everyone back.

Recently he's heard that other members have had trouble introducing Chakra and Chakra Natures to their children, some completely failing to refine a single attribute for weeks at a time.

Failing to find one's attributes as soon as possible hinders cultivating the young in a clan like theirs. The Clan head had decided to use a more modern method to test and find one's attributes rather than the old one.

It was to use the Chakra-sensitive wood that they use for Hunting and cutting them into strips of paper, which allows oneself to determine one's attributes simply by running their Chakra through the Strip. Which then slowly transforms and splits into pieces, each distinguished by a different element.

This method caused a big stir among the clan, the younger generation loved it, but the older generation was worried about the ease with which the technique gave. Still, when the Elders found out that even the clan's elite used this Chakra Testing paper and that they missed out on an attribute or two that they failed to develop, they silently gave their approval and allowed the method to spread.

Hakor believed, without a doubt, that with Kekkai's talent, his son had two, if not more, Chakra attributes. Although Chakra Paper is an easy method to find Chakra attributes, He refused to delay his son's growth for even a second by taking the old approach that could hinder him from seeing his proper Chakra Nature.

Riffled through his belongings, tossing and turning his bags and leaving his clothes and tools strewn across the floor in search of the tools he packed, he soon came across a scroll that was different from the rest.

This one wasn't a sealing scroll, covered in complicated Kanji formula that marked the items they stored.

Instead, it was a simple papyrus scroll whose bulging contents were hidden and held together by a Ruby-red ribbon and a small note.

*Sigh

-So you had taken them, Yoshiko.- Hakor sighed in dismay as he found out that it was his loving, playful wife who had taken away the Chakra paper.

Picking up the scroll, he removed the note and began to read.

It was another of those poems his wife liked to write for him on his travels; it was always filled with love but a teasing motive as she knew that her tongue-tied husband could never find the proper words to write her back in return.

^Hakor, my love,

Love and mischief intertwine,

In this letter, secrets I confide,

I've hidden your tools; oh, they're not lost,

For our son's training, at his cost.

With shortcuts gone, he'll find his way,

Embrace the challenge, come what may,

His spirit strong, his heart so pure,

He'll conquer all of this, I'm sure.

In love and mischief, we stand united,

Our son, our pride, forever ignited,

So let's enjoy this playful endeavor,

Together, forever and ever.

Yours mischievously,

Your Loving Wife

P.S. Make sure he comes back in one piece, also here's a little something to remember me with since we didn't get to have any alone time in your rush^

"Hehehe, my love, you're optimistic as always, but Im certain you wouldn't believe how much of a monster our son truly is! Forget it, Chakra Paper or no Chakra paper; the old methods have worked since the old times; if it worked for them, it could work for Kekkai." Hakor could only chuckle at his wife's antics, knowing that it came from a place of love and didn't intend to hinder their son.

Opening the scroll with a smile, he examined the contents momentarily before freezing in shock, his eyes virtually bulging from their sockets as they gazed at the contents within.

Soon his nose began to water and drip blood as his heart rate spiked; the glorious hills and valleys within made an incredible view that captivated him.

-Oh, Yoshiko, you Fox! Just wait! After training Kekkai here, I'll return to the clan and have you in my hands! Begging for mercy!- Hakor groaned in both dismay and excitement

*Kra BOOM!!!!

Suddenly, without warning, an explosion sounded from outside the tent, and a swelling momentum surged out of nowhere!

-Oh no!- Hakor Gasped

"Damned Beast!! HOW DARE YOU!!!" He immediately thought the worst and believed the Bijuu had attacked his son.

His Chakra Momentum immediately surged as he rushed out of the tent like an enraged bull, planning to rip apart the beast who dared to attack his son!

Only to stop in place, his Chin nearly dropping to the ground witnessing the sight before him.

…..

A few minutes ago,

Seeing the giant Alligator stop a distance away, I gritted my teeth hard, shaking my head momentarily, shoving down all my fear that had risen, grabbing the Goat from my shoulders and tossing it into the lake before the animal.

The Chakra Beast glared at me momentarily in disdain; opening its mouth, it swooped slowly down to snap the goat into its jaws.

But suddenly, the situation changed as it reached for its tribute because, in response to its rampant Chakra pressure, my father had responded with his momentum, pushing back at it and making the creature flinch slightly.

But as soon as It did shrink back, the creature glared at the tent and became enraged! These people trespassed into his territory and have caused a stir here for over a week.

He only allowed it because they took it upon themselves to feed him a good meal occasionally, and he was feeling cramped inside his small lake and wanted to let loose a little.

Now they dare to try to suppress him with momentum for no reason?! Just this little aura on their pup! He wouldn't stand for it! He's also a proud Bijuu!

He couldn't beat the elder, so he could only swallow this slight, but he could still bully his quivering Pup!

The Chakra beast narrowed its eyes and turned its glare back onto me, and it ignored the goat floating in the water and began to drift slowly to me.

Surprised at its actions, I quickly backpedaled from the bank of the water, extremely wary of the beast's intentions.

Seeing me back up, the Beast glared even more fiercely and unleashed another wave of momentum; this time, the Aura it released was layered with an extraordinary feeling that sent my senses haywire and nearly caused me to freeze on the spot like a deer in headlights.

-This feels familiar,- I think half-heartedly as a flash of dèja vū seems to come over me.

It was the swelling momentum it seemed to slow things down, pumping my veins full of adrenaline yet completely seizing my function to move in fear.

Suddenly the beast lunged forward, its bloody maw opening wide as it rushed ahead.

Eyes popping out, I pushed all my strength to my legs to propel myself backward and avoid the approaching jaws. The Chakra burned in my legs as they went into overdrive.

But I didn't move.

I still couldn't fucking move!

It was a potent feeling, despair; if you consider the utter helplessness and hopelessness, it gives you to see time slow down to a crawl before your eyes as your body freezes.

I haven't felt this kind of fear for a long time. I've only felt it twice before, both in my past life, and both times Changed my life forever.

Both times I felt completely and utterly helpless.

The truck, I was on the passenger side when the crash happened. My father was wrestling with my brother, congratulating him on some video game tournament in that he got third place; the kid had worked tirelessly for hours to get a better placement, which paid off.

Not first place, but still in the top three, not bad at all; my mother had taken her eyes to look at them in the back for a second at the intersection of a highway, just one moment.

Just one moment.

But it seems that just one moment is always enough for tragedy to happen.

I saw it; I fucking SAW IT coming; the truck was barreling like a bat out of hell across the highway overpass, its tires screeching as smoke poured out behind it. The driver had tried his best to regain control, but it was too late, too late for him, too late for us.

Or it should have been; I was there; I had seen it out of the corner of my eye and watched in silent horror as it burst past the concrete walls to come crashing down on top of us.

I could have warned her; I could've taken the wheel and swerved us out of the way. But no, like right now, as certain death reared its head, the body I had worked with sweat and pride, the willpower I thought would spring out from countless hours of training at the first sign of danger to my family, all of it vanished without a trace in my mind as I watched in silent horror.

I lost my family that day, the weeks after, I also lost my friends, pushing them away; I stopped going to church, as my families friends tried to comfort my sorrow as well; I refused to get prosthetics that my coach attempted to call my doctor to order, I didn't go back to the hospital after that day, I changed my number, took the trucks company to court, won, and disappeared.

I couldn't help it. Everyone thought I was in despair because of my loss, be it my family or my body, but that wasn't it.

I accepted it already; I loved them and hoped in my heart that they found their place in heaven and their souls at peace.

It was my soul that I felt tormented me.

I felt rage, pain, and sorrow at myself, at how I froze there, helplessly; I thought that I was one of those people, the kind who can tune all of their instinct, reflect, and power the moment a sign of danger came for their family. But it turns out I wasn't; the strength, the intuition, the willpower to go above and beyond to react to one moment failed!

It wasn't a freak accident; it wasn't an act of fate or the world trying to take everything from me.

I thought of it as a test, one that everyone had In their lives, one that god had given me the tools and strength to pass quickly, but something went wrong, and I failed.

The body that I prided myself on building had failed me. And then it was taken from me.

Failed.

Failed.

Failed.

Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.Failed.

My family, goals, and life failed because of the helplessness coursing through my veins.

The helplessness of a coward.

The Jaws snapped closed, inches from my face, and with such force, it caused a wave of air filled with the stench of dirty water to rush into my nose as I was pushed back a few feet and onto my ass.

-Well, look at that! I didn't die; I survived again even as my body froze in place; it seemed that fate didn't want me to die!- I chid myself

And for some reason, it was funny to me.

"Hehe." I giggled, but there was no smile in my eyes; my eyes were out of focus, and I began to tear up.

"Heh, hehe, HEHE, AHEHEHA, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Gasp* HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *Gasp* Ahahahahahahhahaa!!"I couldn't stop laughing! Every breath seemed to be a laughing gas that made me go on and on laughing through my tears., so much so I could only gasp for air.

"..." the Chakra Beast looked stupified at the laughing youth before him.

He had thought that after he had frightened it, it would run away with its tail between its legs, quivering in fear like so many other small creatures.

But no! No, this one seemed to enjoy its scare so much. It fell to the ground laughing!

-Crazy pup!- He thought, slowly backing up and into the lake.

"Oh?! Going so soon? And here we came out to welcome you! Don't go! Stay for a while!" A deep magnetic voice sounded out behind the Beast, the words were cordial, but they dripped with unbridled maliciousness!

The Chakra Beasts' eyes widened as they felt the sudden appearance of 3 new Chakras. Each, more powerful than the other, suddenly hold him in place.

*Ro-*

The beast struggled against the pressure for a moment, shaking off the momentum before turning to roar at his attackers!

But it seemed they weren't done with their attack, as the beginning of his roar was transformed into a quiet whimper as three trunk-sized blades embedded themselves in his spine in rapid succession!

*Slick!

*Slick!

*Slick!

The golden blades quickly pierced his scales and embedded the beast into the ground below, causing large splashes as he slammed into the ground!

*KaBOOM!*

The splashing water swarmed up and nearly caused me to choke. Abruptly Yanking me out of my laughing episode, bringing me back to reality, and seeing the three furious Constructs floating above the pinned Beast.

The Bijuu growled and trashed heavily, rolling over its massive body and breaking the golden blades that had it pinned down in the process!

The Bijuu was enraged entirely at this point! His eyes churned with killing intent as it complained in its mind with utter disbelief!

Does anyone and everyone think that it is so fun to Bully?! He just tried to scare the kid, and everyone seems so protective of the pup that they bully it back at the most minor slight!

-That's it! I don't care anymore! This kid dies now!- It thought, enraged and murderous, it Charged forward once again! This time it was no longer a prank, as he intended to swallow the brat whole!

Watching the Bijuu charge again, murderous and contemptuous eyes glaring down at me, caused me to freeze again.

-I fucking Hate this feeling!!!!! Arghh!!!!-I growled as I stepped forward

….

….

I stepped forward?!

At this time, I realized that the feeling of time passing didn't slow me down; it didn't freeze me up.

This time, I could move.

This time I didn't feel fear.

But if it wasn't from fear? What is this feeling? What was it?! What is allowing me to move?

Looking up, I saw the gaping maw of the Chakra Beast slowly approaching, slow as a snail; as I examined it, I realized what was so different.

It was Those eyes; what about those eyes that I loathed with a passion? That demon wore those same eyes as it picked me apart piece by piece; something about it, something about its attitude that made my head buzz and temper flare up!

It made me spit in contempt at the demon's face, despite knowing it could and should be something I had no power against, but I still did it, and now that same temper flared again!

[Morpheus], who was in the air, tilted his head a little in surprise and raised a hand to stop [Ornn], who was planning to rain down more swords from heaven to pin down the rampaging beast.

At the Minotaur's confused looked, [Morpheus] didn't answer with words and just pointed silently to me.

Not paying attention to what was happening in the sky, I focused all my attention on the Alligator before me.

"Your, Looking down on me?!" I ask it softly, the buzzing getting louder and louder, like white noise from a radio; as it got louder, something clicked in me, or well exploded in my case.

*POP!

Chakra, force full and unrelenting, heated to a bone-melting temperature, exploded from the back of my nape, releasing built-up pressure that felt so relaxing that I thought I could hear my neck stretch and pop like a cork.

"Ahh," I sighed in relief; the relaxation gave me a sense of bliss.

My necked crackled and stretched out; I felt as if I just gained two inches from that pop alone!

But there's more! All across my spine, all along my skeleton, Tenketsu tooted and puffed out hot steam, making loud wet pops as my spine straightened, my chest filled out, and my muscles crackled as red Chakra began to crackle against my skin like lightning!

You know what, I've always heard that transformation like this happened in anime hurt, like hurt a shit ton! But right now, all I feel is the release, the pressure that kept me down disappearing, and the liberation of that pressure made me stand taller and straighter than ever!

I was in absolute bliss as it did so, my back felt like I had added over a dozen hot molten rocks to it, but it felt good!

The bliss was welcome, but I had something I needed to do!

Turning my eyes back to the large Beast in front of me, I didn't know what kind of face I was making, but it made [Morpheas], who was in this sky, give a slightly pleased chuckle as his shades flashed.

"You're looking down on me?" I asked again, not receiving an answer, but, to be honest, I wasn't expecting one

"Who-" I say while clenching my fist, which was beginning to glow red hot!

With a quick step, I vanished, only to appear above the head of the Bijuu. Cocking my fist back, I filled it with even more Chakra before I fired it down with an explosion of heated air onto the skull of the Beast!

"The Fuck DO YOU THINK I AM?!!!" I roared from the top of my lungs, plunging the poor beast into the ground in an explosion of water and mud

The Bijuu was stunned, the concussion of the blow made his head dizzy, but at the same time, it instantly cleared all of his anger, right now he was in a VERY zen state of mind, and all he could think was

-I GIVE, I FUCKING GIVE UP! EVEN THE PUP IS SO SCARY! MOMMY, PLEASE HELP ME!- The Bijuu whined and moaned as it cowered and slowly shrank back into the lake, nursing its wounds pitifully!

I watched as it left, glaring coldly as it sank quickly back into the depths of the water.

*Clap

*Clap

*Clap

The sound of applause interrupted my staring contest with the water. Turning around, I saw my father laughing while clapping his hands.

"Dad?" I inquire, silently dismissing the rampant Chakra aura from around me.

A funny thing happened when I did. At first, I wanted to walk over to my father, but my legs gave out, and I almost collapsed.

Hakor immediately appeared at my side and softly eased me onto the ground.

Everything Hurts!!! It felt like my entire body was heated, pulled, and stretched like a piece of taffy! The soreness from my muscles and bones made me anguish and moan from the pain!

But, even while seeing me in this condition, my father had this stupid goofy ass grin on his face, one that I never knew he was capable of making; his eyes filled with pride and joy as he looked down at me.

-Yep, my old man would have loved you! The fossil would probably take one look, die then and there, and he would still pass on satisfied with a smile on his face!- Hakor imagined as he looked down at his son, this monster of a boy who had just accomplished something that most spent their entire lifetime to complete!

"Good! Good! I thought I was wrong when I saw you release red chakra before, but I was right! Congratulations! Kekkai! You've just mastered one of the four fundamentals of Chakra!" He praised with a voice full of emotion

"Ugh, I don't feel like I mastered anything; what's this fundamental?!" I groan; I just wanted to pass out and spare myself from this pain, but seeing my father's happy smile after a week of brooding kept me going

"A Straight and Narrow Spine! It is an accomplishment that most go through a lifetime to achieve! I have only witnessed three people accomplish this in my entire life! Your grandfather is one of them!" Hakor smiles brighter and brighter, his dark face practically turning into the sun.

"Hey Dad?" I called out

"Yes, Kekkai?" He answered

"Why do you have a nosebleed? What were you doing in the tent?" I asked curiously

"….." Hakor was frozen in place, nearly turned to stone from that question

"Why were you laughing like a maniac rolling across the floor?" Hakor fired back

"I don't know, just thought of something funny." I shrugged, causing another bout of soreness to run through me.

"…." He said nothing

"…." I said nothing

We just looked at each other, and suddenly both started chuckling together.

"Hey Dad?" I called, my eyes beginning to fade, but I still fought to look at my father

"Yes?" He answered

"Are you proud of me?" I asked

"You were named Blessing! When you were born, we believed there was nothing that you couldn't do! And you've proven us right at every turn! I am, and always will be, proud of you!" Hakor Declares

"Thanks, Dad; I love you." I nodded and then let my head fall back

"I love you too, my son," Hakor smiled and kissed my forehead

-Hehe, That smile, Id do anything and everything to keep that kind of smile on everyone's face!- I chuckled to myself

-I Failed my Family once, never again! Be it God or Devil, if someone dares to lay a finger on them, heaven and earth will feel my wrath! I'll be damned if I would ever allow any circumstances to take away any member of my family from me!- I swear silently, and then I passed out, my consciousness once again fading into sweet oblivion