Renjiro flickered next to Kakashi, his breath heavy and ragged after their gruelling exchange through the forest. Despite managing to evade A's relentless chase before Renjiro made the gate, the future Raikage's presence loomed over them like an impending storm.
"We should leave," Renjiro said, his voice a low urgency cutting through the tense quiet. His own chest heaved, muscles straining, but there was no time for respite. A was bound to recover soon, Renjiro was not oblivious to his famed durability only second to his father the third Raikage, and they couldn't afford to stay exposed.
Kakashi looked up, his eyes sharp with concern. "How? I don't think what you shadow clones are doing will keep him down for too long," he said, glancing over to where the clone battle continued, "And he could just keep pursuing us. We might end up being caught"
Renjiro clenched his fists, biting back a curse. Kakashi was right; A's resilience was astonishing, and his speed was unlike anything they'd ever encountered.
His mind raced, piecing together strategies as he weighed his remaining chakra reserves. Just then, a thought flashed through his mind, an idea that might just buy them the escape they desperately needed.
He bit his lip, already feeling the strain of his diminished chakra, but there was no other choice.
'This might be our only safe way out of here,' he thought, his resolve hardening.
Without a word, Renjiro made a hand sign, focusing his chakra into a new summoning jutsu. He bit down on his thumb, drawing blood, and then slammed his palm onto the ground with a determined grunt.
The ground shuddered as intricate fūinjutsu marks spread outwards from his hand, darkening the earth in a mesmerizing web of seals. Red and black ink-like tendrils branched out, spiralling across the ground in a dazzling display of ancient symbols that seemed to pulse with Renjiro's chakra.
Each line hummed with energy, binding the earth in a ritualistic pattern that seemed to reach into the very bones of the forest itself.
Kakashi watched in awe, his eyes widening as he took in the spectacle unfolding before him.
'What is he doing?' he wondered, glancing at Renjiro's intense expression.
Just as Kakashi was about to ask, a loud poof sounded, and a billowing cloud of smoke exploded from the seals, enveloping them both in a thick, swirling mist.
Kakashi felt the ground beneath his feet shift, an unsettling sensation that made his stomach lurch as if he were standing on water.
As the smoke began to clear, Kakashi's vision adjusted, and he realized with a jolt that they were no longer on solid ground. A cold breeze whipped around him, sending shivers down his spine as he looked around, confusion etched across his face.
'What… happened? Why am I this high into the air?' he thought, glancing to the side in search of answers.
To his surprise, he found Renjiro beside him, staring downward with a mixture of bewilderment and caution. Following Renjiro's gaze, Kakashi's eyes widened as he took in the sight beneath them.
Glossy black feathers stretched out in a vast expanse, their deep obsidian hue gleaming in the pale moonlight. Kakashi's breath caught in his throat as the realization dawned on him.
'Are those… feathers? Am I on top of a bird?'
Before he could voice his surprise, Renjiro's voice broke the silence. "Who are you?" Renjiro demanded, his gaze hardening as he peered down at the massive avian form beneath them.
When Renjiro had activated his summoning seal, he had expected to see Uno, the youngest of the lightning eagles. But as his chakra field flowed into the creature, he noticed subtle differences — the feathers were sleek and midnight black, unlike Uno's familiar grey feathers streaked with gold.
A sense of unease prickled at him. 'Did Uno change her feathers? It's been a while since I last saw her… but this feels different.'
He sent a pulse of chakra into the creature to confirm his suspicion, and a frown crossed his face. This bird didn't resonate with Uno's presence. If Uno hadn't answered his summoning, then who…?
The feathers rustled as a deep, resonant voice answered, "I am Kamiwari." The voice was rich and calm, carrying a weight of wisdom that made the hairs on the back of Renjiro's neck stand on end.
Renjiro blinked, momentarily at a loss. "Where's Uno?" he asked, a slight edge to his voice.
The massive bird's voice rumbled, a deep bass that seemed to vibrate through their very bones. "She is resting," Kamiwari replied, his tone respectful yet distant, as if he'd been observing Renjiro and Kakashi with a curious detachment.
Renjiro's mind raced. If Uno was resting, how had this unfamiliar bird answered his summoning call? He didn't have the chakra reserves to even think of summoning any other eagle — he was certain of that. The situation left him with a sense of unease.
Just then, from the far distance, Renjiro heard his clone's voice shout, "Rasengan Barrage!" The sound carried through the night air, a fierce battle cry that reverberated across the forest.
Renjiro cringed inwardly; hearing his own voice like that was unsettling, but he knew it was necessary. The signal was clear — they had to leave, now.
Without another word, Renjiro formed a shadow clone. The clone leapt from Kamiwari's back, diving toward the ground below. Meanwhile, Renjiro turned to Kakashi, his expression serious.
"Hold on," he warned, grabbing onto the massive feathers for support as he steadied himself.
"Where to?" Kamiwari asked, his voice smooth yet commanding as he felt the urgency from Renjiro's chakra.
"To the Land of Fire," Renjiro replied, his voice resolute. "Get us back there safely."
Kamiwari gave a solemn nod, and with a mighty beat of his wings, he lifted off into the night sky. The sudden force of the takeoff caught Renjiro and Kakashi off-guard, sending them gripping tightly to the bird's feathers.
The initial ascent was rough, a jarring ascent as the bird surged through the air with powerful wingbeats. But as they gained altitude, the flight steadied, and they found themselves gliding through the cold night air.
Kakashi, finally catching his breath, looked over at Renjiro, his expression both curious and bewildered.
"Your summon?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
Renjiro glanced at him and shrugged, a faint smirk crossing his lips. "Yeah, something like that."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. For now, all that mattered was their escape.
---
Back where they just left, Renjiro's shadow clone landed with a soft thud on the edge of a jagged cliff. The deep crevice below marked where A had thrown Yano's body. The clone wasted no time, immediately summoning adamantine chains from his body.
The chains glowed faintly in the darkness, wrapping around nearby rocks and stabilizing his descent as he carefully climbed down the cliffside. After a few tense moments, the clone reached the bottom, his gaze settling on Yano's still body sprawled against the rocks.
The sight sent a flicker of discomfort through the clone's expression. Though Renjiro had never been particularly close to Yano, the sight of his broken body stirred something in him.
He knelt down, a dark thought lingering in his mind. 'It'd be valuable to study his body, to understand the Shimura clan's secrets,' he mused, recalling the techniques used by Danzo's clan.
But he knew better, after his ordeal with Ohashi's body, Renjiro had learned that bodies of significant figures like Yano often had protective seals, curses that would punish anyone who attempted to tamper with them.
With a sigh, he withdrew a scroll and unrolled it beside Yano's body, channelling chakra to seal the corpse within the parchment.
'Better to bring him back to the village than risk keeping the body,' he thought, his expression sombre as he stored the scroll safely.
Once done, the clone executed the reverse summoning, feeling the familiar pull of chakra as he appeared on the floating island. He glanced around the sprawling, misty expanse, his gaze landing on the towering figure of Tenjin, his eagle summon.
Tenjin's sharp eyes narrowed as he studied the clone. "What brings you here, Renjiro?"
The clone hesitated, glancing around before speaking. "Who is Kamiwari?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of urgency.
Tenjin chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Ah, so you've already met him. He is Uno's mate," Tenjin replied, his tone almost amused.
Renjiro's eyes widened, the news catching him off-guard. 'Uno… has a mate? Isn't she too young for that?' He mulled over the revelation, choosing not to voice his thoughts. He set the scroll containing Yano's body on the ground. "I'll be back for this later," he told Tenjin, before dispelling himself.
---
As Renjiro received the memories from his clone, he finally closed the three gates he had left open as a precaution. A couldn't track them now, and with Kamiwari's speed, they were almost back to Konoha.
Five hours later, dawn broke over the horizon, casting a soft golden light over the village as Renjiro and Kakashi disembarked from Kamiwari a safe distance from Konoha's gates.
They exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging the secrecy required to keep Kamiwari's existence between them. Together, they made their way into the village, heading directly for the ANBU headquarters to report to Jiraiya.
It didn't take them long to locate him, nestled in a quiet, dimly lit room within the ANBU headquarters. Jiraiya looked up as they entered, his face a mixture of relief and concern.
"What happened?" he asked, studying their tired expressions.
Kakashi silently held out the scroll containing Takata's package. Jiraiya's face darkened as he unfurled it and read its contents. Moments later, his expression shifted, his brow furrowing with a grim intensity.
Then, without a word, he looked at the two young shinobi and ordered,
"Remove your clothes."
=====
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Kakashi, hidden behind his mask, tilted his head slightly. "Uh, excuse me?" he asked, confusion clear in his voice. This wasn't exactly the protocol one would expect to hear during and after a mission debrief.
Renjiro meanwhile was in his thoughts. 'I must be more tired than I thought,' he mused to himself. 'There's no way Jiraiya just told us to strip down in here.'
Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched. "What do you mean 'no way'? Yes, Renjiro, I told you both to strip down. Now."
Renjiro froze, eyes wide as realization struck him. 'Did I… did I just say that out loud?' he thought, horrified.
"Yes, you did," Jiraiya replied bluntly, clearly exasperated. "Now, strip down, both of you."
'Again?'
Renjiro opened his mouth to protest, but the irritation in Jiraiya's tone kept him silent. He exchanged a look with Kakashi, who sighed and then nodded, realizing the urgency.
With a slow, resigned exhale, Kakashi reached up, tugged down his mask, and removed it, revealing his sharp, silver-haired features. In a matter-of-fact manner, he began to unbuckle the various straps and fastenings on his gear, sliding his vest off first.
Renjiro followed suit, reaching up to his own face and removing his mask. The transformation jutsu he kept on his hair fizzled, and his bright red hair glinted under the dim light, standing out in sharp contrast to the darker hues of the room.
Kakashi turned slightly to Renjiro, giving him a quick, assessing glance. The two began to remove their shinobi vests, followed by their shirts and pants, leaving them both down to their briefs.
The air was cool, a chill settling over their bare skin as they stood before Jiraiya in a state of awkward vulnerability.
Kakashi hesitated as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of his briefs, casting a doubtful look at Jiraiya, who simply waved a hand, dismissing his worry.
"That won't be necessary," he muttered, sparing them the last layer of dignity.
Renjiro released a soft sigh of relief, silently grateful. 'Not that I thought Jiraiya would go that far, but… he is a certified perv,' he thought with an inward chuckle, this time consciously to ensure he doesn't think out loud again.
Jiraiya stepped closer to the two boys, his gaze scrutinizing as he began his inspection. He moved deliberately, first turning to Renjiro, studying his arms, shoulders, and back.
He stepped in close, and Renjiro couldn't help but shiver as Jiraiya's shadow loomed over him, his gaze scrutinizing every inch. He grumbled inwardly,
'Two naked young boys and a man in a dim room… not what I ever thought I'd experience.'
As Jiraiya's hand brushed along his shoulder, Renjiro stiffened, feeling both uncomfortable and oddly amused by the absurdity of the situation. His eyes wandered to Kakashi, who looked equally unsettled.
"What is that?" Kakashi's voice broke through the silence, his attention locked onto Renjiro's neck.
Jiraiya leaned in, following Kakashi's gaze to a faint, blackish mark just under Renjiro's jawline, where it was hidden by his hairline. The mark was faint, like an ink stain that had been half-washed away, but it was unmistakable. Jiraiya's expression darkened as he examined it, reaching out to tilt Renjiro's head for a better look.
"Exactly what I was looking for," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
Renjiro strained his neck slightly, uncomfortable. "What are you talking about?"
Jiraiya seemed to ignore him, peering closer at the faint mark as if trying to glean more information from it. After a moment, he nodded, seemingly reaching some conclusion.
"Though it's faint, I think it will help us."
"Help us with what?" Renjiro pressed, a hint of irritation in his voice.
Jiraiya still didn't answer, absorbed in his study of the mark. Frustrated, Renjiro created a shadow clone with a quick series of hand seals, the familiar cloud of smoke leaving a near-naked duplicate standing before him.
He winced at the sight, unsettled; even though he'd looked at himself in the mirror countless times, seeing his shadow clone in just briefs was… weird. He couldn't quite put his finger on the discomfort, but it was there all the same.
Pushing the thought aside, Renjiro instructed his clone to examine the mark on his neck. The clone raised its hand, tracing the faint outline as it looked into Renjiro's face with the same curiosity that was etched into his own features. As Renjiro's fingers brushed over the marking, his eyes widened slightly, his mind racing.
'Is this a… Karma?'
The thought sent a chill through him, but he immediately dismissed it.
'No, I haven't encountered any Otsutsuki… not to my knowledge, anyway. It can't be that. Besides, it's too early in the story for something like that.'
Jiraiya's attention shifted to Kakashi, who stood silently, watching the interaction with a furrowed brow. Jiraiya turned him around, inspecting his shoulders and neck.
"You've got one, too," Jiraiya murmured, his voice laced with gravity. He pointed to a similar mark on the nape of Kakashi's neck, though this one was darker, more defined.
Renjiro's clone dispelled, transferring his observations back to him. He looked between Kakashi and Jiraiya, his thoughts a flurry of questions. Why did they both have these marks? How, and when had they appeared? And why was his mark fainter than Kakashi's?
But before he could voice any of these questions, Jiraiya interrupted. "This will do," he said curtly. With a swift hand sign, he placed one hand on each of their shoulders, and in an instant, they flickered away from the room.
They landed somewhere entirely different, a cold morning breeze prickling their bare skin. Renjiro instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, his body shivering from the sudden exposure to the chill.
'It's too early for this,' he thought, teeth chattering slightly.
Kakashi looked around, his hands tucked over his own torso as he tried to assess where they'd ended up. Finally, Renjiro recognized their surroundings—the layout was familiar. They were in the intelligence corps building, a hidden facility on the outskirts of Konoha, known only to high-ranking shinobi.
He'd been here before, back when he was still an academy student, training in sensory techniques. He remembered the quiet, the scent of ink and parchment, and the lingering silence that seemed to permeate every room.
But this section was different, a restricted area he'd never been permitted to enter.
They were met by a tall, stoic shinobi with dark sunglasses, unmistakably an Aburame. He glanced briefly at Kakashi, his face impassive, but Renjiro could tell he was uneasy.
"He has the mark," Jiraiya informed the Aburame.
At this, the man's face tightened, his expression becoming even more inscrutable as he nodded and gestured for them to follow him down a narrow hallway.
They were led into a dimly lit room, and Renjiro noticed how the Aburame paused at the door, a flicker of hesitation in his movements before he gestured for them to enter.
"Wait here," he instructed them in a monotone voice before disappearing back into the hall.
Renjiro turned to Jiraiya, his voice low but tinged with urgency. "What's going on? Why the secrecy?"
Jiraiya's face was grim as he replied, "That mark you both have… it's not just any seal. It's encoded with critical information that Takata uncovered."
"Information?" Renjiro repeated, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach. He glanced at Kakashi, who looked equally perturbed, though he kept his composure as usual.
Moments later, the Aburame returned with another shinobi, a Yamanaka woman with pale blonde hair tied back in a neat bun. She moved with a quiet confidence, her eyes sharp and discerning as she assessed the two boys, each standing nearly unclothed and visibly uncomfortable. She gave Jiraiya a quick nod before addressing the group.
"We'll begin with the information transfer," she said, her voice calm and professional.
=====
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Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon.
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