章 6: Wood Release

Yone returned to his mindscape while Alfred waited when he took the scroll from Yone and takes a look at it and says, "It seems he likes you to have you make a contract with Leviathan."

'I shouldn't have expected something else from Jack since it was he who sent him here,' thinks Alfred as he returned the scroll to Yone and says, "I hope your senior brother didn't pull a prank to get you the cooperation of the Leviathan. He is known to be one of the Rebel someone that went against Heaven and is still standing."

"He is that strong," says Yone excited since his senior brother could become this strong he should also be able to do so.

"He is as strong as the two persons that gave you to the Senju clan," says Alfred as he suddenly stretched his hand out and a sword appeared in his hand.

Yone looked at the sword confused since it wasn't really a sword but a Gunblade that was in his hand when Alfred smiles seeing the confused face of his student.

"From today on you will train with this sword in here and with the wooden sword outside. If you master the way of this sword I will tell you its name," says Alfred as Yone tried to pick the sword up only to find out that it was heavy.

But it wasn't heavy enough for Yone to give up as he lifted it and began to swing it randomly while Alfred was looking over him.

The next morning Yone woke up and he began his training 1000 sit-ups, push-ups, and squats before he ran his 150km before beginning his sword swinging again while eyes were on him observing him.

He knows that people were watching him but he didn't want them to know that he knew about it playing dumb while swinging his sword while they were ridiculed him for not swinging his sword properly.

The months passed again as it was almost time for the end of Yone's training with Alfred as he would become twelve years soon. Yone was playing around with the Gunblade as he adapted quite fast to it.

"Alright put that toy away Yone it's time to show you why you should be called Senju and not Uzumaki nor Uchiha," says Alfred as he puts his hand on Yone's abdomen and Yone felt warm inside.

"It's time that you learn Wood-Release," says Alfred as Yone smiles.

"Can I show it to my parents?" asks Yone as Alfred nods while petting his head.

"You can even teach your little brother in it if you want to," says Alfred as Yone nods happily.

"Now then let's begin. I still have some Jutsus to teach you like C-, B-, and A-Rank Jutsus. So you know the routine right," says Alfred as Yone nods and cloned himself six times making them train the Ninjutsu while he was swinging the Gunblade.

Once the clones popped Yone had everything in his head when Alfred says, "Now you only need to master them and even the Hokage will think twice of fighting you."

"Anyway we are almost at the end of your training and we will be parting soon," says Alfred as Yone suddenly dropped the Gunblade after hearing that when Alfred continues, "My birthday gift for you and my parting gift is that I will fulfill a wish for. It could be anything that isn't related to life and death. So think hard about it because you only get one."

"I don't want you to go, master. Without you I only have my family," says Yone sad almost crying when Alfred petted his head.

"Sooner or later you will find friends until then you have to be as confident as you are around me. I think it's time for you to wake up," says Alfred as Yone woke up and seemed sad.

He went to eat breakfast with his family and they all seemed to feel something was wrong when Hana asks, "Is something wrong, Yone?"

"Yes, my master told me that when I turn twelve he would leave since I completed his training," says Yone unmotivated.

"I don't think your master would be happy to see you like that Yone. Everyone has to leave his teacher one day. Didn't you say that you have a senior brother? I think he was also young when your master left him because he needed to develop into the person he became in the end right," says Horirama as he was quite logical.

"You are right, dad. But it hurts," says Yone as Horirama petted his head.

"Yone, remember this. We go through pain so we can overcome it and grow stronger through it. Without pain, we would be dead," says Horirama as Yone looked at him and nodded in agreement.

Yone seemed to recover his mood thanks to his parents when he suddenly makes a hand seal and says, "I have a surprise for you all."

"What is it?" asks Nawaki as he was curious.

Suddenly wood spread into the living room from the courtyard making Hana drop the dishes while Horirama dropped his jaw while Tsunade and Nawaki were excited to see Yone bringing the roots of the nearby tree into the living room.

"Yone was that-," says Horirama not able to finish his sentence as Yone nods.

"Wood-Release. My master taught it to me yesterday saying that I am allowed to show you as well as allowed to teach Nawaki in it," says Yone as Hana hugged Yone out of nowhere.

"Mama me too," says Nawaki as he wanted to be hugged to by his mother.

Hana releases Yone and hugs her other two children before Horirama says, "You should show this to your grandmother she will be happy to find out that she was right from the very beginning about you being a Senju."

"I will meet her later. Master asked me to think about a wish that he should fulfill for me. But it can't be something related to Life and Death," says Yone as Horirama pets his head.

"How about something simple like clothes or a talisman to ward you against genjutsu," says Horirama as Yone nods while thinking about it.

"Your birthday is next month so you still have time. But now I have to clean the living room," says Hana as Yone retracted the roots to return to the courtyard making it easier for his mother to clean the room.

"I will then begin with the training before meeting with grandma," says Yone as he ran away.

"Brother really became stronger in the last 6 years," says Tsunade as both her parents looked at her with a smile while she looked at them and asks, "What?"

"Nothing much. But shouldn't you be with your team right now training for the Chunin Exam that will be in two and a half months," says Hana as Tsunade suddenly remembered.

"Ah, teacher will kill me if I arrive late," says Tsunade as she left right away while Nawaki went to the Academy.

After training, Yone showed his wood release to Mito who petted his head and says, "I heard that you were sad that your teacher will be leaving you but it seems that your father already motivated you to show your master that you can survive without his help."

"Yes, something like that," says Yone as Mito suddenly takes a scroll out.

"Your grandfather left this scroll behind for the next Wood-Release User and that seems to be you. In there are all the Jutsus he created and used you should have it," says Mito as she wanted Yone to take the scroll but he rejected it.

"Grandma, I want to walk a different path than grandpa and for that, I don't need his technique but Nawaki will need it," says Yone as Mito was surprised.

"You mean that Nawaki can use Wood-Release as well?" asks Mito as Yone nods.

"Yes, master told me that I could teach Nawaki once my training is over," says Yone as Mito hugged her grandson.

"And what is your path Yone?" asks Mito as Yone hugged his grandmother back.

"To protect my family and friends. Grandfather wanted to protect everyone but I can't do that. I will protect everyone dear to me," says Yone as Mito petted his head.

"Sooner or later you will understand your grandfather's words I believe in that. When you change your mind I will await you and give you the scroll," says Mito as she kissed Yone's forehead.

"And now go training," says Mito with a smile as she put the scroll away while Yone left to train again.

"He will change sooner or later and I hope he becomes like you," says Mito as she looked at a picture of her late husband.

The same night Yone was training when Alfred was helping him with the Jutsus he learned yesterday when Alfred says, "Yone, it's time for you to learn the Ultimate Taijutsu technique."

"Which one is it?" asks Yone as he learned pretty much everything from Alfred when Alfred smiles seeing his student.

"It's the Eight Inner Gates. It's a dangerous technique that could kill you if you don't use it right that's why I will demonstrate it to you before I help you open them," says Alfred as he began to follow a specific kata for Yone.

He opened one after the other showing him how powerful that technique was when suddenly a barrier appeared to shield Yone while his master went rampage until he stopped.

Yone was quite scared seeing the strength behind it when Alfred says, "Sit down I will now help you with that technique and show you not to die when you open the last gate."

"Would I die if I open the last gate?" asks Yone scared as Alfred nods.

"That's right, but with me around you will learn how to open it safely and close them again without a problem. You just have to promise me to never open the sixth gate until you reach twenty-one," says Alfred as Yone looked confused.

"I just don't want my student to be a midget for the rest of his life," says Alfred making Yone promise to never open a gate after the fifth one.

Yone felt how his Chakra opened all the gates and they repeated it for the whole time until Yone adjusted to it perfectly making Alfred smile as his student really was a genius not like his first student.

The month passed while Alfred was finalizing his training with Yone as he taught him S-Rank Ninjutsu making him the Perfect Ninja. It was finally Yone's and Tsunade's birthday when Yone got the best Birthday present ever as he was handed a forehead protector with the Konoha symbol engraved in it.

But he also got some presents from the clan but it was mostly only an envelope with money in it while Tsunade like always got the most presents.

It was the last night with Alfred for Yone as Alfred was waiting for him. Yone appeared wearing the Forehead Protector as Alfred petted his head saying, "You completed the training but now comes the final exam Yone."

"What is it?" asks Yone as Alfred walked some steps away from him.

"You have to fight me," says Alfred as he turned serious and was in position to attack.