Notes:
Kirin is an extremely powerful Lightning Release technique created by Uchiha Sasuke
Just when Konoha’s senior officials were digesting Hatake Sakumo’s death news, Uchiha Tonan had returned home to comprehend the true strength in his body with his eyes closed.
The amount of chakra and spiritual energy had increased but not too much. The Hatake clan members were not known for their chakra reserves; they were even considered lacking in that department. The greatest gain was Sakumo’s daunting secret techniques.
There was no dearth of low-ranked and high-ranked ninjutsu but Tonan was most pleased with a few unique secret techniques. The training difficulty of each one could be rated as terrifying.
Wind Style – Wind Communication. This was Sakumo’s exclusive sensory ninjutsu that could sense tremors in the air, perceiving things within a certain range. It could even use air as a medium to condense sound waves for long-distance transmission.
Nin-taijutsu – Lightning Spirit Wind Flash. This could use lightning element chakra to stimulate the body’s cells, and wind attribute chakra to manipulate air to reduce resistance. This move could greatly increase speed, and it was even faster and longer-lasting than Body Flicker Technique.
Lightning Style Secret Technique – Spirit of the Thunder God. This technique used lightning attribute chakra to stimulate acupoints in the brain, greatly enhancing spiritual energy in a short period. It could also resonate with ions in nature.
This ninjutsu could resist all spiritual attacks but the drawback of using it was that it could overdraw spiritual energy, enough for the user to blackout.
Lightning Style Secret Technique – Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. Only after activating the Spirit of the Thunder God, this ninjutsu could be used. It was very similar to Kirin. It summoned natural thunder and lightning to attack. However, it was convenient in comparison and did not require too many preconditions.
Lightning Style Secret Technique – Myriad Heavenly Lightning Prison. This also required activating the Spirit of the Thunder God but it needed some time and a large amount of chakra to gather natural lightning. This move was large-scale destruction-type ninjutsu, equivalent to multiple Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. It was best used to slaughter villages and annihilate cities.
The final noteworthy asset was the Hatake Style Sword Technique. With this technique, the two chakra attributes of wind and lightning could be attached to the chakra tanto. The tanto would simultaneously possess both the wind element’s cutting properties and the lightning attribute’s temporary paralysis.
With this sword technique, Sanbo Style Sword Technique had become obsolete. Just as Tonan finished understanding these abilities, the Anbu had arrived.
“Uchiha Tonan, Hokage-sama wants to see you.”
Tonan leisurely got up and said, “Let’s go.”
An Anbu member came to his side, preparing to take him using the Body Flicker Technique as in the past but Tonan raised his hand to stop him, “Hereafter, you don’t need to trouble yourself.”
Just after speaking, Tonan’s figure disappeared.
In the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen solemnly looked at the indifferent Tonan in front of him, “Why didn’t you dissuade White Fang? He was Kakashi’s father.”
Tonan coldly answered, “I respect White Fang-sama’s choice. He’s a true samurai. For a samurai, dying in a duel is the greatest honor.”
Hiruzen gave Tonan a deep look, wondering why the usually clingy child was being so distant with him today.
“Could it be I only focused on Shinnosuke and treated him too coldly? Or, was he brainwashed by that samurai spirit when he was living with Sanbo Motoyoshi?”
Konoha has lost its White Fang, and now Tonan too had become like this. Hiruzen was getting a headache. He got up and walked to Tonan’s side and reached out his hand to stroke his head.
He said with a very concerned look, “This must’ve greatly affected you. Although Kakashi and you had a good relationship earlier, you’ve done something like this in front of him. He might not be able to accept it for the time being. I’ll notify Minato and transfer you out of Team Nine for now. Rest well at home for some time. Don’t think too much. Come meet me any time if you need something.”
Tonan nodded quietly, and in the next moment, he used Body Flicker Technique to leave. Hiruzen was stunned for a while. He retracted his hand and returned to his seat. After thinking for a while, he picked up the smoke pipe and muttered to himself.
“From what I understand of Tonan, he shouldn’t be dissatisfied with my recent treatment. Is he truly brainwashed by the samurai spirit? Although the samurai spirit is silly, it attaches importance to loyalty. The current Tonan is more like a tool. This might not be a bad thing. The only thing to worry is that Tonan wouldn’t walk the same path as White Fang.”
Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, suddenly frowned, and muttered, “Speaking of which, how strong is he now? He’s already able to use the jonin-leveled Body Flicker Technique. Such a talent… fortunately, he’s on my side. I must speak to Shinnosuke again to ensure he pays enough attention to Tonan.”
In fact, what happened today was serious enough for Hiruzen to forgot telling Tonan that he couldn’t use the Body Flicker Technique in the Hokage Office.
The reason why Tonan had such a reversal in attitude towards Hiruzen was he was playing hard-to-get. In any case, as long as Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma were in the picture, no matter how much he tried to please Hiruzen, it was useless.
Now, Tonan had all five chakra attributes, and Hiruzen, The Professor, was a big gift. Tonan didn’t want to miss him, lest he might regret it later.
At this time in the Hatake household, Kakashi covered Sakumo’s corpse with plain white cloth and placed him in the ancestral hall.
He realized something was wrong with what happened today. He wasn’t stupid enough to think his best friend would come to kill his father for no reason. It was just that he was too grief-ridden at the time. He had lost his rationality and urgently needed someone to vent.
Kakashi came to Sakumo’s bedroom and saw the will on the table at a glance. He picked it up and read his father’s last words to him.
Kakashi, when you see this, I must already be dead. Konoha’s loss this time was too significant, and I’m willing to take the responsibility, paying with my life. I had planned to drive the blade through my stomach and commit suicide, but Tonan just happened to come by.
Perhaps, he, who’s also a samurai spirit inheritor, saw through my thoughts. I’m very grateful that he was willing to help me. He let me die in a duel. For a samurai, this is a more honorable way to die than what I had planned.
Kakashi, in this duel, the Hatake Style lost for certain. I hope you’ll live well and carry forward the Hatake family. Remember, Tonan is your life-long friend. Don’t blame him. He did this for me.
By the time he was done reading the will, Kakashi was already choking with sobs. “Father…”
……
Over the next few days, the news of Konoha’s White Fang’s death spread throughout the village. Tonan didn’t go out during this time and locked himself up in his house.
He carved Sakumo’s wooden sculpture and put it together with the others comprising his former relatives, friends, and lover. As for the rest of the time, he was either comprehending his new powers or self-reflecting.
As the Will of Fire’s successor, he had to always think thrice. Think about what he didn’t do well, and which words weren’t rigorous enough. Or, the aftermath of not handling things properly, and flaws in his public persona.
If there were any deficiencies, how to resolve them. Moreover, how to prevent and improve them in the future.
It was hard to be a human.
It was even harder to be a pure human.
It was the hardest to be a pure, righteous human.
