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Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
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Shin had made significant progress, mastering the [Adamantine Sealing Chains].
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Thanks to the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he could create over a dozen clones to study simultaneously. Even without a teacher, he managed to learn the Jutsu on his own.
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"Haa! [Rasengan]!"
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Shin focused on the large tree before him, a rapidly spinning sphere of Chakra forming in his hand. He thrust his hand forward, smashing the Rasengan into the tree trunk.
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BOOM!
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Wood splintered and flew as the massive tree, one that would take two people to encircle, was pierced straight through, leaving a gaping hole with spiral patterns etched into its edges – a testament to the rotating Chakra''s power.
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"If that hit a person, it would go right through them, no problem."
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Shin was more than satisfied with the Rasengan''s destructive power. A-rank Jutsu were no joke.
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He had developed the Rasengan himself. Understanding the principles behind it, recreating it wasn''t that difficult.
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This was the culmination of his half-month''s training. Not only had he mastered the Adamantine Sealing Chains, but he''d also developed the Rasengan.
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"That tree must have been decades old, and you just punched a hole through it," Kushina said, staring at the poor tree.
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"Hey, Kushina, do you still want to learn the Rasengan or what?"
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"Of course I do! Teach me, teach me!" Kushina jumped up, grabbing Shin''s arm excitedly.
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"Ouch, my shoulders are kinda sore."
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Shin sat down, looking expectantly at Kushina.
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Kushina knew what he wanted. With a reluctant sigh, she walked over and started massaging his shoulders.
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"Not bad, but a little more pressure would be perfect," Shin said, leaning back with a satisfied sigh.
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Kushina gritted her teeth, but for the sake of learning the Rasengan, she endured.
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"It''s getting late, almost lunchtime. Let''s head back. I''ll teach you in the afternoon."
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Shin glanced at the sun high in the sky.
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Kushina, though eager to learn the Rasengan, knew that food came first.
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After lunch, Shin began teaching Kushina the Jutsu. Half a day wasn''t enough to master it, though.
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"You can already burst a water balloon. That''s the second stage completed. You''ll have the Rasengan down in no time."
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As the sky darkened, Shin told Kushina to stop for the day and continue tomorrow.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
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The Rasengan had four stages. The first was simple: gathering Chakra in your palm.
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The second stage involved stable and continuous Chakra release. This was practiced by placing a water balloon in your hand and releasing Chakra to make the water inside move erratically until the balloon exploded.
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The third stage used a rubber ball. The goal was to maintain Chakra release, solidifying the Chakra until it could burst the ball.
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At the third stage, the Rasengan could already cause damage, but its power was limited.
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The final stage combined everything learned previously. High-density Chakra was gathered in the hand, released continuously, maintained, and finally completing the Jutsu.
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After dinner, Kushina went to bed. Shin returned to his room.
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"I don''t know why, but I have a bad feeling about this." Shin looked out the window. The sky was unusually dark, not a moon or star in sight.
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"Can''t sleep. Might as well refine some Chakra."
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Time passed. It was past one in the morning when Shin finally stopped. He was feeling sleepy. Just as he was about to lie down, a loud noise jolted him awake.
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He rushed to the window. In the direction of the Uzumaki Clan grounds, flames lit up the night sky.
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"Could it be...?"
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His drowsiness vanished. He ran to Kushina''s room.
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"Kushina, wake up!"
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"Shin, what''s going on? I was sleeping so soundly. Why did you wake me up?" Kushina grumbled, her eyes barely open.
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"Wake up, something''s wrong!"
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Shin flicked Kushina''s forehead to bring her to her senses. This was no time for jokes.
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If his hunch was right, the disaster had struck the Land of Whirlpools. There was nothing he could do to stop it, but he could protect himself and Kushina.
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"What''s wrong?" Kushina asked, seeing the seriousness in Shin''s eyes.
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Shin pointed towards the window. Kushina followed his gaze and saw the fire raging in the distance.
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"Whoa, the clan grounds are on fire!"
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"It''s more than just a fire. We''re under attack. Listen to that! Those explosions are from Explosive Tags."
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"Who would dare attack the Uzumaki Clan?"
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"Now''s not the time to discuss that. Come on!"
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Shin urged Kushina to get dressed, pack their essentials, and prepare to leave.
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Even though they were far from the clan grounds, there was no guarantee of safety.
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"Captain, this is the outer perimeter of the Uzumaki Clan grounds, right? Why is there a house here?"
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Just as they stepped out, Shin saw several figures in ninja attire, their faces hidden behind masks. His heart sank.
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Kushina gripped his arm, fear creeping into her eyes.
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"Well, well, look what we have here. A couple of stragglers. And just kids, too."
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A ninja wearing a tanuki mask leered at them.
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"Talk about bad luck."
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They were so far out, yet they still ran into enemies.
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The five ninjas were equally surprised. They had been tasked with sealing off the Uzumaki Clan grounds, preventing anyone from escaping. They hadn''t expected to find two children out here.
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Judging by their red hair, they were definitely Uzumaki. And if they were Uzumaki, they had to be eliminated.
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"Enough chatter. Kill them."
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The leader of the squad ordered.
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The squad consisted of one Jonin and four elite Chunin.
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Seeing them move to attack, Shin swiftly pulled three Shuriken from his pouch and flung them at the Jonin leader.
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While the Jonin was dodging, Shin made his move. He appeared before one of the Chunin in a flash, leaping up and delivering a powerful blow to the ninja''s neck.
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His speed was such that the Chunin didn''t even have time to react. The blow snapped his neck.
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Blood gurgled from the Chunin''s mouth. Within a second, he was dead.
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The entire encounter took less than two seconds. After taking down the Chunin, Shin retreated to Kushina''s side.
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"Run!"
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He scooped Kushina into his arms and fled towards the forest.
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"Damn it! After them!"
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The Jonin leader roared in fury. To have one of his men killed by a five-year-old brat, right under his nose, was a disgrace.
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The other three Chunin snapped out of their shock. Shin''s ruthless efficiency had stunned them.
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A five-year-old, killing an elite Chunin? Even in the brutal Warring States Period, such a thing was unheard of.