Chapter 245: The Flame Fan Appears
The three young shinobi walked out of the Hokage's office in a daze.
"An S-rank mission..." Anko muttered, her mind still reeling. The other two were in a similar state, already lost in thoughts of the mission to come.
Kyosuke offered a few words of comfort, and they all went their separate ways.
That night, in Kyosuke's room.
An S-rank mission... that should be at least 200 experience points, he thought, sitting up in his bed. He took a scroll from his pocket,
performed a hand sign to release the seal, and a giant war fan appeared in his hands.
"It's time for you to make your debut."
The next morning, an excited Shisui knocked on Kyosuke's door. He was used to his teacher sleeping in. He had heard that Nagisa used to be the one to wake him. Now, that job had fallen to him.
But today was different. When he knocked, the door opened to reveal Kyosuke, already dressed and ready to go.
"Kyosuke-nii-san, you're up early..." In private, Shisui still called him by his old title. It was only on missions that he called him "Sensei."
"It's been a long time since I've been on a mission like this. I need to get my body in the right mindset," Kyosuke said, stepping out of his room.
Shisui was about to say something else, but his attention was drawn to the giant fan strapped to his teacher's back. He had been a diligent student of his clan's history, and he immediately recognized the weapon.
A gourd-shaped fan with two sets of six tomoe... and a chain wrapped around the handle... it has to be. The long-lost 'Flame Fan.'
Kyosuke saw the look of excitement on his face but said nothing. He called to Yamato, who had just emerged from his own room, and the three of them began to walk toward the clan's exit.
Along the way, many of the Uchiha clansmen also noticed the fan on Kyosuke's back, and a murmur of excitement began to spread.
The Flame Fan, also known as the Uchiha War Fan, was a weapon passed down through the generations of Uchiha clan leaders. It was a symbol of their clan, a representation of their mastery of Fire Release. Its image was even on their clan crest. To see it returned to the clan after so many years was a momentous occasion.
Made from a branch of the God Tree, it was incredibly durable and could absorb and reflect ninjutsu. This ability, known as "Uchiha Reflection," would convert the absorbed ninjutsu into a powerful blast of wind and fire. Countless shinobi had fallen to this technique over the years. In the original story, Madara Uchiha had even used it to reflect Naruto's mini Tailed Beast Bomb.
By the time they reached the village gates, the entire Uchiha compound was buzzing with excitement. Anko was already there, waiting for them. She immediately pulled Shisui aside, demanding to know what all the fuss was about.
Ignoring his chattering students, Kyosuke walked over to the two elders who were waiting by the gate, Koharu and Homura.
"My apologies for the delay," he said, his voice filled with a carefully crafted sincerity.
"Not at all. We just arrived ourselves," Koharu said with a smile, her eyes flicking briefly to the fan on his back, though she said nothing. Kyosuke had already mentioned it in his mission report.
For this mission to the Land of Wind, Hiruzen had sent two elders to accompany them, ostensibly to assist with the sealing of Shukaku, but in reality, to discuss the terms of an alliance.
In addition to Kyosuke's team, four Anbu were also assigned to protect the elders. How many more were hidden in the shadows, he could only guess.
"The journey is long. Shall we depart, elders?" Kyosuke asked, looking at the sky.
"Haha, no need to ask our permission, Kyosuke. You are the leader of this mission, after all," Homura said with a chuckle.
Kyosuke gave a noncommittal smile, his true thoughts hidden.
And so, the party of ten set off toward the west, toward the Land of Wind.
Perhaps because of the elders' presence, even the usually boisterous Anko was quiet, her head bowed as she focused on the journey.
They soon reached a spot not far from the border of the Land of Fire. With night falling, they decided to make camp and continue on in the morning. The area was relatively safe, and Kyosuke was glad to be spared the trouble of dealing with any rogue ninja.
They chose a clearing near a river. Just as the Anbu were about to set up tents, Kyosuke stopped them. He gestured to Yamato, who stepped forward.
With a series of slow, deliberate hand signs, the trees in the clearing began to grow at an incredible rate, their branches twisting and weaving together until they formed a small, wooden house.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!"
Everyone, except for Kyosuke, stared in stunned silence.
"Yamato... if you ever get tired of being a ninja, you'd make a great carpenter," Anko said with a grin.
"Uh... I guess so," Yamato said, scratching his head, unsure how to react to their strange looks.
They entered the wooden house and found that it was not only large enough to accommodate all ten of them, but that the craftsmanship was surprisingly intricate, down to the patterns on the window frames. The two elders were once again amazed.
The "Four-Pillar House" was a clear demonstration of Yamato's growing mastery of Wood Release. Of course, the exquisite details were a result of Kyosuke's "tutelage." During the war, he had often furnished the inside of his summoned snakes with furniture. Now that he had Yamato, he had no intention of letting this free labor go to waste.
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 100 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!