The moon hung low, silver light spilling over the Uchiha training grounds. The scorched earth and blackened posts still bore the scars of Keiji's brutal training the day before. The air was heavy with the sharp tang of ozone, as though lightning itself lingered, unwilling to fade.
Keiji stood at the edge of the grounds, his body still sore, his mind still buzzing from the Urumi's unforgiving demands. Opposite him, Izuna Uchiha rolled his shoulders, a hungry grin tugging at his lips.
In his hands coiled one of the Urumi swords, its metallic ribbons wound tight around the hilt, like serpents waiting to uncoil. Sparks of chakra crackled faintly across the steel.
"Ready?" Keiji asked, his voice tired but steady.
Izuna's eyes gleamed crimson in the moonlight, Sharingan spinning lazily. "More than ready. Show me how this beast dances."
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The First Lesson
Keiji inhaled deeply. "The Urumi isn't about brute strength. Treat it like a partner. Too rigid, it will shatter. Too loose, it will betray you. Balance lies in your chakra flow."
He demonstrated slowly, sending the ribbons outward in a controlled lash. The steel curved smoothly, then retracted with a flick of his wrist.
Izuna copied the movement, Sharingan following every twitch. His first attempt was chaos—one ribbon wrapped around his arm while the other dug into the dirt.
Keiji winced, ready to intervene, but Izuna only laughed. "Unpredictable. I like it."
Keiji's lips twitched. As I thought. He'll adapt faster than me.
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Lightning Awakens
Izuna straightened, eyes sharpening. He wove chakra into the ribbons. At once, arcs of lightning rippled down their length, blue-white sparks snapping like hungry fangs.
When he swung, the Urumi sang. The ribbons snapped outward with terrifying speed, their movements clean and decisive. A wooden post split neatly down the center, charred edges smoking.
Keiji's eyes widened. "That's it. Lightning stiffens the steel when you need it, then relaxes when you let go. You shape its rhythm."
Izuna's grin grew feral. "So it becomes not just a whip… but a storm."
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Theories Shared
As Izuna practiced, Keiji fed him "concepts," fragments of knowledge that in another world had belonged to future generations.
"There's a thrust technique," Keiji said carefully, "pure lightning in the palm. Fast enough to pierce any defense. Imagine channeling that through the Urumi—dozens of fangs, each carrying the same force."
Izuna's Sharingan narrowed, his breath quickening. "A storm of piercing blades…"
Keiji pressed on. "And lightning, when condensed beyond blue, becomes violet. Purple Lightning. Stronger, sharper, easier to control once mastered. It consumes less chakra than raw lightning."
Izuna's eyes gleamed. "Condensed essence… Purple Lightning. Hah. That's mine."
Keiji leaned forward. "One more idea—combine Lightning with Body Flicker. Imagine vanishing, striking from angles unseen, then reappearing before the enemy realizes. A storm moving faster than sight."
Izuna's grip tightened on the hilt, his chest rising with exhilaration. "Nephew… you've just described my dream."
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Trial by Sparks
Izuna moved again. His body blurred with chakra flicker, the Urumi ribbons whipping forward in arcs too fast for the eye to follow. Posts exploded into splinters as lightning-infused steel carved through them.
Keiji's jaw tensed. So fast… His instincts are terrifying.
Izuna pushed harder. He tried forcing concentrated lightning to the ribbon's tip, creating a spear of raw energy. The blade shivered violently, nearly rebounding toward him, but Izuna twisted, redirected, and slammed the ribbon into the ground.
The earth erupted in sparks. Smoke rose from a shallow crater.
Izuna threw his head back and laughed. "Now this is a weapon worthy of the Uchiha!"
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Keiji's Inner Voice
Watching him, Keiji's chest clenched. So this is why history named you a genius…
In another world, uncle Izuna had died by Tobirama's blade. But here, wielding the storm, his fate could change.
If Tobirama is the 'Kami of Suiton'… then Uncle Izuna… you'll be the 'Kami of Raiton.' This art… this blade… it will rewrite your destiny.
Gengar floated silently nearby, its grin faintly glowing, as though it too approved of Izuna's ascension.
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The Second Night: Precision
The next night, Izuna was already different. His movements flowed like a storm in rhythm, ribbons spinning into a sparking dome. He could launch both ribbons outward, pulling them back into a crackling cross slash that split stone.
Then came Keiji's whispered theory.
Lightning gathered in Izuna's palm—a jagged, unstable glow. Not yet a Chidori, but the seed of it. He funneled the energy into the Urumi.
The steel shivered violently, threatening to recoil, but Izuna's control held. He lashed forward.
A stone post erupted, a clean hole blown straight through its center.
Keiji staggered. "Uncle… you—"
Izuna's eyes burned with crimson fire. "Not enough. But one day… this will be thunder given form."
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Uchiha Eyes Watching
Word spread. By the third night, warriors gathered silently around the training grounds. Elders, young shinobi, even hardened veterans—drawn by the sound of snapping thunder.
They watched as Izuna blurred across the field, ribbons sparking like living lightning serpents, posts shattering in his wake.
"Is this swordsmanship?" an elder whispered.
"No…" another muttered, awe in his tone. "This is something beyond."
Keiji, seated in the shadows with Gengar hovering above, felt pride swell in his chest—and dread coil in his gut.
Greatness always drew envy. And targets.
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The Warning
At last, Izuna collapsed beside him, sweat dripping but his grin unshaken. "You've given me more than a weapon, Keiji. You've given me a new kind of future."
Keiji's throat tightened. He wanted to shout—to warn him of Tobirama, of fate's cruel hand. But if he revealed too much, history might fracture beyond repair.
Instead, he spoke carefully. "Then guard that future. If you face a Senju… never hold back."
Izuna's smirk sharpened, eyes glinting with dangerous fire. "Don't worry, nephew. With lightning as my sword… I'll strike down even the gods of water."
Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, as though the heavens themselves had heard his vow.
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End of the Chapter
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