Chapter 14: A Manly Friendship
With every punch and kick, the arcs of lightning around Dana grew denser. Normally, the electricity was uncontrollable, but in the heat of battle, the more focused he became, the more frequent and powerful the discharges were.
However, this lightning was different from a Lightning Release ninjutsu. Without the infusion of chakra, it behaved more like natural lightning, albeit much weaker. Because of this, Dana couldn't control it the way a ninja controlled a jutsu. Lightning Release techniques that could change direction or even take on different shapes were common, all thanks to the versatility of chakra.
Dana's superhuman physique also granted him incredible stamina. He could fight at high intensity for an hour without tiring. But as A gradually shifted from pure defense to trading blows, the pressure on Dana increased dramatically.
A knocked Dana back with a side kick, then began to form hand seals at a speed Dana's eyes couldn't follow.
If you have to do hand seals, you've already lost, old man! Dana thought smugly. Real masters don't need them!
His body, however, was much more honest. It was already scrambling to create distance. Without the ability to use chakra, his only options against ninjutsu were to dodge or to take it head-on. He had no way to counter it.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball."
A basketball-sized sphere of pure lightning shot from A's hand, swerving in mid-air as it flew towards Dana.
This was the magic of chakra. It could even make lightning change direction and track a target. A wasn't known for his ninjutsu, so he was holding back considerably. At full power, the technique could create a sphere the size of a car.
Dana dodged the attack by a hair's breadth. Before he could even regain his footing, A was already forming more seals and pointing at him.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball."
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball."
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball."
In the end, A fired off seventeen lightning balls, the exact same number of jutsu Hiroto had used. Some of them missed their mark, slamming into the ground as Dana dodged, but the barrage of homing projectiles still left him scrambling.
You're going too far, Dad!
A cold sweat broke out on Dana's forehead. But the nervous system of this body was truly exceptional. He twisted and weaved, executing a series of impossibly precise dodges against the dozen or so tracking spheres.
Eventually, the jutsu timed out. Ninjutsu couldn't last forever. When the last lightning ball had dissipated, Dana collapsed onto the ground. He wasn't tired, but the adrenaline rush had been intense, requiring every ounce of his concentration.
A stood with his arms crossed and nodded. "Not bad. It seems you haven't been slacking in your training. You too, red-haired kid."
"Yes, sir!" Hiroto shouted back. Though he had only been in the village for a week, he already understood the weight the Raikage's title carried. To receive praise from him was a tremendous honor, and he was thrilled.
Dana just offered a weak smile. He hadn't actually been training that hard. He spent most of his time reading. Since he couldn't use chakra, his "training" consisted of simple punches and kicks. While everyone else was flying through the air and using flashy ninjutsu, his routine was mind-numbingly boring, no different from the martial arts training in his previous life. He had zero motivation to train. His current skill level was purely a result of his body's natural abilities.
But to Hiroto, Dana was a complete monster.
"Dana, I had no idea you were so strong!"
"It's alright, I guess," Dana said with a wry smile.
According to the clan's estimates, if the problem with his chakra was never solved, his physical abilities alone would still allow him to reach the level of a Special Jonin as an adult. A very, very specialized Special Jonin. It wasn't that he couldn't beat a regular Jonin in a fight, but he had too many weaknesses, like being unable to break out of a genjutsu on his own.
A Jonin with no chakra? It was unheard of.
Maybe he could just pretend to be the protagonist of a shonen manga: "Even without chakra, I will become a ninja! That is my ninja way!"
Just then, Hiroto's stomach let out a loud growl. Both A and Dana looked at him, and his face immediately turned bright red. He had been too nervous during dinner to eat much. It seemed the Uzumaki clan's constitution wasn't entirely unscientific; they still needed to refuel.
"Hungry? I can have the kitchen make something," Dana offered.
"No, no, it's no trouble! I, uh, brought my own rice balls," Hiroto stammered, pulling two large rice balls from a bag he had left on the side of the training grounds.
The rice balls were well-preserved, perfectly round, and heavy in his hand. They were cold now. As Hiroto smiled, a wave of sadness washed over him. His mother had made them specially as a gift to thank Dana for the bag of candy. They were filled with all sorts of good things, more fillings than Hiroto himself had ever had in a rice ball before.
But now, standing in the grand courtyard of the Yotsuki clan, he couldn't bring himself to say they were a gift from his mother.
"What's this? You've been hiding snacks this whole time?" Dana teased. "They look delicious."
Hiroto remembered the smile on his mother's face when she had carefully handed him the rice balls. A sudden impulse took over.
"Um... actually, my mom asked me to give these to you," he blurted out. "It's a thank-you for the candy. Dana, you..." The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Every single dish on the dinner table tonight had been a hundred times more delicious than the simple rice balls in his hand.
He'll never want my mom's rice balls. I'm so stupid. I should have just kept my mouth shut.
Dana paused for a fraction of a second, but in that brief moment, the light in Hiroto's eyes began to fade.
Then, Dana snatched the rice balls from his hand.
"Well, why didn't you say so sooner? Were you planning on keeping my gift for yourself?" he said, unwrapping one without hesitation and taking a huge bite. "I'm starving after all that."
Watching Dana devour the rice ball, the stone in Hiroto's stomach finally lifted, and a smile returned to his face.
"Ahem. Well, you must be hungry too after all that exercise," Dana said, feigning reluctance as he grudgingly offered the other rice ball to Hiroto, as if he were parting with a priceless treasure. "I guess I can share one with you."
"Yeah! Thanks! My mom's rice balls are the best!"
A watched them from the side, a smile in his eyes. He knew his son had eaten plenty at dinner. The boy was probably forcing himself to eat the rice ball now, and was likely uncomfortably full.
He placed a large hand on each of the boys' heads and ruffled their hair. "Hey, red-haired kid," he said, "I'm a little hungry myself. Mind sharing half of that?"
"Yes, sir! Of course, Lord Raikage! Here, try it. My mom put lots of good stuff in it," Hiroto said, beaming as he broke off half of his rice ball and offered it to A.
Dana looked at his father out of the corner of his eye. The old man can be surprisingly charming sometimes, he thought. The leader of the Hidden Cloud... he really is a reassuring presence.
The most unified of the great villages, the one that could truly act as one. The Raikage of every generation had been men of immense personal charisma, and the Third was especially exceptional.
And so, the three of them—one man and two boys—sat under the moonlight on the edge of the training grounds, eating rice balls and talking. The occasional passerby saw them but didn't dare to interrupt.
That evening, the breeze was gentle and warm.
After sending Hiroto home, Dana's expression immediately changed. He clutched his stomach weakly. He had just forced himself to eat a rice ball the size of a fist.
The Raikage's fist.
A looked at him sideways and chuckled. "Molding chakra can speed up digestion. If you're feeling sick, go train."
"You saw what was happening," Dana complained. "Why didn't you help me eat half of mine instead of his? I bet he was still hungry."
"Don't be silly," A said with a grin. "That was a moment of manly friendship. How could I interfere?"
"Tch. Always trying to look cool."