Naruto: Threads of Crimson

I opened the door and stepped into our neatly kept home within the Uchiha compound. The place was always immaculate, and there was a faint, familiar scent of pine lingering in the air. "Hey, Mom, I'm back from the mission."

"Oh, hi, honey! How was the mission?" my mom called, poking her head around the corner of the staircase.

"It went fine, nothing too extraordinary. Just a little disagreement between Shisui and me, but nothing that affected the mission."

My mom's lips tightened slightly at the mention of the disagreement, but she seemed to decide against pressing the issue and instead continued the conversation. "Well, that's good to hear. You never want missions to go off track. Usually, when they do, bad things follow."

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just glad to be back in the compound so I can focus on more training. I feel like I've been stagnating a little bit."

My mom tilted her head in that funny way of hers, making it look almost parallel to the floor. "Stagnating? Hon, you are one of the most talented kids in the village. Definitely the most talented in the clan next to Shisui. You may not be progressing at the rate you were when you first started training, but regardless, you are pushing into the realm of elite chunin at a rapid pace." 

I lowered and shook my head as I walked over to the couch to sit. "Maybe, but it's still not enough. I need to be more powerful, more powerful than anyone that can appear in front of me."

I heard my mom sigh and seen her shake her head. "Speaking of training, I was just talking with Kushina about that yesterday while you were on your mission. She was curious about your progress over the past few weeks since we last had dinner, and I mentioned that you've been considering picking up kenjutsu but haven't found a style that you prefer."

"Yeah, that's been the problem. I've asked around the clan, but I still haven't found one that feels right for me. Reika-sensei's sword style is too rigid; it doesn't work in combat the way I want. And the Leaf style is too limited in both power and speed for what I'm trying to achieve. Who knew a clan that can copy anyone's moves doesn't have a huge library of sword styles like it does with ninjutsu?"

My mom nodded as she continued, "Right, so when I mentioned this to Kushina, she said she'd be happy to teach you the basics of her clan's sword style if you'd like. Because of her… unique circumstances, she doesn't go on many missions anymore, an therefore doesn't get much excitment anymore."

"Really? I didn't know she was that strong. What, she must be around elite chunin level?"

"More like elite jonin, she's far stronger than you think. Honestly, she's probably one of the most powerful shinobi in the village, right up there with clan head Fugaku, Minato, and the Third Hokage."

Her comment made my eyes narrow slightly as a thought formed. 'Between what she just said and some of the comments Kushina made at dinner the other week, I'm starting to think there's more to her situation than meets the eye. Why would failing to control her chakra be dangerous, and how could she be as strong as our clan head? I'll have to dig into that later.'

"Huh, interesting. Where's her house at? I'm thinking that I'll head over tonight and start learning what she has to teach if the offer is still on the table."

Mom's lips curved into a smile, clearly pleased with my decision. 'Good, he's taking the chance to get out of the house. This will help him redirect his grief over Kaito's death into something productive instead of just moping around and training aimlessly.'

"Her house is in the Uzumaki compound, right next to the old Senju compound. You'll see the Uzumaki clan spiral on the gates, like the ones on our flak jackets. Walk to the house in the center of the compound and knock on the door."

"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up. Oh, and I might not be back for dinner tonight if I really like her sword style."

Mom giggled, waving me off. "Don't worry, baby. I'll put the leftovers in the fridge so you can eat them later."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Whistle Whistle Whistle

Kushina hummed softly to herself as she crouched in her garden, examining the rows of roses swaying gently in the breeze. 'These flowers need a little more water; they've been looking a bit wilted lately,' she thought, standing up and dusting off her hands. Grabbing her watering can, she headed back into the house to fill it from the kitchen faucet.

As she turned the handle and the water began to flow, she paused, her senses tingling. "Hmm? Is that Shiro's chakra?" she murmured, tilting her head slightly. The familiar energy felt steady but carried an undercurrent of unease. "Back from his mission already? That was quick. I wonder what brings him over here."

The chakra signature grew stronger, signaling his approach. A few moments later, she heard a distinct knock at the front door.

'Ohhh, that's right. He must be here because I told May I wanted to train him,' she realized, a warm smile spreading across her face. Wiping her hands on her apron, she made her way to the door, excitement bubbling within her.

When she opened it, she found herself looking down at me. I stood there with a polite expression, my posture straight and formal, just like every clansman was taught, while I met her gaze.

Kushina's cheerful demeanor faltered slightly. She could sense something beneath the calm exterior, an undercurrent of suppressed negative emotions. The faint but unmistakable traces of sadness and guilt seeping from me like a slow drip. Her eyes softened as she inwardly sighed. 'May-sensei was right. He's definitely carrying a lot of guilt for his father's death, even if he hides it behind that polite mask.'

A deep, rumbling voice interrupted her thoughts, echoing within her mind. 'Hehe, seems like the kid's not in a great place, it'd be a shame if you lost control and showed him what a demon you can really be,' the Nine-Tails grumbled, its tone mocking.

Kushina's jaw tightened as she reflexively strengthened the mental chains binding the fox. 'Not now, you stupid fox. I don't have time for you today, if you don't back off, I'll make you.'

'Hmph. Do what you want. It's not like I have a choice anyway-,' the beast retorted. Before it could continue, Kushina slammed the golden gate with a spiral gate shut with a resounding clang, forcing the fox's presence into silence.

Exhaling softly, she reached out and ruffled my hair. 'Maybe I can help pull him out of this, even if it's just a little,' she thought before speaking. "What can I do for you, Shiro?"

"My mom said you were willing to show me your clan's kenjutsu style and possibly train me in it," I replied, straight to the point. "I was just coming over to see if that offer still stands."

Kushina beamed, her earlier concern masked by enthusiasm. "Of course it does! You're my teacher's son, how could I not take the chance to help you out? Plus, I can show you some ninjutsu while we're at it. You can copy them with your special eyes and practice them later on your own just in case I have something that might help you in the future."

She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "And I'll also introduce you to my specialty besides the sword: fuinjutsu, the art of sealing."

I hesitated, rubbing the back of my neck. I didn't want to admit I wasn't interested in the sealing arts, especially when she seemed so excited about it. "That sounds… interesting," I said, trying to sound polite.

Kushina laughed a slightly chilling laugh at my lack of enthusiasm. "You'll learn to love it if you have the talent for it."

I laughed nervously this time as I backed away slightly. "As long as your previous students and my mom trusts you then that's all that matters."

"That's the funny thing, I've never had a student before, and since Minato already has one I figured I could use you as a test subject to see if I'd be a good teacher!" She giggled, and I sweatdropped at her cheerful confession.

"So… you've never taught anyone before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope! But that's okay; we'll figure it out together, ya know!" Before I could respond, she grabbed my arm and pulled me inside with surprising strength. "Come on! Let's get started!"

I couldn't help but let out a smile as she dragged me through her house and out into the back garden. 'She's really energetic, but in a comforting way. I'm just glad she's nothing like the stuffy old coots in the clan who have tried to teach me things.'

Kushina gestured toward a small clearing at the edge of the garden that opened into the forest. It was well-maintained, with training equipment scattered around—a wooden training dummy, a weapons rack, and several targets set up at varying distances.

"First thing's first," she began, clapping her hands together. "Here's how this is going to work. For ninjutsu, I'll show you the technique, and you'll copy them with those red eyes of yours to practice on your own time. Your mom says you've got a strong work ethic, so that should be no problem."

She pointed to the wooden dummy off to the right. "For kenjutsu, we'll start with the basics. I'll demonstrate the katas, and you'll practice them on that dummy until your form and speed improves."

Her expression grew a bit more serious as she added, "And for fuinjutsu, it's going to be strictly book-based. You'll need to do a lot of reading and calligraphy practice. It's the hardest on the mind, especially if you're not naturally inclined toward it so it will take some time to learn."

I nodded, glancing around at the training equipment. "Sounds like a solid plan. But could we save the fuinjutsu for last? I don't want to waste time on it right now."

Suddenly, a suffocating, murderous aura washed over me, making my breath hitch and sending a shiver down my spine. I jerked my head toward Kushina, who was still standing just a few feet away. Her expression had darkened, and her voice carried an unsettling edge as she spoke.

"You don't want to waste time, huh?" she asked, her thick red hair beginning to rise and float on its own.

"Uh, no, no! That's not what I meant!" I stammered, raising my hands in front of me like a shield. "I was just saying… I'd love to learn fuinjutsu too! I just thought we could start with the other stuff first since it's more my specialty. I don't have any experience with sealing yet, that's all!" My words tumbled out in a frantic attempt to calm the woman who now looked more like a demon than a teacher.

Kushina's terrifying demeanor vanished in an instant, her floating hair dropping back into place as though the outburst had never happened. Her mood flipped back to cheerful so fast it gave me whiplash. She tilted her head, smiling sweetly. "Oh, okay! I must've misheard you then."

I blinked, my heart still racing. It was as if her previous state had been some kind of illusion. 'Man, she can be really scary.'

"Alright then, let's get started with some ninjutsu!" she said brightly, completely unbothered by the lingering tension. Without missing a beat, she formed a single hand sign and slammed her palm onto the ground.

In an instant, the space around us transformed. A massive green barrier erupted into existence, forming a transparent box that encased the entire area. The village disappeared from view, leaving just the two of us within its eerie, glowing walls.

My eyes widened in awe as I turned in a slow circle, taking in the sight of the abstract structure. "What is this?" I asked, unable to hide my amazement.

"It's a barrier," Kushina explained, her smile widening with pride. "It's an advanced application of fuinjutsu. All it does is keep any chakra expelled by a person contained within this area. So, for example, if you launch a fireball at the wall, it'll just hit the barrier and fizzle out. We can move in and out of it, and others can step inside too, but nothing you throw at the barrier will escape."

I reached out tentatively, letting my hand pass through the shimmering green surface. It felt oddly warm but there was no resistance. "Wow," I breathed. "Maybe I judged fuinjutsu a little too early. I thought it was just for making storage seals. I didn't realize it could do stuff like this." My hand lingered on the edge of the barrier as I mumbled to myself, "Maybe it really is worth learning."

Hearing what I mumbled under my breath, Kushina smiled.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

(A/N: I've always enjoyed Ksuhina as a character so I'm planning on making her one of Shiro's main teachers throughout his earlier years. With that being said, be prepared for pretty consistent appearances from her and another special blue eyed-golden haired Pickachu character.)

Powerstone Goals:

25 by Sunday = Extra Chapter

50 by Sunday = 2 Extra Chapters