SWNOVELXO Chapter 7: CHAPTER 7:
P.O.V. Hiruzen –
As Hiruzen departed from Mission Office, he went back to his schedule and noticed that he still had some time left for his break, so he went back to his office and sat down on the couch and decided to relax for a moment… he started thinking over his training and wasn't satisfied with the progress he was making and started thinking on what could possibly make it go faster.
Maybe there was a way where he doesn't just have to rely on the 'Daily Mission' to increase his Character Progression, because if he only has the 'Daily Mission' to work with, then he can definitely see that he would never finish his Template. It might even take centuries for him to complete it, and that is if the System decided to give him the Shinigami lifespan as well, however he felt that was unlikely as that would be both too good and too bad for him now.
As he was having these thoughts, something came to the forefront of his mind:
'Why don't I try speaking to Ryujin Jakka… I mean, I haven't tried since I regained them. It might be worthwhile, as I would at least have someone to talk to and ask for advice from in this world… although I don't know how they would react to me being like this, but I can always just give it a try…' thought Hiruzen.
As he finished these thoughts, he gripped his Cane in his left hand, tilting it horizontal to himself and the Cane by his will disintegrated from top to bottom to reveal his Zanpakuto Ryujin Jakka. This time however, instead of unsheathing the blade, Hiruzen sat cross-legged on the couch and placed the sheathed blade on his legs, closing his eyes and attempting an essential skill of the Shinigami, Blade Zen…
Blade Zen is a technique that allows a Shinigami through meditation to enter his inner world to meet and communicate with the spirit of their Zanpakuto…
As Hiruzen did so, he concentrated on his inner world and felt his mind be sucked away by a strange force… and after a few seconds the force stopped acting upon Hiruzen, the Shinigami then opened his eyes to see that he is in a completely different place than his office. Hiruzen didn't freak out though as he knows that he has successfully transported to his inner world… he then looked around the world and noticed that it was slightly different than what it used to be like in his previous life as Yamamoto, but he chalked it up to being back in his original body and it would be different as the Inner World of every Shinigami is formed based on their life experiences and personalities.
What Hiruzen is currently seeing is a blazing battlefield of Fire and Death, the landscape was charred and blackened with towering peaks of smouldering rock. The sky was perpetually in twilight, neither day or night, and it was filled with swirling clouds of ash that was drifting in the searing wind like the remains of fallen warriors. The ground was cracked and seared, pulsating with veins of molten fire, as if the very land still bore the memories of countless deaths and battles that once ravaged it.
Looking into the distance Hiruzen saw the ruins of a great fortress that torched and blackened from what could only be described as the flames of the underworld with some of the embers and flames still burning like the will of the fallen…
Hiruzen after glancing over the landscape started walking into the distance, towards a seemingly random direction, but in fact the place Hiruzen instinctively felt was where Ryujin Jakka was… as he was walking he started noticing colossal-towering trees of charred bark and burning branches that pierced the ashy sky, with the flames on their branches, refusing to extinguish… Hiruzen instinctively knew what this forest represents…
This forest that was named by Ryujin Jakka herself, yes herself, was called the 'Ever-Burning Trees of Judgement', which embodies the flames of Ryujin Jakka and his own experiences of war and leadership, with the roots of these very trees twisting and coiling through the scorched Earth, acting and representing his wisdom and history with every tree themselves representing a different principle of his own soul…
Hiruzen while having these thoughts felt that the temperature in the atmosphere started rising, indicating that he was getting closer to the centre of his inner world, with the flames around the battlefield becoming bigger and surprisingly having different shades of colour to them. Hiruzen knew that the different colours were something different that was never there in his life as Yamamoto, but he couldn't understand what they represented in him, but he ignored it for now and continued walking through the crucible of his hardships and sacrifice…
As Hiruzen neared the centre of his Inner World, he noticed that rivers of molten gold and crimson fire started flowing through random accessways, all flowing towards the centre of his inner world, yet the fires refusing to destroy anything… these rivers Hiruzen remembers as the 'Channels of Molten Knowledge' which preserve his knowledge, experiences and wisdom into the very world around him, and if one were to listen closely they would be able to hear the whispers of the teachings of fire, war and duty itself, much like the lessons Hiruzen in both lives taught to his students.
Hiruzen then turned his attention forward and saw the very heart of his Inner World, atop a massive plateau of volcanic rock, sits a throne forged from obsidian, molten iron, and ancient bones of beasts fallen, this throne is called 'The Heart of Ash'. This throne is not one of comfort but a seat of command, and behind the throne is an eternal inferno of raging flames that will never extinguish. This throne represents leadership, his unyielding resolve, and the conviction to do what must be done.
Sat upon this very throne is a mighty and ancient beast of legends. Its body a mass of royal crimson fire, its wings wreathed in a miasma of coloured flames that inspired awe into those who gazed upon it with the base of its wings covered in a shiny black metal… the legs of said beast cloaked in obsidian stone with veins of molten iron infused within, and the head of such a majestic beast was that of a falcon, with the back of its head crowned with a halo of holy gold light, shining with a divine light that brought reverence and worship upon those who gazed upon such a figure.
This being was known throughout time as the incarnation of life and death, ruling over the concept of reincarnation and rebirth, the mighty Phoenix.
This was the true form of his Zanpakuto, this spirit of his blade, Ryujin Jakka, and Hiruzen when he saw the figure had to stop for a second as he noticed that Ryujin Jakka had a few differences compared to his life as Yamamoto. For one the coloured flames flickering about its wings was different as they were never there before, same with the obsidian stone and the unknown metal cloaking Ryujin Jakka's wings.
Hiruzen after going over these details shook his head and moved forward and stopped a metre before the throne as from a distance Ryujin Jakka along with the throne was quite small, however it was vastly different when you are directly in front of them as Ryujin Jakka towered over him by a vast distance.
Hiruzen once again didn't care about this thought and looked up into the eyes of Ryujin Jakka who was looking down at him with a commanding gaze that was both scrutinising and fear inducing that would have made any lesser man crumble. Hiruzen matched the gaze without fear and after a minute of both staring each other down, Ryujin Jakka spoke:
"What do you prefer me to call you?" spoke the feminine voice of Ryujin Jakka, and Hiruzen listening to this question stopped to think for a second before responding:
"I suppose just call me Hiruzen, since this is the name of the me in this life… although if you wish you may still call me Yamamoto…" spoke Hiruzen with a calm voice, and Ryujin Jakka just nodded her head slightly before speaking once more:
"Well, I'm glad to see you again old friend. This second chance brought to us is both good and bad…" spoke Ryujin Jakka and Hiruzen nodded at her in agreement before taking the lead in the conversation:
"Ryujin Jakka, I have come to seek your help with my training as quite frankly I am not happy with my current strength. Would you mind assisting me?" requested Hiruzen, and Ryujin Jakka thought for a moment before responding:
"Before I answer, please answer a question of my own" asked Ryujin Jakka, and Hiruzen nodded without hesitation, although he didn't remember Ryujin Jakka being this curious but didn't mind one bit, Ryujin Jakka then spoke with her eyes becoming sharp and commanding:
"Will you restrict me when you regain your strength?" asked Ryujin Jakka in a tone of irritation that creeped into her voice, with the flames around her body also growing slightly erratic when she spoke… and when Hiruzen heard this became silent.
The reason she asked this was because in his previous life he had to restrict the amount of power he used when releasing Shikai or Bankai, because otherwise he would have destroyed the Soul Society dozens of times over.
He remembered that Ryujin Jakka was not happy with him at all with the many times he visited his Inner World, and he remembers she once told him that if he keeps doing so it would develop into a bad habit of his… and it did… ending with him dying because only on the very edge of death did he decide to go all out… but he was tricked by Yhwach and killed in the end…
Hiruzen after thinking this decided to do something Ryujin Jakka never thought the proud and fearless Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni would ever do, in his previous life or in this life. Hiruzen bowed before her and with his head down spoke in a tone Ryujin Jakka couldn't recognise:
"Ryujin Jakka… I remember that once you told me that if I kept holding back your power it would become a bad habit of mine… and you were right, I held back so much because I feared that I would cause too much damage with your power… and it ended with me dead, and now I don't know if the Soul Society won or lost… Ryujin Jakka… I can promise you, that I will never hold back anymore, I have learned my lesson that day… will you help me, Ryujin Jakka?" spoke Hiruzen with so much sincerity that it caused the immortal phoenix to not speak for several seconds, with Hiruzen becoming more and more bitter… but then Ryujin Jakka spoke, this time in a softer tone that Hiruzen couldn't remember her ever using:
"Raise your head Hiruzen…" she spoke, with Hiruzen raising his head and standing up straight once more, looking into the blazing eyes of Ryujin Jakka with a calm but expectant gaze… Ryujin Jakka then continued:
"Yes… I will help with your training… I can feel your sincerity and can see the fire in your heart blazing higher than ever… remember your promise to me Hiruzen, otherwise I won't help you anymore… let this world know our power and let your determination feed these flames to become strong…" and with that Ryujin Jakka stepped down from 'The Heart of Ash' and a towering pillar of flames surrounded her being rising into the ashy sky, engulfing her with Hiruzen unable to see what is happening…
After a second Hiruzen saw that the pillar was disappearing, and a figure emerging from the blazing inferno. She was a woman of extreme beauty; she stands at 5'7 with smooth jade skin, a perfect figure sporting long toned legs that Hiruzen had to pry his eyes away from, cleavage that was in a perfect balance between C-D cup that would make men turn her way just by walking, her face was that of a goddess without a single blemish, heart shaped with a pair of crimson-orange eyes that bore deep into the focused ones heart effortlessly, and her mid-back length hair was that of an ever changing colour of crimson, orange, and yellow, all seamlessly blending and mixing in a liquid like fashion…
She was wearing a ruby red form fitting high coloured crimson bodysuit that was adorned with gold flame patterns that slightly flicker under her breath. The body suit had a slight resemblance to the Shinigami Shihakushō except that she was wearing an ornate black and red obi, a black undershirt with a V-slit that showed off a generous amount of cleavage… her wrists and legs are covered in golden arm and shin guards that had orange-yellow cracks running through like molten energy… finally her feet were clad in red war sandals allowing for mobility. Finally on her left side, tucked in her obi was a sword, the same one in Hiruzen's possession, it was her sword form, Ryujin Jakka…
Hiruzen when seeing Ryujin Jakka transform, was a bit surprised, since while he did know of her human form from his previous life, seeing it again was still surprising because she seems to have changed a bit from the last time Hiruzen saw her human form… Hiruzen though was brought out of his thoughts by the transformed women:
"I know you like looking, but I suggest you don't…" spoke Ryujin Jakka, her not changing much except for not echoing with every syllable… and she said this with a smile that would indicate she was fine with Hiruzen looking at her, but her eyes were telling a different story and were so fierce that it looked like they would set ablaze at any moment.
Hiruzen hearing her tone immediately looked away and straight into her blazing orange-red eyes, he then stretched out his hand and with his will summoned a rectangular flame that formed and elongated in his hand, afterwards the flames disappeared revealing his version of Ryujin Jakka, unsheathing it and letting the scabbard disappear into ash… Ryujin Jakka herself seeing Hiruzen's eagerness decided that she would indulge him and she unsheathed the copy of herself on her waist, moving into a familiar stance that Hiruzen himself would recognise anywhere… the 'Genryū-Style' swordsmanship.
The 'Genryū-Style' Swordsmanship, was a sword style that Hiruzen in his life as Yamamoto created and taught at the 'Genryū Sword School' that predated Zanjutsu itself and the 'Shin'ō Academy'… later after he closed the 'Genryū Sword School' he founded the 'Shin'ō Academy' and used his 'Genryū-Style' Swordsmanship to become the base for Zanjutsu that was taught at the 'Shin'ō Academy' to every Shinigami that has attended and graduated from the Academy…
Hiruzen was deep in nostalgia when he saw this stance because just seeing it made him go back to the times when he was teaching at his school, all his students, especially Jushiro and Shunsui… those two are the one's Hiruzen was most proud of, especially since they used and modified his sword-style to better suit themselves…
Hiruzen nearly shed a tear when he thought of his students, but he focused back on his opponent, he then similarly moved into the Genryū-Style beginning stance, and both looked at each other, scrutinising and analysing every inch of each other… then with a gust of ashy wind, both disappeared from view and a series of sparks appeared, with the sound of clanging metal, signalling that their battle has begun.
Blurs appeared and disappeared in the fraction of a second, colliding and separating just as fast. Ryujin Jakka has lowered her power to match that of Hiruzen so that he would be able to train, cause otherwise she would have decapitated or maimed him in seconds. Hiruzen himself was in deep focus, using Shunpo and Zanjutsu, he faced Ryujin Jakka head on without fear and was looking for a way to improve himself and beat her…
He started using different techniques he developed in his time, but they weren't as strong as they should be… Ryujin Jakka deflected these strikes and saw an opening and using Shunpo flashed next to him and struck with a horizontal slash, aiming to bisect the Shinigami. Hiruzen however foresaw what she would do and blocked the strike, the force from the blow though sent Hiruzen skidding back slightly, but he didn't give in and flashed back into the fight with a blazing vigour.
Hiruzen then started channelling his Reiryoku into his version of Ryujin Jakka and the sword lit up in flames. Hiruzen then quickly slashed his blade in an 'X' formation, with two blazing lines of fire exited from the slashes and rushing towards the women with the intention to reduce her to dust. Ryujin Jakka herself inwardly snorted at Hiruzen's brazenness and she with lightning-fast reflexes dodged to the left and executed a Flying Slash that cut through the atmosphere with a deadly sharpness.
Hiruzen quickly used Shunpo to dodge the Flying Slash, but Ryujin Jakka was already there, thrusting her sword with the intent to impale her master, but once again Hiruzen with his centuries of combat experience managed to deflect the strike and using his free hand attempted to execute a deadly palm strike that would give him space, but Ryujin Jakka didn't give him time and did a spin kick, knocking the wind and sword out of Hiruzen.
Hiruzen did a back flip mid-air and managed to grab his air-borne sword, he then used a technique called 'Hoho: Air-Walking' which allows Shinigami to stand, and using their Reiryoku to propel themselves, allowing them flight-like capabilities. Hiruzen then using his Reiryoku to propel himself forward and like a rocket, sped toward Ryujin Jakka, who took a step forward and using her insane physical strength leaped into the air and collided against Hiruzen once more…
A Few Hours Later –
As the battle came to a close the winner was decided and like expected Hiruzen ended up in defeat, he simply wasn't strong or fast enough yet to be able to cause any harm to Ryujin Jakka yet. She managed to cause a few wounds to him and disarmed him of his weapon, Hiruzen admitted defeat and with the help of Ryujin Jakka managed to stand up on his own… Ryujin Jakka then sheathed her sword and moved back to sit on her throne…
Hiruzen saw what she did but didn't mind at all, instead he reflected on his battle with his Zanpakuto, and he was able to nod in satisfaction… at his current level, he knew that he was no match for Ryujin Jakka and was fine with his defeat.
He also was able to find out how much stronger he is compared to an average Kage-Level Shinobi, and it was like Heaven and Earth, there was simply no contest what so ever, they might be able to fight with a couple of moves but he could kill them in a swing or two and even if they managed to strike him they wouldn't be able to hurt him since his body unconsciously uses his Reiryoku to harden his skin, like what Zaraki Kenpachi does, so no sneak attacks would really hurt him…
He looked back at Ryujin Jakka who was sitting back on her throne, and decided to speak:
"Thank you Ryujin Jakka, if it doesn't bother you I will ask if I can come every day to train since I rather not remain this weak, even if in this world there are barely anyone who could be my match…" requested Hiruzen, and he got a nod in acceptance from her as a reply… Hiruzen smiled at her, and spoke once again:
"Once again, thank you, I will be going now. If you wish to talk with me about anything, just speak your mind and I will be happy to oblige you…" and with that said, Hiruzen's form became translucent, and finally vanished from Ryujin Jakka's view… she then spoke something that Hiruzen wasn't able to hear, to herself…
"It was nice to cross blades with you again… Demon of the Sword…" she spoke with a smile to the molten world…
Back in the Real World –
As Hiruzen left his Inner World, he opened his eyes to find he was back in his office, luckily no one came to disturb him… he looked over to his clock and found out that only an hour had passed in the real world when he was battling with Ryujin Jakka, he turned back and placed his hand on his Zanpakuto, lifting it up and tilting it horizontally for it to transform back into its harmless Cane Form.
After he placed Ryujin Jakka next to him he decided to test if anything changed, and mentally summoned up his Panel to inspect it.
[Name: Hiruzen Sarutobi (Third Hokage)]
[Character: Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni]
[Age: 68 Years]
[Gender: Male]
[Abilities:
[Kido: Hado #1 – Hado #40, Bakudo #1 – Bakudo #40, Kaido (Beginner) (Unlocked)]
[Zanjutsu: Onibi (Unlocked), Hitotsume: Nadegiri (Locked)]
[Hakuda: Ikkotsu (Locked), Sōkotsu (Locked)]
[Hoho: Shunpo (Intermediate) (Unlocked)]
[Props:
[Zanpakuto: Ryujin Jakka – Shikai (Locked), Bankai (Locked)]
[Character Progression: 23.90%]
[Daily Mission:
- Swing Ryujin Jakka 5000 times a Day – Reward: +0.10% Character Progression (Replenishable Task).
- Spar with Ryujin Jakka in your Inner World and survive over 2 Hours – Reward: +2.50% Character Progression (Replenishable Task).
[Main Mission: NONE (Currently)]
[WARNING!]
[Task 1 Currently on Cooldown – 1 Day Remaining]
[Task 2 Currently on Cooldown – 2 Week's Remaining]
Hiruzen was pleasantly surprised that his Character Progression had indeed increased, and it seems the System made his interactions with Ryujin Jakka into a 'Daily Mission' where he would be able to increase his Character Interaction more, however, it seems this DAMN SYSTEM is being once again fair to this world and made a VERY LONG cooldown for the mission!
Hiruzen nearly felt that if he didn't calm down, he would burst a blood vessel from this System, and just barely managed to calm down… he was so going to destroy something in the future…