Chapter 31

If I knew I'd spend a month out of Konoha I wouldn't have taken the mission...

The improvements with my Fuinjutsu and my practice with cell transplants almost made this whole ordeal tolerable.

Almost.

...

I frowned and rolled around in the bed trying to find a comfortable position.

After a week of hospital work, I started sending clones to fight the Iwa-nin while I healed.

I then realized that I didn't need to be there at all, and sent a clone to replace myself as well.

I then spent a lot of time looking at the samples I got from the woman with bright yellow hair and purple eyes.

I was no closer to figuring out why the cells chakra had a healing property, though I figured out that integrating her cells only added a small amount of new chakra to the body and didn't change the existing chakra pool.

Was there any way to integrate two separate chakras as Madara had?

I had no idea and I was no closer to figuring it out, thus I spent most of my time rolling around in my rented room and pondering.

...Could she have been a half Uzumaki?

I tossed the idea around for a moment before dismissing it.

She probably would have had more chakra.

Though didn't she integrate with the foreign cells?

I couldn't clearly remember, though at the time it seemed that she had.

What a blunder...

I think it's time to look into getting a lab.

...

Kushina wanted me to join her after my shift at the hospital so I was here in person today, I didn't want any clone shenanigans.

I watched dully as Keiji cut both his and the patient's wrist, he weaved some hand-signs and the blood from his wrist wriggled like a worm and started so flow into the patient.

Keiji only used the technique for a few seconds before he healed both their wrists and set off to continue his duties.

"How did you get that to work?"

I gave Keiji a once over, did he have a bloodline?

"The technique's called Blood Transfusion, you have to have O-negative blood to use it."

So Keiji was a universal donor... Cool, I guess?

"I've never seen or heard of it before."

I sent him a nod and thumbs up, though I doubted my nonverbal praise meant much to him.

"Ya, it's something I made, my fucking brother bled out and I was helpless to stop it."

Ouch...

"I'm sorry to hear that Keiji."

Keiji shook his head and started running his hands along his patient's body looking for injuries.

"Don't be, the fucker blew himself up with an explosive tag, he always was an idiot and it was just a matter of time until he got hurt."

I wasn't sure of what to say so I stayed quiet and returned to work.

...

"What are you doing Shiro?"

I was doing a handstand and pondering Lightning Release, I wanted to add some bigger moves to my repertoire.

The main problem I and my clones had with the Iwa-nin was their swarm tactics, I couldn't get farther than five kilometers past the border without having more than seven try to kill me.

So, I needed a big jutsu or I needed to improve my Shunshin so I was fast enough not to get caught.

"I decided I needed a new perspective."

Kushina blinked at me.

"You can join me."

She nodded and joined me with her own handstand.

"So, what did you want?"

Kushina had started walking on her hands towards her living quarters, so I followed after her.

"We're heading back to Konoha tomorrow."

I hummed, that was good news I was tired of being here and I think this was the last assassination mission I'd ever willingly take.

"You catch enemy Shiro?"

Kushina snorted and shook her head.

"No someone from Kusa got him."

All that time and effort for nothing...

"Does our mission count as complete or incomplete?"

I think this was the first time I had 'failed' a mission.

"Complete."

Hmmm... Alright...

"So, what are we doing?"

Kushina laughed, sprung from her hands, and landed on her feet.

"We're doing Fuinjutsu!"

I stared at her for a moment before I sprung from my hands to my feet.

"Sounds good!"

I tried to insert some enthusiasm into my voice even though I didn't feel it.

I should have just sent a clone...

While I'm thinking about clones...

A quick hand-sign and I sent a clone to say goodbye to Keiji.

...

With Kushina traveling with me, it would take three days to reach Konoha.

It gave me plenty of time to get lost in thought.

I was what I'd call halfway into becoming a stem cell vampire, my main problem was that my body heavily rejected foreign cells and that the chakra from foreign cells didn't blend with already existing chakra.

Other people were able to accept my cells but the reverse didn't seem possible, my body wanted nothing to do with foreign cells and rejected them quite handily.

Which was a problem if I wanted to become a stem cell vampire.

I figured that my body might be more open to Kaguya or Hyuga cells, though the problem with that is my immortality would be dependent on the survival of the Hyuga and Kaguya clans.

Which was acceptable but not ideal...

Sigh...

I also needed to finish the Lightning Rasengan and Lightning Drill.

I hadn't even got through my list of experiments, though I guess it was alright if that took a while...

So much to do...

...

"Have you been using the Strength Of A Hundred seal?"

I blinked and focused on Kushina.

"I used it once and haven't needed to use it again."

I haven't run into someone I couldn't handle...

"Start getting comfortable with it, it would be a shame to go through all that effort to make it and die because you couldn't use it."

That's true...

Though I'd hate to waste some of the chakra I've gathered...

"Can we continue the Fuinjutsu lessons?"

Kushina nodded but was still looking ahead as we traveled.

"Whenever we're both free."

Even if I only got a single lesson a month, I'd still make more progress then I would by myself.

"Thanks, I wasn't making any progress by myself."

Kushina reached out and ruffled my hair, but said nothing.

...

After an uneventful trip, we arrived at Konoha.

I said goodbye to Kushina and decided to have a brief look around.

I walked around periodically activating my Byakugan as I went.

Even though tensions were escalating the people seemed happy and the market was well stocked.

I figured there'd be some signs of the impending war but it seems there were no shortages and the people didn't look stressed.

I gave the village one last sweep with my Byakugan before I sent a clone off to find Gai and I made my way home for my customary post-mission shower.

...

"Shiro."

I blinked and spun on my heel.

"Hi, mom."

I walked over and gave her a hug which she returned.

"Why do you have a bounty? I thought I told Kushina to stop you from fighting with Iwa shinobi."

She still hadn't let go of me.

"Ummm... it was a bit late by the time she arrived."

That and I kept sending clones out, I liked learning from the mistakes the clones made, It was better than making them myself.

Mom stayed quiet but didn't loosen her hold on me.

"I thought you wanted me to get a bounty."

I tapped her on the back trying to signal for my release.

"...That was before I knew war was likely in our future."

Mom ignored my tapping and kept her hold on me.

"Fair enough..."

I gave up my escape attempts and settled in, I might not be leaving for a while.

Though I wondered what my bounty was I decided that it was probably better to let it go for now.

...

I had regained my freedom and was sitting on the counter while mom cooked.

I idly kicked my legs, feeling a bit anxious.

"Heaven's Palm saved me."

I sat quietly for a while wondering what Heaven's Palm was.

Eventually, it occurred to me that she was talking about the Rasengan.

"Tell me about it."

She shook her head.

"It got me out of a sticky situation."

She said nothing further and continued cooking.

"Tell me about it?"

Mom shook her head and didn't reply.

Meaning it wasn't something she could talk about...

Either because she was uncomfortable or it was classified.

I swung my legs up and sat cross-legged on the counter.

"Heaven's Palm is incomplete."

That got her attention.

"What do you mean?"

I formed a tiny Rasengan on my finger and started adding electricity to it.

"It was meant to have a Nature Release added to it."

I looked at my Rasengan, it was just a normal Rasengan with electricity in its center.

"Though mine is still incomplete."

I had tested it and though the electricity damaged things as the Rasengan dispersed I think it should probably be completely made of electricity.

Though I was waiting until I had a private place to practice.

Mom had forgotten about dinner and looked to be lost in thought.

I waved my hand at her and pointed at the stove, successfully returning her attention to our dinner.

"Alright, I'm going to see how Emergency Rations is doing."

Mom shook her head at me but didn't look in my direction.

"Change its name, I know you think it's funny but other people probably won't."

A sound suggestion.

Too bad I'm going to completely ignore it.

"Alright." I sent her a nod and a sloppy salute.

I turned and started leaving, I had some new ideas to try.

Maybe I could get them in before dinner.

...

Sadly, I couldn't get them in before dinner.

Though I got around to it the day after, I was now eyeing the twelve rabbits I had caged.

I wanted to get started on Deadpool immortality and biological absorption.

I figured the best way to get into absorption was to try and make one whole rabbit from two injured rabbits, so that's where I'd start.

The males would go first and I'd work my way up to the females.

The 'winner' would become Emergency Rations mate and I'd no longer have to hunt for rabbits.

Though I figured I'd go through three dozen rabbits first, I guess I'd see...

...

"Shiro we're going to Shime's."

I heard mom yell through the door.

"Sure thing I'll be out in a moment."

I heard her retreat from the door and had a devious idea.

I wouldn't be going...

I made a hand-sign and a clone appeared in a puff of smoke.

I waved the smoke away feeling a tad annoyed.

Perhaps I should make my shadow clones smokeless...

Something else to do...

...

I now had twelve dead rabbits...

Sadly, I couldn't make rabbit stew out of these monstrosities.

Twelve attempts and twelve failures...

Hmm...

How do I get rid of these?

I can't bury them in the yard, they will be seen...

I'll use storage seals and dump them when I do a mission.

That's the plan...

I turned and eyed the mice I had bought.

I had wanted to do some stem cell transplants with them, but as I had some successful human trials, I wasn't sure I needed them anymore...

Though the 'human trials' only worked out so well because of that woman's unique bloodline.

Hmm...

Decisions... Decisions...

...

I now had twelve dead rabbits and six dead mice sealed in a scroll.

The stem cell transplant worked as I'd intended only resulting in one mouse death, the remaining five were used to practice biological absorption.

It predictably didn't go well.

Though I wasn't in a hurry, Rome wasn't built in a day after all...

My main problem was lack of necessary cells, I needed to be able to change cell functions to get biological absorption working...

...

The following day I was seated in the third training ground practicing with the chakra drill.

I had made the chakra I used in it denser and it seemed to be working better, though I was still planning to add electricity to it.

My clones were off in the distance trying to make a pure lightning Rasengan.

Though the Rasengan with lightning at its core did a good job it wasn't quite up to par.

I wanted something stronger...

Though I may be getting greedy...

...

I had three more days of unsuccessful training, I figured it might be more productive to come back to it later with a fresh mind.

So, I was now browsing the Hyuga library, the only thing of note I had found was the lightning Shadow Clone technique.

I activated my Byakugan as I was leaving and took a second to memorize it before I was out the door.

...

I was wandering the archives or at least the section devoted to lightning jutsu.

This was the good stuff only accessible to Jonin, requiring permission from the Hokage to enter.

Sadly, it was heavily guarded, I was warned if they detected any chakra usage I'd find myself in T&I.

So, I couldn't do the obvious and activate my Byakugan and copy everything in here.

Yet...

...

I looked through the scrolls there were some repeats from the Hyuga library but that didn't diminish my enthusiasm.

There were a lot of Lightning Jutsu's that needed weapons as well...

Even then I was spoiled for choice...

Lightning Release: Lightning Beam.

Lightning Release: Lightning Blast.

Lightning Release: Lightning Bomb.

Lightning Release: Lightning Breath.

Lightning Release: Lightning Aura.

Lightning Release: Lightning Calling.

Lightning Release: Shocking.

Lightning Release: Kiss of Death.

Lightning Release: Omnidirectional Lightning Wave.

Lightning Release: Lightning Construct.

Lightning Release: Lightning Vortex.

Lightning Release: Infusion.

Lightning Release: Shock Wave.

Lightning Release: Zap.

They were all straight forward names, I could tell what most of them did with a glance, there were a few that I was interested in.

Though I was going to copy them all I didn't think I'd have the time to practice most of them.

But I guess that's what shadow clones are for...

I started making my way through the scrolls starting with the most interesting and making my way down.

Lightning Release: Lightning Construct.

The user can turn electricity into tools, objects, weapons, and other items, and create semi-living constructs. A user who has mastered this ability can use it for almost any situation, creating anything they need.

Chakra expensive but also extremely useful, it was something I was extremely interested in. If this technique worked as it said it did I might forgo the Kagaya bloodline.

Lightning Release: Omnidirectional Lightning Wave.

The user releases massive amounts of electricity in every direction at once. This ability allows the user to dispatch many foes at once and destroy large areas like villages at the cost of the user's life.

I felt this technique should be better guarded...

Lightning Release: Shocking.

The user releases extreme electrical current to destroy almost anything, causing extreme amounts of heat and paralysis in living beings.

This was just a more powerful version of Lightning Palm...

Lightning Release: Kiss of Death.

I sighed as I skimmed over it, it was exactly as the name stated. You kissed your opponent and ran current from your mouth and to your hand which you place on your targets heart...

I decided that it was time to get to work, I activated Kokoro no kyōka and waited for a second to see if I was going to be attacked for chakra usage.

I wasn't dead or dying, which was good.

Now it was go-time.

I started memorizing each scroll only giving each a glance before continuing.

I idly wondered if I could ever learn all of these techniques, Ninjutsu didn't come naturally to me...

Though I guess it gives me something to do after the war...

Hmm...

I guess that's my post-war goal, learning all the villages Lightning Ninjutsu...

...