New Found Determination

As two weeks flew by, Naoki threw himself into the art of water manipulation with unwavering determination. The challenge seemed insurmountable at first, and even after three grueling days of ceaseless effort, progress was minimal. But Naoki's resolve was unbreakable. With each passing day, he pushed himself harder, his silver hair matted with sweat, his young muscles trembling with exertion. Finally, a breakthrough came - with a surge of chakra, he managed to move the water, though the effort left him gasping and drained.

Still, Naoki refused to relent. Day after day, he practiced with dogged persistence, slowly but surely honing his skills. It was an arduous journey filled with setbacks and moments of crushing doubt, but Naoki's spirit remained unbroken. After two long, grueling weeks, he finally succeeded in forming a ball of water with just his chakra, a testament to his unyielding will.

As dawn broke, painting the sky in a breathtaking array of pinks and golds, Naoki stirred from his slumber. The air was crisp and invigorating, filled with the melodious chirping of birds. His eyes fixed on the swirling clouds above, a canvas promising a beautiful day. Excitement thrummed through his veins, knowing that today's training with Tsunade would bring him one step closer to his dream of becoming a great shinobi.

Naoki quickly donned his attire - a sleek, sleeveless dark blue hoodie proudly displaying the Senju emblem, paired with matching shorts and shinobi sandals. Despite being only four years old, his dedication to training was evident in his impressive muscle definition, giving him an edge over his peers without hindering future growth.

As Naoki approached Tsunade and Shizune's quarters, the sound of Tsunade's thunderous snoring reverberated through the air. His impatience to learn a water ninjutsu had kept him up all night, and he couldn't contain himself any longer. He shook them relentlessly, his voice filled with eager anticipation. "Tsuna-neesan! Shizune-neesan! Wake up! You promised to teach me the water ninjutsu today!"

Tsunade's eyes snapped open, blazing with irritation. "For crying out loud, brat!" she growled, her voice husky with sleep. "Do you have any idea what time it is? I'll teach you when I'm good and ready, and not a minute sooner!"

"But Tsuna-neesan-" Naoki started to protest, only to be cut off by Tsunade's sharp retort.

"No buts!" Tsunade snapped, sitting up and fixing Naoki with a stern glare. "All you've done since we got here is train, train, train. How about you take a break and go explore the town with Shizune? It's about time you saw something other than the inside of a training ground."

Shizune, her dark hair dishevelled and eyes still heavy with sleep, let out a resigned sigh. She knew all too well that arguing with Tsunade in one of her moods was a futile endeavor. "Come on, Naoki-kun," she said gently, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's go see what the village has to offer. Who knows? We might discover something interesting."

–

As the sun slowly rose over Onshimoto village, the streets began to bustle with life. The sound of chatter and footsteps mixed with the enticing aroma of various local foods being cooked by street vendors. Naoki and Shizune walked amidst the commotion, taking in the colourful sights of the market stalls selling everything from fresh produce to handmade trinkets.

But it was the tantalizing smells wafting from the sushi vendor that finally caught their attention. Naoki's stomach growled audibly as he and Shizune approached the busy stall, the sound of rice being moulded and fish being sliced filling the air. The sushi master deftly assembled a platter of Oshizushi, the village's signature dish, and placed it before the hungry pair. The flavours exploded in their mouths as they savoured the combination of vinegared rice, fresh fish, and fragrant wasabi. They couldn't help but close their eyes and savour the moment, grateful for the delicious food and the lively atmosphere of the village.

After wandering aimlessly for what seemed like an eternity, the sounds of the bustling village slowly faded away, and the duo found themselves in a dark and narrow alleyway. It led them to an ancient and abandoned shrine, looming over them like a giant. The red tori gate, towering above them, welcomed them to this hidden gem of the village. The shrine, though gloomy and old, had a majestic aura that suggested it was blessed by the heavens themselves.

As Shizune and Naoki ascended the stairs, they gazed in awe at the shrine's beauty. The main building had an impressive Chinese-style roof adorned with a mighty and powerful dragon, as if guarding the entrance to the holy place. The duo reached the centre of the shrine, where the open space offered a breath taking view of the surrounding scenery. The bell hung silently in the air, and the handle shone dimly in the faint light, beckoning them to pray for good luck and health.

The shrine's surroundings were peaceful and calm, with the leaves rustling gently in the wind, and the birds chirping softly. Yet, there was an ancient and eerie feeling in the air that sent chills down their spines. The shrine seemed to have a life of its own, and the duo couldn't help but feel like they were in the presence of a great and powerful being.

Naoki's eyes fixated on the mysterious and ancient letters etched into the shrine's walls, their curves and lines seemed to pulsate with a potent energy that sent shivers down his spine. A sense of urgency pervaded the air as he turned to Shizune, who was equally awed by the surroundings. "Shizune-neesan," Naoki spoke, his voice laced with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. "What do these words mean? I cannot decipher what they say."

Shizune's gaze followed Naoki's finger as it pointed to the mysterious writing on the shrine. With a deep breath, she stepped closer and scrutinized the script, feeling a shiver run down her spine. The words seemed to radiate a sense of otherworldly power and an ominous feeling of urgency that made her nervous. Her voice shook slightly as she read the ancient text.

𝘐𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦,

𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩,

𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺,

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳,

𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦,

𝘈 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦,

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢,

𝘛𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦,

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦,

𝘛𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥,

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸,

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘰𝘸,

𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳,

𝘛𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳,

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳,

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥,

𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥.

Naoki's voice trembled with nervousness as he turned to Shizune, his eyes wide with a sense of dread. The words of the mysterious message echoed in the distance, sending shivers down his spine. "Shizune-neesan, what does it mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Shizune was lost in thought, her eyes staring blankly into the distance as the message reverberated through her very soul. Finally, she turned to Naoki, her voice quivering with uneasiness as she spoke. "I'm not entirely sure," she began slowly, "but some of these words make my skin crawl. They speak of a parasite with an insatiable hunger, and a threat that looms over all beneath the skies. And the chosen one must seek the ocean, for it holds the key to stopping this looming doom that threatens humanity."

After their nerves had settled, they reverently rang the bell, the sound of its tolling resonating throughout the heavens. With prayers for success and health offered, they turned to depart the shrine. As they crossed the threshold of the massive torii gate, they cast a final gaze upon the ancient site, only to find it vanished, leaving only a dead-end alleyway in its place. The weight of apprehension and excitement pressed heavily upon Shizune and Naoki as they recognized the gravity of their discovery. For Naoki, the experience ignited a fierce determination to improve himself and fully comprehend the meaning behind the enigmatic words they had discovered. Thus resolute, he strode forward with Shizune at his side, eager to commence his training to learn the jutsu Tsunade had promised to teach him.

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A/N- Hey guys, although this is probably what you guys call filler, I seriously do hope you enjoyed this chapter. This chapter is just a sneak peak of what will come in the future. Also the poem/riddle is connected to the MC, and his rise to power. Took me a few hours to write this, it is currently 2:50 am and will come later today, around 12:00 in the afternoon, UK time which should be GMT.

Also please send messages if you guys have ideas you wish to bring to this fanfic or can improve on, as I am but one person, and can only come up with so many ideas. Also, please send power stones as they are one of my core motivation. The engaging the audience, the more determined I am.

https://discord.gg/vgJrmuV7

Hope to see you in the next chapter~