Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 127 Heavy Stone Crystal

In a moment.

The sound of footsteps came from far to near.

Before the two could react, the uninvited guest had already crossed the Qimu clan's territory and was about to reach the door.

What a great speed!

Kakashi's lazy gaze instantly turned sharp. He put down his chopsticks and pulled out a kunai from his back.

"It's Kai who's back."

Having already activated his Byakugan, Hui Li calmly waved at Kakashi.

Knowing that Hai Ri could sense his abilities, Kakashi's eyes returned to their lazy state, and he sat on the tatami, reverting to his half-dead appearance.

wow

The door was opened.

Carrying sticks and luggage, Ah Kai, panting heavily, rushed into the house.

"Grey Glass, I heard you were injured..."

Ah Kai's voice suddenly stopped.

Thick eyebrows tucked up.

The scene before him was completely different from what he had imagined: Hui Li, wrapped in bandages, lying on the bed, looking pitiful and on the verge of death.

I saw.

Kakashi and Kairi, dressed in loose-fitting home clothes, sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by a sumptuous feast. They raised their glasses and drank together, looking quite at ease.

He barged in.

The two ninjas, whose combined eyesight was barely good, turned their heads in unison.

Their silver-gray hair was of different lengths, and their heights and builds were different sizes; it seemed that even the black cloth covering their faces could be pieced together.

Ah Kai looked down at his travel-worn self, then at the two handsome men in front of him whose charm shone through even with their faces covered, and suddenly felt out of place.

"You...you are..."

Ah Kai was drawing circles in the air with his hands, and was already somewhat incoherent.

After being away for more than a month, his close friend and daughter didn't seem to miss him at all; in fact, they seemed to be living a much better life than when he was at home.

Seeing him suddenly return, I felt neither surprise nor joy, as if he were a stranger who had wandered into my home.

Since the two of them could only see one eye together, all Akai saw in their eyes was a dead fish-like calmness, just like the current atmosphere.

beep...

Emotional bubbles spread in the air, and Hui Li felt the orange juice in her mouth suddenly turn sour.

"Welcome home, Kai."

The insightful witch tilted her head to look at Akai, a smile spreading across her lips, and opened her arms wide.

Looking at her adorable daughter who was welcoming her.

Visibly, the bubbles on Akai's head returned to the orange color that symbolizes joy, and his thick eyebrows, which had turned into a sad inverted V shape, also relaxed again.

"Hehe! Hui Li heard that you were attacked by ninjas from another village and were seriously injured, so I rushed back..."

"Don't worry, it's okay."

"That's good!"

Matt Kai's large teeth gleamed, and he regained his former vitality.

Kakashi looked at Might Guy, who was coaxed in a second, shook his head helplessly, and drank the orange juice in his glass in one gulp.

This girl seems to have some kind of magical ability.

She may seem cold and unapproachable at times, but your mood is always on the rise when she's around.

Every word and every gesture hits the nail on the head.

She can sense when you're in a bad mood immediately and won't bother you.

When you're in a great mood, she's very good at finding opportunities to tease you, and you won't feel hurt by her teasing you. Instead, you'll let her do whatever she wants.

He admits that he is not a particularly easy person to get along with.

But even though they had only spent half a month together and hadn't exchanged many words, his feelings for Hui Li continued to rise.

This feeling of goodwill isn't love or any other emotion, but rather a gentle sense of comfort.

Being with her is very comfortable and pleasant; I don't feel offended or have any negative emotions.

Even Kai hadn't tasted his cooking, and Hui Li was almost tired of it after a few days. If it weren't for his Sharingan, he would have even suspected that he was under some kind of unknown genjutsu.

Ta-da! Look what gift I brought you!

In just a few words, Might Guy not only dispelled all his negative emotions, but also took out the gifts he had prepared for Kakashi and Hairi from his luggage.

A large bundle of black cloth.

"This is?"

Gray Glass gently stroked the fabric; it felt smooth and delicate to the touch, and its surface was an extremely pure black without a single impurity.

"This is... Black Orb?"

The well-informed Kakashi stared at the fabric in front of him in disbelief, his astonishment evident.

"What is the use?"

Hui Li asked, puzzled.

She didn't remember any description of this thing in the original book.

"Legend has it that it is stab-proof and fireproof, and its price is more expensive than gold. A sheet this big is probably worth more than ten million," Kakashi said with some amazement.

"That's alright!"

Hui Li said calmly, and A Kai chuckled awkwardly, not daring to utter a sound.

"The main problem is that this thing is extremely rare. Legend has it that it can only be produced in the distant Black Ao Kingdom. Ordinary people have no way to buy it. How did you get such a big piece?"

Kakashi grabbed Black Orb and looked at Guy curiously.

Having already prepared his speech, Guy was just waiting for Kakashi to ask. Upon seeing this, he chuckled and vividly recounted his amazing escort mission to Hai and Li, finally looking at their reactions with anticipation.

"Oh."

Kakashi stared with dead fish eyes, his expression still indifferent.

Akai's experience reminded him of that snowy country.

So many years have passed, and we don't know if Yukihime is still alive.

"I see."

Hui Li nodded calmly.

In the original work, Naruto carried out missions that saved countless countries, and even had one or two absurd missions that involved saving the ninja world from sealing away evil spirits.

No matter how outrageous the mission in Konoha, she would not be shocked.

Aren't you surprised?

Looking at the two calm and composed individuals, Akai felt as if all his passion had been poured onto the glacier, leaving him stiff from head to toe.

"I'm very surprised." *2
“Liar!!!”

Ah Kai, clutching the watermelon rind, jumped up in a frenzy.

Hui Li checked the negative emotions above A Kai's head and, seeing that he wasn't really angry, ignored the silly A Kai and turned to look at the long staff wrapped in black Oub.

Black Orb is fireproof and stab-proof, but it's not see-through.

With a slight, piercing gaze, the gray pupil energy emanating from his eyes easily pierced through the black cloth.

It was a... black fire poker.

Ok?
Hui Li, who had initially thought there was some treasure hidden inside, was taken aback and then began to examine it even more closely.

A stick protected by such precious fabric must be quite valuable. Its poor appearance is actually a good thing, because it means that it is likely to have high practical value.

The veins at the corners of his eyes were stretched open by the surging chakra.

The gray-black outer shell of the 'fire poker' immediately peeled off, revealing the brownish-yellow crystal underneath.

The crystal contains many flocculent inclusions, making it neither transparent nor aesthetically pleasing; in fact, it has a somewhat dirty texture.

The crystal appears infinitely magnified under white light, revealing a strange six-sided lattice formed by interwoven strands of fibers within it.

Hard and thick.

This was the immediate impression that the stick-like crystal gave Hui Li. Apart from that, she didn't find anything else on the stick, and she couldn't sense any fluctuations in chakra at all.

at this time.

Kakashi also noticed the unusual nature of the long stick:

What is that stick?

"That's a heavy stone crystal, my spoils of war!"

Guy's expression returned to normal. He picked up the long staff, tore off the tightly wrapped black Orb, revealing a crystal underneath that looked like a fire poker. Kakashi was no fool either; seeing Guy's fondness for the staff, he knew it must be something extraordinary.

He flipped off the Konoha headband with his backhand, revealing the Sharingan in the middle of the scar, its three tomoe spinning incessantly.

But the first thing that caught his eye was not the 'heavy stone' that Akai had mentioned, but the purple light sitting right across from him.

The small figure sat on the tatami mat, its heart's chakra core like the sunset over the mountains, shrouded in mist and condensing into a hazy, thin purple layer.

Shouldn't she be a deep blue chakra like the ocean?
Kakashi's eyes flashed; he had never heard of anyone whose chakra color could change so easily.

But... he had never heard of a six-year-old elite Jonin either.

Perhaps this is what makes geniuses special?

Keeping this in mind, Kakashi continued to examine the stick that Guy called 'Heavy Stone Crystal'.

"Stop looking, there's no chakra reaction, and it's not chakra-conducting metal."

Seeing that the two 'blind men' were staring intently at the cane in his hand, Akai finally felt a sense of presence.

After casually twirling the staff a few times, Guy gathered chakra in his palm and then quickly channeled it into the staff.

Almost instantly.

At the same time, both Haili and Kakashi saw the stick, which had no chakra fluctuations, suddenly emit a brown halo.

Akai's grip on Chongshijing's arm suddenly sank, and the muscles in his forearm instantly tightened, stretching the dark green bodysuit out of shape.

"You've gotten heavier?"

Kakashi noticed something amiss; the tomoe within his Sharingan were almost forming a complete circle.

Compared to Kakashi's focus on appearances, Hairi's Byakugan provides a more in-depth and comprehensive observation.

The instant Akai's blue chakra was injected into the crystal, she clearly saw the brown power inside the crystal being activated and stirred. After undergoing some kind of change, it began to mix into a muddy brownish-black color.

Then, Kakashi saw the signs of his body becoming heavier.

“This is ‘Heavy Stone Crystal.’ You’ve seen the effect. As long as you infuse it with chakra, you can increase its weight.”

Guy held the long staff and demonstrated by injecting chakra into it again. The brownish-yellow light became stronger again, and then he carried the staff on his shoulder.

"The more chakra input, the greater the weight, and the longer it lasts. That rebel leader defeated the king's guard captain using this thing."

"With this, I'll never need to buy gym equipment again," Akai said excitedly, carrying the heavy crystal staff.

What is the maximum weight this thing can reach?

"It weighs about 4 to 5 pounds now, but its maximum weight is probably several tons!"

Ah Kai happily swung the stick around, and the heavy stick immediately emitted a whooshing sound.

Both Hui and Li lost interest in it at the same time.

It is true that the heavier the weapon, the greater its power, but excessively heavy weapons often cause the center of gravity to shift, so when those heavy swords are swung, the body often has to rotate along with the sword.

Kakashi excels at close-quarters combat with short swords, employing an agile and nimble style; for him, this staff is too heavy.

Hui Li excels in hand-to-hand combat, following a hexagonal warrior path of offense, agility, and defense. Possessing the Corpse Bone Pulse, her body is her strongest weapon, so she doesn't need it.

"The principle is interesting, but it's very useless in practice."

An aged voice suddenly came from outside the door.

The three of them were startled and simultaneously looked up in the direction from which the sound came.

When Akai came in, the door was not closed. Outside the open door, a thin old man wearing a sacred robe and a straw hat slowly walked into the house.

"Sandaime!"

Kakashi and Guy immediately stood up, stood at attention and greeted him. Hui Li also put down her chopsticks and stood up to show respect.

After all, he was her future mentor, so Hui Li still respected him greatly.

"Sit down, there's no need to be so serious."

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled and patted Guy and Kakashi on the shoulders, then looked at the 'Heavy Stone Crystal' that Guy was carrying on his shoulder:
"Let me see what rare and wonderful things you've brought back!"

Guy held the long staff up with his arm and slowly placed it into Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand:

"Please be careful."

"Hey!"

He casually took the long staff, his withered hand covered in age spots gripping the staff, which weighed four or five hundred pounds, without his shoulders trembling even slightly.

boom!
Chakra burst forth from his palm.

Then he fiercely poured crystals into the long staff.

hum!
Because Hiruzen Sarutobi's chakra surged in so much at once, the crystal staff seemed unable to withstand it and began to emit a strange buzzing sound.

The rate at which the brownish-yellow light increased could no longer keep up with the rate at which Hiruzen Sarutobi infused chakra. In the end, no matter how much chakra was infused, the light stopped growing and reached its limit.

Its weight has stopped increasing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened, his arm muscles bulged unnaturally, and his hands gripped the long staff like two iron pincers, then he slashed down hard!
Woo!
The wind howled.

The heavy stick slammed down onto the floor!

Hui Li's eyelids twitched at the same time.

If a heavy crystal of extreme weight were to be smashed down by a Kage-level expert like Hiruzen Sarutobi, needless to say, the house would be beyond repair.

The three of them involuntarily took a step back.

Woo!
The devastating attack they had imagined did not come.

Just as the heavy club was about to hit the floor, Hiruzen Sarutobi's biceps bulged like two basketballs.

then.

The power that could have destroyed the entire house vanished within Hiruzen Sarutobi's swollen arms.

Boom!
The edge of the stick fell to the floor with a soft thud, like a stool leg hitting the floor.

It's easy to lift a heavy weight!

Kakashi and Might Guy's eyelids twitched; even without directly facing that power, they could still feel the intense pressure.

As expected of the third generation.

Compared to Kakashi and the other two, Hai Li, who was observing with her Byakugan activated, was deeply shocked!

Despite his aged appearance and the way he wields his long staff like an old ape, Hiruzen Sarutobi's extremely powerful chakra and physical strength, which allows him to manipulate the heavy staff with ease, are no illusions.

Chakra permeated his muscle definition, and the crystal staff in his hand was like a toothpick.

While Hui Li could wield a multi-ton staff to its limit by straining all her muscles, she could never control it with such ease.

not only that.

As he infused the crystal rod with chakra, chakra overflowed from his feet, spreading out across the floor and distributing the weight of several tons.

As the saying goes, power originates from the ground. Hiruzen Sarutobi, who unleashed such tremendous power, still had the strength to protect the floor. The extent of Hiruzen Sarutobi's ultimate power is terrifying.

As expected of a Kage-level fighter who could knock the Nine-Tails out of Konoha with a single blow, his taijutsu skills are truly terrifying.

Hui Li shook her head and sighed.

This is six years before the Chunin Exams, and Hiruzen Sarutobi is not as old as he is in the original story.

Excluding those few cheaters.

At this moment, he was absolutely at the pinnacle of the ninja world. Even though his body had begun to decline, he was still far superior to Yotsuki Yu, whom Ashikaga had killed.

She was absolutely certain.

Yozuki Yu, who had once driven her to the brink of despair, would have been beaten into a pulp by Sarutobi Hiruzen if he hadn't escaped with his lightning speed.

Of course, she would have done the same.

The gap between elite Jonin and Kage-level ninjas is probably more insurmountable than she imagined.

"Light but not light, heavy but not heavy enough, a toy!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head in disappointment, returning the crystal staff to the flustered Might Guy. His gaze then swept past Kakashi and Might Guy, landing on Gray.

"Let's get down to business! I've investigated your situation. When are you planning to become my apprentice?" Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly delivered this explosive news.

The room fell silent.

"?"

Hui Li had not yet spoken.

Two huge question marks appeared simultaneously above Kakashi and Might Guy's heads, followed by a rainbow-like rain of emotional light that swept over them.

Shielding the emotional light spots, Hui Li said with a hint of helplessness:
"Didn't you say you'd keep it a secret?"

"They're both fine."

"Since that's the case, there's no better time than today! Do we need to prepare an apprenticeship ceremony or any other ritual?"

"as you like."

Ignoring the stunned two, the old man and the young man continued their conversation as if no one else was around.

(End of this chapter)