Chapter Nine (Patreon)

Haruko held up a hand. Jing paused, feet sticking to the tree she was about to jump off of.

Chakra, Haruko signed. 14. Her head shook. 18. More. Jonin.

Moving? Fugaku asked.

No. In wait.

Fugaku seemed to sigh in relief. How far.

844 meters.

Fugaku paused, then signed his orders. I report. You observe, delay.

Jing nodded. She took a breath, starting to gather Lightning chakra. The moment the enemy entered her sensory field, they would regret it.

The enemy did not move. Fugaku returned with new orders; the convoy would continue to advance. The three of them were to move into attacking range, accompanied by two Chunin and a Special Jonin. Haruko and the Special Jonin would play defense, the rest were to blast away.

They crept closer. Haruko signed 22 enemies, four Jonin. They entered Jing’s sensory range, and she began to feel the foes. Eight, then eighteen, then twenty-two. Three groups, one on either side of the road with another waiting to cut off then retreat.

Fugaku’s sharingan spun into view as they closed. I see them, he signed.

We halt, the Special Jonin ordered. Select targets.

Eyes snapped to their foes. The Chunin could not quite see them, but they were guided by Jing, Haruko, and Fugaku.

Ready. Now.

Jing’s attack launched first. It needed no hand signs, and practically no buildup. One moment Lightning Chakra coalesced around her, the next a towering bolt of lightning flew from the clear sky. There was but a split-second between creation and detonation. For one of the Jonin, that was enough. But for the Chunin, and the Jonin that Jing targeted, there was no escape. A plinth of plasma appeared, then vanished, taking with it three lives and wounding another two.

Fugaku was but a moment behind her. His attack was perfectly planned. Katon: Great Fireball Jutsu was not renowned for hitting its opponents. It was slow and easy to see. Only its power and low cost saw it remain in use. But in the hands of a tactician, that slow release was an ally. Fugaku’s Sharingan watched as the Jonin and Chunin struggled to dodge Jing’s Storm Call. His fireball hit them mid-leap. Already having committed, they could not avoid the attack. The Jonin’s hands moved swiftly, summoning a Water Prison for him to hide in. The Chunin simply died.

The Jonin’s escape did not keep him safe. The two Konoha Chunin soon launched their attacks. Another Great Fireball forced a half-dozen foes from their hiding spots while an Earth Spear tore through the Jonin and his Water Prison alike.

“Hidden Grass,” the Special Jonin hissed as he saw the headbands. “We’ve been betrayed. Genin Fugaku—“

“Enemies incoming!” Haruko interrupted. “Dozens. More. A kilometer away, aiming for the convoy.”

Jing swore even as she called down another set of lightning bolts. One, three, ten—not all of them hit, not all of them killed, but quantity was a quality all of its own and Jing could keep Storm Call up for hours.

“Chunin Eizo, report to the—“

A wall of fireballs launched from the Hidden Grass ninjas. The other Chunin slammed his hands into the ground, summoning a wall of dirt and stone from the first floor. Chunin Eizo was already running, his Body Flicker taking him out of sight in seconds.

“Twenty-six headed this way,” Haruko declared, her palms deflecting a volley of shuriken. “Two Jonin, eight Chunin.”

“Chunin Chiyu, walls on all sides. Genin Fugaku, attack whenever a hole opens or there’s someone on the walls. Genin Haruko, sensing duty. Genin Jing—“

A lighting bolt slammed into the ground just outside the wall, the impact shuddering through them.

“—target those closest,” the Special Jonin ordered.

BAM! The earth wall exploded. Fugaku flew through the hand signs. “Phoenix Sage Fire!” One, two, six fireballs took the place of the wall. The enemy shinobi jumped back, mostly avoiding the blasts. Unfortunately, that was not enough to guarantee survival. Even as Chunin Chiyu called forth another wall lightning fell from the sky. Storm Call claimed another two lives, the Hidden Grass shinobi unable to dodge while already in midair.

More lightning tore through the sky. Jing summoned Jade Plum. She took to the skies, diving down to cut through the Hidden Grass with her Chakra-Scalpel clawed Taijutsu. Another wall exploded, then another. Fugaku covered both, the Sharingan aiding his reaction time. But Chiyu was growing tired. Already she had called seven walls into existence. How many more before she collapsed.

“We just need to hang on for reinforcements,” the Special Jonin said as Jade Plum was forced from the battle. Flames gathered in her fists, the Taijutsu specialist ready for battle.

But when reinforcements came, it was not for Konoha. Even with the steady stream of deaths from Storm Call the number of Hidden Grass ninjas continued to climb. They battered at the earthen walls.

Another exploded. It was replaced, but only half as high, Chunin Chiyu collapsing as the wall rose.

“Now!” someone yelled. A dozen Hidden Grass shinobi jumped onto the top of the wall. The Special Jonin met them, a Blazing Whirlwind sweeping them away. Flames licked the top of the walls.

BOOM! Another wall collapsed. More Hidden Grass shinobi poured in. Haruko met them, ruthlessness painting her Taijutsu. The Gentle Fist was named for its ability to disable. Haruko ignored that. Instead of sealing the tenketsu in the enemy’s arms and legs, she aimed for their hearts, necks, and heads. A single blow was lethal, but the enemy possessed a dozen blows for each of hers.

Jing activated Sun Breathing. A mixture of Fire, Lightning, and Yang chakra filled her pathways. It ate at her chakra, but that was only a problem if she survived the next few minutes. Fists coated in lightning, Jing joined the fight. A Raiton: Lariat Grenade exploded amidst the Hidden Grass, turning a pair of Genin to ash. Another shattered a group of Chunin hoping to gang up on Haruko. Haruko herself continued to fight, a spinning set of trigrams where each blow was lethal. She tore through the Hidden Grass like wet paper. Yet for every fallen foe another three arrived.

There was a scream. A familiar scream. Jing’s senses reached out. Panic filled her veins as she felt Fugaku, bleeding on the ground. His eyes twisted, a sudden Genjutsu barely saving his life.

Haruko abandoned her fight, leaping over to defend their comrade. Palms and triagrams burned the air through speed and friction alone. Jing fought on, a seemingly endless supply of Lightning Grenades only just keeping the enemy at bay. Kunai and shuriken cuts covered her body. She bled from her cheek and her forehead.

The Special Jonin fell, and the Hidden Grass surged forward again. Fugaku, still bleeding, managed to delay them with a wall of flames. Jing dropped a pair of Lightning Grenades and flickered away, joining her comrades.

“We need to run,” she said as she arrived.

“How?” Haruko demanded, hands narrowly blocking a wall of thrown weapons. “We—uch!”

“Haruko!” Jing screamed. She could feel her friend growing weaker, blood slipping from her cut artery. She felt the Hidden Grass around them. She felt Fugaku fading, his stomach wound continuing to bleed. She felt her own chakra, barely a quarter left, and decided to go all out.

BOOM. Lightning exploded from her body. Bolts slammed into the Hidden Grass. Those who braced, reinforcing themselves with chakra, were thrown dozens of meters away. Those who didn’t turned to ash.

Jing collapsed. She breathed heavily, desperately willing her chakra to come back. She hovered over Haruko. Green light sputtered out in her palm.

“My eyes,” Haruko managed to say, blood coating her lips. “Take—“

“No,” Jing hissed as the Hidden Grass regained their feet.

“Take—tenketsu. Kill them.” Haruko’s fingers moved. A last, final sacrifice. Numb to the pain of her dying body, she offered her eyes.

Jing took hers out as well. The pain was searing. Burning. Excruciating. Yet it was Haruko’s wish. The last gift Jing would get from her, and the last she could give in return.

One eyeball popped in. Muscles flexed. Veins extended. The second slotted in. Her brain, unused to the sensation, stuttered.

“Byakugan.” Jing could see everything. Three hundred sixty degrees, stretching out more than a kilometer. Closer, within her old range, she could see the finest details. The pumping blood vessels, the agitated tenketsu pathways.

Jing did not manage to stand. She sat on her knees, new eyes taking in a fresh corpse. She did not move her head as she spoke, “Storm Call.”

Lightning flashed. A single bolt. It was minuscule compared to the ones she’d used before. A hair’s breadth.

It landed, searing through a Hidden Grass Jonin’s heart.

Another bolt fell. Then another. Another. Dozens, then hundreds. Lightning so small it appeared nearly invisible flashed across the field. With her Superconductive body Jing barely expended any chakra.

The forest fell quiet. Nothing remained, save Fugaku’s slowly bleeding body and Jing’s tears. Notifications emerged in her mind’s eye. Jing wanted to dismiss them. To cast aside the blessings for another minute with Haruko. But she couldn’t. Not if there was a single chance one of the blessings could heal Fugaku.

Quest Completed: Kill 100 People

Reward: 1x Medium Physical or Skill Blessing

Quest Completed: Kill a Ninja

Reward: 1x Minor Spiritual or Skill Blessing

Quest Completed: Kill 10 Ninjas

Reward: 1x Medium Spiritual or Skill Blessing

Quest Completed: Kill a Jonin

Reward: 1x Medium Spiritual or Skill Blessing

New Quest: Kill 1,000 people (149/1,000)

New Quest: Kill 100 Ninjas (61/100)

New Quest: Kill 10 Jonin (4/10)

Minor Skill Blessing

Expert Drawing

You are an expert at illustration of all kinds whether it be drawing or painting. You are able to almost perfectly illustrate what you imagine in your head or what you see in front of you.

Expert Performance

You have the skills of an expert performer. You can play any instrument about as well as anyone can, and sing with a voice that impresses just about anyone. You can captivate large crowds with your performance, and imbue your emotions into your songs, you know how to sway crowds like an expert. You would be hailed as one of the classics and counted among the greats.

No, Jing thought. Please, medicine. Please, please, gods, I can’t lose them both.

Medium Spiritual Blessing

Greater Blessing

Allows you or a target to receive a greater blessing that increases all attributes and grants you a minor regeneration and recovery factor for one hour. While greater blessing is active you are immune to curses and negative status effects below elite rank.

Wing Cloak

Allows you to cloak yourself in powerful winds, these winds will assist your movements, making you faster, and swifter and allowing you to dash and float with their help.

Thank the gods, Jing thought. She immediately selected blessing. Her hand fell on Fugaku, a brief glow of green light shimmering over him. His bleeding halted. Slowly it began to heal.

“J-Jing?” Fugaku asked.

“I’m here.”

“We’re alive.” His voice was disbelieving, bordering on hysterical.

“We are.”

“Haruko–”

“She saved us.”

Fugaku looked up at her. Crimson eyes took in stark white.

“So she did.”

Minor Skill Blessing

Expert Drawing (not chosen)

You are an expert at illustration of all kinds whether it be drawing or painting. You are able to almost perfectly illustrate what you imagine in your head or what you see in front of you.

Expert Performance (chosen)

You have the skills of an expert performer. You can play any instrument about as well as anyone can, and sing with a voice that impresses just about anyone. You can captivate large crowds with your performance, and imbue your emotions into your songs, you know how to sway crowds like an expert. You would be hailed as one of the classics and counted among the greats.

Medium Physical Blessing

Boundless Stamina (chosen)

Your stamina is boundless, even a regular person with this trait would be able to run a marathon with ease and only need a minute's rest afterward. Your stamina recovers incredibly and exhaustion fades from your body much faster.

Magical Resistance (not chosen)

You are naturally resistant to magic and all magical effects, effects scale with your energy level.

Note: Localized to Chakra. Resistant is NOT immune

Medium Spiritual Blessing

Aerokinesis (chosen)

Allows you to sense and telekinetically control wind, granting you precise and powerful control of the air around you.

Note: Localized to a strong Wind Release

Gold Manipulation (not chosen)

Allows you to telekinetically control gold and gold-based constructs inside your sensory range.

Note: Localized to Magnet Release: Gold

Hidden Quest Completed: Chunin

Reward: 1x Medium Spiritual Blessing

New Quest: Jonin

Medium Spiritual Blessing

Fortune’s Lover (not chosen)

You are absurdly lucky, to the point where even if you did not have any other abilities this alone could be considered an ability. If it's a chance, it's in your favour. Fate is curved in your direction, but not all luck is good.

Energy Regeneration (chosen due to interactions with Boundless Stamina)

You regenerate your energy/mana but in exchange, your stamina is being consumed instead.