Chương 62: The Secret of Team 3

Time marched on into August, bringing with it an oppressive, sweltering heat that seemed to bake the very marrow of the earth. For the past few days, the three members of Team 3 had been moving in a daze. Whether it was the relentless sun or the sheer psychological trauma of witnessing a comrade manifest a legendary Bloodline Limit through sheer practice, they couldn't tell. The boundaries of their reality had blurred. Was this still the shinobi world they knew?

Since when did the coveted Kekkei Genkai—the envy of every ninja alive—become something one could simply "learn" over a casual ten-day span? Sage of the Six Paths above, is my teammate even human? Zhen couldn't exactly explain it. He could hardly tell them that "cheaters" like him operated on a different set of physics.

If Naruto could spontaneously hurl Magnet and Lava Release Rasenshurikens just because he had a menagerie of Tailed Beasts in his gut, Zhen felt he was entitled to a little elemental fusion of his own, courtesy of the profound sensory clarity and surgical control granted by his White Natural Energy. Beyond the tactical advantages, Zhen was fascinated by the physiological shifts following the birth of his Ice Release. For one, his chakra reserves were swelling at an accelerated rate.

More curiously, the new frost-natured chakra was beginning to etch itself into his very cells, causing his resting body temperature to drop a few degrees. It was a sign of permanent integration. In this world, once a Bloodline Limit was etched into the flesh, it became hereditary. The toil of the progenitor became the birthright of the heir.

Should he reach adulthood and father children, his descendants might awaken the frost naturally, spared the grueling labor of manual nature transformation and the meticulous analysis of elemental oscillations. Life on the second line of defense was far more lenient than the front. They were permitted open fires and, more importantly, they had the luxury of time. Beneath the sprawling shade of a massive tree outside their outpost, the four members of Team 3 were taking a breather, brewing a pot of fresh tea.

As the steaming, amber liquid was poured into cups, Yunmi and the other two simultaneously slid their cups toward their cross-legged comrade. Zhen, who had been deep in a meditative trance, opened his eyes to find three expectant faces. He sighed, a look of profound resignation crossing his features, and slowly swept his hand over their cups. A puff of frigid mist erupted from his palm. The scalding tea instantly transformed into a chilled brew.

The three of them took a deep draught, letting out a synchronized sigh of pure, unadulterated bliss. To have an iced drink in the middle of a summer war zone was a luxury that bordered on the divine. Zhen scowled. I spent ten days mastering a complex elemental fusion just to be your portable refrigerator?

"Ah, heaven," Yugao exhaled, leaning back.

"Regardless of how Ice Release fares in a fight, it's worth it just to never have to buy a fridge again." Hayate, however, was still brooding over the mechanics.

"Zhen, I have Wind and Water affinities too. I've been trying to replicate what you described over the last few days, but I don't feel... anything." The three of them had grown up together; there was no room for pretense or secrets between them. Zhen considered his words.

"You want to learn it? Well... first, you have to maintain both nature transformations simultaneously within your pathways. Then, you must suppress the oscillation of the Water chakra until it reaches a state of absolute stagnation, while simultaneously forcing the Wind nature to rotate around it at extreme velocities..." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The silence that followed was deafening.

Yunmi, Hayate, and Yugao stared at him as if he were reciting ancient poetry in a dead language.

"Are you even speaking a human tongue anymore?" Yugao asked weakly. Yunmi sighed, his expression one of weary wisdom.

"Hayate, I suggest you stop chasing clouds. As your teacher, my advice is to master what we've already given you. You're young, so perhaps you don't realize: elemental bloodlines in this world are usually the result of a genetic fluke or a localized mutation. They aren't meant to be reproducible. Do you understand?" Hayate fell silent. He was still a boy, his world-view not yet as cynical or broad as his father's.

He had operated under the youthful delusion that if someone else could do it, he could too—provided he worked hard enough.

"Sensei," Yugao asked curiously, "are there no Bloodline Limits that can be taught?" Yunmi stroked his chin.

"Perhaps. Rumor has it that the Third Tsuchikage learned his Dust Release from his predecessor. But those are just whispers. Shinobi guard their secrets like dragons guard gold. No one knows the truth." He glanced back at Zhen.

"One thing is certain, however: a Bloodline Limit is a legacy of the blood. If Zhen has many children in the future, Konoha might see the rise of an entirely new noble clan." Yugao's face went crimson, her head dropping instantly to gaze at her boots. Yunmi and Hayate shared a look. You're showing your hand a bit too fast there, girl. Hayate looked at his father.

"Are you going to report this? Is this... good for Zhen?" Ironically, Yunmi Gekko—a veteran of the Anbu—was not the type of man to put the village above all else. His loyalty lay first with his family, then with the small coalition of the Gekko, Uzuki, and Higashino clans. Seeing Zhen's talent reach such terrifying heights, his first instinct wasn't to serve the Hokage, but to use this leverage to elevate their three-family alliance within the village hierarchy.

Once Zhen matured, their collective influence would be a force that even the Hokage couldn't dismiss. Yunmi was in his thirties; he had long since outgrown the blind idealism of the Will of Fire. In the shinobi world, power was the only objective truth. He didn't answer his son directly. Instead, he turned to Zhen.

"Your thoughts?"

"Don't report it," Zhen said flatly.

"I just want to cultivate in peace."

"Fair enough. But you must refrain from using this power in the presence of outsiders. Not until you are strong enough to withstand the 'will' of those above us. Do you follow me?"

"Perfectly, Sensei," Zhen replied.

"Don't worry. I mastered Ice Release out of curiosity and to deepen my understanding of nature transformation. It hasn't changed the way I fight."

"Good. Then this remains the secret of Team 3." Yunmi paused, a glint of mischief entering his eyes as he looked at the still-flushed Yugao.

"Besides, if the village finds out, they might try to turn Zhen into breeding stock to secure the bloodline. They'd set him up with dozens of wives. The Uchiha and Hyuga might not care, but the Sarutobi, Yamanaka, and Nara clans? They'd be lining up their most beautiful daughters to meet him." The young girl practically stood at attention, her embarrassment replaced by a sudden, chilling resolve.

"Rest assured, Sensei. From this day forward, I'll kill anyone who finds out!" Hayate blinked.

"Father, is it really that extreme?"

"My son, you underestimate what a transmissible bloodline means to a village or a clan. If you had one, you'd understand." Hayate scowled. Fine. I'll just have to make one myself then. Suddenly, Zhen's posture sharpened.

"Someone's coming." The idle chatter died instantly. They trusted Zhen's sensory net implicitly. On the second line, Zhen didn't keep his active pulse running to conserve chakra, but his passive awareness was always vigilant. Moments later, a trio of Leaf Chunin clad in standard flak jackets emerged from the brush. After a brief exchange of coded passphrases, the leader stepped forward.

"Is this Team 3, under Jonin Yunmi Gekko?"

"It is," Yunmi replied.

"Has the command issued a new directive?"

"Orders from HQ. Team 3 is to rotate back to the command center immediately. We are your relief." The Chunin handed over a sealed scroll. Yunmi scanned the contents, then nodded to his students.

"Alright. The orders are legitimate. Our watch here is over. Let's head back."