"The one on the forehead isn't visible to normal methods, but yes we noticed," said Doctor Hayashibara. "Oshino, Sekirei number 85, was dying. Your daughter was also dying due to the same attack by a foreign-nin. Oshino regained consciousness and performed an emergency technique that merged her 'Sekirei Core' with your daughter. At which point Oshino's body died, but your daughter's life signs stabilized."
Hiashi frowned slightly. "She has more chakra."
"Yes, her chakra level was estimated as having doubled," admitted the Doctor, checking her clipboard. "It is too early to tell, but Miya informs us there is roughly a 50-50 chance of Hinata developing Sekirei talents. She also informs us that the odds of this happening was a 1000-to-1. Though this may be an exaggeration to discourage us from trying to test such things."
"'Sekirei talents'? Like a bloodline ability transfer?" asked Hiashi, his voice not indicating any particular emotion regarding the fate of his daughter.
"Similar, as I understand it," admitted Hayashibara. "In the case of number 85 Oshino - her abilities hadn't fully manifested but she was believed to be a Longrange Attack type."
"I see," said Hiashi, giving no hint as to whether he approved or disapproved of this.
"Results of the testing," said Iruka Umino.
"Oh?" asked the Hokage, taking the papers. "That was rather more quickly than I had expected."
"These are summaries and total scores only, individual analysis will be much slower," noted Iruka.
"Naruto has done well," noted the Hokage.
"Upper third of the class based on these scores," agreed Iruka. "It should be interesting to see where class rankings end up when these scores are figured in."
Miya looked over the children in the yard as they played, standing on the railing of a balcony and letting the breeze swirl through her hair.
On many of them, their Sekirei Crest was visible whenever their clothes shifted during movement enough to allow that.
It had just been a moment between one universe and another. Had she not glimpsed the Other, she would not have had the chance to alter just a few things.
That the Other had been amenable to those alterations and provided them in considerably less than a second was both gratifying and frightening.
The Sekirei Crest had some problems and flaws that she was well acquainted with. She wasn't well acquainted with humanity and wasn't entirely sure how well her race and these similar in appearance would mesh.
They could still be winged. Winging would boost their abilities, allow them to bond with their human mate, unlock their ability to use Norito. The bond with their mate would allow that mate to get stronger, for some ability for each to feel what the other individual was feeling, for their emotions to boost their abilities.
The alterations were simple. They could not be forcibly winged. They had to be of a certain developmental stage to wing. These changes were gratifying to her when dealing with a species as chaotic and violent as these humans. They could bond with an Ashikabi whose strength was a reflection of their chakra's strength.
That these changes had been done so quickly, so thoroughly, was quite frightening to her. To the goddess descended to the land with her flock, the ability to do this was nearly beyond her reckoning.
Despite her reservations regarding dealing with something like that, she thought the chances for her flock to end up mostly happy had gone considerably up. THESE humans were not powerless beings who could only stay in the background. THESE humans were of a sort who could stand alongside their Sekirei partners and fight with them.
It was a very different situation from the fate she had glimpsed before the trip to that blue-green world.
They were young. Naruto was eleven. Not all of the Sekirei were the same age - instead they were spread out over a range.
The graduating class for this year included nine Sekirei.
"Team Gai. Rock Lee has been taken on as a personal apprentice. Rookie of the Year is Neji Hyuga, using scores compiled prior to this year's special testing. Top Kunoichi by the same standards is Tenten. If we had counted those scores, this team would be different though, as Karasuba, Mutsu, and Kazehana all scored exceptionally well in that test."
Neji didn't say a thing, his eyes flicking towards one of those others named. He had glimpsed with his eyes the strength of the one named Karasuba and he was not sure about what would happen were he to face her in combat. She was not only a fellow elite, but a wolf amongst the sheep.
"Team Okami. Karasuba, Rihaku, and Haru. You'll be meeting your sensei in Training Ground 7 tomorrow morning at 0600 - your sensei is currently on a mission and can't make it until then."
"Don't extend the shoulder," said Benitsubasa. "Come on. You can't even beat the panties off that Uchiha kid at this point!"
Naruto grunted.
"Naruto-sama! I found something!" declared Matsu, waving a scroll.
Kaho glanced to the side, frowned, but decided to remain silent.
Benitsubasa rarely chose to remain silent. "Something ecchi I bet. You're barely twelve and already a pervert!"
"Well, maybe," admitted Matsu, who then shook her head rapidly. "No. That's not it! Naruto-tan can't use the normal Bunshin technique, but I managed to get ahold of this! It has another form of bunshin!"
"So you're thinking if he can't form one sort of 'clone' then another sort might work?" asked Kaho, relieved it wasn't something odd from Matsu. "That's actually a good idea."
"Right!" said Matsu. "And it's even better because these bunshin are more or less solid instead of just images!"
"Hmph," hmphed Benitsubasa. "If he doesn't improve his taijutsu, it won't matter how many of him there are."
"What's it called?" asked Naruto, curious.
"Mizu Bunshin!" declared Matsu.
Yugao deflected the strike, choosing to remain close rather than try to simply avoid the strike as she usually did.
"Trying to kick when you're pressed like this will simply put you off balance," said Miya, deducing Yugao's strategy.
Yugao recovered, making a one-handed handsign to form a clone. Which only lasted a split-second before the clone was dispelled but provided that much of an opening.
Yugao threw herself entirely into attacking.
Miya avoided each strike with an almost casual grace. "I see that the children of the flock are pairing off."
"Not 'pairs'," managed Yugao despite quickly getting winded while trying to press her attack. "Also - young."
"The bulk of them are around eleven," admitted Miya. "This is natural though. They know that in the future they will be choosing an Ashikabi, their future mate, and are assessing those who are viable candidates."
"Eleven, too young," said Yugao, throwing out two more clones to try that tactic.
Miya sighed. "Same trick with a substitution added. You should know by now that I can see through it." The katana flicked out and stabbed through the heart of one image and the next.
"Sensor," grumbled Yugao as she stepped back.
"While it is true that they are too young to 'wing' themselves to anyone," said Miya, putting her sword away, "it is perfectly natural at that age to make plans for the future."
Yugao drew deep breaths and didn't reply.
Miya looked out over the village from their rooftop practice circle. "I'm glad that I did ask for those changes. Otherwise I think half of them would have winged themselves by now."
"'Changes'?" asked Yugao.
"The trip here when Uzumaki-san summoned us, there were changes in transit," said Miya. "Not important. Any idea of the identity of those who attacked my flock?"
Yugao considered the question for a moment. Technically, none of it was really classified - the attack being entirely too much in public knowledge to be considered secret in any means. Some details which SHOULD have been classified had been leaked already in any case. Probably from the same sort of sources that spread misinformation like the Kyubi's identity and of the Cloud attack on the Hyuga.
Yugao decided that at least some details could be released, especially as no attempt to classify details had been made. "They had equipment from Kiri, apparently originated from Iwa, but Iwa has stated that they have no record of these individuals."
"Any in the Bingo Books?" asked Miya.
"No," said Yugao. "Nor are they listed as having gone through any chunin exam we have records for."
"I see," said Miya. The wind teased her hair for a moment. "I heard a rumor that they escaped with one of my flock."
"No, there was an Academy girl who was kidnapped, but she was recovered," said Yugao, wanting THAT rumor crushed immediately. It was true, after all. She just seemed a bit odd since her recovery. "Three members of your flock died, but we were able to recover their bodies."
"Ungh."
"Here's some water," said a voice nearby.
"Eh?" asked Sakura, blinking sleep-mired eyes. A hospital room? What?
"You were caught by the enemy nin," said the voice nearby. "I saved you."
"Eh?" asked Sakura, her eyes trying to focus. "Who?"
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(Posted Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:35)
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