The silence in the clearing was a heavy shroud, broken only by the ragged gasps of Shisui Uchiha and the pained groans of the subdued Uchiha extremists. Izumi and Renji stood panting, kunai still clutched in trembling hands, their eyes wide as they surveyed the aftermath of the chaotic battle.
Master Hirano, pale and shaking, peeked out from behind a crumbling monolith.
Ryuu lay where he had stumbled, his small frame utterly still, his breathing shallow. The sudden, desperate outpouring of chakra to maintain the Demonic Ice Mirrors, the Hidden Mist, and then the final, instinctive psychic shove against Yashiro's men had utterly depleted him.
He was deeply unconscious, a wisp of a child who had somehow, impossibly, turned the tide of an S-Rank internal conflict.
Genma Shiranui moved first, his Jonin composure reasserting itself with chilling speed. He quickly and efficiently bound the unconscious Uchiha Tekka, then moved to Yashiro and his remaining men, applying chakra-suppressing seals and sturdy bindings. His movements were economical, his face grim.
"Izumi! Renji!" His voice was sharp, cutting through their daze. "Check on Yuki. Assess his condition. Shisui-san, can you stand?"
Shisui, leaning heavily against a stone, nodded weakly. His Mangekyō had faded back to their normal onyx, but lines of profound exhaustion were etched around his eyes. "I'm… depleted. The poison from their initial senbon… it's still affecting me. But I can manage." He looked towards Ryuu with an expression of bewildered gratitude.
Izumi and Renji rushed to Ryuu's side. Izumi, her Sharingan still active, scanned his entire body. "Sensei, his chakra levels are dangerously low. He's completely exhausted, but his breathing is stable. No immediate physical injuries apparent beyond the strain."
Renji, looking uncharacteristically subdued, gently tried to rouse Ryuu. "Oi, Yuki… wake up, man." But Ryuu remained limp.
Genma swore under his breath. This was a mess. A successful defense, yes, but at what cost? A civilian witness to Uchiha infighting, Shisui Uchiha attacked by his own clan, and his youngest Genin pushed to the absolute brink.
"Alright," Genma said, making a swift decision. He performed a quick summoning jutsu. A small, agile monkey, clad in a miniature Konoha flak jacket, appeared in a puff of smoke.
"Kiki, emergency dispatch to Hokage-sama. Message: 'Codename Nightingale compromised by internal elements, location Shrine Ruins, Sector Gamma-7. Request immediate ANBU extraction and medical. Target Yuki critical. Repeat, Target Yuki critical. Situation contained but volatile.' Go!"
The monkey gave a sharp nod and disappeared into the trees with incredible speed.
"Izumi, Kazama," Genma ordered, "we need to move Yuki and Shisui-san to a more defensible position within these ruins while we await extraction. Help me with Shisui-san. Kazama, you and Uchiha carry Yuki. Gently."
With considerable effort Team Twelve, along with the legendary Shisui Uchiha, began the arduous task of moving their unconscious and wounded. The weight of what had just transpired, the sheer S-Rank level of the conflict they had stumbled into, began to settle upon them.
The journey back was a blur of strained silence and urgent movement. ANBU, alerted by Kiki, had met them less than an hour from the ruins. They had taken over the transport of the prisoners and provided medical assistance to Shisui. Ryuu, still deeply unconscious, was now being carried by a stoic Bear-masked ANBU, his small form looking terribly fragile.
Genma had given a terse, preliminary report to the ANBU captain, who had relayed it instantly to Konoha. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken urgency.
As they passed through the West Gate, the usual bustle of Konoha felt muted, almost reverent. Word, however controlled, had clearly spread. The sight of Shisui Uchiha, a hero of the clan and the village, wounded and being supported by ANBU, alongside an unconscious Genin and a grim-faced Jonin sensei, sent ripples of shock and speculation through those who witnessed their arrival.
The villagers were scared.
Ryuu was taken directly to Konoha Hospital, to a secure wing.
Tsunade had long left, only having returned to the village to cure Shisui out of a plea from Minato.
Kasumi was already there, a whirlwind of barely suppressed terror and fierce maternal protectiveness. She had been alerted by an ANBU runner the moment Ryuu's critical status was confirmed.
Her face was ashen as she saw Ryuu's limp form, but her eyes, when they met Genma's, were chips of violet ice. "What happened, Shiranui-san?" Her voice was dangerously low.
Genma, for once, looked weary, almost… apologetic. "It was… an unforeseen escalation, Kasumi-san. Uchiha internal affairs. Ryuu… he acted to protect his team. It's severe chakra exhaustion. Thankfully we applied first aid and took care of him fast, so he should be fine in a few days."
Before Kasumi could demand more answers, medical-nin were swarming, whisking Ryuu away. Shisui was also taken for immediate treatment. Genma, Izumi, and Renji were directed to a debriefing room, the weight of the Hokage Tower pressing down on them.
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Ryuu slowly surfaced from a deep, dreamless void. His body ached with a profound, cellular exhaustion, but the sharp edge of chakra depletion had eased. He blinked, his vision slowly focusing on the familiar, cracked ceiling of their small apartment.
Kasumi was there, sitting quietly beside his futon, dabbing his forehead with a cool cloth. Her face was pale, etched with worry, but the terrifying hollowness he'd seen after their first C-Rank was replaced with a deep, weary concern.
"Kaa-san…?" His voice was a dry rasp.
Kasumi's eyes, usually so guarded, softened with an almost overwhelming relief. "Ryuu. You are awake."
She helped him sip some water. "You slept for nearly three days. The doctors said your chakra coils were… almost completely drained. They was very impressed you survived such an outflow, and very, very interested in how a Genin your age managed it." The last part was said with a hint of her old, dry warning.
Ryuu processed this. Three days. He had truly pushed himself beyond his limits. "Shisui-sama? Izumi? Renji? Master Hirano?"
"They are well," Kasumi reassured him. "Shisui-sama is recovering. Izumi and Renji were debriefed and are resting. Master Hirano… is under Hokage-sama's direct protection. He will likely be encouraged to forget much of what he saw.
"She paused, her gaze intense. "Ryuu… Hokage-sama and Genma-sensei have explained… some of what happened..."
Ryuu nodded, bracing himself.
"They know."
"They know," Kasumi confirmed, her voice barely a whisper. "The entire village, it seems, or at least the parts that matter, now know that Yuki Ryuu is a user of Ice Release." Her hand, the one with the Cursed Seal, clenched briefly. "The scrutiny will be… intense."
"It's fine, kaa-san. They were bound to know at some point."
Ryuu spoke with composure, looking at his mother with determination.
"We should not have to fear if we are part of this village. Scrutiny, rage, jelousy, envy… It should not matter."
Kasumi stared at her son, a flicker of surprise momentarily breaking through her weary concern. His composure, the quiet determination in his young voice, was both reassuring and deeply unsettling. This was not the frightened child who had clung to her during their flight from Kiri. Her child had grown.
It seemed like the plan was working.
"Ryuu…" she began, but he gently shook his head.
"It's alright, Kaa-san," he repeated, his voice still weak but firm. "Hokage-sama and Genma-sensei already knew about the Ice Release. What happened at the ruins… it was a consequence of their decision to send us on that mission, knowing the risks. They will manage the information." He paused, a faint, bitter smile touching his lips. "Perhaps… perhaps it is better this way. Hiding it completely was… a heavy burden." For you, he left unsaid.
Kasumi's shoulders sagged slightly, not in defeat, but perhaps in a reluctant acceptance. However, if one looked closely, they would notice that her eyes weren't as reluctant as she originally portrayed.
———————————————————————————————————————————
The late autumn air was crisp, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and fallen leaves. Team Twelve was back in Training Ground Seven, the familiar dust a stark contrast to the grim silence that had pervaded their earlier, post-hiatus sessions. Ryuu's chakra reserves had fully recovered, and the deep, cellular exhaustion had faded, replaced by a new, thrumming energy born from his near-total depletion and subsequent recovery.
His control felt… sharper. The near-death experience had, in a perverse way, forged a deeper connection to his chakra, a more intuitive understanding of its flow, but also increased his reserves.
Genma's team training had shifted. The D-Ranks were completely gone. Their sessions were now brutal, scenario-based exercises, often pitting them against Genma himself in mock battles designed to test their adaptability, their teamwork under extreme pressure, and Ryuu's integrated KG abilities.
He pushed Izumi to use her Sharingan not just for prediction, but for tactical analysis, for identifying weaknesses in Ryuu's ice formations that an enemy might exploit. He forced Renji to coordinate his aggressive wind attacks with Ryuu's defensive ice, creating combination jutsu on the fly.
Today, Genma had them standing at attention, his usual senbon twitching between his lips, his expression unreadable.
"Alright, brats," he drawled, the casual tone doing little to mask the underlying seriousness. "It's been… an eventful few months." He glanced at Ryuu, then Izumi, then Renji. "You've faced down rogue Uchiha. You've seen the inside of the Hokage's debriefing room more times than most Chunin. You're still alive. Marginally impressive."
He pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against. "Lord Fourth has reviewed your team's progress, the after-action reports from the… shrine incident, and my subsequent assessments of your… enhanced capabilities."
A pointed look at Ryuu. "The internal situation with the Uchiha, while… stabilized… means Konoha needs to project strength, both internally and to the other villages. And Team Twelve, for better or worse, has become a… noteworthy asset."
Izumi stood straighter, a flicker of pride in her eyes. Renji shifted, a nervous energy thrumming through him. Ryuu remained impassive, but his senses were on high alert. He knew where this was going.
Genma pulled out a formal-looking application scroll, its edges sealed with the official Konoha insignia. "The bi-annual Chunin Selection Exams are being held in Sunagakure in three months. Given your… accelerated development and the current political climate, Hokage-sama has deemed Team Twelve eligible for recommendation."
He unrolled the scroll with a snap.
"This isn't a request, it's an assignment. You will participate. You will represent Konoha. You will demonstrate the strength and discipline of Leaf shinobi."
His gaze hardened, moving from Izumi's stoic pride to Renji's wide-eyed excitement, and finally settling on Ryuu with an intensity that made the air crackle.
"Uchiha," he said, "your clan will be watching. Do not disgrace them."
"Kazama," he continued, "this is your chance to prove you're more than just a lucky civilian. Prove your old team's sacrifice wasn't in vain."
"And Yuki…" Genma's voice dropped, becoming dangerously quiet.
"Sunagakure is not Konoha. Your Ice Release, even if used 'discreetly,' will attract attention. Every Kage, every Jonin, every ambitious Genin from every village will be watching you. They will see a Kekkei Genkai from a supposedly extinct clan, tied to a historically hostile nation. They will see a weapon. Or a prize."
He stepped closer to Ryuu, his one visible eye boring into him.
"You will maintain absolute control. You will use your abilities only when tactically necessary and within the parameters we have drilled. You will not reveal the full extent of what you can do unless your life, or the lives of your teammates, or the honor of this village, depends on it. One slip, one uncontrolled display of power beyond what is 'explainable,' and the consequences will be… severe. For you. For your mother. For Konoha's standing. Am I understood?"
Ryuu met Genma's gaze, the weight of the words, the unspoken threats, settling heavily on his young shoulders. The Chunin Exams. A public stage. A nest of vipers.
If he was stronger, he wouldn't have to worry.
But he was weak.
Incredibly weak.
"Hai, Genma-sensei," he said, his voice quiet but unwavering. The fear was there, a cold knot in his stomach, but beneath it, a flicker of grim, almost defiant, resolve. He had faced death. He would face this.
Genma nodded, a flicker of something – respect? pity? – in his eyes.
"Good. Training for the exams begins immediately. And it will be hell." He smirked, the familiar, dangerous glint returning. "Welcome to the real shinobi world, brats. Try not to die before the first round."
The crisp autumn air suddenly felt much, much colder. The path to the Chunin Exams, and whatever lay beyond, was now irrevocably set.