Cherreads

Chapter 17 - Chapter 17 - “The Flying Thunder God—A Leap Into the Future”

When Tatsuya left the Hokage Building, the late afternoon sun hung low over Konoha, painting the village in streaks of warm amber and shadow. The quiet hum of villagers going about their business filled the air. But one scene, in particular, caught his eye.

A girl stood alone by the roadside, gently kicking at a pebble, lost in her thoughts. Her crimson eyes brightened the moment she spotted him.

"Tatsuya-kun!"

Yuhi Kurenai's voice rang out like a bell.

Tatsuya gave her a faint smile. "Kurenai."

She ran to him, her movement light and unhurried, like she'd done it a hundred times in her mind before. "You're just in time! My father's been waiting for you. He said you have to come over for dinner tonight!"

Tatsuya blinked, amused. "Is that so?"

"Don't try to escape this time!" she said, latching onto his arm like a determined mission.

He glanced sideways. "Kurenai… Everyone's watching."

"Hmph! I'm not afraid of people seeing." Her voice was firm, teasing. "Are you shy?"

"…I'm not shy."

"Too late to explain." She grinned. "Let's go."

Tatsuya let out a resigned breath as she pulled him forward. This girl is too bold…

---

🏡 THE YUHI HOUSEHOLD

The Yuhi home was nestled near the quieter edge of the village, close to the forest line. Their family wasn't part of Konoha's elite clans like the Hyūga or Uchiha, but they were respected nonetheless—especially Yuhi Shinku, Kurenai's father, a seasoned shinobi known for his mastery of genjutsu.

Tatsuya noticed the details: the wind chimes at the entrance, the polished porch, the old paper lanterns. It was a home filled with memory.

Waiting at the gate stood Yuhi Shinku himself, arms crossed, with a grin that looked far too mischievous for a veteran Jōnin.

"Tatsuya! You've gotten even more handsome," he said warmly. "No wonder my daughter's got no eyes for anyone else!"

Tatsuya gave a modest nod. "You're flattering me."

"Father!" Kurenai hissed, her face burning. "You promised not to say embarrassing things!"

"This isn't embarrassing!" Shinku declared. "You're turning eighteen soon. The village's finally seeing peace. I want a grandson before war breaks out again!"

Tatsuya stifled a chuckle. Kurenai, on the other hand, looked like she wanted to vanish into the ground.

Despite the teasing, Shinku's mood eventually softened. There was genuine gratitude in his tone—Tatsuya had saved him during the Nine-Tails attack. It was a bond not easily forgotten.

---

🌃 EVENING – DINNER & CONVERSATION

The meal was simple, homemade, warm. Rice, grilled salmon, simmered vegetables—seasoned with both care and silence. Afterward, they sat for hours, drinking mild sake and discussing everything from border patrol shifts to the state of Konoha's younger generation.

"I'm getting old," Shinku said at one point, pouring Tatsuya another cup. "I can still throw a genjutsu or two, but it's shinobi like you who'll carry the Will of Fire forward."

Tatsuya offered a quiet nod. "I'll protect what needs protecting."

Those words seemed to reassure Shinku more than any promise.

---

🌘 LATER THAT NIGHT

As the stars shimmered high above the rooftops, Tatsuya finally stepped out into the cool air. Slightly buzzed from the sake, he walked back to his quarters with a faint smile.

His connection to Kurenai wasn't something he'd planned, but he felt… grounded. Even in a world of shadows and secrets, moments like these reminded him why he still walked the path of a shinobi.

---

🌅 THE NEXT MORNING – TRAINING FIELD 11

By sunrise, he was already near the appointed field.

The area was surrounded by trees, sealed off from civilians and shielded with chakra barriers. It was one of the old training grounds used during the Third War—now repurposed for high-level jutsu experimentation.

Waiting there were three shinobi.

"Captain Tatsuya, good morning!" said Shiranui Genma, flipping a senbon toothpick between his lips with his usual casual charm.

Beside him stood Iwashi Tatami and another special Jōnin. All three had once served in Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze's personal guard—and all three had experience with one of the most feared jutsu in history.

The Flying Thunder Formation Technique.

"You must be the team Lord Hokage arranged," Tatsuya said.

Iwashi nodded. "We're here to assist you in grasping the basics of Flying Thunder God—well, the simplified version."

Genma smirked. "Don't get your hopes too high. It's a poor man's version, but it gets the job done."

Tatsuya gave a slight bow. "I appreciate your help."

"After what you pulled against the Raikage, the whole village's been talking," Genma added. "The least we can do is show you some tricks."

---

⚡ THE FLYING THUNDER FORMATION – BEGIN

The trio stepped back and formed a triangle. Hands moved in practiced synchrony, chakra flowing.

A pattern of seals lit up the grass beneath them—an ancient seal matrix encoded with spacetime principles. The three vanished with a muted hum.

Whoosh.

Reappearing ten meters away, they were still in formation.

"A short-range teleportation field," Tatsuya observed.

Genma wiped sweat from his brow. "Short jumps only—any more and it burns through chakra like wildfire."

Tatsuya narrowed his eyes. He focused on the golden markers appearing faintly in the air.

Then—

[You absorbed a fragment of Flying Thunder Chakra Flow.]

[You've glimpsed the resonance of spacetime movement.]

[Technique Instinct Progress: 3% — Flying Thunder God (Base).]

He didn't flinch. Internally, he felt the energy ripple through his veins—foreign, elusive, but… graspable.

"This is just the start," he muttered under his breath.

He hadn't learned the jutsu yet. But his divine pickup ability had already marked the Flying Thunder God as possible.

If even a fraction of Minato's mastery could be replicated—

Tatsuya would no longer be bound by distance… or by time.

Two golden lights shimmered in the air, hovering in front of him.

[You've absorbed 2 Chakra Mark Fragments — Flying Thunder Resonance increased.]

---

🌀 MEMORY

Minato's ghost seemed to whisper through the trees.

Swift.

Decisive.

Every strike, every rescue, every kill—one blink, and he was gone.

Tatsuya's lips curled into a quiet smile.

Let's see what happens… when I move like the Yellow Flash.

---

More Chapters