The morning sun crested over Kumo's surrounding mountains, painting the training grounds in gold and shadow. Indra stood at the center of the main field, Rias beside him, with Samui, Karui, and Omoi arrayed nearby. Before them stood fifteen young genin—five teams of three, each containing at least one Uzumaki clan member.
Indra: "Listen carefully. The Chunin Exams begin in three months. Konoha is hosting, and all five Great Villages will attend. This isn't just an exam—it's a demonstration of each village's future strength. Kumo will not be found lacking."
He paced before the genin, his eyes missing nothing. These were the best of Kumo's newest graduates, selected for their potential. But potential needed direction. Needed forging.
Indra: "For the next twelve weeks, you will be divided into five training squads, each under one of us. You will eat, sleep, and breathe improvement. You will push beyond what you think are your limits. And you will emerge not just ready for the exams, but ready to represent what Kumo has become."
He gestured to his teammates.
Indra: "Rias will take Squad One. Focus: sensory development, mid-range combat, summon integration for those with contracts. Samui, Squad Two: precision tactics, kenjutsu, cold-blooded assessment. Karui, Squad Three: aggressive close combat, momentum-based techniques, psychological warfare. Omoi, Squad Four: strategic thinking, counter-techniques, adaptability under pressure."
Rias: "And your squad, Indra?"
Indra: "Squad Five. My focus will be... comprehensive development. And specialized weapon integration."
His eyes found the three members of his assigned squad. First, Erza Uzumaki—his cousin, sixteen years old, with hair the color of scarlet and eyes that held both Uzumaki fire and something else, something deeper. Then Tetsu, a broad-shouldered earth-nature specialist from a minor clan. And finally, Hikari, a lightning-nature user with exceptional speed but poor stamina management.
Erza: (Stepping forward, a confident smile on her face) "Comprehensive development sounds promising, cousin. I hope you're prepared for how comprehensively we'll test your teaching methods."
Indra: (A faint smile touching his lips) "I'm counting on it, Erza. Now, squads separate. Your instructors will outline today's regimen. Squad Five, with me."
Indra led his three students not to the outdoor training grounds but into the mountain itself, through reinforced doors that slid open at his chakra signature. The gravity chamber complex hummed with energy, multiple rooms of varying intensities.
Tetsu: "Whoa... I've heard about these, but never been inside. The gravity training rooms!"
Hikari: "They say you can get years of conditioning in months here. But it's supposed to be... intense."
Indra: "Intensity is the point. But first, baseline assessment."
He directed them to a standard training area adjacent to the gravity chambers. The room was circular, with monitoring equipment along the walls and a floor marked with concentric circles.
Indra: "Erza, demonstrate your current capabilities. Start with taijutsu forms."
Erza nodded, moving to the center. She began with standard Kumo taijutsu—lightning-fast strikes, precise kicks, flowing transitions. Good form. Excellent speed. But Indra's Sharingan was already analyzing, finding flaws invisible to normal sight.
Indra: "Stop. Your seventh strike in the Cloud Dancer sequence—you're over-rotating by three degrees. It creates a micro-pause before your eighth strike. Against a competent opponent, that's an opening."
Erza blinked, surprised. "I've never been called on that before."
Indra: "Because most instructors can't see it. I can. Again. And this time, focus on maintaining perfect alignment through the entire sequence."
She repeated the form. Better. Not perfect, but better.
Next came ninjutsu. Erza demonstrated her fire and lightning affinities—a Fireball technique that was respectably large, a Lightning Cutter that sliced cleanly through a training post.
Indra: "Adequate power. Poor efficiency. Your fireball uses thirty percent more chakra than necessary because your shaping is imprecise. Your lightning cutter has excellent penetration but lacks area control."
He demonstrated, forming the same hand signs but slower, emphasizing the chakra flow. His fireball was smaller but denser, hotter. His lightning cutter didn't just slice—it forked, creating a web of electricity that would hit multiple opponents.
Hikari: "How... how do you make it do that?"
Indra: "Control. Not just of chakra quantity, but of its behavior. Lightning wants to spread. Most shinobi fight that tendency, forcing it into a single path. But if you guide the spread, shape it..."
He released another lightning technique, this one forming a cage of electricity that hovered in the air.
Indra: "Now, Tetsu. Your earth techniques."
Tetsu was solid if unspectacular. Good defensive walls. Serviceable earth spikes. But his movements were slow, his techniques requiring more hand signs than necessary.
Indra: "You're thinking of earth as stationary. As defensive. But earth moves. Continents shift. Mountains rise and fall. Your techniques should have that sense of inevitable motion."
He placed a hand on the ground. Without hand signs, the floor rippled like water, then formed into a wave that traveled across the room before settling.
Tetsu: "No hand signs? How..."
Indra: "When you understand the nature of an element, when you feel it in your bones, the hand signs become a formality. A focusing tool, not a requirement."
Hikari's assessment revealed her core problem immediately. She was lightning-fast—literally. Her speed was exceptional. But after three minutes of full exertion, she was gasping, sweat-drenched, chakra nearly depleted.
Indra: "Your body isn't keeping up with your speed. You're burning energy inefficiently. Your muscles are working against each other instead of in harmony."
He had her run a simple obstacle course while he observed with Sharingan and analytical sensors.
Indra: "There. See how your right leg pushes at a slightly different angle than your left? That asymmetry wastes seven percent of your momentum with each stride. Over distance, that's catastrophic efficiency loss."
Hikari: "I never noticed..."
Indra: "Most don't. But in a prolonged engagement, or against an opponent who can force you to move constantly, that seven percent will be the difference between victory and collapse."
Baseline established, Indra led them to the gravity chambers.
Indra: "We'll start at 1.5 times standard gravity. Two hours of adapted forms. The increased weight will magnify your flaws, making them impossible to ignore. It will also strengthen every muscle, every bone, every fiber of your being."
The door hissed open. The chamber within looked normal, but the moment they stepped inside, the weight settled on them—not crushing, but insistent. Every movement required more effort.
Erza: "It's... heavy. But manageable."
Indra: "For now. Begin your forms. I'll correct as needed."
For the next two hours, Indra was everywhere at once. Adjusting Tetsu's stance to better distribute weight. Modifying Hikari's running form to eliminate wasted motion. Refining Erza's strikes to maintain precision under increased load.
By the end, all three were exhausted but energized. They could feel the difference already.
Indra: "Good. Now, the real work begins."
After gravity training came weapons crafting. Indra's personal forge was adjacent to his laboratory—a space filled with strange machines, glowing crystals, and materials from across the world.
Erza: "You make weapons here? I thought you had artisans for that."
Indra: "Standard weapons, yes. But you're not standard shinobi. Or you won't be, once I'm done with you."
He directed Tetsu and Hikari to workstations where they would design their ideal weapons under his guidance. But Erza he took to a special section.
Indra: "Your fighting style is already unique. Multiple weapons, rapid switching, elemental infusion. But your weapons are... ordinary. Well-made, but ordinary."
Erza: "They get the job done."
Indra: "Getting the job done isn't enough. Not for what's coming." He activated a console, and holographic designs filled the air. "I've analyzed your fighting patterns, your chakra signatures, your elemental affinities. I'm designing a new weapon system for you. Several, actually."
The holograms resolved into a series of swords, each with unique properties.
Indra: "Primary weapon: a katana with dual-channel chakra conduits. It can superheat to magma temperatures using your fire affinity, or vibrate at molecular frequencies using lightning. The vibration can be tuned—low frequency for shattering defenses, high frequency for precision cutting."
Erza: (Eyes wide) "That's... incredible. But how do I control it?"
Indra: "Through seals integrated into the hilt. They respond to your chakra signature." He brought up another design. "Secondary: a set of throwing weapons that can be recalled telekinetically. Embedded with space-time tags I'll teach you to use."
Erza: "Space-time? That's... advanced."
Indra: "You have the affinity for it. Latent, but present. We'll develop it." A third design appeared. "Armor. Lightweight but capable of hardening on impact. Self-repairing through chakra absorption."
She stared at the designs, then at him.
Erza: "You designed all this... for me?"
Indra: "For the shinobi you're going to become. But weapons are only tools. Your true strength will come from integration. From making these extensions of your will."
He placed his hand on a crystal matrix. Chakra flowed, and in a shimmer of light, the first weapon materialized—the katana, sheathed in a scabbard that seemed to drink the light.
Indra: "Creation ability. Matter from energy. Try it."
Erza drew the blade. It was perfectly balanced, feeling both familiar and alien in her grip. She channelled a trickle of fire chakra, and the blade began to glow cherry-red, then orange, then white-hot. The air around it shimmered with heat.
Erza: "No weight change. No strain on my chakra... it's amplifying my output!"
Indra: "Efficiency. The blade doesn't just conduct—it enhances. Now try lightning."
She switched affinities. The blade hummed, vibrating so fast it became a blur. When she touched it to a test block of steel, the metal didn't just cut—it powdered where the edge touched.
Indra: "Molecular disruption. Against Armor or defensive techniques, it doesn't just cut through—it unravels them at the structural level."
Erza's eyes shone with something like reverence. "These changes everything."
Indra: "No. You change everything. The weapon is just an extension. Now, we train you to use it."
For Tetsu, Indra crafted a pair of gauntlets that could generate localized gravity fields—allowing him to pin opponents, increase the weight of his strikes, or create defensive zones of intensified gravity.
For Hikari, he created boots with chakra-reactive soles that stored kinetic energy and released it in bursts, tripling her acceleration while reducing the energy cost of high-speed movement.
Hikari: "I feel... lighter. Faster. But not more tired."
Indra: "Because you're not fighting your own body anymore. The boots manage energy return, recycling what you'd normally waste as heat and impact force."
Over the next weeks, all five squads trained relentlessly.
Rias' Squad One specialized in sensory development. She took them to the highest peaks around Kumo, teaching them to extend their senses through wind currents, to read chakra signatures at extreme distances. Her bat summons, Echo and others, demonstrated echolocation techniques adapted for shinobi use.
Rias: "Feel the air, don't just breathe it. Every molecule carries information. Vibration. Temperature. Chakra residue."
Her Uzumaki student, a boy named Kaito with exceptional sensory talent, learned to map entire areas through chakra pulse echoes—a technique blending Uzumaki sensory arts with bat summon wisdom.
Samui's Squad Two became precision incarnate. She drilled them in kenjutsu for six hours daily, analysing every angle, every micro-movement. Her Uzumaki student, a girl named Sora, learned to embed sealing tags in the path of her blade strokes, creating traps within attacks.
Samui: "Efficiency. One stroke, one result. If you need a second stroke, your first was flawed."
She taught them cold assessment—how to evaluate an opponent's capabilities in the first three seconds of engagement, how to identify and exploit psychological tells.
Karui's Squad Three embraced aggression. She taught them to weaponize momentum, to turn defence into offense, to never yield initiative. Her Uzumaki student, a hot-headed boy named Ren, learned to channel his considerable chakra into overwhelming assault techniques that broke through defenses through sheer force.
Karui: "Stop thinking about not losing. Start thinking about making them lose faster. Every moment the fight continues is a moment you've failed to end it."
Omoi's Squad Four became strategists. He presented them with increasingly complex scenarios—multiple opponents, restricted terrain, conflicting objectives. His Uzumaki student, a thoughtful girl named Mei, developed predictive modelling techniques using probability seals.
Omoi: "What will they do? More importantly, what will they think you'll think they'll do? Warfare is layers of intention. Peel them back."
And through it all, Indra's Squad Five underwent comprehensive transformation. Gravity chamber training increased to 2.5G, then 3G. Weapon proficiency became second nature. Tactical sessions covered everything from one-on-one duels to squad-based warfare to survival and evasion.
Six weeks into training, during a particularly intense session in the gravity chamber at 3.5G, something clicked for Erza. She was practicing weapon transitions—switching between sword, spear, and chain-sickle forms—when her movements suddenly... smoothed.
Not just became more efficient. They became instantaneous. One moment she held the sword. The next, the spear, with no visible transition.
Indra: "Stop."
She froze, breathing heavily in the thick air.
Indra: "Do that again. The transition."
She tried, but couldn't replicate it. "I don't know what I did..."
Indra: "You accessed your space-time affinity. On a subconscious level." He reduced gravity to normal. "Come with me."
He took her to a specially prepared room—completely empty, walls lined with dimensional stabilization seals.
Indra: "Space-time manipulation isn't about moving fast. It's about altering the relationship between points in space, or moments in time. What you did was momentarily fold the space between your weapon and your hand."
He demonstrated, holding a kunai. One moment it was in his hand. The next, it was embedded in the far wall. No throw. No movement.
Erza: "How?"
Indra: "Perception. Most people see space as fixed. Distance as absolute. But it's not. Not to those with the right affinity and training."
For the next week, he trained her exclusively in space-time principles. Starting with storage scrolls—not just using them, but understanding how they worked. Then moving to basic teleportation of small objects. Then weapon summoning.
Erza: (Frustrated after another failed attempt) "I can't get the coordinates right! Everything keeps appearing slightly off."
Indra: "Because you're thinking in three dimensions. Space-time has four. You're accounting for length, width, height, but not for temporal alignment. The object exists in time as well as space. You need to place it not just where you want, but when you want."
He placed a coin on the floor. "Don't just bring it to your hand. Bring your hand to the moment when the coin will be in it."
Her eyes unfocused. She reached, and her hand seemed to blur. When it cleared, the coin was in her palm.
Indra: "Yes. Now, scale up. Your weapons."
It took three more days of intense practice, but by the end, Erza could summon any of her weapons to her hand instantaneously, from anywhere within a hundred meters. She could also create micro-folds in space, allowing her strikes to bypass defenses.
Erza: (Laughing in exhilaration after successfully "phasing" a strike through a training dummy's guard) "This is incredible! I can attack from angles that don't exist!"
Indra: "Don't become overconfident. Every technique has counters. And space-time manipulation is chakra-intensive. But yes... you've unlocked a significant advantage."
The training paused for one day—Rias' twentieth birthday. Indra had planned something special.
All five squads were given the day off. The Uzumaki clan compound was decorated with lanterns and banners. Tables groaned with food prepared by Omoi (who had surprisingly become an excellent cook during his "strategic nutrition" phase).
The celebration was in full swing when Indra led Rias outside, covering her eyes.
Rias: "Indra, what is this? We were just getting to the good part—Ren was about to attempt his 'inferno cake' technique."
Indra: "This is better. Trust me."
He led her to a secluded courtyard usually used for meditation. When he removed his hands from her eyes, she gasped.
Before her sat a vehicle—sleek, crimson, with lines that suggested motion even while stationary. It was similar to the chakra vehicles Indra had introduced to Kumo, but this... this was something else entirely.
Rias: "Is that...?"
Indra: "The Raijinn Mark I. Specifically, the 'Scarlet Tempest' variant. Yours."
The car was a work of art. Crimson finish that seemed to drink light and reflect it as a deeper glow. Silver accents that traced lightning patterns along the body. Windows tinted just enough for privacy while maintaining visibility.
Rias: "But... the Raijinn is what you gifted the Daimyo and the Raikage. Their official vehicles."
Indra: "Theirs are production models. This is custom. Built by my hands, for your hands."
He opened the door. The interior was upholstered in soft black leather with crimson stitching. The dashboard glowed with gentle amber light, displays showing chakra levels, terrain mapping, even weather patterns.
Indra: "Get in."
She slid into the driver's seat. It molded to her form perfectly. The controls were intuitive—a steering yoke rather than a wheel, pedals that adjusted resistance based on driving mode.
Indra: (Sliding into the passenger seat) "Voice activation: 'Scarlet Tempest, initialize.'"
The vehicle hummed to life, a sound like distant thunder. Holographic displays projected before her.
Vehicle: "Voice recognized: Rias Uzumaki. Welcome, mistress. All systems operational."
Rias: "It knows me?"
Indra: "Biometric and chakra signature locks. Only you or someone you authorize can operate it." He pointed to features. "Chakra-powered, of course. Range: approximately two thousand miles on a full charge, or indefinite if you feed it chakra while driving. Top speed: classified, but let's just say it could outpace most flight-capable summons."
Rias: "And these controls?" Her fingers traced unfamiliar symbols.
Indra: "Defensive systems. Energy barrier capable of withstanding tailed beast bomb equivalents. Offensive options: chakra disruptor emitters, sonic projection arrays based on your bat summons' abilities, and... well, a few surprises best not demonstrated in a residential area."
He smiled, a genuine, warm expression he reserved for few people.
Indra: "But the best feature..." He touched a control.
The roof retracted, folding away. The seats reclined slightly. The holographic displays shifted to show constellations, even though it was midday.
Indra: "Astral projection mode. For stargazing. Or just... being together."
From a compartment, he produced a bottle of sparkling juice from Lightning Country's best vineyards and two crystal glasses.
Rias: (Eyes glistening) "Indra... this is too much."
Indra: "Nothing is too much for you." He poured the drinks. "You remember when we first met? When I brought your clan to Kumo?"
Rias: "Of course. I thought you were the most intimidating person I'd ever seen. And the kindest."
Indra: "You were the first person outside my mother who looked at me and didn't see just power or potential. You saw... me. And you've stood by me through everything. Through Danzo's plots, through Obito's attack, through the political storms..."
He took her hand, his thumb tracing the back of her knuckles.
Indra: "This car is more than transportation. It's a promise. Wherever I go, you can come with me. However fast I move, you can keep pace. And it's protected—so even if I'm not there, you have safety."
She leaned across, kissing him softly.
Rias: "I don't need a car for that promise. But I love it. And I love you."
They sat there for a while, sipping juice, watching artificial constellations drift across the holographic sky.
Rias: "Can I drive it? Really drive it?"
Indra: "That's the point. But not here. There's a test track on the southern plateau. After the party."
The celebration continued long into the night. All five squads performed demonstrations of their progress—not as assessments, but as celebrations of growth. Erza demonstrated her space-time weapon techniques to applause. Kaito from Rias' squad mapped the entire compound blindfolded using sensory techniques. Ren from Karui's squad shattered a training boulder with a single, perfectly focused punch.
And through it all, the Scarlet Tempest sat in the courtyard, gleaming under lantern light, a symbol of love and promise.
The next morning, before training resumed, Indra took Rias to the southern plateau. The test track was a series of winding roads carved into the mountainside, with straightaways, hairpin turns, and even jump sections.
Indra: "Remember, the vehicle responds to chakra input as well as physical controls. You can fine-tune traction, acceleration, even aerodynamics. Start gently."
Rias gripped the steering yoke. She fed a trickle of chakra into the system. The Raijinn hummed, eager.
Rias: "Here goes."
She pressed the acceleration pedal. The car surged forward with breathtaking smoothness. No jerk, no strain—just instantaneous, linear acceleration that pressed them back into their seats.
Rias: "Wow!"
The track unfolded before them. She took the first turn, and the vehicle responded perfectly, tires gripping with chakra-enhanced adhesion. The next straightaway she opened up, watching the speed display climb: 100... 150... 200 mph.
Indra: "You can go faster. Much faster. The stability systems are engaged."
Rias: "How fast?"
Indra: "Theoretical maximum is Mach 3. But I wouldn't recommend that without more practice. For now, try Mach 0.5. About 380 mph."
She increased chakra flow. The world outside became a blur. The vehicle's barrier activated, stabilizing air flow, reducing drag and noise. They took a curve that should have been impossible at that speed, but the car adjusted, maintaining perfect control.
Rias: (Laughing with pure joy) "It's like flying without wings!"
Indra: "Actually..." He touched a control. "There is a flight mode. But that's for another day."
After an hour of driving—pushing limits, testing handling, learning the vehicle's capabilities—Rias pulled to a stop at the highest point of the plateau. The view stretched for miles, Kumo gleaming in the distance, mountains marching to the horizon.
Rias: "Thank you, Indra. Not just for the car. For... everything. For believing in me. For making me part of your world."
Indra: "You didn't become part of my world, Rias. You helped me build a better one."
They sat in comfortable silence, watching clouds drift over distant peaks.
Rias: "Three more weeks of training, then we leave for Konoha. Are you ready? To go back?"
Indra: "I've never been. But yes, I'm ready. To see where my father lived. Where he died. To bring him home." He looked at her. "And to show Konoha what happens when they discard their best."
Rias: "They won't know what hit them."
Indra: "That's the plan."
The last three weeks of training focused on integration. The five squads trained together now, learning to function as a cohesive unit despite different specializations.
Indra designed complex scenarios: capture-the-flag exercises across entire training grounds, defense against simulated invasions, extraction missions with multiple objectives.
Indra: (Addressing all fifteen genin after a particularly grueling exercise) "Good. But not perfect. In Konoha, you'll face shinobi who've trained their entire lives for this moment. Who carry the legacies of clans with centuries of history. You cannot match their tradition. So you must surpass it with innovation."
He had them study not just their own techniques but those of other villages. Konoha's Hyūga gentle fist. Suna's puppet techniques. Iwa's earth-style combinations. Kiri's silent killing.
Indra: "Know your enemy. But more importantly, know what your enemy expects. Then give them something else entirely."
The night before departure, all five instructors gathered with their squads for a final briefing in the strategy room.
Indra: "Tomorrow we depart. Journey time: approximately six days to Konoha, taking a measured pace. We'll be traveling with an honor guard of twenty jonin, led by Darui. This isn't just a training expedition—it's a diplomatic mission."
Holographic displays showed their route, then shifted to show Konoha's layout.
Samui: "Intel suggests the exams will follow traditional format with modifications. Preliminary eliminations, then forest survival phase, then tournament finals. But with all five villages participating, the scale will be unprecedented."
Karui: "Expect sabotage. Expect alliances between villages against common threats. Expect that some will see this not as an exam but as an opportunity to eliminate future rivals."
Omoi: "Psychological factors will be significant. You'll be on foreign ground, surrounded by potential enemies, watched by Kage and dignitaries. Stress management will be as important as combat skill."
Rias: "Remember your training. Remember who you represent. You are not just Kumo genin. You are the first generation trained under the new paradigm. You carry our future with you."
Indra stepped forward.
Indra: "Final instructions: First, stay together when possible. Your squad is your primary unit. Second, use your specialized equipment only when necessary—surprise is an advantage. Third, if confronted with unbeatable odds, withdraw. There's no shame in strategic retreat. Fourth..."
He looked at each of them, his gaze intense.
Indra: "Remember why you're doing this. Not for glory. Not for promotion. You're demonstrating that a new way is possible. That shinobi can be more than weapons. That villages can be more than military camps. You're the proof."
The genin stood straighter, faces set with determination.
Erza: "We won't let you down, sensei. Any of you."
Indra: "I know you won't. Now, final equipment checks. Then rest. We depart at dawn."
Morning came clear and cold. The main gates of Kumo were thronged with people—families of the departing genin, curious villagers, dignitaries seeing off the delegation.
The Raikage stood on a viewing platform, Killer Bee beside him.
Raikage A: (His voice booming without amplification) "You carry Kumo's honor! You carry our future! Show them what lightning forged in mountain halls can do!"
Fifteen genin stood in perfect formation, packs secured, weapons checked. Behind them, their five instructors. Behind them, twenty jonin in full battle gear, Darui at their head.
And at the very front, two Raijinn vehicles—the Raikage's official model in deep blue, and Rias' Scarlet Tempest, gleaming crimson in the dawn light.
Indra: (To his squad) "Last checks?"
Erza: "Weapons sealed and ready."
Tetsu: "Supplies accounted for."
Hikari: "Navigation maps memorized."
Indra nodded. He turned to Rias, who stood by her car, running a final diagnostic.
Indra: "Ready to show Konoha how Kumo travels?"
Rias: (Smiling) "I was born ready."
He turned to face the road ahead, the long winding path that would take them through valleys, across borders, to the heart of the Land of Fire, to a village he'd never seen but which had shaped his destiny through its treatment of his parents.
Indra: "Then let's begin."
He raised a hand. The gates swung fully open. The honor guard moved out first, taking point positions. The genin followed, moving with disciplined rhythm. The instructors took flank positions. And the two Raijinn vehicles brought up the rear, engines humming with restrained power.
As they passed through the gates, the crowds cheered. Uzumaki children waved flags. Delia stood with Venelana and Zeoticus, pride and worry mingling on their faces.
Indra looked back once, at the village he'd helped transform, at the people he protected, at the home he'd fortified against all threats.
Then he faced forward, toward the unknown, toward Konoha, toward the ghosts of the past and the challenges of the future.
The journey had begun. The Chunin Exams awaited. And with them, the next chapter in the story of the Storm Sovereign.
End of Chapter - 24