Clone POV:
The streets are alive with color and sound as I stroll through town, a subtle smile tugging at my lips. Vendors shout their wares, children dash between the stalls in fits of laughter, and somewhere on a corner, a trio of musicians fills the air with a lively, lilting tune. I pause, soaking it in, a world so much brighter and busier than I'd expected. My arms are already full, having bartered for food, a fishing rod, and some cooking supplies. Luffy's endless appetite is always on my mind.
When I duck into an alley, I quickly seal away my haul; there's no sense in tempting pickpockets. Next up: balloons and rubber balls. I thread through winding streets until a cheery bell greets me at the door of a shop that feels like a blend of toy store and general emporium.
"Welcome! Welcome! What can I get for you, traveler? Anything specific you're looking for? We have everything from fishing tackle to toys for the youngins!" The shopkeeper beams, his energy infectious.
"Mostly balloons and rubber balls," I reply, returning his grin. "And a lot of them."
"You've come to the right place! This way, if you see anything else, holler, and we'll stop for a look." He gestures grandly, leading me through aisles crowded with everything from dried fish to bolts of cloth.
But it's a cloak hanging on the wall that stops me cold, a muted green, almost gray, perfect for blending in, sturdy enough to shrug off the elements. Before I can ask, the shopkeeper notices my interest.
"Ah! That one came from a traveler who claimed to be a ranger. I patched it up myself and added a few tricks my ancestors brought from Wano!"
My attention sharpens. "From Wano?"
He nods, pride evident. "Yessir! My parents grew up here in Shell's Town, but their parents were shinobi, or so I've been told. I only know a handful of their tricks, mostly for making clothes tougher or more comfortable. Seals for warmth, durability, that sort of thing."
I can't hide my curiosity. "Mind if I take a closer look? And if you've added seals to anything else, I'd love to see."
"Of course! Not many items like that are left, but I can also sell you the books I learned from. Catra, or something, they use all sorts of strange words, but I've copied down everything I could."
He hands me the cloak, and I run my fingers along the inner lining. Sure enough: temperature and durability seals, faint but unmistakable. If this is just the beginning, those books could be priceless.
"I'll take the cloak and the books," I say, nearly giddy. "Anything else with seals?"
"Not much, but—wait." He leads me to a dusty display case. Amid battered daggers and dull swords, one weapon stands out: a three-pronged kunai, a paper seal wrapped around its hilt.
My heart skips. "Is that...?"
He chuckles. "Family heirloom, supposedly. None of us ever figured out what it does. But you seem to know more than I."
Examining the kunai, I spot intricate patterns, space, distance, and something beyond my current skill. Could this really be a Flying Thunder God kunai, like Minato's? Maybe the angel who sent me here nudged a few things into place. Either way, it's a treasure.
"I'd like to buy this, too," I say, reaching for my pouch. "I'll pay well."
He waves me off. "No need. If you can make sense of it, it's yours. Just pay for the cloak and the books."
"But isn't it a family heirloom? You're sure?"
He shrugs, a wistful smile on his face. "Been sitting on that shelf for years. I'd rather it go to someone who'll use it."
I nod, gratitude swelling. "Deal." With a flick of my wrist, I summon a generous pile of coins from my storage scroll—pirate loot, ill-gotten but now well-spent.
He gawks. "That's too much!"
I grin. "Call it a tip. Your help is worth twice that. Now, about those balloons and rubber balls?"
He bustles off, shaking his head in disbelief, and I watch as he boxes up my order. While he fetches the books, I reflect on this unexpected windfall. Some days, luck really does favor the bold.
He returns holding a thick notebook. "Everything I know about seals—organized by difficulty and full of notes. Maybe it'll be useful to you."
I accept it with care. "I'll take good care of it," I promise, sensing the weight of memories behind his words.
He offers one more bit of advice as I don the cloak. "Be careful, traveler. The Marines are keeping a tight grip here, and pirates aren't far off."
"I can handle myself," I reply, flashing a confident, slightly mischievous smile. With a practiced hand sign, I vanish in a puff of smoke, leaving the shopkeeper to blink in amazement.
As I make my way back toward the docks, arms full of knowledge and new gear, I can't help but feel like this was a turning point. The future suddenly feels wide open, and I'm more than ready for it.
Daichi POV:
I can't help but grin as I stand balanced atop the water's surface beside the boat, marveling at my own progress. It's one thing to dream about walking on water, but doing it feels like a superpower in a world where the ocean is both a sanctuary and a death sentence. With each step, it's as if I'm striding across a sheet of glass that flexes beneath my feet, shimmering and alive. The sky above shifts from a muted gray to a vibrant blue, reflecting my newfound confidence, while the waves gently rise and fall in a steady rhythm, echoing my pulse. Maybe now, Devil Fruit users won't be able to reach me so easily. One day, I'll bend seawater itself to my will, hurling waves as weapons. But for now, I settle for the thrill, my mind racing with the possibilities.
Once I'm confident my chakra control is solid, I leap back onto the docks, landing lightly. My plan to learn the Rasengan is shot thanks to a lack of supplies. No matter. If there's one thing this adventure has taught me, it's to adapt. My thoughts turn to the shunshin—the Body Flicker Technique. If I can master that, I'll be more than just fast; I'll be untouchable.
Minato used Shunshin to outpace every Hokage on the battlefield, but I'm not aiming to be the Yellow Flash yet. I want to move like Shisui, appearing and vanishing in combat, a blur no one can pin down. That's the gold standard. In the right hands, Shunshin can turn the tide of any fight. My heart drums faster just thinking about it.
There's a catch, though. Back in the academy, most shinobi learned techniques from scrolls, memorizing hand signs and formulas passed down for generations. I have none of that. Just fragments of memory, intuition, and a lot of trial and error. Some jutsu might be simple to brute-force my way through, but others? I could spend months getting nowhere. Still, that's the shinobi way: experiment, fail, grow stronger.
If I want to use Shunshin like Shisui, I'll have to go beyond the basics. The hand signs? I don't know most of them. The academy only covered the foundations, expecting us to specialize later. But I've seen legends like Hashirama and Tobirama toss out world-shaking jutsu with nothing more than a wave or a clap, no hand signs needed. Mastery, I realize, is about feeling the flow, letting chakra shape reality directly. Maybe that's my path too: learning by gut and grit, not by the book. As I channel chakra down my legs, I feel a brief rush of heat, a familiar echo of the tingling sensation I experienced with the paper. It's a fleeting yet promising sign that I'm tapping into something more profound, pushing my understanding further.
So, I start simple. Channel chakra down my legs, reinforcing muscles and tendons. It's a movement technique, so I need power and control. Too little, and I'll trip; too much, and I'll blow out my knee. I take a deep breath, steadying my nerves.
Alright, let's see how this goes, I mutter, voice tight with anticipation. One wrong move and I could end up in a cast, or worse. I push forward, chakra surging, and the world blurs around me. Suddenly, my foot slips on the dock, the world spinning as I stagger to regain my balance. The sensation leaves me dizzy and disoriented for a brief moment, a stark reminder of the consequences of wielding such power. With a faint puff of smoke, I vanish from the dock, this initial misstep still fresh in my mind.
Suddenly, I'm standing inside a building, face-to-face with my own shadow clone. He startles, melting into the shadows, then peers out, exasperation written all over his face. "How'd you get here so fast? Practicing a new jutsu?"
I laugh, still catching my breath. "Yeah, the shunshin. Figured if I can use it like Shisui, I'll be a nightmare in close combat. Even the basic version is a game-changer." I glance around, realizing we're somewhere unfamiliar. "By the way, where are we? Weren't you supposed to get supplies?"
My clone grins mischievously. "Mission accomplished, and then some. Picked up a few surprises, like this cloak. Decided to liberate a bit of cash from Captain Morgan while I was at it. No one's going to miss it."
I spot the cloak he's wearing and nod approvingly. "Good thinking. If you find any high-quality weapons, grab them. Zoro could use a decent backup sword. Anything else in the haul worth mentioning?"
He flashes the cloak at me, the inner lining catching the light. "First, check this out."
I take the cloak, turning it over in my hands, and immediately notice the intricate symbols stitched inside. The seals are more than just techniques; they symbolize a connection to a lineage of warriors who infused their emotions and struggles into their craft. As I trace the delicate patterns, a memory stirs within me. Growing up, I always admired stories of heroes who rose against the odds, fueled by an indomitable will. These seals remind me of the legends who carried their dreams and beliefs into every battle. 'Seals?' I ask, eyebrows raised, feeling a blend of admiration and aspiration.
'Exactly. The shopkeeper said his family came from Wano and passed down these techniques. He sold me the cloak and all the sealing knowledge he had. Notes, books, the works.' We both smile, excitement sparking between us. Sealing jutsu is no joke. Minato built his entire style around it. Flying Raijin, sealing tailed beasts, and even countering Obito's summons. It all revolved around fuuinjutsu. The possibilities are endless.
My clone hands me a thick book. I tuck it into my pouch for later, eager to dive in. "Anything else?"
He nods, ticking items off on his fingers. "Fishing and cooking gear, balloons and rubber balls, a mountain of food, and one more thing I know you'll want to see."
He reaches into his pack and pulls out a three-pronged kunai with a paper seal around the hilt. My breath catches. "No way... Is that…?"
He grins. "Looks like a Flying Raijin kunai to me. Maybe when we got transported here, someone made sure a few legendary items were seeded around to keep things interesting."
I turn the kunai over in my hand, awe mixing with determination. "However it got here, it's ours now. We'll study these, get stronger, and see how far we can push our luck. Good work out there. Keep looting or exploring, just disperse when you're done."
My clone gives a mock salute. "Aye, captain."
I shake my head, chuckling, and vanish in a swirl of smoke, landing back on the docks. There's so much to learn: seals, Rasengan, and shunshin, each more complex than the last. One step at a time.