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Naruto: IHCS Ch. 112
🕑 Added 2025-09-09 15:19:42 +0000 UTC"How… how did you master it?"
Nagato's voice was hoarse. He didn't want Shiratori to abandon him.
"Too many companions have died on the battlefield…"
The sorrow in Shiratori's voice was like the storm clouds hanging over the Land of Rain, never dispersing.
"I didn't want them to die. I wanted to save them… The will to protect my companions outweighed my fear of power… And so, I mastered the power of the curse. And not only that, I even forced out more curses."
Nagato was stunned.
Protecting companions… So that's how it was?
Though he spoke as if it were simple, Nagato could still picture him being driven to the brink of despair.
He too wanted to protect Shiratori.
He too wanted to guard everything around him.
Nagato felt warmth in his hand. Looking down, he saw Shiratori holding his hand, just like before.
"Don't be afraid of your power. Use it. Control it. It's not as terrifying as you think. Do you remember what I once said? If not for your power protecting us, maybe we'd already be dead."
His gentle voice made Nagato's eyes sting red. Of course he remembered. How could he forget?
At his most despairing moment, Shiratori had given him warmth and hope.
How could he ever forget?
"I know."
"I will."
He would master his power.
Because he wanted to protect those more important than his own life.
[Affection detected: Nagato +10,000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 49.8%]
In the Land of Rain, it rained endlessly. There were hardly ever times without rain.
Fortunately, Shiratori was already used to its climate. Though his mercury could shield him from the rain, he chose not to use an umbrella, so he wouldn't stand out.
Rain gathered into streams, flowing along the rugged terrain, finally merging into a surging river. Now, he and the others were standing at the riverbank.
Places near water were the best spots to train Water Release techniques. They had already decided to search for people while continuing their training.
Since they had stumbled upon such a perfect place for Water Release practice, naturally they wouldn't waste it.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
Shiratori formed seals with both hands.
The river surged violently.
Water rose up from the surface, spiraling into the air, forming a massive sphere of water.
"See that?"
He released his hands. The water prison collapsed, splashing down and merging back into the river's flow.
"Mm."
Nagato nodded.
After a brief hesitation, he began moving his hands as well.
With the pulse of his chakra, the surface of the river rippled. The water seemed to be tugged upward by invisible threads, steadily rising until it shaped itself into a sphere.
"..."
Is this for real?
Isn't this a little too monstrous?
He could learn it because he had a cheat.
But Nagato learning it, was purely his own comprehension?
A flicker of surprise and admiration passed through Shiratori's eyes. He gave Nagato a thumbs up.
"You did great! You've already mastered this jutsu. From here, you just need to keep practicing!"
"Mm!"
Nagato nodded earnestly. He would practice hard.
"Let me try!"
Yahiko took a deep breath to cheer himself up.
"You can do this! Yahiko!"
His water sphere collapsed midway, spilling into several thin streams before it could fully form.
His shoulders drooped.
Keeping things fair, Shiratori encouraged him the same way:
"Being able to do that much on your first try is already impressive! Don't be discouraged!"
In an instant, Yahiko's gloom vanished. He flashed him a bright smile.
"Heehee!"
"I wasn't discouraged at all! I was just thinking about how to do it even better next time!"
So cheeky. Shiratori's palms itched. Now he finally understood why so many people hated being teachers.
Brats really could be a headache.
The training continued. Yahiko and Konan both began practicing the jutsu.
Konan had wind, earth, and water chakra natures, so she too could train in Water Release techniques.
Though she preferred her paper ninjutsu, that didn't mean she wouldn't learn others.
After all, more skills never hurt.
Standing atop the water's surface, Konan formed seals.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
Her hand seals weren't lightning-fast, but clear and precise.
The water rose up from the river, but just like Yahiko, it broke apart before the prison could form, falling back and merging into the flow.
Nagato, meanwhile, was practicing the Water Prison Jutsu as well.
For him, with the Rinnegan, it wasn't difficult.
After just two or three tries, he wielded it with the ease of someone who had drilled it a hundred times.
Shiratori was already green with envy.
He walked up to Nagato.
"You're learning ninjutsu faster than Yahiko and Konan. For the rest of the time, you can try practicing your eyes' power."
"When I was back in Ame, I also used my spare time to practice my curse power."
He pulled Nagato down to sit beside him. Nagato's mind was fragile, he knew that. So he couldn't push him too hard. It had to be step by step.
"I'm afraid of hurting you…"
Nagato's voice trembled with panic. He had no control over the power of his eyes.
When it erupted, his mind went blank, he didn't even know what had happened. He was terrified.
Terrified he might hurt Shiratori.
If he were harmed, Nagato didn't know how he could face himself, or how he could face Konan and Yahiko.
"Don't be afraid. You won't hurt me. I'm strong. And besides, I'm not afraid of you. No matter what you become, I won't fear you. I won't leave you. Because… you're my family."
He looked straight at Nagato, speaking each word with solemn weight. He could hardly wait to start copying the Rinnegan's abilities. He was so eager, Nagato had better not choke at the crucial moment.
[Affection detected: Nagato +10,000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 50.98%]
Family…
Nagato stared blankly at the figure of Shiratori before him. He smiled gently at him. That smile was so warm that it instantly dispelled the fear in his heart.
Shiratori was also his family.
Nagato reaffirmed this in his heart. In order to protect the people he cherished, he had to face his own power directly. He lowered his head and stared at his hands. He would use his own power to protect the ones standing before him!
"I won't let you down."
In this world, Shiratori was the one who trusted him the most. No matter what, Nagato would fulfill the promises he made to him.
His eyes sparkled as he looked at Nagato. "I believe in you."
[Affection detected: Nagato +200 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 51%]
"And us too!"
Yahiko and Konan spoke out toward him.
The four of them exchanged smiles.
Shiratori reached his hand out toward Nagato, smiling. "Don't be afraid of your power. Try it!"
Yahiko and Konan both nodded at him.
Nagato's gaze swept across the three of them in turn.
He nodded firmly. "Alright!"
Yahiko and Konan moved to Shiratori's side. Although they were encouraging Nagato, inside their hearts were also filled with tension and fear.
They had seen Nagato's eyes before. Even Jiraiya had said that within Nagato's eyes lay a power capable of changing the world itself.
Yahiko and Konan swallowed nervously.
Yet the light in Shiratori's eyes never dimmed, as though he had absolute confidence in Nagato.
Of course, only he himself knew, what he had confidence in was his own power.
Though Nagato was strong, at this moment he was even stronger.
Nagato took a deep breath. He stared tensely at the gradually calming surface of the river before him.
Under the expectant gazes of the three, he slowly raised his hands.
Could he really do it?
Could he truly succeed?
Beads of sweat trickled uncontrollably down his forehead.
He couldn't help but glance back at Shiratori, who gave him a nod. Nagato's lips curved faintly upward, and he turned back to the water's surface.
He could do it! He definitely could!
Nagato closed his eyes, chakra surging wildly within him.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open.
Like ripples spreading across water, lines unfurled within his pupils, glowing with a faint lavender light.
At the same time, an invisible force erupted from his hands.
The river's surface was swept aside as though by an unseen wall, the water violently trembling, droplets spraying into the air in all directions.
He stared in a daze at the scene before him until the water droplets dampened his crimson hair.
"So… so incredible…"
After a long silence, Yahiko couldn't help but murmur, Nagato's figure reflected clearly in his widened pupils.
Nagato was just as surprised as Yahiko. He lowered his head, staring at his hands, he had actually managed to use it?
He immediately looked toward Shiratori.
A brilliant smile bloomed across Shiratori's face as he raised a thumb toward him.
"I knew you could do it!"
A figure suddenly darted past him, like a joyful bird flying straight into Nagato's arms.
"Great!"
"You're amazing!"
Konan's excited voice echoed in the air.
"You've already taken your first step. From now on, your control over the power of your eyes will only grow stronger."
Shiratori walked up beside Nagato, encouragingly patting him on the shoulder.
Nagato pressed his lips together, then looked seriously at him and nodded. "Mm!"
"It's getting late. Let's head out, or we'll have to spend another night making do in a cave!"
He glanced at the sky, which was growing darker, and spoke to them.
Yahiko immediately leapt up, striding forward with urgency.
"Come on! Come on! I don't want to sleep out in the wild again, it's unbearable! And I'm starving! Once we reach the town, I'm definitely going to have a big meal!"
He waved back at the others who were lagging behind.
Konan smiled and ran after Yahiko.
Shiratori and Nagato quickened their pace to follow.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Nagato beside him. Looking down at his own hands, a smile unconsciously spread across his face.
Good. Now he could use Shinra Tensei too.
When Nagato unleashed Shinra Tensei, he had been secretly activating his Copy technique. Given his close bond with Nagato, mastering all the Rinnegan's abilities was only a matter of time.
"Shiratori…"
He was still immersed in the joy of mastering Shinra Tensei when suddenly Nagato's voice broke into his ears. He immediately looked up at Nagato walking at his side.
"Are you happy?"
Of course he was. Shiratori beamed brightly and nodded.
"Of course I'm happy! Because I think you've grown."
Nagato's face flushed red, and he lowered his head awkwardly.
"Actually… I'm older than you."
"...Don't worry about such details, Nagato."
But Nagato was unusually stubborn this time. He fixed his gaze on him.
Shiratori took a deep breath, smiling wordlessly.
Nagato nodded with a strong sense of responsibility, reinforcing his conviction. From now on, he had to protect Shiratori and shoulder that responsibility.
"Hey, what's the next town?"
Walking ahead, Yahiko's eyes rolled with curiosity before he slipped back to Shiratori's side and asked.
Through the shared vision of his crows, he had already scouted the next town's details.
"Tatashina. It's a village halfway up the mountain. At the foot, they produce herbs and poisons."
He relayed the information he had gathered.
"Whoa, really? Herbs and poisons…"
Yahiko rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Then doesn't that mean the village must be pretty prosperous?"
Shiratori glanced at him. In theory, herbs and poisons were important wartime supplies, so Tatashina should have been economically well-off.
But…
In the Land of Rain, with no ninjas to protect them, Tatashina's resources had long been plundered. Instead, the village had become a place ravaged by war.
"You'll understand when we get there."
