Days later, the team successfully arrived at the Land of Ogres; the path they traveled had come to a dead end in a mountainous region so they were forced to fly the rest of the way; they had encountered a couple more groups of bandits and rogue ninja, but they were nothing Jin and company couldn’t handle.
Jin is currently sitting at a table with Jaeger accompanying him, in a meeting room with the Land of Ogres’ Feudal Lord, Yoichi, and his advisors; the room itself is somewhat similar to the Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning’s meeting room albeit much less extravagant.
“I’ll get right to the point, your lordship. I humbly request permission to form a hidden village within the Land of Ogres, one that rivals those of the 5 Great Nations.” The Onikage speaks in a calm, assured, and respectful manner. God, do I hate the bureaucracy…!
“Why such haste and ambition, Jin?” One of the advisors queries, skeptically. “To perform such a colossal undertaking would provoke the Great Nations, bringing conflict to our lands.”
Agreeing, another advisor asks, “Indeed, why make ourselves out to be a threat?”
“I can assure you that there are far bigger threats to their power than us. Some of which are on their way… while others are already here.”
“Could you please explain?” Yoichi requests.
The feudal lord’s bored and annoyed demeanor informs Jin that he too does not want to be here and would like to wrap things up as soon as possible; all three reincarnations sit hunched over, already fed up with the political nonsense and grandstanding.
“I don’t mind telling you, but it would be much faster just to show you,” Jin says while focusing his chakra; he weaves the Ram hand sign. “Mind Transmission Jutsu.”
Using the Yamanaka clan’s secret technique, the Onikage telepathically force-feeds the advisors an education; he tells them how aliens came to Earth and planted the Divine Tree, how the aliens are responsible for chakra existing on Earth, and how there is an entire clan of said aliens; he also informs them of other threats, more local threats like Toneri who plans on throwing the moon at Earth.
“S-So much d-danger on such an e-enormous scale…!” A trembling advisor stutters; his eyes are wide with shock and horror. “W-Why us? Why h-here? What could this O-O-Otsutsuki clan possibly g-gain from attacking Earth?”
“They believe that planting another tree here and eating the subsequent fruit will make them into immortal and omnipotent gods.” Jin replies. Even more so now with the stuff from the movies and games running around…
One advisor shakes his head in shame. “The unfortunate truth is that we just don’t have the funds to–”
“I’ve already amassed a small fortune from all the bandits and rogue ninjas I’ve encountered on my travels, and my associate, Rito, is a genius inventor who’s already created devices that we’ll have a monopoly on in the market. So long as you can make a mutually satisfying deal with him.”
“What has he made as of right now?” Yoichi asks.
“Cotton candy. Ice Cream. Batteries,” The Onikage says, going down the list, counting on his fingers. “The cell phone. And a car.”
“Really?” The feudal lord’s interest has piqued.
Yoichi sits up straight and looks intently at Jin; his serious expression tells Jin that this is of great importance to him.
“Yes, yes, he did. I was there.” Jin confirms.
“Alright then, I hereby declare the recognition of the Village Hidden in the Thunderstorms of the Land of Ogres!” The feudal lord excitedly reaches for his gavel and hits it against his desk.
One advisor tries to argue, “B-But, your lordship, you can’t do something this ras–!”
“Oh, I already ordered the construction of the village days ago,” Yoichi says nonchalantly. “This meeting was just a formality so you could meet Jin yourselves.”
One of the advisors stutters, arguing, “B-Bu-But we don’t have the funds fo–”
“Like I already said, Rito and I’ve got it covered.” The Onikage calmly interrupts.
The snake sage thinks back on his travels and how he would every once in a while, come across bandits and other rogue ninjas. This world’s rampant crime allowed Jin to amass a small fortune; some of those criminals had money, some had expensive items and/or clothes, and some just had bounties that he could collect. However, this brief moment of reminiscing is cut short as the reality of his current situation hits the young Rinnegan user.
Oh, wow… this is really happening… Jin thinks, suddenly raising his hand. “Um… Lord Yoichi, I have some questions about–”
The stretching feudal lord cuts him off with, “We can continue the discussion of business later. Right now, head to the village’s construction site. There are 2 that’ve volunteered to escort you there; they’ve told me they know you and owe you a great deal.”
*creeeeaak*
Confused, Jin and Jaeger turn and face the opening door, and just as Yoichi said, two individuals enter the room; to the Onikage’s surprise, they in fact, are people he had met years ago when he first went rogue.
“I don’t believe it… It’s you guys.”
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“…a mixture of physical and spiritual energies are what make up chakra…” Rito explains.
While Jin is meeting with Yoichi, the feudal lord, the young genius is outside the building, by a tree with Itsu, Mileena, and Mecha-Naruto; he is currently giving the little girl a detailed lecture on what chakra is, and how to harness and control it.
As Rito continues speaking, Itsu sits quietly in the seiza-style as she listens carefully to each and every word he says; he notices how intently she is listening to him and finds it somewhat eerie; her hyper focused eyes could kill a buffalo instantly just from the intensity of their stare.
“Proper chakra control opens the door to most jutsu and it starts by climbing a tree. Observe.”
Rito steps onto the trunk and casually walks up the tree, demonstrating his chakra control; he takes several more steps before stopping at the fourth branch up and turns back to face his new apprentice.
“Do you see?” Rito asks as he walks onto the branch’s underside. “By focusing and maintaining a precise amount of chakra into the hardest place to focus your chakra, the soles of your feet.”
Done with his demonstration, the young genius jumps, performing a backflip on his way down; he lands gracefully before his student.
“Since you're a beginner, run at the tree so your momentum can take you as high as possible until you get used to it. Okay, give it a go.”
Without saying a word, Itsu stands up straight; while she weaves the Mirrored Ram hand sign, Rito can detect chakra being drawn to the soles of his disciple’s feet; he watches as she sprints toward the tree and up its trunk, making three steps before falling.
Mileena quickly shoots out a tendril and catches her before gently setting her back down; the symbiote breathes a sigh of relief. “Whew, that could’ve been ugly.”
“Thank you.” Itsu says curtly, bowing to the symbiote.
Undeterred, the ninja-in-training gathers chakra in her dogs and runs at the tree once more, making five steps up this time before falling back down; Mileena, again, casually catches her before she can hit the ground.
Well, she’s doing better than Naruto and Sasuke when they first started… Rito quietly ruminates, assessing her progress.
“…thought I’d be seeing you guys again.” Jin says as he jovially exits the building. “How’d you wind up here?”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Rito and the rest of the group look over to see the soon-to-be Onikage is accompanied by two individuals; one is a red-headed and orange-eyed girl about Jin’s age while the other is a young man with gray hair, orange eyes, and green markings on his face. Both have their own light green medallions; the man wears his on his belt and the girl wears hers around her neck as a necklace.
“Same as many others. After you rescued us from those slavers, your friend, Echo, found us and brought us here. He said it was a safe place for us.” The man responds with a warm smile. “And he was right.”
(Author’s Note: This happened way back in Chapter 6.)
“Who are they?” Rito asks curiously.
“Oh, my bad… Rito, this is Kuroma Tatsushiro and his younger sister Akari Tatsushiro.” Jin introduces everyone. “They’re here to take us to our new village.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Akari politely bows.
“Nice to meet you too,” Rito says kindly. “This is Mileena, Mecha-Naruto, and Itsu.”
“Hello.” Itsu bows in return.
Mileena curtsies. “Greetings.”
“Excuse me, but WHAT exactly is going on?” The young apprentice inquires.
“Due to Fa--JIN’s past actions, he’s gained a number of supporters. Political backing.” Mileena informs with beaming pride.
“MASTER JIN IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE LEADER OF A NEW HIDDEN VILLAGE THAT WILL ONE DAY SURPASS THE 5 GREAT NATION’S NINJA VILLAGES.” Mecha-Naruto adds on to what the symbiote said. “THE FIRST WAVE OF VILLAGERS ARE WAITING NOW.”
“Yo, Rito. Do us a solid and start up the jeep, we’ve kept the people waiting long enough.” Jin adjures his friend.
“On it. Here we go again…”
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“So, what made you want to be a part of our village?” Rito asks while he drives, breaking the ice; he is bonded with the symbiote so he can reach the pedals.
“After Jin saved our lives? This is the LEAST we could do.” Akari explains, her voice is filled with gratitude.
The group has driven for nearly three whole days to the site of their new village; the sun has only just begun to rise out from under the horizon, bathing everyone in its warm, morning light. Jin quietly draws, sitting in the back with Kuroma and Mecha-Naruto.
“It’s funny, I’m thinking back to that night…” Kuroma laments and facepalms, pondering what could have been. “If you hadn’t saved us… I would’ve… lost my way and done something terrible.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that didn’t happen! Onward and upward!” The lounging Jin looks up from his sketchbook and smiles. This is a really weird scene, but I don’t hate it…
The Onikage knows that Kuroma is supposed to be the primary antagonist of the Dragon Blade Chronicles game, but due to his and others interfering with the Tatsuhiro siblings’ lives, none of that will ever happen; Jin finds this outcome quite strange yet pleasantly surprising.
“You’re right.” The Tatsushiro brother agrees.
“Everyone, we’re here!” Akari blurts out with excitement.
As soon as the vehicle parks, Jin steps out in awe to a massive construction site with people moving about with purpose like a colony of ants; a few buildings have just been completed while most are still a work in progress. The Onikage peers into the crowd and sees a multitude of people he has crossed paths with on his journey; he spots the nomadic clan of miners from the Legend of the Stone of Gelel movie, Amaru and her people from the Bonds movie, former prisoners from Orochimaru’s various hideouts, and more.
Whoa… it’s like someone took the Naruto franchise and made a tossed salad out of it… Overwhelmed, Jin takes a step back. “It’s amazing…!”
As the astonished Onikage happily surveys his surroundings like a child would in a toy store, the rest of the group converge at his location; they too stare in wonder at the gathering of so many people.
“And here we are, your new village!” An excited Akari says brightly, appearing at his side.
Jin is quick to correct her with, “It’s not my village. It’s OUR village.”
“I honestly wasn’t sure if we’d make it this far,” Rito says with a pleasantly surprised tone; he puffs out his chest with pride. “Well, what’re ya standin’ around here for, Lord Jin? Give a speech. Rally and inspire the people.”
“Whatever you say, ‘Doctor Rito,’ Head of the Science and Engineering Division.” The smirking Jin walks toward the center of the crowd, giving his friend the middle finger.
The snickering boy-genius chummily returns the gesture.
Okay, Jin… you fought in a war. You killed a god and a demon king… Public speaking’s gonna be easy as pie… The Onikage shakes his hands to relieve himself of his jitters; he takes a deep breath and weaves the Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger hand signs. “Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!”
Jin builds up his chakra and focuses it to a point in his chest, kneading it into an intense fire. Aiming upward, the Onikage spews forth a massive fireball; the jutsu ascends higher and higher until it is just below the cloud line where it then detonates in a brilliant fashion just like fireworks. In the wake of the explosion, Jin’s attack leaves behind the insignia of a certain scarlet speedster; it burns brightly for several seconds before ultimately fading away.
The display did the trick and now all eyes are on the Onikage; he freezes in place as he is burned by everyone’s gaze. However, the snake sage quickly takes a deep breath and recomposes himself.
“I'd like everyone's attention. The world as we knew it is gone…” Jin begins his speech, talking with a calm yet firm tone. Don’t make eye contact, Jin. J-Just… Just focus on the space between their eyes…
Oh, God… I wish I was back in war! Fighting is so much easier than this…! Jin feels his heart racing, but he wears a poker face as he stands strong and continues. “Now that the 4th Great Ninja War is over, the winds of change are blowing, a new era is beginning. But we will not let that be a source of panic and defeat…”
As the Onikage speaks, he notices some people nodding in the crowd; Rito and Mileena are smiling from among the masses, giving him a thumbs up; Itsu can be seen sitting on Mecha-Naruto’s shoulders, watching him intently. Seeing this, Jin gradually finds it less and less nerve-racking to speak to the masses.
“We have an opportunity to build something together--a village, a home each of us can be vested in. We all come from different walks of life with differing ideologies, but every one of you is here because you believe we can evolve past our differences. I think so, too. Either we succeed together, or we fail alone, but we will not fail. We will prevail. Each of us will be defined by our actions in the near future. Stand fast. Stand strong. Stand together. Welcome to the Village Hidden Among the Thunderstorms.”
*Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!*
*Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!*
*Whistle!*
*Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!*
The moment Jin finishes speaking, he is met with thunderous applause; they really, truly responded to his words. However, the Onikage is unable to bask in the moment.
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“*sigh*” Gathering his bearings, Jin leans back in the jeep's passenger side.
The anxious Onikage buries his face in his hands; it feels like a millennium has passed when his heart finally slows down. Mileena has shapeshifted into a hoodie which he wears as he quietly keeps to himself.
A concerned Rito walks up to him and asks,” Jin… you alright?”
“I’m fine, j-just… Just let me recharge in peace.” Jin sighs.
The emotionally drained Kage reaches for his sketchbook and begins to draw; he slowly depicts Naruto, Goku, Ichigo, and Luffy together in the Team 7 photo pose; he may not like One Piece and Bleach was just a teenage phase for him, but he still appreciates the picture of them he saw online.
“Y’know, when I was a kid, I never really thought about it.” Jin says while still drawing, not looking up.
“Thought ‘bout what?” Rito asks.
“The Chosen One trope.” The Onikage clarifies while drawing Ichigo’s sword. “By the time I was in my high school sophomore year--maybe junior year--I started questioning WHY the fate of the world had to rest on a SINGULAR person’s shoulders.”
Head tilting to one side, the genius queries, “Where are ya going with this?”
“Now that I’ve experienced firsthand the ‘fun’ of being the Chosen One, I can now say with absolute certainty that I HATE it. I want to make a ninja village so strong that anyone and everyone can be the chosen one if they wish. And when everyone’s the chosen one…? No one will be…”
As Jin vents and tells Rito his new long-term goal, his strokes become much sharper and thicker; his artwork slowly begins to resemble the more dynamic scenes depicted in Storm 3 and 4’s boss fights.
“I will crush the Otsutsuki clan with both quantity AND quality, and every other idiot who tries to fuck up the world!” As Jin continues speaking, his Rinnegan turn red. “I want an army of super-soldier ninjas to fight them. I want bioweapons to make them weak with disease. And I want a giant laser superweapon to shoot them with.”
“Wha…? Where the hell are you gonna get a Death Star laser from?” Rito can’t help but scoff at his friend’s desires.
“I know where to get one, and I already killed the dumbass who owns it.”
(Author’s Note: Jin’s talking about what happened way back in Chapter 9.)