Legacy [ Naruto Reader-Insert ]

The Void

You need to delve deeper into how the Shintenshin works to understand it fully. The last time you tried it, it ended up a big failure. But you don't know what caused it to fail. Was it because the Kiri-nin had some defense mechanism in his mind to prevent Konoha from retrieving valuable information from him? Is it because you got pulled into his memories, making him relive the darkest times in his life?

That would make a whole lot of sense since there's still a lot of animosity between the two villages and why he intervened right when the other boy was about to stab him.

From what you've surmised from your little trip into his mind, there is a void with multiple 'tunnels of light' leading into different parts of their memories. Just a speculation, nothing concrete as of yet. Keirai didn't stop his training lessons with you but he always manages to steer the purpose of the lessons away from anything resembling basic Shintenshin practice and theory, or anything that has to do with Yin release at all.

You've tried asking him about the hows and whys of the jutsu itself, but he just deflects the conversation elsewhere.

Like basic fuinjutsu theory, which is important since having an extra skill in your arsenal definitely helps with covering your own weak spots. The way that he had explained it to you made you feel really asinine, your brain almost self-imploding from the detailed formula of barrier tags.

It's surprisingly complicated for only setting up a barrier with just four tags, you think, until he tells you that this particular one powers itself by drawing latent chakra from nature and lasts for seven minutes. One that he'd gotten from an acquaintance from the Barrier Division.

Oh. This is useful. Extremely useful.

With this in your arsenal, you'd be able to force enemies into a one on one situation and prevent them from creating distance to bombard you with more long-range ninjutsu, your apparent weakness. With your speed in consideration, you'd be able to keep people in, trapped in a genjutsu, in a barrier.

Or out.

Since your ninjutsu is pretty lacking, according to a certain Uchiha boy, this would be good enough. You hope.

____

You slip into Shikamaru's room using your favorite route (the scenic one), the one where you took the long way in. Walking along the outer walls of the Nara Clan's territory with your hands gliding against the concrete as you take in the faint smoky scent of sandalwood incense coming from the main shrine up front.

It calms your nerves, it always has. You remember running here when you need some time alone to think and to comfort yourself from the endless teasing of your classmates. Then one day, Shikamaru was there, watching the sky from his window when he saw you, against the far walls, legs close in a fetal position as you buried your face into your knees.

He must have watched you for a while before he finally caved and invited you in with a big sigh and a complaint. From then on, you'd just invite yourself over every single moment you could, not quite caring about the time of day.

The moment your right food enters the threshold of his room, a barrage of kunai comes raining at your face. You just purse your lips and let out a little sigh.

With a flick of your wrist, you pluck one before it hits your face and positioned the blade to intercept all of the others, causing the rest to clatter harmlessly on the tatami mats.