The Samurai's Apprentice(part 3)[private, flashback]

Age : 25 Posts : 175

[3 years ago]

Crono walked home, he looked at the headband in his hand. The graduation ceremony was redundant to him. But he had, at least, proven himself to be worthy of the name comrade within the ninja village. He still had yet to prove himself within his own clan.

It had been a year sense Surge had been promoted to village Jonin and had passed the clans test to accend to lead the clan as Shogun. Crono however, was still just an apprentice. While he was now a village genin, until he proved himself to be promoted within the clan as an aonisaibushi he would remain within the village. His brother had proven his promise true. They had grown strong... Together. However, his brother still only saw him as someone who needed to be protected. It would still be some time before he could prove his worth and earn his rank.

Onimaru had stepped down as leader once Surge had earned the right to inherit his father's legacy, however he remained with him as his most trusted mentor and adviser. Just as he had done with both Crono's and Surge's father. Gripping his boken, Crono began walking toward the training grounds. The streets were partially crowded. It was midday, most of the villagers were preforming their daily duties or at home. It wasn't going to get too crowded for a few more hours. His eyes scanned the skyline, the hokage monument, and the village HQ all in the distance.

Looking back down he gazed at the headband with the leaf emblem, his thumb brushed it, feeling the grooves and ending inside the swirl of the uzumaki. Without a second thought, he stuffed the headband into his blue pouch. The sky was a nice shade of blue, few clouds. Although today was a nice day, Crono got the feeling he would be needing an umbrella tomorrow. The dirt road of the village quickly changed into grass as he entered the training grounds.

Scanning the treeline he quickly saw the person he was looking for. A tall man, eyepatch over his left eye, Crono's sensei, Onimaru. Crono quickly hurried over to him. "Onimaru-sama" he exclamed. The elder samurai walked over to him and placed his hands on crono's shoulders. "Well done, Crono" he looked at him in the eyes. "Your brother may not see it yet, but you are stronger then he was." a big smile came over his face. "You've got the will of iron in your blood, my boy." His face got more serious. "Now let's see you use it. "

Onimaru lowered his arms from crono's shoulders. Reaching into his kimono he grabbed a small unassuming kunai. It's shape and form identical to millions of others across the land. "Now, Crono. Usually one needs a weapon to be crafted from a special alloy that conducts chakra in order to properly cover a weapon in chakra. " Crono looked to the man, and watched the kunai in his hand. He knew what was about to happen. It was one of the special techniques of the samurai. A technique that he had already learned and was familar with. However, what onimaru had said was true, he had required a weapon made with a special material in order for him to use the ability.

"But sensei, I already know how to use the samurai saber technique" he questioned. The elder man just smiled. "Yes, Crono.... but have you mastered being able to use it on weapons that do not normally conduct chakra, like this kunai?" and with those words, Onimaru's kunai overflowed with chakra and became a conduit for overflowing energy that shot out from the tip and extended outwards creating a blade made of pure chakra.

Crono was now intrigued. Already he had began contemplating the applications of such a use. Anything, even that of a simple stick picked off the ground, now held within it the power to be used as a weapon. "H-how did you do that?" the young samurai asked. The elder deactivated the technique causing his chakra to seemingly suck back into his hand from the kunai. Handing the weapon to crono, handle first he began explaining. Crono instantly took the throwing weapon and held it in his hand. "First, Crono, you must feel the natural frequency of the object. Be it wooden, metal, or even a blade of grass." Crono looked confused. Natural frequency? "What do you mean, sensei? how can I detect that?" He questioned. Gripping the kunai he tried to activate the Samurai Sabre technique, however it only fizzled out. "Well Crono, the reason you can normally use the ability with chakra conductive alloys is because those sorts of metals change their frequency to match your chakra signature. However, if you can make your chakra's frequency match that of an object to begin with. You can channel chakra into any object. "

The boy still looked confused as before. "First, you need to make your chakra vibrate in your hand Crono. In order to do that form chakra in your hand holding the kunai, palm up. This way we can watch the kunai." Crono nodded and held the kunai in his left hand while he began to channel some chakra into his hand. "Now start with just a little bit of chakra Crono." Crono nodded as he focused, lowering the amount of chakra in his hand, the whole while the kunai in his hand began to vibrate on his palm.

"It's moving, I can feel it!" Crono Exclaimed. Onimaru nodded. "Good, now what you want to do is slowly compress that chakra in your hand. The more compressed your chakra is, the higher frequency it will be." Crono stopped him before he could finish. "But Sensei, how will I know what is the right frequency of the kunai?" The elderly man pulled out another kunai from within his robes and held it in his hand. "Because, Crono. When you find the right frequency... the kunai will no longer vibrate, Your chakra will no longer fight against it and will flow into it as smoothly and easily as this. "

The elder Filled his hand with a small amount of chakra, instantly the kunai began to vibrate against the frequency of the chakra. Slowly, Onimaru compressed his chakra into a smaller and smaller ball until suddenly in an instant, the chakra in his hand quickly absorbed into the kunai and the kunai lay still within his hand. "You have to be careful Crono, if you continue compressing your chakra after this point, your frequency will become too high and the chakra will be pulled back out. From this point you just need to keep your chakra flowing at this compression and then you can use your techniques on anything. "

Crono paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Slowly he began closing his hand around the kunai, physically compressing his chakra to find that one sweet spot. In an instant, the chakra compressed within his hand soaked into the kunai, like water to a sponge. " I did it!" Crono exclamed. So excited he dropped the kunai, the chakra instantly fading from it before it struck the ground. "Aragh!" and with that the red-haired samurai expressed his aggravation. "Damn it!" Onimaru looked to the boy. "Again, focus this time."

"Yes, Sensei" Crono obliged, picking up the small weapon from the ground. Once again he tried to focus his chakra, this time he found the frequency much quicker and had the kunai emblazoned with his power. "Okay, I got it, sensei" the master looked to his apprentice. "Good, now use the technique of our people, but this time, keep the chakra flowing at this level of compression. " Crono sighed. It was gonna be tough. Compressing his chakra like this meant that he needed to use more chakra then normal, but at the same time, if he used too much, the frequency would change and the chakra would be repelled from the kunai. with no place to go, it would shoot out and could injure him.

"Here goes nothing." Crono's hand closed around the kunai, As the boy focused he began to force his chakra to flow into the small weapon, until it suddenly began to shoot out from the tip, creating a chakra blade almost three feet tall. Onimaru was impressed. "Well done, Crono. I would have thought that your level of control of your chakra would be severely diminished, thanks to it sealing and fighting the beast inside of you. But, I appear to be mistaken. You must have left quite an impression on the five-tails for him not to be constantly fighting you. " Crono looked to the ground, the kunai reabsorbing the chakra that was extending from it and lost it's glow. The red-haired samurai's hand moved to his stomach to cover the seal located under his clothes. "I-I guess so..." he muttered out. Onimaru tried to understand, but even he was ignorant to the situation Crono was in. He would never know how one could define a relationship with a tailed-beast. "Okay Crono, head home, we're done today." Crono snapped back to reality and bowed to his master. "Hai!" before walking off of the training grounds, heading back home.

"Is there something wrong, Crono-kun?" A voice muttered from deep within him. Crono thought a moment before replying to him. Were they friends? He'd like to think so. Why was it that everyone saw the beast inside him as just a tool. Like a tool, he was being honed and tempered and manipulated to be used as a weapon. But, Crono wasn't....No, he couldn't be manipulating him. Was it really difficult to "tame" a tailed-beast. What defines being tame. Do you tame a friend out of a stranger? No, right? It just didn't make sense.

"Crono-kun?" the voice stated again, this time snapping the young teen out of his train of thought. "My apologies Kokuo-ue. I have alot on my mind." The dolphin-horse thought a moment as well. "There's no need to be so formal, Crono-kun. Come, Speak your mind." He had hoped to alleviate the sudden amount of tension between them, but what came next would shock even the ancient beast.

"Are we friends?" The young boy spoke to the beast. "You are sealed within me, you are my prisoner.. And whether I like it or not, I'm the warden" Kouko paused at the boy's statement. A small beetle flew past Crono's head and landed upon a small open flower. It's slippery surface instantly caused the bug to slide down the slick sides and into a pool of water within, slowly drowning the tiny bug. The Beast replied back to the child "We are, what you think we are. Only you can decide if you trust me. You know me better then most, after all. Am I a beast that needs to be subdued, a weapon to be wielded in battle, or a lifelong friend. That is for you to decide." The beast stopped for a moment before continuing, he thought back to his previous hosts and the battles within. "There will come a day, when this seal is no longer separating us. When that day comes we will both make a choice. We will either fight. I will attempt to gain control of your body, you will attempt to wrestle my chakra from me; Or perhaps I will grant you my power willingly and you will trust me as a friend to not betray you. However, That day is far off. I have yet to be swayed in either direction, as have you, I hope." Crono thought about what Kokuo had said.

"I... I don't want to fight you... You're my friend" the boy cried out, a tear developing in his eye. The reality of his curse had really sunk in. He spoke those words, but did he really mean them. Would he, Could he bet... his life.. on them? All his life he was told of the dangers of the beast within him, yet all he knew from Kokuo was someone whom he had developed a great respect for. The beast within broke the uneasy silence. "Then you are mine. Don't dwell on this any more. That day I spoke of is still a long ways off. Go on, Let's hurry home before your brother scolds you for dawdle-ling" Crono nodded, before taking off in a sprint.

Kokuo was right, that day would be far off. He didn't need to burden himself with doubts of the future. Instead he would focus on the now, and force his brother to see his strength. Now that he knew the paths that lie before him, he knew which road he would strive to walk upon, and regardless of what others may say... He would walk that path.