Naruto: Becoming Stronger through Bonds

Chapter 8: Kusanagi

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"It's just a birthday present. Is it worth a special trip?"

Ervin muttered, but still opened the wooden box.

Inside was a katana. The blade was slender and sharp, glinting with a cold light that made it seem as though it could slice through anything with ease. The hilt was wrapped in a snake-like textured layer, designed to increase grip friction.

Ervin's eyes widened. "Is this... the Kusanagi Sword?"

"Not bad," Danzo replied, his tone cold despite the pride in his heart. "Orochimaru heard it was your birthday and asked me to deliver it to you. Consider it a gift from both of us."

Ervin: "..."

- I don't believe you. Orochimaru would never be so generous as to gift me Kusanagi Sword.

If Ervin didn't know what kind of person Orochimaru was, he might have actually believed it.

Still, he was genuinely touched.

Ervin knew that to acquire this sword, Danzo must have either threatened Orochimaru or struck a deal with him.

Whichever the case, it wouldn't have come cheap.

Whatever Danzo's dealings with others, when it came to his grandson, he was attentive and sincere, with no ulterior motives.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Ervin said softly.

Danzo froze, stunned.

Was this... the first time Ervin had ever called him "Grandpa"?

[Host and Shimura Danzo's bond has reached the third stage (final level). Reward: One Standard Jōnin Chakra, Special Talent - 'Ninja World Darkness.']

[Ninja World Darkness: Host can hide in any shadow, with concealment comparable to the 'Mayfly Technique.']

Ervin froze too.

Just calling him "Grandpa" brought the bond to the highest level?

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Danzo coughed, breaking the awkward silence.

"It's getting late, Ervin. Go rest. You have school tomorrow. Remember, don't lose to the Uchiha," Danzo said, his tone returning to its usual sternness.

"Okay," Ervin nodded, picking up the box containing the sword and heading back to his room.

As he walked, he made a decision in his heart.

- It's too embarrassing for the old man to die while sealing the bridge. When I Grow up, I'll take over the Root. It's better for this old man to stay at home and enjoy his retirement.

__________

Sitting on his bed, Ervin played with the Kusanagi Sword for a while before beginning to tally his gains from the day.

[Name: Shimura Ervin]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 6 years old]

[Date of Birth: April 1, Year 46 of the Konoha Calendar]

[Chakra Attributes: Fire (Genius), Wind (Genius), Yang (Excellent), Earth (Good), Yin (Genius)]

[Total Chakra: 1.1 Standard Jōnin Chakra]

[Chakra Control Talent: Genius]

[Mastered Ninjutsu: Three Body Technique (Proficient), Wind Style: Great Breakthrough (Normal), Fire Style: Blazing Fire (Normal)]

[Nature Transformation: Wind Attribute Chakra (Grandmaster)]

[Special Talents: Hope for Success, Mom Loves You, Senju Bloodline (Thin, Under Development), Swordsmanship Genius, Stealth Grandmaster, Ninja World Darkness, Mother-in-Law's Expectation]

The harvest could only be described as exaggerated.

Before today, he was merely a freshman in the ninja academy, albeit a genius among those his age.

But now, his chakra was comparable to that of a Jōnin. He had gained two additional chakra attributes and two more special talents.

Let's set aside the Earth attribute Chakra for now. Without genius-level talent, Ervin had no interest in pursuing it.

The Yin attribute, on the other hand, was an exceptionally valuable attribute.

Yin chakra was closely tied to spiritual abilities such as illusions and represented the power of the spirit, capable of manifesting the invisible into form.

For example, the shadow techniques of the Nara clan and the mind-transfer jutsu of the Yamanaka clan were all Yin-based ninjutsu—mysterious and unique in their function.

The Uchiha clan's Sharingan was also intrinsically linked to the Yin attribute.

In the future, Ervin was likely to gain a bond related to the Sharingan bloodline, making the development of his Yin attribute all the more critical.

However...

Ervin's gaze fell back on the box containing the Kusanagi Sword.

At this stage, his primary focus should be on swordsmanship. With his exceptionally strong Wind attribute Nature Transformation, the lethality of his attacks could rival Jōnin-level techniques.

As for the Standard Jōnin Chakra he had gained...

Ervin tried sensing it and discovered it was roughly fifty times that of a standard Genin and five times that of a standard Chūnin.

It had not yet reached the universal chakra measurement unit of the ninja world—the "card."

This made sense. Even Kakashi, despite constantly maintaining his Sharingan and requiring substantial chakra to do so, was a genius of Konoha. His chakra reserves could not be at the lowest end of the Jōnin spectrum.

The goal now was clear:

Focus on building more bonds, especially those offering second- and third-stage rewards, which could skyrocket his strength.

Ervin resolved to become a "social butterfly" of the ninja world. If he could bond with everyone, even the resurrected Sage of Six Paths would stand no chance against him.

---

The next day, Ervin returned to the ninja school as usual.

After yesterday's spectacle of blowing up the targets with detonating tags, his name had spread to other grades.

As long as people had a preliminary impression of him and he learned their names, a basic bond would be established.

After school, Ervin took Izumi home to join Ebikin's training sessions.

Although the tuition fee only covered teaching one student, Ebikin dared not raise the matter with the Shimura Clan. Begrudgingly, he taught both Ervin and Izumi together.

With the added boost from the Mother-in-Law's Expectation talent and the combat talent of Itachi, Ervin's progress was astonishing.

His proficiency in basic Konoha taijutsu had already surpassed that of many Genin who had graduated.

If this pace continued, Ebikin feared he would soon be out of a job.

For a moment, Ebikin found himself worried about his future.

Meanwhile, the black-haired loli, Izumi, wasn't burdened with such adult concerns. Her large, bright eyes sparkled as she watched Ervin in admiration.

- Ervin is so amazing. What he showed in school isn't even all of his strength. I have to work harder too—I can't fall to far behind!