32 KAI!

"Three years?!" Jin was not pleased. He didn't really want to go back to being a normal person after becoming a ninja.

"Yes, during these three years, you will stay here. We are meant to protect you and teach you, bring out your potential and become your allies before letting you go." Karasu couldn't let Jin leave the Canyon for if something happened to him during the time in which he was fusing with Ojou-sama, he would incur the wrath of the gods on his clan. This opportunity was a blessing but also a curse.

"We of the crow clan, have been on this planet for longer than you humans. My good friend Gamamaru and I are the oldest animals on this earth. He is senile though, as he doesn't possess my level of longevity." Karasu laughed out loud. His clan was quite tenacious. And seemed to have an inferiority complex.

"Gamamaru?" He remembered the old toad prophet in Naruto, the one that fought alongside the sage of the six paths and his brother. How old was this person? "Are you a crow too?"

"Indeed, but I keep a human form to better move through the world and communicate with people. Back to the topic, Our clan's strengths mainly lie in wind style and genjutsu. We do have a large background in Fuuinjutsu though, as I have contacts with the Uzumaki."

"The Uzumaki Clan's Fuinjutsu?... Was that scroll from earlier..." Jin took out an ominous scroll from his pouch.

"Indeed, well deduced. That scroll contains an introduction to the art of sealing, I will personally take care of your learning in this area during the next three years. Although you won't be using chakra, It will be good to learn all of the knowledge first to build a strong foundation."

Jin was ecstatic, this was the best news he had heard yet. He was going to learn from someone in Rikudou's generation. Unbelievable, right?

"Alright then. With that out of the way, what is your opinion on all of this?" Karasu was curious about the kid's mindset.

Jin thought hard. This seemed to deviate from the original plot of Naruto by a large margin, and he seemed to be a chosen one of some kind. The pressure was on him, to do what was right. He disliked that but then thought of his family.

"If I reach the top, I will be able to prevent everyone from eventually dying. I was chosen to become God's apostle, so I will do so to the best of my ability." One day, he would be back. And that day, he would be stronger.

"Kukukuku... Good answer." Karasu smiled and continued. "Do you know about nature energy?"

Jin's face lit up, sage mode?! He decided to play it cool though, he was a six year old now.

"No?"

"Well, You won't learn it until you're older anyway. With your current body, the Nature energy of this place will be too strong for you to absorb. One day you will come here and I will gladly teach it to you." Karasu got up and walked towards a nearby statue. He then lifted it with ease. "This was done through my sheer physical strength. Not natural energy, our sage mode is quite different from the toad's. I will train your body and mind during these three years." Karasu laughed sadistically in his head, the kid would suffer in his hands.

Jin hid his disappointment and nodded. He would train hard from now on.

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At the cat fortress, Hideki was having a fight against the leader of the cats, Nekomata. It wasn't the same one as in the anime though, this one was black and seemed more physically based than genjutsu-reliant.

The battle was hard, and Hideki finally got defeated. The cat wasn't going easy on him.

"Neko-san, take it more seriously! I know you are holding back!" Hideki was very frustrated.

"Nyahahahahaha, Hideki-chan, if I went hard on you I would kill you!" Nekomata started to like his new disciple more and more.

"Grrrr..." What would Jin do here? Hideki thought back to his lost cousin and almost cried, getting emotional, he shouted and his eyes turned into a three comma Sharingan. He sent three fireballs Nekomata's way.

The big cat had a hint of fear as it dodged two of the flames, but the last one, unfortunately, hit it. it disappeared and reappeared behind Hideki, knocking him out with a paw strike. A little mouse was seen burning in its stead.

"Damn, you are going to get strong, nya."

With a laugh, it picked Hideki and brought him to his room, where it let him rest on the bed. Hideki started crying as he slept, apparently having dreams of his Aniki and how they had had so many fun times together. It was a depressing sight to behold.

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Far away, in the land of the stone, a lonely Uchiha boy was standing on a cliff, looking at the moon. It was none other than Fugaku.

He was proud, but then and there, he cried for the first time in his life. He had to admit, Jin was important to him. His eyes also awakened as a look of resolve appeared on his face.

He took out a map and looked at it. From what his father had told him, the Komodo clan, close relatives to the snake clan, resided in this area. He would go there and prove his worth to become part of them.

"Jin, Watch me. I will become the greatest clan-head ever. Even stronger than Madara!" With his sickle shining under the moonlight, he took off.

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In an unspecified location, A man and a child, one with dreads and one with large eyebrows, were sitting by a waterfall, meditating as birds landed on their heads.

Chen was teaching Duy the art of self-discipline and understanding through meditation. In order to learn his secret technique, he would have to master himself first.

As he got up, the birds dispersed.

"Duy, go through the rules."

"Hai. Master your emotions, understand yourself, tame your fears and set a goal. A ninja way."

"Good, What is your nindo?"

"To become the strongest ninja ever through the use of Taijutsu only!"

"Hahahahahah! Good! You are ready." Chen smiled from ear to ear, as he bent his knees a little and got into a power-up stance.

"Watch me, Duy. This is my ultimate technique, the eight gates. I do not use it because I dislike pain, so I usually use the leaf dragon. I will show this one to you, hoping you can use it better than I ever could. HAAAA!"

The air around Chen started to become unstable as Duy was pushed back a little.

"First gate! Gate of opening! KAI!" A boom was heard as a vein popped out on Chen's forehead.

"Listen carefully! This is the gate of opening, located in the brain, removes the restraints of the brain on the muscles, effectively allowing you to use one-hundred percent of your strength!"

"What?! You're to cool, Chen-Sensei!" Even Duy understood such a ridiculous concept.

"Hahaha, now, Second Gate! Gate of Healing! KAI!" Another vein popped out on his forehead as a cylinder of compressed wind appeared around him.

"Duy! This is the gate of healing! Also located in the brain, it forcibly increases the user's physical strength and temporarily re-energizes the body!"

"Not done yet! Third Gate! Gate of life! KAI!" A third vein popped out as his skin turned red.

"This is the gate of life! it increases the speed of your blood flow!" Chen's body was starting to make weird noises. He stopped and closed the gates back up.

"Okay, now I need to rest. You meditate on what you saw for now. When I come back, I will teach you the primary lotus, using the first gate."

"Hai Sensei!" Duy was more than excited. With this, he could reach the top! "Sensei, what happens when you open the eighth gate?"

Chen's face went dark, and he looked at his disciple with a serious look, to which Duy gulped in fear.

"Opening all the gates up to the seventh will cause massive damage to your body. If you open the last one, you will gain power equal to that of the Kages, but at the expensive cost of your life."

"Death?!" Duy was scared silly.

"That is why you will promise me one thing before I teach you this technique. You will only use it when you are defending your own nindo from being challenged! To prove your purpose as a ninja!"

Goosebumps started appearing on Duy's skin as he shouted.

"Hai!" He then went back to meditating.

"Heh, he will become strong, this one... Ahh, I need to stretch. Why aren't there any beautiful women in this damn secluded forest!"