Naruto - Azure Awakening

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"What the hell is that thing made of?" Sona grumbled, tightening her grip on the blade as she resumed her assault.

Every strike landed with a dull thud, sending sharp vibrations up her arms, but Kaoru remained completely unharmed, wrapped inside the shell of his water octopus.

And still, she didn't stop.

Her physique, like most Leviathans, was built for endurance. As long as her limbs weren't broken, pain wasn't enough to make her hesitate.

'It might look like I'm winning because she can't break through,' Kaoru thought, bracing himself with each hit, 'but every strike is draining my chakra just to keep this thing together.'

He clenched his teeth. His defense was holding, but it wouldn't last much longer.

'Then let's stop defending, I've already tested it enough anyway.'

The tentacles twitched, then sharpened as Kaoru changed their density and shape, angling them like blades. In a blink, they lashed out from both sides.

Sona's eyes narrowed. She kicked the octopus's surface and used the recoil to pivot into a clean backflip, barely dodging the crushing swipe. But the moment her feet touched the ground, she sensed it - Kaoru wasn't finished.

Dozens of water needles manifested in the air, glinting dark blue as they launched at her from all directions.

"I'm not that easy," she muttered, grinning as she charged forward, opting to break through the barrage.

Her blade moved fast, cleanly slicing through the needles in bursts of mist, but then something cold and wet coiled around her leg.

'When did he…?!'

A thick, translucent tentacle had snuck beneath the assault. It squeezed tightly, anchoring her in place.

Sona reacted instantly, swinging her sword down and slicing it off, freeing herself.

But that delay was all Kaoru needed.

Another volley of needles shot toward her in a tight spiral formation.

Kaoru panicked for a split second, worried they might actually land, until her chakra burst outward, deflecting the projectiles.

His Suijingan flared instinctively, tracking her chakra flow.

'What the hell is this?'

The wild, violent energy that erupted around her slowly stilled, forming a shimmering aura that wrapped her body like a second skin. Intricate patterns glowed to life across her limbs, eventually merging into two glowing circles that branded themselves onto her fists.

'This… is this Leviathan Sage Mode?'

He didn't get time to analyze further.

Sona was already moving.

"I'm surprised you pushed me this far," she said, eyes alight with something between madness and glee. "But now you're dead."

She slammed her foot into the ground, cracking the smooth stone floor beneath her. Then she vanished.

Kaoru barely registered her movement before she was already swinging her blade.

The curved sword that once shimmered with white light was now black and it radiated an aura that reeked of death.

It cleaved through the octopus like it was tofu.

The blade neared Kaoru's face

And then suddenly stopped.

A thick tentacle wrapped around Sona's waist had yanked her backward mid-swing, saving Kaoru at the very last second.

"Why did you intervene? I was going to stop, you know. I just wanted to scare him a little…" Sona muttered, dangling upside down from her brother's grip, her legs flailing slightly in frustration.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Soma snapped, his voice sharp, his face red with anger. "How is that supposed to help him learn?"

"You're no fun," she shot back, puffing her cheeks, but she couldn't meet his eyes. "I was just showing him what real Leviathan power looks like."

Soma scoffed. The heat in his voice turned to mockery. "And what would you know about our true strength?" he said, shaking his head. "He hasn't even learned the first step. And you used the final form of the second - that's not training, Sona. That's bullying."

"I'm not talking to you anymore," Sona huffed and yanked herself free, flipping upright and stomping over to where her blades had fallen.

Soma didn't let up. "Oh come on, admit it. You were losing. You panicked and went all out because you were about to be humiliated. I saw the look on Kaoru's face, he thought you were in danger. That's why he hesitated. If you kept pushing, he would've buried you." He burst into laughter.

Sona's ears flushed red, and she clenched her jaw hard enough to crack her teeth, but she said nothing. She just picked up her swords, turned her back, and started walking away.

Kaoru stood off to the side, still frozen, trying to process what had just happened.

His thoughts were all over the place. A moment ago he was terrified that Sona might die and now she had almost killed him.

'Soma is definitely stronger than her… but I learn more from fighting Sona. She fights to win. No holding back, no pulling punches. She pushes me to the edge every time.' He rubbed the back of his head, trying to shake off the lingering tension. 'But… was she really going to kill me?'

He glanced at her again. Sona was walking away now, head lowered, gripping blades tighter than usual.

Then, suddenly, she turned back.

She walked toward Kaoru slowly. Her expression wasn't angry this time.

"I'm sorry if I went too far," she said quietly, eyes locked on his. "I swear on my mother's memory, I was going to stop."

She didn't wait for a reply.

She just gave him a strained smile, bitter and soft, then turned and walked away, her steps heavy with something Kaoru couldn't quite grasp.

He stood there, watching her go.

'What the hell just happened?'

Sona had annoyed him ever since they met. She was wild, unpredictable, sharp-tongued, and pushy. But now Kaoru found himself watching her back, her shoulders hunched ever so slightly, the way her head tilted down like she didn't want him to see her face.

Her eyes had been misty.

'That was the first time she said something I actually believed.'

He was still thinking about it when Soma walked up beside him, holding a scroll.

"She's a good one," Soma said, his tone calmer now. "She just gets carried away."

Kaoru nodded slowly, still processing it.

"Elder Ogashi asked me to give you this," Soma continued, handing him the scroll. "Tomorrow we're celebrating our tribe's founding. The scroll has everything you'll need to know."

With that, Soma gave him a small smile, turned, and left, leaving Kaoru standing alone in the empty training ground.

…

The moment Kaoru opened his eyes, he sensed something was different. The usually still and silent tribe buzzed with movement and chatter, like an underground current had come alive. Faint laughter echoed from outside his home, accompanied by the distinct slapping sound of bare feet against the polished stone streets as kids were especially energetic today.

'Is this what a celebration sounds like here?' he thought, rubbing his eyes and stretching, the soft, warm blanket still draped over him.

He walked toward the window and looked outside.

Leviathans were everywhere.

Dozens of them, maybe hundreds, had gathered in the central plaza. Their homes, usually quiet and dignified, were now alive with colorful ornaments, crystal lanterns that swayed in rhythmic pulses of weird, tiny glowing organisms. 

They hadn't changed physically. Still the same dark blue hair and glowing cyan eyes, but their tentacles moved freely and full of energy, helping them carry trays, decorations, and whatever else they needed. Their clothes were also more colorful, with engravings showing various parts of their long history.

One particularly short Leviathan darted by Kaoru's window, balancing four large spheres on the tips of his tentacles like a juggler, while another followed, yelling about ruining the "ritual proportions."

'And here I thought the Takime clan was traditional,' Kaoru blinked, still groggy. 'These guys are on a whole different level of old-fashioned weird.'

He threw on the cloak Ogashi had given him, still his favorite, and stepped outside, immediately met with a rush of cold air.

"There you are!" he heard a shout from the side.

Anya ran up to him, waving one hand while her other hand, well, tentacle, held up a skewer stacked with thick cuts of glistening, oddly shaped meat.

"I brought you this. You have to try it, but you can't ask what it is until after you eat it," she said, grinning mischievously.

"Uh…" Kaoru hesitated. "That's not exactly reassuring."

"Tradition!" she chirped and shoved the skewer into his hand.

Kaoru stared at the meat. It was lightly charred on the edges, almost glowed faintly like everything else in this village, and smelled… incredible. Against better judgment, he took a bite.

The moment the meat hit his tongue, he froze.

It was tender but dense, something between eel and beef. It melted the second he bit into it, bursting with a buttery, spicy flavor that somehow tingled at the back of his throat and made his chakra stir faintly.

"What is this?" he asked, coughing slightly. "It feels like it's alive, like it just punched me."

"It's called Rinari. It's not from your world." Anya looked smug. "The flavor is different for everyone. Apparently, your taste buds think they're getting attacked."

"…I like it."

Kaoru followed her to the plaza, where even more Leviathans had gathered. Some were stacking colorful shells into high towers. Others formed rings and tossed glowing spheres using only their tentacles, shouting strange phrases that sounded like poetry and curses mashed together.

Ogashi stood near a stone podium in the center, wearing dark robes that looked older than time itself. He wasn't smiling, but his expression had the quiet pride Kaoru was starting to recognize.

"Enjoy yourself today, Kakaru," Ogashi called out, noticing him. "After this, your training will only get harsher."

'So this is their founding day,' Kaoru thought, watching two older Leviathans arguing over which moss was shinier.

'This village might be ancient and noble, but they're all weirdos.'

Still… he couldn't stop smiling.

Then he noticed Soma and Sona whispering, mischievous grins tugging at their faces.

'And here I was, thinking I'd get to relax and enjoy today,' Kaoru groaned inwardly. The twins were definitely scheming something.

He almost flinched when the two started walking toward him, their steps way too cheerful for it to mean anything good.

Still, he had no choice but to meet them, though Kaoru was already on high alert.

"Good morning, Kakaru," Sona laughed, clearly delighted by the name Ogashi had given him.

"He doesn't get your name right either, Silvia," Soma shot back at his sister, grinning.

"Kaoru, you probably don't know this because Elder Ogashi didn't include it in the scroll," Soma said, "but during the founding celebration, Leviathans give presents to those they most enjoy spending time with."

Then, from behind him, Soma pulled forward a huge, tall box and dropped it right in front of Kaoru with a heavy thud.

'How did he hide this?' Kaoru's eyes widened.

"Elder said he didn't want you feeling bad since you wouldn't have anything to give, so he left this part out. But that doesn't mean we can't get you something." Sona's grin widened, her eyes drifting excitedly toward the box.

"Open it! Open it!" she bounced on the balls of her feet.

Kaoru smiled, guilt creeping in for thinking they were going to prank him.

'Wait. This isn't actually a prank, right? If I open this and something jumps out at me... yeah, this seems like exactly the kind of thing Sona would do.'

He hesitated, hand halfway to the lid. His eyes flared to life as he scanned the box.

'No water particles… nothing alive. No liquid either.'

Relieved, Kaoru carefully slid the lid off the box.

Inside was a long object, completely wrapped in an intricate linen cloth.

"Hehe, you didn't think we'd just toss it inside without any care, did you?" Sona cackled, crouching down to see Kaoru's reaction up close.

He smiled again, watching the raw excitement on her face. Then he untied the knot and pulled back the cloth.

The moment his fingers touched the actual gift, he froze. His eyes widened, catching the glow reflected off its surface.

His voice came out quiet, almost breathless. 

"When… how did you make this so quickly?"

**

A/N -

Writing this Leviathan arc has been the perfect way to decompress. I already have the full outline for this part, so it's been a breeze to write, just a matter of molding character personalities and nudging the story along.

Originally, I wasn't planning to give Sona much depth, but the more I wrote her, the more I realized how much fun her sharp, chaotic energy adds to the dynamic. Her edginess, her unpredictability - yeah, Im starting to like her character xD

Not saying she'll become Kaoru's "summon"… but I'm also not not saying it :3

Reminder - Break Tomorrow

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The link is also in the synopsis