Polytheistic peoples of many cultures have postulated a thunder god, the personification or source of the forces of thunder and lightning; a lightning god does not have a typical depiction, and will vary based on the culture.In Indo-European cultures, the thunder god is frequently known as the chief or King of the Gods, e.g. Marduk Indra in Hinduism, Zeus in Greek mythology, and Perun in. At the bridge, Aoi ambushed Idate's party again with the Sword of the Thunder God and cut the ropes, rendering the bridge useless. He managed to shock Idate and block Sasuke's Chidori, but not without getting the Sword of the Thunder God cracked by the strike. Sakura managed to save Sasuke from falling, then Naruto finished the rogue ninja with. The approximately 5” collectibles include the Kubikiribocho Sword, the Chakra Blade, the Dragon Blade, the Flying Thunder God Kunai (Hiraishin), a double-edged shuriken and the shinobi kunai. Along with the miniature weapons is a Hidden Leaf symbol pendant with a sturdy plastic wire necklace to suspend it from so that you can wear it. Naruto the Flying Thunder God Fanfiction. What if Naruto were smarter? What if his father's jutsu, the Hiraishin, we're a bloodline limit passed through the Namikaze clan but no one knew because of the trip tri-kunai that Minato had used? What if Sasuke weren't quite such an ass? The Sword of the Thunder God in use. It is, however, extremely valuable from a combat point of view, as Aoi claimed that the wielder of the blade was essentially invincible. However, if one relies on the sword too much, it was proven that with skill and teamwork, a jōnin wielding the sword can still be defeated by a pair of genin, albeit they.
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A girl dropped her ball on the dusty streets of Konoha. It dribbled past all the pedestrians and shop-owners, and landed at a blond boy's feet. He picked it up with a sheepish smile, wondering, will I find a friend today?
'Look, it's that boy,' a woman whispered loudly.
Another women shivered. 'He gives me the creeps,' she remarks.
The boy looked to the girl. He wanted to pass the ball back to her. But the girl's father yanked her arm away, and warned, 'Don't play with him,'
Hearing that, the boy bit his lip and ran away—just another day in Konohagakure. He wanted to tell them, 'I have a name! It's Naruto—ya' know!' but it'd be all for naught. The adults would merely glare and ignore him.
Finally, when Naruto couldn't run any more, he stopped and gasped for air near a ramen stand. He overheard Leaf ninja inside exclaim, 'What flavor! It tastes amazing!' as they heartily slurped in the noodles and sharply exhaled, satisfied.
Naruto's stomach growled, so he fished out some leftover coins from his pockets. He's wanted to try the noodles, let alone the soup and broth, ever since the stand opened. Anything other than the mushrooms he foraged and the occasional fish he's lucky enough to catch in the small creeks outside the village. The Old Man stopped by a week ago to give him that money. He hoped it was enough. Naruto counted out three small silver coins and five coppers, and sighed. It's not enough. Most of his allowance went to new shoes that week. And the week before he had to buy new clothes, as his old shirts and shorts were too tight and raggedy. He tried earlier in the day to see the Old Man to get more money. But the ninja guarding his office always turned the boy away. 'The Old Man's important,' they'd say, 'the whole village is his family, he has to take care of them all,'
But the boy didn't understand that. All the other kids had their own mothers and fathers. What do they need the Old Man for? Everyone else woke up to home cooked meals for breakfast, and were tucked in every night by someone. He cried to the Old Man not long ago, 'why don't I get a mother and father?'
The Old Man sighed, and started the same story he always told the boy. The Demon Fox came, and many innocent children were left orphans. But the boy didn't want to hear that story again. And he didn't want to live without parents or friends. The Old Man rubbed the temples of his head, and relented. He'll find the boy someone to play with him.
It's been a week since then, and no one the boy matched up with lasted longer than an afternoon. 'He's too loud and unruly,' they'd say, or they'd just call him, 'a troublesome boy.' But the mentors expected Naruto to be grateful; that he should be humbled that they'd spend time with him at all. If Naruto so much as protested, they'd label him a problem-child and leave. Yet, all the boy really wanted was someone to be happy for who he was.
Now, his belly grumbled. The boy sighed, and pocketed his loose change. He gave one last mournful look at the savory bowls of ramen in the stand. The slices of char siu pork glistened in the savory broth, the golden strands of noodles seemed endless, and the boy knew he'd eat it all up if given the chance. He grumbled. What he'd give for just one bowl, and he'd never ask for another.
Suddenly, a voice broke out behind him and happily said, 'It looks good, doesn't it?'
Naruto turned around. He saw a wide nose at first, and then two black eyes. It was a Leaf ninja, the headband shined across his forehead, and he had short, unkempt, and black hair. The shinobi wore a high-collared, dark outfit with a sword strapped to his back. The ninja smiled a toothy grin, 'Do you want a bowl?' he suddenly asked.
The boy was surprised. No one outside ever talked to him directly, let alone offer him anything. He shook his head, and stood still, nervous.
'Well, I'm not that hungry. I just want a taste,' the ninja said. He scratched his nose, 'It's a shame… all that food will get thrown out,'
'That's wasteful!' the boy suddenly exclaimed.
The ninja laughed, 'I guess so. If only I had someone to give the rest to,'
'Give it to me!' the boy demanded.
'I dunno…' the ninja teased, 'How do I know you won't finish it? It's a big bowl, after all,'
'I can finish it. Just watch!' the boy declared.
The ninja smirked, 'we'll see about that,' and the two entered the stand.
Once inside, a few of the other customers glared at Naruto. But the ninja glared back; if they had a problem then they'll have to deal with him. The customers quickly averted their gaze before Naruto realized what happened.
Then, the ninja made a single order: an extra-large miso ramen with char siu pork and all the toppings. The cook skillfully prepared the order, and rested the bowl right in front of the ninja. The steam curled up from the giant, ceramic bowl as its warmth seeped into the boy's bones. The ninja dipped his spoon into the broth, and collected a short, stretchy noodle.
The boy's head barely reached the countertop. The ninja could just see Naruto's bright, expectant eyes widen with anticipation. 'On second thought…' the ninja started, 'maybe you should have all of it,' and plopped the liquid back into the bowl. He slid the bowl down to the boy and ushered Naruto to taste.
The boy greedily wrapped as much of the noodles he could with chopsticks and stuffed his face full of them. He sipped the savory, salty broth and swallowed the juicy pork whole. Eating as if this meal were his last. Until finally, all that remained was a bowl of broth, which he raised to his mouth and slurped loudly.
The whole time the ninja didn't say a word, but watched as the big bowl covered the boy's entire head. He wondered how the boy managed to fare on his own for this long.
The boy exhaled sharply, pleased. He just found his new favorite food in the whole world. And nothing would compare to that moment.
The sun started to set once Naruto finished his bowl, and the ninja had to leave. But before he left, the boy realized he didn't know the kind man's name. He called out and asked for his name. The ninja teased the boy, 'Eh? Why should I tell you? I don't even know who you are,'
The boy grinned, proudly declaring, 'I'm Naruto, the next Hokage—'ya know!'
'Really now?' the ninja chuckled, and playfully said, 'Well, Naruto-the-next-Hokage, I'm Shisui,'
The bells rang away. They signaled the end of a boring lecture by Iruka-sensei. Naruto quickly gathered his things and sprinted out of the room. He roughly pushed away the other students clamoring to exit. Shisui said he'd come today. Naruto nearly skipped with excitement down the hallway, much to the other students' annoyance. But Naruto didn't care. The sooner he met with Shisui, the better. Shisui could help him with his studies, and Naruto would finally show a certain classmate how shuriken are really thrown.
Outside the Academy gates, a crowd of eager parents welcomed their children to take home. Some briefly glared at Naruto and stuck their noses high up in disgust as he flashed by. The adults were tall, and Naruto was really small. He couldn't see Shisui in the crowd, and for a moment worried that Shisui didn't come at all. But as he twirled about amongst the clamor, Naruto noticed that friendly grin and tanto blade Shisui carried so proudly. The Uchiha leaned against a tree with an empty swing.
Once Shisui stood up to greet the small boy, Naruto's eyes brightened and he tackled the Uchiha. He wrapped his tiny arms around one of Shisui's legs.
Shisui chuckled, 'Hey, careful Naruto. You're so strong, I nearly fell over!' But Naruto kept grinning from ear to ear.
Then, the sound of sandals shuffled by, and a tall, looming figure entered Naruto's sight.
'Oh, Itachi,' Shisui cocked his head back. He greeted the man, 'picking up Sasuke today?'
'My father was busy at the police office today,' Itachi said, 'so I figured I'd surprise my little brother for once,'
Naruto's chest tightened, and remembered what happened today at practice with Sasuke. The boy looked away from Itachi. He opted to hide behind Shisui and pretend he never saw the ninja.
Shisui didn't seem to notice, and continued his conversation. He happily chatted Itachi's ear off on just about anything: the weather, their clan, and their recent missions. It seemed as if Shisui held Sasuke's older brother in high regard. Naruto kept himself from Itachi's view, worried that the tall ninja would see him and try and talk to him.
'Big brother!' a familiar voice sent shivers up Naruto's spine. He yanked his head backward and noticed that kid happily sprint towards them.
Naruto pulled on Shisui's shirt, 'Shisui, let's go!'
'Go?' Shisui blinked, 'go where?'
'Anywhere but here,' Naruto muttered, 'I don't want to-'
But before Shisui and him left, Sasuke ran up and embraced his elder brother. 'What are you doing here? I thought father was supposed to pick me up today! And Shisui, you're here too! Why are you-' And then that kid locked eyes with Naruto. Sasuke's smile disappeared, 'What's he doing here?'
'Ah,' Shisui smiled, 'so you know Naruto? I'm his mentor,'
'Mentor?' Sasuke furrowed his brow, confused.
Naruto shifted uneasily as he looked up to Shisui. He didn't like how formal the word sounded.
'Yeah,' Shisui explained, 'the Hokage personally asked me to keep this little monster out of trouble,' and then the Uchiha ruffled the blond's hair. Naruto brushed Shisui's hand away. He knew Shisui meant it as a joke, but the idea of that kid hearing him say it made Naruto mad.
'Is he your classmate, Sasuke?' Itachi asked.
Sasuke nodded, 'He's been in my class since the first day,'
'Is that so?' Shisui said, 'Why don't we get together and train, eh?'
Naruto Sword Of The Thunder God
'No way!' both Naruto and Sasuke suddenly exclaimed.
Shisui stood still and blinked dumbfounded.
'Big brother,' Sasuke told Itachi, 'you promised you'd train me in kunai when you got the time. I want to do that rather than hang around this kid!'
'You promised it'd just be the two of us, Shisui!' Naruto cried to his mentor.
Adults still waiting for their kids whispered amongst themselves. 'He's so loud,' they'd say, and 'what a troublesome kid.'
Shisui glared at the ones uttering those words and they quickly fell silent. Then Shisui knelt down to Naruto and asked, 'What did you have in mind today then?'
'I want you to train me in shuriken techniques!' Naruto said.
'Yeah, you could use the work,' Sasuke dropped, 'Especially after what happened today,'
Naruto glared at Sasuke, whom glared back in disdain.
'Oh? What happened today?' Shisui asked Naruto.
'Ah, well…' Naruto laughed nervously, 'we practiced throwing shuriken today, that's all—ya' know?'
'Yeah, right!' Sasuke said, 'You nearly hit Iruka-sensei in the face with one and didn't even hit the target once!'
'It was a joke!' Naruto shot off, 'just a joke—ya' know!'
'Uh-huh,' Sasuke doubted that.
'Besides,' Naruto continued, 'when Shisui's done teaching me, I'll be better than you at shuriken,'
'Nuh-uh!' Sasuke shook his head, 'my brother taught me shuriken techniques, and he's the best in my entire clan!'
'Nah,' Naruto heatedly said, 'Shisui's the best ninja there is. He could take your brother any time, any place—ya' know!'
The two kids butted heads, and grinded their teeth.
'Now, now,' Shisui said in a calm voice, 'let's not get ahead of ourselves here,'
'But you can definitely beat him. Right, Shisui?' Naruto asked.
'Hmph!' Sasuke sounded, 'I mean, you're strong Shisui, but my brother is stronger than you! Isn't that right, big brother?'
Itachi's eyes briefly widened, stunned. He turned to Shisui for help.
But Shisui scratched his nose and grinned, 'Well, I can't let that go. There's only one way to settle this—a duel!'
Naruto and Sasuke cheered, but Itachi briefly scowled at Shisui for hustling him into a fight.
The two Uchihas took the kids to a clearing some distance away from the main street. They stood by a large creek on one side and were surrounded by a forest of pine and maple trees on the other. Naruto and Sasuke, the eager spectators, sat on old, worn out tree stumps as the Uchiha shinobi stood face to face in the middle of the clearing.
'Shisui! Go!' Naruto cheered while flailing his hands in the air.
'You can beat him, big brother!' Sasuke shouted.
As the two children screamed, Shisui grinned to an annoyed Itachi.
'What are you trying to achieve from this, Shisui?' Itachi asked his friend. The Uchiha felt somewhat betrayed by Shisui. They agreed to never spar in front of Sasuke. Itachi's little brother looked up to him. It'd wound both Itachi's and Sasuke's pride just to see Shisui point his tanto blade up at his throat. But then again, Shisui always had a twisted sense of humor.
Shisui winked, 'Don't worry, Itachi,' and waved his hand, 'just come at me with everything you got,' Suddenly, his eyes turned red; blackened only by the tomoe swirling about.
Itachi's eyes, likewise, turned red.
'Idiot, shut up!' Sasuke shouted at Naruto, 'they just activated their Sharingan—it's gonna start!'
'Sharingan?' Naruto cocked his head, confused. He's never heard of that word before.
Sasuke smirked, 'It's my clan's strongest ability. You have to be an Uchiha to understand,'
Naruto grinded his teeth, he thinks he's better than me?
The two children sat in silence. Naruto fuming at Sasuke's retort, but also watching anxiously to see which Uchiha was really the strongest.
Shisui leaned a bit forward, keeping pressure on his toes. Whereas, Itachi swung his longsword to his belt, and bent his knees to firmly plant them to the ground.
'Here I come!' Shisui exclaimed, and quickly charged Itachi.
They exchanged fists at first, both trying to jab aggressively at each other. With the palm of his hand, Shisui tried to strike Itachi's chin. Itachi evaded it, and gripped Shisui's overextended wrist and flung him overhead. He slammed Shisui right on his back. Shisui quickly recovered, rolling to Itachi's side and jammed his fist into Itachi's gut.
'Yeah!' Naruto cheered, 'He landed a hit!'
Sasuke snorted, 'it's not over yet,'
Itachi used the force from Shisui's punch and rolled backwards some distance away. Shisui produced shuriken from his hands and flung them at Itachi one at a time to keep the Uchiha on the defense.
Itachi took out a kunai and deflected the oncoming shuriken. Shisui smirked, 'Standing still's never good!' and charged Itachi outright again.
But with his other hand, Itachi surprised Shisui as he suddenly flung three shuriken and formed a one hand seal. He shouted: Fire Style! Phoenix Fire Jutsu! And expelled three balls of fire from his mouth that encapsulated the shuriken. The shuriken fireballs twirled unpredictably towards Shisui. The elder Uchiha's mouth briefly opened in surprise. It took a lot of skill to do that jutsu with just one hand.
But he quickly recovered, and Shisui formed the tiger seal with his hands. His body flickered for a split second and then disappeared altogether. The fireballs, with nowhere to hit, dissipated as the shuriken thudded against the trunk of a nearby pine tree. In that moment, Shisui's body flickered behind Itachi, and he drew his tanto blade.
'Shisui's fast!' Naruto exclaimed.
Itachi's eyes briefly widened, shocked. Then, Shisui poured chakra into the hilt of his tanto, and produced a blazing wing of fire that extended his blade.
Sasuke sweated. He feared his brother took a direct hit from the fiery slash.
But luckily, Itachi morphed into a murder of crows. Some started crazily pecking at Shisui. The Uchiha promptly sheathed his tanto and flickered away.
A gentle plop sounded as Shisui materialized atop the calm, blue creek. The crows followed, but suddenly stopped and gathered by the shore of the creek. In their place, Itachi stood.
Naruto grunted disappointed. 'Shisui! C'mon, kill 'em already!' Naruto shouted in encouragement.
Shisui's ears perked, and he thought, he shouldn't think of it like that…
Itachi took Shisui's momentary pause as an opportunity, and jumped.
Shisui's eyes darted back to Itachi, and he gripped the blade of his tanto. He was about to unsheathe it, but a moment's hesitation stopped him from fully drawing it out. Naruto noticed the tanto shine from the sunlight, as a maple leaf seemingly sliced in two before it hit the blade. The blond took note of this, and thought the battle would end in Shisui's favor.
But Shisui hesitated for a second, and the battle ended with Itachi's blade pointing at his throat.
Shisui smiled and relaxed his grip, 'Guess I lose,' he coolly said. The bright red of his eyes faded into black, just as Itachi's did the same.
Sasuke cheered in excitement as Naruto crossed his arms in frustration.
The two Uchihas walked slowly back to the children. Sasuke happily jumped around his brother, 'I knew you were the strongest, big brother! I just knew it!' he kept saying.
Naruto, in the meantime, sat on his stump and looked away from Shisui. He wanted to tell Shisui something, but not in front of the other Uchiha. Shisui didn't ask, and instead casually patted Itachi on the back, 'Guess you got more wins than me now!'
Itachi softly smiled. He felt indebted to Shisui.
'Sasuke,' Itachi said, 'why don't I teach you some kunai techniques while the sun's still out?'
Sasuke nodded excitedly, 'Yeah, let's do it,' and happily grabbed Itachi's hand with his small one as they walked away.
Shisui waved his hand goodbye to the two of them.
Suddenly, Naruto grumbled, 'Why'd you let him win?' He still sat on the trunk, but glared at Shisui.
'What do you mean by that?' Shisui lightly asked.
'Your sword,' Naruto pointed at it, 'I saw the blade change somehow. Like you widened it with something invisible. It was so sharp, I even saw a leaf cut in two without even touching the blade—ya' know,'
'Huh,' Shisui scratched his nose, 'you saw that, eh?' and deep down, he thought, the kid's got a good eye if he could notice something that small. 'Well, I planned on using something called Wind Release,' Shisui explained, 'I was gonna' surprise Itachi with it. I might've even won too,'
'Then why didn't you?' Naruto asked, frustrated.
'I figured I'd let him have this one,' Shisui shrugged.
'Let him win? Why?!' Naruto furrowed his brow, confused.
'See, Naruto, it's like this,' Shisui began, and he sat down by Naruto, 'it's something I call—victory in defeat,'
'Victory in defeat?' Naruto's eyes thinned into slivers. He didn't understand the meaning in that contradiction.
'You can lose a battle, but still win a war,' Shisui simply said, and then elaborated, 'Itachi knows I let him win. He's got a kid brother to keep appearances for, after all,'
'I would've liked to see that kid put in his place,' Naruto mumbled.
'Yeah, but,' Shisui continued, 'Now, Itachi owes me one. Someday, I'll call in that favor I did for him, and he'll come to my beck and call when I really need him to. You get it?'
'I guess…' Naruto softly said, then groaned, 'I would've liked you to stick up for me once though—ya' know,'
Shisui laughed, 'You're not shy about your feelings at all, are you?'
But Naruto remained silent. And looked vacantly at the creek as the water sloshed by.
Shisui sensed something amiss, and asked, 'Does it really bother you that I didn't win the match?'
'You're fun and all, Shisui,' Naruto started, 'but like you said, I'm just a monster the Hokage wanted kept out of trouble,'
Shisui stayed quiet for a bit. He didn't think that comment would've cut the boy so deeply.
Naruto jumped off the stump and onto the ground. His little body stepped forward as he asked, 'Well, enough about that. Can you teach me how to use shuriken properly now?'
But Shisui thought otherwise. And he knelt down to Naruto and ruffled his spiky hair. Naruto shook Shisui's hand away, and angrily looked at the Uchiha, 'What was that for?'
'Nothing,' Shisui smiled, 'but I think I wanna' go get something to eat instead, let's go,'
Sword Of Thunder Naruto
'I'm not hungry,' Naruto simply said.
But Shisui suddenly wrapped his arm around Naruto's waist and carried him at the hip. Naruto thrashed about, 'The heck are you doing?!' he exclaimed.
'I wanna' go eat,' Shisui simply said.
'I don't want to!—ya' know! Let me down!' Naruto shouted.
Shisui shrugged, 'I can't let you wander off by yourself though, can I?'
'You're just a mentor. You don't have to pretend like you care about me,'
'Hey now, don't say harsh things like that,' Shisui playfully added, 'you're like a kid-brother to me, after all,'
Naruto stopped squirming, and looked up to Shisui as he walked down the beaten path. 'Kid-brother? We're not even related,'
But this time, Shisui remained silent.
'Can you stop?' Naruto asked, 'You're hurting me,'
Shisui did so, and lowered Naruto back onto his feet. He thought that would be the last he ever spoke to the boy. But then Naruto said, 'Hey! If I'm like a kid-brother to you, carry me like Itachi carries that kid!'
'What, like piggyback?' Shisui raised an eyebrow.
Naruto firmly nodded.
'Well, alright,' and Shisui knelt down and arched his back. He cocked his head, 'get on then,'
The boy quickly wrapped his arms around Shisui's neck, just as Shisui grabbed Naruto's thighs. And for the first time in Naruto's life, he could see everything the way adults saw it. Naruto giggled, and grasped the tree branches that once loomed over him, and taunted him. As the twig snapped, Shisui spoke, 'Listen, Naruto. I ain't gonna lie to you, at first I thought the Hokage was crazy when he told me I'd be mentoring you,' Naruto rested his tiny head on Shisui's shoulders, and let him continue, 'I've lost a lot of people I cared about. My dad died when I was young, and I lost someone really close to me after I became a chunin. After that, I thought the only people I'll ever really care about are my comrades—my fellow ninja. That's why I care about Itachi. Because he's like me in a way, and I don't want to see him get hurt the same way I was. You understand?'
'I guess so,' Naruto softly said.
Shisui continued, 'But after I spent some time with you, I started to realize there's more to life than being a ninja. And that's why I'm not gonna' leave, not even when you hate me,' then Shisui turned his head slightly and winked at the boy, 'cause that's what big brothers are for, to drive their little brothers crazy,'
Naruto grinned from ear to ear hearing that. And proceeded to tightly squeeze Shisui with his arms around his neck.
'Oi! Stop!' Shisui suddenly exclaimed, 'You're choking me!' But Naruto kept giggling.
Shisui carried Naruto all the way to Ichiraku's Ramen, and Naruto for once looked down at the adults that looked down at him for so long. And when they finally arrived at the stand, Naruto's newfound brother bought the both of them an extra-large miso soup with char siu pork and all the toppings.
From then on, Shisui did whatever Naruto wanted. If there was a festival, Shisui would take him and treat him to all the candies and games Naruto could think of. And if Naruto wanted help training, Shisui always stayed late at night to help him. Whether it was kunai or shuriken training, the Uchiha was remarkably patient. The one thing Naruto loved was when Shisui carried him on his own back. And up above the Uchiha's shaggy head, Naruto could look down on all the other villagers that reviled him. What made Shisui's visits the best, however, was when they'd end it with a hot bowl of ramen. Shisui would tease Naruto every now and then. But unlike the bitter looks and nasty remarks from the villagers, it was the lighthearted banter of a big brother to his little one.
But that all changed when Naruto turned seven, and he learned that nothing lasted forever…
It happened on a cold night. Naruto woke up to a light tapping sound from the windows. The blond lazily opened his eyes. He could hear whistles from Konoha's guards screech in the distance. Something put the village on high alert.
The blond noticed a shadow blot out the moonlight in his window. He rubbed the sand from his eyes, and the blurry shadow sharpened to a familiar face winking at him.
'Shisui!' Naruto happily exclaimed, and rolled open the window, 'what are you doing here? It's late out,'
His brother didn't enter, instead he crouched on the windowsill nearby, and said, 'I was just passing by and figured I pay you a visit…'
But once Naruto looked up to his face, the blond frowned. As the moonlight shined, Naruto noticed Shisui kept his right eye shut as blood dripped down his cheek.
'Hey, what's wrong with your eye?' Naruto asked, concerned.
Shisui held his finger up to his lips, and both of them silently waited until the whistles of Konoha's guards soften in the distance. Then, before Naruto could utter another word, the Uchiha loosened his harness with Shisui's beloved tanto blade.
'It's a bit soon,' Shisui started as he handed it to the boy, 'but I wanted to give you a gift,'
Naruto shivered as the village breeze blew in loose dirt and dried leaves. He hesitantly took the blade, 'What's going on?' the boy asked, 'It's nowhere near my birthday,'
'Because…' Shisui started, but he quickly stopped himself before telling the seven year old a long tale. Shisui averted his gaze, and looked out into his homeland. His voice fell silent. It was a beautiful sight, the village. He took his time to soak in the view, as if it were the last time he'll ever see Konohagakure again.
He pulled his eye away from the village, and laughed, sending shivers down the little boy's spine, 'I guess I got myself into some trouble. This might be the only chance I'll have to give it to you.'
'Let's go to the Old Man then!' Naruto exclaimed, 'I'm sure he can help. He's the Hokage. He can do whatever he wants,'
Shisui stared out in the distance, up to the stone-carved faces of the four Hokage. 'Do whatever he wants, huh? I wonder about that…' he strangely remarked.
'Shisui?'
'Don't worry,' Shisui assured the boy, 'It's nothing I can't handle, but I have to go,'
'Go?—No!' Naruto exclaimed, 'What if you don't come back?'
'Don't sweat it, Naruto', the Uchiha grinned, but his voice cracked, 'I got a friend I need to see. I can't leave him behind,'
'But what about me?!' Naruto cried, 'Why are you leaving me behind?'
'It's not that like that,' Shisui said, 'I promised I'd help him, and I never go back on my word,'
A whistle screeched just down the street from Naruto's apartment. Shisui reflexively gripped the empty place where his tanto once was. Failing that, he produced a kunai from the holster on his hip. He couldn't be caught—not like this. There was somewhere he needed to be, and someone he needed to see. He'd sooner kill than go back on his word. Naruto picked up on this.
Once the whistling passed, Shisui lowered the knife. Naruto grabbed Shisui's wrist and held it tight with all the strength his small body could muster. Shisui was stronger though and pulled his hand away from Naruto's grip. 'It'll be okay, Naruto,' he told his kid-brother.
Seeing no other recourse, Naruto jumped out onto the windowsill. He wrapped his small arms around Shisui's waist, tightly. The orphan wouldn't let go. He'd jealously guard his one and only family. And as his lips quivered, he sobbed hot tears onto Shisui's coat. Shisui rubbed his back but kept silent. There was nothing Shisui could say to make it better. When Naruto had no more tears to weep, he looked up to his first friend for the last time. And Shisui wrapped his arm around Naruto, and tightly embraced him.
Shisui ran his fingers through the blond's spiky hair. He smiled, but his words were full of sorrow, 'Don't worry,' he'd calmly tell the boy as he sobbed, 'It'll be fine,'
Naruto wanted Shisui to stay longer, but the sharp whistles of the Leaf ninja returned. Shisui had to leave.
And in a flash, Shisui flickered away. He left the orphan to grasp at the air and rub his hands at the spot his big-brother once sat on. Naruto stared at that spot for hours. And the rest of the night, the orphan crouched by the windowsill, and held onto what became his most prized possession.
An incessant tapping sound rudely woke up Iruka Umino from his slumber. The chunin lazily opened an eye, and noticed a raven furiously tap against a glass door to his balcony. Iruka turned around and hoped the raven would get bored and eventually leave. But then the raven resorted to pelting the glass door with small rocks to get his attention.
Iruka sighed and tore his bedsheets away from him. He opened the sliding glass door, and noticed the raven had a scrap of paper tied to its leg by twine. Iruka raised an eyebrow but knelt down to untie the note from the black bird. And once it, along with a small, silver key, dropped into his hands, the raven abruptly flew away.
Iruka unfolded the paper. To his surprise, it was a letter post-marked 5 years ago. Curious, Iruka read the letter in the safety of his own apartment:
Dear Mr. Umino,
If you're reading this, you must be wondering why it's post-marked 5 years ago. The truth is I've arranged this letter to reach you at this time when I sent it. I will not go into the why, as it isn't necessary for what I must ask of you.
Please go to the locker numbered 61 in City Hall. Once there, use the key that this scroll comes with to open it. Inside you'll find a scroll. Take it, and gift it to Naruto…
Iruka rubbed his eyes and tried to read from the beginning, but the words started to suddenly fade. It must've been put on a timed jutsu; the ink slowly bleached away into the parchment. He desperately read the rest as fast as he could:
Do not tell anyone of this—not even the Hokage. If you do, it could end in your death-
And then the kanji turned white.
End in your death, the words rang in Iruka's head as he nervously swallowed.
'Naruto, what did you get yourself into?' Iruka muttered under his breath.
The Academy instructor took his sandals and crammed his feet into them. Then, he dawned his green flak jacket and fastened it in place around his chest. The whole time, Iruka wondered who sent him this mysterious message.
Naruto's been alone for most of his life. Iruka's watched him day by day in the Academy as the blond slacked off in his studies. He proved to be an excellent student in the beginning. Someone certainly helped him out with shuriken training among other ninja techniques. For a while, Naruto rivaled Sasuke, the class prodigy, it seemed. But that all changed when he turned seven, and the boy became known as a troublemaker and prankster around the village. He didn't take the class seriously enough, and always seemed to find ways to distract himself from the deafening silence that often filled the cramped lecture halls. It was almost as if he didn't want to be lost in his own thoughts.
Eventually, Iruka took a fatherly role at behest of the late Third Hokage. He'd scold Naruto when he did something bad and praised Naruto when he did something good. It took time, as initially Naruto hated Iruka for that. And once when Iruka asked why he had a tanto blade strapped to his back, Naruto snapped at Iruka and said, 'that's none of your business—ya' know.' But Iruka didn't give up. He didn't care that Naruto was the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox, which killed his parents.
Eventually, Iruka's persistence paid off. It happened one day after his instruction at the Academy. He decided to try out ramen at the Ichiraku Ramen stand. And once he sat down to make his order, Iruka noticed his spiky blond pupil struggle to come up with the money to pay off his own bowl of ramen. If not for Iruka, the boy would've probably had to scrub dishes into the late hours of the night. After that, Naruto opened right up and the rest, as it's said, was history.
As Iruka walked down the main street of the village, he looked up to the great stone faces of the old Hokage. Naruto, Iruka thought, you better not be in some sort of trouble… but I guess you'd find a way out of it, you always do.
Naruto's grown a lot, and Iruka could hardly believe it. The number one loudmouthed ninja even saved his life. He also performed admirably in the chunin exams, and not only fought against the Hidden Sand ninja, but also brought back the next Hokage after the Third's demise at Orochimaru's hands. Somehow, Naruto's become more and more powerful as the years go by. And Iruka couldn't be any prouder of him.
Once Iruka arrived at the great red building of the City Hall, the chunin instructor tried to enter as inconspicuously as possible. Iruka would much rather not be caught with whatever potentially illicit scroll in his possession. At first, the chunin wanted to stow the key away and pretend it never existed, but the wording in it was unusual. Gift it to Naruto… it said, and that sounded funny to Naruto's father-figure. It didn't sound sinister. Instead, it sounded more benevolent, and kind. As if the mysterious ninja wanted Iruka to perform the role of messenger in Naruto's life.
Iruka tried not to seem too suspicious. The City Hall was, of course, a public building. Ninja could come and go as they pleased within its walls. Only, Iruka had no business being there and didn't want to be troubled by a curious colleague.
The locker rooms in the Hokage building were separated into two sections. One for the 'general' shinobi, such as himself or Kakashi. And one for the 'special' shinobi, which was a nice way of saying ANBU and the Hokage's personal guard. Whoever Naruto's mysterious benefactor was, they were either a skilled shinobi or very high up in the village hierarchy.
These 'special' shinobi were feared even among the 'general' ones. They do the wet work that respectable shinobi such as Iruka would never have the stomach of doing. Especially the ANBU, and the alleged Root organization. They were the rough men and women ready to do violence under the cover of darkness. The ones willing to suffer in silence in order to preserve the peace enjoyed by Konoha's people.
Iruka felt a jolt of excitement once he entered down the 'special' shinobis' corridor. It wasn't technically prohibited for Iruka to be there, but he had no reason to be there. Luckily, the ANBU ninja didn't seem to be the talking type, especially the ones in their ceramic masks. Many of them shoved their way through the cramped halls to wherever they needed to go.
The locker rooms were located at the very end of the long corridor. The chunin tiptoed in and took note of the numbers painted across the lockers. It was cold in there, and very dim. Iruka wanted to leave the place as soon as he could.
Finally, he reached locker 61. It was nestled in the corner of the room, lonesome and unremarkable. But Iruka's eyes widened once he realized that the locker didn't contain any keyholes. Apparently, the ANBU have an honors system. There were no locks at all. Iruka could freely open it. And Iruka did, while scratching his head.
'What am I supposed to do with this then?' Iruka asked himself. He held the silver key in his left hand.
The locker was empty. There wasn't anything in it, save for a rod which could carry coat hangers. Dust collected at the bottom. Iruka could tell that there were pictures once taped in the locker's walls, but someone came and tore them out. The slivers of tape that remained still kept a picture's corners glued to the metallic surface.
Iruka nearly closed the locker altogether, until the key suddenly took a life of its own. Instantly, it pulled Iruka inside. It felt alive, searching frantically for something to open. Iruka didn't fight the key, and let it take him to the very top above the rod. He heard a clicking sound. The chunin opened his hand slightly, and noticed the key squirm about. He let go, and the silver key twisted with a loud clank.
Suddenly, a hidden shelf flickered into existence. And it automatically emptied its contents onto the locker floor. With a loud clang, a thick, white scroll disturbed the dust and sent a cloud of dirt flying into the air. Iruka coughed, and looked around the locker room quickly. Thankfully, none of the ANBU were there.
He knelt down and quickly hid the scroll in one of his green flak jacket's pockets. Iruka suddenly heard a sizzling sound as he looked up to the hidden shelf. The silver key popped, and the shelf disappeared again. Iruka scratched his head. I guess the ninja really didn't want to leave a trace, he thought.
Then, Iruka tensed as a voice rasped from behind, 'Leaf ninja disappear if they're not careful.'
The chunin twisted around, and his eyes widened in fear. At first sight, Iruka bent his knee. 'Lord Danzo,' he greeted.
'I don't have time for flattery,' the elder barked, unamused, 'tell me what you're doing in my domain,'
Iruka's mind ground to a halt. The elder lived in the shadows, but his name lived in infamy. 'The Darkness of Shinobi', the jonin nervously whispered in their own homes. That was what they called the seemingly feeble, old man. He controlled much of the ANBU, held sway with the village and jonin councils, as well as the Fire Daimyo himself. Little escaped that man's notice.
'I-uh, Lord Danzo, you see…' Iruka scratched his head. The elder's icy stare tied his tongue.
'Lord Danzo, always a pleasure to see you,' a familiar voice called out.
From behind a row of lockers, a jonin with spiky white hair and a black mask covering the bottom half of his face stepped out. His sandals shuffled by on the cold, concrete floor as he stood at Iruka's side. Iruka was never happier to see Kakashi then now.
'Kakashi…' Danzo spoke, 'I do hope you have a good explanation for visiting this place after so many years,'
Kakashi scratched his head, 'We heard that the ANBU were looking to recruit some of the chunin candidates from the exams, you see,'
'Yes, and?' Danzo impatiently asked.
'Well, Iruka was worried about his students,' Kakashi quickly answered.
Nice, Kakashi! Iruka thought as he tried to hold back his relief.
'…and he wanted me to show him what they'll be in for,' Kakashi explained, 'you can learn a lot about the Leaf's Special Forces just by their locker rooms, I say,'
'Uh-huh,' Danzo snorted, 'well then, tell him not to open up any more lockers. ANBU stow a lot of things in them that could identify who they are,' then the honored elder hobbled away on his wooden cane, 'so for your safety and theirs, I'd suggest respecting their space,'
Kakashi lowered his head in respect, 'Of course, Lord Danzo,'
Content, the Lord Danzo exited the locker room.
Iruka and Kakashi wasted no time exiting the City Hall, and rushed to a public park.
'So,' Kakashi started as he leaned against the railing. The two stood by a nearby river which ran through the village. 'What were you really doing in those locker rooms?'
'Ah, well…' Iruka bit his lip, 'it's a bit hard to explain,'
'Try me,'
'…you'll protect Naruto no matter what, right?' Iruka suddenly asked.
'Protect Naruto? What brought that on?' Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
And Iruka explained everything to Naruto's jonin mentor. Kakashi has saved Naruto's life on more than one occasion, and Iruka saw no reason not to trust him now. So Iruka told him about the raven, the note with the disappearing ink, and the hidden shelf that evaporated into thin air. Then, he unclasped his pocket, and produced the white scroll.
'Whoever it was,' Iruka started, 'he wanted Naruto to have it. The thing is… The note warned me if anyone knew I had this I'd likely die,'
'Well, then…' Kakashi took the scroll from Iruka, and stuck his thumb in between the creases, 'let's see what the mystery ninja wants Naruto to have,'
And the jonin unrolled the entire scroll. Once it unfurled, Naruto's two mentors expectantly looked over the parchment's contents. But there were no words, only strange inked lines weaved into an interlocking chain upon the paper and a swirling circular design in the center of it. Scribbled on the side in kanji said: 'Place blood in circle,'
'Place blood in circle?' Iruka's brows furrowed.
'It's a summoning scroll, interesting,' Kakashi said as he bit his thumb, 'let's see what happens when I do this!--Summoning Jutsu!' and pressed his bloodied thumb right in the middle of the circle.
But nothing happened.
'You sure it's a summoning scroll, Kakashi?' Iruka asked, unsure.
'It is,' Kakashi simply said, 'these designs are sealing jutsu. It must be keyed to Naruto's blood though,'
'What should we do then?'
Kakashi sighed, as he rerolled the scroll up, 'I guess that means we have no choice but to tell Naruto about it,'
'Order up!' Teuchi, Ichiraku Ramen's shop owner, shouted, 'One extra-large miso ramen with char siu pork and all toppings!' The owner rested the hot ceramic bowl on the bar, in front of Naruto Uzumaki.
The blond grinned. He gripped the wooden chopsticks and snapped them apart. The ninja rested on a stool, and loudly slurped in the noodles. No doubt, Naruto stood out. He had many striking features: whiskered cheeks, blue eyes, and a bright, orange jumpsuit. But the one thing he wanted people to notice the most was strapped to his back: a leather harness carrying a short-sword.
It's been a good day for Naruto. He's just arrived back with the Lady Tsunade—the next Hokage. And more importantly, Naruto's learned a powerful new jutsu: the Rasengan. Nothing made his heart swell more than to know he was one step closer to becoming Hokage himself. Master Jiraiya even lauded Naruto's mastery of the jutsu in three days. Especially his unique solution of which relied upon his clones to control the concentrated ball of chakra as it formed.
But his happy meal was interrupted once Kakashi and Iruka entered the stand. As they pulled away the curtains, Kakashi greeted Naruto, 'Hey there,'
'Kakashi-sensei!' Naruto exclaimed, and ushered them to sit next to him, 'come for an order of ramen? It's good as always—ya' know!'
'Some other time,' Kakashi dismissed, 'I'm still a little weak from that encounter with Itachi,'
Naruto solemnly hummed in acknowledgment and continued to sip the salty broth. He couldn't believe Itachi turned out evil. Or that Itachi was capable of hurting not only Kakashi, but his own brother as well. Naruto didn't like to think of it. The thought of all those Uchiha massacred by his hands, and worse the thought that Itachi plunged his sword in Shisui's back.
None of it made sense, and Naruto racked his brain trying to understand it after all these years. They seemed like comrades: Shisui and Itachi. And Naruto never thought for a second that Itachi ever beat Shisui. No… if Itachi killed Shisui, it was because the clan-killer betrayed his trust.
'So, what are you guys doing here then?' Naruto asked. He sharply sighed as he rested the empty bowl on the bar.
'Well, we have a present for you,' Iruka spoke up.
'A present? Why now?' Naruto asked. He eagerly smiled, 'Wait. Don't tell me I've been picked as a candidate for the ANBU!'
Kakashi and Iruka exchanged a nervous look. It's true that the ANBU were looking for recruits from the chunin candidates. Naruto's been eager to join the Special Forces for some time. Possibly because those selected take an accelerated path to the rank of jonin, although there were no official ranks in the ANBU themselves. Granted, those that successfully complete their tour in the ANBU definitely leave stronger than the typical shinobi.
'Well, no,' Kakashi evaded, 'they're still in the selection process,'
Naruto nodded, and asked, 'then what's the present?'
'It's funny,' Iruka nervously laughed, 'That's what we'd like to know ourselves,'
Cached
Naruto raised an eyebrow, 'What do you mean?'
After Naruto paid for his meal, the three went out to a clearing by the creek. Iruka explained everything again in great detail: the raven, the key, and the scroll.
Naruto didn't have a clue himself.
As they walked out of the forest, into the wide open clearing, Iruka asked, 'Did you know anyone from 5 years ago then? The letter was dated from that time,'
'I didn't really have a lot of friends growing up,' Naruto scratched his head, 'well, except him…'
'Who's 'him'?' Kakashi asked.
Naruto's bright face turned dour and cold. 'It's not something I want to talk about,' the blond dropped.
Kakashi didn't press the matter. He understood that some things were left buried in the past.
'Well, here's the scroll,' Kakashi said, and he rolled it out onto the grassy surface. The smudge mark from his own attempt still stained the center of it.
'So, summoning scroll, right?' Naruto asked, unsure.
Kakashi nodded.
'But I already got Gamabunta and the frogs in a contract. Won't this, you know, mess that up?'
'It won't. You can have as many summoning animals as you want,' Kakashi explained.
Naruto nodded, 'here goes nothing, then,' and he bit his thumb. He planted the blood right atop the blood stain in the center of the scroll and hollered--Summoning Jutsu!
A cloud of smoke burst from the scroll, and the three ninja coughed as they waved the haze away.
Once the smoke dissipated, Naruto looked way out in front of him. He expected something big and colorful, but there was nothing.
'Oi! Boy!' a voice cawed out from below, 'down here! Boy!'
Naruto looked back down on the scroll. Perched on the parchment was a raven with a scroll strapped to its back by a leather harness, and on its leg a note tied with twine. It looked right up at him.
'A crow?' Naruto blinked.
'Not a crow!' the black bird angrily squawked, 'A raven! Don't compare me to those mindless animals!'
'Uh, okay?' Naruto scratched his nose, and looked to his two teachers for answers. But they too were dumbfounded.
'Boy! Where am I? How'd you summon me?' the raven demanded.
'I'm not a boy. I'm Naruto!'
Meanwhile, Iruka whispered to Kakashi, 'What's going on?'
'I'm not sure,' Kakashi whispered back, 'but let's keep quiet for now,'
'How old are you?' the raven cawed out to Naruto.
'Thirteen, what of it?' Naruto replied.
'Then you're a striplin'—a boy,'
'Whatever,' Naruto waved his hand, annoyed, 'what do you want?'
Naruto Sword Names
'What do you mean what do I want? What do you want?' the raven pointed out.
'What do you mean what do I want? I just put blood on some paper and you showed up!'
'Eh? You can't do that,'
'But I did!'
'No, you can't do that. No contract, no summon—that's how it works, boy!'
'But you're right here,' Naruto stamped his foot, frustrated, 'I smeared some blood, and you came out in a puff of smoke!'
'A likely story,' the raven said, suspicious, 'this must be one of his tricks,'
'Whose tricks?'
But the raven ended the conversation. He hopped around on the paper, calling out, 'Shisui! Shisui, get over here!'
Naruto's blood ran cold hearing that name. His arms dangled in place as his pupils dilated into dots.
Kakashi and Iruka noticed but remained silent.
Meanwhile, the raven muttered, 'Ugh, five years without a hello, and now this! I'm gonna give that boy a peckin'. Prank's not even that good,'
'Oi…' Naruto hoarsely spoke, he knelt down to the raven's height.
The raven hopped around, his beak snapped, 'Oh, you're still here?'
'Shisui, how do you know him?' Naruto demanded.
'So you know that student of mine! What's he gotten himself into now? Tell me, where is he?'
Naruto suddenly shouted, 'What's going on?—Kakashi-sensei? Iruka-sensei?'
But the two teachers were speechless.
The raven jumped away and flew up into the air. The twine loosened on his leg, and the scrap of paper fell down onto the grass. 'You're crazy, boy,' the raven remarked, and flew off.
'Wait!' Naruto shouted at it.
But the raven kept flying higher and higher, up into the air. Naruto ran after it, screaming as loud as he could, 'Wait! Come back here!'
Kakashi picked up the scrap of paper that the raven left behind just as Iruka called out, 'Wait, Naruto!' but the blond jumped over the creek and chased the small black speck in the air.
Iruka was about to give chase, but Kakashi suddenly gripped his shoulder and held him back.
'Kakashi!' Iruka exclaimed.
But Kakashi simply handed Iruka the note, and told him to read it.
Iruka took it. His eyes opened wider with each passing word he read:
Naruto,
I'm sure by now, you're wondering what's going on. You must be confused and scared. Hearing my name must come as a shock. And all those feelings that you've buried have crawled back to the surface. You must've been lonely without me there. No one to carry you on their shoulders and to wait for you day in and day out for. When I left, you were probably forced down a long, dark path full of pain and suffering—and I'm sorry I wasn't there to get you through it. But I know as I write my thoughts down on this scrap of paper, that you've grown into a fine ninja with your own comrades. And as you grow stronger, I know you'll eventually become Hokage.
Now, by this time you're no doubt a ninja. And since you're old enough to understand what it means to fight for your village, I'm leaving you my summoning animal. His name is Yata, and he may be just as confused as you are, and a bit rough around the edges, but he's very wise and has been a faithful guide in my life. And knowing where I'll end up in the coming days, I wanted to give him to you before it was too late. Take him, as my last gift to you, and take the scroll that he carries on his back. I was never strong enough to learn that scroll's secret jutsu. And I think if I did—things would've been different… for everyone.
So, I'll give the scroll to you. Because I know you can master what I could not. And I know you'll use it to protect those around you, and to shoulder their burdens as I've shouldered yours. The Flying Raijin Jutsu—I know this technique will keep you on the beaten path.
Your big-brother,
Shisui
Iruka raised his head, and stared out into the green, rolling hills and the dark forests beyond. He thought, so that's who took care of you before me, Naruto.
Kakashi said, 'We should show Naruto this…'
But Iruka dropped the paper, and let the wind carry it away. Along with the loose leaves, the paper disappeared into the sky above. 'No, don't bother,' Iruka said, 'the ink's faded away already,'
And the two teachers watched, as their student and Shisui's helplessly chased the raven named Yata.
A/N: Thanks for reading this far!
Just to clarify a few points: aside from Shisui's plot, a lot hasn't changed for Team 7 much up to Chunin Exam arc. I time-skipped to that point, because I wanted it to largely diverge at that point. In other words, everything post-chunin arc, I plan to make different.
And if you have any feedback you'd like to share, feel free to leave a review!
Wooden Sculpture of Raijin at Sanjusangendo Temple
Raijin (雷神, lit. 'Thunder God'), also known as Kaminari-sama (雷様), Raiden-sama (雷電様), Narukami (鳴る神) and Raikou (雷公), is a god of lightning, thunder and storms in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name 'Raijin' is derived from the Japanese words kaminari (雷, meaning 'thunder'; on-readingrai) and kami (神, meaning 'god'; on-reading shin or jin). Raijin is typically depicted with fierce and aggressive facial expressions, standing atop a cloud, and is shown beating on drums. The drums are often shown to have the symbol tomoe drawn on them. Raijin is often depicted as a protector or warrior figure within Japanese temples and shrines.
Description[edit]
Fūjin-raijin-zu by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, with Raijin shown on the left and Fūjin right.
Raijin is often depicted with a fierce, frightening face and a muscular figure with gravity-defying hair. He is surrounded by Taiko drums that he plays to create the sound of thunder. Raijin holds large hammers in his hands that he uses to play the drums. In some cases, Raijin is portrayed with three fingers which are said to represent the past, present and future. Two of the most notable sculptures of Raijin are located in the Sanjusangendo temple and the Taiyuin Rinnoji temple.
Raijin and Fujin reside side by side in the Kaminarimon gate that guards the entrance to the Sanjusangendo temple. These sculptures are made of wood with lacquer, gold leaf and paint along with crystal, inlaid eyes. The Raijin and Fujin sculptures in Sanjusangendo are considered national treasures.
In the Taiyuin Rinnoji temple, Raijin and Fujin are located in the Niten-mon gate. They are made of wood with paint and are seen with their token talismans, Raijin's drums and Fujin's wind bag.[1]
Mythology[edit]
In the myths recorded in the Kojiki, after Izanami died from the wounds inflicted on her by the birthing of Hinokagutsutchi, her husband Izanagi followed her down into Yomi no Kuni, the land of darkness. When he asked to come with him, Izanami responded that she cannot leave, because she had already eaten from the food there. As Izanagi followed her all the way to Yomi, to try to fulfill his wish that she go with him, Izanami returned to her palace to negotiate with the residing kami. Izanami was gone for several hours, which made Izanagi worried for her. Thus, after making fire on the tip of his comb, he entered the palace.
There, Izanagi found Izanami's corpse. On her body maggots gathered, and on her head arose Great Raijin (大雷神), on her chest Fire Raijin (火雷神), in her stomach Black Raijin (黒雷神), on her vagina Blossoming Raijin (咲雷神), in her left hand Young Raijin (若雷神), in her right hand Soil Raijin (土雷神), on her left leg Roaring Raijin (鳴雷神) and on her right leg Bending Raijin (伏雷神); collectively called Ho-no-Ikadzuchi-no-Kami (火雷大神).
Upon seeing Izanami's twisted body, Izanagi fled from Yomi, shaken and in terror. In shame of allowing him to see her unsightly form, Izanami sent Raijin and several female demons to chase after Izanagi, after he fled the image of her rotting form, to bring him back to Yomi.[2]
Raijin has many siblings, most notably, Fujin (the god of wind), Kagutsuchi (the god of fire), Susanoo (the god of the sea and storms), and Amaterasu (the goddess of the sun). Raijin is also often seen in the company of his brother, Fujin, and his son, Raitaro.[3] He is often seen fighting with Fujin, mending his drums, or causing mischief. He is also shown in the company of Raiju, a thunder-beast or thunder demon.
Prayers to Raijin were mainly based upon agriculture as it was believed that rice that was struck by lightning would produce the best harvest.
Legends[edit]
In one legend, Raijin is shown to defend Japan against the invading Mongols. In this legend, the Mongols are driven off by a vicious storm in which Raijin is in the clouds throwing lightning and arrows at the invaders.[3]
Another legend depicts how a man named Sugaru (nicknamed the God-catcher) was ordered to catch the Thunder God Raijin and deliver him to the Emperor in order to stop a storm. Sugaru commands Raijin to cease the storm in the name of the Emperor but to no avail. Sugaru prayed to Kannon who later delivered Raijin to him. Sugaru then tied him up in a sack and took him to the Emperor.[3]
Modern role[edit]
Some Japanese parents tell their children to hide their belly buttons during thunderstorms so that Raijin does not take them away and eat them.
Raijin also appears in the kabuki play Narukami, in which he is imprisoned under a pool of water, thus causing a drought.[4]
See also[edit]
- Fūjin (Japanese), god of wind
- Izanagi (Japanese), one of the divine pair of creation deities
- Izanami (Japanese), one of the divine pair of creation deities
- Leigong (Chinese), god of thunder
- Leizi (Chinese), goddess of lightning
- Parjanya (Hindu), god of rain, thunder and lightning
- Sanjūsangen-dō (Japanese temple)
References[edit]
Naruto The Flying Thunder God - Chapter 4: Departure Of The ...
- ^Pier, Garrett Chatfield (1914). Temple Treasures of Japan. F.F. Sherman.
- ^'THE KOJ-IKI'. www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
- ^ abcJoly, Henri L. (1908). Legend in Japanese Art: A Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-lore, Myths, Religious Symbolism, Illustrated in the Arts of Old Japan. John Lane.
- ^'May at the Kabukiza Theatre|Theatres'. KABUKI WEB. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
External links[edit]
Media related to Raijin at Wikimedia Commons
See Full List On Naruto.fandom.com
- Netsuke: masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains many representations of Raijin
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