Playing Shogi

Watching Namikaze Yin Xiang's retreating figure, Sasuke felt a flicker of unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. He recalled the look Yin Xiang had just given Naruto—it was so doting, just like the way that man used to look at him.

"Still no leads on that Sound Ninja after all this time?" Yin Xiang asked Shikaku Nara.

"No, not a single scrap of information. Let's skip missions today; come over to my place and play shogi." Shikaku replied.

"...Shogi again?" Yin Xiang curled his lip in resignation. Since he and Shikaku were always evenly matched, it had sparked a desire in Shikaku to play him constantly.

"Haha, because you're the only one who can keep up with me on the board. I honestly suspect your IQ is every bit as high as us in the Nara Clan."

"My IQ isn't low? If it weren't, I wouldn't have spent nearly a year trying to research your secret technique without success. Wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Yin Xiang said as they walked.

"It is a secret technique, after all. If it were that easy for you to crack, it wouldn't be much of a secret, would it?"

"I thought I'd found a way in a year ago, but I didn't expect that move to just rip my shadow right off the ground. It turned into a literal shadow clone—a pitch-black version of me." Yin Xiang pouted. A year ago, when he'd covered his shadow in chakra, he'd thought he was on the verge of success.

To his surprise, the further he went, the stranger things got. The shadow had actually stood up from the ground, and he could control it with his own thoughts. It had startled him at the time.

"Isn't that pretty good, though? Even if you didn't master the Shadow Possession Technique, you still created an A-rank ninjutsu, the Shadow Secret Technique. You and Kakashi are the only ones who could invent your own jutsu at thirteen."

"Your Shadow Secret Technique even allows you to swap positions with your shadow. You could say it's quite powerful."

"But swapping positions doesn't mean much to someone like me who knows the Flying Thunder God." Yin Xiang's technique was similar to Madara's Limbo, except that Limbo's shadows were invisible, while his were visible. Yin Xiang still couldn't figure out how he'd managed to create such a jutsu; it had been a bit of a fluke.

"So, just teach me your Shadow Possession Technique! As a student of Shikaku Nara, it doesn't look good that I can't even use the clan's signature move."

"Don't try to twist the logic, kid. A teacher is a teacher, and a secret technique is a secret technique. I can't pass the Nara Clan's secret arts to you." Shikaku laughed. The two soon arrived at his home, sitting on the veranda to begin their game.

Truth be told, Yin Xiang's current strength was only that of a Chunin. If you factored in the surprise element of the Flying Thunder God, he could barely reach the level of a Jonin. While the Flying Thunder God was fast, those who attained the rank of Jonin were no pushovers; at most, they would be caught off guard by Yin Xiang's technique once.

If the user were someone like the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, or the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, it would be a different story. Izuna Uchiha and the masked man were prime examples—one had died outright, and the other had been maimed.

However, Yin Xiang wasn't capable of that yet.

"Where's Shikamaru? He's not home today?" Yin Xiang asked. He usually saw Shikamaru when he came over.

"He had to go to a gathering today. Asuma is taking out the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho." Shikaku set up the pieces, ready to start.

"You might not know it, but your reputation as a genius has already spread."

"Huh? Since when? How come I didn't know?" Yin Xiang scratched his head, genuinely oblivious.

"Master of the Fourth Hokage's legacy, the Flying Thunder God and Rasengan; a prodigy who learns Wind and Lightning ninjutsu instantly; creator of an A-rank jutsu—the genius ninja, Namikaze Yin Xiang." Shikaku relayed the rumors circulating outside.

"...I really haven't heard any of that." It was strange to be the subject of gossip and be the last one to know.

"In any case, it's my honor to be your teacher. You have a limitless future ahead of you, kid." Shikaku laughed heartily, and the two began to play.

"Ugh, the bigger the reputation, the more trouble follows." Yin Xiang sighed. "I learned the Flying Thunder God to protect myself, my affinity for Wind and Lightning is just my bloodline, and creating my own jutsu was a total accident. What kind of genius is that?"

"I like that calm, unpretentious attitude of yours. How is your research into sealing techniques coming along lately?"

"Not great. It's all just gibberish to me; I can't make sense of a single seal." Yin Xiang shook his head.

"I see... If it's sealing techniques you need, Kakashi knows the Evil Sealing Method. If you need someone else skilled in the arts, there's always the Third Hokage." Shikaku tried to brainstorm solutions.

"Yeah, I plan to ask the Third Hokage for guidance. I have scrolls for the Five Elements Seal, the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, the Adamantine Sealing Chains, and the Fire Sealing Method. These four are incredibly powerful seals—they were all left behind by my mother."

"Those four are things that would make anyone green with envy. If you want to master them, you'll have to ask the Third Hokage. But, Yin Xiang," Shikaku looked at him with sudden, uncharacteristic gravity.

"Never learn the Dead Demon Consuming Seal."

"I know." Yin Xiang nodded, a look of sorrow crossing his eyes.

Watching him, Shikaku felt a pang of sympathy. In truth, Yin Xiang had no natural talent for sealing techniques, yet he studied them with grueling intensity. He did it for no other reason than that his mother was Kushina Uzumaki, the woman who had been the greatest master of sealing arts in Konoha.

He didn't want to tarnish her legacy.

"Check." Yin Xiang placed a piece, blocking Shikaku's King.

"Oh?" Shikaku paused, then gave a wry smile. He hadn't realized he'd lost to the kid again.

Shikaku helplessly reset the board, finally placing the King, also known as the Jade.

"Yin Xiang, do you know what the Jade represents?" Shikaku asked.

"The Jade?" Yin Xiang frowned. It was a question Asuma had once asked Shikamaru; it wasn't until Asuma's death that Shikamaru had truly understood the meaning.

"If playing shogi is my mission for today, then the Jade is the target I must protect." Yin Xiang replied. His answer caught Shikaku off guard.

"And if it weren't a mission?" Shikaku pressed.

"If it weren't a mission... then the Jade would be the things I cherish. If my Jade is gone, everything else is gone, too."