"Oc in Naruto"

Chapter 7

The remote training ground Kakashi had chosen was far from any populated areas, surrounded by dense forest. Dawn light filtered through the leaves as Aria sat in a meditative pose, focusing on carefully channeling chakra to her eyes while Kakashi observed from a safe distance."Try maintaining just the first stage," he instructed. "Don't push—"The world suddenly lurched. Aria gasped as her vision split – one part still seeing the physical world, the other plunging into a vast, ethereal space filled with swirling chakra. And there, coiled in massive loops of celestial energy, was..."Well," rumbled an ancient, amused voice. "I was wondering when you'd finally look deep enough to find me."Aria froze. In her inner vision, an enormous dragon regarded her with eyes that held millennia of wisdom. Its scales shimmered with otherworldly chakra, shifting between colors that had no names in human language."You're... you're sealed in my eyes?" she managed.The dragon's laugh was like distant thunder. "In a manner of speaking. I am Ryūō, the First Dragon. And you, little one, are the first in centuries to inherit my will.""Aria!" Kakashi's sharp voice cut through her daze. "Your chakra pattern just changed completely. What's happening?""I... I can see him," she whispered. "The source of my eyes' power. He's..." She swallowed hard. "He's the First Dragon."The dragon's presence radiated gentle amusement. "Your mentor worries. Perhaps we should include him in this conversation? It's been some time since I spoke with humans directly, but I believe I remember how..."There was a subtle shift in the air, and suddenly Kakashi stiffened as a fraction of the dragon's presence became visible to him as well – a translucent, shimmering form coiled protectively around Aria."Remarkable," Kakashi breathed, Sharingan eye exposed to better analyze what he was seeing. "A sentient chakra entity, sealed within the kekkei genkai itself.""Greetings, young Hatake," Ryūō's voice resonated in both their minds. "Your concern for my host does you credit, though I assure you, I mean her no harm. Quite the contrary.""You've been there all along?" Aria asked. "Through everything?""Since your eyes first awakened, yes. Though it took time for your chakra to develop enough for proper communication." The dragon's tone held genuine warmth. "I saw how they feared you, little one. How they tried to suppress what they didn't understand. But they never realized – my power is not meant to be contained or controlled. It is meant to be understood and guided.""The incidents when I lost control...""Were merely my power protecting you when you were in danger," Ryūō explained gently. "Though I admit, perhaps with more force than strictly necessary. I am still a dragon, after all." There was a hint of draconic humor in his voice."That's why the chakra pattern feels ancient but not malevolent," Kakashi observed. "Unlike some sealed entities, there's no sense of containment or constraint.""Indeed. I chose this path long ago, sealing my will into this bloodline to guide those rare few who could bear it." The dragon's gaze met Aria's. "Though none have manifested both the eyes and the Dragon Essence abilities quite like you in many generations.""Can you... help me control it better?" Aria asked hesitantly. "I don't want to hurt anyone accidentally.""That, little one, is precisely why I am here." Ryūō's presence radiated approval. "Your instincts were right – trying to suppress the power only makes it more volatile. Instead, we must work on harmony. Understanding. Let me show you..."The dragon's chakra shifted, and Aria felt her own responding, flowing more naturally than it ever had before. The scale patterns emerged along her skin without the usual strain, and her vision sharpened beyond even its normal enhanced state."Remarkable," Kakashi murmured, watching the harmonious chakra flow with his Sharingan. "The power isn't fighting your control anymore – it's working with you.""Balance," Ryūō explained. "Between dragon and human, power and wisdom, action and restraint. This is what your clan forgot in their pursuit of pure strength." His tone held ancient sadness. "They feared what they couldn't dominate, never understanding that true power comes from partnership, not control.""Will you..." Aria hesitated. "Will you stay? Help me learn?"The dragon's laugh was warm thunder. "Little one, I have waited centuries for an heir who asked for guidance instead of demanding power. I am not going anywhere." His presence wrapped around her protectively. "Though I do believe your mentor has some ideas about how to begin our training properly?"Kakashi eye-smiled. "Maa, a few. Though I admit, I've never designed exercises for a dragon-enhanced kekkei genkai before.""I might have some suggestions," Ryūō offered, amusement clear in his ancient voice. "Starting with proper chakra meditation techniques. Her clan's traditional methods were... somewhat lacking."As dragon and jōnin began discussing training approaches, Aria felt tears of relief threatening. For the first time since her eyes had awakened, the power within them didn't feel like a curse or a burden. Instead, with Ryūō's warm presence and Kakashi's steady support, it felt like a gift. A partnership.A chance to become something neither human nor dragon alone could be."Ready to begin?" Ryūō asked gently.Aria straightened, wiping her eyes, and nodded. "Ready."The dawn light seemed to brighten as dragon, student, and teacher prepared for their first true training session together. The path ahead would still hold challenges, but she would face them with wisdom older than mountains at her side.And perhaps, Aria thought with a small smile as Ryūō began explaining proper dragon-style meditation, this would help explain her unusual fondness for collecting shiny objects too."I heard that," the dragon rumbled affectionately."Maa," Kakashi added, "that explains the magpie tendencies with my kunai.""I was just borrowing them!""Of course you were," dragon and jōnin replied in perfect, amused unison."First," Ryūō's voice resonated in their minds, "you must understand that dragon chakra flows differently than human chakra. It moves in spirals, like wind around a mountain."Aria sat cross-legged on the grass, eyes closed, following the ancient dragon's guidance. In her inner vision, she could see her own chakra network illuminated with both familiar blue energy and the shimmering, multi-hued streams of dragon chakra."See how they weave together?" Ryūō directed. "Don't try to force them into alignment. Let them dance.""Like a braided river," Kakashi observed with his Sharingan, watching the energies flow. "Each current maintaining its own path while supporting the others.""Precisely." The dragon's approval was warm. "Your clan's mistake was trying to dominate the dragon chakra, to bend it to human patterns. But dragon chakra is as old as the mountains themselves – it remembers when the world was young and wild."Aria felt the energies shifting within her, no longer fighting each other but moving in harmonious patterns. The constant strain she'd lived with for years began to ease."The scales," she murmured, feeling them ripple beneath her skin without the usual burning sensation. "They don't hurt anymore.""Because they're forming naturally now, not being forced." Ryūō's presence curled around her protectively. "Watch how the patterns emerge – like leaves unfurling in spring."Kakashi moved closer, studying the transformation. "The chakra consumption is significantly lower too. More efficient.""Indeed. Fighting one's own power wastes enormous energy." The dragon's tone held centuries of wisdom. "Now, little one, let's try something new. Open your eyes, but maintain the harmony we've established."Aria opened her eyes carefully. The world looked different – sharper, clearer, but not in the harsh way it had before. Colors were richer, movements more fluid. She could see chakra patterns in the trees around them, the subtle flow of natural energy through the clearing."Beautiful," she breathed."This is how dragons see the world," Ryūō explained. "Not just physical forms, but the dance of energies that connects all things. The Ryūgan isn't meant to be just a combat tool – it's a way of understanding the deeper patterns of existence.""The predictive abilities," Kakashi realized. "They're not just reading muscle movements or chakra buildups...""She's seeing the ripples in the greater flow," Ryūō confirmed. "Like watching a stream and knowing where the water will eddy before it happens." His presence shifted thoughtfully. "Try throwing one of your kunai, but slowly. Let her watch the patterns."Kakashi drew a kunai and began a deliberate throwing motion. Aria gasped softly as she saw not just the weapon's arc, but the way it disturbed the flowing energies around it, creating patterns she could read like words in a book."The patterns... they show everything. Where it will go, how it will spin, even how the air will break around it.""And that's just with one simple object," Ryūō said proudly. "Imagine reading the patterns of an entire battle, seeing how each action ripples through the flow of combat.""No wonder the clan feared it," Kakashi mused. "This level of perception...""Goes far beyond their traditional abilities," the dragon agreed. "But perception without wisdom is dangerous. Which is why we'll start with the basics." His tone became gently instructive. "Now, little one, let's work on maintaining this harmonic state while moving. Stand up, slowly."Aria rose carefully, trying to keep the energies balanced. It was like learning to walk while balancing a dozen spinning plates – except the plates were streams of ancient power that really didn't appreciate being dropped."I'm going to fa—" she started to say as her concentration wavered."You're not falling," Ryūō's voice was calm, steady. "Feel the earth beneath your feet. Dragons are creatures of sky and ground together. Root yourself like a mountain, but let your energy flow like wind."She took a deep breath, focusing on the sensation. The dragon chakra responded, spiraling down through her legs into the earth while also swirling upward through her core."Good," the dragon approved. "Now take one step. Don't try to control everything – let the patterns guide you."Aria moved, and for a moment she felt it – perfect harmony between human grace and dragon power. Then she wobbled slightly, and the patterns scattered like startled birds."Well done," Ryūō said warmly as she caught her balance. "Much better than my last student's first try. He fell face-first into a rice paddy.""When was that?" Aria asked curiously, straightening up."Oh, about three centuries ago." The dragon's tone was deliberately casual. "He went on to found a rather nice monastery. Turns out he was better at meditation than combat, which worked out well for everyone involved."Kakashi's eye crinkled with amusement. "Any other former students we should know about?""A few. Though most of them didn't manage quite this level of compatibility." Ryūō's presence shifted thoughtfully. "There was one young woman about five centuries back who had quite a talent for using the Ryūgan to find lost things. Made quite a career out of it until she retired to become a poet.""So not all your students were warriors?" Aria asked, starting her balancing practice again."Little one, power takes many forms. The ability to see the world's deeper patterns can be used for many purposes." The dragon's voice held ancient wisdom. "What matters is not how much power one wields, but how wisely one uses it.""Speaking of wisdom," Kakashi interjected, "perhaps we should work on maintaining this control while performing basic ninja movements? Starting with something simple, like tree-walking?""Ah yes, the human habit of running up vertical surfaces." Ryūō's tone was deeply amused. "So much more complicated than simply flying, but I suppose we should start with the basics.""Flying?" Aria's eyes widened."Eventually, little one. Eventually." The dragon's laughter rumbled like distant thunder. "First, let's master walking without dropping into the river of time by accident.""The river of... wait, what?""Did I forget to mention that part?" Ryūō managed to sound both innocent and mischievous – quite a feat for an ancient dragon. "Well, I suppose we'll cross that temporal bridge when we come to it. Now, about that tree-walking..."Kakashi just shook his head, already foreseeing many interesting training sessions ahead. At least Guy would be thrilled – teaching someone with an ancient dragon sealed in their eyes would certainly count as a "most youthful challenge.""I heard that thought," Ryūō commented drily. "And yes, your energetic friend will be quite... entertaining... to work with."Aria groaned. "Can we maybe not tell Guy-sensei about the dragon part?""Too late," Kakashi eye-smiled. "I already mentioned we might need his help with special endurance training."The dragon's laughter mingled with Aria's protests as they continued their practice, the morning sun rising higher over a training ground that would soon become very familiar with the sight of a young girl learning to balance human and dragon, past and present, power and wisdom.And if sometimes the trees sparkled a bit more than usual, well, dragons did so love shiny things."I heard that too," Aria and Ryūō said in perfect unison.Kakashi just smiled and reached for another kunai. After all, what was training without a few flying sharp objects to dodge?