"When we think of time frozen we visualize it as everything in the universe being still, in a state of stasis- the cessation of entropy."
Chapter 2: Flex Seal no Jutsu!
Aratashiki, Tsunade, Kakashi, Neji, and the leader of the Hyuga clan- Hiashi Hyuga- sat around the low, wooden table. The large pile of bowls had been cleared away, and a bitter green tea was served to each of them atop the now-clean piece of furniture. Tsunade had briefly described their current conflict, explaining that a man named Madara Uchiha had recently declared war on all of their villages under the guise of a ludicrous plan that none of the other Kage believed. However, it was clear that Tsunade was starting to have doubts.
Agreeing to discuss the matter in more detail later on, the others listened intently while Aratashiki told them of her people, prompting a new discussion.
"Until recently, the Sage of Six Paths was thought to be a mere legend. With your appearance now, we can be certain it is not," Hiashi stated.
"Kaguya was sent to harvest a chakra fruit and bring it back to my father. She abandoned the mission and, from what I gather, procreated with a human. I do know that Hagoromo had a brother named Hamura who lived on your moon. I met his descendant, Toneri, there." Aratashiki told them.
'Met' was a generous way to describe the encounter. As for what actually happened, Aratashiki held him by the throat while asking all of the wrong questions. She asked who he was, then she asked who Hamura was, and then she asked where Kaguya was. Toneri claimed ignorance, so she told him to 'describe humans in three sentences or less', and left.
Tsunade sipped her tea thoughtfully. "So there are more like you, here on earth?"
"Only myself and Kaguya, as far as I know. There was supposed to be another, but he apparently vanished long ago, before even Kaguya began her work."
Isshiki, an arrogant coward. What a relief to find no sign of that jackass.
"And what of this chakra fruit?" Hiashi asked.
"Well, assuming she ate it, she would have become extremely powerful. On par with the main branch and myself. I am surprised you have not heard of her, as she is not the type to sit back quietly. There must be something I am missing."
She's a dramatic cunt, is what she wanted to say.
Hiashi hummed in agreement, his gaze momentarily flickering towards Neji. "It seems there is a great deal that we do not know."
Aratashiki studied the younger Hyuga curiously. He was clearly not of the same rank as the others in the room, so why was he allowed to stay? She reached out with her senses- copping a feel from his chakra- and noticed a barrier once she reached his forehead. Gently, she pushed her chakra against the blocked pathways.
It's linked to his eyes and his sensory cortex. It could be used to control him, as well as...destroy his eyes. Why would they seal away the Byakugan, are they cruel or just stingy?
Neji twitched, letting out a quiet grunt of discomfort when she pushed against the curse mark. Kakashi eyed her suspiciously from her right, his sharingan boring into her.
"Neji?" Tsunade asked. "Is something wrong?"
Shaking his head, he bowed slightly. "I'm fine. I apologize for interrupting."
"Why have you placed that seal on his forehead?" Aratashiki asked, demanding an answer from the clan head.
Hiashi visibly bristled, and Tsunade began to question how Aratashiki knew about the 'curse mark'. Kakashi, silent and mysterious as ever, interjected.
"She was sensing his chakra. Molesting his chakra network, to be more accurate. That's how she knows."
"I was not molesting anything, quit making it weird," Aratashiki hissed defensively.
"Perhaps we cannot trust her. She is still a teenager, after all. Barely an adult," Hiashi said, placing no emotion behind his insulting words.
Aratashiki turned her glare towards the old man. "You're cut from the same cloth as my father, aren't you? You think everything is yours for the taking? Wrong! How dare you treat your people as pawns, as slaves-"
"We have all made mistakes in the past, my clan and myself are no exceptions. However, it no longer serves the purposes you have suggested," he replied coolly, cutting her off.
"Then why does he still have it? That's such a load of bullshit that I think you might actually be bovine!"
"Don't make assumptions about things you don't understand."
"Enough!" Tsunade slammed both fists onto the table, splitting it down the center and turning their teacups into hot, wet projectiles. Shame, it was pretty tasty. Her intense stare was fixated on Aratashiki. "At least we know she is not lying about her age, based off of her emotional control."
Feeling a gentle rage begin to creep up her spine, Aratashiki opened her mouth to rebuke the insult. However, for once in her life she thought better of speaking her mind, and dug her nails into her palms to try and dispel the anger instead.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Tsunade asked.
"I haven't killed you yet."
"Yet. What's stopping you from killing us as soon as I finish this sentence?"
Aratashiki sighed. "You'll just have to take my word for it, I guess."
"That isn't worth much," Kakashi interjected.
"Well, forgive me," Aratashiki retorted. "But I can't offer anything else because I don't know what I need to do for you to trust me. I'm not familiar with your customs."
"She could have killed us out in the forest. She could have killed us and run away, and you all would be none the wiser. But she didn't. She didn't even try to escape."
Neji spoke quietly but with a great deal of confidence from his seat between herself and Hiashi. Aratashiki turned her head towards the shinobi, perplexed as to why he would actually back her up, and briefly met his eyes. A spark of electricity shot up her spine and they both looked away quickly.
"As I said, I come in peace. I do not enjoy killing, nor do I enjoy subjugation ," she emphasized, risking a glance towards Hiashi. "I rebelled against my father and clan by coming here. I was friends with Kaguya once, but he took that from me as well as pretty much my entire life. Almost took my sanity, too. Ju-ni-chi-ro, he who takes. And I refuse to submit to his tyranny."
They weren't so sure about the sanity bit. Hell, even she wasn't totally confident that nothing up there was scrambled.
Watching her discreetly as she spoke, Neji noticed for the first time the profound sadness behind her striking eyes. She almost seemed unaware of it as well, which was odd. Much to his disdain, he felt a sense of solidarity with this strange being; both seemingly bound to a fate they did not choose. It made him wonder if he had acted this passionate after breaking free from his own. A slight blush rose to his cheeks and he looked away, scolding himself for seeking beauty in such a lunatic. He was never the romantic type, anyways.
Tsunade took a deep breath as the room plunged into silence. Just as Aratashiki began to feel uncomfortable, she spoke again. "That is a noble disposition, Aratashiki-san. However, due to the apparent power and unknown abilities you possess, we must regard you as a potentially lethal entity."
Aratashiki stared at her lap, thinking. Before she could change her mind, she suggested the solution. "I can offer you a compromise, then. My father developed a certain sealing technique. It is used to subjugate clan members who defect, or who threaten his power."
All heads were turned towards her, listening expectantly. Clenching her shaking hands into fists, she ignored her apprehension and continued. "You must understand, before I go on, the gravity of what I am offering." Her voice shook, unable to mask her emotion. Even if it wasn't a true prison this time, the memories associated were still traumatic.
Why am I even telling them this? Why do I crave their trust, why can't I just walk away? And what if I can't find my necklace?
Tsunade reached across the broken table, brushing her fingers across Aratashiki's knee as if to reassure her. In that moment, she looked no different than any other lost or frightened young woman. To see such a reaction from a being with supposed otherworldly powers was sobering.
"It is called the Muttsu no yoso sefirotto keimusho, the Six Elements Sefirot Prison. It seals away ninety percent of the receiver's chakra. For most users, it render's all abilities other than their primary kekkei-genkai useless, as they lack the chakra required to wield them properly. If the recipient dies, the caster retains a small portion of the sealed chakra. The seal can only be broken by the caster."
"Six elements...what is the sixth element?" This time it was Kakashi who asked the question. He thought she could mean Yin and Yang chakra, perhaps.
Aratashiki took another breath before elaborating. "Otsutsuki possess the futatsu no seishin; the oversoul. Think of it as a repository, or a backup, of your spirit and consciousness. The oversouls exist as forms outside of reality, in a space between dimensions. We call this place 'Ainsov', the Infinite. So long as our oversoul remains in Ainsov we are spiritually immortal. However, only members of the main branch, such as myself, have physical immortality bodies. I can discuss this later, as it is a complex subject."
Aratashiki looked up at Tsunade, who nodded encouragingly. "For all other Otsutsuki, when their physical body is killed, they can transfer part of their oversoul into the body of the killer in the form of a Kāma. Kāma allows the user to wield and master the Otsutsuki's chakra, becoming a vessel for their oversoul. If the Otsutsuki is able to overpower the chakra and the spirit of the marked person, they can become a perfect vessel; a perfect Otsutsuki. This is the only way for an impure Otsutsuki to emulate our total immortality, and has only been achieved successfully once. However," she paused, unsure of whether or not she should tell them the next part.
Damn my honesty. Why can't I be a snake like Isshiki? Ugh. Well ok, technically I'm withholding...that one part.
"The Six Elements Sefirot Seal connects the recipient's oversoul directly to the fabric of reality, their physical body."
"And what does that mean for you, for your power?" Tsunade asked, straining to hold back the barrage of questions she had for the young woman.
"Well, it means I would have as much as or slightly less chakra than one of your 'Jinchuriki'-"
"That is still too much. It's a liability," Hiashi said, cutting her off.
"Let her finish before we cast judgement," Tsunade said, gesturing for Aratashiki to continue.
"With my oversoul exposed, and despite my immortality as a pure Otsutsuki, I will become effectively mortal. I will still heal and recover at an accelerated rate, but I could die a final death. Because of its tether to reality, my oversoul will not even be transferable via the Kāma. It means that I am entrusting you with my life."
Tsunade stared at her pensively. "Why are you willing to do this?"
Aratashiki swallowed, shrugging. Now was not the time to spew her actual manifesto. "Hell if I know. All I do know is that I feel compelled to earn your trust. I can see the destruction Kaguya's actions have caused, and I desire to do anything I can to rectify it. That bitch needs to be put in her place, you know!"
She shook her fist and let out determined huff as she finished. The others appeared both surprised and amused by her crude outburst.
"I'm not sure if we can handle another Naruto or Sasuke," Tsunade mumbled.
" Careful, if you start acting like Hidan I'll have to kill you, " Kakashi joked quietly.
As to whether those were insults or compliments, she had no idea. Aratashiki wondered who 'Hidan', 'Naruto', and 'Sasuke' were, but didn't pry further because she had a feeling it wouldn't result in any answers.
"There's just one thing that doesn't add up," Kakashi said. "If you really are as powerful as we've been led to believe...if you can literally bend space-time, why haven't you found Kaguya yet? Why not just force her out of hiding?"
Aratashiki smiled to herself.
The douche-canoe has a brain after-all.
"Even the Otsutsuki have their limits. And certain abilities come at a cost, with a great degree of risk. Besides," she smirked at the masked ninja, "where's the fun in that? I'm...interested in this place. And your creatures are so cute!" She patted her flushed cheeks, watching the small pink animal sniff the floor as it ambled around the room. This planet was wonderfully entertaining.
"Tonton, get out of here!" The pig squealed and ran towards the door. Tsunade sighed and sat up straight, meeting Aratashiki's eyes. "Anyways. What do you want in return?"
She hadn't quite gotten that far yet. "Well, since I will be mortal. Food, water, shelter-"
"Without a doubt," Tsunade interjected. "All necessities will be provided."
"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. Then...I would like to live among your people while I wait for Kaguya to make an appearance. Back on our planet, I didn't get to experience culture, everyday life, or hobbies, just nothingness. I don't know what else to call it. Like, literally a dimension of nothing, with a sprinkle of hell. Anyways, after the sealing I will still have my Dojutsu, as you call it. My Tenseigan and Byakugan for sure. The others are a toss up." She laughed nervously, before taking on a more serious tone.
"I also overheard something about a war, and I'm willing to provide any aid or information I can. So I suppose I could become a…" she trailed off, glancing at Neji's hitai-ate.
Tsunade smiled in understanding. "A kunoichi. Of course. That could be arranged, in some time. We would have to assess your abilities. After the sealing, I mean."
"Yes, I will go over the extent of my capabilities once I get a feel for my remaining chakra," Aratashiki agreed.
Hiashi, who had been silent since her initial outburst, finally spoke up. "I must admit, my reservations will remain until I have seen this seal for myself. However," he turned to look Aratashiki in the eyes, "should everything go as planned, I would like to offer you the protection of the Hyuga clan. If you wish, you can stay within the compound. Well, what's left of it. At the very least, we can offer you training in our style of ninjutsu. I can sense that your eyes are similar to the byakugan."
"Thank you. Although I have been training and honing my abilities for an eternity- not a metaphor- I am very lacking in experience when it comes to actual combat. Your jutsu appears very similar to our own chakra-welding techniques. Even my eyes- the Tenseigan- are an evolved form of the Byakugan that can only be possessed by an Otsutsuki, or a close descendant of one. Theoretically." Aratashiki found herself growing excited to show off her abilities and exchange cultural ideas.
"Interesting, and what does it-"
Tsunade cleared her throat loudly. "I too am interested in your abilities. We will have plenty of time to study and to ask questions. Later. First, we need to sort out the matter of this seal."
Aratashiki was hit with a fresh wave of anxiety. Despite her reservations, though, she knew what she had to do. "I can teach someone the technique. It requires a great deal of chakra, but not an inhuman amount, from what I can tell."
"Very well. We should also discuss the terms of its release."
"Oh, right. I forgot about that part. Should Kaguya make an appearance of any kind or attack, it must be released. She is, how do I put it...incompatible with your continued existence."
Man, please don't see through the lie. I totally didn't forget, I just forgot that I'm not supposed to be able to break it. A half-truth. An omission.
Tsunade nodded. "That seems reasonable."
"And," she added, "if ever a threat arises that I believe you...cannot defeat, I am willing to aid you with my full power."
"You are promising a lot with very little to gain, it seems. This almost sounds too good to be true." Kakashi, ever the dampener.
"Hmm, I suppose it may seem that way to you. However, my mission to find Kaguya is still of incredible importance. Time is not an issue, but it must be done eventually. And…" she trailed off, thinking of the life she could have if this all worked out. Normalcy, friends, freedom from her insane fucking family. An opportunity to repair the spirit her father had nearly broken. A chance at achieving her dream, maybe even being able to save these people from her King. Her voice wavered faintly once she spoke again.
"You are helping me more than you know."
"Well then, that begs the question- who should perform the seal?"
Aratashiki's mind flashed back to the events of that afternoon "Wait," she said. "There is one more thing. Before we seal my chakra, I can alter my appearance. I can't imagine walking around in my true form will sit well with your people."
Tsunade smacked herself on the forehead. "Of course, how could I forget. No, we certainly can't have that. In fact, all of this will remain highly classified. We can't have anyone hear of this just yet."
"Tenten and Lee," Neji interjected. "All three of us saw her in the forest. It's possible they have told others about it by now. With Lee, especially so."
"Dammit," Tsunade cursed.
"I can erase their memories," Aratashiki stated nonchalantly.
"You mean, a genjutsu?" Kakashi asked. "That can be broken. Not by everyone, but by enough people that it wouldn't last."
"No, not a genjutsu. I mean I can erase their memories. Permanently."
"How? Won't it leave a memory gap?"
Aratashiki shook her head. "No. I can replace the memories by pulling from a version of them living a timeline in which our encounter never happened. It is a delicate process, however, as even small events tend to have a crescendo effect. That said, with such a short time period, it should not be too difficult to find a congruent timeline."
Tsunade, Kakashi, Hiashi, and Neji gazed at her with uncertainty. She knew exactly what they were thinking.
"Such a feat requires a huge amount of my chakra, and will incapacitate me for the equivalent amount of time that was altered. In this case, several hours. I promise I have not tampered with any of your memories."
They all seemed to relax a little, and the room became noticeably less tense. Aratashiki could sense the incessant flow of questions consuming each individual's mind, causing a small smile to form on her lips. From what she could gather, humanity had very little knowledge of astrophysics, metaphysics, and the machinations of space-time. Compared to her, at least. This civilization was certainly still in its infancy; she wondered how they might react if she were to reveal any of their technology.
The Hokage's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Alright. I suppose we should go ahead and get this over with so we can proceed with the sealing."
"Hn." Stretching her arms out in front of her, she turned her palms skyward, revealing the rinne sharingan in each palm. Tsunade, who had just taken a sip from her fresh cup of tea, promptly spat it back out.
"What are those?!"
"I was wondering the same thing," Kakashi said.
Hiashi grunted, and Neji said nothing, staring at her hands with that familiar expression of confusion and disgust. Aratashiki cocked an eyebrow at the group, giggling at their reactions.
"Don't worry, I'll wear gloves." Not wanting to be stalled any longer, she began gathering her chakra in each rinne sharingan.
The group watched in awe as the eyes on her face began to turn a milky white, and her body levitated slightly off of the ground. Aratashiki's limbs became completely still, save for the swirling of the tomoe in each rinne sharingan. Her body began to flicker as if phasing in and out of existence, and an impermeable barrier of silence cloaked the room. Almost as soon as her work began it ended, and Aratashiki's small body collapsed into an unconscious heap on the floor.
Aratashiki woke up several hours later. The broken table had been cleared from the room and her body was lying in its place, wrapped in a warm blanket. A soft pillow had been placed behind her head, and she shifted uncomfortably as her braid dug into her shoulder blade. Letting out a soft whimper, she slowly opened her sensitive eyes, gradually adjusting to the dim light.
A warm hand brushed against her forehead, and when her eyes opened fully she was met with Lady Tsunade's concerned gaze.
"Ah, you're finally awake. To be honest, I didn't quite believe you about the effects at first. I apologize for doubting your word."
Smiling, Aratashiki responded in a strained whisper. "No worries. You are already forgiven."
Neji, who had recently returned from a water-fetching mission, watched their exchange with curiosity. It was the first time he had witnessed such gentleness and vulnerability from the mysterious woman. Unconsciously staring at her soft lips as she whispered, his trance was broken by Tsunade's irritated grunt.
"Neji. Water her!"
"Right," he muttered, hesitantly settling down beside her and bringing the waterskin to her lips, while Tsunade yelled at Shizune to fetch the others. Aratashiki grabbed the container from his hands, startling him, and loudly gulped its contents down before letting out a loud 'ah-h'.
"'Water her'," she giggled, quoting Tsunade. "I'm not a damn plant, you know."
The older woman laughed. "To be fair, we aren't totally sure what you are."
"Hn." Aratashiki grunted, sitting up fully and rubbing her back where the braid had dug in. "Well I'm a [redacted] just the same as you."
Neji and Tsunade looked at her in confusion. "A what?" they asked simultaneously.
"Bah, nevermind." Aratashiki studied her palms, suddenly remembering that she needed to alter her appearance. "Before we get started, I'm going to alter my body."
Tsunade nodded. "Right. Would you like privacy?"
Shaking her head, Aratashiki replied. "No, thank you, that isn't necessary."
They watched as her white, alien skin began to take on a rosier, more human-like tint. The small horns on her head retracted into her skull, and black pigment spread from the roots of her hair down through her braid and to the ends. In less than a minute, Neji and Tsunade found themselves gazing at a very beautiful, very human looking young woman.
"Incredible. You could even pass for a Hyuga," Tsunade commented. "I might have to ask you for pointers some time."
"I'm glad my visage is satisfactory," Aratashiki smiled, looking over at Neji and winking. "Well? How hot am I, on a scale of one to ten?"
"W-what?" Neji stammered, averting his gaze as his face grew hot with embarrassment.
Tsunade let loose another raucous laugh while Aratashiki giggled like mad. Her excitement regarding the future was making her feel rather bold.
"I've never seen this much of a reaction from that kid," Tsunade said, referring to the usually stoic Hyuga who sat across from her.
Hiashi and Kakashi re-entered the room to find poor Neji on the verge of puking from embarrassment, surrounded by the two near-hysterical women. Kakashi observed the scene and Aratashiki's new appearance with disinterest while Hiashi wondered if he should fetch his nephew a bucket. Kakashi decided to intigate the conversation once again, interrupting their gleeful laughter with his clear voice.
"We've decided that Neji will act as your seal caster. For one, he is already in the know. Secondly, he possesses the required chakra. And lastly, since he will be your peer, he is the most likely of us four to be near you should the need arise for the seal to be released."
Aratashiki smirked at Neji, surprised that he had agreed to have anything to do with her. Even though he probably wasn't given much of a choice. "I appreciate you appointing me such a handsome guardian."
Tsunade erupted into another fit of giggles, while Kakashi and Hiashi stared at them both, unimpressed and wondering if Tsunade had busted out the sake while they were gone. In fact, it would be more surprising if the Hokage had not started drinking yet than if she had, given the events of the past few hours. Neji turned his face away from them all, covering his mouth with a fist. He was on the verge of becoming irate.
"I'm starting to like this one!" Tsunade exclaimed, jerking her thumb towards their visitor. A moment later she was finally regaining her composure, and a serious expression took over her features. "Aratashiki: when you're ready, walk us through the process."
Shivering, Aratashiki gulped nervously. She willed her hands to stop shaking while she started to unwrap her kimono. Noticing their bewildered stares as she slid it over her shoulders, she laughed nervously. "Relax, I'm not giving you a free show. The seal goes on my back. Neji, sit behind me, please."
He shifted behind her, his face once again betraying nothing. Beyond a sheen of sweat covering his skin, there was no outward indication of nervousness. But, she could feel his apprehension- amplified by their close proximity- and was torn between trying to comfort him or not. Neji probably would have been more humiliated than grateful for her reassurances, so she opted to press on without saying anything.
Aratashiki balled her left hand into a fist, moving it behind her to rest at the small of her back, splaying the right across her sternum. She noticed that Hiashi and Kakashi were watching her chakra flow with their respective dojutsu.
"Ok, don't freak out," she said to no-one in particular. Aratashiki's neck began to pulse, and the tip of a bone pushed out of the base. "Grab the bone and pull it out."
"What?" He asked, disgust evident in his tone.
"I know it's gross, but please just do it. I need you to make a superficial cut down the center of my back."
"Can I not just use a kunai?"
Oh. Oh. She really hadn't thought of that. Thank fucking stars that Neji had, though, otherwise he would be saying good-bye to a few fingers. That's what she gets for being resourceful, how mortifying. Apparently her curse of stupidity had not lifted since its earlier activation. Aratashiki sucked that bone up real fast. . "YEAH! Yes, yes, my bad. Do that instead."
How could I forget that my bones react to foreign chakra?! I almost just shredded his hand and caused a fucking war with these people. Holy kamoley.
Without further comment he pulled a kunai out of his weapons pouch, applying light pressure as he dragged it along the skin covering her spine. Neji stiffened, watching as the blood seeping out of the cut began to spread across her skin. It branched out in six directions, each line forming a chain of foreign script. Thin black bands appeared around her wrists, ankles, and neck. The centerpoint of the seal morphed into a ring of concentric circles, stacked together like the cross-section of a tree.
"I need you to place your left hand over my fist, and your right palm at the base of my neck." When he obeyed, she continued, trying to ignore the sensation of his warm hands on her cold skin. "Ok, please begin concentrating as much of your chakra as you can into your hands."
She could sense the flow of his chakra altering in accordance with her directions, pooling into each palm. Once he had gathered the necessary amount, she stopped him.
"That's enough. Any more and you might harm yourself." Aratashiki took a deep breath. "Alright. I am going to do most of the work, but I need you to cast as soon as I tell you. No matter what happens, you must not hesitate or pull away. Ok?"
"What do I say?" Neji asked.
Rather than relying on his memory, Aratashiki planted the knowledge directly into his mind using their connected chakras. "Got it?" she asked.
"Y-yes," Neji stammered, unsure of what had just happened, but not exactly wanting to know the answer either.
Without hesitation, Aratashiki initiated the sealing process. The marks on her body began to glow red as they seared into her skin, prompting her to grit her teeth in response to the intense burning sensation. Her breaths became increasingly ragged while the marks brightened even further. After a few more painful moments, she locked eyes with Kakashi and let out a strangled groan.
"Now!"
"Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, Six Elements Sefirot Prison seal!"
Forcing the chakra he had gathered in his hands out and into the seal, a blinding light filled the room and Aratashiki screamed in agony. Tsunade, Hiashi, and Kakashi shut their eyes and covered their ears against the high-pitched ringing assaulting their eardrums. It rapidly increased in frequency, drowning out all noise other than her cries of pain.
They were beginning to fear that their heads might explode when the ringing and the light vanished simultaneously. Upon opening their eyes, they saw Aratashiki hunched over and shivering in front of them as she struggled to breath. When she raised her head, the blood seeping from her eyes started to pool beneath her lower lashes. The blood receded into her skin, leaving behind two symmetrical crimson bands extending out from her tear ducts and stopping just past the outer crest of her eye sockets, mirroring the marks that were initially on her skin.
Tsunade looked to Hiashi and Kakashi, who had been studying the movements of their chakra during the whole process. "Well?" she asked.
"She was telling the truth. Her chakra is... significantly diminished. In fact, it's almost identical to Naruto's, in terms of quantity." Kakashi's voice betrayed a hint of astonishment.
Hiashi nodded in agreement. "I have not witnessed such a powerful seal since Minato sealed away the Kyuubi."
"Fuck, that really hurt," Aratashiki whimpered.
Removing his hands from Aratashiki's back, Neji stared wide-eyed at the exposed flesh that was now devoid of any evidence of the seal. The whole ordeal had him feeling a bit shell-shocked, body swaying back and forth slightly. He fell backwards and caught himself on his hands, looking up for a moment before slumping, unconscious, against the wall.