AN: Note that I do not own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, or any of the characters from either Anime. This work is a fanfiction written out of my love for the series and not in any attempt to make a profit.
Proofread by: Author and Kyluxia
This chapter was a bit hard to actually get to writing, even though it was very swiftly written once I managed to sit down to write it.
Chapter 35: Shapes, forms, and control
"It almost sounds as if formations are just another form of seals. They really don't use chakra?" Sakura asked, wondering how formations could have such formidable abilities without using chakra. Optical illusions were an understood phenomenon, at least from a biological standpoint. Hiding an entire village like that, however, sounded impossible, no matter how open-minded the twins considered themselves.
"Perhaps. They really don't use chakra, although it is possible to combine formations with chakra, it isn't necessary. Besides the requirement of chakra, seals and formations differ in their methods of use. Seals take on shapes and designs suited for manipulating chakra. Formations on the other hand take on shapes and forms for manipulating everything else. Sound, sight, smell. I suppose that if one tried hard enough, there could be ones that even manipulate a person's sense of touch or taste. However, formations aren't limited to what could be considered Genjutsu. A formation could be used to manipulate the winds, reinforce buildings or even create chakra-less barriers. Sadly, formation-shaping is practically a dead art, and the only formations I could teach you two are the basics of the basics that overlap with seal making." Jiraiya informed them regretfully.
"That's fine. It takes years to master anyways, right? We better focus on easier things that we can actually use in battle." Naruto decided, which Jiraiya nodded in agreement with while sighing sadly.
"I agree. Although it is precisely that kind of thinking that led to the loss of formation-shaping as an art." Jiraiya explained, which made Naruto frown slightly. He recognized that formation-shaping was an amazing thing, yet he apparently held the same views as those responsible for the loss of the art.
"What about text and records? Wouldn't there be something like that around, allowing people to learn?" Sakura inquired, only for Jiraiya to shake his head.
"As far as I am aware, there used to be. Sadly, all records were either lost or forgotten. The last place I am aware of that held any kind of information on formation-shaping was Uzushiogakure." Jiraiya informed them.
"Ah, that's the place my mom was from, right?" Naruto asked, receiving a nod from Jiraiya.
"The village and home of the Uzumaki clan. While they were primarily known for their mastery in Fūinjutsu, they also kept the practice of formation-shaping alive to some degree. I believe that there was, and still is, an active underwater formation where Uzushiogakure used to be, ensuring there are always whirlpools forming around that area. If the formation was intentional or not, I can't say, but I'm almost certain there is one there." Jiraiya informed them.
"And formation-shaping can't be recreated by studying still existing formations?" Sakura asked, and Jiraiya shook his head sadly.
"No one can get close enough to check. Besides, formations usually take advantage of the environment, incorporating it into the formation. Unless one is already well-versed in formation-shaping, I doubt one would be able to tell most of the formation from its natural surroundings." Jiraya answered her before standing up and clapping his hands.
"Now then, I believe we've trailed off our original topic far enough. Let's get back to understanding barriers and barrier seals." Jiraiya decided, before taking out a small scroll and unrolling it to reveal four small seals.
"Now, can either of you tell me what this is?" Jiraiya asked them, smirking.
"Um, seals?" Naruto tried, furrowing his brows in confusion.
"Barrier seals?" Sakura tried to elaborate, considering the topic of their conversation.
"Close. These are four individual chakra gathering seals, which you should be able to identify by now." Jiraiya pointed out, making both of the teens wince. While Sakura had recognized the seals, the fact that there were four of them had thrown her off enough to doubt herself, and Heikō had been in the same boat. They hadn't mentioned it, hoping Jiraiya wouldn't call them out on it, or instead explained things before it got to that.
"Together, like this," He began explaining, gesturing to the four seals. "They each function as the anchors for a barrier, making them act as barrier seals. Of course, these seals themselves won't normally form a barrier when fed chakra, but anchoring a barrier to seals doesn't require the seals to form the initial barrier. So long as they can function as anchors for the technique, their own function is irrelevant, as long as the barrier receives the chakra and stability required to sustain it. In this case, the seals also contribute to the barrier's stability, as together, they make up the cornerstones of a simple square formation." Jiraiya explained, making Naruto frown even more.
"You said we were moving on from talking about barriers!" Naruto complained, making Jiraiya sigh.
"What do you think was the reason I explained formations for in the first place? They're important when it comes to seals and barriers because the foundations of formations are geometry, and even if not intentional, geometry is present and important when it comes to seals and barriers as well. Even if most Shinobi never understand why, creating geometrical seals or barriers is always easier and much more effective, because of formations." Jiraiya clarified, before returning to his previous train of thought.
"Now, the basic shapes that every kid knows are circles, triangles, squares, and so forth. While the fact that these shapes usually form formations isn't well known, the effects are clear enough that the basics of barrier formation are to always make the shape of barriers as accurate as possible in its angles and the shapes that it forms. The better the accuracy of the shapes, the less effort and chakra they tend to require. That's why it is always important to try and locate the anchor points of a barrier, because removing just one of them is likely to throw off the accuracy of the barrier's shape, weakening it, if not collapsing it entirely." Jiraiya explained, smiling again. "And with just that, you both know more, and less than most other Shinobi do about barriers." He informed them with a laugh, before rolling the scroll he was holding back up.
"Next, you should be aware that barriers can be incredibly tricky in a multitude of ways. As I mentioned before, barriers are usually for preventing exit or entry into an area, but just like seals and formations, they can be used for so much more. Barriers can also affect the area within them, not just the area that makes up the barrier's walls." Jiraiya informed them, before forming a tiger seal, engulfing them all in smoke.
"This is the effect of a barrier." Jiraiya began explaining through the smoke, while Naruto coughed lightly. Sakura and Heikō however kept their breath, having already developed a reflex not to breathe in unknown fumes or smoke from their time working with poisons and experimenting with some of their own concoctions. After a few moments, the smoke dissipated and Jiraiya continued. "It's a function I added into the privacy seals we set up in this room. They count as a barrier, preventing sound from escaping the confines of the room, defined by the natural formation created by the cuboid shape of this room's wall, ceiling, and floor. While this barrier only has one anchor, the naturally present formation provides the shape, without requiring multiple anchors. This is also why a privacy seal can't simply be slapped onto the ground and function out in the open. There are usually far too many, or few natural formations present for the seal to work correctly, on top of picking the correct one or stop working when, say, someone opens the door to a sealed room under a privacy seal. There are ways around it, using multiple seals for anchors to prevent it, but naturally, carrying and deploying multiple seals is more time and effort consuming than a single seal." Jiraiya told them, glad to see his students nodding along in understanding.
It had actually been something the Haruno twins had been curious about and had been trying to solve on their own. It hadn't been obvious from the seal composition, yet no matter what kind of room, as long as it wasn't too big, and the door to the room remained closed, the seal would work and adapt to the correct dimensions of the room, despite none of its components accounting for the dimensions of different rooms. This understanding only highlighted how important it was to understand formations.
The following five hours, Jiraiya went through several different common barrier seals and how to use them together with non-barrier seals to create specific barriers, non-barrier effects, anchors for barriers, and how to properly spot formations and measure the distances and angles between seals with just their sight. All for proper formation shaping within two-dimensional seals.
It was all incredibly useful and fascinating information that allowed Naruto and the twins to not only gain a greater understanding of basic barriers and formations but also seals and their structure, as derived from the nature of chakra. If they hadn't been completely unaware of formations earlier that day, they would have wondered how no one could simply figure out the relation between formations, seals, and chakra by chance. In retrospect, it all seemed so obvious, which Jiraiya told them was a sign that they had internalized the lesson properly.
Following that lesson, Jiraiya had told them to go to bed early, as they would have to get up early in the morning if they wished to catch the change in patrolling Shinobi as they arrived from Konoha. They would only have a window of about two hours after their arrival before they were expected to officially take the mission over from the Shinobi currently patrolling Inaho Village, after which disturbing them would be considered interfering with their mission.
The decision to turn in early for the night actually turned out to be rather fortunate for the Haruno twins. While they were getting ready for bed, they felt something stirring in their mindscape, awakening an irate Fukō who managed to pull them into their mindscape almost immediately.
"Your little Kushina fragment is doing something. It's spreading from the passageway into your mindscape." Fukō informed them, before pointing to what looked disturbingly close to tendrils of blood snaking along the floor, occasionally forming unfamiliar seals along the floor, walls, and ceiling of their mindscape. With each new seal, the odd feeling in their mind seemed to get stronger.
"Shit, okay. Let's cut this off at the source. Hopefully, this isn't permanent or something intentionally meant to hurt us. I don't want to kill Naruto's mother." Heikō admitted, and Sakura nodded in agreement as they raced through corridors leading towards Kushina. They quickly realized why Fukō hadn't simply deposited them next to the passageway that led to Kushina. Whatever it was that was spreading throughout their mindscape was making it more stable, at the cost of making it unchanging, stagnating the malleable structure of their mindscape which they took so much advantage of to move in, out, and around their mindscape with such ease.
Enhancing their speed using chakra, they soon found it a mistake as the crimson tendrils immediately turned hostile and sprung out at them. Intending to defend herself, Heikō had summoned a pair of kunai, only to realize her mistake too late, as she tried cutting one of the tendrils. While the kunai did cut it, the blood simply slid up along the weapon, spreading onto Heikō herself, before forming a seal.
With terrifying, violent force, the entire mindscape seemed to tremble as Heikō screamed out in pain. Immediately, her forehead protector seemed to evaporate, as her third eye opened, revealing Fukō's black eye glaring down at the blood tendril as she took control of Heikō. The tendrils immediately retreated as if intimidated. In fact, all the tendrils seemed to pull back, going so far as to remove the seals they had created, before slinking away, back to where they came from. Worried that they might have already achieved their goal, Sakura sprinted after the retreating tendrils, knowing Heikō was safe in Fukō's care but worried that she might not make it in time to catch the retreating tendrils. Hopefully, things weren't as bad as she imagined. She sincerely hoped that Kushina hadn't intended to hurt them and that the retreat of the tendrils was actually a sign of regret.
AN: And so, next time, we're likely going to find out what Kushina has managed to accomplish without supervision.
What do you think about the ideas and relations discussed in this chapter concerning seals, barriers, and formations? Interesting? Hard to follow? Reviews are welcome.