Whoosh…
The Sky ship arrives in the airspace of Land of the Sky.
"So, this is the Land of the Sky."
The trio of Ayaka, Hanabi, and Yakumo peeks through the window.
"It's time for us to bail out of this ship. If we go any deeper, then we will be stuck in enemy's turf."
Ayaka reminds them.
"Alright!"
The girls tie the winged mechanical flying device around their bodies. They sneak towards the aircraft catapult to get an initial thrust for their flight.
"Will this thing even fly?" Yakumo asks in hesitation.
"Not unless we try it!" Ayaka rolls her eyes.
The girls position themselves on the take-off system.
"Ready, set, go!"
Swish…
Ayaka throws a shuriken towards the launch mechanism to activate it.
Whiz… whiz… whiz…
With an initial burst of thrust, the girls take off from the ship.
Fwoosh…
The girls undo their transformation jutsu and soar into the sky.
Clang… clang… clang…
They remove and drop the armor worn by the Sky shinobis.
"That was very suffocating. Even moving and breathing was hard with that armor."
Hanabi takes a deep breath and gazes at the vast expanse of land beneath her.
On the dock of the ship,
Hmm…
The captain raises his head and turns towards the direction of the take-off system.
"I never issued any order for any take-off. So, what's going on?"
He takes out a telescope from his pocket and focuses it on the girls.
"Huh?! Intruders!"
The captain's expression turns ugly.
He immediately presses the emergency button installed on the dock.
"A group of intruders just escaped from the ship. Stop them as soon as possible!"
The captain yells his lungs out at his subordinates.
"Damn! A bunch of useless idiots."
He clenches his fists in anger and slams them on the safety grill.
"I already failed to complete the objective at the Benisu Island. If even these intruders also escape from my grasp, then the commander will probably skin me alive and feed that monster!"
Brr…
A shiver runs down his spine.
"Dammit! Hurry up, you idiots!"
Whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple sky ninjas take off from the ship and follow Team three's trail.
Whoosh…
The girls continue to lower their altitude to search for a safe spot for landing.
Hmm…
Hanabi feels a gaze focused on her back.
Swish… swish…
She makes some hand seals.
"Byakugan!"
Hanabi activates her Byakugan and inspects her surroundings.
"It's bad! The enemy is on our trail!"
She warns the others.
"What?! They caught on to us!" The girls panic at the revelation.
Ayaka lifts her head and stares at the giant sky ship in the air.
"We are already a considerable distance from the ship. I think it's about time we blow it up to buy us some time and safely escape from their pursuit."
Swish… swish…
She makes some hand signs and yells.
"Explode!"
Swoosh…
A gust of breeze passes by, making their hair flutter in the process.
"Ah!"
Ayaka's expression freezes. She blankly stares at the sky ship.
"Explode!"
She makes more hand signs, but nothing happens.
"It's not working! Why those paper bombs are not exploding? Did Kushina Nee-san give me duds? NO!"
Swish… swish… swish…
The sky shinobis aim their kunai launchers towards the trio and launch a barrage of kunais at the girls.
Haah…
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm"
Hanabi thrusts her palm in mid-air and releases a wave of vacuum shell at the incoming kunais.
Clang…
The vacuum palm deflects the kunais, but the recoil of the jutsu breaks the wing of her flying device. Unable to maintain her altitude, she falls free from the sky.
"HANABI!"
Whoosh…
Ayaka and Yakumo dive and grabs Hanabi's arms.
Swish… swish…
Another barrage of kunais attacks them. The kunais land on the flying devices and damage their wings.
Whoosh…
Having lost their ability to fly, the girls descend towards the ground.
AAHH…
The girls scream in fear and quickly remove the flying devices to lower the weight. While mid-air, they grab each other's arms and dives into the forest right below them.
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…
The girls fall freely through the forest. They quickly accelerate towards the solid ground.
Gulp…
Hanabi gulps a mouthful of saliva.
AAH…
"Ayaka-chan! Yakumo-chan! It was a fun time with you two, but it's about time we say farewell!"
Hanabi and Yakumo close their eyes in fear as death appears in their vision. They tightly hug Ayaka's body.
HAAH…
Ayaka takes a deep breath and infuses a large amount of wind chakra into her mouth.
"Wind Style: Great Wind Twister"
She exhales a giant vortex of wind from her mouth. The vortex of wind slams into the ground and creates a windstorm in the area. This creates an upward current of air which greatly reduces the speed of their descent.
Bang… Bang… Bang…
The girls fall to the ground.
"AH!"
Hanabi and Yakumo slowly open their eyes and looks around.
"We are alive! We are alive!"
They cheer with happiness and embrace each other.
"You two shut up and get off me!"
An angry voice falls in Hanabi's and Yakumo's ears.
"Ayaka, where are you?!"
They look around in puzzlement.
"I am right below you! NOW GET OFF ME!"
Ayaka yells at them in anger.
Oops…
Both of them hurriedly get off.
"Ayaka-chan! Are you alright?!"
They hurriedly support Ayaka and lays her against a tree.
"Huff… Huff… Do I look alright to you?"
Ayaka points towards her tattered clothes. She breathes heavily and rests against the tree.
"Somehow, we survived the fall. If not for my wind jutsu, I am afraid all of us would be a meat paste by now!"
Swish…
Ayaka takes out a water bottle from her storage and chugs it down. She passes it to Hanabi and Yakumo.
Gulp… Gulp…
The girls chug down the water.
Ah…
"This water is so amazing!"
They stare at the water bottle with surprise as the water hastens their recovery.
"What's so amazing about it? I drink it almost every day."
Ayaka rolls her eyes.
"Nii-san told me that this water is from some Shikkotetstu Forest… Ah, mo! I can't remember the name."
She shakes her head.
"Anyway! We should be moving now! The enemies are already on our trail!"
Ayaka raises her head and notices a group of Sky shinobis flying through the sky.
"Quick!"
Whoosh…
Ayaka grabs Hanabi's and Yakumo's arms and dives into a nearby shrub.
A few seconds later,
Swoosh… swoosh…
A few skies shinobis land near the crater created by Ayaka's jutsu.
Hmm…
One of them bends down and inspects the crater.
"They haven't gone too far. We must capture them at all cost."
He turns towards the rest of the shy shinobis and waves his hand to disperse them.
Haaah…
Other sky shinobis disperse in the surrounding area. The first sky shinobis slowly stand up from the crater and stare at the nearby bush.
Ah!
'I think I felt Nii-sama's presence through our connection just now! But for now, I must get away from this place.'
Ayaka warily stares into her surroundings.
'It must be my imagination!'
His lips curve into a smile as he flickers in the other direction.
Phew…
Ayaka and other heaves a sigh in relief.
"That was close! We should keep moving."
Swoosh… swoosh…
The trio of girls continues to walk deeper into the forest.
Swoosh…
On a nearby tree branch,
Haaah…
Izuna dispels his transformation and stares at their back.
"That was a close call! This girl almost caught me. Thankfully, I could avert her attention through my Mangekyo Sharingan ability.
Well! I feel like scum by doing this to her. But I have no choice. I have to let her overcome the hardships of a shinobi on her own. I won't be able to shelter her for my entire life, even though I want to. Damn! How can I be so cruel to my cute angel?"
Izuna clutches his fist as a stream of tears rolls down his eyes.
Swoosh… swoosh…
The sky shinobis quickly surround Ayaka and the group.
Tch…
"We are surrounded!"
Hanabi activates her Byakugan and inspects the surroundings.
"Guess, we have to fight our way out!"
Ayaka takes out a kunai from her holster and confronts the enemy. Hanabi takes a Taijutsu stance and guards Yakumo.
Swoosh…
Yakumo pulls out a drawing board from her storage.
Swish… swish…
She quickly scribbles on it.
"Hanabi! Protect Yakumo while she completes her genjutsu. Meanwhile, I will create an opening and keep the enemies at bay."
"Yes!" Yakumo and Hanabi nod at her.
Shiing…
Ayaka activates her Sharingan and takes out multiple kunais and shurikens from her holster.
Swish…
She clutches the shurikens in her hands and analyzes the location of enemies.
Haah…
Swish… swish… swish…
She aims and throws the shurikens towards the hidden Sky shinobis.
Clang… clang… clang…
The Sky shinobis deflect the shurikens with their kunais.
"I was waiting for this!"
Swoosh…
Ayaka throws her kunai towards the falling shurikens.
Clang…
The kunai collides with the shuriken and changes its trajectory.
clang… clang…
It continues to deflect multiple shurikens and alter their trajectory.
Stab…
The kunai loses its momentum falls on the ground right in front of Ayaka. It stabs upright into the ground.
Swoosh…
Ayaka places her foot on top of the kunai and stares at the Sky shinobis.
Tch…
"This girl! There are only three of them and we are seven people with reinforcement on the way. What's there to be afraid of?!"
One of the sky shinobis glares at Ayaka.
"Oh?!"
Ayaka raises her head and stares at the shinobi. She notices the chunnin outfit of the shinobis.
'The enemies sent a team of chunnins to deal with us. They underestimate us, but it works in our favor. I don't think we will be able to deal with seven jounin at the same time.'
Swish…
Ayaka stomps on the kunai and tilts it towards the chunnin who just opened his mouth.
Shiing… Shiing… Shiing…
Multiple sharp metal wires appear around the chunnin. They entangle his arms, legs, and neck.
Swish…
Ayaka stomps on the kunai again.
Slash… slash…
Blood splashes everywhere as the sharp metal wires cleanly slice his arms, legs, and neck from his body.
AAHH…
The chunnin releases a shrill scream as his body is mutilated into pieces.
Hmph…
Ayaka snorts and stares at the rest of the chunnins.
'These chunnins are just the cannon fodders. The real trouble is those shrewd jounins hiding in the distance. They are monitoring us from a distance and are trying to test our abilities using these chunnins.
I don't know what their objective is, but it seems like they want us to capture alive.'
Earlier, Hanabi noticed the group of chunnins and jounin hot on their heels.
'If I was on my own, then I could have escaped thanks to the various protective means given to me by Nii-san. But Hanabi and Yakumo will fall into the enemy's hands. I absolutely won't allow them to harm my friends.'
Hanabi quickly scribbles on the drawing board.
Rumble… rumble…
Dark clouds slowly loom over the sky.
Crackle… crackle…
Lightning starts to crackle through the clouds.
"Something is not right!"
The hidden jounins sense a life-threatening danger. They notice the dark clouds in the sky and Yakumo continuously scribbling something.
"It's that girl! Quick kill her."
The leader of the jounin team signals his subordinates.
Swish… swish…
The jounins launch a barrage of kunais at Hanabi and Yakumo.
Haah…
Shiing…
The tomoes in Ayaka's eyes spin rapidly. She kicks the kunai on the ground and jumps in mid-air.
Swoosh…
Ayaka spins her body in mid-air and dodges the kunais.
HAAH…
Hanabi walks in front of Yakumo and extends her right arm in front of her chest.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven"
She emits a large amount of chakra from her tenketsu points and spins rapidly.
Clang… clang… clang…
Hanabi continues to deflect all the kunai aimed towards her.
Swoosh…
While in mid-air, Ayaka performs a back-flip and stomps her leg on the floating kunai in front of her.
Swish…
This creates a large amount of tension in the metal wires attached to the kunai.
Slash… slash… slash…
The tight metal wires pierce through the skins of the chunnins and brutally dissect them into pieces.
Swoosh…
Hanabi finishes her rotation as she deflects the last kunai.
"I am done!"
Swish…
Yakumo makes a last stroke with her brush and points the painting towards the sky.
Bzzt…
The black clouds discharge multiple bolts of thick yellow lightning.
AAHH…
The sky jounins screams in agony as the lightning incinerates their body to ashes.
Huff… Huff…
Yakumo and Hanabi breathe heavily and fall to the ground.
"I exhausted all of my chakra in that previous jutsu. I can't move anymore." Yakumo rests against Hanabi's back.
"Me too! I have yet to master the secret technique, so it took me a lot more chakra to complete the technique."
Poof…
Ayaka makes a shadow clone. She picks up Hanabi, and the clone picks up Yakumo.
"We can't delay anymore. We have to retreat to a safe place far away from the pursuit of these sky shinobis."
"We are already in the Land of Sky. Where is Sensei?! He told us he will meet with us once we reach the Land of Sky." Hanabi complains.
"Umm…"
Yakumo also nods her head in agreement.
"He always likes to arrive late. I am sure we will see him soon!" Ayaka flickers deeper into the territory of the Land of Sky.
On a nearby tree,
Whoosh…
Izuna stands on a branch and stares at the back of the trio.
"That was the last group of sky shinobi left which left that ship. I have already dealt with other scout teams. Also, my seal has completed the process of purification of the core. Now, the only person left on that ship is its captain and some of his loyal guards.
I have to keep him alive for a little longer, since I am still curious about the orb and the compass in his hand. That orb was reeking with sinister chakra, but I could also hear the screams of countless beings begging for salvation. There is something fishy about this entire situation!
For now, I am interested to see where these girls will end up!"
Fwoosh…
Izuna's body disappears into countless light particles.
--
Huff… Huff…
Ayaka continues to carry Hanabi and Yakumo on her back.
Burble… burble…
Sounds of a waterfall fall in her ears.
"There is a waterfall nearby. Let's go over there!" She suggests to Yakumo and Hanabi.
"Yes, we are already out of the water and I am feeling quite thirsty." Hanabi nods her head.
Ayaka places them down and the girls walk towards the waterfall.
A huge double fall appears in their vision. The waterfall is surrounded by various plants, trees, and planktons floating in the water.
Gulp… gulp…
The girls gulp down the water from the waterfall and Ayaka fills up her water bottle.
Hah…
"That quenched my thirst!" Hanabi wipes her lips.
She takes a pail of water in her hands and washes her dirt-smeared face.
"Looks like the enemy has lost our track. Let's search for a nearby human settlement!" Ayaka suggests.
"Yes! I don't want to sleep in this wilderness." Yakumo nods in agreement.
"Then let's get going before the night falls!"
The girls gather their bearings and slowly crawl through the sky forest.
After every few meters, Ayaka will activate her Sharingan and look for traces of any human activity.
"There is a cavern up ahead!" Hanabi activates her Byakugan and remarks.
She points towards a small hill in the distance.
"I have recovered enough chakra to use my Byakugan. You can relax now!" Hanabi assures Ayaka.
"Alright! Then we will follow your lead."
The girls walk towards the path pointed by Hanabi.
After fifteen minutes of walking, the girls arrive in front of a giant cavern. A bed of rocks blocks the entrance of the cavern.
Hmm…
Hanabi and Ayaka scrutinize the passage.
"Looks like someone blocked this cavern using an earth-style jutsu!" Ayaka concludes.
"Let's break it open!"
Haah…
Ayaka claps her hand and gathers some lighting chakra in her palm.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Bullet"
She fires a yellow ball of lightning towards the rock bed.
BOOM…
The jutsu blows away the rocks and opens the entrance to the cavern.
The girls enter the cavern.
Hmm…
They notice a trail of footsteps in the cavern. A thin layer of dust covers the trails.
"These footsteps don't seem too recent, but they aren't that old either. Looks like we are near a human settlement!"
Ayaka concludes.
"Let's keep going!"
The girls continue to walk through the cavern.
After another fifteen minutes, a huge opening appears in front of them.
"We are out!"
The girls quickly dash out of the cavern. They arrive at the other end of the hill on top of a small plateau. A small village at a distance appears in their vision.
"Let's take shelter in that village for the time being!"
Swish… swish…
The girls make some hand signs and use transformation jutsu to alter their appearance.
"Shinobi Battle Skill #5: Infiltration"
Izuna's lesson freshens up in their mind.
"Always use transformation jutsu while you are in enemy's territory."
Rustle… rustle…
The shrub behind the girls shakes wildly.
Hanabi and Yakumo insert their hand in their pocket to retrieve their kunais.
Rustle… rustle…
The bush beside the trio sways wildly.
Whoosh…
A white rabbit jumps out of the bush.
"It's just a rabbit!"
Phew…
The girls heave a sigh of relief.
Rustle… rustle…
The bush shakes wildly. Ayaka and Hanabi tense up again.
Whoosh…
A figure with reddish-brown hair jumps out of the grass. There is a blue bandanna tied around her head. The figure leaps in the air and jumps on top of the rabbit. The momentum of the leap carries the figure forward. The figure slides for a distance and rolls a few times before stopping in front of the girls.
AH!
Ayaka and the girls warily stare at the newcomer.
'It's a girl!' Hanabi whispers to the group.
'How did you find out? Don't tell me you peeked at her!'
Ayaka whispers back.
"No! It's not like that."
Hanabi hurriedly denies it.
"There is a slight difference in the chakra pathway of a man and a woman."
"Oh? I see!" Ayaka nods her head.
Huh?!
The red-haired figure raises her head and notices the trio of girls.
Swoosh…
She hurriedly jumps back and points a scalpel towards the girl.
"Who are you guys? What are you doing here?"
The red-haired warily stare at Ayaka and her group.
"Hey! Before you ask others about their identity, you should introduce yourself first. Also, it's very rude to point a knife at someone you just met. Hmph…"
Yakumo snorts at the red-haired girl.
Umm…
"Indeed, it's my fault. I am sorry for that!"
The girl bows and apologizes to them.
"Wait! That's not what I mean… I mean to ask, who are you guys? And what are you doing in the middle of this forest?"
The red-haired girl raises her guard.
"Ehto! We don't mean any harm to you." Hanabi tries to calm her down.
"We are from a group of traveling merchants who were sailing through the sea. A few days ago, a large wave hit our ship and destroyed it. The wave washed us to shore and since then we have been wandering around looking for my brother who is a part of the crew!"
Ayaka cooks up a story on a whim.
'That's not going to work, Ayaka-chan! No one will buy such a story.'
Hanabi whispers to her. Yakumo also nods in agreement.
Hmm…
The red-haired girl places her hand under her chin and remarks.
"Hmm… there was indeed a Tsunami a few days ago. While on our way back, Sensei and I were also hit by it. But we were able to escape thanks to Sensei!"
The girl nods her head.
"…"
The trio of girls speechlessly stare at the red-haired girl.
'She bought it!'
"Alright! I will help you guys. There is a village nearby. I will lead you there!"
The girl waves her hand to lead them towards the village.
Umm…
"If you don't mind, could you tell us your name?" Hanabi asks the girl.
"Oh… where are my manners? I am Amaru!"
Amaru taps her head and sticks out her tongue to make a silly face.
"I am Hanabi. The girl on my right is Ayaka and on the left is Yakumo."
Hanabi introduces herself.
"Let's walk towards the village. It's pretty far from here."
The trio follows Amaru's lead.
"Amaru-chan, what were you doing so far from the village? And what do you mean by you also arrived here a few days ago?"
Ayaka has a friendly smile as she tries to gather some intel.
"Oh! I was out here hunting for some food. You know… my sensei is a doctor. He travels across the world and treats people wherever he goes to."
Amaru has stars in her eyes as she introduces her Sensei.
"Before meeting with Sensei, I was an orphan who lived in a coastal village near the Land of Fire. When I was small, I had a strange disease that was slowly eating away my body.
Everyone in the village would shun me away and no one was willing to help me because of my strange disease. But then I meet Sensei! He cured my diseases and since then I have been following Sensei and learning medical knowledge from him. I am his best apprentice."
She smugly raises her head.
Amaru continues to praise her Sensei for the rest of the journey.
"We are here!"
Ayaka's words snap her out of her monologue.
A wooden arc-shaped entrance appears in their vision. Multiple wooden fences are lined up against each other to form a protective wall around the village.
Amaru quickly hops towards the village and gestures the girls to enter.
"This is Nagano village."
"Oh, Amaru!"
"Amaru-chan!"
The nearby villager waves at her.
"You seem to be well-liked here!" Yakumo looks around in the village.
"Of course!"
Amaru nods her head.
"A few years ago, Sensei cured the plague inflicted on this village. Since then, the people of the village always welcome us with a smile."
Amaru waves at the villagers and leads the girls towards a small house.
"I will ask Sensei to accommodate you for a while. We will be staying for a while. So, if your brother happens to pass by, you can unite with him. If not, then I will ask Sensei to plan our next journey to your village. I am sure your brother will eventually return there."
Amaru assures them with concern in her eyes.
"Thank you!" The girls nod at her.
Amaru walks in front of the cottage.
Knock… knock…
She knocks on the door.
"Sensei! It's me."
"Oh, Amaru! You are back from the hunt!"
A weak, cracky hoarse voice sounds from the hut.
Creak…
An elderly man with long grey hair and beard opens the door. He has a thick, well-trimmed eyebrow. He also has yellow eyes with dark bags around them. A pair of tear troughs run down his cheek, giving him somewhat of a stern expression.
"Amaru and some guests!"
The elderly man smiles at the girls.
"I am back, ShinnōSensei. And look, I got us dinner!"
She waves the rabbit at Shinnō.
"Hoho! Amaru sure has grown up. But it won't be sufficient since we have a few guests here."
"Ah! I forgot about it."
Amaru sits in a corner and draws some circles.
"Haha… you don't have to worry, Amaru. I got some vegetables and fruits from the villagers. It's enough to make some rabbit stew for all of us." Shinnō points towards the stack of vegetables and fruits lying on the table.
"Then I will make preparation for our dinner!"
Amaru hurriedly rushes out to skin the rabbit.
Hmm…
The elderly man turns towards the girls. He smiles at them and asks them.
"You three are?!"
"It's like this…"
Ayaka narrates her 'story' to Shinnō.
"Oh! That's too bad. You three can stay here and wait for your brother!" He assures them.
"Then we will help with the dinner!"
The girls walk out of the house, leaving Shinnōalone.
Hmm…
"Konoha genins and three of them at that!"
Shinnō gazes at the door.
"If these three are here, that means their lost brother is the jounin of their team. How did they manage to track us down with such a speed?"
Doubts appear in Shinnō'smind.
"Are there more of such teams? If there are, then it might spell trouble for my plans." He brainstorms over the matter.
"Before that, I have to contact the fleet captain I sent to Benisu island."
He takes out a scroll and brush from his clothes. He jots down on the scroll.
Swish… swish…
Shinnō makes some hand signs and slams his palm on the scroll.
Poof…
The message on the scroll disappears in a puff of smoke.
"Scroll communication Technique"
Poof…
Another message appears on the scroll.
Hmm…
Shinnō's expression turns ugly as he reads the contents of the scroll.
"These girls infiltrated the sky ship and escaped the pursuit."
Crack… crack…
Shinnō clenches his fists in anger and closes the scroll.
"Thirty years ago, during the second shinobi war; it was a chance for my Land of Sky to rise and dominate this world. But these cowards from the Hidden Villages joined hands in order to suppress us. Especially the despicable Konoha who sent a team of Anbus to infiltrate our ranks and slaughter our people from inside.
I still can't forgive how my brother died in my arms. But this time, I will have my vengeance."
He raises his head and stares at the girls from the window.
"They think they can use a similar strategy to suppress us. This time I will make them pay the price in blood. Starting with these…"
Slash…
Slash…
Amaru slashes out the guts of the rabbit and slowly skins it.
"Amaru-chan, we will help too."
Ayaka and Hanabi help her with the preparation of the rabbit while Yakumo slowly chops the vegetable.
Hmm…
Ayaka scrutinizes Amaru's hair.
'This hair colour… it's almost similar to Kushina Nee-san. Kushina Nee-san's hairs are a tone redder than hers. Does this mean Amaru has connections to the Uzumaki clan?'
Ayaka speculates at Amaru's origin.
"Umm… Amaru-chan, can you tell me more about yourself? Like how you lived before you met Doctor Shinnō!"
"Before I met Doctor Shinnō?! Hmm…"
Amaru ponders as she slowly cleans the outer layer of the rabbit meat.
"As far as I know and the information, I heard from the other members of the orphanage I lived in. My father died while my mother was pregnant with me.
After my birth, some bad people captured my mother and tortured her for her bloodline. Though I am uncertain of the details, they abandoned me because I had an incurable illness."
Swish…
Amaru lowers her garments to reveal her chest.
"Look!"
Ayaka, Hanabi, and Yakumo turns towards her and notices a strange tumour in the section between her breasts.
There is a dark purple orb embedded in the centre of the tumour while multiple layers of skin are constricted around the orb like a clot.
Swish…
Amaru covers her chest and explains.
"From the people of the orphanage, I heard that my mother had a special chakra which could heal people when someone bites on her skin.
So, when I was born; those people thought my chakra had similar effects. So, they took a large portion of my blood and injected my chakra into their body, but it had a negative effect on the people. Instead of healing, my chakra worsens the injuries.
However, the blood loss, this tumour appeared on my chest and since then it slowly spread to my entire chest. People were terrorized when they notice the huge tumour on my chest. So, they shunned me away.
However, seven years ago… Doctor Shinnō found me. He treated me by planting this orb in my body. After he planted the orb, the tumour on my chest slowly receded and the pain which I suffered since my birth was gone.
Doctor Shinnō is my saviour. He is my idol and my sensei."
Amaru spews out one praise after another as she idolizes Shinnō.
"Such blind worship!"
Yakumo mumbles to herself.
"Alright! Alright! Let's prepare the dinner. Doctor Shinnō must be hungry."
Ayaka calms her down.
Mm…
"I will prepare the best rabbit stew for Sensei!"
Meanwhile, inside the hut,
Shinnō scrutinizes the interaction between Amaru and the Konoha trio.
"Amaru has formed a bond with these three girls. If I get rid of them now, then she might lose her mind and all my preparation in seven years will go to waste. Also, it's very hard to search for another suitable vessel on such short notice."
Tch…
He clicks his tongue in dismay.
"I will let you live for a few more days. I just need a little more dark chakra then my plan will finally come to fruition."
Swish…
He takes out the communication scroll and jots down on it.
"There is a change of plan. I want you people to attack the Nagano village. Those girls are here. Together with the girls, kill the people of the entire village."
Poof…
He closes the scroll and nods to himself.
"This way, it will appear as an accident. So, it won't have enough impact on the girl to make her lose her mind. Also, by attacking this village; I will be able to lure out the other Konoha shinobis."
"…"
Izuna, who is using his light release to turn himself invisible, silently stares at Shinnō.
'Does he honestly think Konoha needs an army to deal with him? Even in the original verse, Naruto was able to solo his entire village much less now.'
Izuna turns towards the window and stares at Amaru with his Rinne-Sharingan.
'This girl has half the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan. I suspect her grandparents were the lucky few survivors who escaped the Uzumaki massacre.
Then their daughter married someone from the other clan, and as a result, Amaru was born.
Also, upon further inspection of her body, I can see that the two bloodlines in her body are in a mutual clash with each other.
When she was born, the Uzumaki bloodline was the dominant one as evident from her hairs, but after a majority of her blood was drained as an infant; the recessive bloodline erupted with its traits. As a result, both bloodlines clashed for dominance.
The treatment this quack offered is nothing more than a farce. That orb is slowly absorbing the large amount of chakra generated by this girl. This way, it managed to resolve the conflict of the bloodline by suppressing both, but this orb is also slowly absorbing her vitality.
At this rate, this girl will die in another ten years; if she is left untreated. Also, I suspect he has other motives to pick this girl.'
Izuna shakes his head.
'If I want, I could end everything by just killing this Guy right here, but then I won't be able to locate the Zero-tails and know his motives. Handling this dark chakra is tricky. Tch… what a drag?!'
Izuna silently complains to himself while invisibly monitoring Shinnō.
Creak…
The door bursts open as the girls dash towards the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen,
"Do any of you have any experience with cooking?"
Amaru turns to the girls.
"NO!" Hanabi and Yakumo shake their head.
"I used to bake cookies for my Onii-chan and he likes them a lot!" Ayaka proudly nods her head.
Bleurgh…
Izuna almost pukes and blows his cover as he hears Ayaka's self-boasting.
'And here I thought I was shameless enough but looks like Onii-chan lost to you in this department!'
"Wow! Ayaka-chan, I didn't know you could cook. Next time make some cookies for me too." Hanabi has a hopeful expression.
"Of course!" Ayaka nods her head.
"Alright! Then you two can wait outside while Ayaka and I will be cooking the food." Amaru sends Hanabi and Yakumo out of the kitchen.
"Let's start with the soup. Soak the brown mushrooms in water. Meanwhile, I will chop and season the rabbit meat."
Amaru instructs Ayaka as she starts her preparations.
"Next, heat the oven till the coals are brick red. Add some olive oil and roast the garlic loaves till they are crispy brown. Then do the same with the finely chopped red mushrooms."
Amaru preps the meat as Ayaka starts the roasting.
After five minutes,
Sniff… sniff…
Amaru raises her head and sniffs.
"Why does it smell like burnt charcoal?"
She turns around and notices Ayaka humming to herself while the oven is set on fire.
Whoosh…
Amaru hurriedly brings a bucket of water and quenches the flames.
After five minutes,
Creak…
The door to the kitchen opens and a depressed Ayaka walks out.
"What happened?"
Hanabi and Yakumo curiously ask her.
"Looks like Amaru-chan wants to prepare everything by herself. So, she kicked me out of the kitchen."
"Oh!" Yakumo and Hanabi nod in unison.
Phew…
Izuna heaves a sigh of relief as Ayaka gives up on cooking.
'Well, at least this Shinnō deserved that cooking.'
He gazes into the kitchen and notices Amaru merrily cooking food for Shinnō.
"What a bastard for taking advantage of such an innocent child! After I deal with these events, I will bring her to Konoha. I am sure either Tsunade or Kushina will happily adopt her.
Especially Tsunade since this girl has a talent for Medical Ninjutsu. She could be a great successor to Tsunade's legacy.
For now, I have to wait for a report from Roen. He has been out for a while now; he must have found some sort of clues regarding Zero-tails location."
Thenextday in the morning,
"Amaru, I will gooutfor a while."
Shinnō hangs a bag aroundhisshoulder and waves to Amaru.
"I am looking for some special herbs which grow deep in the mountain. It will take me a few hours to search and gather them. So, I will return by evening."
He warmly smiles at Amaru.
"But… but sensei… I would also like to comealong with you." Amaru grabs the hem of Shinnō cloth.
"Silly girl! It's quite dangerous in the mountain. Many wild animals are lurking out there." Shinnōwarns her.
"That's more the reason, I should come with you. I will protect you!" Amaru clutches her fist.
"The other day, I went out on a hunt and captured that rabbit without help."
Haha…
Shinnō chuckles and pats her head.
"It's alright! This old man can still take care ofhimself. In the meantime, why don't you tour the village with our guests."
Shinnō walks out of the village and slowly disappears in the distance.
"Alright! Since sensei asked me, I will show you around the village."
Amaru leads the trio of Team three through the village.
Outside the village,
Near the passage of the cavern,
Swish…
Shinnō takes off his outfit of the kind doctor.His expression slowly morphs from a kind and caring elder to a cruel, cold-bloodedcommander.
"I maintained this façade of a kind-hearted doctor for fifteen years just so that I couldharvest enough dark chakra from the people.
After all these years, I am close to the completion of my goal. How can I allow some little twerps from Konoha to ruin my plan?"
Swoosh… swoosh…
He throws away the outfit of the doctor on a rock beside the entrance. Shinnō takes out his Sky commander outfit from the bag on his shoulder and wears it.
"It's time to meet with my subordinates."
Shinnō walks out of the passage.
Hmm…
He notices the remains of the shattered earth release technique at the entrance of the cavern.
"So, these girls destroyed the barrier I madeto isolate these villagers."
Swoosh… swoosh…
Multiple sky shinobis in their flying devices land in front of Shinnō.
Whoosh…
The captain of the fleet lands in front ofShinnōand salutes him with trembling hands.
"I… I am sorry, commander!"
He kneels in front of Shinnōas he awaits his execution.
Hmph…
"You already know what you have done wrong! So, I will make it quick."
Swish…
Shinnō takes out a scalpel from his pocket and slashes it out towards the captain.
"Darkness wave"
He releases a dark wave of chakra in the shape of a blade towards the captain.
Slash…
The dark chakra blade chops the left arm of the captain.
"I will give you another chance to redeem yourself."
Shinnō points towards the village and remarks.
"Those three girls are in that village together with the vessel. The girl has grown overly dependent on me in all these years. After all these years of grooming, the time for harvest has come. So, to trigger it, we need to give her a soul-stirring trauma.
You and your men will kill me and those three Konoha girls in front of the vessel to inducea much greater impact. Do you understand?"
Shinnō has a fierce expression.
Gulp…
The captain gulps his saliva and franticallynods his head.
"Good! Now get out of my sight."
Shinnō dismisses him.
"Ah yes, commander!"
The captain turns around and quickly throws a dark purple orb towards Shinnō before tip-toeing out.
Hmm…
Shinnō notices the countless souls wreathingin pain inside the dark orb.
'I have enough offering to receive lord's blessing!'
He pockets the orb and walks deeper into the forest.
"Time to pick some herbs!"
A few minutes later,
Whoosh…
Izuna appears at the meeting spot of the Sky group.
"So, the Sky shinobis are also a member of the cult of this evil God Jashin. Hmm… that explains their way too advanced technology and the usage of dark chakra. But what are they trying to achieve by collecting such a large amount of dark chakra?"
Whoosh…
A shadow leaps towards Izuna. It morphs into a small wolf and bows in front of Izuna.
"Master! I have located the hidden fortress Ancor Vantian."
"Good!"
Izuna ruffles Roen's smooth white fur.
"Let's check it out. I suspect that they are planning something big!"
Swirl…
Izuna and Roen teleport away from the spot.
Swoosh…
They reappear in front of a large underground temple.
Hmm…
Izuna frowns as he appears outside the temple.
"A space-time barrier blocked my teleportation. So, I could only teleport outside the barrier."
He raises his head and gazes at the entrance of the temple.
There is a giant stone head sculpture with its mouth acting as the entrance of the temple. Izuna looks around and notices various carvings and ancient writings on the wall of the temple.
"This reminds me of the Aztec civilization in my previous world. Though I feel a much sinister vibe from this temple."
Swoosh…
Roen dives into Izuna's shadow and disappears.
Izuna takes a step forward and enters the temple. He feels a slight resistance at theentrance.
Izuna turns around and notices a slim watery film-like barrier at the helm of the mouth.
"Let's go!"
He continues to delve deeper into the temple. Along the way, multiple murals, sculptures, ancient writing, and stone masks with varying expression appears in front of them.
Hmm…
Izuna inspects the writing ancient and tries to read its content but fails to recognize anything.
"Hey, Kurama! Do you know anything about it?"
Izuna asks the Yin Kurama.
"Let me see!"
Kurama scrutinizes the writing and the sculptures. After a while, he shakes his head.
"I have never seen such writing. I am sure, even the old man Hagoromo doesn't know about it."
"Mm… I don't understand the ruins, but I recognize the murals."
The Light Genryū pops out of the Dragon blade. Izuna and Kurama turn their attention to the drawing.
They notice multiple drawings of serpentine creatures, horned humanoids, and cloakedfigures with scythes engaged in a war against each other.
On another mural, there is a colossal structure with multiple ancient ruins engraved on its wall. There are multiple floating islands around the structure, as the structure emits a giant pillar of light.
He points towards the mural with the structure and remarks.
"From the memories, I received from the Miko; this place is called Kamiumi. A place wheregods are born! That's all I remember since all of my memories are jumbled up and the Miko didn't pass too much information to me. Even according to Miko, all of this was a myth; so I am not sure of the credibility of the information."
Genryū shakes his head.
"Let's keep looking! Maybe we will get more clues about the origin of this temple."
Izuna walks into the deeper section of the temple to explore it.
Back in the Nagano village,
"SENSEI! SENSEI! Don't leave me alone, sensei!"
Amaru frantically shakes Shinnō's cold corpse, which is lying on the ground.
"Wake up, sensei! Wake up! Please wake up… sensei! Your number one disciple Amaru is here… please wake up!"
Tears flow from her eyes as she continues to shake Shinnō's body.
"Aa… Amaru!"
Ayaka and Hanabi stare at Amaru with worry.
Umm…
Ayaka bites her lips as she is unable to gather any word to comfort Amaru.
"Amaru! Don't give hope yet. Maybe your Sensei could still be saved."
In the end, Ayaka could withstand the despair in Amaru's eyes; so, she tries to console her.
"My… my brother is a very good Medic. I am sure he will be able to help Shinnō recover."
Sniff…
Amaru wipes her tears.
"No! Sensei is… he is gone! He can't besaved anymore."
She blankly stares at Shinnō's corpse.
"I… we…"
Words remain stuck in Hanabi's mouth as she stares at Amaru's hopeless expression.
Haha…
A peal of sonorous laughter rings in their ears.
"You little girls! I was waiting for this moment."
Whoosh…
A Flying Destruction Machine suddenly appears above Ayaka and the rest. The captain of the sky ship is piloting the machine.
"You three gave me a lot of trouble. Now I will deal with you in one fell swoop."
Shiing…
Four sky shinobis rile up their chakra and infuse it in the laser cannon installed on the machine.
"Here I go!"
The captain raises his remaining right hand and presses the button.
Fwoosh…
"Oh, no!"
Before Ayaka and team three could react.
BOOM…
A gigantic beam of chakra engulfs them.
"Ayaka!"
Amaru screams in horror as the girls vanish into dust. A giant crater remains at the place of Ayaka and the rest.
Haha…
The captain laughs hysterically.
"Serve them well for what they did to me?!"
AAAHH…
Amaru clutches her forehead and screams in agony.
Fwish… fwish…
Multiple dark chains rise from herbody.