Three weeks later after the Demon War,
"Minato, how's the search result?"
An exhausted Tsunade with black circles under her eyes walks out through a teleportation formation into the headquarter of In-Yō.
A similarly exhausted Minato is also sitting on a chair reviewing various reports. He slowly raises his head and shakes his head.
"There is no news!"
He sighs helplessly.
"The space in the vicinity of the HOLE has yet to stabilize. The elite Anbu team Rō returned empty-handed after investigating the surrounding area. Our spies spotted some activity from Kumogakure and Iwagakure shinobis, but that's bound to entail since the scale of the event was too huge to cover up."
Minato passes a report to Tsunade, who carefully reads through it.
"The Light and Shadow squad of In-Yō are also on the move, with no results."
"USELESS!" Tsunade crumples the paper in her hand in anger.
"How am I supposed to answer Mei… how am I supposed to placate Ayaka? That little girl has been sobbing non-stop for three weeks and she refuses to eat anything. I have to knock her unconscious multiple times to inject a nutrition solution into her body." Tsunade clenches her fists.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Kakashi, Guy, Shisui, and Itachi return to In-Yō headquarter with their respective squads and Anbu teams.
"Any news?" Tsunade demands with a piercing gaze.
"We are sorry, Tsunade-sama!" Kakashi and Shisui step forward and kneel.
Sigh…
Jiraiya slowly walks out from the shadows and shakes his head.
"Even with my spy network, I wasn't able to get any information."
Tsunade slumps down on a nearby chair and rubs her forehead.
Suddenly,
Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
Half of the lights in the In-Yōheadquarters flicker out and extinguish. A purple cloaked figure suddenly appears in the middle of the room, alarming everyone in the room.
Whoosh… whoosh…
All the shinobis in the room enter in a combat stance, ready to take down the intruder.
"Relax, I am a part of the group!"
A deep male voice, together with a powerful pressure, bore down on everyone while stopping the advances of Shisui and Itachi, whose blades are almost near the neck of the cloaked figure. The cloaked figure simply lifts his finger to force every shinobi in the room to their knees.
Only Minato, Tsunade, Shisui, Itachi, Kakashi, and Guy resist the pressure to an extent.
"Gravity control!" Minato mumbles as he gets ready to enter his Chakra cloak mode and Sage Mode.
"I am not here to harm anyone!"
The figure puts down his finger, lifting the pressure from everyone.
"I am here to deliver something on behalf of the Leader."
The figure opens his palm as a black spiral vortex form in his hand.
Minato's eyes constrict on seeing this.
'A high-level Space-time manipulation,'
A long dagger with a broken orb, a Kitsune-shaped doll, and lastly a book with seven eyes wrapped in chains float in the figure's hand.
"This is…"
Everyone is puzzled in the room except Minato, who blankly stares at the book in a daze. The cloaked figure passes these three things to Minato and turns around.
"Any message from him?"
Minato unconsciously blurts out.
"The Kitsune will answer all of your questions once it wakes up. As for the book, pass it to Leader's younger sister."
With these words, the purple cloaked figure disappears from the room, restoring it to its previous state.
'I couldn't even sense how he teleported in and out of this space.' Minato takes a deep breath.
'He must be one of those otherworldly figures. But why is he a part of Izuna's organization? Perhaps he is the source of Izuna's intel.'
Without many clues to pursue, Minato concludes.
Tsunade and the rest of the people in the room turn to Minato for answers.
"I don't have any knowledge about this dagger." Minato shakes his head.
"It must be quite important to Izuna to leave it behind." Tsunade remarks.
"I will safely keep it in In-Yō's forbidden armament section." Minato safely stores the dagger.
"As for this Kitsune doll, it is the missing half of the Nine-Tails chakra, also called Yin Kurama. It is currently in a sealed state to avoid anyone from detecting its chakra. As long as it is sealed inside this doll, not even the legendary Rinnegan can sense its presence. I will bring it to Naruto to accelerate its awakening using Yang Kurama's chakra. Perhaps he will answer all of our questions later." Minato places the Kitsune statue on the table.
Lastly, he stares at the Sin Grimoire with a conflicted expression.
"About this book… well, I am not sure what it is or why or when Izuna came into its possession since he never revealed any information about it. I am sure he must have his reasons." Minato shakes his head.
"However, he did tell me that this is a very powerful sealed divine relic. It has a total of seven seals in the shape of eyes and it was the reason Kushina and I survived and revive later. From my observations, this is a sentient weapon similar to Samehada of Seven Mist Blade, albeit of a much higher grade." Minato nudges toward the book.
The Sin Grimoire floats towards Minato and disappears in the surrounding Space only leaving a chain tied around Minato's wrist which also disappears a short while after.
'This relic is temporarily bonded to me; I will later pass it to Ayaka according to Izuna's wishes.' Minato shakes his hand to feel the presence of the Sin Grimoire.
"Expand the area of the search!" Tsunade dismisses everyone with a wave of her hand.
Only Minato, Tsunade, and Jiraiya are left in the room.
"How are the Mei and the newborns?" Minato asks Tsunade.
"Mei is still recovering from the delivery. The elder twin is a boy, Mei named him Tatsuya. The younger twin is a girl. Her name is Kanna." Tsunade smiles slightly.
"Tatsuya inherited his father's look, while Kanna's features are similar to her mother."
"I will pay them a visit later!" Minato smiles warily and turns to Jiraiya.
"Sensei, without Izuna's protection; several sinister forces have set their eyes on Konoha. I will send a detailed report to you later, as I would like to use your spy network to keep track of their activities, especially the Akatsuki and the genin Kabuto."
"Alright! I will personally keep tabs on Akatsuki." Jiraiya assures him.
"Sensei, beware of the prowess of Akatsuki's leader Pain, afterall you taught him," Minato warns him.
"I will! I wasn't a good teacher back then, if only back then I was present for them." Jiraiya clenches his fists and walks out of In-Yō headquarters.
--
In the sky outside In-Yō headquarters.
The purple-cloaked figure silently observes the actions of all Konoha Shinobis.
"Seems like there won't be any need for me to interfere. For lower beings, these humans have more redeeming qualities than those so-called cold higher beings."
He laughs in sarcasm and stares in the direction of Death Crevice, revealing his purple eyes with kaleidoscopic patterns. Multiple unknown three-dimensional runes flicker through his eyes as he stares deeply at a massive space rift in Death Crevice slowly repairing itself.
The runes in his eyes spin rapidly as time seems to flow backward for him. The moment before, the final blow of Izuna appears in his vision. He stares at the battle as a bystander as Izuna uses the Destiny Arrow to rip apart the space and annihilate the Abyss Centurion.
"This reckless idiot! Does he want to annihilate this world by using such a technique?" The purple cloaked figure recalls his first encounter with Izuna where he was almost sent to the afterlife through a similar move.
At that time, out of anger and humiliation, he even sent a pawn to kill Izuna.
"No! Something isn't right. He has yet to master this power." The runes in his eyes spin rapidly as he takes a closer look. He notices the Ama-No-Hoko in Izuna's hand.
"No wonder he was able to use such power without any backlash. Previously, the Sin Grimoire negated the backlash for him. This time, this sealed Sacred Relic controlled the output." The scene continues to move forward as Izuna falls unconscious after the attack.
His withered body is swallowed by the rift and slowly floats through the void.
Hmm…
Just as Izuna's body is about to be ripped to shreds by Spatial Fractures, a turtle-shaped artifact appears in the void.
'That is Karasuki, one of the sacred relics of the Otsutsuki clan. What's it doing here?' Just as he was about to take action, Karasuki wraps Izuna's body in a protective layer and sends him toward one of the wormholes in the void.
"I can't send you back to your world and timeline since the space-time is very chaotic there. I hope you will survive. With this, I have paid the debt I previously owed you." Karasuki turns around and vanishes in the void.
The cloaked figure stops his actions as Izuna's body is swallowed by the void leaving behind four items: the Dragon Blade, the Kitsune Statue, Ama No Hoko, and the Sin Grimoire.
"I see… so that's how it is!"
The kaleidoscopic pattern in the cloaked figure's eyes spins in anti-clockwise as he inserts his hand into the image. A giant hand appears in the void and grabs the Ama-no-Hoko.
'I already retrieved the previous three items, only this sacred relic escaped my eye.' He stares at the inscriptions on Ama-No-Hoko.
"Too bad… this sacred relic already has an owner. So, I can't use it for my purposes. Still, I am surprised that the fool managed to withdraw around five percent of the power of this relic with his coarse usage."
The purple-cloaked figure stores Ama-No-Hoko in a separate space and disappears from Shinobi World.
--
Somewhere in a forest on the outskirts of Otogakure,
Swoosh… swoosh…
Three kunoichis wearing Konoha's headband chase after a figure wearing the headband of Otogakure.
"You won't get away."
One of the Konoha kunoichis makes some hand signs.
"Fire Style: Pheonix Flower Jutsu"
She spits out a volley of small fireballs which surround the Sound Shinobi and converges at his position.
BOOM…
A loud explosion occurs at the place of impact as the kunoichi takes out their kunais.
"On your left…" Another kunoichi warns her partner.
Swoosh…
The first kunoichi, who appears to be a part of the Uchiha clan, dodges the kunai while in mid-air.
"Not good… paper bomb!"
"Wind Style: Vacuum Blast"
The second kunoichi pushes her palm in front of her body to repel the explosion of the paper bomb.
Heh…
The Sound shinobi smirks and waves his hand, revealing a trap full of paper bombs.
"It's over!"
He clasps his palm to activate the paper bomb trap.
"Sharingan"
Ayaka activates her Sharingan as the surrounding times seem to slow down for her.
She quickly spots the paper bombs in her vicinity.
"One… two… three…
Ten…
Thirty…
Seventy…
Ninety-nine…"
Ayaka's right-hand flashes with a dark black chakra as she infuses darkness chakra.
Swoosh… swoosh…
"Darkness Release: Omni-directional Senbon Barrage"
She locks her target with her Sharingan and diffuses all the chakra bombs in a fraction of a second with her jutsu.
"DIE!"
The Sound shinobi clasps his hand and waits for the explosion.
Ah…
He waits for five seconds, but there is no explosion.
"What's going on?" The sound shinobi stares at the Ayaka in confusion.
"Gentle Fist: Eight trigrams Vacuum Palm"
Hanabi quickly approaches the sound shinobi and sends him flying.
"You two… you have pissed me off!"
The eyes of the Sound shinobi turn red as curse markings appear around his neck. His skin turns blue as scales start appearing on his body.
"It's the curse marks!" Hanabi warily observes the sound shinobi's next move.
"Have a taste of my true power?" The sound shinobi infuses a large amount of chakra near his mouth.
"Water Release: Whale bomb jutsu,"
"You talk too much!" Lightning gathers in Ayaka's hand as she hurls a lightning spear towards the sound shinobi.
"Lightning Release: Gathering Storm,"
Bzzt…
The lightning spear slices through the water bomb and lands squarely on Sound shinobi's chest, jolting and knocking him out. The curse marks around his body fade away, returning him to normal.
The two kunoichis group together.
"Are you alright, Ayaka?" Hanabi inquires with worry.
"I am alright! This much is nowhere enough to harm me." Ayaka shakes her head and focuses her attention on the unconscious sound shinobi.
"He was just an elementary curse user. Let's capture the mission target!"
The girls walk towards the sound shinobi.
Swoosh…
Suddenly, Ayaka grabs Hanabi's hand and flickers away.
BOOM…
A dust cloud rises at their previous location as a jet of water penetrates the ground, forming a crater.
"Water Release: Cold Sky water attack"
Another jet of water launches toward the girls. Ayaka pushes Hanabi beside her.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique"
Ayaka spews out a dragon of flames. The flame dragon clashes with the water jet quickly overpowering it as it continues to rush towards the targets.
"Oye… Oye!"
The attacker swiftly jumps out of the way of the dragon. Ayaka clasps her hands and detonates the dragon.
BOOM…
A layer of mist envelops the group as a consequence of the clash between two jutsu.
Swoosh…
A figure slowly walks out of the mist.
"Using a fire jutsu to overwhelm my water jutsu, you Konoha shinobis sure have some skills."
The girls focus their attention on the newcomer. The attacker is around 16 years old with short, black hair. He has green eyes with two dark violets marking under them. He conceals his head with a gray shark-like top with a hood. Appendages that resemble dorsal fins hang from the back of his jacket.
He has two upward curving lines nearing his mouth, similar to a Glasgow smile.
"It would be rude of me to return the favor." He cackles and walks towards the girls, revealing his jagged, pointed teeth.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Two more sound shinobis, one man and another woman in a similar outfit, join him.
"Iwana, Yamame… you two are late?"
The shinobi, with pointed teeth, chides the newcomers.
"Kajika… you were nearby, so it was easy for you to catch up." Yamame snorts at him.
"Hurry up, and deal with them. I have important things to do." Kajika ignores her displeased look and walks toward the unconscious shinobi.
"Hanma… this failed product… what is even the point of keeping him alive?" He rudely kicks the unconscious shinobi a few times and drags him away like a gunny sack.
"He's escaping with our mission target!" Hanabi and Ayaka chase after Kajika.
"We are your opponents!" Iwana and Yamame block their path.
"Get out of my way!" Ayaka takes a step forward and disappears from her place.
Whoosh…
She reappears in front of Kajika while aiming a roundhouse kick for the latter's head.
"What the… when did she?" Cold sweat drips down from the forehead of Iwana and Yamame. Their eyes unable to even catch a glimpse of Ayaka's movement.
They turn around to attack Ayaka.
Bang…
Kajika raises his right hand and blocks Ayaka's kick. Fish scales appear around his arm to absorb the impact. However, the force ofthe kick pushes him a few meters back.
"Aww… that kind of hurts!" Kajika waves his right hand, which had turned sore from the kick.
Ayaka performs a back flip in mid-air and lands on the ground.
"You aren't going anywhere… not with him at least." Ayaka grabs hold of an unconscious Hanma.
"When did you…" Kajika narrows his eyes as he stares at his empty hand.
Hmm…
He notices several metal wires attached around Hanma's body.
"I see…" Kajika cracks his knuckles andslowly walks towards Ayaka while riling up his chakra.
"Girl! You have got some skills for growing up in a greenhouse. But you picked up on the wrong target! Initially, my mission was to aid this useless piece of trash in escaping; but now I have changed my mind. I am pretty sure Kabuto-sama will be happy with another test subject."
Bang…
Kajika kicks the ground as a water jet sprays out of his legs. He quickly closes the distance between Ayaka and smashes his feet towardsher.
BANG…
Ayaka effortlessly dodges the attack while Kajika's kick leaves a crater on the ground.
"You are quick on your feet, but what about this?"
Bang…
Another Kajika appears from the side and attacks Ayaka's blind spot.
Swoosh…
Ayaka ducks down and avoids the kick. She takes out a kunai from the holster and thrust it into her other feet of Kajika.
Kajika turns into a puddle of water and falls.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet,"
Meanwhile, the real Kajika spews out a water dragon from his mouth that rapidly approaches Ayaka.
Tch…
Ayaka makes rapid one-hand signs and brings her fingers in front of her mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique"
Ayaka spews out a giant fire dragon from her mouth. The fire dragon collides with the water dragon canceling out each other. Large amounts of mist and vapors cover the entire area.
Haah…
"Water Release: Drowning Murder"
The earlier puddle of water from Kajika's water clone turns back in Kajika and grabs Ayaka's ankles. It attempts to pull Ayaka into the water swamp.
Poof…
Ayaka disperses in a cloud of white smoke.
"Shadow clone?"
The water clone clicks its tongue and enters the ground.
The mist slowly disperses to reveal the real Kajika standing high up on a water pillar while surveying the area.
"Where is she? Where is that girl?"
--
Meanwhile, on Hanabi's end
Hanabi confronts Iwana and Yamame on her own. Both of them make some hand signs and disappear from Hanabi's sight.
Clang… clang…
Hanabi blocks two kunais aiming for her back from behind.
'Do they take me for a fool?' Hanabi snorts.
'Using Hiding with camouflage technique against a Hyuga! Thanks to Sensei's training, I don't even need my Byakugan to see their movement.'
Bang… bang…
Hanabi uses her gentle fist to strike two palms at her invisible attackers.
Bleurgh…
Iwana and Yamame spit out a mouthful of blood and reveal themselves out of their invisibility.
"You could see us…"
Both of them stare at her with shocked expressions.
"Have you guys never heard of the Hyuga clan?" Hanabi withdraws her palm and calmly stares at them.
"You brat… I will kill you for looking down on us." Yamame bit her lip. The curse mark around the neck glows slightly.
Bang…
Suddenly, a piece of the metal ball falls in between the duo. It releases a blinding light and a deafening sound. Iwana and Yamame curlon the ground to avoid the metal.
After a few seconds, the blinding light fades away, revealing an empty forest.
"Damn! They escaped…" Yamame smashes her fist on the ground.
A few hundred meters ahead, Hanabi puffs her cheeks and stares at Ayaka.
"Ayaka chan, why did we flee? I could easily deal with them."
"No, we are not on a combat mission. We already secured the target; there was no need to embroil in a pointless fight; if we could retreat safely. Besides, I don't want to hear another lecture from Izumi Sensei." Ayaka shakes her head.
'Also, I had an uneasy feeling that someonewas spying on us from nearby.' Ayaka thinks toherself.
"Yeah, you are right!" Hanabi nods as she recalls the previous lecture from Izumi Sensei.
"Let's group up with Yakumo and Izumi Sensei."
"Alright!"
Back at the Reconnaissance spot,
Ayaka and Hanabi meet with Yakumo and Izumi who is current acting jounin of their team.
"Ayaka, Hanabi… are you two alright?" Izumi inquires.
"Some Otogakure shinobis ambushed us while capturing the target, but retreated with superficial injuries." Ayaka throws the unconscious Hanma to the ground.
Hmm…
Izumi inspects him and nods.
"Great job, you two! We will head for the Yugakure and submit our mission. Yakumo and I also have gathered intel requested by the Daimyo of Land of Hot Water."
Izumi takes out a map with various circles marked over it.
"I have spotted most of the hideouts of the bandits and other rogue shinobis, including the shinobis from Otogakure. We shall leave the rest to Yugakure's Harmony squad." Izumi unfurls the map and flickers towards the camp of Yugakure shinobis.
'The secret mission Hokage-sama assigned to me is also complete. We will head back to Konoha after submitting the report to Yugakure. This intel is too crucial.'
Ayaka, Hanabi, and Yakumo quietly follow her.
Izumi glances at the trio from the corner of her eyes.
'It has almost been one and half a year since I mentored this team. These girls used to be so cheerful before, but after that incident two years ago, they barely even smile.' Izumi shakes her head as she recounts the past.
'For some reason, after Izuna went missing; the Uchiha clan; no, the entire village feels like it has lost its soul. Itachi indulged himself in his Anbu missions, striving for any information about Izuna Nii-san's whereabouts. Shisui Nii-san became the commissioner of the Konoha Police Force and is barely present at his house. Sasuke left to train in Ryuchi cave; after the Great Snake Sage personally sent a summon. Naruto left for Mount Myoboku after the Great Toad Sage's prophecy. Mei Nii-san is keeping herself busy with her twins and Mizukage duties, but I can still sense the sorrow in her eyes.'
Izumi raises her head and stares in the direction of Death Crevice.
'Izuna Nii-san… where are you? When will you return home?'
--
At the border of Yugakure,
A group of shinobi led by a woman quietly observe Team Three's movement through a crystal wall.
"Is she the one who infiltrated the secret hideout?"
The woman turns towards a nearby buck-teethed Otogakure shinobi.
Hmm…
The buck-teethed shinobi narrows his eyes and stares at Izumi's silhouette.
"I wasn't able to spot her face. But from her figure, I am almost sure she was the one who infiltrated our headquarters. If not for the alert from insects, we wouldn't even be aware of it."
A swarm of ants crawled around the back teeth's face.
The woman turns her head away in disgust.
"Should we intercept them?" Another Sound shinobi asks the woman.
"Not for now… they are near Yugakure's border. It might alert Yugakure's shinobis. We can't alarm them of our presence and ruin our plans. We will take action once they leave the Land of Hot Water's borders. There is a small village at the border of the Land of Hot Water and Land of Fire. They will definitely stop there to restock their supplies. That will be our chance."
The woman turns around and leaves. The Sound shinobis quickly follows after her.
Swoosh…
The girls arrive at the border of Yugakure.
Suddenly,
Swish… swish…
Multiple kunais stabbed in the ground in front of Team three. Multiple shinobis in Yugakure's shinobi gear surround them.
"We are allies!"
Izumi unfurls a scroll from her pocket and waves it towards the Yugakure shinobis. The guard captain of the Patrol squad recognizes it.
"Let them in!"
Izumi stores the scroll and follows after a shinobi who guides them.
--
A few hours later,
Team three departs from the Yugakure,
"I didn't expect Izuna Nii-san owns a few shops here." Izumi has a relaxed expression as she recalls her experience in Yugakure.
The Land of Hot Water is famous for its hot springs. After submitting the report, the girls arbitrarily decided to take a dip in the hot springs. They were pleasantly surprised when the Hot Spring owner recognized Ayaka.
He treated them very well and even arranged a VIP hot spring for them. They even enjoyed a spa and massage after the bath.
Later, upon Izumi's inquiry; it was revealed this business is owned by Izuna Nii-san and is managed by one of his subordinates.
Numerous emotions surged through their heat; from ecstasy to depression.
"Alright, Girls cheer up! We will soon return to Konoha and will make it back on time to prepare for Konoha's Annual Sports Festival. You can ask Hokage-sama for anything you want if you managed to get the first position." Izumi tries to cheer them up.
"Izumi Sensei, it's the same as usual since it's held every year." Yakumo shakes her head.
"I can ask Lady Hokage anything without the need for the Annual Sports Festival." Ayaka increases her pace.
"I think so…" Izumi speechlessly stare at Ayaka's back as she was reminded of Ayaka's relationship with Lady Hokage.
'Why are these girls so hard to please?' She sighs and follows them.
Late in the evening, the girls arrive in the KokkyōVillage.
"The village has some interactions with the Konoha shinobis. It will be easy if we directly contact the Village chief. He can arrange a room in an inn for us." Izumi approaches the house of the village chief.
After conversing for a bit and convincing the village chief of her identity, Izumi and the girls' books a room in the village inn to stay for a night.
Ayaka's gaze lingers on the village chief for a moment as she notices a trace of sweat on his forehead.
'Is he afraid of our identity or is he hiding something from us?'
The girls eat the dinner provided by the inn and enter their respective rooms to sleep.
--
Later in the night.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Multiple shadows surround the inn. The shadows communicate with hand signs.
"Kill the girls!"
They quietly enter the inn and lurk outside the girl's respective rooms. The shadows signal each other and take out a metal ball. The metal ball has several spikes jutting out from it.
The metal ball also called the 'murder sphere' is one of the most popular and vicious shinobi weapons. Upon explosion, it releases an Omni-directional barrage of kunais together with numerous senbons, small metal balls, and shrapnel leaving behind a badly mangled corpse riddled with holes. Due to its cruelty, the weapon is forbidden in several shinobi villages.
They shield themselves with metal shields and toss the 'murder sphere' into the room.
BOOM…
A deafening explosion sounds inside the room.
Pew… Pew…
Multiple stray kunais, senbons, metal balls, and shrapnel fly across the room riddling the walls, doors, and windows with walls. Smoke and poisonous gas fill the rooms. The intruders put on gas masks and enter the inn to confirm their kills.
A few meters outside the inn,
Izumi, Ayaka, Hanabi, and Yakumo silently stare at the scene unfolding at the inn.
"They look like Sound Shinobis. Why are they ambushing us? Shouldn't they attack Yugakure if they want revenge?" Hanabi ponders.
Izumi looks at the girls with surprise.
"I can understand if it's Ayaka and Hanabi since both of them possess Dojutsu and keen observation skills to identify the abnormality with the village chief…"
She turns towards Yakumo.
"But Yakumo… you…"
"I can sense negative emotions directed towards me. Earlier, I sensed panic, hesitation, and fear from the village chief. I also sensed a faint killing intent in the Village Chief's house." Yakumo answers Izumi's doubts.
"You girls… you have hidden well!" Izumi sighs helplessly.
"How did Izuna even teach you? He mentored you only for a few months and yet…" She shakes her head, flabbergasted by the girl's prowess.
"All our previous missions were too easy. So, there wasn't any need for us to showcase our abilities." Ayaka turns towards Yakumo and murmurs.
"Do it!"
The pupil in Yakumo's eyes turns black. Purple Demonic chakra flows through Yakumo's fingertips.
Izumi narrows her eyes as she recognizes the familiar chakra signature.
'This chakra is similar to the chakra of the Demon Army two years ago.' Izumi activates her Sharingan and observes the entire process.
'No… there seem to be some distinct elements. Her chakra seems to be a bit more controlled and spiritual type compared to the chaotic and repulsive chakra of demons. Is this her secret? Did Izuna Nii-san know about it?' Several questions flash through her mind.
'Now, it looks like Tsunade-sama was right! I am unable to fully unleash the potential of this group of misfits.' Izumi continues to monitor Yakumo curiously.
Yakumo takes out a chakra paper and quickly swipes her finger over it.
Soon, a painting of the inn and all of its residents appear in a matter of seconds. Dark purple chakra flames appear on Yakumo's fingertips.
Swish… swish…
Yakumo swipes her finger through the painting, setting it on fire. Similar flames engulf the inn in the distance.
"This is…" Izumi's eyes widen in shock.
··Yakumo's purple nether flames engulf the entire inn. Soon, the entire inn turns to ashes along with the Sound shinobis trapped inside.
"That is impressive! I never knew you Genjutsu could manipulate reality to such an extent. Looks like you have improved a lot since your previous record." Izumi praises Yakumo.
Yakumo smiles at Izumi's praise but doesn't reveal anything further.
"A shinobi ought to keep some trump cards."
Tch…
Izumi clicks her tongue and turns towards a house a few meters from the inn.
"These Sound shinobis are after us. They didn't even hesitate to hold these innocent villagers a hostage. If we leave now, then these villagers will certainly meet their end."
'How did they manage to track me? I was sure I didn't leave any clue behind.'
"What's with these ants? They are everywhere." Yakumo slaps a nearby ant to death.
"Ants?" Izumi narrows her eyes and picks up a nearby ant. Her eyes turn to Sharingan.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan"
Hmm…
Izumi notices the peculiarity of the ants and puts them in a genjutsu to access its network.
--
Back in the house near the inn,
A queen ant flies near buck-teeth's ear. The buck-teeth shinobi stare in the direction of Team Three.
"Guren, I lost connection with my ants at that place. They must be there!"
He points in the direction of Team Three.
Swoosh…
The woman jumps out of the house and makes hand signs while in mid-air.
"Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Needle Barrage"
Her right-hand turns into a crystal shard. She waves the crystal shard towards the position of Team Three.
Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
Multiple pink crystal shards bombard Team Three.
--
"They found us!"
Izumi's expression turns somber.
"Quick… retreat!"
Izumi throws multiple shurikens towards the incoming crystal needle.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique"
The shurikens multiply further and counteract the crystal needle barrage.
Shiing…
Izumi's eyes turn to Sharingan as she observes Guren.
"Crystal Release… Kekkei Genkai User! Girls retreat quickly. I will hold her back."
Izumi makes a single-hand sign.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique,"
Izumi spews out a giant fire dragon. The fire dragon engulfs the remaining barrage of crystal and rapidly approaches Guren.
Swoosh…
Guren clutches her right wrist and aims her palm towards the approaching fire dragon.
Snap… snap…
The giant fire dragon slowly crystallizes, turning into a giant crystal dragon. Guren waves her hand and directs the crystal dragon around her.
"Crystal Release: Tearing Crystal Falling Dragon"
Clattering noises ring across the dragon. It roars and charges toward Izumi.
Huh…
Izumi is surprised to see her jutsu turned against her. She quickly regains her composure and wields the katana from her back.
"Kenjutsu: Sakura Blossom sword art,"
Illusionary Sakura petals surround Izumi. They form a whirlwind and gather around Izumi's katana. She wields the katana horizontally in a waki-gamae stance. Izumi takes a deep breath and murmurs.
"First Sword: Hundredfold Slash"
Swish… swish…
Multiple sword shadows appear around Izumi in the shape of a hemisphere.
Clang… clang…
Clanging noises rings in the bystander's ears as Izumi sheathes her katana.
Crack… crack… clatter…
With a loud clattering noise, the crystal dragon shatters into countless dust fragments.
"Amazing!"
Hanabi and Yakumo are shocked to see the sword art of Izumi.
"I never knew Izumi Sensei was so amazing."
"Izumi Sensei trained with Izuna Nii-san for a while." Ayaka proudly raises her head.
"No wonder! It makes sense now." The girls nod in understanding.
"These ants are so gross!" Yakumo steps on a swarm of red ants.
Hmm…
Ayaka grabs Hanabi and Yakumo and jumps away.
BANG…
A jet of water bombards their previous location, raising dust and debris.
Haha…
"We meet again!" Kajika jumps out of the crater. He crosses his arms around his chest and smirks.
"You were lucky enough to escape last time. But this time I won't give you any opportunity."
Swoosh… swoosh…
Iwana and Yamame also join him.
"I will handle him. Yakumo, take care of those two. Hanabi, locate the insect user and, if possible, deal with him." Ayaka's expression turns serious.
"Alright!" Hanabi activates her Byakugan and investigates.
Ayaka takes out a kunai from her holster and glares at Kajika.
Swoosh…
In the next second, she disappears from her place and reappears behind Kajika, striking preemptively.
Swish…
She aims her kunai for Kajika's throat.
Clang…
Kajika barely blocks her attack with his kunai, while swinging his right leg to kick her.
Whoosh…
Ayaka prepared for the counter, twist her body in mid-air, and uses the momentum to counter-strike. She launches a roundhouse towards Kajika's head while coating her leg with the chakra.
BANG…
Kajika blocks the strike with his left hand, but the impact sends him flying.
Bang… bang… bang…
He flies across multiple houses and slams into a wall before stopping. Ayaka withdraws her leg and stares at the dust and debris.
The dust settles down to reveal a bleeding Kajika stuck on the wall. He slides down the wall and falls to the ground.
Cough… cough…
Kajika coughs out another mouthful of blood and slowly stands up. Blood drips down from his forehead and left ear. Kajika's left hand hangs limply from his shoulder.
"Cough… cough…"
He coughs again and stares at Ayaka's calm face.
"So, you were holding back previously?"
Snap… snap…
Kajika's left hand makes a snapping sound as the muscles and bones in his arm wriggle slightly. He grabs his left arm with his right hand and rotates it with a jerk.
Snap…
He realigns the elbow joint and clutches his fist.
"Since you aren't holding back, then it will be rude of me to not reciprocate."
Aargh…
Kajika screams as he activates the curse seal mark around his neck. Multiple blue-black curse lines spread across his body as he enters the first phase of curse form. The curse seals rapidly heal his injuries, restoring his body and chakra to their former condition.
Hmm…
Ayaka frowns as she stares at the curse seals.
'It's a usage of Senjutsu chakra to rapidly enhance and rejuvenate the body. So, even a non-sage can use Senjutsu chakra for a brief period. However, these cursed seals will slowly consume the will of its users; turning them into a mindless puppet into the end.'
Unbeknownst to Ayaka's thoughts, Kajika, fueled by the enhancement brought by the Curse marks, kicks the ground and dashes toward Ayaka.
"Water Release: Whirlwind Feet,"
Water jet gushes forth from his legs and increases his speed by another fold.
Swish… swish…
Ayaka throws multiple shurikens at the rapidly enclosing Kajika.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu"
The shurikens multiply and block Kajika's path.
BAM… BAM…
Kajika kicks the ground and launches himself in the mid-air.
Shoom…
Multiple chakra threads weave from Ayaka's finger and coil around the shurikens. She controls the direction of the shurikens and redirects them towards Kajika.
Haaah…
While in the air, Kajika kicks the air. He releases a water jet from the sole of his feet and changes his direction.
Swish… swish…
Ayaka controls the shurikens with one hand while with the other hand she makes some one-hand seals.
"Blaze Release: Smoldering purgatory Flames,"
Ayaka mixes darkness chakra with fire chakra and spews out black flames from her mouth. The flames form a spiral and chase Kajika.
'I must avoid those flames at all cost.'
Kajika feels a looming threat of death from the black flames. He takes a sealing talisman from his holster and throws it towards the flames.
Swoosh…
The sealing talisman floats mid-air and sucks the black flames towards itself. After sealing the flames, the talisman turns black and crumbles into ashes. This allows Kajika to close the distance between himself and Ayaka.
"I got you!" Kajika's hands turn into claws as he slashes them at Ayaka.
"DIE!"
--
On the other side,
Yakumo calmly stares at the Sound duo. Dark purple chakra flows through her fingers. Yakumo unfurls a chakra paper scroll. She swiftly swipes her fingers across the chakra paper, creating a creature similar to an Abyss crawler.
The summoned creature has a wolf-like appearance, with its tail split in two. One of the tails burns with purple flames, while the other tail is covered in a layer of metallic spikes.
Awhoo…
The wolf howls and jumps at the Sound duo. The expression of Sound Duo hardens. Having learned from their previous mistake, they instantly activate their curse mark and enter into phase one; avoiding the frenzied claw attack of the wolf.
Awhoo…
The wolf howls again and spats out dark purple flames.
Swoosh… swoosh…
The Sound duo rapidly flickers through the house and avoids the flames. Iwane distracts the wolf away while Yamame uses 'Hiding with Camouflage Jutsu' to disappear from Yakumo's sight.
Awhoo…
The wolf turns around and quickly approaches Yakumo to protect her.
'Hmm… so she is a summoning type shinobi who is reliant on her summons in the battle.'
Iwane and Yamame cautiously stare at Yakumo and the crawler wolf while looking for an opening.
Hmph…
Guren deflects some hidden shurikens hidden behind the sword attack.
Swish… swish…
She makes some quick one-hand signs.
"Crystal Release: Crystal Imprisonment wave"
Guren waves her hand and encases all the shurikens and kunais flying towards her in numerous crystal shells.
Swoosh…
Izumi summons a giant Fuma shuriken and infuses it with wind chakra and hurls it towards Izumi.
"Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu: Oboroguruma,"
Izumi uses the signature Shurikenjutsu skill of the Uchiha clan.
Clang…
Guren slices the Fuma shuriken in half with a crystal blade.
"It's time to end this! I can't waste any more of my time."
Guren makes some hand signs and inhales deeply.
Swoosh…
Shiing…
Izumi activates her Sharingan.
"Crystal Release: White Dragon Breath,"
"Second Activation: Seal,"
Izumi slams her palm on the ground.
Fwoosh… Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
The Fuma shuriken and the small shurikens lined around Guren activate a sealing formation. A gigantic fuinjutsu formation appears beneath Guren. The sealing formation activates and traps Guren in it, sealing her chakra.
Argh…
Blood leaks from Guren's mouth as she suffers the backlash of her semi-complete hand signs.
She wipes the blood from the corner of her mouth and glances at Izumi.
"Was this your plan all along?"
Izumi slowly walks toward Guren with a kunai in her hand.
'Since she can use Crystal release, she must have a higher position in the Sound Village. If I capture her, then maybe we can unveil Kabuto's plan.'
Guren clenches her fist and attempts to release her chakra.
Bleurgh…
She spits out another mouthful of blood from the backlash. Izumi approach Guren as five wisps of chakra flames appear on top of her fingertips.
"Five-element seal"
Bang…
She slams her fingers on Guren's abdomen.
Bleurgh…
Guren spits out some saliva and falls to her knees.
"I have sealed your tenketsu points. Now you can't create any problems. From our initial encounter, I had no intention of dragging out a battle against you." Izumi withdraws her fingers as a seal appears on Guren's navel.
Guren raises her head and stares into Izumi's eyes. She grits her teeth.
"Don't even think about it!"
Hmm…
Izumi senses a massive amount of chakra brewing within Guren's body.
'Is she using her curse seal to override the seal? I have yet to see her use her curse seal.'
Izumi jumps back and takes a combat stance.
Haah…
Guren clenches her fists as a burst of chakra erupts from her body.
"Pressure point of Harm and Death,"
Shoom…
Guren's eyes turn white as a burst of chakra from her body. The chakra turns visible to the naked eye. Ripples of chakra spread through the air as a chakra vortex wraps around Guren.
"What's this?"
Izumi's eyes widen as he analyzes Guren's technique.
'I can't see any Nature energy around her. So, she has yet to use her curse seal. But this chakra…'
Izumi focuses her Sharingan on Guren's chakra system. Pink chakra flows through Guren's chakra system.
'She broke through the five-element seal by overloading it with chakra. But where did this excess chakra come from… what type of technique is this?'
Hmm…
Izumi notices a trace of green energy coiled around the tenketsu point near Guren's heart.
"This energy… she is converting her life force into chakra. At this rate, she is shortening her lifespan."
Roar…
Guren roars and destroys the seal on the ground to regain her mobility.
Huff… Huff…
She pants slightly and turns to Izumi.
"Initially, I planned to make your death painless. But now…"
Swish… swish…
Guren makes rapid hand signs.
"Crystal release: White Dragon Breath,"
She spits out a long breath of crystallized air. The ground near the breath crystallizes as it approaches Izumi at an incredible pace.
Whoosh…
Izumi jumps in the air to avoid the crystals.
Swoosh… swoosh…
A barrage of white crystals rains down on her.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Izumi quickly dodges through the rain of crystals and maneuvers towards the nearby forest to avoid the destruction of the village.
'Such a massive amount of chakra can't be retained for much longer. She will eventually exhaust her chakra and fall into a weakened state. Such a powerful jutsu can't exist without any side effects.'
Fwoosh… Fwoosh…
Two floating orbs of pink crystals chase after Izumi as she swiftly flashes through the forest. The crystal orbs rain down a barrage of crystals to hinder Izumi's path.
Shiing…
Izumi activates her chakra vision and notices a stream of thin chakra attached to the floating crystal orbs.
'She can control them remotely with her chakra to track my position.'
Swish…
Izumi throws a wind-coated kunai towards the crystal orbs.
Clang… clang…
The crystal orbs block the kunai with a crystal needle.
'These crystal orbs are semi-autonomous. They can attack, defend as well as track.'
Izumi looks around and confirms her distance from the village.
'This must be far enough!'
She stops in her tracks and turns around. Purple lightning flickers through her eyes.
'Being a half Uchiha, fire release was never my forte.'
Izumi channels lightning chakra through her palms and slams them on the ground.
'Lightning Release: Lightning Flash Quake,'
Bzzt… crackle…
Lightning crackles through her palms and travels in a zig-zag path along the ground.
BOOM…
Multiple pillars of purple lightning shoot out of the ground while pinning a crystalline creature hiding within the ground.
"So, you were using this creature to track my path?"
A crystal lizard jumps out of the ground. The dorsal surface of the lizard is entirely covered in glittering pale blue crystals jutting out haphazardly from its body. The lizard has red crystalline beady eyes and its tail is covered in a dense crystal shape forming a mace-like protrusion.
Clank… clank… clank…
Izumi's jutsu only paralyzes the lizard for a moment.
Tch…
Izumi clicks her tongue as the crystal channels the electricity to the ground, using its tail as a conduit.
Whoosh…
Guren manages to catch up with Izumi. Shehas a slightly pale face. Guren calms down her breath and stretches her hands.
Blue crystalline curved blades jut from her forearms.
Whoosh… whoosh…
She closes the gap with Izumi and engages in close combat.
Clang… clang…
Izumi deflects the blade with her kunais. After just one attack, the kunais snap in half. The kunais crystalize and shatters in countless dust particles upon falling to the ground.
Hmm…
Izumi notices the microscopic crystalline particles lingering around the blade.
'Her crystal release chakra is capable of alteringthe molecular composition of any object. Her Kekkei Genkai is closer to Kekkei tota in terms of power. I must avoid those blades at all costs.'
Swoosh…
Izumi draws her chakra blade and infuses it with lightning chakra. She parries Guren's blade and retreats.
Hmm…
Izumi notices traces of crystallization on her chakra blade.
'Earlier, her jutsu instantly crystallized my fire dragon. But now, it only barely crystallized my lightning blade. Is she weakened after the use of forbidden jutsu or is it because my mastery of lightning chakra is much stronger than my fire chakra?'
Izumi analyzes Guren's weakness as shedeflects a barrage of crystal needles from the crystal lizard summons.
Swoosh…
She performs a backflip and avoids anotherrain of crystals from the floating crystal orbs.
'At this rate, I will get overwhelmed by her rapid attacks.'
Swoosh…
Izumi retreats further and draws her bladein front of her chest.
'Lightning Release: Lightning flicker flash'
Swoosh…
Multiple balls of lightning disperse from Izumi's position. The lightning balls turn into shadows of Izumi and flicker across the battlefield.
"Lighting Release: Jolting Discharge,"
Izumi's shadows draw the chakra blade and release a stream of a thunderbolt from its tip. The thunderbolt streams crisscross with each other and bombard the area around Guren.
Swoosh…
Guren raises her left hand and forms a crystal dome to protect herself from the lightning discharge. The crystal lizard channels the electricity to the ground like a lightning rod.
Huh…
Guren narrows her eyes and makes some one-hand sign.
"Crystal Release: Shuriken wild dance"
The air around Guren condenses in multiple spinning crystal shurikens. They revolve around her at a high speed.
Haaah…
With a gesture of her hand, the crystal shuriken slices through the entire area, including the multiple lightning shadows.
"Where is she?" Guren looks around to locate Izumi's real body.
Crack… crack…
The ground cracks open and a shadow jumps out of it.
Whoosh…
The ground cracks open, and a shadow jumps out of it.
Whoosh…
"What?" Izumi jumps out of the ground and pierces the soft stomach of the crystal lizard.
Sploosh…
A burst of blood leaks from the wound.
Roar…
The crystal lizard roars in pain and stabs its tail into the earth.
Clank… clank… clank…
Numerous blue crystals burst out from the ground. The crystal lizard disappears in a puff of smoke to recover.
"Kesshō"
Guren cries in pain at the tragic sight of her summon.
Fwoosh…
A lightning spear also pierces out of the earth and stabs into Guren's foot.
Argh…
Guren winces in pain. The lightning from the spear jolts her, bringing her back to her senses. She crystallizes her wound to prevent bleeding.
Whoosh…
Izumi also jumps out of the ground. She pricks out a crystal shard from her thigh. Despite her efforts, the desperate attack of the crystal lizard managed to hit her. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she managed to avoid her vital points.
Bzzt…
Lightning flickers through her hands as she cauterizes the wound on her thigh.
Huff… Huff…
Guren and Izumi confront each other again. Guren's eyes are red from fury and exhaustion. The aftereffects of the Forbidden jutsu are still in effect. She glares at Izumi and mutter.
"Initially, I didn't want to use this technique since I didn't trust the power that I can't control. But you forced my hand…"
Guren grits her teeth as a curse seal appears on her neck. Black lines slowly spread across her body. Her appearance changes rapidly. Her skin turns tan and the sclera in her eyes turns black.
Argh…
Guren roars in pain as purple jade crystal juts out from her arms and legs.
Roar…
Guren's transformation releases a shockwave of chakra pushing Izumi back.
"Her chakra has reached an incredible height!" Izumi examines Guren's condition with her Sharingan.
The wounds on Guren's body heal rapidly. She turns towards Izumi and smirks.
'There is a slight change in her chakra signature.'
Whoosh…
In the blink of an eye, Guren appears beside Izumi.
Swoosh…
She swings a kick toward Izumi's head.
Clang…
Izumi blocked the kick with her chakra blade.
Crack…
A crack appears on the blade and it snaps in half.
Bang…
Izumi is sent flying by the impact as the crystal blade on Guren's leg pierces her arm.
The wound on her arm begins to crystalize rapidly.
Chirp… Chii…
Izumi channels lightning chakra through her arm to neutralize the infection, but it also paralyzes her arm.
Whoosh…
Izumi rapidly flicked through the forest to avoid the barrage of crystals raining down on her. She pops a chakra and healing pill to restore her chakra and stamina.
'She can't maintain this form for long. There must be a limit to it. If I can prolong this fight to that moment, then I might be able to capture her in her weakened state.'
"I won't give you that opportunity."
Guren also senses Izumi's intention. She makes some rapid hand signs and slams her palm on the ground.
'Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Labyrinth,'
Rumble… rumble…
Trembles run through the ground as massive crystalline pillars rise from the earth. The crystalline pillar rapidly grows outward and forms a gigantic spherical cage encasing the surrounding area.
Izumi stops in her track and stares at the giant crystal dome. She infuses a kunai with her lightning chakra and throws it toward the crystal in an attempt to shatter it at one point.
Clang…
Lightning disperses on impact with an effect on the crystal dome. Izumi narrows her eyes.
'This dome has a very stable molecular structure which disperses the force homogeneously through the entire structure. I need time to prepare a jutsu to shatter it in one blow. But I don't think she will give me…'
"Crystal Release: The God's Crossing,"
Guren stomps her foot on the ground.
Fwoosh…
A long stream of sharp blue crystals rapidly approaches Izumi.
Whoosh…
Izumi jumps in the air and avoids the attack.
Swoosh…
Izumi tilts her head and avoids a sharp beam of chakra aimed at her head. A few strains of her long hair split in half and turns into ashes.
Bang…
Guren appears in front of Izumi and kicks her again.
Swoosh…
Izumi redirects the impact from the kick and falls back.
Argh…
Blood leaks from her mouth as she pricks out a crystal from her waist. She bites her lower lip and stares at Guren. Guren continues to launch multiple energy projectiles at her.
'She has gained a new ability to discharge energy with her curse seals. They are quite fast and almost unavoidable. At this rate, I can't hold back for much longer. I have to use that technique.'
Shiing…
The tomoes in Izumi's eyes revolve rapidly and merge. A three-leaf clover pattern appears in her eyes.
"Kamo-wakei-kazuchi"
Bzzt…
A surge of lightning gathers around Izumi. Izumi stretches her palm as six lightning magatama materializes in front of her.
Shoom… shoom…
The lightning magatamas hover in mid-air. Purple lightning channels through the magatamas, connecting them. The lightning magatama forms a halo behind Izumi.
Haah…
'Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Lance,'
Guren forms a gigantic spear-like crystal and throws it toward Izumi to impale her.
"Shield!" Izumi mutters slightly as a drop of blood leaks from her left eye.
Whoosh…
One of the lightning magatamas morphs into a purple shield and blocks the incoming spear.
BANG…
The crystal lance shatters into countless crystal fragments. Guren's eyes widen in surprise.
'Those eyes… what… what are they? There was no record of such a Sharingan.' Guren mutters to herself. Earlier, she had taken numerous precautions and countermeasures to target Sharingan's weakness.
The lightning magatama returns to the halo beside Izumi as she slowly mutters.
"Spear!"
Swoosh…
Another lightning magatama transforms into a giant lightning lance.
Bzzt…
Purple lightning flickers across the spear as the surrounding terrain crumbles from the stray lightning discharges.
"Discharge"
Izumi aims the spear toward Guren and releases it.
"Oh, no!"
Guren's expression turns pale. She immediately clasps her hand and completes her most powerful jutsu.
"Crystal Release: String of Glory"
A transparent blue crystal prism encases her body within it.
Whoosh…
Suddenly, numerous beams of energy shoot from multiple directions.
'That's…' Izumi recognizes the energy beams from earlier.
'These energy beams weren't aimed at me. From the start, she was preparing for this jutsu to end the battle. This gigantic crystal cage provided her with the perfect opportunity. Since it's made up of her chakra, it's very hard for me to differentiate it from her chakra signature. Because of its reflective nature, it becameharder for me to perceive any of her hidden attacks. Also, after multiple reflections and refractions, she managed to position her jutsu in such a way for them to meet at a focal point.'
Izumi stares at the prism floating in mid-air.
Fwoosh…
The prism refracts all the energy beamsonce again and converges them at one focal point. The tip of the prism glows with a blinding radiance as it shoots out a concentrated beam of energy.
BOOM…
The magatama spear and the energy beam clash in the center of the giant crystalline labyrinth.
A blinding explosion covers their vision.
Bang… bang…
Multiple cracks spread throughout the labyrinth as it's almost on the verge of shattering.
"Armor!"
A magatama envelope Izumi's body in a set of purple armor from head to toe.
BOOM…
Dust and debris rise within the confinement of the crystal. Amidst the explosion, the ground underneath them has torn apart.
A few minutes later,
The dust and debris settle down to reveal Izumi and Guren. The prism around Guren is barely sustaining itself, with a massive chunk of it shattered into multiple large fragments. Half of Guren's body is scorched from the lightning discharge. The curse mark on her body is slowly withdrawing back into the seal.
On the other side, Izumi appears to be in a much better condition. Purple flames disperse around her to reveal her body clad in a set of armor. Blood leaks from both of her eyes as she is barely maintaining her position.
Huff… Huff…
Izumi breathes heavily and stares at Guren.
'She forced me to such an extent. Her abilities are very impressive. She is almost at the level of a Kage with the curse marks.'
She clenches her fist.
'I am sorry, Itachi… I have to break our promise.'
Flashback*
A few years after the Uchiha Massacre,
Itachi, Shisui, and Izumi are training their Sharingan abilities under Izuna's guidance.
"Itachi, Shisui… both of your Mangekyo abilities are very powerful. Shisui… after my observation, your Mangekyo ability 'Kotoamatsukami' allows you to not just manipulate memories or mind. It also has a hidden ability."
"Hidden ability?"
Shisui is surprised by Izuna's remark.
"Yes, during my training. I delved into your mindscape and observed it, since your ability is related to mind manipulation. There, I noticed unique energy or chakra."
"Unique chakra?" Even Itachi and Izumi's curiosity piques.
"Yes, I call this energy…"
"I named it Dream energy," Izuna answers them.
"Dream energy?" Shisui, Itachi, and Izumi inquire.
"Yes. Shisui's kotoamatsukami allows him to manipulate someone at the highest level of control without the latter being aware of it. However, it has a very strict usage, i.e., it can't be cast regularly…"
Izuna pauses and turns to Shisui.
"… but it's not the only jutsu your Mangekyo Sharingan awakened. Every Mangekyo Sharingan awakens two unique abilities. These abilities might be different, like Itachi, or interdependent, like Uncle Yagami."
"Dad?" Shisui is surprised.
"Yes, uncle Yagami's Mangekyo ability…" Izuna replies.
"… one of his Mangekyo abilities allows him to manipulate shadows to a much greater extent than the Nara clan to the point that he becomes almost invulnerable while in shadows. His other Mangekyo ability raises his control to such a level that he can create a domain of shadows or extreme darkness without any need for any external source. This manipulation depends on proficiency and chakra control." Izuna calmly explains to him.
"So, where was I? Ah… yes… yes… Shisui also has a similar ability. However, it has yet to unlock because he has yet to meet a certain requirement."
"My second Mangekyo ability?" Shisui is surprised to hear this.
"Mm… if my guess is correct, then your second Mangekyo ability will allow you to enter someone's dreams and manipulate the dreams to influence their mind. This ability completely bypasses all sorts of mental defenses. Even the Yamanaka clan, with their strong mental defenses, will be helpless against your new ability. However, you need strong mental strength and willpower to awaken this ability. I am sure you will awaken it with time. Also, once you awaken it, this ability will assist your Kotoamatsukami through the use of Dream energy."
Izuna pats Shisui's back.
"I am looking forward to it!"
He turns towards Itachi and continues.
"Itachi, it's the same for you. You can't control your Amaterasu, but you can manipulate it depending on your proficiency in Fire Release. Similarly, your Tsukiyomi will improve with Yin release and mental strength." Izuna continues to give pointers to Shisui and Itachi.
After a few minutes, he turns to Izumi. Izumi's expression turn tense as Izuna evaluates her jutsu.
"Izumi, your situation is slightly different from these two. I think you understand it."
"I do, Izuna Nii-san!" Izumi bites her lips and nods. Shisui and Itachi curiously turn to Izuna for answers.
"You two must have known already that Izumi is a half-Uchiha. His father was not from the Uchiha clan."
"We do!" Shisui and Itachi nod.
"So, you must also be aware of the fact that only an Uchiha can use his Sharingan effectively. Even then, they require the medicine from the Howling Wolf village to prevent blindness from the overuse of Sharingan."
Shisui and Itachi recall Kakashi's condition after his every use of Sharingan during their Anbu missions.
"So, Nii-san… does this mean…" Worry appears on Itachi's face.
Izumi's face turns red from Itachi's worry. She starts to daydream.
Ahem…
Izuna clears his throat to get her attention.
"Yes, and no!" Izuna's answer further confuses them.
"Yes, it has a severe effect on her, since her every activation of Sharingan draws more chakra than normal. Also, she awakened her Sharingan at the age of 7, much before you, Itachi." Izuna turns to Itachi.
"But… she… I… I never saw her use it!" Itachi is at a loss for words.
"It was an unfortunate accident!" Izuna shakes his head but doesn't speak any further.
"Her Sharingan withdraws much more chakra than normal. Also, it is almost impossible for her to awaken Mangekyo Sharingan. But during the previous incident, she…" Izuna stares at Izumi with pity.
"She awakened her Mangekyo Sharingan and passed out for an entire month."
"What?… So, the reason she was in a coma was that…"
Izumi nodded in approval.
Shiing…
She activates her Sharingan. The tomoes in her Sharingan revolve rapidly and merge in a three-leaf clover pattern.
"Now for her abilities… Her first ability 'Kamo-wakei-kazuchi' grants her the ability to wield the highest order Lightning release. Her second ability 'Raikou', allows her to control and manipulate Kamo-wakei-kazuchi. This manipulation depends on her proficiency and chakra control." Izuna calmly explains to them.
Chirp… chirp… chi…
Izumi stretches her palm as purple lightning flickers through them. The lightning dances around her palm and turns into a bird. The bird changes into a snake, then into a dragon.
Swoosh…
Izumi closes her fist and disperses the lightning dragon. Her eye turns normal.
Huff… Huff…
She breathes heavily as her chakra level hits rock bottom.
"So, did you notice it?" Izuna calmly asks Itachi and Shisui.
"Yes, we did!" Itachi nods his head.
"No, it's much more serious. The Mangekyo Sharingan grants greater power at the cost of eyesight, but in her case, it will directly drain her lifespan; if she overuses it." Izuna replies in a serious tone.
"Her lifespan?" Shisui and Itachi are shocked to hear it. Itachi turns towards Izumi.
"Izumi, I want you to make a promise to me. Unless the situation is life-threatening, you will never use your Mangekyo Sharingan during a fight."
"Itachi, but I… I want to fight alongside you… I don't want to be…" Izumi is flustered by Itachi's sudden request.
"Izumi…" Itachi grabs her shoulders.
"Izumi, you are a precious friend to me. I don't want to lose you." Itachi stares into her eyes.
"…"
Izuna and Shisui facepalm as they speechlessly stare at Itachi.
'Itachi! You baka! Did you friend zone me?'
"BAKA!" Izumi slaps Itachi and walks away.
Itachi silently stares at the space for a while. After a while, he mutters.
'My Sasuke is still the best. He always listens to me.'
"…"
Izuna and Shisui stare at each other and grab one of Itachi's shoulders to educate him.
End of Flashback*
Huff… Huff…
Izumi breathes heavily as she slowly walks toward an unconscious Guren.
"I will reseal her chakra before she wakes up again!" Izumi eats another pill and takes out a sealing scroll from her pocket.
'This chakra suppression seal should be enough to prevent her chakra recovery.'
Izumi leans down to apply the chakra seal.
Suddenly,
Kuku…
"I was waiting for this moment." A maniacal laughter echoes in the surrounding. The curse seal on Guren's neck squirms as a face appears on her neck.
ARGH….
Guren screams in pain as the figure on the curse seal rapidly drains her life force.
"That's…"
Izumi's eyes turn wide as a giant snake with Kabuto's face leaps towards her, catching her off-guard.
Shiing…
Her Mangekyo Sharingan spins rapidly.
"Raikou: 4th form Musou Shinsetsu"
A giant purple chakra arm appears behind Izumi. The giant arm wields a giant katana and slashes it toward the incoming white snake.
Crackle… crackle…
The clouds in the sky crackle with purple lightning.
BOOM…
A violent discharge of purple lightning falls on the crystal dome. It instantly shatters the crystal dome and strikes the white snake.
Bzzt… BOOM…
A chaotic surge of purple lightning storm brews at the location of the lightning strike and engulf the snake within it. The purple lightning burns the snake to cinders. The sword slash splits the ground into two, leaving a gigantic scar spanning a few hundred meters on the ground.
Bleurgh…
Izumi spits out a mouthful of blood and falls to her knees. Blood flows from both of her eyes.
"I was expecting your move, Kabuto!" She grits her teeth in anger.
'Earlier, when Guren activated her curse seal; I noticed a change in her chakra signature. It was different from the Nature energy. It was something foreign, something sinister. I never expect you to make your move on me.' Izumi closes her eyes.
'I hope the girls will finish the fight on their end soon. I must trust in their abilities.'
--
A few hundred meters away from Izumi and Guren's battlefield.
"What's that?"
Hanabi notices a giant bolt of purple lightning striking down the crystal dome that appeared earlier.
"It must be Izumi sensei. Looks like I am the first one to complete my fight!"
Hanabi stares at an unconscious Iwana and Yamame.
'I have already sealed their chakra. I will tie them here and help Sensei. Ayaka and Yakumo will manage on their own.'
Hanabi takes out a binding scroll and imprisons the Sound duo within it.
--
On the other side of the battlefield,
Ayaka emotionlessly stares at the purple lightning discharge.
'That's Izumi Nee-san's jutsu. To force her to use that jutsu, it means it must be that sinister chakra from her.'
She recalls the sinister chakra she sensed earlier while escaping with the mission target.
'Looks like there is no need to hold back any longer.'
Shiing…
Ayaka activates her Sharingan for the first time and turns towards a second curse form Kajika.
"It's time to end this!"
"Those eyes… Sharingan… means you… you were holding back!" Kajika glares at Ayaka.
"Were you looking down on me? Argh…" Kajika released a burst of chakra from his body.
The shark scales on his back merge with his body. He transforms further into a humanoid shark with long sharp teeth and sharp claws in his hands.
"I will tear you apart!"
"I will tear you apart!"
Kajika lunges at Ayaka.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan,"
Ayaka casts a powerful genjutsu on Kajika with just a blink of her eyes.
Argh…
Kajika halts in his attack. The pupil in his eyes constricts and drool leaks from his mouth. Kajika struggles to hold himself conscious as he weakly mutters.
'How could her Genjutsu be so powerful?'
Whoosh…
Darkness shrouds him, and he loses consciousness. Multiple cracks appear on Kajika's body as he suffers the backlash of nature energy after failing to maintain his curse form.
'Their curse form paired with the chaotic chakra flow makes them invulnerable to even a powerful genjutsu. However, I have managed to modify my genjutsu after studying Yakumo's techniques for almost three years. My genjutsu doesn't affect his chakra system instead it targets their mindscape. People with strong mental strength can easily shrug it off, but a person with chaotic will like him will easily fall prey to it.'
Ayaka seals Kajika's chakra with a sealing tag. She erects a barrier around him and quickly flickers toward Izumi's location.
--
A few moments later,
Ayaka and Yakumo arrive at Izumi's location at the same time. Both of them notice Izumi resting against a tree while Hanabi heals her wounds with medical Ninjutsu.
"Izumi Nee-san, are you alright?" Ayaka asks her.
"You should call me Izumi Sensei and yes, I am alright. I just exhausted my chakra." Izumi closes her eyes.
Hmm…
Ayaka notices a faint invisible green energy leaking from Izumi's eyes.
'That's life force. Did she use her life force to substitute for her chakra? I have to ask Lady Katsuyu to replenish her life force.'
"What happened here?" Yakumo looks around and notices the widespread destruction and an unconscious Guren lying near Izumi.
"It was an intense battle, but I somehow managed it." Izumi gives a subtle reply, avoiding the topic.
"I have already sent a backup request to the nearby patrol teams. We will return to the village once they are here."
Hmm…
"They are already here!" Izumi turns in a direction.
Soon,
Swoosh… swoosh…
Multiple shinobis in Konoha shinobi wear and headbands surround the group. Sakumo walks out of the shinobi group.
"Sakumo-san!"
Izumi slowly stands up.
"What happened here?"
"Sakumo-san… it's…" Sakumo notices Izumi's expression and dismisses the nearby shinobis.
"You can brief me now," Sakumo assures her.
"It's like this…" Izumi narrates the entire incident to Sakumo.
"Hmm… So, Kabuto's plan has already reached this stage." Sakumo's expression turns ugly.
"I will personally escort your group and the captives to Konoha. The intel this time is quite detailed. It will greatly bolster our preparations." Sakumo clenches his fists.
'Looks like another war is about to break out soon.' Izumi gets the subtle hints from Sakumo's words.
A few hours later, the group departs for Konoha.
--
A day later in Konoha,
Inside the meeting room in the Hokage office,
The new villager elder council, various clan leaders, Minato, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, are sitting around a round table.
The latest intel gathered by Izumi is placed on the table. Every clan leader has a tense expression.
"Kabuto! That son of a bitch." Choza slams his palm on the table.
"How could he… how could he destroy a major population of the Land of Rice Paddies? With this, I won't receive the latest rice crackers from…" Choza's sound turns feeble as he utters the later words.
"…"
An awkward silence spreads throughout the entire meeting hall.
Ahem…
Tsunade clears her throat and continues.
"The Land of Sound has been a budding threat since its establishment by Orochimaru. Orochimaru established multiple secret laboratories throughout the Land of Rice Paddies and near the border of the Land of Fire. He experimented on countless shinobis from various nations and multiple civilians from nearby villages to create his curse seal. …" Tsunade pauses and stares at everyone.
Emotions of rage, hatred, and disgust are spread across the faces of various clan leaders as they recall their losses under Orochimaru's hands.
"But we were able to neutralize him before he could threaten the safety of the village any further. However, his disciple Kabuto, a genius medical-nin and a member of Konoha's orphanage…" Tsunade turns towards the orphanage head, who lowers his head.
"… he learned from Orochimaru's mistakes and hid pretty well. Now, after years of preparation; he improvised all of Orochimaru's plans and flaws."
Tsunade picks up a scroll with information on the curse seal.
"This is the latest intel on Kabuto's improved cursed seal. Orochimaru's curse seal is based on the Sēji clan."
"Sēji clan?" Most of the elders and clan leaders are clueless about the new clan.
"Hmm… I seem to have heard about this clan." Shikaku Nara taps his finger on the table.
"It was a very powerful ancient clan in the Land of Ancestors."
"Was?" A few clan leaders raise their eyebrows.
"Yes, this clan was one of the most powerful clans, even before the era of the Sage of Six Paths."
"Sage of Six Paths? Isn't he a myth?" A few clans leaders have skeptical expressions.
"Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest are also mythical places, but don't they exist?" Shikaku answers them with a question.
"Well… there might be some truth to it!" A few clan leaders agree as they stare at a silent Jiraiya.
"What was so special about the Sēji clan?" Inoichi inquires.
"Every member of the Sēji clan was a sage."
"What?" Jiraiya, who was silently sitting near Minato, suddenly opens his mouth.
"That's… that's ridiculous!" He exclaims as he recalls the painful process of learning Senjutsu.
"As incredible and unbelievable as it may sound… but it seems to be the case." Shikaku also has a dubious expression on his face.
"I only knew about it since there seems to be some record of it in our clan's library in the forest." Shikaku takes out a few scrolls with some writings on them.
"This is the relevant information I copied from the books." He passes the scroll to the members of the elder council.
"Then how did this clan perish if they had such abilities?" Jiraiya curiously inquires.
"There are not many details on it… but at some point in time, a curse that led to insanity afflicted the Sēji clan members. The insane clan members fought amongst each other, leading to their downfall. However, there are still a few surviving members of their clan roaming the shinobi world." Shikaku crosses his arms and closes his eyes.
Ahem…
Minato clears his throat to get their attention.
"As you all might have predicted, Orochimaru managed to get his hands on a Sēji clan member. He studied the unique physical abilities of the Sēji clan members andreplicated them through his cells. However, the process was imperfect since Orochimaru himself wasn't a Sage. He required a suitable vessel to perfect this technique and gain greater power. However, before he could achieve his ambitions, he met his end."
"So, does this mean… this orphan kid Kabuto achieved what Orochimaru couldn't in just a few years?" The village elders and clan leadershave incredulous expressions.
"Yes, he not only perfected the curse seal, but he modified it to mass produce Jounin-level shinobis from genins, turn normal civilians into chunnins, and raise a jounin to the level of a Kage." Minato throws a report on the table.
"This is a report on the recent captives brought by Team Three. This group includes a rare Kekkei Genkai Crystal Release with thepower of a Kage, a few genins, chunnins, and even civilian soldiers. Most of these people are under mind control and the intel we got from them is quite worrying." Minato's expression turns solemn.
"How bad it is?" Fugaku, whose eyes were closed the entire time, slowly opens them.
"Given the current state of things, a fourth shinobi war is around the corner!" Minato declares his speculation.
Before Izuna went missing, he disclosed a few things hinting of the Fourth Shinobi War. To prevent a paradox in the timeline, Izuna only revealed the major involvement of the Kabuto, Akatsuki, and Otsutsuki clan.
These subtle hints were enough for Minato and the rest to conclude.
"Fourth Shinobi War?"
Whoosh…
All the clan leaders stand up from their seats, stunned by the shocking revelation.