For uncountable eons it had slumbered, as the planet it claimed guardianship to weathered away the eons. It had felt something…. wrong.

The chakra of a billion separate entities, each giving their own collective cries of defiance, before being snuffed out one and all like the weak flame of a candle, by some dark cold howling gale. Beings whose very existence was rank with corruption.

It had passively felt out and observed. In the shadowed caverns that lay beneath this world, it had hidden itself, to avoid the fate the others had suffered, but no more. Far beneath the plains and forests and fertile hills of Mindoir, in caverns untouched by any other life for untold eons.

Something woke up.

I awoke with a start, blearily rubbing sleep from my eyes. I turned my eyes toward the clock, it was five in the morning. I had felt…. Something.

It had definitely been some sort of chakra signature. And positively massive in size if that momentary flare of power had been anything to go by, something truly terrifying. Never in all my days had I felt a chakra signature so frighteningly huge. Which left only one question, what the hell had I sensed?

In any case, I would have liked to sleep in. But considering it was a saturday, i might as well make the most of it. I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. I cracked open the fridge and pulled out some synthetic milk.

It was expensive to transport cows this far out into the frontier. So usually we made do with synthetic dairy. I pulled a bowl from the cupboard, and poured myself some cereal. I pulled a spoon from one of our drawers, and plopped down on the couch. lifting a spoonful to my mouth as my holo-tab flickered to life.

I scrolled absently through a few news articles, smiling as I read that apparently a young firebrand of a commander named Steven Hackett had recently been promoted to the rank of admiral. I smirked, it was a bit funny to see Hackett referred to as young in any context. No official age was ever given in the games, but the guy looked to be about 40 or 50 by the time Harbinger finally called forth his cuttlefish brethren and invaded earth. Though I suppose military life doesn't exactly help one maintain a youthful visage.

As I continued to skim the article, I heard the sound of footsteps. I looked up from the holo-tab. It was my father, His eyes bleary and his black hair mussed beyond belief, he looked over to my prone form laying across the couch. Idly reading the news feed.

"You're up early."

He said as he pulled a container of eggs out of the fridge. I shrugged as I sat up slightly, setting the holo-tab down on the cushion next to me.

"Something woke me up, I decided I might as well not waste a perfectly good day off."

Dad hummed silently as the eggs began to sizzle nicely in the skillet, he began to whistle a jaunty tune. Breaking into a small dance as he launched himself into his morning routine.

"Doing anything especially interesting today?"

My father turned to look at me momentarily and reply.

"Oh nothing too special..."

"Spending the day with Melanie is nothing too special?"

My father turned an interesting shade of red when I said that, and he turned quickly to hide his flustered expression. Before he gave a blustery retort,

"As if it's any different with you and Jane, loverboy."

I gave a derisive snort as I took a last bite of cereal, before I set the bowl aside.

"I spend time with Jane because she's my friend, you spend time with Melanie because you want to get in her pants."

That shut him up, good.

After a few comfortable minutes of silence, I heard the sound of pattering feet outside. I listened harder using my chakra to enhance my hearing slightly. I could hear a feminine voice panting slightly as someone ran. As I put a voice to a face, i mentally prepared myself. But surely at this time of morning she would still be asleep? Wait, what the hell am I talking about? She could get 4 hours of sleep and be fresh as a daisy. Her and her sister.

Damn Shepards and their seemingly infinite stamina….

Freaks of nature, every last damn one of them.

Jane threw open the front door, and stepped jauntily over the threshold, smiling that infectiously happy smile, I rubbed my eyes wearily as she slumped onto the couch, taking a place next to me. I sighed as I turned to look at her.

"Jane it's six in the morning, why are you up so early? And why did you feel the need to come here?"

Jane gave me an incredulous look, as if I had just said something very strange.

"Why am I here? Why am I here?! It's a beautiful day outside and daylight's wasting! And i bet you were going to spend all day inside on that holo-tab weren't you?"

I nervously rubbed the back of my head trying to make my dishonest smile reach my eyes.

"Er-no of course not! Why on earth would you think something like that?"

My father and Jane both leveled me with a disbelieving look, it was fairly obvious my half-hearted fib hadn't fooled either of them.

"Liar."

They said in almost perfect unison, I bowed my head.

"Why do you people hate me?"

The two laughed heartily at my expense. And I grumbled quietly as I carried myself haughtily toward the sink. I set the bowl down in the metal basin and turned to go sit back down on the couch next to Jane, I set myself comfortably on the couch cushions. I had only just started to reach for my holo-tab when an idea occurred to me.

"I uh, need to go to the bathroom..."

I hopped off the couch, and headed to the stairs. Inwardly smirking at the simple genius of my plan. I made a beeline up the stairs, and immediately ran down the hall and into the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and, leaving nothing to chance. locked it securely, i turned toward an empty patch of floor. I shut my eyes, and began to carefully mold my chakra, and after a few moments, with a puff of smoke. A perfect body double of me appeared, he looked around curiously. I snapped my fingers impatiently, bringing his attention back to me.

"Sup' boss?"

I stopped for a second, considering what he had just said.

"Boss?"

The shadow clone nodded.

"You create the clones, you give the orders, you're the original. You're the Boss."

I shrugged, seeing no point in questioning it.

"Fair enough."

"So what's up?"

The clone asked as he stared off boredly into space.

"You're gonna be spending the day with Jane, I've got some things I'm going to be busy with here, so you've got Jane duty for the day."

He nodded his understanding.

"You got it boss."

I gave a nod of acknowledgement and made for my bedroom. Opening the door and walking hurriedly inside, closing the door behind me. I walked to my bed and slid a small knapsack out from underneath it, i unhooked the clasp and looked inside to make sure everything was in order. One paintbrush bought from an art supply trader who had visited the colony recently, check. Two vials of ink, each infused with a measure of my blood, check. One stack of paper measuring two inches thick, check.

I had compiled these supplies for sealing, it had taken a small measure of time, and a few strange looks from my father. but I had eventually gotten everything that Merlin had told me I would need. I redid the clasp of the bag and slid the strap over my shoulder. before walking over to my bedroom window and opening it quickly. I stepped quietly onto the sill, and leapt. My chakra enhanced leap carried me far. And I landed with a quiet thump on a tree branch, some fifty feet from the house.

It was still early in the morning, so the sun had yet to fully rise. It was still a little dark, and my Rinnegan flared like two amethyst stars to compensate for the low light. My vision adjusted, and suddenly I could see the forest as if it were under the light of the sun at midday. I began leaping through the tree's, jumping from tree branch to tree branch. Moving as fast as my legs could carry me.

I would have to be far from civilization, to conduct my experiments.

I had run about fifty miles from the town. It would hopefully give me the distance I would need for my experiments to go unnoticed. I had been working for at least thirty minutes. Silently letting my brushstrokes fall, watching as each solitary line began to make a whole design. The intricate runes take some time to complete, but not too hellaciously long.

I let the last stroke fall and looked over my work carefully, checking and rechecking my seal work. Any unseen flaw could make the whole thing quite literally blow up in my face, finally satisfied that I hadn't done anything to majorly screw it up. I pumped some chakra into the seal, enough to give me roughly thirty seconds to get away. I bolted, running as fast as i could go before leaping into the tree's above.

Even from fifty feet away, the force of the explosion's shockwave was almost physical.

The explosive tag went off with a resounding bang, it had blown a crater twenty feet across. And had blasted the surrounding tree's to flinders. So all in all, a morbidly satisfying result. Though if i didn't want to deforest the area surrounding the colony. I would have to downsize the explosions.

I placed my hands briefly together, and let my chakra flow into the ground beneath me. Smiling as I saw a dozen or so saplings break through the dirt, it wouldn't quite replace the ones I had destroyed. But for the time being it would have to do.

I placed my sealing supplies back in my bag, and slung it lazily over my shoulder. Satisfied with the day's work thus far. I walked a ways away from where I had performed the initial test, and found a clearing of tall grass. Nestled comfortably under the shade of a Lenoa tree, an interesting species of foliage native to Mindoir that seemed to be the result of a one night stand between a Beech tree and a weeping willow. The trunk was sturdy and thick, and as unyielding as iron. And nice to lay against, thanks to its soft smooth bark. I sat against the Lenoa's trunk, and closed my eyes. If I wanted my plan to gain any traction, I would have to seek Merlin's help. And that meant meeting him in my dreams, though as my mind gave way to chakra induced sleep. I wondered idly if merlin would have the technique I was looking for.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a glade, the sun shone down on a field of tall grass. bordered with squat mountains on all but one side. Their peaks rimed with snow and ice, I sat up slowly and got to my feet. dusting myself off. I looked around, wondering where exactly my dreams had dumped me.

The air was cool, and a gentle breeze ruffled my hair slightly as I saw a familiar figure sitting at the edge of what seemed to be a large lake, as my feet drew me closer to the slightly hunched figure. A fishing rod held lazily in his one hand, while the other held a smoking pipe. I recognized the idle figure as I finally came close enough to see his face. Merlin's amethyst eyes were shut, and his face was set in an expression of beatific contentment. His nose wrinkled for a moment before he opened his eyes, and regarded me with a curious look.

"It would seem as if your content on interrupting my relaxation whelp."

I gave a small smirk, and laid down next to him. Stretching myself out comfortably on the tall grass before addressing him.

"So it would seem, there's something I need your help with."

Merlin turned to me, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Is that right? Well you might as well not leave me in suspense."

I turned to him.

"Well..."

Merlin did a double take as I finished my request, looking at me wide eyed.

"You want me to teach you what?!"

I looked at him in confusion.

"What's the problem?"

'"Are you daft?! Do you know how much power it takes to do something like that? Trying something like that on even a small scale would leave you exhausted at best, and half-dead at worst!"

I looked at Merlin with an amused expression, cocking my head to one side as I gave my reply.

"You do realize that if you say no, I'll just go off and try to do it on my own right? Better to try it under your supervision, ain't that the truth?"

Merlin grumbled under his breath as he glared at me, silently considering what I had just said. Finally he seemed to have reached a decision. He was up before I could properly react, and his fist was already halfway to its target before I had a chance to do anything. The blow sent stars exploding across my vision, and laid me flat on my ass.

I sat bolt upright, the outrage palpable on my face.

"What the fuck old man!?"

Merlin looked down at me, smirking slightly.

"That was for putting me in such a difficult situation brat, i'll teach you the technique. But understand that I am doing so with the greatest of reservations. You haven't even begun to understand the forces you're playing with, that technique's name is well earned."

I looked up at him doubtfully. one of my eyebrows cocked upward.

"Aw come on old man! How bad could it possibly be?"

Merlin simply smirked.

"Oh you say that now…."