Article VI: Vulnerability Postulate
Though virtually invulnerable, Kami become susceptible to harm when they manifest within the physical plane, especially from their own kind. Nonetheless, their retreat and recuperation in the celestial plane imply that defeat or death on the physical plane does not necessarily signify their ultimate demise.
Contributor: Uzumaki Sakura
"Physical engagement with a minor Kami — pretty weak one — evidenced an increased susceptibility to damage during manifestation. A retreat to the celestial plane followed, before it came back. Observable healing took place, faster than it did here. It seems that their vulnerability heightens in our plane."
Question: Orochimaru (World #7570)
Explain it to a non-shinobi. The notion that Kami become susceptible to harm when they manifest within the physical plane is somewhat vague. What determines this vulnerability? Is it the strength of the tether or the extent of their manifestation? Physical vulnerability?
Lightning Shadow
Nii Yugito was not Killer Bee.
And while both of them relentlessly pursued strength, she didn't have his prodigious talent, his intuitive genius.
From sunrise to moonrise, she studied, trained, honed, practiced, and mastered the intricate forms of Taijutsu unique to Kumogakure.
When she was chosen as a Jinchūriki at a young age, she gratefully accepted the honor, but refused to be defined by the Nibi sealed within her:
"I am the Beast's vessel." She thought. "But first and foremost, I am a kunoichi. I am my own person. Also, there will be no nocturnal rapping, no fixation on beating the Raikage, no bombing the sea to make waves."
Surprisingly, she found common ground with her inner burden, a force she began to perceive more as a conscious entity than a mere weapon. Their coeexistence evolved into an unlikely camaraderie.
When the lunatic in the sky sets the world ablaze and the second lunatic walks in his wake and the mantle of Raikage falls on her shoulders during the most tumultuous of times, she is the only one taken aback.
Before she bears the second lunatic — who somehow managed to accomplish his impossible task — a child, and before she ends up loving him too, she is forced to make difficult choice after difficult choice to ensure Kumo's survival.
Right then is when she realizes this is not so different from holding Matatabi:
This power was not simply inherited, but earned.
Cat's Eye
The scent of old wood and incense filled the air, the usual background hum of the city muted by the dense, sacred forest of the Grand Shrine of Izumo.
It was a place where the essence of the divine was both revered and ever-present, the whispering wind seemed to carry hidden messages from the myriad kami spirits inhabiting every stone, tree, and river through the ancient cypress trees.
Tōko, a young miko, priestess-in-training, was swept up in the middle of her morning rites.
Her pure-white hagoromo robes rustled gently as she moved, gracefully performing the ceremonial dance under the towering Torii gate. She was holding a branch of the sacred sakaki tree, adorned with paper streamers symbolizing offerings to the gods.
There was a sudden flash.
When Tōko glanced up, there was nothing there at all.
Still, a resonating thrum passed through the air, prickling at her skin, the shimmering strands of her hair standing on end.
The rustle of leaves and the songs of the hidden birds fell silent.
Every sacred stone, the tranquil ponds, the towering Torii gate, all seemed to hold their breath.
Tōko's heart pounded in her chest. Something had stirred within the sacred ground.
This was an unfamiliar phenomenon, neither described in the ancient Shinto scriptures she had been studying nor witnessed by the eldest priests of the shrine.
The group of five sat together in a traditional tea house's private room, far away from the temple.
Four women, and a man.
All five were peering through a shared Byakugan's power, linked by Ino.
"That's the place, then?" Hebi asked.
Ino nodded. "It seems so." She said. Yugito continued to take note of the guards' patterns.
They could brute-force their way through, of course, but considering how strong the kami presences generally were here, there was no telling how quickly any of them could appear.
And that was the reason they had chosen this world, too.
It meant that they would also have to avoid rousing suspicion in the temple's priests altogether.
Karin's eyes were focused on the looming shrine gates. She had… bad memories of temples. Nothing that made perfect sense, if she were being entirely honest, but it just brought back some of her worst memories of Naruto.
Ino just offered her a small smile.
"That does sound somewhat dangerous, doesn't it…?" Hebi asked.
"It does." Ino acknowledged.
She was doing her best to suppress their presence — on top of the Inhibitors devised by Karin —, and had done so ever since they had left, but there was only so much her powers could do.
Still, both Karin and Ino were likely more noticeable, courtesy of the Jūbi. They would avoid getting too close if they could avoid it.
And the same went of Yugito and Hebi, for the traces — or the actual Bijū — of non-human chakra in their bodies.
Had they known the full scope of it earlier, they would have assembled a different team, likely. For now, the women in question would simply not cross the boundary line that seemed to hang around the compound itself.
Not themselves, at least. They had good supporting abilities, and there were other things they could do from far away.
And at the slightest sign of trouble, they would leave.
If anything happened anyway... well that would be where Karin, their strongest fighter, intervened.
Dangerous, yes. But they had more margin of error, compared to Naruto. It seemed that he was the one under close kami scrutiny.
Hebi's quietness was a stark contrast to the other gloomy person in the room. The only man.
"In any case, we're lucky we have our Miko expert here, then." Yugito smiled, nodding toward him.
The man snapped at her.
"Do not assume you can talk to me this familiarly, concubine."
Karin slapped him across the face.
"You—" He hissed.
A blade stabbed down from the ceiling and Karin caught it easily, pulling it into the room. It, along with its owner, crashed right through the ceiling and slammed against the floor. It was another man, their sixth member.
Were it not for the discreet layers of barriers, the owners might have noticed.
The man from the ceiling fell in a heap, growling. "How dare you attack my—" His sword was out again.
Karin made a fist. Menacingly.
The man relented. Karin repaired the ceiling and the brothers just glared at them.
"Are you done?" Yugito hissed.
Both men looked furious. Still, he only nodded slightly. "…We are done." He growled.
"Good." Yugito nodded. "Next time you speak so contemptuously, I'm stabbing you."
The men seemed to have plenty of things to say.
…
"You think that just because you say so, this sickening war is going to end?" Madara spat, his glare piercing into Hashirama.
Hashirama, his amethyst eyes ablaze, shook his head.
"Remember, this was once your dream too." He said, almost imploring. "Now, we have the power to bring it to fruition."
Madara faltered, searching for words. Also, because he had never realized Hashirama even knew the word 'fruition.'
"Don't lend your ears to his deceptive babble, brother!" Izuna cautioned. "They intend to trick us."
Still, Tobirama was dutifully not attacking.
"If we, as the two strongest clans, join forces… nations will have to stop this ceaseless fighting. The conflict will die down."
Hashirama's hand was extended, waiting for Madara to grasp it as a sign of agreement.
Peace.
And it was within reach.
"The Sarutobi, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Nara have already accepted our proposition." Hashirama revealed.
Perhaps not the wisest choice of words, as Madara seemed on the verge of eruption.
"And now that you have a stronger army, you expect us to bend the knee before your alliance." He growled. "You speak of peace, but it is nothing but a pretty word upon your lips."
"We've witnessed what these eyes of yours are capable of." Izuna spat. "Do you truly believe that you are—"
"…No." Hashirama shook his head. "I could never feign the wisdom of the Sage. Yet, I was bestowed with a profound vision one night."
He paused, carefully selecting his words.
"I… still have to think what is the best way to put all of us on equal footing, because of… because of these." He said, pointing at his eyes.
In the gazes of both clans, Madara could discern uncertainty.
The Uchiha clan was weary, and the Senju were no different. Generations of strife had taken their toll. Their once fertile lands were now desolate, charred, and salted.
Tobirama didn't look particularly pleased at Hashirama's words, but he stood still anyway.
"Madara." Hashirama said. "I... cannot press for an answer today. But… I want you to imagine how this world could be, if you and I fought on the same side, for once."
…
The Uchiha clan accepted the proposition.
…
Months later, once Konoha's construction was well underway, the damned Uzumaki monster came and everything changed very quickly.
Madara hid a shiver when he saw him—
And Hashirama and that 'man' were now on very casual terms, apparently. By the gods.
The Senju babbled on to Madara, something entirely nonsensical about multiple universes and having met people from other worlds, just like the Uzumaki, who was supposedly not a man-like abomination.
And worse, Tobirama was just nodding in confirmation.
"You've been tricked." Madara hissed. "By this man's ocular powers."
"Oh please." Uzumaki rolled his eyes. "He's got better eyes than you do."
Madara kept still.
Hashirama tried to reassure him some more, and almost got bitten for his trouble.
Uzumaki was talking, and Madara was fingering his weapon.
"—Our strengths, combined, can ensure peace in every universe under our watch." Uzumaki reasoned. "Peace from war, from the kami, who will continue to shape events… everywhere. Not just our world's."
Madara had trouble believing a single word.
"Well, I won't force you." Uzumaki shrugged. "Besides, Hashirama and his brother are already in, that's enough of a link to here for me. Better that you stay here to… pacify the realm, I suppose."
Madara was grinding his teeth.
"Hold on to that." Uzumaki said, holding out five ofuda to them.
"Why should I trust anything you say?" Izuna asked, before Madara could manage to deny the monster's request himself. "Without even speaking about that thing we saw… Last time I spoke to you almost got me killed."
Call it pride, call it politeness, Izuna didn't mention by whom, exactly. Tobirama stayed equally silent. Mito made a strange sound that Madara would have assumed to be a chuckle, were she not a dignified woman, one too good for Hashirama.
"Izuna, please." Hashirama tried, putting a hand — more like a bear's paw, really — on his shoulder.
"Don't touch me, Senju." Izuna hissed.
"Right, right…" Hashirama mumbled, removing it. "It's safe, anyway, me and Tobirama—"
"Tobirama and I." His brother interjected.
"Me and Tobirama went to a Council meeting before." Hashirama nodded. "They have flying seats." He added, sounding a little bit too excited.
"…You have mentioned it, yes." Mito sighed.
"Did you hit your head, you imbecile?" Madara glowered. "Don't tell me you actually believe this… man."
"Well, yeah." Hashirama sighed. "He already explained everything to me."
"Oh…?" Madara asked. It sounded pretty mocking. "I'm sure you understand the entire situation, now. And that you're not under his spell."
"Pretty much, yeah." Hashirama nodded. "And I told you already he's not an inhuman creature wearing the face of a man."
Uzumaki had the gall to smile.
There was more talking, screaming, and mistrusting.
("-Listen to that monster?" Madara spat the word like venom. "I see no man, Hashirama. I see a beast clad in human skin.")
("But he is a man, Madara." Hashirama retorted, his eyes turning serious in this annoying way of his, where it seemed he could convince anyone. "And even if he were not, would that justify ignoring his voice? Monster or man, every creature has a right to be heard.")
("...You do realize I am a man, right?" Uzumaki asked.)
Unfortunately...
Madara trusted Hashirama, in spite of their complicated history.
("Very well, Hashirama. Let your 'man' speak — Not now, Izuna — But remember, if his words breed chaos, it will be on your head.")
He ended up accepting the ofuda, which disappeared as soon as it touched his hand. "Wha—"
The world blurred and soon, the six of them found themselves inside a palace of white marble.
"Don't worry, this is just a projection, you are still back home — The session is ongoing." Uzumaki said.
"…Is that you, over there?" Mito asked evenly, glancing at the identical twin men sitting in equally identical chairs, next to a child with silky black hair.
"Yes, I'm only a clone." Uzumaki nodded, ignoring Tobirama's sharp glance at understanding that they were likely using a similar technique. One that he had invented.
A woman guided them towards seats, pretty formally. In her hand, a document was writing itself, relaying the contents of the meeting, as she oversaw the process. "From world number six hundred sixty five, then." She noted.
Tobirama stared at the document, interest redoubled, and so did Mito.
Madara kept his hands near his weapons.
…
"Alternate worlds, then." Madara said slowly, as though he finally realized what it meant.
"Yes." Uzumaki Naruto nodded.
Madara was silent for a long moment. He swallowed thickly and stared out the window.
"Does that mean — that somewhere out there…?" He murmured, to himself.
Uzumaki Naruto seemed to catch it, and worse… to understand what he meant right away.
"Yeah." He nodded. "There are worlds where they all lived, I suppose, and I could bring you there, but—"
"They wouldn't be the people I knew." Madara finished. "Don't you think I understand that…? They were children when—"
"I get it."
"How could you possibly?" Madara spat.
Uzumaki Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"…I suppose now is as good of a time as ever."
…
"…You are what?" Madara hissed.
Uzumaki Naruto sighed, once more. "I am your reincarnation, and you are Indra's reincarnation — as well as around twenty other people." He repeated. "And that guy…" He said, gathering chakra to his hand and summoning a mental picture of Sasuke. "Is Hashirama's. And Asura's. And plenty of other tree-huggers, too."
Silence.
"And thanks for the beatings, by the way." Naruto said dryly. "You're lucky I kinda saw it coming and don't care too much."
Izuna hissed, too. "Do you expect us to believe this bullshit—"
"You used to sleepwalk until you were seven, had a crush on Iku, fumbled it, likely still write awful poetry—"
"Okay, stop!" Izuna shouted.
"I can go on for days, Zuzu-tan."
There was only silence.
Izuna glanced at Madara, glared at Uzumaki Naruto again. "If I find out it's a very convoluted prank that you two are playing on me, I'm killing—"
"Madara is the reason your 'Super-Secret Endō Base' burned down, not a… Senju attack." Naruto continued, making quotation marks with his fingers. "He was practicing Fire jutsu, but as we all know, he's not exactly a natural at that."
"WHAT?!"
"Uzumaki bastard—"
…
Madara stared in disbelief. "What sort of sorcery is this...?" He asked, entirely dumbfounded.
Naruto frowned, scratching his chin. "…It's a television. Come on, you've seen much weirder things, by now."
"Other worlds, then…?" Izuna asked incredulously. "Inside this box? And… with no chakra expended?" He asked, eyes flashing crimson.
"…Not really. These are just recorded meetings."
He still saw Madara trying to dispel a genjutsu discreetly.
…
"Simple plan." The obviously Yamanaka woman announced.
She was a powerful one, the strongest Madara had ever encountered, and for that, as well as her birth clan, and being an ally of that 'man'... he distrusted her.
Her eyes were sharp, baby blue in color; they held a captivating, icy intensity that painted the picture of a formidable warrior.
They shimmered with an innate intelligence and resilience, mirroring the unyielding determination that marked her every movement.
Unfazed by Madara's reputation, she stared back at him with a confidence that was both awe-inspiring and slightly unnerving. This was a woman who not only understood the depths of her own power, but was fully prepared to wield it.
Uzumaki Naruto glanced at him, looking entirely too amused. 'For real…?' His expression seemed to ask. Izuna just closed his eyes in disbelief.
Yamanaka continued. "What I'm about to propose is going to be both high risk… and high reward. None of you have to come, I only asked you to this preliminary meeting for your possible affinity with a few… artifacts."
…
Madara just scoffed.
"It is not about her being a woman." He began. "I only respect strength, man or woman. And a wife…" He said, and the way he pronounced the word told a long story of what he thought of the fact there were several of them. "…Is one thing. A concubine—"
"…That's funny." Yugito mused. "Aren't you in the middle of the pack, here…?"
"Barely, at that." Karin added.
Madara tensed — a lot — but said nothing.
"That's not even remotely true!" Izuna hissed.
Ino cut in sharply. "Shut up. And focus. You're just here because of this Ame-no-Uzume thing."
"And because he knows about Miko." Karin added evenly. "Like that young woman we passed the other day."
In the light, it seemed as though Madara's cheeks had reddened.
Ino ignored them with practiced ease. "These are the three main temples: Sun, Moon and Dawn. Somewhere deep below, lies the Entangling Bloom."
"Supposedly." Yugito corrected.
"Supposedly." Madara repeated, tightly.
"That is what the old legend said, at least." Izuna nodded, knowing full well that Madara knew even less about them than he himself did.
The Flower was said to be as old as the World itself, its petals were said to shimmer with the hues of the twilight, its core, to pulse with the radiant energy of life itself.
Some other legends said the Sage of the Six Paths had planted it, but Ino preferred not to give these ones too much credit: if it were something the Sage himself had crafted, they wouldn't gain much from this expedition.
"I'm no stranger to retrieval operations." Yugito said. "But something tells me it's going to be a bit more complicated."
"I'm sure Konoha is still waiting for someone to return the Izanami mirror, yes." Ino said dryly.
Izuna's head whipped around.
"It was stolen?" He asked, sounding entirely aghast. "Our Izanami mirror?" He paused. "Wait. By her?! I knew joining these bastard tree—"
Ino lied smoothly: "Not by her. But it was stolen. In another world." She said. "Also, it was not so divine at all, really."
"Yes…" Yugito said evenly. "I wasn't there when it happened, because I would have been exactly… Uh, pretty young, of course, but it must have taken a fantastic, brazen thief to penetrate the Uchiha's precious outpost at the end of that particular war."
Izuna glared at both of them.
"In any case, the kami's link is strong here. We want to minimize chakra usage, especially once we draw nearer." Ino said.
"If we're not spotted already, that is." Karin added.
"Yes." Ino nodded and weaved a last jutsu to convene through thought. Just in case something was listening in. There were likely no Yamanaka before her that had had the… opportunity to do such a thing with the infamous Uchiha brothers, but this sort of thing had become all too common a little while ago.
Yugito knew that a good deception took a while to plan, and Ino was of the same opinion. So they had established a few variations of the plan beforehand.
Which was why Yugito was currently standing in front of Uchiha Madara, who was wearing the male-equivalent of a Miko dress. The man had an immense pride, and were it not for the fact that he was somewhat used to it already, as well as him being their expert on the topic… they might have had to use someone else entirely.
She hadn't managed to convince him to shave his head, but even he could understand the need for the rest of the shenanigans.
It didn't mean he enjoyed it.
"For fuck's sake, woman." He growled, after a particularly vicious punch took him in the cheek. "There's no need to roughhouse me this badly. The Miko is not even here yet!"
"Oh, I'm very sorry." Yugito smiled affably. "I must have been distracted. In any case, they're more likely to pity you if you look like you've had a rough day, won't they…?"
They were in a dirt alley close to the Sacred Temple, and the sun was high and bright in the blue sky. Nearby, Karin waited in the shadows, ready to intervene for… anything.
The Miko's name was Tōko, and she usually got out of the Temple at around eleven to go for a walk alongside the river.
Ino was perched somewhere on a rooftop, and so was Izuna. Hebi waited for the next step.
"She's definitely taking her sweet time today." Karin hissed from her hiding place, mostly for Madara's sake: they could convene through thought otherwise.
In truth, her role in this wasn't too painful, unlike his. To a shinobi with more than a decade of high-level experience, stretching in unnatural positions, lying in wait… almost felt nostalgic, really. It beat invading palaces to fight off madmen in the sky, to Karin at least.
"Curse her." Madara spat. "She might not be coming at all."
"You're just trying not to play your part, now." Yugito frowned.
"She is." Karin contested. "Ino spotted her coming out of the Sun temple." Just before she cut the link off, for discretion's sake. "The woman's not alone, however. I hope you were not just trying to impress us with all that getup."
"Why would I pretend to dress like a Miko?" Madara hissed.
"Five minutes until they reach." Karin cut him off. "Give me your best, now."
"Do not presume you can order me around." Madara growled.
"Now."
Madara growled. But he relented.
Dressed in the white and red, loose Miko garbs… Madara wasn't faring too well under the sun's heat. It did look pretty stifling, in his defense. Sweat was pearling on his forehead already.
"My name." He began, soft and precise, something that didn't sound anything like his usual clipped words, not even in the accent. "Is Kaito, a humble Miko from the distant prefecture of Shizen."
Karin nodded. "Go on."
"These clothes…" He continued, never letting go of the charade. "Are worn in an entirely different climate, and are wearing down on my patience. And so is this woman, who is of the mind that she needs to overdo this beating. However, as a monk, as a Miko… I am sworn to non-violence." He said, with a hint of regret. "Unfortunately."
"That's a terrible thing to hear, Kaito." Yugito nodded, full of empathy.
Madara glanced at Yugito, his onyx eyes glinting with annoyance. He dropped the acting.
"Your strategy had better work, Nii." He warned her, massaging his aching cheek. "If it doesn't, we will have a very long and very unpleasant discussion."
Ignoring his threat, Yugito just gestured towards the main street. "Look sharp, Madara. Our guest of honor is here."
Yamashiro-no-Kami Tōko of the Fujihara Clan stepped out of the Sun Temple, and into the actual sun.
It was a hot and humid day, the sort of summer that people would likely remember fondly when they didn't have it in front of them… or curse if they did.
She wasn't alone, today, as Katsuro, a monk with seniority over her, had joined her for her walk. He was an affable fellow, of course, but today's heat made Tōko a bit less attentive than she should be.
"—can you believe it? He said he has been working on the purification rituals, preparing for the upcoming festival, and yet—"
Tōko nodded, almost absentmindedly.
"—the importance of Kiyome can never be overstated. It's the heart of our faith - to maintain purity and harmony with the kami—"
Tōko nodded, somewhat absentmindedly.
"—that's the spirit, Tōko-san. Our duty is not only to perform rituals but also to guide and educate others about the ways of—"
Tōko nodded, absentmindedly.
"—and that is why I —…" Katsuro cut himself off.
He was staring at something, and Tōko directed her bleary eyes toward the very same thing. She paused. Someone was screaming.
Almost glad for a distraction, and feeling guilty for feeling that way, Tōko ran closer to see what this was all about.
"Bandits..?" She asked in disbelief. "Masked bandits, so close to our sacred Temple…?"
And they were beating a Miko.
Before she could think twice about it, Tōko launched herself at them.
"Enough!" She bellowed. "That's enough! Release this woman at once!"
Non-violence or not, she would give these two masked people a piece of her mind.
"In broad daylight, too?!" She continued to scream, barely aware of the fact that Katsuro had finally managed to reach them.
One of the bandits glanced at her, knife in hand, and Tōko suddenly had a dreadful feeling.
The other masked person grabbed the former's wrist, silently shaking their head, pointing at the people who were starting to notice. The two of them ran away, surprisingly swiftly.
Tōko let out a relieved breath.
"Are you alright…?" She asked, drawing closer to the poor victim, who was lying on the floor in a heap.
They had done a number on—
Him.
Him. The stranger winced in pain, rubbing his bruised neck. Clearly, he had taken a solid punch. Or twenty, if the marks were any indication. Tōko assisted him to his feet.
"Thank the Kami for your timely intervention—" He choked out a strained chuckle, still shaken. "I dread to think what they would have—"
"Your gratitude is appreciated, but unnecessary." Tōko responded with calm modesty. "Anyone, in my place, would have done the same—"
He spoke the next words, at the same time she did:
"But a Miko, a shrine maiden, especially, is bound by duty to assist those in need."
The statement left the air between them charged.
Her hunch had been right.
"A… male Miko?" Tōko queried, a hint of disbelief creeping into her voice.
"Where I come from, the concept is not uncommon." The man reassured her, the sun and the beating making his cheeks look red. "Our roles are not restricted by gender but by dedication and devotion."
Tōko remained quiet for a moment, mulling over the notion.
Then she nodded.
Times were changing. Traditional roles once bound by gender were being challenged and made more inclusive. The idea of a male Miko was perhaps not as strange as it first appeared to her.
She felt a bit ashamed for being so narrow-minded, even.
"I understand," Tōko replied, her voice steadier. "You must have journeyed from quite a distance to reach here."
Because she didn't know any nearby land where there were male Miko.
"Indeed," the male Miko affirmed, nodding. "From the distant lands of Shizen."
"Shizen?!" Katsuro, who had been quiet up until that moment, interjected with disbelief.
"Yes, that far." the stranger confirmed, meeting Katsuro's gaze with a steady one. "And I was lucky enough not to have been robbed. Thanks to you." He said, with a grateful smile.
He pulled out a rich looking piece of rice parchment out of his robes.
"My name is Kaito. I have been sent by our High Priest, Yurinaga. And I come bearing grave tidings."
In a more serious tone, the man finally revealed the real reason for his visit.
"I was graced by the presence of a celestial fox in my dreams. It bore a dire warning of a curse threatening this sacred temple."
His voice was laced with feigned despair as he unrolled the parchment.
"The only way to dispel this curse lies in performing a ritual—the details of which are inscribed within this ancient parchment.
"Our High Priest believes it to be a prophetic dream and has sent me to Inari's Shrine to help."
The Guji, High Priest, of the temple, Hiroshi, was a stooped man of respectable age, his hair as white as snow, his face etched with wrinkles like intricate lines on an ancient map.
He stood in the middle of the temple grounds, awaiting the arrival of the traveling male Miko whom Katsuro had warned him about.
A sound at the entrance alerted him to Kaito's arrival.
He turned around to see the monk entering the temple grounds. The newcomer was a stark contrast to Katsuro, young, robust, with a quiet intensity in his eyes… and a head full of hair.
Kaito stopped a respectful distance away, his head bowed slightly.
"You honor me with your presence, esteemed High Priest." He began, his voice soft yet clear. "I am Kaito, a humble monk from the distant land of Shizen."
Hiroshi stepped forward, closing the gap between them. He bowed his head in return, his old bones creaking with the effort.
"Welcome, Kaito-san." He replied, his voice a rustling whisper. "I am Hiroshi, the High Priest of this temple. The tales of your compassion and devotion have reached us."
Kaito bowed again. "I have done nothing to deserve this honor."
"On the contrary. Have you or have you not helped repair a broken-down cart earlier this morning? Are you the very same man?"
Kaito looked almost embarrassed. "I have, and I am."
"Good deeds always travel fast." Hiroshi smiled benignly. "It is indeed an honor to have you in our midst. I hope your journey has been safe and enlightening."
Kaito smiled. "Aside from the last happening, it has." He said. Then, after a small pause: "…Then again, a journey is not without its obstacles."
The High Priest laughed. With these words, Hiroshi gestured for Kaito to follow him into the temple.
"We shall yet see about your request, for this is quite a peculiar matter… You shall have our hospitality, however."
Ino, who was staring through binoculars, grinned to herself.
"And that's part one, let's give him some time — I knew it would work." She said.
Izuna was less impressed. "And all it took…" He muttered. "Was thorough knowledge of Miko rituals, teachings, and customs. As well as fake correspondence from the other monastery."
Izuna had faked it, of course, using his Sharingan.
"Well, yeah." Ino nodded. "Shouldn't you be working on the Sakura trees, by the way…? Hebi is saying it, and she's right. Is your radio system even working?"
"…I suppose so."
"Did you turn it on…?"
"…Not yet — I forgot."
There was a pregnant silence.
"Do you know how to do it?"
"…No." Izuna admitted, face aflame.
Later
Under the cloak of night, Hebi moved silently across the thatch roof of a building near the temple's grounds, stopping before the boundary line that Karin had told her about.
The temple was guarded well, and the shrine they thought might lead to the Entangling Bloom even more so. Without the Head Priest opening it, there was no way they could enter it.
Using chakra was out of the equation, and threats as well. On top of it, the Head Priest was said to possess some modicum of supernatural power.
Which was why Madara had to gain his trust.
As things were, even though he seemed to believe in Madara's tale, there was no way he would allow him in.
Her eyes, carefully hidden beneath her mask, carefully scanned the temple's garden. Security was still somewhat lax around the main garden. Because there was nothing of interest here.
Hebi's hand reached into the pouch tied around her waist and handed it to the snake that was wrapped around her arm, gently. Coaxing one of this world's native animals had been harder than she had thought it would be, but she had managed.
She gave it the order, and the snake slithered off from her arm, its tongue flicking out as if testing the night air. Hebi placed the relic onto its back, securing it with a thin, silk string.
Hebi pointed towards the temple garden, a spot under the sacred Sakura tree, a place of significance for the temple's Kami.
The snake seemed to understand as much, slithering down the side of the building, disappearing into the night.
Bathed in the moon's soft glow, the snake, carrying the pouch, navigated its way through the temple grounds, avoiding patrolling monks and temple dogs.
It moved silently, purposefully, its path guided by Hebi's whispered instructions. The way only snakes could. No lumbering around, foolish showboating like the toads.
Eventually, the snake reached the designated spot under the Sakura tree.
There, it began spreading the burnt cherry petals that Hebi had prepared.
It then retraced its path back to Hebi, who handed it more of them.
The morning sun would find the temple grounds bustling with monks.
An acolyte, tending to the Sakura tree, would stumble upon the scene.
The temple would buzz with whispers, and the acolytes would gather, calling the head priest to witness this inexplicable event.
And the surrounding landscape of the quaint village was transformed as well, using chakra this time, far away to be hidden from the watchful gaze of the local kami.
Sakura trees, defying the season, erupted into a stunning spectacle of pink blossoms under the cover of the night.
It was a strange application of Izuna's Ōmononushi power, his unique Mangekyō ability that had, during the harsh drought, granted his clan a fleeting respite.
Something that could summon good weather and bountiful harvest under the right conditions.
Something that in another world, Madara had never managed to harness, something that had gone away with Izuna, and had precipitated their clan's surrender. Something that he would blame himself for, as well.
In any case, there were trees blooming outside of the village. And burnt petals inside the temple's grounds.
To the temple monks, it was a sign. Of what, they could not say.
Dusk settled upon the world, once more.
Through the radio, Madara confirmed that he had obtained more information about the temple's 'innermost' room.
There were people guarding it, and only they could let him in. And there was apparently yet another set of intricate locks securing another door inside.
And Madara had fished around. There had been an accident, long ago. Someone had gotten trapped inside the innermost room and left to rot: because of it, the room could be opened from the inside.
All of this meant they were likely in the right place.
There had been guards with Madara the entire time; guards that hadn't allowed him in yet.
To Madara, that was yet another hitch in their plan, because there was only so much time he could spend pretending to be a shrine maiden.
To Ino, it was good news.
…
"Are you ready?" Karin asked Hebi, her eyes scanning their surroundings.
Karin could hide it well, but she had always enjoyed stirring shit up, and she had the feeling that Hebi did, too. Deep down.
Hebi was still a Naruto, after all. And if years with Orochimaru had done nothing to curb Karin's passion for throwing shit around, it likely hadn't managed to do it for the other woman, either.
"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."
Yeah. That confirmed it to Karin. She was a shit-stirrer.
And then Karin received a call from Ino.
They were to discard the plan entirely.
Instead of causing a riot, the way they were supposed to, they would do things the shinobi way: lying.
Karin pursed her lips. She wasn't a big fan of it, as it tended to involve people who hadn't asked for or deserved any of it.
…
The next day.
The monk from Shizen, the man named Kaito, went out for a walk, and Tōko went with him.
The purification rituals were not complete as of yet, but she understood that people were not machines. Kaito gave her a grateful nod as she invited him to take a long break.
They left together.
In the bustling local market, there were colorful stalls; chattering townsfolk. Quite a lively atmosphere, one that Toko was all too familiar with. Kaito looked more interested in it than she did.
"What kind of land is Shizen?" She asked.
Kaito seemed to take the time to think his answer through.
"Shizen is a land of serenity." He began, his voice carrying a wistful tone. "Forests like stoic giants stand watch over grassy fields, and the rivers ripple with the music of the wind. It's a land where cherry blossom trees are as frequent as stars in the sky, their petals carpeting the ground in a myriad of pink and white during the season."
He halted for a moment, allowing a gentle smile to grace his features. "It… is a harsh place, still. Violence is still commonplace, and its people face so many struggles that one would be hard-pressed to know where to start addressing them. A place where children get murdered over land."
She gasped. "That's horrible."
"It is." He said. "It is something that is changing as of now. The people were tired of the fighting, and an alliance was formed. Perhaps in time…"
Suddenly, a boisterous voice rang out, cutting through the clamor.
Two imposing silhouettes, dressed in armor, sword at their belt, stepped forward, their hands resting on the hilt of their weapons. The crowd parted, the cheerful murmurings replaced by anxious whispers.
They were women, one with bright red hair; the other, silky black.
"You." Red pointed at Tōko, or perhaps at Kaito. "Monks."
Tōko tensed.
The presence of the military was never a good sign.
"Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary, recently?" Black asked. "I'm speaking to you, monk."
"I haven't." Tōko said, tensing.
Red took a step forward, coming right next to her ear.
"So the rumors of a plague are just that, then?" Red asked.
Thankfully, she said it quietly enough for the people not to overhear it.
Tōko's hands raised to her mouth, horrified.
A plague. The Crimson Death again, likely. It meant a miserable death for most people that were unlucky enough to get it.
Luckily, early symptoms were easy to catch: red eyes, red cheeks. Then, red mouth, as your gums burst. Less luckily, if you ever got close enough to check someone's eyes for signs of color, and they happened to show, there was a third of a chance that you were doomed already.
"Do not scream about it, monk." Black warned.
Already, there were many eyes on them. Tōko just nodded slowly, afraid. Kaito didn't say anything: he likely hadn't heard anything from this at all. It would take very sharp ears, from where he was standing.
"Please warn your High Priest about the matter." Red said. "…Precautions will have to be taken."
Tōko nodded.
"Gujira-sama, there are people who whisper of the Crimson Death."
The High Priest, Hiroshi, stared at his monk.
He said nothing for a long while. Then: "…Who are they?"
"Military women, Gujira-sama."
"…How many of them?"
"Two, Gujira-sama." The monk said.
"Good." Hiroshi said. "We cannot have this sort of rumor floating around. Make them disappear."
They could ill afford a news like this spreading.
Their sacred patron had seemingly not acted about the last time it had happened; Inari, in their endless benevolence, had allowed the disease to disperse naturally, without divine intervention.
Hiroshi knew all too well the consequences of such rumors tarnishing Inari reputation — people's faith would weaken. And the god of fertility and agriculture was not one to be seen as harsh or cruel.
"Please, sir…" The woman asked, as she burst into the Sun Temple's eating room.
"Who let you in?" A man asked. "I'm very sorry, but this is against every rule we have—"
A man stood up, horrified.
"By Inari-sama's good name!"
"What is it?" Another asked.
"Her eyes, her cheeks—"
Red. They were both red!
"Please…" The woman sniffled. "I think I might be sick—"
The monks went out, screaming.
"A plague! Crimson Death, on our doorstep!"
They went out in a panic.
Someone called for a quarantine, and soon most of the people of the Sun Temple were forced into isolation. They had to call people over from the Moon one to fill in a few important positions.
The doors of the temple's highest room burst open.
The quarantine was well underway, and anyone within the eating room as well as the people they had been in contact were already isolated.
That was apparently not enough for someone.
"We cannot sit idle while a plague is about to ravage the town." Kaito said. "The gods have given us a sign. We must use the temple's most sacred room to perform a purification ritual."
The head priest eyed him with skepticism.
"Perform a purification ritual?" He asked.
"I will ask our Kami for favor—"
"Inari has never helped us with the plague, as of yet." The high priest shook his head. "No. This is of no interest to the gods. We shall continue the to quarantine the monks and—"
"We need to do more!" Kaito's voice rose. "Perhaps your sacred patron can't help us, but that is one matter only! Inari called me here, certainly... However, He was just the messenger. Inari is not the only kami!"
The high priest raised an eyebrow.
"Please, Gujira-sama." Kaito whispered, almost imploring. "I can't have this happen — Not if I can do something about it."
He mulled it over. Inari was so strong in this place that there was no harm the man could do in the first place. Nothing would happen, he knew it. And the man was a stranger; his actions would be perceived as his own.
Inari wasn't susceptible enough to punish them all for one outsider asking the other gods for help.
"Do you even know the rites, Kaito?"
Kaito lifted his head, determination shining in his eyes.
"I have studied the ancient texts, Gujira-sama. I believe I can conduct the ritual. We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of our people."
With a sigh, the high priest nodded.
"Very well, Kaito. We will do as you suggest. Prepare for the ritual."
…
"Halt there — Are you not aware there is a quarantine?"
The guard stopped him. Kaito held out a valuable piece of parchment—the written authorization from the high priest sanctioning the ritual and access to the innermost room.
The one situated right above the relic.
The man examined it carefully, the flickering light from the nearby lantern illuminating the characters on the parchment.
The head priest's signature gleamed at the bottom.
The man nodded slowly, and motioned for him to follow him.
No one saw Kaito stash the Gujira's authorization behind a nearby pillar.
The only guard led him through a maze of hallways, and into the room.
"I need to be entirely alone." Kaito stated.
Seeing the guard's frown, Kaito continued. "Do not fret. Gujira-sama told me about the sanctity of its place… as well as its safeguards."
Meaning the sacred locks, which had never been breached.
"And he gave me his writ, did he not…?"
The one he didn't have on himself anymore. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
Frowning, the guard nodded and opened the mighty gate for him.
"You can leave by yourself."
"Oh, I know."
…
More than an hour passed, and the guards rotated.
The new one frowned when he saw Kaito, the monk, coming from far away.
"Apologies." Kaito said, bowing.
"Aren't you supposed to be in, already?" He asked. "I was told that—"
""I was, yes." Kaito nodded. "I merely went out — I had to get out to get some fresh air to recover my strength." He said, letting out a tired sigh. And he did look tired. "The purification ritual is quite taxing on one's mind, as you might know."
"That's still…" The guard frowned. "…I should ask Saishō about this." He said.
"You may." Kaito nodded. "He was absent when I left, however."
And it was likely, too. There had been a five-minute gap in which there had been no guard at the door, right before he himself took his post.
Which was understandable, considering the chaos going on today.
Sighing, the guard motioned for Kaito to go in again.
"Could you guide me again, perhaps?" Kaito asked. "I'm afraid I have forgotten the directions."
The guard closed the door behind them, and he did.
No one noticed there were two 'Kaito' in the room: one was hiding in the room's shadows, and the other had just come in.
…
"That disguise is entirely too creepy." Madara remarked.
Izuna shrugged. "She made my hair forcefully grow, and that was very unpleasant — Also, she said that if you had shaved your head—"
Madara shook his head in amazement. "...Such a fierce woman."
"We're not doing this." Izuna cut him off. "Any luck with that lock?"
Madara let out a long suffering sigh.
"None, then." Izuna nodded. As expected: for all of Madara's qualities, he was pretty bad at this sort of covert operations.
Luckily — or because of it — Izuna wasn't.
The radio communications buzzed.
Yugito's voice was clear. "Having trouble, then…?"
"Hardly." Izuna said. "I only arrived now."
"Your thoughts?" She asked.
His eyes had never strayed from the hidden lock.
Well, he said it was a lock, but it was closer to a mechanical masterpiece — an elaborate tapestry of metalwork intricately woven into a formidable barrier.
And speaking of barriers, hopefully theirs would work as intended, even this close. If an alarm sounded, or whatever the kami equivalent was… they were in deep shit.
Izuna studied the lock, his expert eyes taking in every detail, every hint of a clue that might reveal the mechanism's secrets.
"…Uchiha-san?" Yugito asked.
"This lock…" He began, his voice grudging respect. "Is not sacred. …But it is a labyrinth in its own right. Multiple locking mechanisms are at play here—pin tumblers, disc detainers, even a hidden puzzle mechanism. Whoever created this was not just a locksmith… but a true master."
A pause.
"A complex one, then." Yugito nodded. "Why the fascination…?"
"You have no respect for craftsmanship." Izuna bit out. "None."
"Well…" Karin said dryly. "You two can have this discussion later, I believe. You're still safe for the time being, no one seems to be headed your way — the High Priest is still far away, too."
Leaning back, Izuna mused over their formidable enemy.
"We could begin with the pin tumbler mechanism." Izuna suggested, his fingers absentmindedly curling as though around an imaginary lock pick.
"A hybrid approach, perhaps." Yugito said. "Single-pin picking for the spool pins, and raking for the standard ones."
"That's a sound strategy…" Izuna mused. "But perhaps too... straight-forward. I believe this lock demands subtlety."
"You suggest bypassing the pin tumbler entirely?" Yugito asked. "That's an unorthodox approach. You could also call it what it is — risky."
"That would be the logical first step, yes." Izuna answered, ignoring the jibe, his mind already churning through possibilities.
"We must consider the intertwined nature of these mechanisms. The disc detainer setup is probably designed to respond to the tumblers' movement. We should try to manipulate them simultaneously."
Izuna's brow furrowed in thought. "A dual approach. We'd need to design a custom tool."
"Something that can handle both mechanisms concurrently?"
Izuna nodded. "Yes."
"That would be a big waste of time."
"It would be."
"But even then, the real puzzle remains."
Izuna smiled through the comlink, unfazed. "That's where the art transcends beyond the physical. Understanding is key. The puzzle is more of an intellectual challenge, it's about more than mere lock-picking skills."
"Mere lock-picking skills, huh…?" Yugito asked, sounding amused. "They get you in all sorts of places, you know…?"
Izuna paused. "…Like what? You have something in mind, don't you?"
"She doesn't." Karin interjected, and Izuna could clearly hear the sound of Yugito's voice being muffled by a hand. "She just said that she has faith in your skills."
There was a long pause.
"…Exactly." Yugito said at last, appealing to his ego. "That makes this a worthy challenge for you, then. Are you ready to proceed?"
Izuna answered confidently. "I always was."
…
The group had plotted countless escape scenarios.
Meticulously planned contingencies, intricate strategies, all to ensure their exit from this fortified security facility was nothing short of successful.
Every detail was taken into account, from the rotation schedule of the guards to the surveillance blind spots.
A guard came to check up on 'Kaito,' to see if everything was in order.
The guard was complacent in his duty, barely giving the cell a once over. He had done this hundreds of times before, had watched over several of these rituals, and nothing ever happened. Why should tonight be any different? There were more pressing matters, like the quarantine.
They had waited for his turn to come, of course.
As soon as the guard's footsteps echoed down the corridor, the two Uchiha braced themselves for a night in the tight confines of the cell. It was a necessary sacrifice.
"…You know…" Izuna broke the silence, his voice a low mutter as he switched off his radio, indicating a private conversation. "Something doesn't sit right with me."
Madara immediately tensed, his sharp eyes darting across the room, ready for a potential threat. "…Did you notice anything?"
No." Izuna's head moved slightly in the dim light, shaking his head. "It's not that."
"Then, what…?"
"I don't know." Izuna's voice was filled with uncertainty. "That Nii woman knows too much about security. You think she might have snatched our clan artifact, after all…?"
…
Much later into the night, Izuna's weary voice resounded in the confined space.
"Finally." Izuna muttered blearily. His fingers ached from the meticulous process. With a blithe scoff, and mostly for posturing, he added: "…So much for an unpickable lock."
Yugito's snort came over the radio. "Maybe at this time period, it was."
Ino, who had been relieved from her post by Karin, stretched and yawned. "Time to wrap this up then. We can also drop the act about the plague, I suppose. Warn the people as we leave—"
"Karin was done with the remedy by the time she went to bed, if that helps." Yugito stated.
"Good. It does." Ino nodded. "Let's leave it in good hands, then — not that head priest."
"The woman?"
"She has some common sense, yes."
They got the two Uchiha out, without much of a fanfare.
The silence that followed their victorious operation was a thick blanket.
There was no victory here.
"…That's it?" Ino asked at last.
When Madara spoke, his voice conveyed his own frustration.
"That's all there was." He said, motioning toward the small bag he had placed on the table. The worn, almost ragged texture of the pouch hinted at a story, something that bore the brunt of time.
And inside... was not the Entangling Bloom.
"A shimenawa?" Ino's voice came out as a hiss, her disbelief tinged with a bitter undertone.
The thick rope she held was a far cry from the sacred artifact they had risked their lives for.
Her fingers tightened around the rough texture, which felt like nothing special, except for failure. "That's all that was left in there?!"
The shimenawa, a sacred rope, symbolized the divine... but that was it. And this particular item held no traces of the absolute power they had been seeking.
It was an old, spent object, its purpose served and forgotten.
Ino closed her eyes.
The artifact they had been looking after was not here. It had been taken, likely many years ago, and they were left with nothing but this empty symbol.
Perhaps it had been left here by the kami, perhaps not.
The disappointment was tangible, their early cheer deflating like a punctured balloon. Ino would have to try and check a few people's minds for certainty, too. Which meant finding a safe target.
In the face of this, Ino rallied, her mind whirling as she tried to salvage something from this useless venture.
More importantly, the shimenawa gave her an idea.
Something very tentative, as of now. They would have to figure out whether or not this was workable.
Ino sighed. "…Perhaps that was not entirely in vain."
lensdump:
i 6P30db : His Favorite Trick
i 6P3IM7 : The Miko / Heist