Land of Wind, Ruins of the Ancient Kingdom of Roran.
Howling wind whipped sand across the desolate landscape as Tatsuya and his companions pressed forward against the elements.
Soon, the group arrived at the distinctive leaning high tower that housed the Dragon Vein.
"Lord Tatsuya, this is the place," the elder Toma stated respectfully, assuming Tatsuya was unfamiliar with the precise location.
Tatsuya offered a noncommittal grunt and stepped forward, leaping down into the opening at the tower's base without hesitation.
"This..." Toma and the others exchanged shocked glances. The Lord Tatsuya seemed remarkably familiar with this place!
"Elder Toma, let's go down as well," Sara urged, her initial surprise quickly giving way to composure.
The group followed Tatsuya, jumping down into the depths of the tower.
As soon as they landed, they all felt a faint, familiar sense of pressure emanating from the sealed Dragon Vein. Looking up, they saw Tatsuya already standing near the sealing ground.
Release!
Tatsuya stood at the edge of the seal, his expression grave as his hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals. After a moment, a low shout escaped his lips. Instantly, intricate, ink-black seal formulas spread across the entire sealing platform.
The outer layer of the Dragon Vein seal, placed by the Fourth Hokage, had been undone.
BOOM!
As the seal released, an invisible shockwave erupted outwards, crashing against the surrounding walls with the force of muffled thunder. Simultaneously, the oppressive feeling radiating from the Dragon Vein intensified manifold.
"He undid it so quickly!" Sara murmured, her voice low with astonishment. She had accompanied Sunagakure ninja on several attempts to break the Fourth Hokage's seal over the years; no one had ever accomplished it with such ease.
Undoing the outer seal wasn't the end. Tatsuya's hands continued to move without pause.
Summoning Jutsu!
Poof!
A plume of white smoke erupted, and Suijin appeared beside Tatsuya. However, Suijin wasn't wearing his standard Divine Court attire. Instead, he wore an eye patch covering one eye and was dressed in a simple long robe. Anticipating the significant commotion that manipulating the Dragon Vein would inevitably cause, Tatsuya had summoned a clone body as a precaution. Suijin was chosen specifically for his Byakugan, which would be advantageous for performing sealing techniques.
Ignoring Sara and the others, Suijin activated his Byakugan, carefully examining the Dragon Vein seal for a moment before reporting, "The Dragon Vein's power is already starting to leak out. Better act fast."
"Mm. Let's begin," Tatsuya nodded in agreement. He then turned his gaze to Sara. "Your Highness Sara, if you would please open the Dragon Vein first."
"Okay," Sara nodded and walked towards the sealing platform. Tatsuya and Suijin watched her silently. Much like the seal restraining the demon Moryo, the Dragon Vein required someone possessing a special bloodline to open and seal it.
Sara placed her hands flat on the sealing platform. Within mere seconds, a dramatically stronger wave of energy pulsed outwards.
"The Dragon Vein is open! It's raging!" Sara cried out anxiously, her clothes and hair whipped violently by the invisible energy surge. She kept her hands pressed firmly on the platform, turning her head to look at Tatsuya.
"Your Highness Sara, you may step back now," Tatsuya stated calmly, his eyes fixed intently on the seal.
Sara's face went deathly pale. "Without my control, it will break free!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.
"Your Highness Sara, rest assured," Tatsuya said, shifting his gaze to meet hers, enunciating each word clearly.
Hesitation flickered across Sara's face before she slowly withdrew her hands from the platform.
ROOOOAR!
The instant her hands lifted, a primal roar, like that of a monstrous beast yet echoing on a spiritual plane, reverberated through the chamber. A colossal pillar of raw blue energy erupted violently towards the sky. The sheer force of the blast sent Sara flying backwards.
"Queen Sara!" Toma and the others cried out, rushing to help her as she was thrown through the air. They turned ashen-faced, feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from the unleashed Dragon Vein.
Outside the leaning tower, the immense blue pillar of energy shot straight into the heavens, churning the clouds above into a vast, ominous black funnel cloud.
Far out in the desert, a group of traveling merchants was immediately drawn by the sight of the energy pillar. Feeling the distant pressure wave, fear appeared on many faces.
"That's... the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Roran!" someone shouted, recognizing the location, their voice filled with excitement.
"The treasure of Roran has emerged!" The cry sparked a wave of exhilaration through the rest of the caravan. The legend of Roran's hidden treasure had circulated in the northern Land of Wind for generations. Had it finally been revealed today?
However, their excitement was tinged with an undeniable undercurrent of fear, as the invisible pressure rolling across the desert was palpable even from this distance.
In another direction, nestled within a forest of towering stone pillars, several Sunagakure ninja crouched atop the formations, observing the distant phenomenon.
"That direction... it's the Dragon Vein!" one of them stated gravely.
"Who opened the Dragon Vein?" the squad leader muttered. "Didn't Ryusa Town report to the village beforehand?"
"Captain," another ninja interjected, "regardless of who opened it, we must report this to the village immediately."
"Naturally," the leader nodded. He quickly summoned a small ninja beast and used it to relay the urgent message back to Sunagakure.
Back at the sealing platform, Tatsuya stepped forward, facing the rampaging Dragon Vein energy that threatened to burst completely free.
Simultaneously, a visible change began to overcome him. Distinctive purple markings appeared at the corners of his eyes, and an immense wave of chakra surged outwards from his body. He had entered Sage Mode.
His hands became a blur, weaving through seals without pause as intricate, ink-black sealing formulas rapidly spread across his entire body. By the time he reached the sealing platform, he was completely covered in the dark script.
Tatsuya pressed both hands firmly onto the platform.
Instantly, the remaining compound seals left by the Fourth Hokage disintegrated completely.
BOOM!
The energy radiating from the Dragon Vein surged wildly, becoming exponentially more violent. The blue energy pillar instantly doubled in size. The seal was now entirely broken.
Innumerable streams of pure Dragon Vein energy scattered outwards in all directions, desperately trying to escape their long confinement.
However, before they could disperse, an invisible binding force clamped down upon the escaping energy, restraining it. Then, inexorably, the streams were drawn inwards, surging towards Tatsuya.
A vast, unending torrent of Dragon Vein energy flooded into Tatsuya's body, coalescing around him to form a shimmering, pale blue energy shield.
"This... he's directly absorbing the Dragon Vein energy into his body?!" Sara, Toma, and the others stared, utterly dumbfounded. They had never witnessed anyone absorb the volatile chakra in such a seemingly reckless manner.
Among them, only Toma grasped the true implication. "He's sealing the Dragon Vein within himself!" he cried out involuntarily, his voice filled with shock and awe. "He intends to become the Dragon Vein's Jinchuriki!"