The remainder of the day passed in a blur of anticipation and nervous energy. True to his word, as dusk painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, an Anbu operative arrived at Akashi's home, his presence a silent summons to the clandestine ritual.
The Anbu, his features masked and movements fluid, led Akashi away from the familiar paths of the village, towards the rugged embrace of the surrounding mountains. There, concealed by a cleverly disguised rock face, a secret passageway yawned open.
A secret passageway, huh? Akashi mused, his mind racing. If there are more hidden locations like this scattered throughout the island, it explains how so many Uzumaki managed to survive the initial onslaught in the original timeline. They must have retreated to these concealed havens until the storm passed. It's a tragedy that nothing remained of Uzushiogakure when they eventually returned. That is a fate I will never allow to befall this place.
The passageway wound deeper into the mountain's heart, eventually opening into a vast, cavernous chamber. The air hummed with a palpable energy. Several Uzumaki Anbu stood guard, their eyes sharp and alert. Amongst them were members of the clan who had achieved the esteemed rank of Seal Master, their faces etched with concentration. Akashi also noted the presence of several Chinoike elders, their crimson eyes reflecting the flickering torchlight, their solemn expressions conveying the gravity of the event they were about to witness.
"Looks like you arrived safely, Akashi," Grandfather Ashina greeted him, his voice carrying a hint of apprehension. "Did you… inform your mother of your whereabouts?" He knew all too well Mina's fiercely protective nature and her… unique methods of disciplining her family.
Crap! The realization struck Akashi like a physical blow. In the whirlwind of the day's events, his mother had completely slipped his mind.
"
Hehe… perhaps I… overlooked that detail?" Maybe I can just blame it on Dad. He's used to it, right?
Ashina sighed, a mixture of exasperation and affection in his gaze. "You possess such remarkable intellect at times, Akashi, that I momentarily forget you are only five years old. And then there are moments like this, when your age becomes… abundantly clear."
"My bad, Gramps," Akashi mumbled, feeling a pang of guilt. If only he knew the mental gymnastics of being a twenty-year-old trapped in a child's body.
"Don't fret, I will… handle your mother," Ashina said with a weary smile. He then turned his attention to his Anbu. "Wolf, Mouse, ensure the perimeter is secure. And remain vigilant for those white creatures! I still cannot fathom how they continue to breach our defenses."
White creatures? It can't be…
"Gramps," Akashi asked, his voice laced with concern, "what exactly do you mean by
'white creatures'?"
Ashina hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Well, I suppose it's time you were fully aware, given your… unusual understanding of matters typically kept from the general populace. Ever since the Chinoike joined our village, we have experienced… visitors. They are incredibly difficult to detect, even with the heightened senses of the Kagura Eye. On most occasions, we only become aware of their presence when they have already bypassed numerous seals and barriers. They are a persistent enigma, Akashi. We have yet to ascertain their true nature, but they are most certainly not human, possessing an entirely white appearance."
Yeah, that's White Zetsu alright, Akashi thought, a cold dread settling in his stomach. But what are they doing here? Shouldn't they be preoccupied with finding Madara a successor? Unless… Black Zetsu considers us a potential threat to his grand scheme, thanks to our sealing arts. It's not an entirely far-fetched notion, considering his own mother was sealed away. "Ich," Akashi muttered under his breath. This development was deeply troubling, but for the moment, his options were limited to becoming as strong as possible, as quickly as possible.
"I trust the others can maintain the perimeter," Ashina said, turning his attention back to Akashi. "Follow me. Soon, we will summon the Shinigami and… retrieve our village's burden. When the Nanabi is released, it will undoubtedly resist. I need you to remain at a safe distance."
"Understood, Grandfather," Akashi replied, his voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor of apprehension within him. "Just tell me when it's time for the sealing to begin."
A flurry of silent movements followed as everyone assumed their designated positions. Elder Tochio, his movements swift and precise, donned a ceremonial mask and performed the necessary hand seals, summoning the imposing, skeletal figure of the Shinigami.
The instant the Death God materialized, an Anbu operative, with a fluid motion, sliced open its stomach. Kenji's soul, along with the swirling, emerald chakra of the Seven-Tails, erupted forth. Before the Bijū could react, multiple chakra chains erupted from the chamber floor, binding it securely.
Simultaneously, a stream of iron-rich water, manipulated by the Chinoike, surged forward, attempting to clamp its jaws shut, strong enough to prevent the immediate release of a devastating Tailed Beast Ball within the confined space.
"ARGHHHH! Damn you humans! Why won't you let us be free?!" Chomei's roar echoed through the chamber, a raw expression of pain and resentment.
Hearing its anguished cry, a pang of sympathy resonated within Akashi. Yet, he knew they had no choice. To release the Seven-Tails would be to condemn it to a life of perpetual exploitation by another village, a mere chakra battery in the hands of power-hungry shinobi. Sorry, buddy, Akashi thought. But at least you'll be with me. And I promise, I'll treat you with the respect you deserve, not as a monster.
"Akashi! Quickly, onto the stone table! The Nanabi's power is far greater than we anticipated!" Ashina's urgent command snapped Akashi back to the present.
He swiftly leaped onto the designated stone slab, bracing himself for the ordeal he knew was imminent.
"DAMN YOU… UZUMAKI!!!" Each syllable Chomei roared vibrated with raw chakra, causing some of the intricate seals etched into the chamber walls to crack and shatter. Akashi wouldn't have been surprised if every chakra-sensitive individual in the village had felt the Bijū's furious presence.
Grandfather Ashina moved with lightning speed to Akashi's side, his hands already weaving the intricate patterns of the Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique. With a final, decisive thrust, his palm slammed against Akashi's stomach. An unbearable heat surged through Akashi's body, accompanied by a sensation of limitless, overwhelming chakra flooding his senses.
"Arghh!" Akashi gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain, his vision blurring as the entirety of the Seven-Tails was forcibly drawn into his being. Finally, the searing heat subsided, the overwhelming chakra receded, leaving only a quiet chamber punctuated by the ragged sound of heavy breathing.
"Huff… huff…" The feeling of boundless chakra had vanished, undoubtedly contained by the newly formed seal. Akashi couldn't even sense the presence of the Seven-Tails within him, but he knew that would change with time, as the seal's initial strength gradually waned, allowing the Bijū's influence to seep through.
One of the Anbu operatives who had restrained the Nanabi approached Akashi, his dragon mask concealing his expression.
"You alright, kid?" he asked, his hand briefly resting on Akashi's shoulder, assessing his chakra flow. Akashi recognized the familiar energy signature. Kuroko-sensei. So he had been present for the ritual.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Akashi managed, his voice still slightly shaky. "Just… need a moment to catch my breath." And it was true. While his physical body felt strangely normal, a profound spiritual exhaustion weighed upon him.
"Good. I'll check on the Patriarch. He hasn't performed a sealing of this magnitude in a long time." Kuroko nodded curtly and moved to where Ashina was also taking deep breaths, recovering from the strenuous ritual.
So, this is it, huh? Jinchuriki. Akashi didn't feel any different, not yet. The seal was newly formed, at its peak strength, unlikely to allow even a sliver of the Nanabi's chakra to leak through unless he succumbed to strong emotions and allowed the seal to weaken.
Well, he thought, a grim determination settling within him, at least this is one more step towards being prepared for the Third Great Shinobi War. If Grandfather's assessment was accurate, they still had a window of opportunity to prepare. Sigh. Can't dwell on that now. All I can do is prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
Soon after the sealing, the chamber was vacated, and Akashi was escorted back home, the weight of his new burden a silent presence within him.
The following day, Grandfather Ashina informed the villagers that the previous night's massive chakra surge had been a consequence of rigorous testing of their barrier seals. While the clan members with the heightened senses of the
Mind's Eye knew the explanation was a fabrication, they respected their Clan Head's need for secrecy and kept their suspicions to themselves, the unspoken truth hanging heavy in the air.
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End of 14th chapter