The air smelled of blood and burnt ash long after the fight ended.
We dragged the ANBU corpses into the collapsed well behind the house—no evidence left behind. The night settled again, heavy with silence, but none of us could sleep.
Yugao polished Kurogami in the moonlight, her eyes sharp and distant. Izumi sat close beside me, clutching her knees, her Sharingan fading back to black. Kael stood like a statue near the doorway, his dragonfire glow dimmed but ever-present.
The system screen pulsed faintly in my mind.
> [Clan Power Increased: 260 → 360]
[Shop Tier II Unlocked]
[Random Loot Pull Acquired: Eternal Ink Jar]
I turned the ink jar over in my hand. It was simple, black ceramic, yet it radiated faint energy. Runes flickered on its surface when I touched it.
Izumi leaned close. "That's… an Uzumaki artifact, isn't it?"
I shook my head. "No. It's from somewhere else. But it reacts to the ruins."
The moment I said it, the ground beneath us hummed faintly—like something deep underground had heard me.
---
The Descent
The next morning, we began searching deeper into the ruins. The Uzumaki village was a graveyard of stone and moss, spiral symbols carved into shattered walls, broken sealing arrays half-buried under roots.
Yugao knelt at one such array, tracing the spirals. "Even destroyed, their fuinjutsu is… overwhelming."
Kael's golden eyes swept the ruins. "Power sleeps here. I smell it beneath the earth."
He was right. The Eternal Ink Jar tugged faintly in my hand, its surface glowing brighter with each step. It was pulling us toward the collapsed temple at the village's heart.
Izumi frowned. "That place feels… wrong."
Which meant it was exactly where we needed to go.
---
The temple was a ruin of shattered red stone, its great Uzumaki crest cracked in two. We cleared rubble until a stairwell appeared, spiraling down into darkness.
The air grew colder with every step. Strange seals covered the walls, pulsing faintly, alive with ancient chakra. Finally, we entered a vast underground hall—pillars of stone carved with spirals, a cracked altar at the center.
And behind the altar: a massive black door, chained shut by glowing red seals.
The system immediately pinged:
> [Location Discovered: Abyssal Gate (Sealed)]
Requirement: Uzumaki Sealing Medium + Clan Leader's Blood]
Warning: Unknown entity lies beyond.]
Izumi shivered. "That… shouldn't be opened."
But the Eternal Ink Jar vibrated in my hand, the runes shifting until they matched the door's seal perfectly.
---
The 5th Ally
Before I could approach, a faint cough echoed from the shadows.
We all turned instantly—kunai and blades ready. From behind a cracked pillar stumbled a figure, gaunt but alive. Her crimson hair fell in tangles around her face, her eyes the same bright shade as fresh blood.
Izumi gasped. "U-Uzumaki…?"
The girl swayed on her feet, clutching a sealing scroll half-burned in her hands. Her voice cracked but carried weight. "I… am Uzumaki Akari. The last daughter of this village. Who… are you trespassers?"
The system chimed instantly:
> [Potential Clan Member Detected: Uzumaki Akari — Bloodline Tier: Uzumaki Sealer (Rare)]
Recruitment Chance: 75% (Auto-Success if offered Clan Pact)]
My heart thudded. The 5th member. Perfect.
I stepped forward, bowing slightly. "We are not trespassers. We are survivors—building a new clan. Uchiha and allies. Join us, Akari, and the Uzumaki will rise again alongside the Uchiha."
Her eyes widened, tears welling. She looked at the ruined seals around us, then at me. Slowly, she knelt. "If you swear it… then my blood, my chains, and my seals are yours."
The system blazed:
> [Clan Member Recruited: Uzumaki Akari]
[Clan Goal Complete: 5/5 Members]
Reward: Bloodline Enhancement (Host) + Random Otherworldly Ally Spin Unlocked]
Power surged through me as the system confirmed the reward. My Sharingan burned hotter, vision sharpening. I clenched my fists, feeling chakra coil tighter in my veins.
> [Bloodline Enhancement Applied: Uchiha Tier II Awakened]
Sharingan Progress: 2 Tomoe (Unlocked).
Izumi's eyes shone with pride. "You've grown stronger."
And then, before I could even process it, the golden wheel of the Otherworldly Ally Spin appeared again—massive, glowing, spinning in the center of the underground hall.
Yugao tensed, her hand gripping her sword. "It's happening again."
Akari stared in awe. "What… what is that power?"
The system pulsed:
> [Otherworldly Ally Spin Available]
Do you wish to activate now?
I couldn't help but smirk. "Yes."
The wheel roared to life, light filling the ruined chamber, as all of us held our breath—waiting to see who or what would step through next.
The golden wheel spun, faster and faster, the ancient Uzumaki seals on the walls reacting to its glow. Runes from a hundred worlds blurred into a spiral of light before locking into place.
It stopped.
The chosen symbol burned itself into the air—a silver crown above a book of flame.
The temple shook as space tore open. This time, it wasn't fire and steel like Kael Draven's entrance—it was wind, crackling energy, and a storm of paper and ink that whirled into a human form.
When the light cleared, a tall figure stood before us.
A man draped in midnight robes, etched with glowing glyphs. His silver hair shimmered faintly, and his eyes glowed the color of burning parchment. A grimoire floated at his side, pages turning on their own.
He looked at me—and then bowed.
> [New Ally Acquired: Ardyn Veyl, Archmage of the Fallen Library]
World: Elarion (Mage Wars Era)
Abilities: Spellcraft Mastery (S+), Dimensional Binding, Rune Forging, Forbidden Knowledge Access.
His voice was smooth, carrying authority without arrogance. "Summoned across realms… and bound by oath. Very well. From this day forth, your clan is mine to protect, Uchiha Keita."
Izumi whispered, stunned. "A… mage? From another world?"
Yugao's grip on her sword tightened. "And he reeks of power."
Akari, wide-eyed, stumbled closer. "Those… runes… they resonate with Uzumaki fuinjutsu."
The system chimed again, layering over our thoughts:
> [Clan Membership Expanded: 6/∞]
[Special Effect Triggered: Cross-Disciplinary Synergy]
Fusion between Uzumaki Sealing Techniques + Ardyn's Rune Forging detected.
New Branch Ability: Dimensional Seals (Locked).
---
The Gate Stirs
Before I could speak, the chains binding the Abyssal Gate rattled violently. One snapped, glowing seals flickering weakly. A deep hum rumbled through the chamber like a growl.
Ardyn's eyes narrowed, his floating grimoire slamming shut. "Ah. So this world isn't stable either. You've tethered me to a land already gnawed by void-creatures."
Kael stepped forward, greatsword burning to life. "Whatever lies beyond… I will carve it down."
The system pulsed an urgent warning:
> [Emergency Sub-Quest Triggered: Seal the Abyssal Gate]
Failure Consequence: Catastrophic Outbreak (Level Unknown).
Recommended: Use Uzumaki + Ardyn synergy to repair seals.
Akari clutched her sealing scroll, shaking. "I… I can try. But I don't have enough chakra alone."
Ardyn smirked faintly, holding out his hand. "Then you will borrow mine, little sealer. I have no shortage."
She hesitated—then placed her palm against his. Instantly, the runes on his robes flared, blending into Uzumaki spirals across the floor. Light poured from their combined effort, rushing up the broken chains.
But the door pushed back. Black mist seeped out through the cracks, twisting into monstrous shapes.
"Here they come!" Izumi shouted, activating her Sharingan.
From the shadows, the first Abyssal Wraiths poured forth—twisted humanoid forms made of smoke and eyes, shrieking as they lunged toward us.
---
The Battle at the Gate
Kael roared, meeting them with dragonfire, his greatsword cleaving through their bodies. Yugao danced beside him, Kurogami cutting with precise, silent strikes. Izumi's Sharingan flared, weaving illusions into reality, disorienting the creatures as kunai flashed from her hands.
And I… I felt it. My Sharingan pulsed, two tomoe spinning, locking onto the movements of the wraiths. Their speed slowed before my eyes, every strike predictable. I cut them down with ruthless precision.
But more kept pouring out.
Ardyn's grimoire opened wide, pages tearing free and transforming into burning sigils that wrapped around the wraiths, binding them in chains of light. His voice echoed with command: "By ink and fire—begone." Entire clusters of them combusted into ash.
Beside him, Akari traced spirals into the ground with the Eternal Ink Jar, her chakra surging with his. Together, they forced new seals into the cracking chains of the Abyssal Gate.
The temple shook violently as the door groaned—but then, one by one, the seals flared back to life.
With a final scream, the wraiths dissolved into mist. The Gate slammed shut, the chains reforging in glowing crimson steel.
The silence afterward was deafening.
---
Aftermath
Akari collapsed to her knees, panting. Ardyn steadied her, though he looked untouched—his glowing eyes calm, his grimoire still floating.
"You handled it well," he said softly. "For one born in ruins."
Kael drove his sword into the ground. "The threat is sealed—for now. But it will stir again."
The system's voice chimed once more:
> [Emergency Quest Complete: Seal the Abyssal Gate]
Rewards: +200 Clan Points | Unique Artifact — Abyssal Key Fragment (1/3)]
Note: Collect all three fragments to control the Gate instead of merely sealing it.
I clenched my fist. Control the Gate? That meant more power… and more danger.
Izumi touched my shoulder. "Keita… this is bigger than rebuilding a clan. We're at war with something even worse than Konoha."
I smirked faintly. "Then we'll just grow strong enough to crush both."
The system pulsed in agreement:
> [Next Main Quest Unlocked: The Rising Clan]
Objective: Expand Clan Membership to 10 | Establish Whirlpool as Hidden Village.
Reward: Clan Territory Bonus + Next System Feature Unlock