The Tale of Wesobi
Chapter 4 ±± The Path of Ages – Prologue±±
This chapter is the 4th on the Tale of Wesobi Saga and this particular release is the Prologue of The Path of Ages Arc. Enjoy!
The cave was damp and silent, with only the occasional drip breaking the solemn atmosphere. Lit in candlelight and torches spread across its extension, it wasn’t the most glamorous of headquarters. She knew this very well but it didn’t matter much. She didn’t need comfort; she needed power. That large cavern, with endless labyrinthine tunnels spread beneath Kirigakure would have to suffice for her plans to be set in motion. It was a faithful day when she arrived at Kirigakure and hid beneath the village. 665 years ago it was, yet seemed only yesterday. The Maternal Cave. The only part of the underground lair that had some custom touch was her office. A smaller cave to the left of the main gigantic hall, it had a main area where a large desk sit in the centre, some chairs scattered around and a big rotating chair behind it, facing the entrance. On the desk, countless scrolls, ink and feathers in a seemingly unorganized mess. The walls of that room were filled with bookshelves, riddled in ancient texts and scrolls. The amount of knowledge was immense inside that little room. Behind and to the right, there was a small door which lead to a bedroom which had a small bathroom. Even as powerful as she was, she still needed the most basic of things. The large hall outside had a small river coursing through it and was big enough to fit any boss summon she had ever seen in her long life. It spanned 200 meters until its summit and was more than 300 meters across. Despite having seen most of the ninja world, she had never come across such a cavern before. Right on the summit of the cavern ceiling was an opening, 5 meters across and roughly circular. Only small amounts of light passed through it, not because it was too small, but because the dense mist engulfing Kirigakure prevented much light from reaching the ground. On the outside, the opening was located in a stiff cliff, north of the village, engulfed in trees. The location was otherwise inaccessible on foot and from the air it was hidden from sight. She often desired to go outside and feel the fresh air but her resolve to see her plan in motion prevented her to take such risk. That was why she put the strong sealing technique on all entrances to the large cavern. If anyone knew she was there and told the rest of the world, her plan would surely end. The main entrance to the large main cavern was a tunnel that exited on the Mizukage mansion, right in the middle of Kirigakure. It was on that tunnel that she met her favourite minion, a kunoichi who had the potential to surpass her but who was easily manipulated. That powerful kunoichi was an important pawn in her plan. She brought with her the power and protection of a powerful village like Kirigakure by controlling the Mizukage with her Eye Prowess. And from that point on, all tasks she was given, she accomplished perfectly. With the exception of one. The rest of the tunnels were either caved in or led to the shore line, mostly to the steep and tall peaks surrounding the island. No one else took residence there except her new pet. He was useless after all as what she sought wasn’t inside him. But he was sure to know where it was and who had it. So she took it upon herself to extract it from him. Sadly, his mind was no easy feat to break. And thus the dilemma she was facing. Caressing her hair and pulling it backwards as she saw her reflection in the mirror, she continued to be surprised. Despite knowing how she had accomplished it, she still couldn’t help but feel amazed at the fact she hadn’t age past 30. A beautiful woman, tall like a man but built with an unrivalled grace. Her curves and all her physical traits were as lustful as she was dangerous. It was always like that since she was born. She was always a beautiful woman. Even by Uchiha standards. As she walked out of her small room and closed the door behind her, she put her persona on. It was refreshing to know that inside that small room she could drop her façade and worry and think about the normal things any other woman thinks about. However, outside, she couldn’t show the slightest sign of weakness. She was a Kunoichi and one of the most powerful ones to have ever lived. As she walked away from her small office, she took a quick short stroll to the river. Approaching it she raised her hand, doing the confrontation handseal. The water of the river gushed upwards into an orb, revealing a shinobi held inside. Her pet. Seemingly held in a stasis of sorts, he seemed at peace, dormant, in a deep slumber, dead. The water receded back, leaving only a giant cross to which his feet and wrists were merged. As his body was there, seemingly lifeless and dripping, she couldn’t help but feel pity. He was going to die and for something he perhaps didn’t deserve. It was a shame.
“…s..ss…” he mumbled as he tried to regain conscious. She stomped the ground and Lightning shocked the water, unleashing a torrent of screams of pure agony and despair. Filling the cave, they echoed loud and high only to stop as suddenly as they began.
“When you decide to speak to me, be sure you can mutter the words… I dislike mumbling fools. You are a Shinobi, a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf! Act like it” she said in disdain. A stomp of earth rose, forming a small bench where she sat, looking at her toy. “If you tell me who has Yokai, you could die peacefully instead of suffering for all these weeks. You’ll eventually succumb to my genjutsu and I will take from you what I need to know. So why resist?”
“Despite all that, while I live, I will never tell you anything… Rei” the shinobi said. Again, screams of pain despair and agony filled the cave. This time, the water was heated up so high that it scolded the shinobi deeply.
“I don’t like when someone uses my name without permission Wesobi”
“Like I give a dam… Wretched witch!”
“I know you’re frustrated, but I have never offended you. I may have tortured you, almost killed you and broken your very essence and soul but I have never resulted to pety insults. Don’t make me punish you more. I will kill you and revive you as an Edo Tensei, forcing you to do my biding if you refuse to tell me where the Yokai is. I just hoped we could to this honourably”
“Ah…ah…” the man laughed weakly “if you could do that, you wouldn’t be spending your Mangekyo with me… you know of the seal put on me…” and for the first time he lifted his head slightly and looked upon her eyes. His eyes were crimson red, with 3 tomoes surrounding his pupil. “What are you waiting for?”
“Guess you are right…” and as she gazed upon his eyes, her own pupils turned red. But instead of 3 tomoes, they showed a different pattern, almost as if 3 hearts were surrounding her pupils. As they locked gazes, she used her superior eye prowess and chakra to easily overcome him and once again penetrated in his mind. As she walked through his memories, all was there, lucid and present, except for a word… Yokai. That word only lead to a large brick wall. And she had done her best to try and break it but it didn’t budge. No matter how much chakra she put into it, she didn’t accomplish anything. She had gone through every single aspect of this man’s life back and forth but she couldn’t find anything related to the Yokai. It was all missing. All of it, sealed behind that wall. A powerful technique but one she had never come across before. She never saw anything of that magnitude. 3 hours later, she stopped. It was pointless again and her toy was weakening almost to the point of dying. He panted heavily and sweated from all pores.
“Seems I need to heal you a bit…” and the water came to her in the form of a tendril. As she touched it, it engulfed her right hand and shined blue. Her chakra started to flow into the water and around the shinobi. He started to recover and after a while seemed to escape death’s grip. “That should do it. We don’t want you breaking free again…4 times were more than enough…” as she disconnected her chakra from the water, she looked at the man with almost a nurturing expression.
“I never actually asked you this but…why do you want to be the vessel of the Yokai?” said Wesobi.
“Oh but that’s a good question my boy. Not often do people ask me. But the answer… the answer is something not even my minions know Wesobi.” She let her head fall back, gazing at the ceiling of the cavern, in a moment of silence before speaking once more “Let me ask you something though… who said I want to be its vessel Wesobi?”
“…”
“Yes, the obvious choice would be to become its vessel or at least attempt it right? Its power is said to be amazing. But no. Power I have, probably more so than any vessel the Yokai has ever had. No. I want knowledge. There is something I want that only the Yokai knows where it is: certain artefact that I need.”
“Artefact?”
“Hum…you aren’t going anywhere and I always loved fighters…” said Rei as she lowered her gaze upon Wesobi “You must have heard the legends of it… The Eternal Sword of Amenominakanushi”
“Ameno…what?”
“Yeah, it’s a mouthful. Guess I can dwell on the story of creation since we have all the time in the world… Well, I have. You see, when the world was created, there was form and there was life and both created the world. Yin and Yang. When creation took place, 3 entities emerged: the 3 primordial gods. Amenominakanushi, Taka-mi-musuhi-no-kami, Kami-musuhi-no-kami. Yes, I know, I also think they didn’t use verbal speech otherwise they’ve have smaller names. Anyway, Ameno was the first primordial god and the leader of all the 7 ancestral gods who were responsible for the creation of existence. Chakra? The thing that is said to have been property of Ninjas for ages and have been stolen from the Shinju by the Fruit Eater? Well, its not ours, humans, to use: it’s the power of Gods. All Gods have it and they were the only ones to have it. Its how they created and shaped the world. It wasn't something only the Shinju had. Yeah, mind blowing. Anywho, Ameno was said to wield a sword which granted him power over creation. And we aren’t talking about the type of power wielded with the Ame-no-nuhoko, the weapon that belongs to the Shinju. That is the power of negation or destruction. I’m talking about creation. Now, Yokai and Yurei, same as the Shinju and all other minor gods are decedents from Ameno. If anyone knows where that weapon is, its them. Shinju is a beast without reason or thought fragmented into 9 entities. No point trying to find answers to such ancestral questions in them. Yurei is said to be in a vessel that has full access to its abilities and more importantly, is nowhere to be found. In the last 300 years, no one has heard anything about it. As for the Yokai, well, it was said to have picked a vessel from the Hidden Leaf. You. And the rest you know.”
“But…but…why do you want such a weapon? What’s the finality? Do you want to simply rule the world?!”
“I want to create a new world for me and all the Uchihas. A world from which we can look down at the pests of the shinobi world and crush them at our whim.”
“You are…crazy…!!!”
“Ah hah! Perhaps…”
“Relics of those times pop up in the legends of all people… doesn’t mean they are true. You are manipulating and bringing a great darkness to the ninja world just to fuel a witch hunt of some kind?”
“Oh…but it does exist… The 3 relics exist. Izanagi and Izanami existed and they stirred the pot of creation when they used the Ame-no-nuhoko. Their children shaped the world into what it is today! But it was the Kotoamastukami who created it. The 7 ancestral gods. Didn’t you ever question the origin of our eye’s techniques? Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukyomi, Izanagi, Izanami… Never once in your life have you considered their true meaning? We are the clan who is destined to rule this world as gods! We are the true inheritors of the ancestral gods and only we can wield their true power! Despite it being diluted and lost throughout the ages, mainly after the dammed influence from the Fruit Eater and the Yukai and Yurei, we are the sons of gods!”
“You really are delusional… Everyone knows we are the inheritors of the Sage of Six Paths. We were the ones who inherited his eyes.”
“Oh young Uchiha… There was but one son with special eyes… How do you think we, the Uchiha, came to be? Spontaneous generation? When the Fruit Eater gave birth, it was true that only they possessed the power of the Shinju, mother and child. However, the power of the Shinju wasn’t the only power in the world. The Uchiha already existed, though not as you know us to be right now. We were already a powerful clan of warriors with uncanny life force and vitality. We were aggressive and uncompromising. The Sage’s son obliterated all of our clan when we became too powerful and lost in our urge to fight. He couldn’t, however, kill the fairest of us all. She became his light. And the rest you can imagine. Her influence was such that she even pinned him against his brother, the only one capable of standing before him. She rebuilt the clan with their children after he died and built the foundations of what became the Uchiha. If its true that our Eyes came from the Sage’s Son, our clan and our tenacity and passionate demeanour came from our mother… Weirdly enough, not all of her children bared the Sharingan. From her 13 offsprings, 5 possessed a deviant eye. Sadly, because their eyes were white and they lacked pupils, she thought they were born blind so she gave them away. She didn’t live to see them become the Hyuuga I’m afraid. And before you ask, no, there are no living proof of none of this. Its been over 6500 years since then and the great wars ravaged what little written proof we might have. The only account of this is recorded in the runes carved in the Tree of Ages. Runes that need special eyes to decipher them. What I just told you, I found 660 years ago. The truth was so eye opening that I decided to change the fate of our clan forever and return us to the glory days before the slaughter.”
A Long moment of silent stood between them before she spoke again “But I digress. You must grow tedious of our conversation… Humm… I cannot break your mental block it seems. And killing you might not be the best solution given the fact that you are a valuable bargain card. What to do to you then? What to do?” a familiar presence she felt behind her. “Lili, darling, did you manage to gain Amegakure?”
“Erm… yes, to a certain extent” said Lili in a somewhat apprehensive tone.
“Care to explain?” said Rei as she stood up and turned to face Lili. Despite her very friendly tone and her gentle smile, there was something unusually unsettling in her posture, as if ready to erase Lili from existence. The “cruxified” shinobi nearby, the one Lili had locked away in the fortress, was white and pale as if he was about to faint. What was Rei doing with him in the cave? He was supposed to be locked away. Lili had locked him away. They had interrogated him for days. He wasn't the vessel. What was Rei still digging at him for?
“I defeated Gobi as you instructed but there were complications. He was killed by the Sage of Wood and the Sage of Illusionary Touch.”
“Scary Yamato and your blood brother? Interesting…” and a dark menacing weight suddenly sifted the air in the cave. It was as if death itself was ready to strike Lili down. Yet Rei smiled just the same.
“But they were not the problem. The problem was Vincent, former leader of Amegakure and Akatsuki. He meddled with me and he was responsible for letting Go…”
“DO YOU THINK I’M STUPID LILI-CHWAN????” Rei’s voice was loud, resonating in the large cave as if thunder itself was rumbling in the air. Her face showed anger but also the heaviest and darkest of intentions. Lili had never seen such a face before nor felt so much eminent power. It was a different Rei. The Rei Uchiha of old legend. The Rei that fended off all of the the Seven Swordsmen singlehandedly, saving the villages in the Great War. The Rei that was said to have the strongest eyes in the clan, and the darkest of knowledge. Queen of Chocolate, Master of White Fire and Creator of Villages. The Unnamed Sage of Butterflies, the Poison Master Rei Uchiha. She was a legend in itself. The sole 700 year old survivor of the old Uchiha Clan. Lili couldn’t help but tremble. She couldn’t do anything and a single tear ran through her left cheek. Was this killing intent? Was this simply fear? “Sorry little one… I forget how intense I can be for someone so young… I grow frustrated with our lack of advances”
“I failed you, Rei-hime”
“No…I mean, ok, a bit. But you’ve done well and nothing is lost.”
“Without the political power of Amegakure and its resources, it will be harder to find the bearer of the Yurei. We should consider revising our strategy.”
“Indeed… Well, for starters, you can take Wesobi back to the fortress in the north. His mind… I cannot break it. Its protected by the most powerful mind protecting technique I have ever come across. So its useless to keep wasting my time with him.” Seeing Lili’s inquisitive look, Rei explained “He was supposed to be the true vessel of the Yokai and when I saw he wasn’t, I assumed he at least knew something about it.”
“You cannot break it?” and Lili approached Wesobi and looked upon his arms. In the internal side of his forearms she saw it “Its impossible… How can you have…” and Wesobi smiled.
“What is it Lili?”
“He…he fooled us. Wesobi signed the contract… he signed with the Pandas…”
“What?!”
“Yes, this tattoo is proof of it. I know it because Scorps is also a signer thought I thought he was the only one. They receive this tattoo as a living bound to the contract. With it comes the strongest of mental protection techniques… Panda Genjutsu: Revenge of the Sleeping Madness. It cannot be broken. To think that the Panda Sages would have known to protect Wesobi…”
“Those fossils seem to be one step ahead of us! And your brother of all people! They got themselves a nice pawn to work with…” and with a small hand movement, the water engulfed Wesobi as he fell into a comatose state once again but this time, he didn’t merge into the river. A metal box rose up from the ground and enclosed itself around Wesobi and the water, with multiple chains then wrapping and binding around the box as it closed. The chains shined in blue, showcasing countless kanji marks which engraved the box as well. “Take him to the fortress. Instruct the minions there on what to do. The Pervy Sage is to keep this box in the Amaterasu pit. Its unlikely there is anyone alive who can undo the sealing technique but in case they want to try it, they will need to give their life for it.”
“Yes but why not kill him?”
“Pandas have a link to all shinobi they signed a contract with. If he dies, they’ll know and they’ll know where he died. That information on the other hand will go directly to Scorps who will come here and hinder our plans. Not only that but the Pandas need to be dealt with care. Their Sage is able to see glimpses of the future with much more clarity than the Great Toad Sage. No, Wesobi must be alive until the time comes where we can use him.”
“Off course, hime. Any other order?”
“No Lili, you can go. I will give the orders to Xylon and Ragnaroc in person. I need them to check a feeling I’m having. I feel the bearer of the Yurei has just set foot in the Ninja World.”
“That’s… sorry. I’ll be going” and Lili took a scroll and sealed the large box in it before disappearing in a burst of speed.
“She is too smart for her own good… I hope I don’t have to kill her when the time comes…”
As Lili ran through the damp forest deeply woven within the maternal mist, she couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. She never really felt confortable talking to that woman. She both admired and feared her. But she couldn’t be phased by something like that. As she reached the fortress she stopped at its gates. The fortress didn’t seem like much externally. A small fortification, not bigger than a normal big house, just surrounded by 4 meter tall walls of rock. The gate seemed like a normal wood gate, large enough for a small carriage to pass. The small size and visual simplicity were deceiving. Beneath the surface lied a gigantic prison, with a main hall nearly as big as the Maternal Cave. Inside it, for years, experiments were conducted to understand how to seal the 2 Tails into a host. The first was The Seven Scaled Boy, a friend of hers. She saw many of her friends die down there. The Hidden Mist was known for its dark past. The fortress was named simply “Fang” as it was located in a place known as the “Fang of Sharks”. Sharks didn’t have fangs so the name never really sounded right to Lilli. But she didn’t care. The fortress was protected by powerful sealing techniques, which prevented anyone who hadn’t signed the blood contract inside to enter. The only way to sign the contract was to have someone who has access already to carry your blood and sign the contract for you. There is no other way. The 2 Tails tried to escape for 50 years to no avail. Lilli did 3 simple handseals and pressed her palm on the gate. A kanji for “entering” shined red on the whole gate and it opened. Behind it, a familiar, yet disgusting face. For Lilli at least. She never liked how he was always able to resist her charm. He was one of the few men who never really favoured her.
“Lilli-chwan… To what do I owe the honour?”
“Pervy Sage…looking saggy as ever. I came to deliver this.” She threw her scroll at the man “You are to unseal it, inside is the ninja Rei has been interrogating, and place in a cage until further notice. Feed him daily and keep him healthy. And don’t put a single mark on him.”
“I’m not a…” but before he could complete his sentence, the kunoichi disappeared “Dam her… I think she doesn’t like me… And dam it all! I don’t like being a baby sitter for crazy prisioners!!!! Yard! Howard! Sindy! Take this down to the large sealing cell, unseal him and give him food!”
A young ninja, cloaked quickly appeared next to Pervy and asked "Who is he?"
"An old friend... Protect him with your life and treat him well..." said Pervy as he though "What are you playing at Lili? Double playing Rei might not be the smartest choice...
As Scorps and Scary reached the outskirts of the Land of Fire they decided to rest. They weren’t recovered from the last dramatic set of events and they needed to reorganize themselves. They took camp in a small clearing on the forest, near a passing creek. They had water and there were fish to eat.
“I’ll make the fire, you catch the fish Scorps”
“I hate fishing…”
“I hate many things…yet here we are”
“…”
“Yeah yeah, get moving… I’m hungry”
As Scorps approached the water he took his clothes off. If he was to catch a fish he would at least take a bath. And as such he would also heal using the water a medium. As he stripped down to his underwear, he took the first step into the water. It was cold but nice. A deep breath and a dive and Scorps already felt better. Before he continued he decided to catch the fish, otherwise all the splashing and moving about would drive them down the creek. With a few handgestures, coordinated like a dance, he rose 3 bubbles of water from the creek, inside of which there were a total of 4 fish. Guiding the bubbles to the shore, he released his control, leaving the fish the flap around on the grassy ground.
“There, 4 fish”
“That was fast. Izuna would be proud of your skill with Water.”
“I pale in his shadow. He didn’t need handseals or handgestures. And his techniques were so powerful.”
“Yet he is dead where as you are alive. Don’t dwell on the nostalgia of the days that pass my friend. It only brings sadness and we need brightness to shine upon our path”
“So beautiful… You should write a book.”
“Joke all you want but its true. Now… will you tell me about Yokai?” said Scary as he took his clothes off and joined Scorps on the creek as the fire started. “This is too cold. Do you mind if I..?”
“No, be my guest”
Scary raised one hand which ignited into White Fire. As he pressed it against the water it rapidly heated up into a steaming temperature. “Now that’s a bath. Can you heal us a little bit? My hand is still very damaged”
“On it” and Scorps clapped his hands underwater, while sitting on the bottom with his legs crossed. Only his head was above the water. As he concentrated he suddenly shined in a green aura. The aura infused the water of the creek and started to very slowly heal them both “This will take some time as I’m healing us both and I’m not on my best shape”
“So, spit it out”
“Ok…guess I need to. You know the mission me and Wesobi went on where you ended up having to infuse my body with some of your cells for me to survive? Back when we were like 12 or something? Lili had left the village with Caliburn, you and Izuna were Jounins and me and Wesobi were simple Genin on our first assignment. We were to return a package to Iwagakure but we were ambushed in the process. It was on that same mission that I lost my eye. Well, when I was injured, I was about to die when Wesobi asked the Yokai to save me if she could. She said that once she left a vessel, she couldn’t turn back and because he didn’t know any medical techniques, the only way to save me was to merge with me and unmerge with Wesobi. Wesobi had been contemplating his fate for long. He was unhappy. He was not Wesobi but the Vessel of the Yokai. He accepted his fate the day he became the vessel but he wasn’t happy. And his love for Lawliet made him even more anxious to get a normal life. That opportunity was gold. He agreed and begged her to save me. She merged with me and her power kept me alive until you came. We didn’t say a word about it. And when the dust cleared, Wesobi asked me never to tell anyone. Despite wanting a normal life he wanted to fullfill his duty to the village and to the ninja world. He regreted taking that decision and putting the weight of his own fate on my shoulders. He felt he had been a coward. Thus why he told Nexus.”
“Nexus? Why?”
“I don’t know myself. But I think he wanted Nexus to know as a form of warranty. Regardless, only me, Wesobi and Nexus knew. Truth be told, by having Wesobi be the decoy vessel, in theory, the Yokai was never as well protected as it was.”
“I wish you would have told me…”
“Well, we cannot change that now…”
“If you are the vessel though, strategically speaking…”
“Stop right there Scary. Wesobi is my brother. And he sacrificed himself for me more than once. And for Yokai as well. Neither me nor her will let him suffer more for us. We owe him that.”
“Ok but… we’re proposing to infiltrate Kirigakure. Its… I don’t know if we can achieve this”
“We aren’t infiltrating; we are destroying it”
“uh??”
“Stealth in such a situation is useless. If we are successful in entering but are found out once inside only to find out we are too weak to win, we are trapped. If we attack from the beginning, if we find ourselves to be weak, we can always retreat an come up with a new strategy”
“Still… do we have such a power? Alucard is no easy feat to defeat and you cannot forget they have a big military power. Their forces were trained by Lili and are as gruesome as her reputation. And we cannot forget that the Sages are missing. Caliburn is affiliated with Kirigakure. Its likely that he, along with the other Sages might be there and working for the enemy”
“I considered all that. That’s why we will need a few friends. I have sent Dawn to track those we need. I have also given direct orders to McRazor through Grus, a crane we both use.”
“So, whats the next move?”
“McRazor will stay in Konoha, protecting it and containing Leaf. Leaf will be sought out by Vincent. By putting her in Konoha, we immediately take his focus away from Kirigakure which is where Lili is and where we will be. According to my calculations, McRazor, Typhon and Dante should be enough to contain Vincent in case he shows up and not even he can bypass the village barrier. With that out of the bag, we will call upon some friends in other villages. People we trust.”
“Who?”
“Jinbei is the main one I want on our side. Iwa has many good ninjas that might join and I left that task in his hands. Suna is in disarray with Emperors defection so not much help can come from there. I sent word to Kumogakure but haven’t heard anything yet. I think Kirabi is afraid now that Roku and Mugiwara left the village without notice. As two sages, they also disappeared. I suspect he won’t help. “
“That doesn’t leave us with much to go on”
“Well, true but trust me, it will be enough”
“So, we head to Kiri?”
“Yes… We've been reminiscing into the past for too long... Time to start a path no one has ever walked in ages... Time for the destruction of Kirigakure! Off course, once I shampoo my hair. Its a mess since my last fight with all the rain... We are almost fully healed by the way.”
“Yeah, I noticed”
“You’re welcome”
“I didn’t thank you as you were the one responsible for my injuries in a sense…”
“Always the grateful one I see…”
“Bite me”
“Nah, my cholesterol level is already too high these days…”
Chapter 4 ±± The Path of Ages – Prologue±±
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This chapter is the 4th on the Tale of Wesobi Saga and this particular release is the Prologue of The Path of Ages Arc. Enjoy!
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The cave was damp and silent, with only the occasional drip breaking the solemn atmosphere. Lit in candlelight and torches spread across its extension, it wasn’t the most glamorous of headquarters. She knew this very well but it didn’t matter much. She didn’t need comfort; she needed power. That large cavern, with endless labyrinthine tunnels spread beneath Kirigakure would have to suffice for her plans to be set in motion. It was a faithful day when she arrived at Kirigakure and hid beneath the village. 665 years ago it was, yet seemed only yesterday. The Maternal Cave. The only part of the underground lair that had some custom touch was her office. A smaller cave to the left of the main gigantic hall, it had a main area where a large desk sit in the centre, some chairs scattered around and a big rotating chair behind it, facing the entrance. On the desk, countless scrolls, ink and feathers in a seemingly unorganized mess. The walls of that room were filled with bookshelves, riddled in ancient texts and scrolls. The amount of knowledge was immense inside that little room. Behind and to the right, there was a small door which lead to a bedroom which had a small bathroom. Even as powerful as she was, she still needed the most basic of things. The large hall outside had a small river coursing through it and was big enough to fit any boss summon she had ever seen in her long life. It spanned 200 meters until its summit and was more than 300 meters across. Despite having seen most of the ninja world, she had never come across such a cavern before. Right on the summit of the cavern ceiling was an opening, 5 meters across and roughly circular. Only small amounts of light passed through it, not because it was too small, but because the dense mist engulfing Kirigakure prevented much light from reaching the ground. On the outside, the opening was located in a stiff cliff, north of the village, engulfed in trees. The location was otherwise inaccessible on foot and from the air it was hidden from sight. She often desired to go outside and feel the fresh air but her resolve to see her plan in motion prevented her to take such risk. That was why she put the strong sealing technique on all entrances to the large cavern. If anyone knew she was there and told the rest of the world, her plan would surely end. The main entrance to the large main cavern was a tunnel that exited on the Mizukage mansion, right in the middle of Kirigakure. It was on that tunnel that she met her favourite minion, a kunoichi who had the potential to surpass her but who was easily manipulated. That powerful kunoichi was an important pawn in her plan. She brought with her the power and protection of a powerful village like Kirigakure by controlling the Mizukage with her Eye Prowess. And from that point on, all tasks she was given, she accomplished perfectly. With the exception of one. The rest of the tunnels were either caved in or led to the shore line, mostly to the steep and tall peaks surrounding the island. No one else took residence there except her new pet. He was useless after all as what she sought wasn’t inside him. But he was sure to know where it was and who had it. So she took it upon herself to extract it from him. Sadly, his mind was no easy feat to break. And thus the dilemma she was facing. Caressing her hair and pulling it backwards as she saw her reflection in the mirror, she continued to be surprised. Despite knowing how she had accomplished it, she still couldn’t help but feel amazed at the fact she hadn’t age past 30. A beautiful woman, tall like a man but built with an unrivalled grace. Her curves and all her physical traits were as lustful as she was dangerous. It was always like that since she was born. She was always a beautiful woman. Even by Uchiha standards. As she walked out of her small room and closed the door behind her, she put her persona on. It was refreshing to know that inside that small room she could drop her façade and worry and think about the normal things any other woman thinks about. However, outside, she couldn’t show the slightest sign of weakness. She was a Kunoichi and one of the most powerful ones to have ever lived. As she walked away from her small office, she took a quick short stroll to the river. Approaching it she raised her hand, doing the confrontation handseal. The water of the river gushed upwards into an orb, revealing a shinobi held inside. Her pet. Seemingly held in a stasis of sorts, he seemed at peace, dormant, in a deep slumber, dead. The water receded back, leaving only a giant cross to which his feet and wrists were merged. As his body was there, seemingly lifeless and dripping, she couldn’t help but feel pity. He was going to die and for something he perhaps didn’t deserve. It was a shame.
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“…s..ss…” he mumbled as he tried to regain conscious. She stomped the ground and Lightning shocked the water, unleashing a torrent of screams of pure agony and despair. Filling the cave, they echoed loud and high only to stop as suddenly as they began.
“When you decide to speak to me, be sure you can mutter the words… I dislike mumbling fools. You are a Shinobi, a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf! Act like it” she said in disdain. A stomp of earth rose, forming a small bench where she sat, looking at her toy. “If you tell me who has Yokai, you could die peacefully instead of suffering for all these weeks. You’ll eventually succumb to my genjutsu and I will take from you what I need to know. So why resist?”
“Despite all that, while I live, I will never tell you anything… Rei” the shinobi said. Again, screams of pain despair and agony filled the cave. This time, the water was heated up so high that it scolded the shinobi deeply.
“I don’t like when someone uses my name without permission Wesobi”
“Like I give a dam… Wretched witch!”
“I know you’re frustrated, but I have never offended you. I may have tortured you, almost killed you and broken your very essence and soul but I have never resulted to pety insults. Don’t make me punish you more. I will kill you and revive you as an Edo Tensei, forcing you to do my biding if you refuse to tell me where the Yokai is. I just hoped we could to this honourably”
“Ah…ah…” the man laughed weakly “if you could do that, you wouldn’t be spending your Mangekyo with me… you know of the seal put on me…” and for the first time he lifted his head slightly and looked upon her eyes. His eyes were crimson red, with 3 tomoes surrounding his pupil. “What are you waiting for?”
“Guess you are right…” and as she gazed upon his eyes, her own pupils turned red. But instead of 3 tomoes, they showed a different pattern, almost as if 3 hearts were surrounding her pupils. As they locked gazes, she used her superior eye prowess and chakra to easily overcome him and once again penetrated in his mind. As she walked through his memories, all was there, lucid and present, except for a word… Yokai. That word only lead to a large brick wall. And she had done her best to try and break it but it didn’t budge. No matter how much chakra she put into it, she didn’t accomplish anything. She had gone through every single aspect of this man’s life back and forth but she couldn’t find anything related to the Yokai. It was all missing. All of it, sealed behind that wall. A powerful technique but one she had never come across before. She never saw anything of that magnitude. 3 hours later, she stopped. It was pointless again and her toy was weakening almost to the point of dying. He panted heavily and sweated from all pores.
“Seems I need to heal you a bit…” and the water came to her in the form of a tendril. As she touched it, it engulfed her right hand and shined blue. Her chakra started to flow into the water and around the shinobi. He started to recover and after a while seemed to escape death’s grip. “That should do it. We don’t want you breaking free again…4 times were more than enough…” as she disconnected her chakra from the water, she looked at the man with almost a nurturing expression.
“I never actually asked you this but…why do you want to be the vessel of the Yokai?” said Wesobi.
“Oh but that’s a good question my boy. Not often do people ask me. But the answer… the answer is something not even my minions know Wesobi.” She let her head fall back, gazing at the ceiling of the cavern, in a moment of silence before speaking once more “Let me ask you something though… who said I want to be its vessel Wesobi?”
“…”
“Yes, the obvious choice would be to become its vessel or at least attempt it right? Its power is said to be amazing. But no. Power I have, probably more so than any vessel the Yokai has ever had. No. I want knowledge. There is something I want that only the Yokai knows where it is: certain artefact that I need.”
“Artefact?”
“Hum…you aren’t going anywhere and I always loved fighters…” said Rei as she lowered her gaze upon Wesobi “You must have heard the legends of it… The Eternal Sword of Amenominakanushi”
“Ameno…what?”
“Yeah, it’s a mouthful. Guess I can dwell on the story of creation since we have all the time in the world… Well, I have. You see, when the world was created, there was form and there was life and both created the world. Yin and Yang. When creation took place, 3 entities emerged: the 3 primordial gods. Amenominakanushi, Taka-mi-musuhi-no-kami, Kami-musuhi-no-kami. Yes, I know, I also think they didn’t use verbal speech otherwise they’ve have smaller names. Anyway, Ameno was the first primordial god and the leader of all the 7 ancestral gods who were responsible for the creation of existence. Chakra? The thing that is said to have been property of Ninjas for ages and have been stolen from the Shinju by the Fruit Eater? Well, its not ours, humans, to use: it’s the power of Gods. All Gods have it and they were the only ones to have it. Its how they created and shaped the world. It wasn't something only the Shinju had. Yeah, mind blowing. Anywho, Ameno was said to wield a sword which granted him power over creation. And we aren’t talking about the type of power wielded with the Ame-no-nuhoko, the weapon that belongs to the Shinju. That is the power of negation or destruction. I’m talking about creation. Now, Yokai and Yurei, same as the Shinju and all other minor gods are decedents from Ameno. If anyone knows where that weapon is, its them. Shinju is a beast without reason or thought fragmented into 9 entities. No point trying to find answers to such ancestral questions in them. Yurei is said to be in a vessel that has full access to its abilities and more importantly, is nowhere to be found. In the last 300 years, no one has heard anything about it. As for the Yokai, well, it was said to have picked a vessel from the Hidden Leaf. You. And the rest you know.”
“But…but…why do you want such a weapon? What’s the finality? Do you want to simply rule the world?!”
“I want to create a new world for me and all the Uchihas. A world from which we can look down at the pests of the shinobi world and crush them at our whim.”
“You are…crazy…!!!”
“Ah hah! Perhaps…”
“Relics of those times pop up in the legends of all people… doesn’t mean they are true. You are manipulating and bringing a great darkness to the ninja world just to fuel a witch hunt of some kind?”
“Oh…but it does exist… The 3 relics exist. Izanagi and Izanami existed and they stirred the pot of creation when they used the Ame-no-nuhoko. Their children shaped the world into what it is today! But it was the Kotoamastukami who created it. The 7 ancestral gods. Didn’t you ever question the origin of our eye’s techniques? Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukyomi, Izanagi, Izanami… Never once in your life have you considered their true meaning? We are the clan who is destined to rule this world as gods! We are the true inheritors of the ancestral gods and only we can wield their true power! Despite it being diluted and lost throughout the ages, mainly after the dammed influence from the Fruit Eater and the Yukai and Yurei, we are the sons of gods!”
“You really are delusional… Everyone knows we are the inheritors of the Sage of Six Paths. We were the ones who inherited his eyes.”
“Oh young Uchiha… There was but one son with special eyes… How do you think we, the Uchiha, came to be? Spontaneous generation? When the Fruit Eater gave birth, it was true that only they possessed the power of the Shinju, mother and child. However, the power of the Shinju wasn’t the only power in the world. The Uchiha already existed, though not as you know us to be right now. We were already a powerful clan of warriors with uncanny life force and vitality. We were aggressive and uncompromising. The Sage’s son obliterated all of our clan when we became too powerful and lost in our urge to fight. He couldn’t, however, kill the fairest of us all. She became his light. And the rest you can imagine. Her influence was such that she even pinned him against his brother, the only one capable of standing before him. She rebuilt the clan with their children after he died and built the foundations of what became the Uchiha. If its true that our Eyes came from the Sage’s Son, our clan and our tenacity and passionate demeanour came from our mother… Weirdly enough, not all of her children bared the Sharingan. From her 13 offsprings, 5 possessed a deviant eye. Sadly, because their eyes were white and they lacked pupils, she thought they were born blind so she gave them away. She didn’t live to see them become the Hyuuga I’m afraid. And before you ask, no, there are no living proof of none of this. Its been over 6500 years since then and the great wars ravaged what little written proof we might have. The only account of this is recorded in the runes carved in the Tree of Ages. Runes that need special eyes to decipher them. What I just told you, I found 660 years ago. The truth was so eye opening that I decided to change the fate of our clan forever and return us to the glory days before the slaughter.”
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A Long moment of silent stood between them before she spoke again “But I digress. You must grow tedious of our conversation… Humm… I cannot break your mental block it seems. And killing you might not be the best solution given the fact that you are a valuable bargain card. What to do to you then? What to do?” a familiar presence she felt behind her. “Lili, darling, did you manage to gain Amegakure?”
“Erm… yes, to a certain extent” said Lili in a somewhat apprehensive tone.
“Care to explain?” said Rei as she stood up and turned to face Lili. Despite her very friendly tone and her gentle smile, there was something unusually unsettling in her posture, as if ready to erase Lili from existence. The “cruxified” shinobi nearby, the one Lili had locked away in the fortress, was white and pale as if he was about to faint. What was Rei doing with him in the cave? He was supposed to be locked away. Lili had locked him away. They had interrogated him for days. He wasn't the vessel. What was Rei still digging at him for?
“I defeated Gobi as you instructed but there were complications. He was killed by the Sage of Wood and the Sage of Illusionary Touch.”
“Scary Yamato and your blood brother? Interesting…” and a dark menacing weight suddenly sifted the air in the cave. It was as if death itself was ready to strike Lili down. Yet Rei smiled just the same.
“But they were not the problem. The problem was Vincent, former leader of Amegakure and Akatsuki. He meddled with me and he was responsible for letting Go…”
“DO YOU THINK I’M STUPID LILI-CHWAN????” Rei’s voice was loud, resonating in the large cave as if thunder itself was rumbling in the air. Her face showed anger but also the heaviest and darkest of intentions. Lili had never seen such a face before nor felt so much eminent power. It was a different Rei. The Rei Uchiha of old legend. The Rei that fended off all of the the Seven Swordsmen singlehandedly, saving the villages in the Great War. The Rei that was said to have the strongest eyes in the clan, and the darkest of knowledge. Queen of Chocolate, Master of White Fire and Creator of Villages. The Unnamed Sage of Butterflies, the Poison Master Rei Uchiha. She was a legend in itself. The sole 700 year old survivor of the old Uchiha Clan. Lili couldn’t help but tremble. She couldn’t do anything and a single tear ran through her left cheek. Was this killing intent? Was this simply fear? “Sorry little one… I forget how intense I can be for someone so young… I grow frustrated with our lack of advances”
“I failed you, Rei-hime”
“No…I mean, ok, a bit. But you’ve done well and nothing is lost.”
“Without the political power of Amegakure and its resources, it will be harder to find the bearer of the Yurei. We should consider revising our strategy.”
“Indeed… Well, for starters, you can take Wesobi back to the fortress in the north. His mind… I cannot break it. Its protected by the most powerful mind protecting technique I have ever come across. So its useless to keep wasting my time with him.” Seeing Lili’s inquisitive look, Rei explained “He was supposed to be the true vessel of the Yokai and when I saw he wasn’t, I assumed he at least knew something about it.”
“You cannot break it?” and Lili approached Wesobi and looked upon his arms. In the internal side of his forearms she saw it “Its impossible… How can you have…” and Wesobi smiled.
“What is it Lili?”
“He…he fooled us. Wesobi signed the contract… he signed with the Pandas…”
“What?!”
“Yes, this tattoo is proof of it. I know it because Scorps is also a signer thought I thought he was the only one. They receive this tattoo as a living bound to the contract. With it comes the strongest of mental protection techniques… Panda Genjutsu: Revenge of the Sleeping Madness. It cannot be broken. To think that the Panda Sages would have known to protect Wesobi…”
“Those fossils seem to be one step ahead of us! And your brother of all people! They got themselves a nice pawn to work with…” and with a small hand movement, the water engulfed Wesobi as he fell into a comatose state once again but this time, he didn’t merge into the river. A metal box rose up from the ground and enclosed itself around Wesobi and the water, with multiple chains then wrapping and binding around the box as it closed. The chains shined in blue, showcasing countless kanji marks which engraved the box as well. “Take him to the fortress. Instruct the minions there on what to do. The Pervy Sage is to keep this box in the Amaterasu pit. Its unlikely there is anyone alive who can undo the sealing technique but in case they want to try it, they will need to give their life for it.”
“Yes but why not kill him?”
“Pandas have a link to all shinobi they signed a contract with. If he dies, they’ll know and they’ll know where he died. That information on the other hand will go directly to Scorps who will come here and hinder our plans. Not only that but the Pandas need to be dealt with care. Their Sage is able to see glimpses of the future with much more clarity than the Great Toad Sage. No, Wesobi must be alive until the time comes where we can use him.”
“Off course, hime. Any other order?”
“No Lili, you can go. I will give the orders to Xylon and Ragnaroc in person. I need them to check a feeling I’m having. I feel the bearer of the Yurei has just set foot in the Ninja World.”
“That’s… sorry. I’ll be going” and Lili took a scroll and sealed the large box in it before disappearing in a burst of speed.
“She is too smart for her own good… I hope I don’t have to kill her when the time comes…”
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As Lili ran through the damp forest deeply woven within the maternal mist, she couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. She never really felt confortable talking to that woman. She both admired and feared her. But she couldn’t be phased by something like that. As she reached the fortress she stopped at its gates. The fortress didn’t seem like much externally. A small fortification, not bigger than a normal big house, just surrounded by 4 meter tall walls of rock. The gate seemed like a normal wood gate, large enough for a small carriage to pass. The small size and visual simplicity were deceiving. Beneath the surface lied a gigantic prison, with a main hall nearly as big as the Maternal Cave. Inside it, for years, experiments were conducted to understand how to seal the 2 Tails into a host. The first was The Seven Scaled Boy, a friend of hers. She saw many of her friends die down there. The Hidden Mist was known for its dark past. The fortress was named simply “Fang” as it was located in a place known as the “Fang of Sharks”. Sharks didn’t have fangs so the name never really sounded right to Lilli. But she didn’t care. The fortress was protected by powerful sealing techniques, which prevented anyone who hadn’t signed the blood contract inside to enter. The only way to sign the contract was to have someone who has access already to carry your blood and sign the contract for you. There is no other way. The 2 Tails tried to escape for 50 years to no avail. Lilli did 3 simple handseals and pressed her palm on the gate. A kanji for “entering” shined red on the whole gate and it opened. Behind it, a familiar, yet disgusting face. For Lilli at least. She never liked how he was always able to resist her charm. He was one of the few men who never really favoured her.
“Lilli-chwan… To what do I owe the honour?”
“Pervy Sage…looking saggy as ever. I came to deliver this.” She threw her scroll at the man “You are to unseal it, inside is the ninja Rei has been interrogating, and place in a cage until further notice. Feed him daily and keep him healthy. And don’t put a single mark on him.”
“I’m not a…” but before he could complete his sentence, the kunoichi disappeared “Dam her… I think she doesn’t like me… And dam it all! I don’t like being a baby sitter for crazy prisioners!!!! Yard! Howard! Sindy! Take this down to the large sealing cell, unseal him and give him food!”
A young ninja, cloaked quickly appeared next to Pervy and asked "Who is he?"
"An old friend... Protect him with your life and treat him well..." said Pervy as he though "What are you playing at Lili? Double playing Rei might not be the smartest choice...
As Scorps and Scary reached the outskirts of the Land of Fire they decided to rest. They weren’t recovered from the last dramatic set of events and they needed to reorganize themselves. They took camp in a small clearing on the forest, near a passing creek. They had water and there were fish to eat.
“I’ll make the fire, you catch the fish Scorps”
“I hate fishing…”
“I hate many things…yet here we are”
“…”
“Yeah yeah, get moving… I’m hungry”
As Scorps approached the water he took his clothes off. If he was to catch a fish he would at least take a bath. And as such he would also heal using the water a medium. As he stripped down to his underwear, he took the first step into the water. It was cold but nice. A deep breath and a dive and Scorps already felt better. Before he continued he decided to catch the fish, otherwise all the splashing and moving about would drive them down the creek. With a few handgestures, coordinated like a dance, he rose 3 bubbles of water from the creek, inside of which there were a total of 4 fish. Guiding the bubbles to the shore, he released his control, leaving the fish the flap around on the grassy ground.
“There, 4 fish”
“That was fast. Izuna would be proud of your skill with Water.”
“I pale in his shadow. He didn’t need handseals or handgestures. And his techniques were so powerful.”
“Yet he is dead where as you are alive. Don’t dwell on the nostalgia of the days that pass my friend. It only brings sadness and we need brightness to shine upon our path”
“So beautiful… You should write a book.”
“Joke all you want but its true. Now… will you tell me about Yokai?” said Scary as he took his clothes off and joined Scorps on the creek as the fire started. “This is too cold. Do you mind if I..?”
“No, be my guest”
Scary raised one hand which ignited into White Fire. As he pressed it against the water it rapidly heated up into a steaming temperature. “Now that’s a bath. Can you heal us a little bit? My hand is still very damaged”
“On it” and Scorps clapped his hands underwater, while sitting on the bottom with his legs crossed. Only his head was above the water. As he concentrated he suddenly shined in a green aura. The aura infused the water of the creek and started to very slowly heal them both “This will take some time as I’m healing us both and I’m not on my best shape”
“So, spit it out”
“Ok…guess I need to. You know the mission me and Wesobi went on where you ended up having to infuse my body with some of your cells for me to survive? Back when we were like 12 or something? Lili had left the village with Caliburn, you and Izuna were Jounins and me and Wesobi were simple Genin on our first assignment. We were to return a package to Iwagakure but we were ambushed in the process. It was on that same mission that I lost my eye. Well, when I was injured, I was about to die when Wesobi asked the Yokai to save me if she could. She said that once she left a vessel, she couldn’t turn back and because he didn’t know any medical techniques, the only way to save me was to merge with me and unmerge with Wesobi. Wesobi had been contemplating his fate for long. He was unhappy. He was not Wesobi but the Vessel of the Yokai. He accepted his fate the day he became the vessel but he wasn’t happy. And his love for Lawliet made him even more anxious to get a normal life. That opportunity was gold. He agreed and begged her to save me. She merged with me and her power kept me alive until you came. We didn’t say a word about it. And when the dust cleared, Wesobi asked me never to tell anyone. Despite wanting a normal life he wanted to fullfill his duty to the village and to the ninja world. He regreted taking that decision and putting the weight of his own fate on my shoulders. He felt he had been a coward. Thus why he told Nexus.”
“Nexus? Why?”
“I don’t know myself. But I think he wanted Nexus to know as a form of warranty. Regardless, only me, Wesobi and Nexus knew. Truth be told, by having Wesobi be the decoy vessel, in theory, the Yokai was never as well protected as it was.”
“I wish you would have told me…”
“Well, we cannot change that now…”
“If you are the vessel though, strategically speaking…”
“Stop right there Scary. Wesobi is my brother. And he sacrificed himself for me more than once. And for Yokai as well. Neither me nor her will let him suffer more for us. We owe him that.”
“Ok but… we’re proposing to infiltrate Kirigakure. Its… I don’t know if we can achieve this”
“We aren’t infiltrating; we are destroying it”
“uh??”
“Stealth in such a situation is useless. If we are successful in entering but are found out once inside only to find out we are too weak to win, we are trapped. If we attack from the beginning, if we find ourselves to be weak, we can always retreat an come up with a new strategy”
“Still… do we have such a power? Alucard is no easy feat to defeat and you cannot forget they have a big military power. Their forces were trained by Lili and are as gruesome as her reputation. And we cannot forget that the Sages are missing. Caliburn is affiliated with Kirigakure. Its likely that he, along with the other Sages might be there and working for the enemy”
“I considered all that. That’s why we will need a few friends. I have sent Dawn to track those we need. I have also given direct orders to McRazor through Grus, a crane we both use.”
“So, whats the next move?”
“McRazor will stay in Konoha, protecting it and containing Leaf. Leaf will be sought out by Vincent. By putting her in Konoha, we immediately take his focus away from Kirigakure which is where Lili is and where we will be. According to my calculations, McRazor, Typhon and Dante should be enough to contain Vincent in case he shows up and not even he can bypass the village barrier. With that out of the bag, we will call upon some friends in other villages. People we trust.”
“Who?”
“Jinbei is the main one I want on our side. Iwa has many good ninjas that might join and I left that task in his hands. Suna is in disarray with Emperors defection so not much help can come from there. I sent word to Kumogakure but haven’t heard anything yet. I think Kirabi is afraid now that Roku and Mugiwara left the village without notice. As two sages, they also disappeared. I suspect he won’t help. “
“That doesn’t leave us with much to go on”
“Well, true but trust me, it will be enough”
“So, we head to Kiri?”
“Yes… We've been reminiscing into the past for too long... Time to start a path no one has ever walked in ages... Time for the destruction of Kirigakure! Off course, once I shampoo my hair. Its a mess since my last fight with all the rain... We are almost fully healed by the way.”
“Yeah, I noticed”
“You’re welcome”
“I didn’t thank you as you were the one responsible for my injuries in a sense…”
“Always the grateful one I see…”
“Bite me”
“Nah, my cholesterol level is already too high these days…”
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