Chapter 348: 326. A Lot to take in
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"That's a lot to take in!"
Tsunade remarks after listening to the story.
"Yeah! Perhaps it may sound like the plot of one of those fantasy novels in the Konoha library, but it's the reality."
Izuna chuckles dryly.
"Hmm… So, Izuna-kun, you suspect that the demons are behind this incident?" Minato asks him.
"I am hundred percent sure. It's them. Also, from my trip to Land of Sky; I discovered they had some involvement with the demons or they excavated some ruins of the demons in the past. Perhaps this can also explain their sudden rise in power during the Second Shinobi War."
Izuna speculates.
"But for now, let's focus on the enemies knocking on our doorsteps. Meanwhile, I will check the matter at HOLE. It might be another attempt of demons to make a comeback and spread their Thousand-year kingdom like in the past."
Izuna closes his eyes and senses the space near the HOLE.
'That barrier is quite powerful. I can't even sense anything in a radius of fifty kilometers around that place.'
"Alright, I am off!"
Shoom…
A portal opens in front of Izuna. He walks into the portal and disappears from the room.
After his departure, Minato and Tsunade stare at each other and sigh.
"Izuna-kun is so reliable. Just having him around eases half of our worries." Tsunade remarks with a smile.
"Yes, he has grown a lot during all these years. I clearly remember the day when I first met him." Minato reminisces the past memories.
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Around seventy kilometers from the HOLE,
Swoosh…
A portal with a purple hue opens up. Izuna steps out of the portal and looks around.
"Hmm… I am slightly off from the coordinates I picked up."
Shiing…
His left eye changes into Rinne-Sharingan and he looks around.
"As I suspected, my earlier speculation was correct. This place isn't isolated by a space-time barrier. Rather, it has been transported to some unknown dimension."
Shiing…
He infuses some chakra in his eye as the surrounding scenery changes.
Multiple bolts of chaotic energy flow through the space. Numerous invisible small-scale explosions keep occurring in the surroundings.
'This is the dimensional gap that separates two different dimensions. The space-time momentum is so chaotic here that even a slight disturbance can alter the fragile equilibrium of space-time and lead to the collapse of the entire surrounding hundred kilometers. I have to be extra careful.'
"Susanoo"
Izuna shrouds himself with his Susanoo and carefully walks through the chaotic dimensional gap. Invisible bolts of energy keep hammering his Susanoo. Cracks start to appear on the armor of his Susanoo.
Tch…
"I am still too far away from the barrier. If I continue to move at this pace, then my Susanoo will disperse before I could even make it to the barrier."
He stretches his palm and creates ten purple orbs. The purple orbs cover his Susanoo and form another layer of protection.
"Full speed ahead!"
Swoosh… Boom…
With a sonic boom, Izuna speeds up through the dimensional gap. The chaotic energy particles continue to bombard his Susanoo.
"Almost there!"
A red barrier appears in front of Izuna's eyes.
Whoosh…
Izuna lands beside the barrier and extends his hand to touch the barrier.
Bzzt… Sizzle…
Red lightning streaks at the point of contact.
"Hot… hot…"
Izuna immediately removes his hand from the barrier. Smoke rises from his hand as his hands heal slowly.
Hmm…
"It's a very powerful barrier. I am afraid my understanding of Fuinjutsu isn't sufficient to decipher it."
Izuna stares at the various unknown runes and seals on the surface of the barrier.
"Perhaps I can try to brute force my way by striking at the seals I am familiar with."
Haah….
Izuna takes a deep breath and stretches his hand.
Swirl…
A large amount of dense fire, lightning, wind, and water chakra condenses in his hand.
"Oblivion Release: Arrow of Nothingness"
The dense chakra morphs into an arrow.
Fwoosh…
The Susanoo crosses its two upper arms and wings and creates a crossbow out of them.
Kaching…
Izuna notches the arrow on the crossbow and aims it for the weak spot of the barrier.
"This particular rune is vulnerable to high impact and heat. My jutsu condenses the power of a small scale nuke in a small arrow and thus can focus the destructive power at a single point. The pressure and temperature at the point of impact are almost at the level of a formation of a star."
Fwish…
The Susanoo releases the chakra string and launches the arrow towards the barrier.
Swoosh…
The Oblivion arrow tears through the fabric of the chaotic space and pierces into the barrier.
BOOM…
A deafening explosion occurs at the point of the impact as the entire compressed energy is released in the form of a cone.
Rumble… Rumble…
Ripples travel across the entire barrier from the point of impact. The entire barrier trembles violently.
"Will it succeed?"
Izuna stares at the arrow with an anxious expression.
Fwoosh… BOOM…
"Here comes the reaction force from the barrier."
Izuna crosses his arm and blocks the incoming assault of the reflected energy with his Susanoo.
BANG…
He is launched out of the chaotic space by the shock waves.
"Did I make it?"
Izuna narrows his eyes and stares at the point of impact. There is a basketball-sized hole in the barrier.
"All that effort and this is all I am capable of. Sigh…"
Izuna sighs helplessly as the hole slowly repairs itself.
Shiing…
One of the tomoes in his Rinnegan slowly fades away.
'It will take me two days to recover the chakra to use this jutsu again.'
He shakes his head and stares at a corner of the sky.
"I can see you, old man. There is no need to hide."
He speaks to no one in particular.
Tch…
An elderly man with pale skin and a face with deep wrinkles and a strong jawline appear in front of Izuna. The man has two small horn-like protrusions on his forehead. There is a red Rinnegan marking on the center of his forehead and he has two purple tomoe-less Rinnegan.
Sigh…
Hagoromo's spirit sighs and stares at the state of the surrounding space.
"This is too much to take in. I didn't expect my small homeworld to harbor such a big secret."
Hagoromo rubs his forehead.
'Even a spirit can get a headache?'
Izuna curiously stares at Hagoromo as this question pops into his mind.
Hagoromo turns towards Izuna, who has a tranquil expression on his face.
"The shinobi world is about to meet its end and yet you seem to have a calm expression."
Hagoromo's curiosity is piqued.
'Looks like this old man put some effort into learning the language of this era. I wonder which literature crash course he took.'
Umm…
"If the Sage of Six Paths himself is helpless in such a situation, then what can a powerless person like me can do in this situation?"
Izuna shakes his head.
"If the world is fated to end here, then so be it. I will happily accept my doom."
Izuna calmly responds to Hagoromo's question.
"Oh! So, have you accepted your fate?"
"No, of course not! Who would want to die in such a shitty way? But I am powerless in such a situation."
Izuna shakes his head.
"Hmm… that's true. But at least you should make some effort to change your fate." Hagoromo remarks.
"Old man, stop spouting riddles and get to the point. We have little time." Izuna cuts to the chase.
"Ah!"
Izuna's sudden rude remark surprises Hagoromo.
"Haha… you are quite impatient like my younger son, despite being the descendant of my elder son. Alright, I won't tease you anymore."
Hagoromo stretches his hand.
Swish… swish…
The truth-seeking orbs behind his back and flies in front of him and forms a staff.
Hmm…
Izuna scrutinizes the orbs with his Rinnegan to get a better understating of the jutsu.
Ting…
Hagoromo taps his staff in the air as their surrounding changes.
"This is a mindscape!"
Izuna curiously looks around as they appear in a completely dark space with multiple distant stars and nebulas.
"That's right! This place is my mindscape."
"Hmm… For an old man like you, this place is quite dull and…"
Izuna looks around a little more and remark.
"Umm… desolate! Don't you feel lonely in such a void?"
"Huh… it does look a little desolate, but I can only spare a certain amount of energy to sustain this place and prolong the lifespan of my spirit." Hagoromo shakes his head.
"After my death, my consciousness should have withered and returned to the nature. However, the half Otsutsuki bloodline granted longevity to my spirit. Thus, for years, my spirit preserved itself through slumber only to be awoken by the recent incidents."
Hagoromo explains the details to Izuna.
"This isn't the only reason for your awakening and seeking me, right?"
Chapter 349: 327. Abyssal Nightmares
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"You are right!"
Hagoromo nods and taps his staff on the ground.
Whoosh…
The surroundings change and an image of the Kaguya, Urashiki, and Isshiki Otsutsuki appears in Izuna's vision. A plethora of emotions surge through Hagoromo's eyes as he sighs in reminiscence.
"Back then, mother was obsessed with the arrival of Otsutsuki. Her dread for them clouded her sanity and as her son, I could only helplessly watch and seal for all eternity. However, it was much later that I became aware of the truth."
Haah…
Hagoromo sighs and shakes his head.
"Alas! It was too late."
Swoosh…
The surroundings change to the aftermath of the battle between Ten-tails and the Otsutsuki brothers.
Izuna silently stares at the various flashing images as Hagoromo recounts his experience.
"… along my travels as I preached Ninshu to the shinobi world, I discovered traces of activities of other otherworldly beings in one of the Otsutsuki ruins. Out of curiosity or perhaps wariness, I approached those creatures in an attempt to understand them."
"Demons?"
Izuna interrupts Hagoromo.
"Mm… you can put it that way. Though demon is a broad term. These unfamiliar beings crawled out from the depths of the earth where they might have been lurking for who knew how long. Their foul chakra slowly corrupted the leylines; eroding the vitality of the entire planet.
Hamura and I eliminated waves after waves of them, but there were countless of them. Our battle with them lasted for a decade, during which I came to know their names. These creatures were called Abyssal nightmares."
"Abyssal Nightmares?"
Izuna frowns.
'There is already no lack of enemies. Now an entire faction of enemies joins the fray. First Otsutsuki, then that unknown guy from god knows which factions, demonic gods, and now these abyssal creatures. Shinobi world is in a far bigger threat than I previously imagined.'
Oblivious to Izuna's worries, Hagoromo continues.
"These creatures are very tenacious and almost impossible to kill. They don't have a physical form and exist as spiritual bodies. They feed on negative emotions and use them as a conduit to influence living beings and possess their body.
Their corruption is like a plague, which slowly spreads throughout the entire world. There is no definite way to get rid of them except for sealing them."
"Then how did you get rid of them?" Izuna interrupts him again.
"Quite impatient, aren't you?"
"Nah… I am just curious about these spirit life forms." Izuna denies it with a straight face.
'These somehow remind me of youkai from the Japanese folklore. I wonder how many similarities they have?'
"Did you ever try to exorcize these nightmares?" Izuna asks another question.
"Unfortunately, all our efforts were in vain. In the end, a Miko from an ancient clan used a sacrificial ceremony and their heirloom weapon to seal all those nightmares in a separate dimension. Despite our best efforts, a few nightmares still escaped in the end."
Hagoromo grimaced in self-mockery.
"Then you mean…"
Izuna points towards the dense red barrier around the hole.
"Ama-no-hoko or the spear of heaven tore through the fabric of reality and ripped apart a portion of this dimension to create an isolated space to act as a prison for one of three commanders of the army of Abyssal nightmares.
That ancient weapon was so powerful that it created a permanent hole in the very fabric of space of this dimension."
"So powerful!"
Izuna sucks a breath of cold air. He clutches his fists and mutters to himself.
'Will I be able to reach such a level of power? If my enemies grow stronger in the future, then I have to surpass my limits too.'
Shiing…
The tomoes in Izuna's Rinne-Sharingan rotate in a clockwise manner.
"For now, our chief concern is to fix the seal and prevent the release of abyssal nightmares." Hagoromo's words pull him out of his thoughts.
Sigh…
"That's a lot to take in old gramps!" Izuna takes a deep breath.
"This world is more f*cked up than I thought it is."
Huh…
Hagoromo tilts his head in confusion.
Ahem…
"Nothing… nothing! What I meant to ask is there a way to fix this seal? I mean… I can't even enter this place in the first place. Also, all my friends and family are trapped there. I am worried about their safety."
"There is still some time before the seal is undone. To fix the seal, you need to find the control device Saezuri and tune the sound according to a certain pattern to activate the sealing mechanism.
As for the barrier, it is a defensive mechanism to contain the tide of nightmares in case of a contingency. You can get the entry talisman from the high priestess of the Land of Demons. The fate of the world rest upon your shoulders."
Hagoromo extends his hand and passes one of his truth-seeking orbs to Izuna.
"This is the most help I can provide you at the moment. The rest depends on you."
"Tch… stingy!" Izuna clicks his tongue and grabs the truth-seeking orb as it slowly revolves around him.
Ah!
Hagoromo speechlessly stares at the fading remanent of Izuna.
"I have high hopes for you, boy. A big storm is approaching, ready to engulf the entire world into chaos and misery.
His gaze trails off in the vast, starry sky.
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Swoosh…
Izuna reappears in front of the crimson energy barrier.
"The high priestess of Land of Demons should be that Miko Lady Miroku whom I met during the wedding ceremony. At that time, she said I will soon come looking for her. Did she prophesied the future?
Also, what's the connection between the demon Moryo and this group of Abyssal nightmares? So many questions, but no answers…"
Izuna helplessly rubs his forehead.
"For now, I will head for the Land of Demons."
Whoosh…
With a burst of red and black lightning, Izuna disappears from the spot.
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Land of Demons,
Outside the main shrine,
Boom… Boom…
The sound of explosions drowns the silence of the night.
Whoosh… whoosh…
A squad of shinobis garbed in black clothes with a red kanji for 'demon' on the back appears at the main tori gate of the shrine.
"Enemy Attack!"
The captain of the demon guard squad flickers on top of the Tori.
"Jin, Mori, Hanzo! Lead a team to protect and safely escort her highness, the high priestess, to the safe house. Kira, Akihito, Ami… follow me to intercept the enemy."
"Yes, captain!"
The shinobis guards bow and disperse in two squads.
The squad captain and his team quickly approach the direction of the explosion.
Screams and miserable cries echo in the village as a cloaked figure slowly walks towards the shrine.
Crack… crack…
The cloaked figure snaps his neck and fingers.
"I have yet to gain complete control over this temporary body."
A deep and eerie voice echoes under the hood.
"My lord, your true body is still buried in the Land of Swamp. This humble vassal will soon fulfill his mission." The lips of the figure move slightly as a subservient voice talks to itself.
"Mm… before that, we have to remove the only obstacle in our path. The only power which can oppose and reseal us. This time I must fulfill the order of his highness."
The figure slowly walks towards the temple as numerous thin larvae of dark purple chakra squirm out of its body.
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Mm…
"Who is releasing the fireworks so late at night?"
A little girl with pale lavender eyes and light blonde hair that falls past her waist walks out of a room while yawning.
"So sleepy! I will go to mother's room to hear a story."
Creak…
One of the nearby doors opens and Miroku walks out of the room with a pale face.
"Guards! It's an emergency. Quickly evacuate princess Shion to a safe place."
Whoosh…
Whoosh…
A batch of guards hurriedly arrives in the hall. Miroku turns around and faces them as her Reigan flickers with a kaleidoscopic pattern.
"Quick! Take princess Shion as far from here as possible."
Miroku takes out a bunch of paper talismans and seals and hurriedly packs them in a bag.
"If possible, go and seek shelter from Konoha. By now, they must be aware of the impending crisis."
"Mom! Don't… don't leave me. I… I don't wanna go anywhere. I want to stay with mom."
Shion grabs Miroku's leg and wraps around it.
"Mother won't go anywhere!"
Miroku bends down and hugs Shion.
"Promise!"
"Promise!"
Miroku's eyes flicker once and Shion falls asleep in her embrace. She wraps the girl in a blanket and passes her to the guard captain.
"Quick, take her out of the Land of Demon."
"But… Lady…"
One of the guards tries to interrupt her.
"Don't worry about me. Captain Shinji has already dispatched a squad to escort me. I will be fine."
"Then please take care, your majesty!"
The guard captain bows and quickly leaves from the backdoor with his squad.
Sigh…
Miroku heaves a sigh of relief.
"At least Shion will be able to survive this calamity."
Bleurgh…
Miroku pukes out a mouthful of blood.
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