Land of Rivers, Mount Katsuragi.
A massive chunk of earth had been torn from the ground and now hung suspended high in the sky.
Its edges were sheer, vertical cliffs, while the flat summit housed a sprawling village of buildings and watchtowers.
This was the fortress of the Tsuchigumo clan.
Two figures stood on the fortress's highest observation deck. One was the Clan Head, E no Gyōja, an elderly man with graying hair and a weathered face.
Beside him stood a girl of about twelve, with erald eyes and light blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.
She gazed down at the shrinking ground far below.
"Grandfather," Hotaru asked curiously. "Why does our clan live so high up?"
En no Gyōja lifted a hand and patted her head fondly. "To protect," he said, his voice low. "To protect the legacy our clan has passed down for generations."
Hotaru glanced at him. Thinking of the seal on her body and the cold, distant stares of their clansn, her expression dimd. "Is it... because of that forbidden jutsu?"
Gyōja nodded. "The Tsuchigumo clan's secret forbidden jutsu, Fury. It holds the power to wipe out an entire town in a single strike." His words hung heavy in the wind.
"That kind of power draws endless greed and fear. Those who want it and those who fear it, have never stopped watching us."
Hotaru unconsciously pressed her hands over her chest.
Noticing her unease, Gyōja's tone softened. "But there's no need to be afraid. During the Third Great Ninja War, I signed an agreent with the Third Hokage of Konoha, Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"What kind of agreent?" Hotaru looked up, her erald eyes reflecting her grandfather's profile.
"We swore never to abuse the forbidden jutsu, or use it for pointless war and destruction," he explained. "In return, Konoha took on the duty of protecting our clan."
"If we face a crisis we can't handle on our own, Konoha is bound to step in. It's a contract built on trust and strength."
He paused, letting her absorb his words.
"So, Hotaru, we live up here to protect the jutsu and avoid needless conflict, but we're not isolated or helpless. Konoha stands behind us."
Hotaru blinked, nodding as if she partly understood.
Seeing the lingering gloom in her eyes, Gyōja lowered his voice. "I know it isn't easy for you, Hotaru. Because you carry this power, the clansn look at you with both awe and distance."
"Grandfather..." Hotaru looked down at her toes.
Gyōja squeezed her shoulder. "But you have to understand, Hotaru. You carry the future and hope of the Tsuchigumo clan."
Promising Konoha not to use the forbidden jutsu and giving it up entirely were two very different things. The first was a contract; the second would be foolishly destroying their own foundation.
The clan's survival in this harsh shinobi world ultimately relied on the "sword" they held...the Fury jutsu. Even if it stayed sheathed, the threat of it warded off enemies.
Without a sword, they'd be defenseless prey. So the Tsuchigumo clan could never truly abandon Fury. Sealing it inside Hotaru was a calculated necessity.
Realizing her importance, Hotaru nodded firmly. "I'll rember, Grandfather."
A look of relief washed over Gyōja's face.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, the sky darkened.
A massive gust of wind pressed down from above. A shadow swallowed the observation deck in an instant, blotting out the sun.
Gyōja frowned and looked up.
A dragon-shaped creature was descending. Its wooden body was covered in thick armor, and its outspread wings cast a shadow across the whole fortress.
A figure stood calmly on its head.
En no Gyōja's face tightened. He shoved Hotaru behind him. "Enemy attack!" he roared.
The sight of the Wood Dragon and Gyōja's shout threw Mount Katsuragi into chaos.
"What is that?!"
"A dragon?! A flying dragon?!"
Amid the panicked cries, the beast folded its wings and landed.
Thud!
The platform shuddered. Tsuchigumo ninja sward in from every direction, forming a defensive line.
Shinichi leaped down from the dragon's head. His gaze calmly swept over the tense crowd, finally settling on the gray-haired Clan Head.
Shielding Hotaru, Gyōja stepped forward, his voice low and guarded...
"I am the head of the Tsuchigumo clan, En no Gyōja. Who are you, and why have you trespassed on our land?"
Shinichi's gaze lingered on the old man's face. A flash of genuine surprise crossed his eyes.
"...You're not dead yet?"
Dead silence fell over the platform.
It was broken by an angry shout. "Arrogant fool!"
Tonbei stepped forward, glaring at Shinichi. " You think just because Lord Gyōja is old, you can set your sights on our clan's secret technique?!"
His words lit a fire in the surrounding ninja. Their eyes sharpened, weapons drawn, the atmosphere pulled taut as a bowstring.
Gyōja raised a hand, blocking Tonbei's path.
"Master?" Tonbei asked, startled.
Gyōja didn't answer. He kept staring at Shinichi, a faint frown creasing his brow. He suddenly had the nagging feeling he'd seen that face sowhere before.
Shinichi didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with his blunt question. He furrowed his brow.
'The tiline... it changed.'
He had arrived too early. The point where the Six-Tails jinchuriki, Utakata, would cross paths with the Tsuchigumo clan was still far off.
'Did the Seven-Tails' power make impatient?' Shinichi reflected inwardly. 'To think I didn't even check the tiline... I was careless.'
It was hard to bla him for losing his composure. This kind of rapid, unnatural enhancent was intoxicating.
The fact that he hadn't completely lost his mind to the pursuit of power already made him remarkably disciplined.
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