The auction hall was packed. Representatives from the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans sat in the front rows. Behind them, the Hyuga and Aburame elders watched with clinical interest.
Yoichi stood at the podium with the three young students at his side.
He didn't waste time on a long speech.
Instead, he simply opened the first crate.
The strong medicinal scent filled the room in its wake, signifying such potency of the pills along with the direct description written in each pamphlet given to the attendees and the public.
The bidding was fierce.
The Nara clan pushed early to secure supplies for their medical research. The Akimichi followed, desperate for pills that could offset the physical toll of their calorie-burning techniques.
From the balcony, Danzo and the elders watched the exchange. They saw wealth and loyalty shifting toward the stage. The village treasury was bypassed as the clans handed over scrolls of credit and resources directly to the children.
By sunset, the crates were empty. Every major clan had purchased a stake in Yoichi's success.
Yoichi sat behind the heavy oak table, pushing three thick stacks of ryo scrolls toward his teammates.
"Your cut," he said, his voice level. "This is for your time and efforts for our successful venture."
Tsunade picked up a scroll, her eyes wide as she scanned the total. "This is enough to buy a dozen medicine halls. You are really handing this over?"
"Wealth is just a tool," Yoichi replied.
Jiraiya grabbed his share, grinning until he nearly fell off his chair. "I can buy every book in the village! I am rich!"
Orochimaru tucked his scrolls into his robes without counting them. "It buys independence," he noted softly. "The elders cannot choke us if we own the air they breathe."
Once they left, Yoichi closed his eyes. The ten silver tickets in his hands blurred in metallic lights as the silver roulette emerged.
[Drawing...]
The wheel spun with a ghostly hum before the needle clicked into place. In the end, Yoichi obtained two sets of thirty-portion aged herbs, one Introduction to Talisman Making Manual, three bottles of Qi Blood pills, two bottles of Crimson Orchid medicinal powder, one bottle of Demonic Bone Forging pill, and a small space pouch.
He looked at the manual and the space pouch, thinking of the blond girl who had just left.
Though Tsunade was a bit of a gambling addict, she earned it alongside Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
He knew her talent for precision was unmatched.
Giving her the manual would let her master seals for the group. He also realized they might need the convenience of the space pouch for their future travels and secret hauls. He set the two items aside for her, then picked up the dark Demonic Bone Forging pill, feeling its heavy energy.
Yoichi sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet workshop. He swallowed the dark Demonic Bone Forging pill, feeling it sit heavy in his stomach before it dissolved into a searing liquid fire.
The heat raced through his veins and sank deep into the marrow of his limbs.
He felt a dull, grinding ache as the medicinal power began to scrape away the impurities in his skeleton, replacing them with a dense strength.
Sweat soaked through his clothes, but he did not break his posture.
His Heavenly Demon Scripture hummed in response, absorbing the energy and lacing his bones with a dark luster.
Each breath he took felt heavier, his body becoming a solid vessel for the Qi Blood surging within him.
The process lasted until the moon was high.
When he finally opened his eyes, he felt a strange lightness despite his increased density.
Yoichi stood up, his joints popping with the sound of snapping wood, and looked at the items he had set aside for the others.
...
...
...
Konoha Year 26, January.
Three years passed.
The workshop was now a fortified compound, and the nine-year-old children had become twelve-year-old shinobi.
Their presence carried a weight that standard training could not explain.
Tsunade paced the floor, her fingers tapping the Space Pouch at her waist. "Where is Yoichi?" she asked, her voice sharp. "The elders want the new shipment, and he is still playing nomad."
Orochimaru looked up from a scroll, his eyes calm. "He pursues a path beyond our reach. Let him be."
Yoichi traveled the world with quiet discretion.
From Suna to Kiri, he sought to absorb the Five Elements to fuel his growth toward the Innate Realm.
In the Suna deserts, he inhaled the whiff of metallic dust. He filtered the grit through his lungs until he achieved the discipline and sharpness of metal, turning his bones into a density no blade could chip. In the Land of Fire, he drew in the wood element's exuberance to mend his internal scars.
From the Land of Hot Springs, he experienced the passionate and fiery blaze of the volcanic veins.
Yoichi sat amidst the sulfurous heat, mastering the Fire Element to stoke the furnace of his heart.
He meditated in Kiri to gain the adaptability of water and buried himself in the rocky soil of the Land of Earth to gain the stability of the mountain.
His Heavenly Demon Scripture acted as a furnace, melting these five traits into a terrifying foundation.
He stood on the edge of a new level of existence, his body no longer bound by mortal limits.
Yoichi climbed the highest peak in the Land of Earth, where the air was thin and the stone was ancient. He sat in the silence, crossing his legs as the Five Elements swirled within his meridians like a brewing storm.
The metallic sharpness of Suna, the wood vitality of the forests, the volcanic heat of the Hot Springs, the fluid mist of Kiri, and the heavy soil of the earth clashed and then fused. His Heavenly Demon Scripture acted as the ultimate anchor.
He felt his mortal limits shatter, his skin glowing with a faint light as his spirit touched the world.
"Finally," Yoichi whispered, his voice steady despite the roar in his ears. "The world feels... smaller. Or perhaps I have simply grown."
A silent explosion of energy rippled outward, flattening the snow for miles.
His two hearts slowed to powerful, rhythmic beats.
He felt his senses expand until he could hear the heartbeat of the mountain itself. The impurities of his body were incinerated, leaving behind a frame that was light as a feather yet dense as a star.
He stood up, looking at his hands as they hummed with power. "So this is the Innate Realm. It is like waking up for the first time." He let out a short, sharp laugh, feeling a surge of genuine excitement.
The power was intoxicating, a brand new clarity that made his previous self feel like a ghost.
[Congratulations!]
[You've reached the Innate Realm!]
[Rewards: +1 Prismatic Ticket, Heavenly Seed.]
A longan-sized seed appeared, glowing with primal light.
Upon contact, the object seeped into his palms and rushed through his meridians like lightning.
It settled deep within the dantian, sparking a passionate blaze. Dark, translucent Heavenly Demon Qi erupted into a pillar of fire that scorched the frost.
Yoichi looked at his hands, his expression thoughtful.
The scripture was a guide, but the sudden appearance of the seed was a mystery.
A brand new clarity filled his mind, yet wonder remained while trying to grasp the energy rooted in his body.
"I didn't think it would feel this alive," he whispered.
The dark flames flickered out, leaving him amidst scorched earth. The power was intoxicating, but the mystery of this transformation weighed heavily on his mind.
Of course, he also had a fair share of curiosity.
Especially in his five perfected techniques.
Upon reaching the pinnacle, five mysterious pillars appeared in his mindscape. Each was engraved with cryptic inscriptions that soon absorbed into his consciousness. He did not know the meaning of these pillars, but the enigma behind them was tied to his system.
Yoichi looked out over the horizon, his gaze distant.
At first, the goal seemed clear.
He wanted to propagate the world with Martial Arts, fulfilling the legacy of the failed Martial Ancestor.
Bringing the way of the fist to a land of ninjutsu felt like a righteous path.
However, this enigmatic and cold system was truly bizarre. The sudden gifts, the pillars, and the shifting power broke down even his logical mind.
It felt less like a tool and more like an architect of a destiny he did not yet understand.
"Is this still my path, or am I just a vessel for something else?" he asked the wind. The silence of the mountain peak was his only answer. He clenched his fist, feeling the perfected techniques thrumming in his bones, ready to be unleashed.
Yoichi shook his head, clearing the heavy thoughts from his mind.
The cold wind of the peak whipped at his cloak, but his resolve remained firm. He couldn't solve the mystery of the system standing still.
With a light tap of his foot, he blurred into motion.
His new Innate Realm strength made the rugged terrain feel like flat ground.
He trailed back toward Konoha, moving with a speed that left only a faint whistle in the air.
Each leap covered dozens of meters.
He didn't use chakra to stick to the trees; he used the sheer physical force of his tempered legs.
The distance that once took days to travel now felt like a short stroll.
As the familiar green canopy of the Land of Fire appeared, Yoichi felt a strange sensation.
The village was close, but he was no longer the boy who had left it. He slowed his pace as the massive wooden gates came into view, wondering how much his teammates had changed in his absence.
...
...
...
Deep within the lightless tunnels, a shadow stirred.
A murky figure peeled himself away from the cold stone like spilled ink, gliding toward the withered figure on the throne.
Finally, you've woken up, Black Zetsu thought, his internal voice dripping with a malice centuries old.
You did sleep well, old ghost. Your role in my mother's return is nearly set.
Madara Uchiha sat there, eyes closed, sustained by the Gedo Statue as the world moved above. His eyelids flickered open, revealing eyes marked by concentric circles that rippled through the purple iris.
The Rinnegan stared back, its gaze dulled by years of waiting.
He looked at the black mass with suspicion.
"Who are you?" Madara rasped, his voice like grinding sand. "You are not one of my experiments."
"I am your will," the shadow replied smoothly.
"At the moment your life began to fade, your desire to change this world took form. I am the physical manifestation of your spirit, born to serve you."
Black Zetsu watched the lie take root.
He had already manipulated Madara into using the Demonic Statue to release the ancient victims of Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi.
By mixing them with the stolen DNA of Hashirama Senju, the human-plant hybrids known as White Zetsu appeared.
"The experiments... they are successful then?" Madara asked, gesturing to the pale figures emerging from the statue's roots.
"Beyond your expectations, Master," Black Zetsu lied, bowing low. "These creatures are your creations, fueled by the Senju's vitality and your own vision. They are the perfect soldiers for your dream."
Madara stared at the pale husks, a faint, cold smile touching his lips. He felt the connection to the creatures and the dark shadow, convinced he was their true creator. "My will," he murmured, leaning back. "Then go. Be my eyes in the world until the time for the dream is right."
Black Zetsu merged into the floor, his form becoming a flat puddle of ink.
He moved through the rock with a silence that defied the senses.
Behind him, the Gedo Statue stood like a silent titan, holding the fading spark of the Uchiha legend.
The piece is moved, Black Zetsu mused, his mind already drifting through centuries of failed attempts. Madara is arrogant enough to believe he is the master. He will play his part perfectly until the moon turns red.
He emerged from the base of the mountain, rising from the shadow of a gnarled pine tree.
The outside world was a sharp contrast to the stale air of the cave. The scent of rain and damp earth filled the air.
"Still the same, nothing has changed," he whispered to the wind. "But there is a ripple in the energy of this world. Something that does not belong to the Sage's lineage."
He turned his gaze toward the borders of the Land of Fire. A strange, sharp presence was moving toward the hidden village. It was a density of power he hadn't felt in a thousand years, yet it lacked the signature of a Tailed Beast.
With a flick of his shadowy form, he vanished into the roots of the forest, heading out to investigate this new variable.
___________
I'll release the last chapter later on. For now, just wait hehehe.