The team moved through the dense forest, their silhouettes flickering in the fading light. Torifu led the main group while Sakumo and Yoichi held the vanguard.
The air was thick with the weight of their shared past.
Sakumo glanced at his companion, adjusting the strap of his white chakra saber. "You're faster than when we last served under Torifu. Your presence is heavier. I didn't think I'd see you again after that day."
Yoichi kept his eyes on the horizon, his energy circulating in a slow pulse. "That behemoth prison was a decent training ground. They gained my blood, but they never got my mind."
Sakumo's face darkened at the memory. "Twenty Jōnin. We were pinned, and you just threw yourself to the wolves so we could break the circle. We assumed the worst for a long time."
"It was the rational choice," Yoichi replied, his voice flat. "They wanted me as a prize. If I hadn't stayed, none of us would have came out alive."
Sakumo landed silently on a branch, launching off again with a nod. "Maybe. But I'm glad you're alive after being captured. Knowing you survived that hell changes how I look at this mission."
Yoichi gripped his hilt, the cold metal grounding him. "Kumo didn't break me. They only made me sharper. I don't intend on being caught a second time."
Torifu raised a heavy hand, bringing the group to a halt as the sky bled into violet. "The Grass border is nearby," he rumbled. "We'll take things slow and camp here temporarily. Everyone rest up."
The veteran's gaze swept the trees, setting a disciplined tone for the night.
As the team unpacked, Yoichi turned to the trio.
"With me. We're going deeper into the woods for something crucial."
The Nara and Yamanaka exchanged perplexed looksq, while Sakumo tilted his head in silent question.
Torifu merely raised an eyebrow; as long as they remained focused on the mission, he didn't care for their secret training.
Deep in the shadows, Yoichi stopped and turned to them. "Do you want to breakthrough to the Innate Realm tonight?"
The question hung heavy.
Thanks to the massive stockpiles of pills he had provided, the three had reached the Peak of the Bone Forging Realm.
Their skeletons were as dense as iron, and they were ready to ascend.
"Is it finally time?" Orochimaru hissed, his hands trembling with anticipation. "I've felt the wall in my way for weeks. My blood is boiling."
Jiraiya wiped his brow, his usual grin replaced by grit. "I'm ready. I didn't choke down those bitter pills just to sit at the finish line. If you say it's time, let's break it down."
Tsunade tightened her fists until her knuckles turned white. "The strength I have isn't enough. If the Innate Realm is what lies beyond, I'm taking it."
They sat in a triangle, their breathing syncing as Yoichi released a pulse of pressure that made the surrounding trees groan.
He reached out to the atmosphere, drawing in the thin natural energy of the forest.
With his Meridians Strengthening Peak Stage, he channeled the raw power into their bodies like a rampaging river diverted into narrow tributaries.
The force was destructive to his vessel.
As the energy surged through him, Yoichi's organs tore and his bone marrow vibrated with searing heat.
Blood trickled from his nose, but the stacks of monstrous passive abilities hummed to life.
It stitched his entire physique as fast as the energy ravaged them, keeping him an unflinching bridge.
The three were instantly plunged into a world of agony.
The natural energy did not flow into them; it invaded, forcing its way through their reinforced systems.
They gasped and buckled under the weight of the invisible vice, their bodies trembling as their meridians expanded far beyond their natural limits.
Muffled groans and the sound of grinding teeth filled the small clearing.
Every fiber of their being was being remade from the inside out, the destructive force of nature testing the strength of their forged bones.
The process continued relentlessly, a cycle of agonizing refinement that hammered at their limits.
Yoichi pushed the natural energy through their systems until the air began to distort.
Finally, the barrier between the mortal and the innate snapped like a dry branch under the weight of a storm.
A thunderous crack echoed as their internal gates burst open.
The rampaging energy smoothed into three distinct whirlpools, pulling the surrounding air into a frantic gale.
Their auras exploded outward, flattening the grass and sending a sharp shockwave through the dense woods.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru sat perfectly still, but their presence had shifted.
The heavy weight of the Bone Forging Realm was gone, replaced by a crystalline pressure that hummed with the resonance of the world.
They had stepped into a higher state of existence.
At the camp, Torifu and Sakumo bolted to their feet with weapons drawn. They stared into the darkness, chilled by the predatory pressure rolling from the trees.
The other shinobi trembled as the atmosphere thickened with a power they could not name.
Yoichi exhaled a cloud of crimson mist, his internal injuries finally sealing. He watched the trio open their eyes, their pupils glowing with the faint light of the Innate Realm. They looked at their hands, feeling the world as an extension of their own will.
"What was that?" Torifu asked, his voice a low rumble. He stood like a stone wall, eyes tracking the strange pressure coming from the three.
"That wasn't any Ninjutsu I know. Explain yourselves."
The surrounding shinobi backed away, unsettled by the predatory weight in the air.
Even Sakumo kept his hand near his blade, his eyes wide with cautious wonder.
Yoichi opened his mouth to speak, but Jiraiya stepped forward, flashing a confident, toothy grin.
"Relax, sensei. You've heard of the legends, right? Lord Hashirama and his Sage power?" Jiraiya crossed his arms, acting as if it were common knowledge. "We just tapped into a bit of that natural energy. No big deal."
Torifu stiffened, his mind racing through old scrolls and stories of the First Hokage's terrifying aura.
The raw, ancient feeling coming from the kids actually fit the description.
"It is simply a higher state of harmony, Torifu-san," Orochimaru added, his voice like silk. "The body and the world becoming one. It is much more efficient than leaking chakra everywhere like a novice."
Tsunade stood tall, her presence heavy and immovable. "We just did what we had to. We need this kind of strength if we're going to bring that successor back alive." Torifu exhaled slowly, finally lowering his guard as he accepted the explanation.
The tension in the camp dissolved into a quiet, lingering awe. The image of the four standing in the moonlight became an unforgettable memory for the rest of the squad. As the fire dimmed, they began their nightly cycle of shifts.
The team rotated between vigilant watch and restorative sleep. Those on patrol moved through the brush like shadows, their senses heightened by the cool night air. The recovered ones took their turn to guard the camp, keeping the perimeter secure until the first gray light of dawn.
...
The journey into the Land of Grass was swift. The trio's new Innate speed allowed the team to cross the frontier by midday, moving through the rolling hills until the gates of Kusagakure rose before them. The village leader stood at the main hall, his posture stiff and his hands tucked nervously into his sleeves.
"Welcome, Konoha allies," the leader stammered, bowing deeply. He looked at Torifu and the powerful youths, sweat beading on his brow. "I regret that we meet like this. A Daimyo's successor missing in our own backyard is a stain we cannot easily scrub away."
They were ushered into a meeting room where a map of the region was spread across a wooden table. The leader gestured to the isolated island of Hozuki Castle. "The report is grim," he began, his voice dropping. "The successor and his assistant were being escorted to the criminal containment facility for a formal visit."
He tapped the island, his finger trembling. "Our entire delegation vanished with them. Ever since they entered the perimeter, not a single soul has been seen. We conducted a country-wide search, but the trails went cold at the gates. It is as if the earth swallowed them whole."
The leader's face paled as he leaned in closer. "The only thing we found was... unsettling. Deep within the facility, there is a massive black box. It has four faces carved into it, staring out." He shuddered at the memory.
"Beyond that, there is nothing. No bodies, no struggle, just that silent object."
The Box of Ultimate Bliss... Yoichi frowned.
He remembered the flickering screen from his past life and the dark history coming from the Era of the Six Paths Sage.
It was a sentient weapon of mass destruction that promised a wish but demanded a mountain of human sacrifices.
To a transmigrator, this wasn't a mystery; it was a harbinger of a looming disaster.
Tsunade noticed his sudden change in demeanor and leaned in close. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Yoichi," she whispered, her eyes searching his face. "Do you know what that thing is?"
Yoichi stood up, his presence turning cold and absolute. "We're leaving. Now," he ordered. The team blinked in surprise, startled by his sudden bluntness and the raw authority in his tone.
Even Torifu looked taken aback by the shift in his subordinate's resolve.
Before a question could be asked, the air outside fractured.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE—!
A heartshattering screech ripped through the village, echoing from the distant coast.
It was a sound of pure, unadulterated hunger that made the windows rattle in their frames and the floorboards vibrate. The Grass leader collapsed to his knees, clutching his ears as the terrifying wail settled into their very bones.
"Damn it!"
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Thanks to Daemonic_Dragon for the Power Stones!