Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Faith in Humanity ❯ The Sealing Ritual ( Chapter 19 )

Title: Faith Arc - Faith in Humanity (PG-13)

Author: Karrafear

Summary: AU. What if Naruto survived a murder attempt on his life at the age of 6 and had to leave Konoha for his protection. Now 12, Naruto and Jiraiya returns to face the genin test.

 

Disclaimer: Naruto is an anime and manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. It does not belong to me; I'm simply using the characters and plot for my own creative devices.

 

"Demon's talk", /Thoughts/, "Speech", 'Speech emphasis', (FLASHBACK), Titles, (Author's interruptions)

 

Warning: From now on, I will be starting to use `Kuunoki' instead of `Air' all the time. Hope you all could get use to the change. Um. Most of this chapter will be talking, hope you don't mind.

 

Pairings: eventually NarutoXHinata.

 

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Chapter 19 : The Sealing Ritual

 

(FLASHBACK)

 

“Gaara of the Sand. I have a proposition for you.” Kaga stated impassively as his eyes roamed over the injuries of the Sand siblings and the Uzumaki heir.

 

(END FLASHBACK)

 

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“Kaga-san... What are you doing now? I can understand you're here because you're my support and you helped create that Kage no Kekai (Shadow Prison)... But what more reason is there for you to come out?” Naruto asked, completely confused as to why the Shadow Master would involve himself even more then he already had. After all, it was against the rules of the Kuunoki no Sato (Hidden Air Village) to get involve in outside conflicts.

 

Kaga ignored Naruto's questions (to the blonde boy's annoyance) and only kept his eyes on Gaara. “I ask you again, Gaara of the Sand. I have a proposition for you.”

 

Still leaning heavily on his brother's arm, Gaara gave Kaga a deadly glare. “Who are you?” He grunted out in suppressed anger.

 

Kaga blinked in surprise but then bowed low as a sign of his regretful actions. “Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am Kaga of the Kuunoki and I'm here under the orders of my mistress, the Lady Oracle, with an offer to grant you, Gaara of the sand.” Straightening himself from his bowing position, Kaga lifted an eyebrow in waiting.

 

“I don't know you.” Gaara snarled in response, basically meaning `I don't trust you.'

 

“The Kuunoki no Sato (Hidden Air Village) is impartial to the conflicts of the world. If you choose to come with us, we will guarantee you safe passage within and through out the Fire country. If you were to decide to flee on your own, you may be hunted down by Konoha Shinobis after your head.” Kaga answered calmly, shrugging his shoulders as if the fact didn't disturb him at all. “However, that is not the proposition I have for you.” Looking straight into Gaara's piercing green eyes, Kaga continued to bait the boy. “Would you like to know what I'm offering you, carrier of Shukaku?”

 

Gaara narrowed his eyes in fury but knew that he was in no condition to fight. “Not interested.” Gaara growled low, like a wild animal waiting to pounce on its prey.

 

“We are offering you a chance to seal the demon away once and for all. We are offering you a chance to become normal, to be able to sleep a full night's sleep without any nightmares. We are offering you the freedom from your destiny, Gaara of the Sand.” In one long breath of voice, Kaga had laid out all their trump cards; he knew the Tanuki boy could not possibly resist. “What say you, to this agreement? Come with me to see the Lady Oracle and we shall discuss this matter further.”

 

There was a long moment of silence as everyone took some time to swallow the information that Kaga had just dumped on them. Naruto was quiet because he was completely shocked at what Kaga was offering. To him, he just couldn't believe that his Aunt had even thought of the idea. For a Kuunoki Shinobi, getting involved in outside affairs is punishable by death or life imprisonment. That was how harsh they take their laws.

 

For Gaara, he was just stunned at what this strange man was offering. /Could this `Lady Oracle' be a fake? Maybe she just wants what all the other people want, my death... But if it was real... then... then I have a chance to be rid of Shukaku forever... couldn't I? I... I don't know what to do.../ The confused and emotionally unstable boy thought frantically over his choices. He could accept and take the chances that this wasn't all just a joke, or he could walk away from it completely. And perhaps regret for the rest of his life.

 

Temari and Kankuro, on the hand, were completely suspicious of Kaga's seemingly `too-good-to-be-real' offer. Narrowing his eyes, Kankuro growled: “What's the catch?”

 

Kaga blinked innocently at him in return. “The `catch' as you say, is between the Lady Oracle herself and Gaara-san. I am in no position to either make any demands or negotiate the terms and conditions. I am simply a messenger, here to serve my Lady.” Kaga raised both his hands in a sign of peace and surrender, showing that he meant no harm, nor did he hold any judgement over the matter.

 

Though still suspicious of Kaga's supposed integrity, both Temari and Kankuro turned to Gaara to make the final decision. Gaara took a long time to come to a decision but none the less, a final decision was made. “I will come.” He paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes. “But if I am unsatisfied with the deal. I will kill you.” He said coldly, as if stating a fact instead of just being a threat.

 

Naruto continued to stay silent and watch the interaction between the Shadow Master and the Sound siblings. Considering Kaga-san still hadn't responded to his earlier queries, he knew that he wouldn't get any answers until the man was ready to tell them. Which basically meant that everyone would be taking a visit to see his Aunt in the near future, if not right at that instant.

 

As he predicted, Kaga-san followed Gaara's decision with a bow of respect before activating his Kage Heki (Shadow Barrier), surrounding the immediately area around all the remaining members in the forest - namely - Gaara, Naruto, Temari Kankuro and Kaga-san himself. Once everyone was included inside the Kage Heki, it was a simply matter of teleporting all of them using the Kageho (Shadow Walk) to where the Lady Oracle currently resided.

 

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Naruto blinked at the sudden change of environment, but was nowhere as surprised by the teleportation as Gaara and his siblings. Kankuro was currently waving around his arms madly in suppressed panic while Temari had her fan open and ready for any attack. Gaara simply stood in between them, with one raised eyebrow as the only sign of his surprise.

 

“There is no need to be afraid, Gaara-san, Temari-san and Kankuro-san. This building is under the protection of the Kuunoki's law of impartiality to all outside conflicts. We are neither friend nor foe of either the Hidden sand or the Hidden Leaf. Not to mention, the building itself is also enclosed within one of my Kage no Kekai (Shadow Barrier), protecting it from all outside interference.” Kaga-san explained patiently. Gaara and his siblings relaxed slightly but did not completely let go of their anxieties.

 

“The Lady Oracle is waiting for you behind that door.” Kaga indicated the sliding doors in front of them as the one they should be going through.

 

Seeing that none of the Sand Shinobis wanted to be the first to enter, Naruto took the responsibilities upon his own shoulders and stepped forward to be the first. He paused slightly when his hand touched the handle of the door, but he quickly slid it open before his mind could tell him to hesitate or give him any further doubts.

 

Once the door had been slid widely open, Naruto and the others behind him gapped at the display of the room itself. It was a completely empty room, with no furnitures or carpet, illuminated only by several candles attached to candle stands on the walls. Upon the centre of the empty room sat the Lady Oracle in an Indian style. However, unlike the high and mighty pose she'd like to present, Uzumaki Ruri was looking vaguely pale and sickly, her brow sprinkled with sweat and her body tense in almost exhaustion. This was the first time Naruto had ever seen his Aunt showing any weakness, and it scared him more than he'd like to admit.

 

The second most important feature in the room that had caught all of their attentions were the multiple intricate designs of geometric shapes and characters carved deeply onto the floor, roof and the three walls that surround them (excluding the one with the door that they had just walked through). (1) The designs consisted of two large circles, one placed within the other, 4 lines directly across its centre divided the two circles into 8 equal sections. There are 2 squares present within the circles, a large one whose vertices connect with the very intersection of the inner circle and 2 of it's lines of symmetry, while the second square, smaller in size, is formed by linking the lines at points where the first square crosses the other 2 lines of symmetry. Within the inner-square is a smaller octagon is displayed, crossed with a giant five-pointed star. The giant start is surrounded by four of its smaller counter parts that cross 2 of the circle's lines of symmetry. As strange as the geometric symbol itself may seem, what was even more unique about it were the Sanskrit characters written in blood on the area between the two circles.

 

Naruto blinked at the embezzled image, acknowledging that it was similar to the one his Aunt had cast upon him just before his Chuunin exam in which she had sealed away his use of the Tenkun no buki. But this new version of the same idea was far more complicated than the previous.

 

“This is the Go Hoshi Fuuin no Jutsu. (Five Star Sealing System)” The Lady Oracle finally decided to voice out some explanation, slicing across the silence that had surrounded the once empty room. “It is a special blood seal that was used to capture, manipulate and or seal demons in the days long past. This will be the first time a Uzumaki would be forced to use such a seal in over 500 years.”

 

Naruto blinked out of his stupor. The explanation was spoken with such an offhand and casual tone of voice that the Lady Oracle almost seemed as if she didn't care that she was about to undergo a sealing ritual that hadn't been performed in a few hundred years. Though Naruto was hard pressed in collecting all of his scattered thoughts together to form any coherent thought patterns, the first thing that left his mouth was: “Is it safe?” Taken back by his own abrupt question, Naruto mentally chastised himself for even doubting his powerful Aunt.

 

“On the contrary, this is a very dangerous technique. Lots of people have died of blood loss after performing it.” Ruri then shrugged her shoulders as if implying that there was nothing else to do but accept the consequences. Naruto continued to gap at his Aunt, unsure of why his heart was constricting painfully at the thought of her dieing anytime soon and leaving him behind.

 

“What are you planning on doing with that... seal?” Gaara finally mumbled in a calm tone of voice, though he was feeling anything but calm at the moment. He could sense the demon within him stirring in nervousness, as if it was afraid of the young woman sitting in front of him.

 

“Ah. You must be Gaara.” The Lady Oracle shifted her gaze from Naruto to the red haired boy; her eyes - though slightly tired looking, still pierced through his very soul and looked over his inner thoughts. Gaara fought to keep down a shudder. /She's strong... Stronger than me.../ Gaara thought to himself as he suddenly felt small and alone in the face of this mature and yet unknown woman.

 

“Do you know anything about the Shukaku, Gaara? Do any of you know the history behind how the Shukaku came to be?” Ruri asked innocently, curious as to their answers. Even though she was an oracle and a very wise person overall, she was not a mind reader.

 

Temari and Kankuro gave each other strange looks before turning their attention to Gaara's questioning gaze and shrugged, acknowledging that they didn't know much either. “The knowledge over the demon Shukaku is one of Sand's most well kept secrets.” Narrowing his eyes, Gaara continued. “We are not at liberty to say.”

 

Ruri shrugged again. “Which means that you guys don't know much at all about it, do you?” She asked in a mocking tone of voice.

 

Both Temari and Kankuro flinched and Gaara twitched an eyebrow. “We know that it was sealed inside a teakettle a long time ago. It was the living soul of an ancient high priest in the Hidden Village of the Sand.” Gaara snarled, angry that this stranger dared to mock his intelligence.

 

The Lady Oracle gave the three a sadistic smirk, which led them to feel shivers up their spines at her icy gaze. “Almost 8 hundred years ago, there was a man living in the Hidden Sand village. For his knowledge in Jutsus and Chakra manipulation, he was renowned as a high priest by the many Shinobis living there at the time.” She started her story, in a calm and impassive voice. “What they did not know, was that this man, he was actually a refugee, fleeing from the Hidden Air village for his supposed lack of talent and unethical practices.”

 

Pausing to let that information sink in, Ruri continued with her story. “He had always lusted for power, fame and acknowledgement. But in the Hidden Air village - where talent and skill is ranked far higher than social status, his less than average abilities had made him less than popular. As such, he pursued a deviant course of study, which eventually led to his banishment from our village. He travelled to the Hidden Sand village, where he was finally acknowledged for his skill and wisdom. However, he was not satisfied with simply power and fame. He wanted vengeance on the village that did not recognize him, on the people who had looked down upon him. He pursued the same course of study he had originally abandoned years ago - the creation of another Tenkun no Buki.”

 

Here, Naruto audibly gasped in shock. His eyes widened to a substantial amount at the insinuation of yet another Tenkun no buki being created. Ruri ignored his plight and continued with the story. “For those of you who do not know of the Tenkun no Buki. They are the heavenly weapons used by man to push back the domain of demons in an age where demons rule the world. They were created by trapping a real demon and imprisoning it into a workable object; only to be used by humans against their own kind.” She paused once again to wet her dry lips.

 

“That man had successfully summoned forth and captured a demon from the abyss - the Shukaku - an A-class sand demon of the Tanuki kind.” Ruri narrowed her eyes in suppressed anger. “However, he was unsuccessful in binding the demon's spirit to any object. His mistake in tampering with the demons resulted in his soul being consumed by the very demon he summoned forth and the eventual merging of the two spirits. You see, Gaara-san. A real demon is ultimately untameable, and will have no knowledge of so-called `Jutsus' used by man. Their powers are as wild as the wind and cannot be controlled in the way humans do with their Charka. As such, the failed experimentation which led to the High Priest of the Sand merging with the original Shukaku demon created a new being of existence.”

 

“The creature that now resides in you, Gaara-san, is a combined entity of a human soul and a demon's power. That is why the later Sand Shinobis were finally able to seal the newly formed Shukaku into a teakettle to begin with. It was newly born, and was confused and unable to control much of itself. But in its confusion, it had already destroyed half the Sand Village in a fit of rage. The original bloodlust of a demon had been strengthened by the man's emotions, desires and dreams. He had always wanted to kill those who had belittled him, and through this merging, the new Shukaku - one who is obsessed with destruction, pain and blood - is born.” Ruri concluded. A long silence ensued, letting them all have to time to consume the information she had just dumped on them.

 

Finally, Gaara asked in a quiet and almost pleading voice. “I was a mistake?”

 

“No. Shukaku was mistake, unintentionally created by a man's greed for power and vengeance. Your possession by Shukaku was a mistake, but of your fathers, not you. That does not mean that you, yourself, are a mistake to humanity.” The Lady Oracle explained calmly, without any emotion in her voice.

 

Temari was unable to hide her anger and confusion at the version of stories told by the Lady Oracle and that of the stories they had heard since they were young. “That's a whole load of Bull Shit! I don't believe you! Our father is the great Kazekage of the Hidden Sand village! I won't allow you to say any snide comments about him. Not only that, the high priest of the Hidden sand saved us from destruction, he sacrificed his life to seal the demon into the teakettle!” Temari screamed at the impassively watching women.

 

“Is that what your official records say?” Ruri asked calmly. Temari looked away, knowing that the stories were only spread through word of mouth. Silence reigned through out the room for a while. The Lady Oracle sat back on her hunches, her eyes glazed slightly as she thought over what Temari had just exclaimed. Finally, she came to a decision. “Believe what you will, Temari-san. But when you return to the Hidden Sand village, go to the National Library of ancient arts. Once there, look up some of the forbidden scrolls of official records, you will have your answers then.” Temari continued to look away, unable to accept the truth that what she had believed in was all a lie.

 

Deciding to change the entire atmosphere of the room, the Lady Oracle interrupted everyone's thoughts by completely changing the subject of discussion. “Anyway. Let's move on to what I want from you, Gaara-san.” Ruri looked straight at Gaara with a piercing gaze.

 

Gaara calmly stared back, refusing to back down in fear or challenge. “And what is that?”

 

The Lady Oracle smiled, not a smirk, a genuine smile. “With the 5 Star Sealing system, I can help you be rid of the Shukaku but leave you with most of its original powers. In return, I want you to swear an oath of obedience to me. What I mean is that I want you to become a servant of mine, serving me as I so wish until I set you free to do as you like.”

 

Gaara narrowed his eyes in fury. “My life is what I make it. No one can control me.”

 

“And what kind of life is that, Gaara-san?” The Lady Oracle immediately refuted back. “One where you decides who lives and who dies. A life where you won't even be able to enjoy a full night's sleep without being plagued by nightmares. One where you are constantly hunted down by your own people because they fear you will one day turn on them and set the demon free. Tell me, Gaara-san. Is that any kind of life to live? Are you really willing to follow the same path when you have a chance to change all that?” Ruri argued.

 

Gaara remained silent. “I'm not saying you will become my slave indefinitely. In fact, you'll probably only follow my orders for one year at the most. All I'm asking is that you see me as your superior, someone you respect and listen to, someone you can look up to.” Ruri ended her argument with this conclusion, leaving the red haired boy to decide for himself what his future should be.

 

Suddenly, her attention was brought back to her nephew as Naruto asked a question of his own. “This seal... It is different from my own?” He asked, curious as to the difference of the two.

 

The Lady Oracle nodded; glad to have someone change the subject. “Yes, the extra seal I placed on top of the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki (Eight Divination Sealing Method) and the Shishou Fuuin (Four Elephant or Image Seal) (2) originally created by the Fourth Hokage is the Niju Bunri Fuuin no Jutsu (Double Separation Sealing technique). While the one I'll be using on Gaara is the Gohoshi Fuuin no Jutsu (Five Star Sealing System).”

 

She paused slightly before going into the lecture mode she likes to display when explaining anything to her nephew. “The five star sealing system is more powerful because it is a celestial system that uses the alignment of the stars and the natural energy flows to accurately contain a demon into whatever it is being sealed into without giving the demon itself any freedom to fight back. It is also the same system used in the first stage of creating most of the Tenkun no Bukis. A system that can only be used by the Uzumakis and one that same man - the High Priest of Sand - could never hope to achieve.”

 

“What's so great about the so-called Uzumaki? How come only someone from that line can do this stupid seal? I don't get it? Isn't that brat a Uzumaki?” Surprisingly, it was the irritating voice of Kankuro that interrupted the negotiations.

 

The Lady Oracle gave him a cruel smirk, which made the boy shift nervously and mentally berating himself, but after a while, she did decide to answer. “The Uzumaki clan is one of the oldest (if not oldest) clans in the world. We are responsible for creating the Tenkun no Bukis and the eventual ridding of demons upon the land of the Ningenkai. The Uzumaki family is also traditionally the ruling family of the Hidden Air village. And that `brat' as you'd like to call him is my nephew and heir to the Kuunoki (Air).” She replied snidely, rather annoyed at the boy's rude interruption.

 

Watching the black clad boy squirm under her scrutiny, Ruri released a satisfied smirk on to her face. “And anyway, this blood seal was created by the Uzumaki for the Uzumaki. As a common rule, if a curse is created by blood, then it can only be destroyed by blood. (3) The Gohoshi Fuuin was specifically formulated using the Uzumaki blood and DNA template as a foundation, mainly because we are able to manipulate our blood to change it's properties and molecular structure at will.” (4)

 

Ignoring the ongoing argument between Ruri and Kankuro, Naruto slumped his shoulders as he thought about the supposed deal between Gaara and his Aunt, knowing that there was probably something concerning him too. Interrupted the two, Naruto asked: “And what of me, Lady? What am I doing here?”

 

Ruri shifted her attention from Kankuro to Naruto. “First and foremost, if you are to help me complete this seal then you must acknowledge your heritage.” Naruto visibly cringed at that sentence. “This means that you will have to physically sign the contract with your own blood and agree to the conditions that will be bestowed upon you as the next Uzumaki heir.” Naruto tightened his slightly shaking fist in anger. “And of course... the loss of your freedom is inevitable. It is your decision to make, Naruto.”

 

“And what if I refuse...” Already guessing at the answer, Naruto shut his eyes tightly knowing what was to come.

 

“Then the Uzumaki line will come to an end with me as the last of the Prophets. I will probably die sealing the Shukaku.” Ruri answered grimly but without lying about the consequences.

 

/I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE!!!/ Naruto screamed inside his mind as he fought for control over his emotions. /You are... you've become... You know you've already become... one of my... precious persons... You're my family... my only family./ Naruto concluded to himself. Opening his eyes and looking at his Aunt with a sad expression, Naruto nodded in acceptance. “I understand. I will take the oath of prophecy.”

 

The Lady Oracle gave a small sigh of relief and sadness, lifting her hand and directing it at Naruto, she started chanting to herself. “Uum ca na ta ra mu te chi ku ru oi…” As she chanted, a strange vortex started appearing in front of Naruto, and from it, a very large scroll slowly rose out of it. (5) Once it had completely emerged from the vortex, the ancient but thick scroll started unravelling itself. Naruto watched impassively as hundreds of names scrolled across the long piece of cloth (for the scroll was created by cloth, not paper), unfolding itself from one end and yet refolding itself on the other to save space. These were the names of his ancestors, the names of all the Uzumaki prophets that had ever taken up the position of looking after both the Tenkun no buki and the Kuunoki no Sato. This was also, ultimately, his destiny and his demise.

 

Finally, coming to a stop at the very end of the scroll itself, Naruto read over the two names written directly before the sole empty space left on the scroll. /How depressing, I really am the last.../ He thought to himself. The first name before his own was `Uzumaki Ruri', the tiny handprint below her signature tore at Naruto's heart. He had heard from Kaga-san that Ruri signed this very same contract at the mere age of three. How she was able to write in such neat scripts at that age was a mystery to Naruto.

 

And before hers was the name of his great uncle, a man who started changing the ways of the Kuunoki but was later stripped of his power and banished from his home after his sister's death (Ruri's mother and Naruto's grandmother). The name `Uzumaki Tenka' proudly written in a neat script was placed next to Ruri's, his hand prints too, were small in comparison to Naruto's own. /Probably around five or six years old/ Naruto guessed, feeling very depressed suddenly. /How could they do this to mere children?/ He asked himself, but no answers were forthcoming. There simply were no answers to be found, even from a prophet's point of view.

 

/Can I really do this?/ He asked himself again. /I'll be giving up my dream of becoming Hokage. I'll be giving up the freedom to be me. I'll become nothing but the shadow of my forefathers, forever following the laws set up by the ancients, sealing myself within the cage of destiny... I once told Neji that I believed destiny could be defied... Now I must have faith in myself and Aunt Ruri - I hope that we will find a way... a way to escape the curse... a way to be free./

 

Naruto shook away his rambling thoughts, and before he could hesitate any further, he quickly bit his thumb. Naruto scrolled his own name down on the only space reserved for him at the end of the scroll itself, before finally dabbing all his fingers with his still bleeding thumb and finishing the contract off with his signature handprint. As his hand left the surface of the scroll, Naruto felt a hot flash on top of his forehead. Once the pain had gone, Naruto realised that this was the beginning of his path as a prophet. He knew that underneath his Kuunoki head protector now resides the mark of the Uzumaki heir - a single red dot (6), the first stage in becoming the next ruling prophet. With the transformation over and done with, the scroll quickly re-rolled itself up, binding its own strings before slowly fading away from existence, its job having already been done.

 

Now that he had literally signed his death warrant, or in a sense, a warrant that dictated the rest of his life, Naruto tried to remember why he had signed it in the first place. Looking straight in the eye of his Aunt, Naruto blinked out of his daze. “How can I help? Now that I'm the official Uzumaki heir.” He asked, still emotionally unstable at having just written off the rest of his life.

 

Ruri nodded and started her explanations. “You can help me with the sealing Jutsu itself. It is forbidden for anyone other than an Uzumaki to participate in this sealing Jutsu, as it requires our special Uzumaki blood to activate it in the first place. After the sealing is done, if you are able, please give me a blood transfusion too.” Naruto's eyes widened at the implication of what his Aunt had just said. /A blood transfusion! That means the person who is going to activate the ritual loses a lot of blood!/ He worried mentally over his Aunt's health and well being.

 

Looking over the Lady Oracle's firm and resigned face, Naruto felt his heart constrict again. It was then that he made a silent vow to himself. /I will defy destiny! I have to! I'll find a way to set you free, Aunt Ruri! If it's the last thing I'll do, I'll find a way for the both of us to escape the clutches of the Council Seven and the responsibility over the Tenkun no Buki! I swear I will!/ His tightened fist shook with determination.

 

Suddenly brought out of his musings, Naruto looked up as Gaara interrupted everyone's thoughts with his own decision. “I... I accept.” He simply stated, with an undertone of nervousness.

 

Temari and Kankuro's eyes widened in shock, neither of them had actually believed that their brother would take such a huge chance, such a large leap in faith. “Gaara! Are you sure?! This could be a trap!!” Temari tired to reason with him.

 

“What about father? What if he disagrees? What if we're caught afterwards by the other Sand Officials? We're gonna get punished for sure!” Kankuro argued, suddenly panicking about what would happen to all of them when they finally did return to their homeland.

 

“Your father, the Kazekage is already dead.” An icy silence rang through out the room following this proclamation. “He was a misguided fool that underestimated the treachery of Orochimaru. He was killed by the Snake almost four days ago.” The Lady Oracle completed her sentence with a very tight-lipped expression.

 

“It can't be...” Temari whispered. It's true that their father had never really taken any time to get to know them, and was especially cruel to Gaara. He was always busy with the welfare of the village, and with their mother's death during Gaara's birth; he had become an even colder man than before. But none the less, he was their father, Temari had to respect him as the sire of herself and her brothers. The cold shock that had immobilised her continued to freeze her limbs and heart. She was simply unable to swallow this harsh truth. The fact that one of most powerful men in the Sand village had simply disappeared from her life, it was a shocking and numbing experience.

 

Kankuro, on the other hand, was not numb with shock like Temari; he was angry, furious. “YOU LIE!!!” He snarled with all the built up irritation and agitation since the entire debacle during the Chuunin Exam. He couldn't believe it, he wouldn't believe it; he just could not accept it as truth.

 

The Lady Oracle sighed, tired of dealing with such immature children. “Believe what you will!” She snapped. “But his body, as well as two of his subordinates, will be found a day from now. And then, the Hidden Sand Village will be put under martial law. After the panicked news of his death get out, compounded by the failed attempt at invading Konoha, the Hidden Sand Village will almost be on the verge of collapse and falling into its own internal civil war. There are many who are currently thinking of starting their own revolution, overruling your governing council and proclaiming themselves as the next Kazekage. There would be mutiny in the streets... Can you take the chance of not heeding my words” She threatened. The grim news never moved Gaara, but Temari and Kankuro had paled suddenly as the depressing news slowly sunk into their muddled minds.

 

“I accept your terms and conditions. You will grant me the freedom to be rid of the demon Shukaku, and in return, I shall serve you for the time period of one year at most. But know this; if I have other priorities that I must attend to, then I will abandon any services I owe to you in return to complete my own missions.” Gaara stated as a matter to fact.

 

Ruri nodded. “Agreed.”

 

“One question.” Gaara asked, seemingly to be the only one who still had a firm control over his emotions then both his siblings. “If and when my time of services expires, will the seal you give me erode once again?”

 

Ruri shook her head. “No. The 5 star sealing system is a permanent sealing technique. Once applied, it will last until the time of your death. It will be placed in such a way to separate the demon's spirit with its power. You will be granted almost complete control over the original power of the Sand demon, while Shukaku itself, is locked behind a cage that cannot be re-opened until you die.”

 

Gaara narrowed his eyes. “And what would happen with my death?” He asked, curious and suspicious at the same time.

 

“Well, for starters. You'd be dead.” Ruri shrugged in a casual manner. “And the spirit of Shukaku would be set free from the seal. However, because its connection to its powers had been sealed away, the spirit itself, would simply flout among itself for the rest of eternity or find a way to reincarnate itself - but that process could take it at least a few hundred years to complete.” She paused for a short amount of time to collect her thoughts. “Know this, Gaara of the sand. Anything you do with the power granted to you now is your responsibility. You can no longer hide behind the fact that the demon is influencing your actions. It is all YOU!” She emphasized the point further.

 

Gaara nodded in agreement. “What is it I must do?” Finally deciding that they have wasted enough time as it is, he wanted to get to the action part immediately.

 

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Gaara?” Temari asked for the last time, and was met with a very firm expression from her younger brother. Noting the determination in his eyes, she dropped her head, knowing that there was no way for her to change his mind.

 

The Lady Oracle finally stood up to her feet. Her face having recovered from some of its paleness and sweat from before, she looked slightly rejuvenated. Stepping backwards until she was no longer standing on the carved seal on the floor, she stopped moving and indicated he should come forward. “Please sit in the centre of the seal, Gaara-san. As for Temari-san and Kankuro-san, for your own safety, please stand back; leaning against the wall would be most appropriate as Kaga can protect you from any of the backlash of power. Naruto, please stand on the other end of the seal. I will need your input in power.” She ordered in a no-nonsense tone of voice, while the rest of them moved to their designated placing.

 

Once everyone was in position, Ruri motioned for Gaara to sit down and told him bluntly that this would hurt a lot. “Because the possession jutsu inflicted on you when you were born was made by sacrificing the body and blood of your mother, which is why your sand carries the smell of blood, not only of your victims of also of your mother's death. As such, I will have to embed my own blood into your sand, force the spirit of Shukaku out of the sand particles and strip you of your power for a short amount of time. It will hurt like I'm skinning you alive. Is that understandable?” Ruri warned for the last time. Gaara simply snorted in response, demonstrating that he already knew pain was inevitable.

 

“Naruto.” The Lady Oracle called out as both Naruto and herself had sat down on opposite ends of the central design, with Gaara sitting Indian style right in the middle. “Summon forth your Yochigan and you will be able to follow through with everything that you need to do. It will teach you far quicker than I could.” She ordered in a commanding voice.

 

Naruto gulped in nervousness. He had really only succeeded in activating and successfully controlling the Yochigan once during his week of training. Most of the time was spent on practicing the Tenshi no Doki, of which he found, was much more useful in battle circumstances while the Yochigan was better suited for strategy and planning. However, that did not mean that the Yochigan is a weak asset when it comes to a combat situation, in fact, it is quite an advantage having known about your opponent's moves even before they make them. However, the biggest disadvantage lies in the fact that the Yochigan CANNOT last for a long time, a few seconds is the limit for Naruto.

 

Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the onslaught of image, Naruto placed his hands together in a single seal and concentrated with all his might. Almost instantly, he could feel the estrange tingle of his bloodline limit ability activating. A hot flash of heat surged through his body being the only warning he got before his mind was bombarded with images from beyond time itself. He could see the multitude of hand seals that he would be performing in a matter of minutes afterwards flash through his mind in a rapid pace, as if someone was playing the tape in `fast-forward' mode. He could also distinctively hear the words of the chant that he was to perform, mixed in with his Aunt's words at the exact same time. He could visualise Gaara screaming in pain as he clutched onto his throbbing head in agony. He could see the sand move and react against the seals. An unholy scream, unlike any that could be created through a human voice box rang through out Naruto's mind before he finally deactivated the Yochigan.

 

Heaving in deep breaths of air, Naruto could feel his body shudder in tension as the aftershocks and stress created by using the Yochigan ran through its course. He could feel the eerie sensation of his own blood rolling down his cheeks, escaping from his very eyes, eyes that hadn't been opened since the activation of the Yochigan in the first place. After a few minutes of mentally and physically calming himself down, Naruto nodded resolutely in the direction that he remembered his Aunt was facing.

 

As if there was an invisible single, both Uzumaki mistress and apprentice suddenly launched themselves into the complicated set of hand seals, followed up by the strange chant of words and charms in the ancient tongue which coincides with the sealing ritual. To them, the entire world had blackened leaving them with the single, most important act of summoning forth this technique. No one else mattered - nothing else mattered.

 

As if far away, both could hear Gaara start screaming in agony but both had decided that what they were doing currently was more important than anything else. Their emotions drifted away, leaving only a blank façade and a single mindedness to complete the task at hand, helped by the ancient knowledge of how to perform said task burning through their veins. The ritual must continue now that is has begun, nothing and no one can stop them.

 

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Outside of Ruri and Naruto's inner minds, Kankuro and Temari both cringed as Gaara released another throat ripping scream. The red haired boy had rolled over himself several times over the now shimmering and shining seal on the ground, clutching his head in undescribed pain. All the carved seal and the bloodied words on the ground on the ground, all three walls and roof had instantly activated when Naruto and Ruri started chanting. The seals started to glow in an unnatural blue colour, slowly brightening itself until it was almost a blinding white light, shimmering and merging with other colours of the rainbow, as if an aurora borealis was currently being reflected all around the room. It was beautiful and yet it was terrifying at the same time.

 

Kankuro and Temari could both feel the power being consumed into this very technique, the large amount of Chakra being released by the Lady Oracle followed by her apprentice heated the room, raising its temperature several degrees in height. Not only that, the blood that had originally flowed within the carved seal on the ground now moved on its own, clutching onto Gaara's very being as if it was alive and had a mind of its own. It reached and stuck itself all over Gaara's body while his sand gourd was left discarded on the inner edge of the inside circle, almost completely covered in the newly introduced Uzumaki blood.

 

All of a sudden, both Ruri and Naruto stopped chanted and released their hands from the completed seals, followed up by retrieving a Kunai in their right hand from somewhere hidden away in their body's clothes. Both of them then continued by slashing their left hand, creating a rather deep cut, releasing a lot of blood flow. Following the same patter, they created another deep cut into the palm of their right hand by switching the blade from one hand to the next. Finally dropping the Kunai to their sides after both their hands had been bloodied, they slammed their exposed palms directly onto the carved seal right in front of them. (7) The reaction was instantaneous.

 

The bright white light that once surrounded the seal turned instantly red in colour. Gaara released an ear-piercing scream while his body contorted in pain followed by a violent spasming effect. His now blood covered gourd of sand suddenly burst into its particle form, just as all the sand particles that had been used by Gaara to fuel his `Suna no Yoroi' (Armour of Sand) started sliding off the now unconscious boy and floated upwards in mid air. The massive swarm of sand particles covering the very space of the room swerved in its own right, hovering whenever it please only to be followed by an unexpected twist in action or a sudden sped in speed. As if having a mind of its own, the sand experimented, trying to escape every corner of its surrounding seals like an invisible square cage, but to no avail. After a short time of trial and error, it seemed the `sand' finally grew frustrated at being caged. It roared an inhuman screech that sounded like a cross between the thunder and a lion.

 

Temari and Kankuro huddled together tightly, completely frightened by the display of that... that... sand thing. “What the hell is that thing?” Kankuro shivered as he felt the familiar sensation of blood lust and the desire to kill.

 

Kaga answered calmly from beside that. “That... is the true form of Shukaku.”

 

It was at that moment that the Sand demon decided to manifest itself. The mass of sand particles gathered together like a swarm of bees, fitting into an intricate pattern of interlocking molecules, finally forming the giant head of Shukaku floating above a swirling of sand waves, all surrounding the now unmoving form of Gaara. (8) “SSSSSSET ME FREEEEEE!!!!!!!” It hissed in rage, determined to intimidate the measly humans into stopping.

 

Both Temari and Kankuro cowered as the familiar voice of Shukaku echoed through out the room. However, to their surprise, both the Uzumakis ignored the demons demand and continued with their sealing ceremony. Lifting their now dirtied hands together in a slight prayer, both Ruri and Naruto started to chant again, in a harmonious and singsong type of tune. It was a strange and yet awe-inspiring sound, as if the earth itself was humming along with the chanting. But the atmosphere was abruptly broken when Shukaku screeched in high-pitched fury and pain. Temari and Kankuro watched with wide eyes and pale faces as the head of Shukaku dissipated into agitated sand particles that tried to escape its invisible cubed cage by slamming itself against the walls with all its might, all to no avail.

 

Long minutes stretched on and on to both Temari and Kankuro, but gradually, the floating masses of sand smashing itself against the invisible seal had slowed, with less and less sand being manipulated by Shukaku in its desperate race to escape. Slowly but surely, the sand demon was being trapped, the influence of its power sucked away from it, draining it from its very life source until finally, all of Gaara's sand lay unmoving onto the floor and no other sound can be heard since both Ruri and Naruto's chanting had stopped several minutes prior.

 

Everyone stayed as silent as possible, afraid to be the first to break the spell, unable to find the courage to test if it was all a dream or not. It took Ruri's sudden vomit of blood that finally shook everyone out of his or her own shocked paralysis. Kaga and Naruto immediately rushed towards Ruri (Naruto having recovered from the side effects of the Yochigan some minutes ago as well) and carted her off out the only door and into the next room, leaving the three sand siblings alone to their thoughts.

 

Temari released a deep breath of air that she hadn't noticed she's been holding. Shakily, she let go of Kankuro and made her way slowly towards her other brother, scared that he might have died. With a slightly shivering hand, Temari placed her pale fingers against Gaara's neck, once again holding her breath in anticipation, only to be flooded with relief when she felt Gaara's strong and normal pulse. Looking back at her still frozen brother in the black suit, she gave him a happy smile, indicating that Gaara really is fine. When she finally looked back, she was shocked at seeing Gaara's green eyes open and looking back at her curiously.

 

Removing her hand (that was still next to his neck) slowly out of fear, Temari was caught in surprise when her wrist was caught in the firm grip of Gaara. Looking straight into her slightly nervous eyes, Gaara whispered in a soft and raw voice. “Is it over?”

 

Temari nodded hesitantly in reply, only to be further shocked by the small smile now displayed on Gaara's face. The smile was sweet and yet filled with so much relief and regret that it was hard to tell whether Gaara was feeling happy or sad. “I'm glad.” Struggling against falling asleep, Gaara mustered enough energy to reply one last time, shocking both his siblings completely. “Arigato... for supporting me... all this time... Temari... Kankuro.” That was all that the red haired boy said before he drifted off to sleep again.

 

The tension in Temari's shoulders slowly slipped away, leaving her emotionally exhausted next to her physically exhausted brother. Sensing her other brother's presence suddenly behind her, Temari turned around and looked at him in the eye, a nervous smile was shared, a silent question asked with no answers to be found. `So what now?' Kankuro silently asked. `I don't know... I really don't know...' Temari could only shrug in response.

 

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Several rooms away, Naruto turned to his side and watched his pale-faced Aunt sadly. He wasn't allowed to move too much unless he wished to disrupt the needle and tube attached to his left arm that was being used to transfer blood into his Aunt. Even though they had both performed the same ritual, but because Ruri had taken the lead, she would have used up much more blood than Naruto. Not to mention, Naruto had the Kyuubi inside of him, probably helping him by producing as much of his body's blood as needed. /Having the Kyuubi inside your body really is a bonus at times like these./ Naruto thought to himself sarcastically.

 

Through out all the time he had known his Aunt, Naruto had never ever seen her in such a weakened state. Or at least, she had never allowed him to see her at such a weakened state. He was sure that Kaga must have seen her in such weak states before, since he knew exactly what to do at the exact time.

 

Kaga had rushed Ruri straight back to her original bedroom, resting her comfortably in her bed, before dragging the blood transfusion machine that he had probably `borrowed' from the Konoha hospital (without asking) and ordering Naruto to get into a comfortable position. Kaga had not tried to heal his Aunt in the manner that most of the Air Nins would. In fact, Naruto was surprised that Kaga even knew that doing so wouldn't help at all, because the injuries of the Uzumaki can only be healed by either another Uzumaki, or someone from the Dokudes clan.

 

While Kaga had left saying he had a small errand to run, Naruto had been ordered to continue to watch over his Aunt's vital signs. Running his right hand over the Lady Oracle's cool arm, Naruto felt his heart constrict. /I'm such a BABY!!!/ He mentally scolded himself. Forcing his arm away, Naruto laid back onto his own bed, covering his eyes with his right arm, hoping to force away the tears that threatened to spill.

 

For a long moment, no sound was emitted through out the room; finally, Naruto thought that he had gathered enough wits to admit his own faults for the first time in a long time. “I'm sorry.” He whispered softly, knowing full well that his Aunt probably can't hear him now but would eventually pick up on it since she is an oracle after all. “I've looked up to you and Kaga-san for such a long time... ever since you somehow pulled me out of the darkness within my soul... but sometimes I forget... that you're human too. I'm selfish and conceited, I know, always running away from the truth. Always looking to you for guidance... I'm such a child.” Naruto concluded his soft ramblings on berating himself.

 

/It's the same with every powerful person I've ever met. Jiraiya... I've always expected him to continue to look out for me... so the first time he left me alone... I couldn't handle it... I hate that loneliness... I depend so much on others reaching out to me, that sometimes, I just cover myself in this silent depression. Elle was the first to reach out to me without my permission and I had failed her. Aunt Ruri had reached out to me and dragged me back into reality too... I refuse to lose her too.../ Naruto thought to himself. /I have to stop relying on others to look after me. It's time I stop being a child and start acting like a real Shinobi./

 

And then, his eyes became more determined. “But I promise you. I'll try to grow up. I'll do my best to live for myself, decide for myself, and take responsibility for my own actions from now on. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, both a Shinobi of the Kuunoki and Konoha, last descendant of two powerful clans. I won't hide from my duties any more. I'll become the next Uzumaki prophet and I'll still make Konoha proud. I promise I won't disappoint you, Kaga-san or my late parents...” With a small smile on his face, Naruto drifted off into sleep, too emotionally exhausted to keep up his duty of looking over his Aunt, and almost completely forgotten about the three Sand siblings resting only several rooms away.

 

Unnoticed by Naruto, Ruri had her eyes open at the last second of his tired speech. She watched his sleeping form from the corner of her eyes and she gave him a tired smile. /He's really growing up, Yuuki. He doesn't know it yet, but he's taken the first steps in defying destiny. You would be so proud of him./ She thought, then closed her own eyes and drifted off to sleep herself.

 

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(1) Influence from watching way too much Full Metal Alchemist and other CLAMP animes, like X and Card Captor. I should have uploaded a picture of this design on my Galleries page, please go to my profiles to find the site address.

 

(2) The `Hakke no Fuin Shiki' is the actual spiral seal placed on Naruto's stomach while the `Shishou Fuin' is the strange Sanskrit like words on the top and bottom of the spiral. Shi / the number 4; Shou / elephant or image; Fuin / seals; Hakke / divination; Shiki / method or way. Information on their names and translations come from NarutoEx.

 

(3) Um... I made up that rule. Example, Orochimaru implanted the curse seal by bitting Sasuke and mixing the boy's blood with his own saliva and venom; afterwards, Kakashi had to use a blood seal to seal the curse and help Sasuke learn how to control it. If any of you have noticed, most other seals were created by ink on paper, not blood.

 

(4) General info: A lot of Kuunoki Shinobis are STILL scientists. They spend most of their time trying to manipulate their own bodies from the basic molecular level - sort of like Medic Nins. Uzumakis are specialists when it comes to manipulating their own blood, while the Dokudes can manipulate any solid or liquid material that comes into contact with their body. Inspired by watching way to much Full Metal Alchemist!

 

(5) You all know how Orochimaru did the summoning technique - Edo Tensei and summoned forth the first, second and almost completed the forth Hokage. Well, this is the same, except, instead of coffins coming up, it's a big fat scroll. The scroll itself is very similar to the Summoning contract that Jiraiya usually carries around his back, and signing the Uzumaki contract is the same as a summoning contract - you write your name in blood and then press your bloodied finger tips on there as a signature.

 

(6) Exactly like those dots on the forehead of monks either in India or China. The character `Sanzo' from Saiyuki also has one of his forehead.

 

(7) Okay. I'm only going to say this once and for all: ALL OF THESE INTRICATE CIRCLE SEALS AND THEIR ACTIVATION PROCEDURE ARE INSPIRED BY FULL METAL ALCHEMIST - exactly like how Edward Elric always slams his open palms down onto the ground.

 

(8) Basically, I took the picture of when Naruto first released the Kyuubi against Haku in the original manga (Book 4, chapter 28, page 3), and substituting it - sand instead of red Chakra, Shukaku's head instead of Kyuubi's head and Gaara's unconscious form instead of Naruto's standing one. Get the picture? XD