Chapter 109

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The intelligence systems of the ninja countries, while not impenetrable, are comprehensive enough to detect any significant disturbances within or near their borders.

Hiding in the Land of Roran, Aragami Kyomu and his companions were anything but safe. It was estimated that within three days, their presence would be discovered by the Sand ninja, who would then mobilize a large force to encircle and eliminate them.

This situation forced Kyomu to take the risky step of summoning Ichikishimahime in the middle of the night.

There was no time to delay.

The reason for summoning Ichikishimahime was naturally related to the dragon veins of Roran.

"Ichikishimahime-sama, I have discovered something in this country that dates back to ancient times dated even back than the Ryuchi Cave," Kyomu fabricated excitedly, "I couldn't contain my excitement, which is why I summoned you at this hour."

"Oh?"

Ichikishimahime's interest was piqued by Kyomu's words, her previous displeasure forgotten.

"How long have you been contracted with the Ryuchi Cave, and yet you claim to know of ancient stuff?" Ichikishimahime asked with a light chuckle, "Tell me, what have you found."

"Dragon veins," Kyomu disclosed, "There's a 'river' under this country made purely of chakra. I'm not clear on the specifics, but considering its name shares a connection with the Ryūchi Cave, I thought…"

"Dragon veins?" Ichikishimahime pondered for a moment, "Show me."

Kyomu stood still, "Ichikishimahime-sama, there's one more thing…"

"Can't you just say everything at once?"

"Actually, Ichikishimahime-sama, because of the dragon veins, my team might have been discovered by the Sand ninja. Could you possibly assist us?"

"That's simple."

Ichikishimahime didn't doubt his words and simply extended her delicate right hand to snap her fingers. The natural energy within her surged wildly, forming a thin mist that quickly enveloped the entire capital of Roran.

"With this layer of Sage Art Mist Barrier, unless it's someone from the Three Great Sage Lands like the Slug and Toad, or someone who has trained in Sage Art, or whose power has reached a certain level...

In short, as far as the Sand ninja are concerned, they can't break through it. Even if they were standing face to face with us, the Sand ninja wouldn't be able to detect us."

This is what true Sage Art is!

Kyomu marveled inwardly, his esteem for Mount Myōboku dropping a notch.

In reality, the abilities of the Great Toad Sage from Mount Myōboku were indeed formidable, as he had managed to save a life with a Reanimation Jutsu even a thousand years after the death of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. (T/N: ??? Didn't get it.)

However, the subsequent generations of toads weren't as powerful, nowhere near the strength of the three elders of the Ryūchi Cave.

"Let's go have a look."

Ichikishimahime led the way, and Kyomu, along with his team, removed their disguises and followed her into the entrance that led directly underground.

After traveling a distance through the tunnel, a massive steel gate blocked their path, guarded by fully armed warriors of the Land of Roran.

Yet, with Ichikishimahime in the lead, these warriors acted as if under a spell, obediently following her commands.

The steel gate was opened, and Ichikishimahime led Kyomu inside. However, when Ren and the others prepared to follow, Ichikishimahime warned them with a look, forcing them to reluctantly stand outside the gate as guards.

Since Kyomu claimed the dragon veins were related to the Ryūchi Cave, it was natural that outsiders like Ren couldn't be allowed too close.

Left without choice, Kyomu didn't attempt to play the hero. He gave Ren and the others a helpless look and quickly followed Ichikishimahime.

Once inside, the steel gate was closed by the warriors of Roran, plunging the interior into darkness.

Ichikishimahime was unaffected, able to see in the dark, but Kyomu couldn't. He resorted to using Blaze Release to create balls of flame around him for illumination.

Descending deeper underground, they finally saw the flickering lights ahead.

If not the dragon veins, then what else could it be?

Ichikishimahime, too, noticed and gasped in awe, "Wow, such a majestic power! To turn the intangible chakra into something resembling a liquid state, this power could rival that of the Nine-Tails."

"Ichikishimahime-sama, you know about the Nine-Tails?"

Ichikishimahime nodded, "Yes, I've fought with it before. A very troublesome creature."

Kyomu chuckled inwardly, realizing Ichikishimahime must have had a tough time against the full power of the Nine-Tails, given her tone of grudging respect.

But before he could dwell on it, Ichikishimahime floated towards the location of the dragon veins.

Hovering above the site, Ichikishimahime looked down at the vast, bottomless pool filled with bright, chakra-like liquid.

"This energy... it's so strong that it's on the verge of developing consciousness. Give it another hundred years, and it might become the tenth chakra-based life form after the Nine Tails."

Touching her smooth chin, Ichikishimahime considered diving in to explore further but hesitated.

She was certain that this immense chakra, known as the dragon veins, had no relation to the Ryūchi Cave.

'Hmm, Kyomu, you're not being honest.'

Having figured it out, Ichikishimahime, without turning back, beckoned, "Kyomu, come here. I've found a treasure."

"Ichikishimahime-sama, we shouldn't approach the dragon veins recklessly. It could trigger a disturbance, creating a temporal flux that might affect us, sending us either back in time or into the future."

Ichikishimahime turned around, "You know this much about it?"

"I gathered some information through genjutsu from the Queen of Roran," Kyomu explained.

"Is that so?" Ichikishimahime pondered, resting her chin on one hand, "Then what should we do with it?"

"Ichikishimahime-sama, perhaps you could consume this dragon vein!" Kyomu suggested, "If you can't do it alone, maybe call the other two..."

"No!" Ichikishimahime immediately refused, "Forget them. This treasure is not for sharing."

It seemed their relationship was not very cordial.

Kyomu thought for a moment, then added, "Ichikishimahime-sama, what do you think? Facing such a treasure, it would be a shame not to seize it."

"Hmm... Let me think."

Ichikishimahime floated in the air, falling silent as she contemplated the dragon veins below.

After a while, Ichikishimahime's youthful illusion shattered, revealing her true form as a relatively small white phosphorus snake, barely half the size of a green snake.

While knowing size doesn't necessarily equate to combat ability, Kyomu couldn't help but muse internally.

"No wonder you prefer appearing as a young girl. Your actual size..."

Before Kyomu could further ponder, the illusion-dispelled Ichikishimahime shot him a warning glance, the threat in her snake eyes unmistakable.

Hastily refocusing, Kyomu behaved respectfully, quietly observing Ichikishimahime's next move.

The millennia-old Ichikishimahime was cautious, not diving directly into the pool but instead leaning forward to inhale a mouthful of the liquid-like blue-green chakra.

After swallowing, Ichikishimahime slowly felt the changes in her body, while the dragon veins, having lost a bit of their power, reacted slightly.

Not a strong reaction, but Kyomu could feel the earth tremble slightly, a sign the dragon veins were awakening.

The next moment, Ichikishimahime, who had been savoring the taste with her eyes closed, opened them, a brief flash of brilliance passing through.

"Kyomu, I owe you a favor for this," Ichikishimahime said seriously, "But now you have two choices: let me repay you now, or choose to redeem it in the future. Which will you choose?"

Of course, now!

In this world, favors, except for a few individuals, are almost worthless, and Kyomu didn't have the habit of saving benefits for later use.

Besides, there's no guarantee he would need Ichikishimahime's favor in the future.

"I choose now."

Kyomu spoke without hesitation, already guessing how Ichikishimahime intended to repay him.

"Still wise," Ichikishimahime squinted her eyes, "I can temporarily disrupt the incomplete consciousness of the dragon veins. As long as we absorb it quickly, by the time I can no longer suppress its incomplete consciousness, it won't have the strength to do anything else."

Kyomu immediately understood Ichikishimahime's intention.

As long as they plundered quickly while it was dormant, by the time it awoke, it would be powerless to retaliate.

But there was still an issue.

"Ichikishimahime-sama, just the two of us might not be enough, right?"

"The people outside together should be enough, right?"

Kyomu thought for a moment, half-agreeing. People have their circles of closeness, and while those outside were part of Kyomu's future team, many were not the foundation of his future core team.

"Ichikishimahime-sama, could you send me back to Konohagakure?" Kyomu posed another question.

Summoning Jutsu is one of the earliest space-time ninjutsu, inspired by it. However, it requires cooperation from the summoned beast, specifically from one of the Three Great Sage Lands' creatures.

The special creatures of the Three Great Sage Lands, undoubtedly, not only possess the method of training in Sage Art but also have the ability to refuse summoning or to proactively summon their contractor to their domain.

Furthermore, they can use Reverse Summoning Jutsu to send their contractor back from their domain.

This is cumbersome, but if a creature from one of the Sage Lands is present at a certain location, the contractor can be transported from point A to point B by summoning and then reversing the summoning.

"Kyomu, you're a bit greedy," Ichikishimahime squinted, "We don't have much time. If you delay, do you understand the consequences?"

"Ichikishimahime-sama, if there's a problem, I'll take full responsibility!"

"Well, since that's the case, I'll help you!" Ichikishimahime eventually agreed, mainly because the temptation of the dragon veins was too significant, "But you only have ten minutes. If you take longer, you won't be able to benefit from here, and afterwards... I will definitely settle accounts with you!"

"Please rest assured, Ichikishimahime-sama, I won't cause any problems."

Ichikishimahime didn't respond, her lovely youthful face instantly transforming into a snake-like appearance, and she spat out a large summoning contract scroll, casually throwing it to Kyomu.

Having multiple contract scrolls is not unusual, and for Ichikishimahime, one of the elders of the Ryūchi Cave, to have an extra one is entirely normal.

Precautions against unforeseen circumstances are always necessary.

Catching the somewhat damp contract scroll, Kyomu didn't show any sign of disgust, slinging it diagonally across his back.

"Ichikishimahime-sama, I'm ready..."

Before Kyomu could finish speaking, Ichikishimahime had already reverse-summoned him to the Ryūchi Cave.

The scene shifted, and Kyomu once again experienced the sensation of free fall.

With his previous experience, Kyomu didn't panic this time. After landing swiftly, he ran at top speed to the Forest of Snakes located behind the dwelling of the White Snake Sage.

"Aoda!"

Rustling sounds emanated as a massive green snake emerged from the dense forest, hissing pleasantly.

"Kyomu-sama, what brings you here?"

"Aoda, does Orochimaru have many communication snakes left in Konohagakure?"

Aoda tilted his head, full of confusion but still promptly replied, "Yes, there are. I can pinpoint their exact locations."

"That's good. Can you reverse-summon me to one of the communication snakes in Konohagakure?"

Aoda hesitated, his snake eyes showing embarrassment, "Kyomu-sama, I've never used reverse summoning before... I'm not very familiar with it."

Aragami Kyomu felt a surge of impatience. He considered seeking help from the other two elders of the Ryūchi Cave but feared making matters worse.

Biting his lip, he urged, "Aoda, just try your best. Even if it takes a few attempts, it's okay."

"Then..." Aoda nodded, "Kyomu-sama, please be ready."

Kyomu nodded, and the sensation of being affected by the Reverse Summoning Jutsu immediately enveloped him.

Boom.

With a burst of smoke, Kyomu vanished from the spot.

Aoda exhaled, relieved that he hadn't embarrassed himself in front of Kyomu. "Luckily, it worked on the first try. I didn't embarrass myself in front of Kyomu-sama.

But what's the urgent matter that made Kyomu-sama so rushed today?"

While Aoda pondered, Kyomu, accompanied by a puff of smoke, suddenly appeared in a secret laboratory of the Konoha Root.

At that moment, he was face-to-face with Danzō Shimura.

"Aragami Kyomu! How did you..."

"Sorry, Danzō-sama, the situation at the front is urgent. I had to use this method. Excuse me!"

Although Kyomu had a deep-seated hatred for Danzō, he suppressed his anger, offered a hasty excuse, and sprinted away.

"Seize him!" Danzō, with a grim expression, commanded, and the Root ninjas hidden in the shadows sprang into action.

Kyomu didn't wait around, using all his strength to flee. Relying on his instincts, he made a wide detour, managing to escape the Root ninjas' encirclement and emerge from the Root base.

After a brief pause to survey his surroundings, Kyomu identified a direction and dashed towards the Hatake residence at top speed.

Kakashi, you better be home. If not, don't blame your brother for not including you in the good fortune.

(End of Chapter)