| abstract | - After hours of traveling, trekking through grass underneath the hot sun, they had arrived. To investigate the legendary World Root in the hidden refuge was their goal. Himizu, the First Yōkage, aided by her close friend, cousin, and Daimyō of the Land of Yang, Kurumi Yuri. There were at least six shinobi guarding them to protect them, although they could perfectly defend themselves if given the chance. Himizu noticed a large indentation in the grass and knelt down to examine it. "Lady First! don't touch--" he yelled, but she touched it before he could finish. "Fear is a choice, Wakana." she stated sternly, the shade of her umbrella hiding her face. The kanji for "open" (開, aku) appeared on the indentation in a bright light, alerting the shinobi. Himizu's golden eyes remained focus. Suddenly, the grass began to slide to right, revealing a long set of dark stairs. A smile appeared as she stood to her feet. "Alright, let's move." Kurumi grumbled throughout the journey, not enjoying the inhospitable weather. Plus she knew there would be a pile of work waiting for her when they returned. "You had to choose today didn't you cousin..." she muttered, failing to use honorifics. Then again, it was a sign of how close the two had become since they met on that fateful days. She shook her head as the guard tried to warn off Himi from investigating whatever she found engrossing in the ground. As the door opened, Kuru's sour demeanor dissipated, replaced by the intellectual curiosity that most knew far to well. "Down to the cellars we go apparently. Let's hope we find more than cobwebs." Kuru said, handing her umbrella to one of her guards before thanking him. Her lavender eyes remained sharp, penetrating the ink coloring of the unknown. Kuru's body began glowing, generating a natural light that allowed her to take the stairs two at a time before waiting for Himi. While waiting, she took in the rather dusty surroundings, while noticing the tunnel was expansive, easily accommodating multiple individuals side by side. "Come on Himi you have to see this!" she called up as her cousin descended. Himizu's calm demeanor was thrown off by Kurumi's sudden actions. And yes, she did dread the heat, and to make matters worse, she could feel more heat coming from the tunnel, sending her in a mental frenzy. "S-Shigemi!" she called out, but deep down she knew she wouldn't be able to change her cousin's mind. Yes, she had figured that out long ago. With time, their relationship had twisted from respectful to one of teasing, but you could still feel love behind every action. The thought of her preparing to strike her own cousin down still disgusts her. She blamed it on her grandmother for passing down such "bloodlust". The six shinobi were still shocked at the Daimyo's actions, looking at Himizu to get orders. "Honestly, I've never seen such spineless men. Follow me then." her voice was irritated, making her bodyguards annoyed. As she descended the staircase, she switched her position to be beside Shigemi. "So this is the tunnel to that place? interesting. From what I've heard, this place was built to house residents seeking refuge from the This-That War, fueled by the Akatsuki. The root of the World Tree lies there. I'm excited." she said with enthusiasm. She was a curious individual who loved mysteries. This was one of them. "Don't even start with me little lady." Kurumi retorted with a grin. She had took to avoiding the topic of their grandmother altogether: there was no time to waste on such a disgraceful individual. "Playing follow the leader now?" she said flippantly, noting that six guards were tailing Himizu. "Indeed it is. If anything that explain why the tunnel is so massive in dimensions. Something tells me this was akin to an underground town or city during that hey-day with this portion serving as one of its main corridors and avenues for travel and occasional trade." Just like that, Kurumi went from teasing to analytical, showing her ability to flip between her various quirks at the drop of a hat. Fearless by design, Kurumi began walking down the tunnel, expecting her cousin to do the same. If the legends were to be believed, there was plenty of valuable information here to add the land's histories. Though they would have to be careful to keep it out of the wrong hands. She knew the power of knowledge: there was a reason why Kumogakure pursued so recklessly after all. Yet they had failed like all the rest, the price being their lives. Kuru noted this bloodlust or emptiness in regards to that; she too placed this in her grandmother's lap. Nevertheless, her target was the end of this tunnel, knowing something fascinating awaited. "Enough history lessons cousin, there's a world waiting to be explored. And there's no time like the present to do so." Kuru stated, her smile still playful. Himizu giggled at her little cousin's playful words. But her smile faded when Kurumi became akin to a detective or something of that nature. Himizu was never like that: if she did make analyses, they would be in her own mind. Nevertheless, Himizu's smile returned. "R-right. I was thinking that as well." she responded halfheartedly. As they made small conversation, they arrived at a large door-like structure. Two statues of swans sat on pillars to the left and right of the door. "Something isn't right." she said suddenly, catching the attention of the six shinobi. "Yes, this wall seems to be the entry, but the wall on the left side seems.. newer in a way." her analysis could be heard clearly, and then she rolled her eyes, realizing that she sounded like not only her father, but Kurumi as well. "That door with the statues is a trap door, this one is the real door." she said proudly. The six shinobi looked like fools. Himizu's eyes twitched. "Remind me to fire you the six of you." she said with irritation. After her burst of anger, she placed her hand on on the cracked wall again and the same thing happened before. The "open" kanji appeared and glowed again, and within seconds, the wall had slid down to reveal a secret path. "That could've been an unstable wall.. that could've killed us." a shinobi noted. Himizu's lips tightened. "And that means you would've failed at your job, so because of your intolerable stupidity, you will be walking ahead of us." she said with sternness in her voice. The tall shinobi nearly gasped for reluctantly obliging to the task given. "Now, let's proceed." "Somebody's a little hangry." Kuru commented, returning to her joking attitude. Her gaze turned towards Himizu's observation; from what she could glean, the former was correct in her assessment. "Something tells me there might still be people down here, especially if that structure is far younger than the rest of this establishment. Be on your guard everyone." Kuru said aloud to the group, feeling chakra build in her system. Mercy was an action that came at a premium where Kuru was concerned, something that proved to be another unfortunate trait of that regrettable woman. "Your incompetency astounds me," she said after turning towards the six shinobi, "Why didn't we bring Chiwa and some of her company? They're infinitely more observant and capable. More importantly, they don't make imbecile comments." Kuru said. She noted that Chiwa seemed to have far more patience with their curiosity and adventurous natures than most, probably because she knew they wanted to understand this place if they planned on running it successfully. "Hop to." she added to the end of her cousin's statement. The group then walked through the doorway, the six shinobi leading the front, having been whipped by Kurumi's devil tongue and Himi's sharp words. If anything, the tunnel was eerily quite, something that put the young daimyō at unease. It felt like they were being watched. So she opened her sensory perception, tapping into the immense tree structure to feel for inhabitants. Only to gain feedback that made her wince. Not only was this world root not of her design, but it felt ancient, turning her tongue to acid in her mouth as they continued walking. Eventually she let her sensory perception recede to the background, wincing again at the powerful feedback. Himizu noted Kurumi's suggestion, but remembered why Chiwa, head of the YIN faction, had not been called for the job. "Chiwa has been out of the picture for a while. I recall her retiring. We'll hire some more high-ranked jōnin when we arrive again. These fools won't last." her words were stabbing the shinobi, and they winced painfully. Himizu could almost feel the sense of danger as well, stopping the group of seven while she assessed the situation. "I heard shuffling. Men, be on your guard." she ordered. Suddenly, they had dropped their meekness, and replaced it with bravery. She was almost impressed. Holding three senbon herself, Himizu tuned into the sounds of the tunnel. There were echoes of shuffling before a scream of pain rang out. When of her shinobi had been stabbed through the shoulder with a tanto, and right behind him was a man in bandit clothing. The shinobi yelled when the bandit twisted the blade, but tried to shut up. "You, who are you? you are from the outside?" the bandit asked. Himizu's fury was beginning to show. "You are committing the most offensive of crimes right now. I am sure you have been notified of me and my partner coming here, correct?" she nearly roared. The bandit looked frightened. "I know what you will do. You are planning to see the World's Root, our sacred treasure?" he asked another question. Himizu's eyes were storming with rage. "If I had known that the citizens would be so uncivilized, I would have brought the army." her eyes studied her injured shinobi, being held hostage by the rogue. "Your people know I'm coming, and yet you still offend me?" her rage suddenly unleashed into a pressure that rocked the tunnel. Her eyes were like golden fire. "I may have to end you here." Being somewhat separate from the hidden village of Tokugakure, Kurumi had not been informed of the Chiwa's upcoming retirement. "Shame, we could use more reliable and excellent individuals like herself." Kurumi commented, another blow the current bodyguards' pride. Like her cousin, she made note of the group's change in body language. "Good enough," was all she said. It was then the sounds of confrontation reached her ears. Sauntering up to Himizu's side, she felt the waves of chakra coming off of her. "When did she start having these mood swings?" Kurumi thought to herself, noting that this was no longer anger or disappointment. This was wrath in it's purest form. "Himizu. HIMIZU. Listen to me. Calm down. You won't do us any favors if you collapse the tunnel atop us." Kurumi said in an attempt to placate her cousin, suddenly certain that if the latter wanted to, this tunnel would have caved in ages ago. Meanwhile, an earthen version of Kurumi emerged from the ground behind the bandit, quickly restraining him in a death grip. "Now take us to where we would like to go. Or better yet, call off your brethren," Kuru said to man with venomous sweetness, "Otherwise, I may have to break some things." As if in tandem, her clone gave a squeeze that resulted in several snaps reverberating through the tunnel. They all seemed to come from different portions of his body. She could see the bandit's eyes bug out in pain; though Kuru waited until their injured guard had returned to Himizu's side before closing the gap between herself and the bandit. "Do we have an agreement?" Kuru whispered in the bandits ear. He took too long to respond, resulting in another snap center around where his shoulder and arm met. This time tears poured out of his eyes from the suffering. "I'll ask again, do we have an agreement?" this time he nodded quickly prompting Kurumi to state plainly, "Excellent. Shall we everyone?" She gestured to the area beyond the restrained man. Himizu's anger lightened as Kurumi took control of the situation. The tunnel's earthquakes ceased. "Apologies." she said quietly to her cousin. The bandit was squeezed hard enough to fracture some of the bones in his body, which made him cry in pain. Doing so made him let go of the sword, which the injured shinobi pulled from his shoulder, clenching his teeth as he did so. The bandit would agree to lead them there, as he had no other shinobi at his side. As they continued walking, Himizu looked at her cousin. She was slightly smaller than her but her willingness to do things was much greater than Himizu. "Well, now that that's settled. Yasumidokoro should be down this path." she said lightly. Soon after minutes, they had arrived at the entrance of the underground village. Himizu's eyes widened. It was beautiful, yet it held a sense of ancient. Tall castles and buildings existed. In the village, the heat grew more intolerable, and the ceiling was as high as the sky was. "Interesting. Absolutely fascinating!" "It's fine." Kuru said to her cousin as they continued walking down the path. Her breath caught as they reached the entrance of the primordial city. That it had remained in such good condition impressed her, especially considering it's size. "Incredible. This has to be an engineering marvel. How far underground are we?" Kuru said with awe. The cavernous space captured her imagination, and without meaning too she began walking through the gates, gazing upon the vast assortment of structures. Her smile was reminiscent of a kid in a candy store, and with glee, Kurumi took off, easily mounting various structures to get a better view of the world below. Her acrobatic abilities could be likened to a monkey or cat, displaying an ease that came from practice and maybe a little bit of talent. At the very least, it was most unexpected from a daimyō. Then again, Kuru wasn't one's typical daimyō if her actions from earlier where any indication. "Come on Himi! There's so much to explore!" Kuru said before leaping down from the castle's roofs to the ground, landing with a graceful cartwheel before she settled on her feet once more. There was a gold mine of information to be found, and Kuru set to work on capturing it all. She manufactured 5 clones of herself, nodding to each before they pealed off in separate directions. "Kuru! you're supposed to... wait." Himizu's voice dragged as she realized that her cousin was an unstoppable force. Lately, she found herself acting more motherly in nature, but she hated that about her. She traces it back to the cautiousness of her father. She was constantly told, "don't do this" or "don't do that" or a mixture of the two statements. She had never gotten the chance to be a fun loving child like she should've been. No, she was constantly trapped and barricaded by her father. But as she looked out at the underground city, she felt a wave of freedom and excitement. She observed her cousin's quick actions, and it made Himizu upset. She wanted to be as free as her cousin, but she had a title to uphold. "Lady Yōkage." a bodyguard broke the silence. "Are we going to follow Lady Daimyō?" he asked, staring at her. Himizu's lips tightened, but within seconds, it morphed into a smirk, and then a full grin. "If you can catch up." and suddenly, the tight ponytail that her hair was in was cut free, letting the river of white flow down her back. She threw away the umbrella she held and soared into the sky, doing a perfect somersault to the ground. "Let's go, Kuru!" she exclaimed with such joy, you'd think she was a child. Kuru's laugh reverberated through the underground as Himi finally lost the burdensome masquerade of Kagehood. "Finally. I was about to say cousin." she smirked, "We have a ton of ground to cover. I manufactured some clones to help with that regard, but even they can only do so much." Kuru said before jumping down from a rooftop to Himi's location. She could see the shock on the bodyguards faces. "What? Are you used to daimyo's being pathetic and incapable of any physical feats? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but that's not me." Kuru's chakra surged, capable of being felt from all portions of the land as she sped off once more, knowing Himi would be close behind. She scanned buildings as she passed them, using her sensory abilities to search for anything with chakra residue. She skidded to a stop. "I'm going to try something." Kurumi said as she formed a single handseal, causing wood to spawn from her body and attach into the ground. Looking to form a connection with the tree in order to uncover some of its secrets. From what she could glean, her clones had found some valuable goods, including a box, though they waited for Himizu and Kurumi to arrive before opening. Having finished her experiment, Kuru retracted herself from the earth, before beginning to walk once more. "One of my clones should be close by, she said that she found something intriguing in the center of the city." Kuru updated her partner, before beginning to jog to their destination. Himizu's playful mask dissipated, revealing a subtle seriousness. "Interesting." Her aqua-colored eyes scanned the environment around her as she walked. She observed the old, decrepit buildings that were made with stone. And then she spotted something completely captivating: A pit of bones belonging to those who once lived. They were putrid, and the sight of flies reproducing along the pile visibly upset Himizu. Her eyes watered as the threat of bile surfaced, but she pushed her thoughts down along with it. "K-Kurumi. People are dead here." she stated the obvious to break the silence of the situation. Her bodyguards approached her with the injured bandit beside them. They winced with disgust. "They've been dead for sometime." the bandit's eyes held a strange aura to them. "And just know, that I am the reason." his voice suddenly projected into the heavens and his eyes glowed more intensely than they did before. His teeth transformed into vicious fangs, and his skin slowly morphed into the fur of an animal. Himizu and her body guards immediately joined up, eyeing the monstrosity forming before them with confusion. A golden-orange hue radiated from it's eyes. "Welcome to my trap, fools. Behold it, for it is a prison of death, and I am it's brutal warden!" it's gravelly voice rang in their ears. Himizu stood still, before stepping forward. "Lady Yōkage! it's too —!" the shinobi's voice was halted by the motion of Himizu's hand. "I cannot stand to tolerate deceit and murder. Me and Kurumi shall handle this." "Looks like weren't the first to visit this area." Kurumi stated as she appeared next to Himizu. Her curiosity piqued, she decided that if given time she would excavate the remains. She decided a proper burial was in order as well once taking in her cousin's deeply saddened expression. The slight stutter in Himi's voice confirmed it. "I know. We'll find a way to take care of them after we explore this place further." She turned when the bodyguards arrived with the bandit in tow. Before watching him morph in a strange light from human to something more beast like. "Fascinating. I must say your trap, while effective, lacks imagination. Anyone could read a narrative with similar methods." Kurumi retorted, clearly unimpressed. "He talks too much and is far too high on himself." Kuru said to her cousin before cracking her knuckles. Her amethyst gaze darkened to the color of a violet sky. A bō staff formed in her left hand before she twirled it experimentally. "What was the phrase my father used? Ah yes. You need a good ass whooping." the woman stated, undeterred by the impracticality of her clothing. She began forming one-handed seals as an unreadable pace before snapping her fingers. "Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld." the woman proclaimed as the ground beneath the behemoth turned into its namesake. Ensnaring the beast with ease as extended her staff before aiming to wack the beast on its head. Using every bit of the inherited strength from her ancestor. "You will die here just like those you've killed. Only your end will be considerably more painful then theirs." Kuru smirked. The beast grinned from ear to ear, intrigued by the power of the Daimyou. The floor underneath it turned into an inescapable prison, but with a blink of an eye, the creature vanished. Himizu clamped her teeth together angrily. "Kurumi, I'll have to use my doujutsu." she said with a confidence that seemed to confuse her guards. It was true, Himizu possessed a hidden power that she had not yet shown off. The gruesome beast remained hidden from sight, as if he had completely abandoned his physical shell, but the Youkage had a solution for this. Following the closing of her eyes, she reopened them to reveal her doujutsu. Black with spirals of white, it was the rumored Kinzaigan. "I haven't used it in a while. Time to see if my skills are equal to yours, beloved cousin." With a few quick hand seals, a distortion emanated from her doujutsu, expanding until it took the shape of the beast itself. In seconds, the creature became visible again. In a quick blur, it lashed out at Himizu and her guards, but she effortlessly dodged the attack. All of the years of sparring with her cousin were finally being put to good use. "Keeping secrets aren't we? I do love a good ace in the hole," Kurumi responded, already in tune with the battle atmosphere, "Besides, what fun is it showing everything off at once?" The reappearance of the beast proved fortuitous as she replicated the design of her sister's naginata in an earthen form. As it lashed out at the guards she responded in kind, burying the blade into the beast as they both went on the offensive. Using the naginata as a maneuvering point, she swung around it with an acrobatic ease to land on the beast's back. Kuru hoped her teacher would be proud. Summoning the strength from earlier, she created a wooden lasso to pull around the beast's neck in an attempt to restrain it. The beast roared out in pain, overwhelmed by the physical prowess of the daimyou. It lashed out with claws and teeth, but she skillfully stayed away from it's reach. Himizu smiled at her cousin's brilliant thinking, a trait that she showed at all times. The guards who were guarding their kage was surprised to see her step through them, pushing them aside. With a few more hand seals, an abysmal cage-like structure began to grow around the beast. "Yin-Yang Release: Structure of Binding!" She exclaimed with the slam of her palm on the ground. Suddenly, the cage took physical form, imprisoning the beast. Even the creature was shocked by it's sudden arrival. Another unique ability of the Kinzaigan, the control of physical and spiritual forces. Seeing the physical entrapment materialize, Kurumi decided that it was her cue to leave. With a twirl and a leap, she dismounted from the beast before landing at her cousin's side. "Well that was fun. Better than a day in the stuffy office of mine besieged by paperwork." she commented before stretching, working out any sore or stiff muscles while rolling her neck. "So what shall we do with it? Maybe ask a few questions?" Kuru continued before eyeing the beast with modest disdain. Part of her wished that she could have rung just a bit more out of it. Those she supposed a wealth of information would sooth her angst for the time being. Himizu calmed herself after seeing the beast subdued. Her eyes returned to their normal hue of blue. "I suppose so." She answered her cousin. She approached the cage without hesitation. "You have offended the Land of Yang with your actions. Do you have an answer for this?" She sternly asked, sending fear into her guards. They were truly a worthless bunch. The beast growled. "You wench. I have inhabited this land since before your arrival. It is my duty to protect the World Root from the hands of humanity!" He answered with malice in his voice. Himizu was unfazed. "Interesting. Whether you like it or not, me and my daimyou will examine the World Root. We'll be careful not to sully it." She spoke with a voice that suggested she was a queen. "Now, onwards." She instructed, leading the group towards a long hallway. After the group continued walking, an entity watched their movements. The group arrived in a room of grand proportions, and at it's center were thick roots that twisted together, sprouting from a singular seed. Himizu gasped at it's beauty. "Magnificent!" She exclaimed with joy. She took in it's ancient beauty. But something caught her attention. A woman of old age with hair of striking teal stood not too far from it. Dressed in a brown and blue kimono, the woman looked towards Himizu and her company. "Ah, a visitor." She spoke with a weak voice. Himizu was extremely cautious of the individual. "Well done." Kurumi said, nodding in approval while following her cousin down the hallway. "Stay put ok?" she said to the snarling beast before adding her personal touch. After all, she wanted to be certain that the beast was secure. The young woman curiously mapped their current location, letting herself resonate with the location as a means of tracking the group's movements. Part of her had the feeling they were being watched, but Kuru ignored the sentiment for the time being. As they entered the grandiose location she clapped excitedly. "Resplendent!" Kurumi exclaimed, moving to examine the depth and proportions of the roots. However, she stopped short upon hearing a voice. Following the sound, she would find an elderly woman with spectacular cerulean locks welcoming them. Yet Kurumi felt on edge, sensing her cousin's caution in the process. Something about this woman felt....mischievous. She couldn't put her finger on it so she elected to remain on high alert. The woman, with eyes of unearthly yellow, moved towards the Youkage with slow movement. It was apparent that she suffered from an illness of sorts. Her guards were immediately cautious of the woman, but because of her age and demeanor, they did not move against her. "Dear, you are.. special." The woman spoke, holding the Youkage's delicate hand. "How did you get past the beast guarding this place?" Himizu questioned. The old woman ignored the question. "Soon young lady, you will be important to the survival of this world." She stated, before vanishing into thin air. Himizu was confused, but her hand held a unique seal on them. Suddenly, her body was overcome with pain. She cried out as she fell to the floor. Her guards ran to comfort her. It appeared Kurumi's concerns were well-founded. The daimyō reached Himi before the rest, finding her cousin writhing on the floor. "What's happening? Himi..say something, anything," she pleaded. Meanwhile, her mind was racing as it was discerning a connection between the pain her cousin was in and the vanishing woman. Part of her remembered feeling something off about the woman they faced. Only now would she realize that this energy felt congruent to the tree that was in front. "Shit," she cursed. Kuru begin analyzing Himizu, beginning to see traces of the same energy. "Fuck, how to remove this menace." Her hands itched as she marked the changes before her chakra picked up, as she prepared to isolate the foreign entity. Himizu's vision blurred and faded. Her consciousness departing. "Ku..ru..mi." were her last words before completely collapsing. In her own psyche, she stood in a pool of black. She cleared her vision to see five silhouettes, all inching closer. "Your body is under siege. You belong to us." One of them said standing in the center. "Who are you?" "We are Kaguya. And you will be too." The daimyō swore again, her language surprisingly colorful for someone of her station. Not trusting the hapless shinobi they had brought along, she carefully picked up Himizu's limp form before tying a jungle vine around both of their waists for safety purposes. Once her cousin was securely fastened to her back, Kurumi stood, tucking her hands around legs. "Let's go." They turned back the way they came, Kurumi powering ahead before the shinobi caught up. She didn't want to risk using that after the weird resonation. Regardless, further research would have to wait; her cousin's health took priority. Taking one last look as they emerged once more, she sighed, before beginning the run back to her office. The End
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