Land of Swamps – Demon Sealing Mountain.
High in the sky, the massive fortress of Ancor Vantian floated slowly into view above the desolate peaks. After more than a month spent navigating a long, circuitous detour, Suijin had finally piloted the colossal structure to its new destination.
Tatsuya's original plan had been to establish the Divine Court's mobile base in the remote Land of Demons. However, he'd been forced to change his mind shortly after Ancor Vantian arrived in that territory. The sudden appearance of the giant flying fortress had caused widespread panic among the populace. The citizens of the Land of Demons, still recovering from the severe turmoil caused by the demon Moryo's attack just over half a year prior, had feared another war was imminent upon seeing the imposing fortress loom over their nation. A large portion had begun preparing to flee the country entirely.
Faced with this unforeseen complication, Tatsuya had opted for the even more remote and ill-omened Demon Sealing Mountain in the Land of Swamps. Due to the lingering presence and malevolent influence of the sealed demon Moryo, this mountainous region had always been a desolate wasteland, largely avoided by travelers and shinobi alike. Placing Ancor Vantian here, nestled amongst the forbidding peaks, would be far less likely to attract unwanted attention.
Inside the fortress, Amaru obediently followed Suijin towards one of the fortress's designated launch bays. Over the past month or so of travel aboard Ancor Vantian, the young girl had slowly, painfully begun to accept her harsh new reality. While she hadn't fully sided with Tatsuya and his enigmatic organization, she was at least less openly resistant and hostile than she had been initially.
Furthermore, under Suijin's careful and surprisingly gentle medical treatment, the handful of surviving villagers whom Shinno had captured and experimented on – the ones Amaru had seen in that hidden chamber – had gradually regained some small measure of sanity. From their fragmented, often horrified accounts, Amaru had been forced to learn much of the horrifying truth about her formerly beloved 'Teacher' Shinno.
"Amaru, are you ready?" Suijin asked kindly, finishing securing the straps of the metallic wings onto both himself and the small girl.
"Mhm," Amaru nodded, though her expression was tense with nervousness. This would be her first time actually flying with the Sky Ninja's specialized iron wings.
Suijin offered her a reassuring smile, then turned and signaled to a nearby clone standing by the controls. The clone nodded and pressed the launch activation button. Instantly, the catapult mechanism on the launch track engaged, smoothly shooting both Suijin and Amaru out from the fortress bay into the open sky beyond.
Once airborne, their iron wings deployed under the influence of their channeled chakra, allowing them to circle gracefully downwards towards the brooding peaks of Demon Sealing Mountain below. As they circled, Amaru's gaze was inevitably drawn to the desolate, rocky landscape spread out beneath her.
Is this the place where I'll live from now on? she thought, a wave of sadness and uncertainty washing over her. It looks so… bleak. That was her first impression of Demon Sealing Mountain.
Amaru stayed close behind Suijin as they descended, soon landing smoothly at a designated spot nestled amongst the rocks below. A figure clad in the familiar white and gold-trimmed robe of the Divine Court stood waiting quietly for them.
It was Jizo, another of Tatsuya's permanent clones.
Jizo didn't speak, merely nodding a silent greeting to Suijin and Amaru before turning and leading them towards the concealed entrance of a nearby underground laboratory complex built into the mountainside. Watching Jizo's retreating back, Amaru's eyes flickered with curiosity. He must be another expert, just as strong as Big Brother Suijin! she thought. The Divine Court… Soon, I'll be one of them too, they said. Her thoughts were a complex, tangled mix of apprehension, lingering grief, and a tentative sliver of uncertain hope. She followed Suijin and Jizo into the darkness of the underground base.
However, the moment she stepped across the threshold into the subterranean complex, Amaru's small body convulsed violently. She cried out, instinctively clapping her hands over her head as if warding off a physical blow. In that instant, a massive wave of raw, malevolent psychic energy – the lingering evil thoughts and despair of the sealed demon Moryo – flooded her mind, invading her senses like a physical force. Her head felt like it was about to explode from the pressure.
Letting out a piercing scream of pure agony, Amaru collapsed, thrashing uncontrollably on the cold stone floor. Simultaneously, dark blood began to stream from her nose and mouth.
"Hmph." Watching this sudden, violent reaction, both Jizo and Suijin remained outwardly impassive. Jizo let out a cold grunt, then vanished in a flicker, reappearing instantly before a large, cylindrical culture tank filled with swirling dark energy situated deeper within the lab. His hands blurred through a rapid series of complex hand seals.
"Seal!" Jizo finished, pressing his palms flat against the surface of the tank. Intricate, ink-black seal markings instantly spread across the glass like blooming frost, rapidly forming a complex sealing array designed to contain psychic energy.
As the sealing array flared briefly and settled, the overwhelming psychic assault lessened, and Amaru's agonized screams immediately began to subside into pained whimpers. Just over ten seconds later, she lay still and silent on the floor, unconscious.
Suijin stepped forward, gently scooped up her limp form, and carried her over to a nearby operating table, immediately beginning medical treatment to stabilize her condition.
Once Suijin had stopped the bleeding and tended to Amaru's immediate injuries, Jizo spoke, his voice thoughtful as he observed the readings from the culture tank. "It seems the main body's deductions were correct. The residual malevolent thoughts of Moryo, and likely the lingering evil intent from that eye," Jizo mused, referring perhaps to an artifact related to Moryo or another entity they had encountered previously, "are both 'useful' nourishment for the Zero-Tails. It appears to be autonomously absorbing these negative psychic energies."
"That's correct," Suijin confirmed, removing his glowing green, chakra-infused hands from Amaru's small body. "I checked just now while treating her. The Zero-Tails entity within Amaru is indeed autonomously absorbing those malevolent thoughts."
Jizo's eyes lit up with scientific interest. "Excellent! Then we can eventually proceed with the experiments according to the main body's planned evolution path for the Zero-Tails."
"Not yet," Suijin shook his head firmly. "Amaru is still too young. Her physical body fundamentally cannot withstand the full impact and strain of the Zero-Tails' power if we try to accelerate its growth now. We'll need to raise her, carefully strengthen her constitution and chakra pathways for another year or two, before we can safely attempt to extract the fully matured Zero-Tails from her."
Jizo mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "One or two years? Acceptable. We can afford to wait that long." Without waiting for Suijin's reply, he continued, "You stay here and watch over her recovery. I'll go bring the others down from the fortress. Until we're ready to 'ripen' the Zero-Tails, it's probably best to land Ancor Vantian and keep it concealed within the mountain range."
With that, Jizo vanished from the underground lab.
Meanwhile, back in the Land of Fields – Village Hidden in Medicine, Yakugakure.
"Teacher." In the Ta-kage's office, Guren bowed respectfully to Pakura, who was seated behind the Kage's desk reviewing documents.
"Guren," Pakura said, looking up from her work. "There's a mission I need you to undertake." As she spoke, she casually tossed a mission scroll across the desk towards her student.
"A mission?" Hearing the word, Guren's eyes instantly lit up with eagerness. She deftly caught the scroll and immediately began reading it carefully. Guren felt like she had been idle in the village for far too long. Ever since the intense battle against the Akatsuki members several months ago, Pakura, wary of further threats, hadn't left Yakugakure even once. Without Pakura available to lead their usual squad on external missions, Guren had been forced to remain in the village, focusing solely on her training regimen.
"Teacher, when do we depart?" Guren asked immediately after finishing the scroll's contents. The mission wasn't a simple one – a B-rank assignment issued directly by the Land of Fields' Daimyo. The objective: eliminate a troublesome group of rogue ninja who had been raiding villages and disrupting trade routes throughout the northern territories. Guren naturally assumed Pakura would be leading the team personally for a mission of this rank.
"You depart tomorrow," Pakura replied softly, but with a firm tone. "And this time, Guren, you will be the team captain. I've assigned Genkei, Miki, and Takami to accompany you. They will be under your command for this mission."
Hearing this unexpected news, Guren's face lit up with surprised delight. "Me? As captain?"
Pakura smiled and nodded. "That's right. Your skills and power are considerable now, Guren. It's time for you to gain practical experience leading a team in the field." Pakura had watched Guren grow and develop step by step since taking her under her wing. She knew Guren's current strength, especially with her Crystal Release, was more than sufficient to handle a B-rank mission; the only thing Guren truly lacked now was real-world command experience and the responsibility that came with it.
"Teacher, rest assured!" Guren declared, feeling incredibly motivated and energized under Pakura's expectant gaze. "I will definitely complete this mission successfully!" she promised confidently.
"Good," Pakura nodded, clearly satisfied with Guren's response. "Then go and make your preparations immediately."
"Yes, ma'am!" Guren acknowledged happily and quickly left the Ta-kage's office, eager to begin.
The next day, Guren, leading her newly assigned four-person squad, departed from Yakugakure village, heading north towards the troubled territories of the Land of Fields.