The stone door sealed shut behind them, muffling the outside world until only silence and the sound of their footsteps remained. The air grew cooler as Raven and Yumi descended into the passage. The Rinnegan glowed faintly in Raven's eyes, each ripple pulsing with awareness. After half a minute, she stopped, raising one hand to the rough stone wall. Her chakra pressed outward, threads of energy weaving through unseen channels.
Yumi's golden eyes narrowed. "What's that seal you're casting?"
Raven's masked face tilted toward her. "A special Senju clan seal Tsunade taught me. It hides their greatest knowledge from Danzo, the Third, and anyone else who would abuse it. Only Tsunade, myself, Mito, and the First and Second Hokage knew of it."
The wall glowed as her chakra surged. Intricate patterns bloomed like luminous vines, branching in every direction. With a low rumble, the stone dissolved, leaving behind an opening that breathed cold air into the passage. Beyond stretched a hidden underground library, its shelves lined with scrolls and tomes untouched for years.
Raven stepped inside, her footsteps soft against the dust-coated floor. "After all these years… most of it is still here. Tsunade hasn't returned to clean this place out."
Yumi tilted her head, her tails swaying slowly. "Why would she? After losing her brother and her first love, this village only gave her grief."
Raven's eyes darkened, her voice edged with steel. "Yes. Nawaki and Dan… both their deaths were suspicious. Do you really think Danzo had no hand in it? Or the Third?"
She paused before a shelf, her gaze narrowing. "The Hokage and the Elder Council had every reason to weaken the Senju. Their prominence and power threatened the balance of Konoha. Nawaki's death in battle—perhaps it was no accident. Perhaps his position was exposed deliberately. He died brutally, beyond any chance for Tsunade to save him."
Yumi's voice dropped lower, a note of grim recognition in it. "That does sound like the way Danzo operates. Ruthless. Cold. Sacrificing clans for political control."
Raven's hand curled into a fist, the mask hiding her expression. "But don't worry. With my Rinnegan, if I grow strong enough, I can bring him back. And not just him. I will bring back Mito Uzumaki, Tsunade's mother and my grandmother. She's the one who took me from Uzushio when it fell, who raised me as her own."
Yumi's eyes glowed brighter, impressed despite herself. "So resurrection is in your plans as well."
Raven's gaze sharpened as she scanned the shelves. Dust clung to parchment, but her eyes locked onto a scroll bound with violet string. She reached out and pulled it free, the weight of it heavy in her hands. She unrolled it slowly, her breath catching as the familiar markings revealed themselves.
"Here it is," she murmured to herself. "The first step… the Strength of a Hundred Seal. It will give me the stamina and regeneration to fight endlessly."
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