"Hmm, that is indeed the Takime clan's forbidden jutsu… but where did you learn it?" Ogashi asked after Kaoru explained the technique Suiren had used. His voice rumbled like distant thunder, slow and heavy. "I didn't teach it to you on purpose."
"My grandma used it… she used it to defeat one of the strongest shinobi on our continent."
Ogashi let out a low sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a groan. His massive form rippled, collapsing into a tall human figure, his sharp, cyan eyes settling on Kaoru. "I am sorry for her, Kurara. Is that why you've come? Even if she is still alive, there is nothing I can do to save her."
Kaoru froze, his eyes widening until they looked like they might burst. "I'm not here to ask that. But… how did you know that she died?"
"Kurara, forbidden jutsu are forbidden for a reason." Ogashi's voice had softened, but the weight of it carried through the water as he looked away. "That technique your grandmother believed would unlock Suijingan's potential does no such thing. It breaks it. By ruining the balance, the Suijingan stops limiting itself and begins to destroy the wielder. Your ancestors, the ones who never fully awakened the eye, only used it when they were already doomed. One final strike before death. Because once the restraint is gone, the Suijingan draws chakra from everything - water in the air, the ground beneath, even the body of its own wielder…"
His gaze turned back to Kaoru, suspicion flashing across his eyes before narrowing into dangerous slits. "Don't tell me you mean to use it."
"I was… but not anymore." Kaoru's reply came bitterly, his head shaking, his voice low.
"Good. Never meddle with the Suijingan. Never let anyone tamper with it or bind it with seals. That path ends only in death. Even we could not apply seals to your eyes without destroying them." Ogashi exhaled slowly, his tone heavy with memory. For a moment, it seemed as though he would say more, but the words never came. He straightened, brushing the weight from his face. "If that is all, then tell me about your training…"
"Grandpa Ogashi, I need your help." Kaoru cut him off, his voice breaking the calm. "My sister was taken by shinobi far stronger than me. I know I can't face them… but I don't think I have a choice. Even if I don't seek them out, they might come for me."
Deep down he didn't truly believe Akatsuki was searching for him. Yet he knew that the Leviathan's concern began and ended with the bearer of the Suijingan. Everyone else was irrelevant. If he wanted to get something useful from Ogashi, then he'd need to motivate the man.
"Getting stronger takes time, Kakare!" Ogashi said calmly, running a hand through the beard on his chin. "You are not even strong enough to form a summoning contract with us, let alone wield the Suijingan to its full extent."
"I know that, Grandpa Ogashi," Kaoru said, his voice steady now, no longer wavering. "But I can't just abandon my sister. I can't tell myself it's fine to do nothing because I'm too weak." His gaze sharpened, his tone hardening. "Would you still call me worthy of your teachings if I became that kind of man? A man who turns his back on family and friends?"
Ogashi said nothing. He simply stood in front of Kaoru, silent, watching.
"You told me once that my ancestor gave his life to save the Leviathans. Isn't it because of that sacrifice that you chose to teach me, even knowing it would bring conflict with other tribes?" Kaoru's fists clenched at his sides as he forced himself to speak through the tightening in his throat. "Then listen to me now. I promise I won't throw my life away blindly. But I can't abandon her. I won't let myself lose the only family I have left."
His body shook, his eyes glistening as tears finally welled. Even here, in the strange weightless space of Ogashi's own making, his emotions burned through. His manifestation projected not just his determination, but the raw ache of a boy who refused to let go.
Ogashi studied Kaoru in silence, his body unmoving, gaze piercing into the boy's very core. The water-world around them grew heavier, as if holding its breath. At last, the Leviathan sighed, a sound that rolled like a tide across the endless sea.
"Kurara… there is a method. One that could grant you a chance at survival, even against the strongest shinobi of your continent," he said slowly, each word weighed down with hesitation. "But there is a price to be paid."
His eyes lowered, drifting from Kaoru's small figure toward the depths below. The space resembled an endless ocean, vast and unyielding.
"I will give you a seal. If you use it, it will save your life, unleashing a torrent of power… but the cost will be immense." As he spoke, parchment appeared before him, unrolling in the water as though it had been waiting there all along. His fingers traced across it, drawing symbols that pulsed faintly with otherworldly light. "Our time grows short, so listen carefully. If you use this seal, your body will be transported to a random place. More often than not, such a place will lie deep in the territory of beasts. That danger alone makes the seal a curse as much as a blessing. You must swear to me now that you will never use it unless it is your only chance to survive."
"I swear!" Kaoru answered without hesitation, his voice carrying the raw edge of desperation. Yet even in his haste, he meant it. The weight in Ogashi's tone told him clearly that this was no request. This was a rule he had to absolutely follow.
"There is another restriction," Ogashi continued, his enormous form drifting closer, the parchment now hovering in his outstretched hand. His eyes gleamed with something heavier than command. "It is not bound by the seal, but I will demand it of you. If you use this seal, no matter where you are cast or how long you wander, the first thing you must do is seek out my brother."
"What? Why him and not you?" Kaoru asked, suspicion sparking at the edge of his thoughts. Something was wrong. There was more to this seal than Ogashi was saying.
"Because, Kurara, he is the one who must teach you senjutsu… and the last two steps your training lacks. I cannot." Ogashi's voice dropped, regret lining each word. He thrust the parchment forward, practically forcing it into Kaoru's hands, before turning his back. "Open it. Look carefully."
Kaoru obeyed, unrolling the parchment. The markings spiraled across its surface, far too complex to grasp, yet instinctively he felt their weight settle into his memory.
Ogashi's figure was fading now, his massive body growing transparent, the waters around them warping like glass under strain.
"What's happening?!" Kaoru called out, panic rising, but his hands still unfurled the parchment further, understanding that their time was running out.
"You will easily remember that seal, Kurara," Ogashi's voice came muffled, distorted by the dissolving space. "To use it, you must shape it in the air with water… and mix it with your own blood."
The last of the Leviathan's form vanished, his figure swallowed by the dark.
"Remember… do not waste your life. You are far more valuable than you realize…"
The words were faint now, drifting like echoes across an empty sea.
"Do not let us down, child…"
And then Kaoru's eyes snapped open. He was back in his room, his chest heaving, his skin slick with sweat. His hands trembled uncontrollably, his fingers refusing to steady even as he tried to push himself upright. The strain of the communication had been too much, far beyond what a human body was meant to endure.
His legs wobbled, threatening to give out, but he forced them to hold. Step by step, he crossed the room with a quick, uneven stride, reaching the small table by the wall. Pulling open the lower drawer, he retrieved a blank sheet of paper and dropped it onto the surface. His hand shook as he gripped the pen, yet he pressed it to the page, drawing the lines of the seal one stroke at a time. The design flowed from his memory without hesitation, and when the final curve was complete, he exhaled slowly.
"I think this was it," he muttered, staring at the finished pattern. Without wasting another moment, he slid the paper into his storage seal. Even if the memory was clear now, there was no guarantee it would remain so weeks or months later.
His body finally gave in, and he dropped back onto the floor. Folding his legs beneath him, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. His breath steadied. The shivering that had shaken his entire body eased as his mind slipped into calm.
'The last one who saw Maki was Nagato, and maybe even Konan. But approaching them is suicide. The chances of them attacking me the moment I get close are too high.' His mind raced, circling through possibilities. 'I'll keep Nagato and Konan as my last resort. I'll meet them only if I have no other choice. So, what are the safer options? The first person that comes to mind is Ao with his Byakugan… but he must have already tried, there is no way he'd return home without trying to find traces of Maki with his Byakugan.'
He sighed softly, his breath breaking the stillness.
'Karin… her Mind's Eye of Kagura could help. She can sense chakra across great distances. If she was near the battlefield, she might detect Maki's presence. But she's the same age as Sasuke. Which means right now she's just a child. Worse, I have no idea where she is.'
The thought withered, leaving only one path.
'That leaves me with two options. Either I track down an Inuzuka and use their ninken, or I seek out Kakashi and ask if he can summon his dogs. But I don't even know if he's signed the contract yet… and even if he has, why would he help me after what I did to his squad…'
Kaoru's eyes opened. He pushed himself to his feet and stretched, the ache in his body already gone. Even half an hour of meditation had been enough to mend most of the damage, his recovery speed bolstered by the refined chakra pathways in his body.
'I'll speak with Mei and Ao once I check on Sensei,' he decided, his thoughts turning back to Shin. The man was likely drowning in despair, and Kaoru knew his presence would be needed. 'Perhaps someone in the village has a sensory technique like the Inuzuka clan or Kakashi's hounds. That might be the only way.'
His body tensed, ready to flicker away. But before he could move, an Oinin appeared before him in a sudden rush of chakra.
"Lord Kaoru," the masked shinobi said, bowing slightly. "Lady Mei requests your presence at once. There is news regarding Lady Suikage."
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