Sara felt Aoba's big hand, a look of delight flashed across her face, and she leaned the back of her head against his chest, happily saying, "Sensei, did you go talk to Mom and get everything resolved?"
Aoba nodded, taking her and heading outside, "What do you want to play today?"
But Sara suddenly stopped in her tracks, pulling Aoba to a halt with her. She looked at him suspiciously, "Lately Sensei's been acting kind of strange."
"Really? Where do you think I'm strange, Sara?"
Aoba looked at her with a curious expression.
"It just feels like Sensei's been very easygoing recently."
Saying that, Sara immediately jumped onto Aoba's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and shouting loudly, "Tell me, did Sensei do something to betray me?"
With Sara's strength, of course she couldn't really affect Aoba; he only instinctively supported her body so she wouldn't slip, then calmly said, "I'm leaving Roran."
Sara's playful movement froze; the redness on her face faded, replaced by utter confusion, "Sensei, are you joking?"
They had lived together for three years, why would he suddenly say he was leaving?
Aoba shook his head, looking very calm, "No, in a few days I will leave."
"Th-then… did I do something that made Sensei dislike me?"
Realizing Aoba wasn't lying, the girl's pretty face grew pale, tears already welling in her eyes.
"No," Aoba shook his head again, "Sara is so cute, how could I possibly dislike you."
"Th-then… why does Sensei have to go?", Sara's voice trembled with sobs.
Aoba brought Sara forward, gently patting her head as he explained, "Sara, this time I'm going home. I still have family and friends over there waiting for me, so I must go."
"Aren't Mom and I part of your family?"
Big, big tears rolled down from Sara's eyes, the salty taste entering her mouth.
"Of course. That's why I'll come back."
Aoba wiped her tears and lightly tapped her forehead.
"Really?"
With tear-blurred eyes Sara looked up at him.
Aoba nodded seriously, "Of course!"
"Then let's pinky-swear!"
"Pinky-swear!"
In the following days, Sara practically clung to Aoba.
Even at night, when sleeping, Aoba could feel an extra body-shaped lump in the quilt.
———
A few days later—
Aoba stood within the Dragon Vein's forbidden grounds.
At this time all of Roran's residents had been gathered to areas outside Roran's perimeter.
To celebrate Roran's changes, they were holding a nationwide festival everyone could participate in.
This also gave Aoba the opportunity he needed.
He looked down at the densely packed seals beneath his feet. These were sealing formations for the Dragon Vein.
They were actually similar in principle to the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style that Minato had placed inside Naruto, composed of four-part seals; they could both bind the Dragon Vein and allow chakra to seep out continuously.
What Aoba was about to do now was to pry open one corner of that seal and completely seal a portion of the Dragon Vein into his own body.
The sealing method would also be the Four Symbols Seal.
He rapidly formed hand seals with both hands, then slammed them down onto the ground.
BOOM!
The seal was opened, and a terrifying chakra burst forth with a roar; the entire forbidden grounds began to tremble, and the space itself warped slightly.
Powerful! Overbearing! Fierce!
This terrifying chakra was in no way weaker than a Tailed Beast. Indeed, in terms of chakra quantity it was far beyond the likes of One-Tail or Two-Tail beasts.
Immediately, a pillar of purple light shot up suddenly from the center of the forbidden grounds, piercing the sky.
Even those attending the festival outside Roran could see it clearly.
Gradually, the pillar of purple light formed the phantom of a giant dragon, looking down upon Aoba who stood in the forbidden grounds' center.
Aoba stared back at it.
Clank! Clank!
The sound of chains swinging echoed; Aoba formed seals again, and another layer of runes appeared on the ground centered on him.
He did not hesitate. The diamond-like binds wrapped around the Dragon Vein's tail and dragged it into his abdomen.
The Dragon Vein that had been floating in the air instantly vanished, and on Aoba's belly appeared the sigil of the Four Symbols Seal.
The forbidden grounds quieted once more; sensing the brief calm, Aoba did not relax an inch.
He knew the big part was coming.
The Dragon Vein was stronger than he had imagined; even among Tailed Beasts there are differences, being comparable to a Tailed Beast depends on which tier.
After opening the seal, Aoba clearly perceived the enormity of the Dragon Vein chakra; it was at least on the level of an Eight-Tails.
Sure enough, in the next moment—
RUMBLE!
An even more terrifying roar resounded.
Another surge of purple light rose from the center of the forbidden grounds, and this time the chakra eruption was even more horrific.
A vast amount of chakra burst through the heavens, cleaving the sky.
It coalesced into a roaring purple dragon.
Such a heavenly phenomenon would rouse all of Roran in a short time; even the Sand Village in the Land of Wind was alerted.
The dragon's face was ferocious, roaring and howling, as if accusing Aoba of forcibly stealing its power.
Buzz!
Aoba heard a buzzing in his ears; the sound didn't come from outside but from within his body, the resonance of the Dragon Vein chakra.
The small sealed half of the Dragon Vein inside his body was being driven by the external Dragon Vein, and it, too, began to take over and run amok inside him.
Although the Dragon Vein wasn't a Tailed Beast and had no true independent consciousness, its volume was far larger than a Tailed Beast's. This small half-Dragon Vein almost filled the entire sealed space.
At this moment it began to rampage inside the seal, thrashing about, trying to leave Aoba's body and return to the outside Dragon Vein.
This portion of the Dragon Vein had only been sealed by Aoba, not fused.
Right now he was at most a half-Dragon Vein jinchuriki, not the true master.
Outside, Roran's Dragon Vein was boiling over as well.
The purple dragon flailed its massive body, and with a titanic roar it laid waste to the surrounding area.
The Dragon Vein had completely gone berserk.
That enormous body smashed into buildings within Roran, each impact erupting with the thunder of a falling meteor, causing the ground to quake.
From afar, residents who had been attending the festival watched in horror.
Seramu's face showed worry. After all, it was a Dragon Vein rampage, but at this moment she could only choose to trust Aoba.
"Mom, Sensei is still in the forbidden grounds!"
Sara's panicked voice rang out; she looked at the rampaging Dragon Vein in terror and instinctively tried to run toward the center.
But Seramu suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
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