The night was heavy with mist as Raven and Yumi approached the looming fence. The Forest of Death stretched beyond, a vast wilderness of shadows and danger. Massive gates towered above them, forty-four in total, each marked with seals and warnings. Raven raised a brow beneath her mask, her Rinnegan gleaming faintly. "You want my new secret training facility to be here… in the Forest of Death?"
Yumi nodded without hesitation, her golden eyes steady. "Of course. This place is filled with vitality—monsters, poisons, dangers. Few shinobi or ANBU dare venture too far. Even Orochimaru keeps people away with his influence. And more importantly, the Forest of Death overflows with natural chakra. Perfect for building your reserves."
Raven's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she considered the idea. "That makes sense… and I'll take these techniques with me." She adjusted the storage scrolls beneath her cloak, the weight of Senju knowledge pressing against her side.
She slipped her mask fully into place and followed Yumi through the gate. The air within the forest was thick, damp, and alive with unseen movement. Strange cries echoed from deeper within, accompanied by the rustle of predators that skulked just beyond sight. They pressed forward, weaving through twisted roots and undergrowth until, half a mile in, Yumi stopped before a massive tree. Its trunk bent and warped toward the ground, and a large stone rested against its base.
Yumi flicked her tail toward the stone. "Here. I found this before you were reborn. Watch." She tapped the surface lightly. For a moment it appeared solid, but then the rock shimmered and turned transparent, its form bending like water.
Raven's Rinnegan flared as she stepped closer. "An illusionary seal? Who created this?"
"I don't know," Yumi said evasively, her gaze flicking toward the shimmering rock. "I stumbled on it by accident. But the cave below is steeped in nature chakra. Whoever set this up, they wanted it hidden."
Raven studied her sharply. "And how do you know the sequence to open it?"
Yumi's eyes glimmered with a sly smile. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to."
Raven held her gaze for a long moment before looking back at the shimmering stone. "…Fair enough."
Together they stepped through. The illusion peeled away, revealing a narrow staircase carved into the earth. The air was cooler here, heavy with the scent of stone and old seals. They descended carefully, their footsteps echoing faintly until the passage opened into a chamber below.
Raven's Rinnegan picked up patterns etched into the walls, faint seal lines glowing like veins of light. The chamber was simple but purposeful: a bed in one corner, a washing station and small bathroom nearby, a wide mat laid across the center for meditation. The walls were reinforced with sealing arrays that pulsed softly, stabilizing the space with protective chakra.
Raven's voice dropped, edged with awe. "These are Uzumaki clan seals… This chamber may have belonged to Mito Uzumaki, my grandmother, when she lived here with the First Hokage."
Yumi nodded slowly, her tails swaying in measured rhythm. "Very possible. Mito was a master of sealing. She likely left many secret sanctuaries like this. You didn't stumble here by chance, Raven. There are no coincidences in this world."
Raven moved to the center of the chamber, laying her newly claimed scrolls and Hashirama's notebook upon the mat. She unrolled them carefully, the glow of the seals illuminating her mask in pale light. Her eyes traced every detail, devouring the knowledge locked away for generations.
Her voice dropped to a murmur, almost to herself. "This is my inheritance… the power they tried to bury."
For an hour she read, her focus unbroken, her Rinnegan flickering as it absorbed the layers of sealing scripts and medical theory. At last, Yumi stretched and spoke gently. "Enough reading for tonight. It's time to cultivate. You must build your chakra reserves."
Raven exhaled, steady, then crossed her legs upon the mat. The scrolls lay closed before her as her Rinnegan steadied the natural chakra flow. Mistlike threads curled around her body, drawn into her lungs with each breath. She closed her eyes, sinking deeper into meditation, her pulse steady as the energy flowed into her.
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