"Danzo-sama… these are?". Tsuyu entered the laboratory space; or rather a large hall. Wires, tubes connecting to multiple glass tanks containing thick translucent liquid, and a sapling in a glass chamber at the center.
"Did Jiraiya give you the summoning contract for the toads?".
"No, Danzo-sama".
"It seems he doesn't trust you with too much power". Danzo said his conclusion. He is correct in this regard that Jiraiya is reluctant to give it for various reasons.
Tsuyu doesn't comment on Danzo's opinion. Perhaps he's right, but she's not offended or anything. "While summoning beasts could be helpful, so far I have not found a suitable chance. I may have no need for them either."
"True. With your full strength, you hardly need any. Summoning beasts are ultimately just a tool. But having the right tool for the right occasion is also what a Shinobi should utilise. Come, I will have you contract with a beast that Root had been researching for years. The beast is different compared to most, and resides in another dimension. The seal I would be planting on you would create connection between you and the beast we call Nue"
"Yes, Danzo-sama".
Tsuyu had a complicated mixture of gratitude and; a little reluctance. Danzo seems a little too good to her and she's aware Danzo had a genjutsu technique that could control her without she herself even realising. She figures out Danzo is like this only because he regarded Tsuyu as his own completely. She's not sure whether to feel flattered that her value is that high for Danzo or feel wary that her free will would be taken away.
She genuinely likes working with Danzo who sees and appreciates her values and opinions. Even when establishing a new army subdivision, he takes her input very seriously - and gives her a chance to command a squad of her own.
I will need a backup plan for myself. Kurama might not remind me or there's a possibility I wouldn't get out of it even if Kurama did.
Tsuyu already made her calculations. Her encounter with Orochimaru's consciousness gives her some ideas before.
"So you are Tsuyu Uzumaki! I am Tanuki Shigaraku, the lead researcher of Project Gozu Tenno." A middle aged man in a white lab robe comes forward to introduce himself.
Tsuyu shakes his hand, giving him a quick nod.
Tsuyu looks around in the secret research laboratory owned by Root. She saw multiple regular staffs already ready, checking and monitoring the tanks containing translucent liquid. A sapling emitting dark purple chakra contained in a glass chamber with tubes connecting to the tanks become the highlight of this place. Shinobi world is filled with weird things so she doesn't ask too much.
"Take your seat on the altar. I will need to plant the seal into your back".
"Understood."
A staff member helped to cover Tsuyu's front with a piece of black cloth while she took off her jacket.
"Let's get started". Danzo unrolls the bandages on his arm. The staff each hold a tube connecting to the tanks; connecting them into a single large tube.
"Danzo-sama, I will connect it to you now".
"Proceed!". One of the sharingan on Danzo's arm flashed. The staff connects the tube to Danzo's back. The valve is then opened, letting Hashirama cells flow and circulate into Danzo's body.
"Nnh…", Danzo felt the foreign cells invade, tearing his body cells slightly. Each of the sharingan on Danzo's arm emit chakra to suppress them, Danzo is using all of his chakra at the moment otherwise he would turn into a tree. Beads of sweat rolled down Danzo's face. He struggles as he starts weaving hand signs. Tsuyu, though his face turning away from Danzo, could feel how much Danzo was struggling. A part of her felt very complicated that Danzo would endure pain for whatever this is.
Fuinjutsu: Gozu Tenno!
Danzo slapped his palm onto Tsuyu.
Tsuyu grabbed onto the altar below her, her fist clenched tight as a seal formed behind her to a point her hands turned white, the altar cracked from her force. The pain as if she's being branded by flaming hot steel alive. A large red seal covering most of her back forms. A pattern like an eye at the center of the seal.
At the completion, Tsuyu could feel a massive amount of her own chakra drained into the seal, and instinctively she feels a being is born at the same time created from her chakra, connected to her.
Suddenly, Tsuyu could feel unstable chakra fluctuation coming from Danzo. A Root ninja quickly pulled Tsuyu away from him, dashing quickly.
In Tsuyu's shock, Danzo screamed in pain, sprouts of wood and leaves growing from his entire body. Tsuyu caught a glimpse of Danzo's arm filled with many Sharingans but did not care about it for a moment. Eventually Danzo is completely engulfed in branches continuously growing and destroying everything inside the underground laboratory.
As the dust settles, what lies there instead of Danzo is just a huge tree.
He… he turned into a tree? Tsuyu felt her heart in turmoil. She never thought Danzo faced such a risk by giving her the seal…
Just when Tsuyu is about to grief her good boss that would sacrifice even his own life, the tree suddenly turns illusory and disappears like magic. Her eyes bulged out in disbelief.
Genjutsu??
Just then, like a ghost, Danzo appears like magic as well.
"The seal was planted successfully. You can try to bring it out". Danzo nonchalantly speaks as if he didn't just turn into a tree and died a few seconds prior.
Tsuyu was so confused and speechless. Was it all a genjutsu? She looked around, the laboratory was devastated. A staff member even died there.
"Don't be too surprised. I have my own methods". Danzo said calmly. He had Izanagi that could save his life. Of course he took this risk. It's just unfortunate he had one less life…
"...", Tsuyu calmed herself down. Danzo is definitely not simple at all.
She mobilises her chakra. The seal on her back emits a red glow. Purplish light appears in space in front of her, and from it a small little cub much like Akamaru pops out a dimension.
"Huh… He's so…small". Nue looks at Tsuyu with its big eyes, already treating her like his mother. She observed how weird the pup is. The tail is a snake-like thing. It had manes on its head that looked like a monkey, its legs were striped like a tiger.
Tsuyu looked at it then at Danzo.
Why does it look so useless though…?
"Nue feeds off negative chakra, and would eventually grow into a strong beast. He had the ability to grow vines and plantations, much like the 1st Hokage though to a lesser extent. He could drain the opponent's chakra as well."
Tanuki, who was saved by a Root ninja, comes forward.
"Nue is not to be underestimated. With time, he would grow into a terrifying entity as long as there's enough negative chakra. But remember to take care of its life. If its life is gone, the seal on your back would break. And you would have to start over from scratch…"
"I understand".
"Huh? Danzo-sama, Are you alright?". Tsuyu saw Danzo's complexion look really pale.
"It's nothing. I just need some time to recuperate. Since we are done here, you do the final checkup on your own. I will take my leave."
"Yes, Danzo-sama." She felt more complicated about Danzo. He treats her as his own quite literally but her free will is at stake. But then, perhaps Danzo wouldn't use Kotomatsukami as long as Tsuyu never goes against him. After all, why would he waste such a powerful jutsu for someone already loyal to him.
The staff went to do a final check on Tsuyu's condition before letting her go.
Out of Root basement, Tsuyu heads to a secluded forest, resummoning Nue again.
"Show me what you got, you little thing." Tsuyu crossed her arms, looking at it with expectation.
"An!", it slapped its small paw on the ground, vines grew out of them and latched onto a tree binding it.
Sigh. Didn't expect I would get a pet at this point.
"Good, I suppose. But practice more if you want to be useful, understand?".
Nue nods obediently. But then it seemed to sniff something, it look at Tsuyu with bright big eyes and turned into purple chakra and whoosh-ed into Tsuyu's body like a shadow.
"What are you-!".
***
Kurama in the mindscape opened his eyes. His heart was in shock and turmoil seeing the little cub in front of him. Whatever Nue was, he felt it's eerily similar to the scent of 10 tails, albeit different. Just what is that beast?
Reibi also opened his one eye and wiggled out of Kurama's thick fur, seemingly happy he had a new sibling.
Nue can be said to be sort of a tailed beast as well, since it's a living entity made of Tsuyu's chakra and Hashirama's cell. It's just that Nue lived in a different dimension and wasn't living inside of her own body unlike Kurama and Reibi. Or maybe it's already planning to now…
Nue went close to the red gate, looking up at Kurama sensing sooo much negative energy (food) from him.
Tsuyu also gets into her mindscape to see whatever he wants to do. She looked in bewilderment as Nue squeezed into the seal just to go to Kurama.
"You little beast! Who do you think you are!", Kurama roared, blasting Nue away with his chakra slamming it heavily onto the gate.
Nue cried out and ran to Tsuyu like a baby. A hint of guilt flashed in Kurama's eyes.
"Kurama, he's my summoning beast, Nue".
"Hmph! Such a weak thing! So useless!" Kurama snorted in disdain.
"In time he would grow", Tsuyu just held him in her arms. Nue looked at Kurama so pitifully.
Reibi butted his head onto Kurama a few times, making Kurama glance at him.
He gives Kurama a puppy eye, as if asking Kurama to be nice to him.
"Hmph! Whatever! Just don't annoy me, beast!".
Kurama just lies down, pretending to sleep. Nue jumps down from Tsuyu's arm and carefully walks towards the gate again. Seeing Kurama not doing anything, he squeezed through the gap carefully. Tiptoeing with its 4 paws and sitting right next to Kurama… feeding his negative chakra.
Reibi went to greet Nue. Nue seemed to welcome it and found a companion that also enjoys the same food.
This fox seems a little less irritable?
Tsuyu wondered if it's because he finally had company inside this dark cage. It's bizarre he's actually coping with two little critters. In a way, Kyubi doesn't have anyone to talk to for 3 generations at least and having Reibi inside made him feel better she guessed.
Or that they fed off his negative emotions and indirectly made him feel better.
Reibi cast a glance at Tsuyu, just then its head turned into blobs of purply flesh before it turned into…
My…face!?
It showed a happy smile with teeth, but in Tsuyu's vision it looked creepy enough. Tsuyu's face turned into a fleshly thing before turning into Orochimaru's.
"Hnhnhnhn… hnhn…". It let out a laugh like that person. It darted his tongue out, licking his lips while locking his eyes onto her.
At this point Tsuyu is already on guard, ready to kick this thing out at any moment. It suddenly grows orange fur before turning into mini Kurama's head as if he's really just playing around.
"...".
So he's been feeding on my chakra, Kurama's, and then he ate Orochimaru and this guy turned like this…?
Kurama's head on Reibi turned into fleshly purple, before it formed a monstrous amalgamation of Kurama, Tsuyu and Orochimaru's face, with multiple eyes and irises.
"Tsuyu, why is Kurama locked in here?". It spoke in a mixture of 3 voices, creeping out even Kurama. Its tone is only pure curiosity.
"... It's a long story, Reibi." Tsuyu is not sure what's going on with this… thing. It gained wisdom and now asking questions. Tsuyu felt really wary of this thing now.
"Kid, it's humans who captured me, and use me for my power! They are evil creatures!". Kurama answered to teach the young bijuu to be wary.
"I see…". Reibi nodded like a good student.
"No. It's more accurate to say they are greedy and fearful. But humans generally aren't inherently evil." Tsuyu decided to add her own point.
"That's the same!" Kurama retorted.
"I see… What constitutes evil?" It's creepy eyes with multiple irises locked onto Tsuyu earnestly.
Tsuyu decided to answer his philosophical questions since Kurama might be teaching him one-sided things and might make it turn against her. For her evil is cruelty without a purpose, only for the sake of cruelty, only for their gratification.
If it's to win, using tactics to demoralise opponents, or that it's the most efficient way to victory; that wasn't evil in her definition. You are fighting for a real purpose and a real goal. But to be cruel just for the sake of it is another matter.
Reibi nods vigorously, as if agreeing instead of understanding.
This Reibi gained wisdom after ingesting Orochimaru's soul, making his being as complete as that of a real Bijuu. Perhaps his personality is an amalgamation of the three things it consumed.
***
Tsuyu gets out of her mindscape after an hour with a tired sigh of trying to answer Reibi's questions - and that Kurama is always telling him nonsense about humans being liars, untrustworthy, selfish, etc. Nue is just playing around because he's not smart enough to talk.
I should learn 8 triagram sealing soon… just in case. Danzo would just let her learn from Scroll of Sealing she guesses.
For now it doesn't seem hostile though… and if I can use its power that would be beneficial and a mutualistic relationship would be preferred…
Tsuyu had a headache. It felt like her body was now a zoo housing 3 beings. If she just locks Reibi up in front of Kurama's face, he might become hostile to her again since he sees Reibi like a fellow Bijuu and that it would seem like she is 'the same like other humans'. She promised Kurama freedom - if she locks Reibi now it would make her like a real liar wasn't it. Letting Reibi free seems risky on the other hand.
Oh… headache… headache…
***