Mishiro's POV (Irminsul Wildlands - West River Plains - Hours Before Hiruzen's POV)
Sending off Leifazu had been an easy choice; the newly gendered woman would surely be strong enough to survive the hostile environment and retrieve their hired help. Also her absence would allow Mishiro some peace of mind. Yet, as the hours dragged on, it became clear to Mishiro that something had happened. Mishiro knew Leifazu hadn't died, the seal *4* related to Leifazu's revival would notify her of such, nor was it likely Leifazu had been captured or killed; she and all of those under Ikam's trusted staff were gifted with suicide seals for that very purpose. More than likely, they had been spread out more than she had thought. Leifazu was likely searching far and wide for their help. A thought that admittedly brought Mishiro some joy.
Mishiro had at first further ensured the security of their temporary camp while waiting. But that had been relatively simple for Fuijutsu master like herself. And waiting had quickly grown boring. Once she was confident the camp protected her in her absence, she finally set off with her Love's seal complete. The mechanisms of said seal were simple, and she could've made her own. But Ikam had made this seal formula, which meant the seal would operate on levels that no other seal could hope to compare to. It was a seemingly simple two rods connected by chakra thread, but a considerable chakra source would make it glow a certain color when pointed at it. It even glowed in different colors based on the type of chakra source. Blue represented humans or summoning animals—beings with more chakra and complex chakra networks. Red represented natural sources of chakra-like trees and simplistic wildlife. Relatively weak but consistent signal. However, purple was what Mishiro sought; purple represented an absurd chakra level in both the living and nonliving senses. Something that Ikam had theorized must exist for the two worlds to be linked. For them to be interlocked as they were there must be an anchor of sorts. Ikam had suggested there was an overlay somewhere, some force that kept them attracted to each other yet kept them separated. It would surely be a world-entwining chakra link, allowing the two worlds to interact without the two becoming one. If such a thing existed and someone were to potentially gain control of it. Well they would be able to separate the worlds. Or at least the connection, If Ikam's theory were correct, it would ensure their enemies lose access to one of the best shinobi practices in the world. Their enemies would never be able to summon again, weakening everyone. Everyone except them, something that would be more than useful for the latter stages of Ikam's plan. It also assured one of the few potential pitfalls of his plan would not come to be, some absurd happening that struck true fear in the man's heart. Something he would not fully discuss with even her…
With Ikam's seal, finding the area had become simple. While it only measured chakra masses, it became clear where her objective lay. There was only one of it's color and it had been a massive source of chakra, even bigger than Ikam had theorized. Ikam's primary object had been the hypothetical anchor. *5* And as he had theorized, such an object was made solely of condensed powerful chakra. So her direction had become clear, Mishiro confident she would find it off this signature. Merely a treacherous hike led to a massive ravine, a vast jagged line that cut the river-speckled plains in two. Several of said rivers flowed directly into the Ravine; it all fell and converged at the bottom of the Ravine, violently being swirled by the mere presence of chakra, water writhed and chaotically forming a water spout that surged high up into the very sky. The water eventually fell and caused a drizzle to surround the area. A blindingly glowing orb of pure chakra was in the center of the water twister. Its latent power seemingly shakes the earth around it. Mishiro could feel the hairs on her body stand on end.
'So My Love was right. It seems there is some physical manifestation of this link. The anchor seems to be a dense, volatile chakra core. Even approaching could be dangerous, not above her ability, but something she would struggle with. Ikam had seemingly thought so, warning her the task would not be easy even if they encountered no opposition. But Mishiro must admit, she was unsure why her love was so concerned. She was more than skilled enough to handle this. 'May as well accomplish this part of the mission for now.' But mere seconds before Mishiro leaped into the Ravine to start her mission, she saw that it could've killed her.
Her glance before had missed several key details. Surrounding the chakra's core were several building-sized golems, *6* roughly assembled out of mud, stone, clay, and all sorts of natural minerals and materials. Each was a simple mass of matter in vague, often disproportionate, human shape, except where a man would have a head; the stone creatures had chakra orbs. Each looked similar to the chakra anchor but was much smaller and less blinding. 'Seems to be some sort of guardians. They surely will be hardy, but nothing can stop me from-' Mishiro cringed when she heard a deafening whiff of air. A massive bird, easily the largest she had ever seen, hovered over the Ravine. She watched as the massive bird screeched with a deafening roar of defiance, filling the air with chakra and killing intent. Mishiro had never seen such a fierce sparrow in her life. And its eyes made it clear it was here for the core, just as Mishiro was.
Somewhat unnervingly, the seven golems froze instantly, each seemingly looking up at the bird.
"We are the Golems tasked with protecting the Core Convergence Point. Neither you nor any other creature are allowed to interact with it. Should you attempt to do so, we shall slay you as is our purpose."
The bird screeched again, seemingly infuriated by the words spoken by the strange golems. "My clan struggles greatly; we cannot gain food for the others to feed upon us! Our spawn is often killed before their prime. And we are unable to gain a summoner to allow for better! I will control the Core, and allow my clan to finally be safe!" The bird dived fully into the ravine, screeching as it caused a loud whoosh through the air. Mishiro watched, interested. It would be valuable to observe steadily for now. She could observe their battle, see how each fought and reacted, and with said knowledge in mind. Slay the victors with ease. But the scene below her killed the motion of any such idea.
There was a crackling in the air and a boom as each of the seven Golem's heads glowed even brighter before each shot a pure beam of chakra. Mishiro felt goosebumps form on her skin as each of the beams seemed to instantly pierce the bird, each leaving a massive hole in the beast. The bird made no noise, more than likely dead even as it continued to fall.
'So the Golems have a powerful and fast ranged attack. More difficult than I had thought but still doable.' However, with rapt interest, Mishiro watched as one of the Golems crouched down as if to leap. Then it did just that, launching off with absurd speed, instantly appearing within striking range of their massive bird. Mercilessly, the stone creature batted away the bird's corpse, which flew off into the distance, smashing through several trees. 'Less doable, it seems they are just as ferocious physically as they are at a distance. And with their numbers it would suicidal to fight them head on. It may be best if I wait until the others are here. I'm confident the group would find some way to beat them without risk. Though it would be risky to leave it available… It seems even the beasts of this world wish to have it for themselves. If only I could affect it without risking the Golem's ire…'
Mishiro observed patiently for an hour or two. This allowed her to learn several facts and formulate a temporary solution. The Golems were limited within the boundaries of the Ravine; a group of giant mosquitoes had earned their wrath but had been left alone once out of the Ravine. Secondly, they were innately aware of any presence within the Ravine. Even when animals were as stealthy as Jounin, or even an odd lizard that could turn invisible, the Golems were alerted and reacted appropriately. And finally, there seemed to be chakra from the surrounding area being pulled in. Mishiro's theory was that the chakra core required endless high levels. Something is achieved by leaching it out of the area around them.
'Gaining full control of the anchor will require some experimentation. Such a construct is unique, and it will almost certainly take some time to devise a way to safely control it. However, it doesn't seem to move; even better, while guarded, the guardians are limited in their range of motion. Assuming My Love's theory was accurate, the core itself allowed the transport of beings and items between worlds. The Core seems to be powered by chakra and operated similarly. So if she cut it off from the external chakra, it should cut off anything trying to leave or come to Terra. Which was basically what she had come here for…
"It would be achieving our goal, not perfectly; it wouldn't allow us the absolute control we'll need. However, it would weaken our enemies and isolate one of our few earnest threats." Mishiro spoke out loud excitedly. Her smile grew manic as she imagined how pleased Ikam would be once she achieved her goal. The power it would grant him, the security it would grant her. With her mind made, she formed a hand sign as white jagged chakra chains burst from her back. Each stabbed into the ground and surged beneath it. They surged in two opposite directions, carving into the earth as both sides curved toward the Ravine. Suddenly, chains burst from the ground, shooting into the other side of the Ravine and throughout the air. Mishiro cackled as her chakra swelled into the chains, further preparing for one of her strongest techniques. The very reason Ikam had been interested in her from the start was one of her Uzumaki bloodlines. "Uzumaki Style: Platinum Chains Loving Entrapment!" She called with glee.
The golems suddenly froze before each crouched down and shot up to the top of the Ravine. Strange glowing heads somehow clearly stared at her. Just as before, they glowed even brighter as chakra surged. Mishiro didn't flinch this time, however…
"Too late, you filthy rocks, you have been sealed by the will of My Love!" Mishiro taunted as the chains finally finished their journey, they formed a loose sphere around the center of the Ravine. As the golems unleashed their volley of powerful chakra blasts, the chains suddenly shot a purple film throughout the sky. They were enveloping the area encircled by the chains in an instant. The explosion of pure chakra collided with the barrier but faded out. The golems fell back to the center, staring up at her but perplexed by the situation. Mishiro cackled loudly at such.
"My Love will be overjoyed; while we lack full control of the convergence anchor, it is now only ours to wield! After all, this barrier is directly tied to my love for Ikam… something much stronger than any foolish creature can hope to match. The world of shinobi now has lost access to summoning clans, and even better, we now can gain utter control of this new world." Mishiro continued to chuckle as she left the now sealed-off Ravine. "Now, I shall return to camp and wait for Leifazu to bring those servants back."