AN: sorry for the delay guys, my family is introducing a new member into the family soon so I've been busy helping with a baby shower being hosted today.
Anyways, I want to say HOLY FUCK!
Guys my DxD story surpasses this story already and it's been a month and a week or so.
We are at almost 800 collections and almost 140k views for this story with around 20 chapters.
That other story has 1k collections and almost reaching 100k views.
Anyways, I thank you all for the support on the story, I will continue to always release the promised chapters weekly no matter what.
I hope you enjoy! 😉 It's a slower chapter with some lore and exploring concepts for later.
Chapter 16 part 2
Misaki opened the box.
Inside were old papers wrapped in red cloth. The cloth was a bit faded, but the chakra inside it was not. Antares could feel it before she even finished unfolding the first layer.
It was warm like the blood rushing under the skin.
His eyes sharpened.
"Uzumaki seals?" Antares asked his red headed mother
"Some." she answered, nodding her head a bit in confirmation.
Misaki unwrapped one of the older scrolls with careful hands. The paper was thick, yellowed by time, and lined with strokes that looked too clean to be simple writing. There were circles inside circles, thin lines branching like veins, and characters written in red ink that had darkened with age.
'Wait, that's not ink but… Blood.' Antares came to a realization he knew immediately.
Misaki did not let him touch it.
"This is not for practice," she said. "It is for understanding if you study it you will learn a lot from it."
Antares nodded, but his eyes did not leave the scroll.
Misaki watched him for a moment, then turned the paper toward him.
"Read the title." She gestured to a part on the scroll
Antares leaned closer.
The characters were old. Some were written in a style he had not learned yet, but enough of them were familiar.
"Bloodline Command Record," he said slowly.
"Good." Misaki gave a small nod.
"What is it?" Antares looked at her.
"A record of how our clan understood one of its oldest inheritances." Misaki explained to her son.
"The chains," Antares said sure of his answer.
"Yes" Misaki's expression did not change, but the room became heavier with anticipation.
Antares sat straighter.
He had tried to ask about the chains before. Carefully, like a curious child who had heard an old family story and wanted to learn about it.
Apparently, he had not been as subtle as he thought.
Misaki placed one finger near the top of the scroll and started explaining to her son, wanting for him to learn about his family and their importance..
"The chakra chains of the Uzumaki are not a normal jutsu. They are not something a shinobi learns by copying hand signs, and it is not hidden in some scroll waiting for anyone with enough chakra to steal them."
Antares kept silent and let her speak.
Misaki tapped the old blood written formula once.
"They are a bloodline seal."
The words she just spoke sounded ludicrous to Antares' ears.
Antares felt his fingers twitch.
"A seal?"
"Yes," Misaki said. "One carried by the body. Passed through blood. Written into the genes of the royal line and scattered, in weaker forms, through certain Uzumaki branches." she said pointing to the scroll and the words written on it presenting it as evidence.
Antares stared at the scroll.
The idea struck him harder than he expected as he hadn't expected the Uzumaki's to be this unhinged with seals.
A seal written into blood.
Not some jutsu or kekkei genkai.
A command embedded into the body itself.
"The body is the paper," Antares said quietly.
Misaki's eyes softened with approval.
"The blood is the ink," she continued. "The cells are the storage. The spirit gives it shape. Chakra awakens the command."
Antares swallowed.
That was terrifying.
'That is beautiful in a way, but I guess thats the nature of the Uzumaki.' Antares thought.
He looked down at his small hands.
"So the chains are not made from nothing huh." Antares said outloud since from what was shown the chains just kinda existed and had the properties to hold down a bijuu.
"No," Misaki said in a softer tone. "They are drawn from what is already inside us."
She pointed to another part of the scroll and gently asked if her son,
"Read."
Antares followed her finger.
"The first form is just like regular chains but as durable as chakra metal, with the fist expression of the chains you can pull, pierce, and restrain." Said Misaki summoned her chains to demonstrate to her son how the chains look and feel..
"They are called Adamantine Attacking Chains," Misaki said.
Antares looked up and examined the chains closely and touched them and confirmed they are cold like steel.
"The attacking version comes first, are there more form variations?" Antares asked curiously wondering if Kushina's chains are special from the Anime.
"For most who awaken the bloodline, yes," she said. "It is the easiest expression to understand. Anger becomes the leading force. Fear becomes defense. Instinct becomes a chain. A child who awakens them suddenly may lash out without meaning to as it's tied to the emotional state of the person and the instincts."
Antares imagined golden chains bursting from someone's back and tearing through stone.
That sounded useful. It also sounded dangerous.
Misaki continued.
"Attacking chains are more commonly used in a more violent way. They can smash, bind limbs, and strike like spears. But they are not the true purpose of the bloodline." Misaki kept explaining while she sat in seiza position keeping her back straight and her voice serene.
Antares looked back at the scroll.
"The second form," he read of the scroll, "is restraint, The chains that bind chakra, spirit, and even tailed beast." Antares read off
Misaki nodded and named off.
"The Adamantine Sealing Chains."
The words carried more weight with that little bit of information.
"These are the chains our clan became feared for.. These chains could hold what should not be held." Misaki narrowed her eyes and had a reminiscing smile remembering her kin.
"Tailed beasts," Antares said, finishing off her statement.
"Yes." she confirmed and locked in to where she left of at her sons words
The room seemed colder after that.
Misaki's voice remained calm.
"A proper sealing chain does not simply wrap around the body. Locks the victims movements and disrupts their flow of chakra. Against a normal enemy, it can end a fight without killing them. Against a bijuu, it can become a prison of unparalleled strength." She mentioned very seriously
Antares thought of a certain red haired woman with golden chains wrapped around the hatred given form of Kurama the 9 tails.
The image had always been impressive in his memories.
Now it feels different.
More intimate and horrifying considering the implications of chakra chains and its unique utility.
A human body producing chains strong enough to restrain a monster of that level is.
Scary…
Misaki watched his face.
"You understand now?" She asked looking at the bead of sweat running down his cheek and the slight gulp he took.
Antares nodded slowly.
"The attacking chains are weapons. The sealing chains are commands given form, with the ability to restrain even tailed beasts." Antares said quite amazed at the abilities and utility of the chains.
"Good." She said proudly that her son is paying attention to her lecture about their heritage.
"What is the third expression, is there a third form mom?" He asked softly to his mother
Misaki's finger moved lower on the scroll.
Antares read the next line.
"The final expression is authority or depending on mastery autonomy."
"That sounds vague." He furrowed his brows thinking about the implications and his mothers habit of speaking big words in his opinion.
"It is." She tilted her head to the side and gave a slight smile waiting for him to ask her.
….
"Why?" He asked after she didn't elaborate.
"Because most never reach it, you need to be able to control your emotions and intentions fully." She mentioned simply not letting him wait too long.
Antares looked at her, wanting a deeper explanation.
Misaki held his gaze.
"The old records call it the completed command. Some branches called it chain mastery. Some called it living chains. The royal line called it Sovereign Chains." He explained making small gestures with her hand so he understands that she is comparing the different names.
Antares felt something stir in his chest and at the implication that he too was part royalty.
"Sovereign Chains?" Antares asked, baffled at the weird name shinobi came up with.
Misaki nodded once and took a breath.
He blinked
"Sovereign Chains are not simply more chains or a specific power up. They are chains that move according to the user's will with almost no waste. In theory, a master could use them as extensions of their own limbs without having to think or control them." Misaki explained properly,
She had only heard legends of them and had not seen them before so it was merely a regurgitation of what she had heard before from her ancestors.
Antares leaned closer and crossed his fingers and held his chin in a thinking posture.
His mind immediately began building possibilities going rampant with thought.
'Chains coming from the small of the back like Killer Bee and the tentacles or something.The Chains could be layered with lightning using them like arms or legs to strike people.'
'Chains wrapped around enemies and then used as channels for suppression sealing formulas to restrain bijuu.'
'Can be made into armor, shaped into wings or a helicopter.'
Misaki's eyes narrowed.
"You are thinking too hard, don't worry about that too much sweety." Said Misaki meanwhile rubbing the top of Antares' vibrant red hair.
Antares straightened feeling his mothers touch, after she broke him from his thoughts he spoke out.
"I am thinking of its possibilities and things I can do with that power." Antares answered his mother being honest about his thoughts, just not going into specifics.
"You look like your father before he does something explosive and stupid." Misaki mentioned to her son with an exasperated expression on her beautiful young looking face.
"That is oddly specific." Antares thought it was too exaggerated even though he agreed about his father doing stupid stuff sometimes.
"It is often true." She mentioned with a shrug
He had no defense.
Misaki rolled the ancient scroll halfway closed.
"Remember this. If the chains awaken in you, that does not make you a master. It means the blood answered. Nothing more."
Antares listened carefully.
"A child may awaken attacking chains through fear, anger, or desperation. That child is not suddenly a Senior Apprentice. He is certainly not Master. He is a child holding a dangerous weapon without the discipline to fully understand it." She tried to warn him, so he doesn't get over confident.
That made the room colder.
Misaki looked at his 15 item scroll.
"This scroll worked because the shape, chakra, and intent were long enough to hold 15 stones sealed inside. It failed to reach common standards because the seal is faulty and missing some characters and proper chakra induced into it.."
Then she touched her wrist.
"The chains follow the same truth, if your body, chakra and will are not in sync, the chains will not obey properly." Misaki stated, explaining to him what he needs to work on before he can master the chakra chains when he awakens them.
Antares lowered his eyes deep in thought.
Body, Chakra, and Will.
The Uzumaki chains used the body and chakra as a medium.
His first scroll was not impressive for regular standards. But it had taught him something. Talent did not erase foundation.
Misaki placed the old scroll down and reached for a small needle from the wooden box.
Antares frowned looking at her sudden actions.
"What are you doing?" He asked
"Showing you another reason our clan was feared." Misaki answered that not looking at him focused on her actions.
She pricked the tip of her finger.
A tiny bead of blood formed.
Antares was very attentive, thinking he would see famous summoning jutsu or something similar.
It was small, harmless, pretty much nothing.
Still, his body tensed in anticipation.
Misaki noticed, of course, but she did not comment on it. Instead, she gathered chakra into her fingertip.
The wound closed in a few seconds after she channeled chakra into her blood there, visible enough he could see it.
The regeneration was not instant like a miracle from a fairy tale. It was more controlled than that. The skin drew together, the blood stopped, and the small mark faded until it was barely visible.
"The royal family and many Uzumaki branches carry unusual vitality," Misaki said. "If enhanced with chakra, that vitality can heal wounds. Some can heal themselves faster. Some can share that vitality with others sharing their blood usually through a bite."
Antares swallowed as he remembered Karin had that ability in the original.
'He understood what she meant. A body that could heal others was valuable.' Antares was fascinated at how the ability worked.
Too valuable.
Misaki's gaze sharpened.
"That does not mean our blood is medicine for everyone to use," she said coldly. "Never let anyone think your body exists to repair theirs. The blood line has a side effect that it affects your life force as you are infusing your energy into your blood.
Antares looked at her.
For a second, she was not just teaching him. But giving him a fair warning.
He nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"Good."Misaki affirmed meanwhile she put the needle away.
"Uzumaki vitality is one reason our clan survived things that would normally kill others. It is also one reason others feared us, hunted us, and desired our blood." Misaki provided more information about their history.
Antares stared at the old scrolls.
He was beginning to understand something important.
The Uzumaki had not been destroyed just because they were good at sealing; they were unrivaled.
They had been destroyed because everything about them was valuable.
Their chains could restrain monsters such as the tailed beast and large summons. Their land was a stop gap for the land of water stopping them from invading the land of fire.
Their bodies could hold more chakra than regular humans unless they are prominent clans like Uchiha, Senju and Hyuga.
Their vitality could regenerate their wounds. Their sensory gifts could detect enemies from miles away and sense their emotions slightly.
Their sealing knowledge could control battlefields, storage, barriers, explosives, and tailed beasts.
A clan like that was not allowed to exist peacefully in a world ruled by villages that survived through fear and power.
"What about Kagura's Mind Eye?" Antares asked.
Misaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who told you that name?"
Antares paused.
Damn.
'He had gotten too comfortable. He was six in this body'
A six year old should not be asking about obscure Uzumaki sensory abilities by name.
He tilted his head and gave his best innocent expression.
"I heard one of the BOLT guys mention it."
Misaki stared at him.
Antares stared back.
The silence stretched.
Then Misaki sighed.
"You are a terrible liar when you try to look innocent."
"I am adorable." Antares mentioned still acting innocent.
"That's true, anyways!" She said exasperated but with a smirk on her face.
Misaki rubbed her temples.
"Kagura's Mind Eye is a sensory ability. Those who awaken it can perceive chakra over great distances, read the movement of life around them, and identify people by the nature of their chakra. Among those with strong royal blood, perhaps three out of ten awaken some form of it. Fewer master it."
Antares absorbed that number.
Three out of ten was not rare enough to be myth, but not common enough to rely on.
A useful bloodline trait. But it wasn't guaranteed.
"What does chakra feel like to them?" he asked.
Misaki considered the question.
"To some, like heat. To others, sound. Some describe it as a black and white bird's eye view which is the most common in the clan. The best sensors can tell deception from calm and certain states of emotions if skilled enough. But sensing is not knowing everything. A sensor can still be fooled." Misaki explained tilting her head trying to remember all the information in her mind.
Antares nodded.
That made sense.
No ability should be perfect. Perfect abilities make people stupid not knowing how to improve it.
Misaki tapped the old scroll again.
"Now tell me what chakra is." she asked since they were studying to prepare him for his future.
Antares straightened.
He had heard and read enough versions of this to give the academy answer.
"Chakra is created from the combination of physical and spiritual energy." Antares answered as if reading it from a book.
She nodded about to speak but got interrupted by a curious question.
"Where does physical energy come from?" Antares asked as the anime never touched up on specifics.
"The body." She said it was obvious, forgetting she was talking to her 6 year old son; but since he was very mature for his age she often forgot.
"The cells." Misaki answered his question and elaborated so he can learn more.
"Every living creature has chakra. Animals, plants, people. For chakra to be used it needs to be merged by physical and spiritual energies, the cells are the physical energy component and the other is your will, the spiritual side. Shinobi trained to draw it out and channel it into various forms." Misaki fully explained to him the concept of chakra in a clean and precise way he could understand it.
Antares appreciated that his mother explained all of his questions in a cohesive manner.
"Because Uzumaki cells carry stronger vitality, we can generate and store more chakra than normal people?" he asked.
"Yes. That vitality also helps the body endure the strain of chakra moving through the coils. When physical and spiritual energies are merged and channeled properly, chakra can invigorate the body with strength, speed, endurance, and recovery." Misaki explained, then she grabbed a cup on her side full of water and drank some as Antares asked a rhetorical question.
Antares looked at his small hands.
"So chakra is not just fuel." he muttered and Misaki heard him.
"No." She affirmed and gestured to him to go on testing him if he was fully listening.
"It is body, mind, and intent moving together." Antares answered he non verbal question
Misaki's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Antares caught it.
That had been the right answer.
"Good," she said with a smile.
A warm feeling rose in his chest.
He hated how much that one word pleased him.
He was a grown man trapped in a child's body. He had memories of another world. He had ambitions large enough to make the daimyos nervous.
And yet, one small compliment from his mother made him feel like he had won a war.
Pathetic.
Also nice.
He would deny it if asked, he was no pansy.
Misaki pushed another blank scroll toward him.
The warm feeling slowly dissipated as Antares focused.
Antares stared at the scroll.
"No, I don't want to draw more sealing scrolls." Antares looked away to the side.
"Yes." Misaki smirked
"I just made one." He denied her
"You made a weak one." She started provoking his male instincts to compete.
"That is evil." Antares huffed and crossed his arms petulantly.
"That is training." Misaki said amusedly
"Same thing all the time in this family." Antares complained
Misaki placed the brush beside the scroll and motioned to it.
"Again."
Antares looked at the blank paper with resentment.
Then at the 15 stones sealed inside his first attempt.
For a moment, he wanted to complain.
Then he stopped.
'He was not going to reach the top by dreaming about his potential bloodline power. He was not going to master chains because some ancient Uzumaki had written seals into his genes. He was not going to surpass the countless monsters, villages just because he made that one semi impressive sealing scroll.' Antares sat there staring in contemplation.
The world had one standard.
The Uzumaki had another.
And if he wanted to become the best he needed to be more proactive.
Antares picked up the brush.
"Fine," he muttered. "Again."
Misaki's eyes warmed slightly.
"Good."
He started over.
This time, he tried to think of the formula differently, not as a chore. But him trying to install a command into the scroll.
Ink was the body.
The chakra was the skeleton.
Intent was the mind.
The anchor aka the central point came first.
Slow.
Firm.
Not heavy.
The minor space kanji formula came after.
Narrow, but cleaner.
Then the index.
One mark.
Two.
Three.
Each one separate.
Each one connected and intertwined.
His wrist began to ache again. His fingers were cramping from trying to perfect the lines. His pride began packing its bags to leave his body.
He kept going.
A familiar head of long pale blond hair appeared in the doorway.
Unruly Ay stood there with his arms crossed, his young face already carrying the wild confidence of someone young.
Antares immediately felt danger.
Brother danger.
Worse.
Ay looked at the table, the scrolls, the ink, and then Antares.
"You done sitting?" Unruly Ay asked his little brother with a giant grin on his face
Antares narrowed his eyes.
"No."
Ay grinned and said confidently.
"Good. Father said if you sit any longer, your legs will forget how to work."
Misaki turned her head and narrowed her eyes "I am teaching him."
"Father said it was his physical training time.." Unruly Ay shrugged, repeating his fathers words.
"He is still young, he shouldn't need so much physical training," she sighed.
"So his bones are young. They heal fast." Ay said, picking his nose.
Antares pointed at his brother Unruly Ay and said "You are insane"
Ay's grin widened and said. "It is how our family works."
Antares looked to Misaki for help.
His mother calmly gathered the old Uzumaki papers and wrapped them back in red cloth.
Betrayal.
Pure betrayal.
"Mother?"
Misaki placed the box back on the shelf.
"Physical training will help your chakra control." Misaki said offhandedly, she wasnt going to argue with the father of her child as he was right about their son.
Antares stared at her.
"You just sided with him." Antares said pointing a finger at unruly Ay
"I sided with your development." Misaki got a small smile after seeing her son's dramatic actions.
Unruly Ay stepped into the room and grabbed him by the back of his collar.
Antares immediately grabbed the table.
"No." Antares started flailing his legs wanting to stay and train his fuinjutsuz
Ay pulled.
Antares held on to the table for dear life.
Ay pulled harder.
The table creaked.
Misaki looked at them both.
"Do not break my table." Misaki said it with so much menace that a demonic hannya mask with horns appeared behind her with purple aura.
Ay stopped pulling and started sweating.
Antares relaxed looking at the scary sight.
Then Ay grabbed him under the arms and lifted him clean off the floor.
"Coward move!" Antares shouted.
"Winning move," Ay said with a grin as he slung Antares over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
Misaki picked up his first storage scroll, the one holding thirty stones, and set it aside before Ay could step on it.
Antares saw her do it.
For some reason, that made him stop struggling for half a second.
Only half a second.
Then Ay turned and started carrying him out of the room.
"Mother, remember me as I was!" Antares drama carried on as he was carried out of the room.
"You are going to the courtyard," Misaki said with a so so hand gesture.
"That is where suffering lives!" Antares said not really meaning it.
Unruly Ay laughed and said offhandedly.
"It is where strength lives."
"Same thing in this family!" Antares muttered.
As they passed into the hallway, Antares twisted enough to look back.
Misaki stood in the room, surrounded by paper, ink, and old red cloth. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were warm.
"Antares," she called.
Ay stopped.
Antares looked at her.
Misaki held up the storage scroll.
"Do your best!," she said with a loving smile.
Antares's face fell in embarrassment.
Antares looked away quickly and muttered.
"I know."
Unruly Ay snorted.
"Then stop smiling." Ay said
"I am not smiling." Antares replied.
"You are." Unruly Ay egged on.
"I hate you." Antares huffed.
"You are still smiling." Ay smirked at his brother.
Antares kicked him in the side.
Ay did not even flinch.
Misaki watched them go, the future Fourth Raikage carrying his tiny brother down the hall like stolen luggage while Antares complained with all the dignity of a captured prince.
When they reached the courtyard, cold mountain air struck Antares's face, enough to give him chills.
Unruly Ay set him down.
For one glorious second, Antares thought he was free.
Then he saw the weights.
Small weights.
Child sized.
Unruly Ay pointed to the stone path.
"Run." He said with a smirk
Antares looked at him.
"How far?"
"Until I say stop." Unruly Ay shrugged.
"That is not a distance." Antares snarked at his big brother.
"It is today." Unruly Ay motioned him to run.
Antares inhaled slowly.
He looked back toward the room where his mother had taught him about standards, blood, chains, vitality, and commands written into the body itself.
Then he looked at the path ahead.
Fuinjutsu was intent given a command.
Chakra was control.
Blood was inheritance, and strength was built opón it.
Nothing in this world would hand him power for free.
Not his memories.
Not his bloodline.
Not even his name.
Antares bent down and strapped the first weight around his ankle.
Then the second.
His older brother Ay watched him with a grin.
"Ready?" He asked Antares
Antares stood.
His legs already felt like they where in quicksand.
"No." Antares genuinely answered trying to acclimate to the weight.
Unruly Ay's grin sharpened.
"Good."
Then he moved.
Antares ran after him, small feet striking the stone, breath misting in the cold air, thunder rolling somewhere above the clouds.
Behind him, in a quiet room, the first storage scroll he had ever made rested on the table.
Holding 15 stones.
A weak formula.
A poor Tyro's work by the world's standard.
An Abecedarian's first step by the Uzumaki standard.
But it held.
And for now, that was enough to begin.
AN: hey guys I hope you've been enjoying this story.
Drop some power stones :D
50 power stones = 1 extra chapter for the week apart from the regular 2 chapters I post a week.