A gentle breeze swept through the inner hall, causing Shin'yu's black hair to dance. When he opened his eyes, a scarlet, blood-like spiritual mark had appeared between his brows.
Coupled with his delicate and handsome face, it added an even more ethereal air.
The rhomboid mark on the palm of his right hand had vanished, imprisoned by a powerful seal, as if time and space had been suspended.
Uchiha Hikari slowly approached Shin'yu, her slender hand gently rising to touch the mark between his brows. Suddenly, her eyes widened, as if an electric current had surged through her body.
From this seal, she sensed a familiar aura!
This long-lost feeling couldn't help but bring her back to that dark and sunless underground, lonely and desolate, empty and cold. Apart from her consciousness, everything about her had been suspended, as if she existed in another world...
Those were the days when she was the "ultimate weapon of the Uchiha" and was eternally sealed by the Senju Clan and the Sarutobi Clan...
Her pupils trembled slightly, and her fingertips followed suit. Shin'yu immediately grasped her hand, lowered his brows, and asked in a gentle tone, "What's wrong?"
Light composed herself, gently exhaled, and regained her composure.
"It's nothing. The principle behind this seal from the Uzumaki Clan should be the same as the technique that sealed me back then, locking space-time and even suspending the flow of time. In that case, you don't have to worry about the 'Karma' mark thawing," she said softly.
"Locking space-time?" Shin'yu revealed a thoughtful expression.
Back then, in order to develop a plan to seal "Karma" more quickly, the Uzumaki Clan had specially allowed him to discuss it with the elders. Therefore, from these "living dictionaries," he had gained a general understanding of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Technique.
Inevitably, he had developed an interest in certain Sealing Techniques.
Uzumaki Kongming turned a blind eye to Shin'yu's subtle requests. Whenever he wanted to understand something, this Clan Head and good brother would send someone to explain it to him, and the elders tacitly approved of this behavior.
After all, in their view, without the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline and the support of powerful vitality, even if you mastered the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Technique, you would only have the form without the substance.
From these diverse Sealing Techniques, Shin'yu had indeed found one that could even threaten him.
It was a Barrier Technique that required the caster to expend a large amount of Chakra to construct a massive spherical space. Within the space, space-time would be locked, meaning that as long as one stepped into the Barrier's range, all Space-Time Ninjutsu would be ineffective!
Of course, the price of releasing this technique was the consumption of unimaginable vitality. Deploying the domain for half an hour would deplete more than a dozen years of lifespan!
This was also why only a few people had inherited this technique to this day.
At this thought, understanding flashed in his eyes. No wonder these elders had shown severe signs of aging after completing the technique. It turned out that they had divided the loss of lifespan equally; otherwise, even the Land of Longevity could not withstand such consumption.
An elder, supported by others, walked up to Shin'yu, looking weak. "Lord Shin'yu, this seal is not eternal, but we guarantee that it will remain as solid as a mountain for the next 20 years, ensuring that the 'Karma' mark cannot act. Whether you can successfully eliminate the hidden dangers next depends on your own means."
"In addition, you will not be able to use any of the 'Karma' power during this period. If you want to undo the seal, it's very simple. Just soak the mark with blood and then apply the Release."
Shin'yu nodded, formally thanking them. "I will remember the kindness shown here."
"Hey, this is all for the sake of the clan. If it weren't for you back then, our Land of Whirlpools would have been reduced to ruins long ago..." The elder waved his hand, his gaze growing increasingly tired. "Alright, now that the matter has been resolved, we old folks will go and rest..."
The sealing ritual ended, and the conference hall returned to circulation. Many Uzumaki clansmen walked in, creating a commotion. They were all there to congratulate Shin'yu.
After all, Shin'yu and Light had been running to the Land of Whirlpools quite often in recent years to seal the "Karma" mark. In addition, Old Madara had Nian's company and wouldn't be lonely. This place was almost becoming their fixed honeymoon destination.
A group of people bustled about, all of them leaders of various sizes from the Uzumaki Clan. They were all smiles, offering words of flattery. The leader was none other than Uzumaki Qiong Naixiang from back then.
"Uncle Shin'yu, Aunt Light!" a tender and crisp voice called out.
Of course, this wasn't said by Qiong Naixiang, but by her daughter, Uzumaki Kushina.
Kushina was now seven years old. She had hair that was more vibrant than anyone else's, a round and adorable face, and beautiful indigo eyes. Unlike the restraint of other Uzumaki clansmen, she excitedly pounced on Shin'yu and Light as soon as she saw them.
This little girl has a naive and straightforward personality. Ever since she learned that Shin'yu was her savior, she has shown a close attitude. For the past few years, she has been calling him "Uncle this, Uncle that" non-stop, and even Shin'yu can't resist her cute offensive.
Originally, her closeness to Light was just a case of loving the house and its crow, but she didn't expect that Light also liked this little girl from the Uzumaki Clan very much. Over time, the bond between the two of them reached an incredible level.
"Auntie, does Kushina have candy today?"
"You little glutton, I've already prepared it for you." Light smiled, her eyes narrowed, and took out a few Sea Salt Candies from her pocket. This kind of candy with a slightly salty and sweet taste is Kushina's favorite.
"Auntie Light, stay here for dinner today."
Kushina looked up with her palm-sized face, letting Light's soft fingers rub her head.
"Okay~"
Just like that, the four stayed in Whirlpool Tide Village. The Uzumaki Clan had also prepared in advance, and under Kongming's instruction, they had prepared a sumptuous banquet long ago.
Shin'yu naturally knew that the Uzumaki Clan was releasing goodwill towards him. Even if he helped them seal the "Karma" and repaid their kindness, they still wanted to latch onto his coattails.
After a few rounds of wine, the atmosphere was excellent. Shin'yu and Light were invited to the best seats, while Orochimaru attended to their needs. Only Nen silently went to the back kitchen to pack Old Madara's favorite dishes, preparing to take them back to the Kannabi Bridge base.
"I'm so happy to see Uncle Shin'yu today, but it's a pity..." Kushina seemed to have thought of something, and her bright little face suddenly dimmed.
"What's wrong?" Shin'yu asked softly.
Kushina pouted, "If Haruna was still here, I could ask Auntie Light for candy with him."
"Tell auntie, what happened?" Light listened attentively.
Qiong Naixiang immediately pinched Kushina's cheeks, "Little kid, don't talk nonsense about everything."
"Uh... this..." Beside them, Uzumaki Kongming's face immediately turned ugly. He raised his hand halfway, hesitating, "That..."
"What this and that, speak your mind." Shin'yu glanced at him.
"Sigh..." Kongming sighed, "Some time ago, we lost contact with two outgoing Ninja squads. One of them included Kushina's companion, Uzumaki Haruna..."
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