Violet-Eyed Serpent: Ch.21

“Tweak it there…draw it down and…there! That should do it!”, The burly Uzumaki spoke with a grin and I laughed while Sessho grumbled at the new armoured jacket around his upper body.

It was made out of the same segmented red armour with numerous fuinjutsu drawn on each segment to boost its overall durability and resistance to the elements.

“Hey, you don't have to like it, but it's going to keep you alive,” I said and he gave a disgruntled huff before I turned as Menma walked up along with another Uzumaki.

It would be hard for the average person to make out one Uzumaki from the other even with the different facial structures, but to my eyes, each one's chakra signature was how I managed to do so.

“Hey, Akari, Lord Menma.”

“Really? Not going to drop the lord?”, Menma asked with a smirk and I chuckled as I shrugged while Sessho let out a bark in greeting.

“Eh, force of habit. So, what brings the grandpa-grandson duo here?,” I asked and Menma smirked as Akari crossed his arms with a snort.

“The old man here wanted me to come ask if you have started talking to the Bijuu.”

“Nope. Haven't got the time.”

“You have not gotten the time to speak to two of the most powerful entities of our world?” Menma asked with a raised eyebrow and I sighed as I nodded while scratching the back of my head.

“I know, I know. It's stupid of me not to, but I guess I'm been pushing it away while trying to help you guys restore the village.”

“You're scared they'll reject your attempts to have them as your allies?”, Akari asked, nodding as I nodded before shaking my head with a deep breath.

“Kind of. I have this plan of gathering the Bijuu, extracting some of their chakra and then returning them back to their Jinchuriki, but that's going to be hard considering how some Bijuu get attached to their Jinchuriki.”

“What you have to consider is that the Bijuu have been alive since chakra first appeared in humanity so they are used to having a host for a few decades before being passed on to the next,” Menma answered with a shrug and I frowned at that before letting out a groan.

“Okay. Okay, then. I guess I'll talk to them, but the only issue is…how the hell do I talk to them?”

“Simple, meditate.”

“…Why do I feel it's not that simple?”, I asked as I heard Araki's comment and turned to Menma as he shook his head.

“This time, my grandson is not trying to fool you or prank you. Meditation is the easiest way for one to connect to the Bijuu as it takes you to your mindscape, where you will then be able to talk to them.”

“And will I be safe in said mindscape?”

“We've used a powerful fuinjutsu so I would say yes to that question.” Menma answered and I took a deep breath before nodding and patting Sessho's head.

“Got it. I'll try and talk to them tonight.”

“Good, because the last thing Uzushio needs is your Bijuu trying to break free and making your chakra go rampant on it.”

“They can do that?!” I asked in surprise before glaring at the old man as he laughed and shook his head.

“Hahahaha! No, they can't. I see why you like playing pranks on him this much.”

“See, this is why I want to get out of here.”

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'Okay, hah…This is easy. Like Menma said, this is easy', I thought with a deep breath as I sat on the beach, smiling at Sessho running around like a lunatic with the Uzumaki kids chasing after him before I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly.

“Just meditate. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Do not think about anything, but do not think of nothing. Just let your mind flow and let everything happen to you. There's noth-!”

“Would you be quiet?”, The deep growl coming from in front of me, made me blink as I slowly opened my eyes only to freeze at the dark red eye with a yellow pupil that was ten times my size staring me down.

Slowly turning around, I was not surprised to see Saiken's two tentacle eyes staring me down as well while their tails slowly swayed in the air behind them.

“Huh, that was way easier”, I muttered while looking at my mindscape only to sigh at the cloudy grey sky above our heads while a rocky landscape stretched out in all directions as far as I could see.

“Why are you here, Nagato?”

“Considering you guys aren't trying your best to kill me, I'm guessing we're good now.”

“I've been under a genjutsu to help Goto for the past twenty years so I had no issue with you from the start.”

“Seriously, Isobu? The guy stole me from Zangetsu, who was actually turning out to be a good host even if he was a bit of a slave to Goto.”

“Hey, I'm not in chains and my mind isn't scrambled. I am more than okay in here”, I didn't say anything as I let the Bijuu talk to each other, simply sitting down on the rocks while Saiken let out a sigh before turning his eyes to me.

“So, what now? Are you here to use your eyes and make us your slaves?”

“No, Saiken. I'm not here to do that. Honestly, I don't even know if I had a plan for sealing you guys in me or not, but what I do know is that the two of you are stuck with me. If I extract you guys right now, I'm not sure whether or not I'd survive it.”

“You won't. The blood of you Uzumaki adapt to any changes within your body's structure so if we were extracted, you'd die within seconds.”

'Seriously? Man, Kushina really was build different then”, If I remember correctly, that woman was able to survive having Kurama pulled out of her, managed to keep said Bijuu pinned down with her Adamantite Sealing Chains, took a giant claw through the chest and still managed to live long enough to keep Kurama tied up until Minato managed to seal the beast inside of Naruto.

'And I'm now being told that I would die if I lose these guys? Man, the world really isn't fair. Wait, I can't say that. I got the Rinnegan. I take it back. The world is fair.'

“Well, that's a bummer. So, you guys really can't leave, then”, I answered with a sigh as I laid back down, humming at the dark clouds passing and wondering whether or not it would rain in here.

“So…you want us to help you learn to use our powers?”, Isobu asked and I looked at him before turning my gaze to Saiken, smirking as he huffed and looked away.

“You can forget it. I'm not helping you until I want to.”

“That's cool and you don't have to do so now, Isobu. Maybe at a later time when I really need it, but I'd rather learn from both you and Saiken at the same time instead of just one of you.”

“You sure? Your affinity to Water Style Jutsu is quite strong and combined with both Saiken and I being in your body, it wouldn't be a reach to say that you'd be a far better Water Style jutsu user than every shinobi in history.”

“And with my acid, you'd be able to make acid tsunamis with ease”, Saiken added before remembering that he was supposed to be angry at me, glaring at me as I laughed and sat up while Isobu just shook his head at his brother's antics.

'Wait, is he his brother?'

“Isobu, is Saiken a male or female?”

“Neither. We Bijuu are natural calamities and thus do not see the need to have a gender, but if you're asking about his voice, it is a male voice.”

“I can speak for myself, you know?”, Saiken spoke up with a huff of indignation that made his giant form ripple and I smirked as I sat up from where I was lying down.

“You're acting more like a little brother right there than the big brother you say you are.”

“You're more relaxed than I expected”, Isobu spoke up with a chuckle, which echoed across the landscape as I scratched the back of my neck with a sheepish smile.

“Honestly, I've been panicking about this meeting for a while, but just sitting here and talking to the two of you like this is oddly calming.”

“Hmm, a human that's calm around us. That's a new one”, Saiken added and I smiled as I stood up while dusting off my pants even though there was no dust in the mindscape.

“Well, considering I'm now stuck with you two until I die thanks to my impulsive thought to seal you two inside of me, I figured I might as well try to make sure we're on equal footing here. I'm not going to pretend I understand what it's like to be used as weapons, passed around like property or being sealed in hosts who only saw you as tools, but that's not what I want. I want to work with you and to earn your trust, but I know that will take time. To be honest, I'm completely fine with that.”

'…Damn, that was some good Talk-No-Jutsu right there.'

“You speak with the same heart as Father.” Isobu's words drew me from my thoughts and I saw his sole eye studying me with a level of wisdom that only a being who is centuries old could have.

“The Sage of Six Paths?”

“He was the first to truly listen to us, who didn't try to take and tried to understand. He was also a bit too kind and annoying, kind of like you.”

“Huh, I just got compared to the Sage by his kids. I'm over the moon.”

“Don't push your luck. We said you remind us of him, not that you're comparable to him”, Saiken spoke with his eyes narrowed and I grinned before putting my hands in my pockets.

“Noted. So, if I promise to keep listening and treat you guys like equals, do you think there's a chance of us eventually working together in the future?”

“In time? Yes. As your chakra blends more smoothly with ours thanks to the Eight Sign Seal, you'll be able to tap into our chakra without harming yourself, but trust does come first.”

“Got it. No short-cuts”, I nodded before taking a deep breath and exhaled slowly as I looked up at the sky.

“…If…If you truly mean what you say and that's a big IF, I might be inclined to teach you one jutsu. Later. Something small. Don't expect the Tailed Beast Bomb just yet”, Saiken sounded reluctant as he spoke, but that was more than enough for me as a beaming happy smile appeared on my face.

“Deal. No takebacks.”

“Welcome to the world of being a Jinchuriki, Nagato. Hope you enjoy”, Isobu added with a soft chuckle and I just shook my head.

“Thanks, I think I'll need it. Also, I'm going to have to start training intensively again. Having two Bijuu in my body is making my chakra far too potent and dense for my liking and my body isn't used to having this much power.”

“It will be. You Uzumaki are born with bodies meant to contain and adapt. We'll simply refine it.”

“Also, I expect a monthly payment of soba,” Saiken added and I blinked while turning to Isobu who explained.

“We Bijuu do not eat, but we experience the taste through our hosts. Surprisingly, it's far better than you're thinking it is”, Just the sheer explanation was enough to shake my mind that I felt myself waking up, blinking a few times while staring at the sun that was now slowly beginning to set.

Sessho was curled up besides me with his tail flicking lazily while the Uzumaki kids he was playing with were all sleeping away on a bed of blankets nearby.

“Had enough fun for the day, huh bud?”, I whispered as I rubbed his scalp, chuckling softly at his pleased rumbles before looking at my free left hand and staring at the trails of Isobu and Saiken's chakra being pumped through my body.

“Alright, step one is complete and I've got two Bijuu on my side. Now for step 2, time to become a Sage.”

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“Are you sure you need to leave now? I'm fairly certain you can rest here for a few more days”, Menma spoke with a frown before shaking his head with a sigh as I smiled and shrugged.

“I'm on a deadline unfortunately and with my recent exploits, I'm fairly sure my bounty has skyrocketed so I'm going to have to lay low for a while in another spot. Besides, if I show up in another location, I can draw the attention of Kumo away from you guys and towards me.”

“What did I say about sacrificing yourself?”, Menma asked with a narrowed stare and I chuckled while shaking my head.

“Don't worry, this won't be a sacrifice. It would be a massacre.”

“You know, it's hard to believe you're 12 when you talk like that”, Araki spoke up with a raised eyebrow and I snorted as Sessho trotted up to my side.

“I grew up in war.”

“So, where are you going to go now? The nearest location is Konoha and I'm fairly sure they're still mad at you for nearly killing the Akimichi heir”, Menma said and in response, I grinned as I weaved through hand signs before slamming one hand onto the floor.

“Oh? I almost didn't recognize you there, Nagato. Your chakra has increased tremendously in the short time that I last saw you,” Ichikshimahime spoke with a smile as the smoke faded and Menma raised an eyebrow as I smiled.

“It's good to see you too, Ichikishimahime, even though it's only been a few days.”

“Oh, you even remember my full name? Well, aren't you a special one? And you must be the new clan head for the Uzumaki. I must say that you look very similar to Arashi.”

“He was my father, Lady Ichikishimahime.”

“Ah, makes sense. Your chakra have a similar scent and I'm guessing the young man besides you is either your grandson or grandnephew considering how his chakra is similar to yours, yes?”

“The former, Lady Ichikishimahime”, Araki provided and she hummed before turning to me as I shrugged.

“So, am I allowed to take those Snake Sage trials now or is there a waiting period?”

“Usually, we would let the oldest summoner try his luck before we let the younger summoners try, but considering Orochimaru has only been using Manda ever since the war started, there is no official rule that stops you.”

“Got it. So, I guess I'll see you guys when I get back from my training?”, I asked as I turned to Menma and Araki, to which the latter snorted as the former nodded with a smile.

“You will indeed. Make sure you do not die during your training.”

“Honestly, I'm not making any promises”, I answered with a shrug and he just shook his head as Ichikishimahime weaved through hand signs.

Reverse Summoning Jutsu

I blinked as I found myself being pulled through time and space, the sight of Uzushio in front of me vanishing and being replaced by a giant mountain.

It sat in the middle of wetlands and swamps and the mountain itself was the same size as Uzushio's island with numerous entrances of all shapes and sizes littered all around it.

“Uh, Sessho, did you see where-And he's not here. Yeah, figured it was like this”, I muttered with a sigh as I turned back to the first entrance in front of me before shaking my head with a deep breath.

“Well, I guess there's nothing left to do. Time to become a Sage.

A/N: And here we are~!! Nagato has talked to the Tailed Beasts and explained what he wanted, which I hope everyone likes, and now he's on his way to become a Sage.

Next chapter: Trials and Meeting the Sage.

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!