Lest you fade here all alone

Chapter 12: A warning to Suna

Even before Kusagakure came into view, Jiraiya could already feel it. That peculiar feeling penetrating the surroundings, a certain low hum that charged the air and left tingly sensation on the naked skin. Chakra. Pure, raw chakra everywhere. In the ground and the air—the environment thoroughly saturated with it.

Jiraiya couldn't help himself. His pace increased until he was all but running the rest of the way to the top of the hill. The moment he reached it, the moment he laid his eyes on the village, the sight stole the air out of his lungs.

He didn't quite believe rumors he began hearing while coming back from Iwa. The seal that spanned across the whole Kusagakure? Maybe possible with enough people, a lot of preparations, and a powerful and knowledgeable Seal Master in command. Done in seconds by one person? Completely absurd. Not even if that person was Rei Uzumaki. And there was no doubt in Jiraiya's mind about the identity of the culprit. Fearful mentions of 'Blond Uzumaki' were a dead giveaway.

Looking at the intricate black lines swirling and curling on roads and houses as far as the eyes could see, covering every inch of visible surface, Jiraiya realized that rumors were not exaggerated as he had expected. They were true to the last whisper.

The Seal Master in him was in utter awe and giddy with excitement at the opportunity to witness such a majestic sight.

The ninja in him trembled in absolute terror at this overt display of tremendous power, control, and mastery of the Fuuinjutsu.

Jiraiya followed the road to the village, stopping at the very edge of the sealing array. He squatted down and gently traced a few lines. Raw chakra nipped at his fingertips. His eyes narrowed when something caught his attention, gaze quickly flicking here and there.

There was a pattern. No, not a pattern, but the same fragment. One formula repeated over and over again, creating a gigantic web of seals.

Jiraiya's heart soared. Marvelous! Brilliant in its simplicity and efficiency.

He quickly stood up and strolled into the village, head whipping to one side and another, trying to see as much as possible so he could etch the view into his memory to the smallest details.

The sannin paused, eyes sparkling. He rushed to the corner of the building to take a closer look at the part that piqued his interest.

Stability matrix working as the grounding pillar. Of course! The sheer size of this thing would make it unstable without at least a few of these, shattering the precarious balance between each segment of the system. And while Jiraiya could recognize the function of this section and how it was made, the method to implement it into this monstrosity was beyond his current knowledge. So seamlessly incorporated into this mind-blowing number of other components and crafted together in a cohesive, perfectly working structure.

Jiraiya was about to brush a hand across the base of the stability matrix, when suddenly he had to duck the sneak attack from behind. Immediately, he jumped to the side, preparing for the fight against... an angry housewife?

"Don't touch it, you moron," the woman said, putting her free hand on her hip while shooting daggers at the man. She had a broom with her which she apparently wasn't afraid to use on unsuspecting passersby. "What if you activate it, ah?! You'll take responsibility for what will happen?!"

Despite its fully charged status, the sealing system was dormant at the moment, Jiraiya could tell. A sleeping beast, waiting for further commands. If a simple touch could stir it, they wouldn't be able to casually walk on it.

Naturally, civilians didn't know any better.

"Sorry, sorry." The sannin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I just got curious..."