Unsealing Legacy

Chapter 12: Whirling Chronicle

                              "Danzou, you alone are not Konoha."
                  Hakurei to Danzou, a message from Uzumaki Naruto

      Shin had to admit their somewhat desperate decision to accept Uzumaki Naruto's help was probably the best thing he ever did for his little brother. The moment he said yes, Uzumaki asked them to show the tracking seal Danzou put on them. He even ignored his teammates' protests that he needed to recover before attempting anything chakra related. Naruto pointed out that they had to do it now or risk their safety if Danzou found out Shin and Sai were alive. It only took the blond a few minutes scrutinizing the tracking seal on their collar bone, a slight pain from chakra burns, and just like that the tracking seal was gone. Naruto claimed the seal was indeed a high level one but the design was based on a standard tracking seal, and that anyone from the tower could crack it in record time. Fortunately due to Tower's isolated nature, Danzou was pretty much out of touch with the recent seal developments in the tower so he had no idea that his seal was already outdated.

Maybe for Uzumaki Naruto, what he did was as significant as slapping away a mosquito. But to the shinobi of Ne, the Ne Himo no Fuuin (Seal of Root Leash) was the shackle that becomes thicker and stronger like a growing root throughout their life. Shin and Sai knew they were not completely safe from their former master yet, but freedom from that seal felt like a burden on their shoulders was lifted. Shin hadn't even managed to say a thank you when Uchiha Shisui grabbed Naruto who seemed ready to keel over and carried the young seal master on his back, screaming about brats who don't know their own limits.

Uchiha Itachi asked them to follow, the ANBU subtly slowing his pace so he walked right behind them. The Uchiha heir's attitude of being vigilant around them did not offend Shin, since just a while ago they were trying their best to kill his friend after all. Sai and Shin were really surprised to see that Tou and Rui were captured. They were not as strong as their cousins Torune and Fuu, but they were still a part of Ne's elites. Sai calmly noted that Tou and Rui were unconscious and being the observant brat he was, Sai was puzzled as to why their condition was similar to the paralyzed state that the Iwazaru no Fuuin causes.

Shisui had a shit-eating grin on his face in response, "Of course it looks like that, they're really paralyzed because of the seal Danzou put on your tongue."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at them, and even without activating his Sharingan Shin could honestly say that the Uchiha heir didn't need them to be intimidating. "I am sure Danzou informed you that The Tower of Seals is off limits for you, do you know why?"

Sai shook his head, "We were only told that the consequences would be dire for us and Ne."

It seemed that Danzou really loved playing the cryptic bastard, Shisui thought. Then again Danzou was too proud to tell his subordinates about one of his greatest mishaps. Shisui pointed at the seal grafted bandage that bound the two elites of Ne, "See this seal? This is the reason why you Ne-folks are banned from The Tower." Shisui grinned, "This seal is a nasty trap for anyone who has the Iwazaru no Fuuin on their body, it forcefully activates your seal even if you're mute. I heard Danzou had the shame of a life time when Hakurei-dono sent him back his crippled agents who tried to spy on the Tower." Sai and Shin blanched at that, all of them were given a taste of the pain the seal could inflict after it was grafted on them. They didn't doubt it at all that continuous activation would cripple even the strongest Shinobi.

Sai swallowed while Shin paled at the memory, the pain he experienced when he almost slipped his agreement about Sai with Danzou was immense. And judging from constant spasms that ran through the elite's bodies, Shin knew they had to be feeling the pain continuously. And from the look the Uchiha cousins gave them, Shin and Sai weren't stupid to be oblivious of the implied threat. If they dare to betray Naruto, they would face the same fate as Tou and Rui.