Location: Tokyo Imperial Palace, Chiyoda
Time: 09:00 AM | A Month Later
Emperor Mutsuhito tapped his fountain pen against a stack of military reports.
TAP. TAP.
He looked across the heavy oak desk at his military advisor.
"...How are the field hospitals holding up in Iwate?" Mutsuhito asked quietly.
The advisor flipped through a wooden clipboard.
RUSTLE.
"...The army medical division has stabilized four thousand three hundred survivors, My Lord," the advisor answered. "...But the coastal roads are still buried in mud and shattered wood."
Mutsuhito rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"...Send the engineering corps to clear those roads immediately," Mutsuhito ordered. "...We cannot let those people rot in the open."
The advisor nodded and made a quick note with his pencil.
"...The Imperial Navy deployed three warships this morning," the advisor continued. "...They are sweeping the deep ocean to recover the remaining floating bodies."
Mutsuhito set his pen down on the desk.
CLACK.
"...Have the civilian donations started coming in?" Mutsuhito asked.
The advisor pulled out a folded newspaper from under his arm.
"...The Asahi Shimbun printed the national relief fund details yesterday," the advisor confirmed. "...The citizens are donating heavily to the imperial treasury."
Mutsuhito let out a long, heavy breath.
"...Good," Mutsuhito muttered. "...Make sure every single yen buys rice and lumber for the northeast."
He turned his leather chair and looked out the large glass window at the Tokyo skyline.
He was a normal man trying to hold a fractured country together.
He left the unseen spiritual fallout of this tragedy to the hidden clans in Kyoto.
--<>--
Location: Gojo Clan Estate, Inner Sanctuary
Clan Head Gojo Hideaki rubbed his bloodshot eyes.
He sat at the end of a long, low wooden table.
Dozens of scattered patrol reports covered the tatami mats around him.
The paper sliding door opened slowly.
SLIDE.
Elder Masato walked into the quiet room.
The old man looked completely exhausted.
He sat down heavily on a woven cushion across from Hideaki.
"...The midwives just finished," Masato announced quietly.
Hideaki stopped rubbing his eyes and looked up.
He waited for the old man to say the words.
"...Your main wife delivered a healthy boy," Masato stated.
Masato looked down at the wooden table.
"...He does not have the Six Eyes," Masato finished bitterly.
Hideaki let out a slow, ragged sigh.
He felt the familiar, crushing weight of his own useless Limitless technique burning in his chest.
"...Make sure she rests," Hideaki said softly. "...She did her duty."
Masato reached for the iron pot on the table and poured himself a cup of green tea.
"...We have to place our hopes on your concubine now," Masato muttered. "...She is due in three months."
Hideaki grabbed a thick stack of patrol reports from the floor.
He tossed the papers directly in front of the elder.
SLAP.
"...We have much bigger problems right now, Masato," Hideaki grunted.
Masato picked up the top sheet of paper.
"...Our scouts are finding Grade 2 curses spawning in the flooded northeast villages every single hour," Hideaki explained.
Masato frowned and read the casualty list.
"...Twenty-two thousand people drowned in thirty minutes," Masato read aloud.
Hideaki leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.
"...The Sino-Japanese War left this entire country traumatized last year," Hideaki warned. "...Now a massive wave drowns an entire coast."
Hideaki pointed a finger at the reports.
"...Japan is saturated in pure despair," Hideaki said.
Masato set the paper back down carefully.
"...This density of negative emotion is terrifying," Masato agreed.
The old man looked out the open paper doors toward the estate gardens.
"...It perfectly mirrors the conditions of the Heian era," Masato noted quietly.
Hideaki narrowed his eyes.
"...You are talking about our ancestor," Hideaki said.
Masato gave a grim, slow nod.
"...Sugawara no Michizane," Masato confirmed.
Hideaki reached for his own empty ceramic teacup.
"...He was falsely accused of treason and exiled from the capital," Hideaki recounted naturally. "...He died of a broken heart."
Masato turned his head back to the table.
"...And his pure, absolute fury turned him into a Great Vengeful Spirit," Masato finished. "...He ravaged Kyoto with lightning and plague until the Imperial Court begged for mercy."
Hideaki gripped his cup tightly.
"...If a single man's heartbreak could spawn a god-level curse," Hideaki muttered.
He looked down at the horrifying death toll printed on the paper.
"...Then the combined, agonizing fear of twenty-two thousand drowning victims is incubating something unimaginable in the ocean," Hideaki finished.
Masato took a slow sip of his tea.
SLURP.
"...We need the Six Eyes to be born this year," Masato whispered. "...Or this era will swallow us completely."
--<>--
Location: Dark Woods, Kamo Estate
Time: 12:15 AM
Hanzo lowered himself into the wooden tub.
SPLASH.
The freezing water instantly shocked his nervous system.
He leaned his head back against the wet rim and shivered violently.
His muscles were completely destroyed from his nightly limit-break training.
He forced his breathing to slow down.
HUFF-PUFF.
His active cursed energy sat at roughly two percent capacity after a few minutes of recovery.
Because of his binding vow, that small pool was already refilling rapidly in his gut. Adaptation from his body was working fine.
He raised his dripping right hand from the cold water.
He crossed his index and middle fingers.
"...Emerge from darkness," Hanzo chanted quietly into the empty woods. "...Blacker than black."
FWOOSH.
A pitch-black Curtain instantly dropped from the sky.
It covered the entire dirt clearing in a perfect, dark dome.
Hanzo stared up at the barrier.
"...The flow is completely stable," Hanzo muttered out loud. "...I could push this over the entire branch estate right now."
He pictured Ijichi from his past life's anime.
The assistant manager easily covered a massive hospital to hide the detention center incident.
Hanzo knew his own control was just as flawless after three years of practice. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
He uncrossed his fingers.
The black Curtain instantly dissolved into the cold night air.
"...But a basic Veil only hides things from normal people," Hanzo sighed.
Normal people were not his actual problem.
He needed to hide the highly radioactive Cursed Womb Death Paintings from the Kamo elders.
He needed a custom Bounded Field to trap the energy completely.
Hanzo wiped a drop of freezing water from his nose.
"...Instructor Shizuka said barriers need a defined rule," Hanzo whispered.
'Just like Freed's rune magic in Fairy Tail.'
He pictured the green-haired anime character trapping people inside invisible walls using specific text.
Hanzo knew this world required a strict equivalent exchange to make a rule work.
"...I cannot just make an absolute wall," Hanzo said out loud. "...I have to trade something away."
He focused his recovering cursed energy.
He visualized an exact eight-by-eight foot geometric box around his wooden tub.
A semi-transparent, cubic barrier snapped into existence.
VMMMM.
Hanzo looked at the invisible walls surrounding him.
"...Condition one," Hanzo declared clearly. "...Absolutely no sound generated inside this space can exit."
He paused and took a deep breath of the freezing air.
"...Condition two," Hanzo added. "...To enforce the first rule, physical matter from the outside can pass through this shell with zero resistance."
He felt a sudden, heavy tug on his cursed energy reserves.
The universe accepted the trade.
The custom rules officially locked into the perimeter.
Hanzo reached over the wet edge of the tub.
He grabbed a thick wooden stick resting in the dirt.
He raised the stick above his head and slammed it violently against the side of the tub.
CRACK.
The loud, sharp sound echoed painfully inside the eight-by-eight box.
He looked past the transparent barrier.
A wild crows stood in the tree exactly twenty feet away.
The birds were quietly sleeping.
It did not even twitch.
The violent sound was perfectly trapped inside the barrier.
Hanzo dropped the wooden stick onto the ground.
THUD.
He smiled widely in the dark.
His month of theoretical math just translated into a flawless physical technique. He successfully created a custome barrier. It is still far from perfect but it's the beginning.
He stood up from the freezing water and grabbed his towel.
--<>--
Location: Third Communal House, Washing Yard
Time: 07:30 AM
Hanzo tossed a dry gray hakama into the clean wooden cart.
THUD.
He wiped his wet hands on his pants.
And walked across the muddy yard toward the wooden porch.
Matron Ota sat on the edge of the steps.
She was smoking her long wooden pipe.
"...Ota-san," Hanzo called out softly.
He bowed respectfully in front of her.
"...I finished my morning quota," Hanzo reported. "...Can I sleep for an hour before my training class again?"
Ota looked past him at the fully loaded wooden cart.
She took a slow drag from her pipe.
PUFF.
"...Go get some rest, kid," Ota smiled.
Hanzo smiled and bowed again.
He turned around and started walking toward the paper sliding doors of the sleeping quarters.
Heavy footsteps suddenly slapped against the wet mud behind him.
SPLAT. SPLAT.
"...Hey!" a panicked voice called out. "...Wait a second!"
Hanzo stopped and turned around.
Two teenage boys jogged into the washing yard.
They were both roughly sixteen years old.
They wore the dark, standard-issue uniforms of Kamo patrol guards.
They brought their clothes.
Bottom half of their pants and jackets were completely coated in wet mud.
The taller guard stopped in front of Hanzo and placed his hands on his knees.
HUFF-PUFF.
"...Are you one of the washing servants?" the tall guard panted.
Hanzo gave him a bright, polite nod.
"...Yes, senpai," Hanzo answered.
The second guard ran a hand through his messy hair.
"...We really messed up," the second guard groaned. "...We forgot to drop our uniforms off last night."
He pointed desperately at his muddy cloth.
"...Our squad leader will literally beat us if we report to the morning shift looking like this," he begged. "...Can you wash these right now?"
Hanzo didn't complain about losing his sleep.
He kept his innocent, cheerful smile.
"...Of course I can help you, senpai," Hanzo agreed easily. "...Just hand them over."
The two teens let out massive sighs of relief.
Hanzo grabbed the heavy, mud-soaked clothes.
He walked over to his wooden basin and dumped them into the soapy water.
SPLASH.
He scrubbed the thick dirt off with his washboard.
SCRAPE. SCRAPE.
He pulled the dripping wet uniforms out and fed them directly into his wooden wringer.
He stepped hard on the bamboo pedal.
CREAAK. SQUELCH.
A stream of muddy water poured into the dirt.
The uniforms came out the other side completely wrung dry.
Hanzo walked back and handed the damp clothes to the guards.
The taller guard's jaw dropped open.
"...You did that incredibly fast," the tall guard muttered.
Hanzo smiled up at him.
"...I am Hanzo," he introduced himself.
"...I am Ryu," the tall guard replied. "...And this idiot is Genji."
Genji ignored the insult and quickly pulled his clean pants back on.
"...You just saved our skins, Hanzo," Genji laughed. Get faster updates on g.com.
The two guards sat down on the edge of the wooden porch to tie their boots.
Hanzo sat down right next to them.
He looked at their dark uniforms with wide, amazed eyes.
"...Is it scary being a real patrol guard for the Main Estate?" Hanzo asked innocently.
Genji groaned and leaned back against the wooden post.
"...It is mostly just boring," Genji complained. "...We walk in circles around the main house all night."
Ryu tied his belt and shook his head.
"...The worst part is the Clan Head," Ryu muttered.
Hanzo tilted his head slightly.
"...Lord Noritoshi?" Hanzo asked.
Genji rolled his eyes.
"...The man is a complete nightmare," Genji grunted. "...He acts like a machine."
Ryu pointed a finger in the air to emphasize his point.
"...Every single morning, at exactly six o'clock," Ryu explained. "...He leaves his private study."
Ryu let out a heavy, tired sigh.
"...He walks all the way across the courtyard to inspect the eastern shrine alone," Ryu continued. "...We have to stand perfectly still and bow until he goes back inside."
Genji rubbed his arms.
"...If you move while he walks past, he stares right through you," Genji shivered.
Hanzo kept his face perfectly amazed and slightly scared.
"...That sounds terrifying, Ryu-senpai," Hanzo whispered.
Internally, Hanzo locked onto the exact details.
'He leaves his private study empty at exactly six o'clock every single morning.'
It was an information he could use for the future.
Genji stood up and brushed off his clean jacket.
"...We need to get to our posts," Genji said.
Ryu stood up and patted Hanzo on the shoulder.
"...We owe you a favor, kid," Ryu smiled.
The two guards turned around and jogged out of the yard.
Hanzo waved cheerfully until they disappeared past the wooden gates.
He turned around and slid the paper doors open.
SLIDE.
He stepped into the quiet sleeping quarters.
--<>--
Location: Advanced Branch Courtyard
Time: 05:00 PM | August 31 (Another Month Later)
SWISH.
Yumi thrust the long wooden naginata straight forward.
Hanzo stepped quickly to the right.
He brought his left wooden dao blade up and hooked the wooden pole.
CLACK.
He pulled her weapon down toward the dirt and slid his right blade forward.
Yumi cursed and let go of the polearm with her lead hand.
She stumbled backward to avoid the wooden tip.
"...You are so annoying to fight, Hanzo," Yumi complained loudly.
She gripped her weapon and backed up to keep her distance.
"...You just have a really long reach, Yumi-chan," Hanzo replied politely.
He kept his cursed energy output strictly capped at fifteen percent.
He relied completely on his physical speed to close the distance.
His dual blades required a fast, overlapping offense to cover his lack of defense.
Yumi rushed forward again and swung the polearm horizontally.
THWACK.
Hanzo ducked under the swing and stepped directly into her guard.
He unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes.
CLACK. CLACK.
Yumi desperately tried to block the short blades.
"...Give me a single second to breathe!" Yumi yelled in frustration.
Hanzo raised his right blade to tap her shoulder for the win.
The dirt beneath their feet suddenly jerked violently sideways.
RUMBLE.
Yumi lost her footing entirely and slammed onto her back.
THUD.
Hanzo dropped his wooden swords and fell hard onto his left knee.
The stone walls surrounding the courtyard cracked loudly.
CRACK.
"...Earthquake!" Instructor Juzo roared from the edge of the ring.
Juzo blew his wooden whistle frantically.
TWEET. TWEET.
Juzo screamed. "...Move to the center!"
The children scrambled across the shifting dirt in pure panic.
Hanzo stayed on one knee in the dust.
He gripped the buckling dirt with both hands.
And stared at the ground again in pure disbelief.
'Again?' Hanzo thought.
It had only been two months since the Sanriku tsunami destroyed the coast.
While the June tremor originated deep in the ocean.
This earthquake happen inwards.
Hanzo remembered his past life.
He remembered applying for construction contracts in Japan in the year 2026.
The Japanese seismic structural codes were incredibly strict and completely unforgiving.
He had failed the requirements and taken a contract in Iraq instead and died there.
He finally understood the reality of this geography.
The country sat directly on top of violently shifting tectonic plates.
The shaking tore across the Akita and Iwate prefectures miles away.
Heavy dirt landslides swallowed the destabilized mountains.
Two hundred and nine civilians were crushed under collapsing homes.
Hanzo could not see the landslides.
He simply felt the heavy, suffocating wave of new terror wash over the country.
The survivors from June were plunged directly back into absolute despair.
Hanzo tightened his grip on the dirt.
"...I really need to become immortal. Nature is unforgiving." Hanzo whispered in the dust while looking at the barrier that was erected by the Clan Head and Elders again.
--<>--
A/n: Good day everyone. To all of my active and silent readers. Thank you for sticking and reading up to this point.
It would be very much appreciated if you can take even 30 seconds to create a review or even put on a rating. Good, bad, criticism or anything.
It has been 2 weeks with 15 chapters but the traffic of this book is still all time low. I would be very happy if you can take time and give it a rating to make the NovelPhoenix algorithm push and make this fanfic known.
Thanks in advance
-Dr_Chad
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