"Why isn't Master Enka at the temple?" Sōmi asked casually, sitting cross-legged on his bed and addressing the elderly monk seated on a meditation cushion.
"He went to see the Kazekage..." the old monk replied, taking a sip of the rich rice tea before him, his tone calm and unhurried.
"Hmm?"
"Master Bunpuku..." Sōmi's expression froze, and he immediately thought of the unique significance of this temple.
"Yes... Brother Bunpuku... I'm afraid he will soon pass away," the old monk said solemnly, his previously gentle smile fading into a grave expression.
"He's had it so hard... Chosen as a Jinchūriki from a young age, he managed to suppress the Tailed Beast within him thanks to his exceptional talent and mastery of sealing techniques. Yet, he's spent his entire life confined to that place..." The monk placed his teacup down and let out a heavy sigh.
The room fell into a brief silence. After a long pause, Sōmi finally broke the stillness. "Has a new Jinchūriki been chosen yet?"
The old monk glanced at Sōmi, who sat cross-legged with his feet tucked under him, and slowly shook his head. "Not yet. The decision lies with the Kazekage."
"It won't be easy to find a new Jinchūriki, right? They'll need unshakable willpower, unwavering loyalty to Sunagakure, and most importantly, our sealing techniques have too many flaws..."
"If the Jinchūriki doesn't have a solid foundation in sealing techniques, their mind will eventually be overwhelmed by the violent Chakra of the Tailed Beast, turning them into a mindless killer!" Sōmi stroked his chin and spoke confidently.
His recent encounter with Minato Namikaze had given him a firsthand understanding of just how vast the gap between their villages truly was.
Forget about the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, which could perfectly seal even the Nine-Tails. Even Kumogakure's Iron Armor Seal was leagues ahead of Sunagakure's methods for sealing Tailed Beasts.
The old monk cast another subtle glance at Sōmi, a nearly inaudible sigh escaping his lips. He continued, "There is a potential candidate. Brother Bunjū's disciple, Hōichi, might be a good fit..."
"His talent in sealing techniques is quite impressive!" the monk added.
"That little brat? Is his willpower strong enough?" Sōmi scoffed, his lips curling slightly.
"Haha! That's why it ultimately depends on the Kazekage's decision. All we can do is provide the experiences of Brother Bunpuku as a reference," the old monk said with a sudden smile. Despite his cloudy eyes, Sōmi's reflection was clearly visible within them.
Sōmi reached behind him, grabbed a corner of the bright red blanket, and lightly sniffed it.
"Master, you should air out the bedding on sunny days and bring it back in before sunset. Don't let it get damp—it'll be warmer to sleep under at night," Sōmi rambled on, offering a string of nagging advice.
"Is the temple running short on funds lately?" he asked at last.
The old monk shook his head gently. "There's been no shortage of incense offerings recently, and there's still a large sum left from what you gave us earlier. Don't worry."
Sometimes, the monk couldn't help but marvel at the twists of fate. The infant they had taken in all those years ago had not become a monk, nor did he believe in Buddhism.
He recalled Sōmi once mentioning a deity called "Namo Gatling Bodhisattva," a peculiar name from some unknown faith...
In the past, the temple's predecessors had diligently chanted sutras and meditated, but their efforts had merely caused the outer walls of the temple to erode over time.
In contrast, Sōmi, as their "top donor," had injected real funds into the temple, allowing for its complete renovation. Even the Buddha statue had been gilded with a radiant golden layer, which had significantly increased the temple's popularity.
After all, standing before a majestic and solemn Buddha statue, bathed in dazzling golden light, was enough to "cleanse" the hearts of commoners.
Though whether this "cleansing" was due to the Buddha's essence or its golden exterior remained an open question...
...
The next morning, Sōmi stepped out of the temple at dawn, the morning light casting a soft glow over the courtyard. A few young monks were already sweeping the grounds with brooms.
Sōmi walked straight out of the temple without paying them any attention. The young monks who caught a glimpse of him only showed expressions of awe, having heard stories of his deeds from their elders or peers.
Once outside, Sōmi glanced around before extending his hand to summon a golden cloud.
Standing atop the golden cloud, he sped toward a desolate expanse of rocky desert.
The cool morning breeze whistled against his face, carrying fine grains of sand that made him squint his eyes.
With a wave of his hand, Sōmi manipulated tiny particles of gold sand from the cloud beneath him. The grains floated upward, slowly coalescing and reshaping into a thin golden mask over his face.
The mask's surface bore numerous gray-white specks, resembling decorative patterns.
As Sōmi sped across the desert, whirlwinds occasionally rose, lifting plumes of yellow sand high into the air like smoke spiraling upward.
The rising sun cast its golden light over the endless desert, turning it into a shimmering sea of gold. The rippling dunes resembled frozen waves, stretching all the way to the distant golden horizon.
Suddenly, a sunken expanse of rocky terrain appeared ahead. Sōmi guided the golden cloud downward, landing in the depression.
He looked up to see the hard soil above branching out like tree limbs, providing ample shade.
The ground beneath his feet was not the soft sand of the desert but a hardened, stone-like gray-black surface etched with fine lines, as if carved by years of rainfall.
Satisfied with the location, Sōmi formed a series of hand seals before crouching down to press his hands against the ground.
He needed to refine some Chakra first. Judging by Manda's temperament, the creature he was about to summon was unlikely to be an easy one to deal with.
He wanted to be prepared in case their "conversation" took a less-than-friendly turn.
After a moment, Sōmi stood upright once more and bit his thumb, drawing blood. Though the ritualistic gesture felt somewhat unnecessary, it still had a certain psychological effect on him.
As the crimson blood dripped, Sōmi formed the seals in sequence: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram!
In an instant, a fierce gust of wind erupted beneath him, sweeping outward and kicking up layers of dust.
Blue Chakra surged from within Sōmi, and for a brief moment, countless consciousnesses seemed to flash through his mind.
Some of the weaker presences appeared fearful of his summoning and refused to respond. Among them, however, one particularly violent presence blatantly ignored him, exuding an air of disdain.
In that fleeting moment, Sōmi locked onto the most ferocious aura among them, channeling all his Chakra toward it.
"Summoning Technique!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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