Celestial Path Chapter 32 (Patreon)

From the very get-go, I had been trained as a heavy combat unit of a ninja in my time at the Academy, and even with Jiraiya. But just training with Jiraiya came with a side benefit for sure. 

I naturally became very adept at stealthy actions as I needed to be able to hide from the youkai, and other people, when we inevitably ran away when his dumbass got caught peeking on human or ghost taking a damned bath.

But... I wasn't good enough of a sneaky shit to rob the central tower of a Ninja Village. I fully admit that. Not even Jiraiya could I was sure.

"These fuckers... They got a hold of Uzumaki-made seals to boot." I said in annoyance as I saw several Uzumaki-style seals engraved into the walls of the building. Which would protect the building from direct attacks and prevent people from wall walking on it.

So with a hum. I decided to say fuck it. I was here to rob and cause massive destruction. Konoha WAS at war already even if it was on the down low with Kusagakure. 

And I doubted that Kushina would lynch me if I went ahead... And made a little mess before the rest of Konoha could arrive in force.

"Operation Warcrimes Times is a go." I whispered as I held up a couple of fingers, with soft pops ringing out as four Shadow Clones surrounded myself. 

"Go to the four corners of Kusagakure. Then use all of your chakra to use the Swamp of the Underworld jutsu. We are going to sink all of Kusagakure's infrastructure and get all their ninja running around saving the civilians." I said coldly.

This... Was a bit fucked, but this was war. I was going to kill over a thousand people in just a couple of jutsu in order to prevent hundreds of my own people from dying in the open warfare to come.

My shadow clones nodded solemnly, and with silent blurs of motion, they shot outwards to head towards the corners of the village. But as they left, my face twitched as the Celestial Grimoire finally came to life after a good couple of weeks of inactivity.

[Magic Circuits- You receive 20 magic circuits, each of the highest quality, upon entering the world. These circuits are used to control both Od and Mana, internal and external magical energy, respectively, and allow the use of magecraft. The more circuits you have, the more prana you get to play with. Each additional world entry will add another 30 circuits of identical quality.]

'What the fuck... The moment a Hyuga looks at me, they are going to have a stroke at seeing chakra like superconducting 'strings' running through my body.' I thought in exasperation as this perk was kinda ass as it's not like I had any books on Fate, Magecraft!

Maybe I could figure out Reinforcement with my body, as it's not like my brain/heart exploding would matter with my immortality. But something interesting like summoning a Servant or some other greater ritual? Yeah zero chance of that unless the Grimoire decided to just throw a servant into my lap.

Though at the thought of a servant... I realized if I got a servant based on compatibility, it was certainly going to be Tamamo with my kitsune nature. That or Fuuma Katoru/Kato Danzo.

My thoughts were cut off as my swiftly moving clones went to action and the entire of the central portion of Kusagakure shook as the seals that supported and protected the village weren't ready for a swamp attack.

The seals were made for Earth jutsu in mind definetly as the Land of Earth and Iwagakure were their neighbors to the west, and the Land of Wind with Sunagakure being to their north. Both lands have strong ties to Earth Jutsu in their ninja villages.

But... Their seals, reinforcing the village, weren't made with water jutsu, flash flooding the land in particular.

Screams rang out in the distance as buildings quickly sank into the swampy mud an inch every moment and with how deep the Swamp of the Underworld was. Any of the buildings that weren't three stories tall or higher were going to be fully engulfed.

The ninja of Kusagakure exploded into motion, while in my transformed state of wearing a Kusagakure outfit also moved as I headed for the main building.

But then a new 'screaming' noise rang out as I felt one of my clones pop and my face twitched. "Ah, you little bastard."

As the clone decided that running out of chakra, making the swamp extra deep and prolonged was just kinda... Gay. 

So it instead spent the rest of its chakra to send out a cascade of exploding fireballs across the village to cause mass mayhem. And several of the fireballs hit the kage building, which flickered with the chakra fields clearly being ruined by the suprise attack.

And with a grin, I saw the Kusakage shooting out of a window from the top office, and I screamed out with 'fear and sorrow' "Lord Kusakage! Iwa has attacked from the north! It's the Explosion Corpse! They are taking hostages from the clans!"

Just... To prove my point. Another clone decided that the first clone's idea was fucking based, and a massive explosion rang out as my clone committed suicide by making a fire attributed to Rasengan.

Of which, I could barely do a normal Rasengan after training with Jiraiya for a couple of months. Using an elemental one without Sage Chakra to yeet the damned thing away from me? Yeah, it was a suicide jutsu.

But the explosion? Exactly what the Explosion Corps of Iwagakure was known for. So the Kusakage didn't even look at me twice as he sped off probably thinking he was going to have to fight Kitsuchi or Akatsuchi. Iwa's two extra Kage-level ninja's from what I was taught.

And also I remembered Kitsuchi as well from the anime back in my old life... That guy was strong enough to trap the ten tails for a bit with his Earth Release. Being able to affect the Ten-Tails in any means made someone Kage-level. To say nothing of how he was able to make earth barriers to block one of the ten tails tailed-beast bombs.

I shot in at high speed through the window that was left open and as I shot into the window, I saw a shadow shift and then from my sides can two blurs of speed as the local anbu used a shunshin to throw themselves at me with their greatest speed.

With a wet crunch noise, their short swords slammed through my chest, and I spat out blood onto one of their masked faces... And for a moment, the two anbu paused as I grinned and then I grabbed their heads and smashed them together with all the strength afforded to me via having the Third Gate open at all times.

These anbu weren't strong ninja's so when their heads came together... Those heads lost their round shape and became misshapen as they collapsed with blood quickly seeping past their black hoods.

"Fucking anbu... Total jobbers them all." I muttered with a shake of my head as I pulled the tanto's out of my lungs and heart with a grimace at the pain of the blades scratching against a couple of broken ribs.

But after killing myself several times, I got used to the Gate's being open constantly. The pain didn't even register, honestly.

'Actually speaking of my constant agony. I wonder if a Yamanaka would have a stroke if they looked at my memories and experienced my pain. Let alone actually jumping into my body.' I thought.

Then my face twitched as I had a fucking evil ide,a actually... What if I body jumped into someone else's body from far, far away. And then I opened up their Gate of Death being hiding away while waiting for them to just die as I jumped back to my body after opening the gate.

Now that could be an interesting trick even if it had the issue of possibly having someone stuck at the eighth Gate pissed at me coming after my squad and me if I had one.

"Now... If I were a hidden scroll filled with forbidden jutsu, secret treasures, and the villages most important secrets. Where would I be?" I mused thoughtfully as I began inspecting the large office to look for where it would be.

And it took a couple of minutes, even as my last few clones exploded in their own ways. But I found it!

A giant ass Uzumaki made Sealing Scroll that was coated in poison, curses, and seal traps was hidden in a secret floorboard underneath the Kusakage's desk I had to rip out of the floor due to not knowing the secret to move the desk.

'Shit, I am for sure that this desk has a seal on it somewhere to detect it being moved and I really... Really don't want to test my immortality against a dozen curses, and seals on this.' I mused before I grinned as a thought struck me.

I slapped down a hand and with a loud poofing noise. Quelaag was summoned across from me and I quickly spoke out. "Quelaag, I need you to wrap this scroll up in your webs, and then just teleport back to Konoha with the scroll! I can't talk, just know the scroll is very important, but very cursed! Do not let anyone but Kushina touch or approach it!"

Quelaag, knowing this was serious just turned around and shot some flaming web from her spider backside onto the scroll and I hissed at seeing the seals and curses hiss in turn as her magma like webs bit into it.

But in another pop, including smoke that filled the air, the spider demigoddess reverse-summoned herself back to Konoha.

Likewise, for myself, the moment the pop went off, I was fucking off as fast as a man could go! I shot out of the window and after jumping across a couple rough rooftops as all the surrounding buildings were heavily sunk at this point. I transformed into a small local sparrow before taking to the air and flying as fucking fast as I could!

Because already, my chakra was running on half after using those clones and summoning Quelaag.

-

After a long flight back towards the capital of the Land of Grass and flying past it to head back towards the Land of Fire which took a couple days, I could only land utterly exhausted both mentally and spiritually, back in the Shrine of Amaterasu.

'Shit... Yoruichi, Kaori and Kiyomi moved hotels or something.' I thought as I saw that our room was already being rented out to what looked like a lesser noble.

And doing some mental math, I realized that unless something happened with that noble brat who we escorted here. They were supposed to still be in the shrine/city for at least another day.

But... If there weren't here then something likely happened to that noble little shit. 

"Ah, I can't just head back to Konoha without getting news on what happened with my mission. I have to go see Yae Miko I guess." I said helplessly as I just sighed. Hopefully, Kushina would appreciate one of her clan's seal scrolls filled with Kusa's secrets.

And, I bet with a bunch of her own clan's secrets as well. As I would bet damned near anything that, that scroll right there. Was Changli's scroll she had, that was carrying part of the Uzumaki's heritage when she fled from the fall of the Uzumaki village.

I shed my disguise as a bird and with my nine tails flaring out I stretched and said tiredly. "If they did head straight back to Konoha for any reason... Fuck it, I am going to take a nap in a tree or something on the way back." 

Then my form stiffened and I looked with a scowl behind me as a very powerful chakra source came into my senses behind me following a teasing voice.

"Tsk tsk, Akari... You are making the rest of Lady Amaterasu's servants look bad. First you accomplish the mission in record time, then you even steal secrets from Kusagakure, do a good bit of damage to the village itself, and to top it all off. You succeeded in shifting the blame to Iwakagure to the point that the Kusakage personally attacked one of their outposts to send a message." 

I turned around and looked at Yae Miko, the pink-haired kitsune with too much side boob action going on who was looking at me with an actual pout. And I just said flatly.

"Maybe you woudn't look bad in comparison if you actually put in a days work, instead of just eating tofu and telling other people what to do." 

Yae Miko's pout evaporated as she smacked her lips together and said with a raised eyebrow. "Oooh, someone is cranky. What, have you not gotten a chance to brush your tail yet today?" 

I was about to snap back something. But I actually paused and said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I haven't had my tail brushed by one of the pretty girls who hang around me."

"Why do you think I keep a half dozen priestesses for myself? For them to cut apples and make sakura flower pastries for me? Now, they spend a good hour a day pampering my tails to make them look perfect." Yae Miko said with a sagely nod.

The rooftop became quiet besides the sounds of the city below us for a good minute.

And the silence was broken as I said more bluntly. "So, I was promised a 'Great' reward for saving those Uzumaki. And, you even said I did even more to advance Lady Amaterasu's cause, will my reward be even greater?" 

Yae Miko rolled her eyes and said lazily. "Demanding a divine reward as soon as you get back is just uncouth, don't you think? Can't you let me go get it? Or maybe your reward is a lovely banquet to announce yourself to the greater world?" 

And with zero shame, I said proudly. "I am a ninja; being mercenary about my payments was drilled into me on day one at the Academy! Besides, invading another country, stealing important VIP's, and doing bonus work and being repaid in a feast that will just bring me trouble? Yeah, I would call that a punishment." 

I myself was torn between my soul being human and my body being kitsune... I had zero doubts that should Amaterasu throw a big banquet for me to meet her other champions or her divine followers. It would turn into a major pain in the ass.

I had... Entirely too damned much on my plate at this point.

Getting sucked into more divine problems wasn't worth it at all.

And Yae Miko could tell my very apparent disdain at the idea as she gave a chuckle and said teasingly. "A pity for you, I suppose. I would have thought you would have liked to see Amaterasu and Inari... Though actually, I am curious Akari. What do you want as a reward in your own eyes?" 

I considered the question for a long moment, actually. Besides my taijutsu being on the weaker side of my skills set. My genjutsu resistance was maxed out by my perks, and my ninjutsu? Yeah, I had Wood Release and Destined Death to kill my enemies without issue.

So after a long moment of thought, I said slowly. "I... Honestly can't think of a reward I truly desire or need at the moment."

The kitsune in front of me gave a thoughtful hum before she turned around with one of her pink tails, almost hitting my nose as she said.

"Then we shall merely have to await the goddess's choice in your reward. But come along, the noble brat you brought here attempted to force himself upon one of the temple's mikos even after he was 'cured' of his curse. So your team has in fact, already left the shrine city and gone back to Konoha." 

"You at least deserve a good, relaxing bath, and... I suppose I can loan some extra miko's who haven't been assigned to worship one of our gods to brush your tails and pay worship ufufu." Yae Miko spoke with a throaty giggle.

Then she transformed into a large pink-haired kitsune with nine tails and began leaping across the buildings, clearly wanting me to follow her. As she headed towards the main giant temple at the peak of the mountain this shrine city was built around.