Tsukinoko had woken up that evening, all three of them sitting around the fire, the doctor having been thanked after putting a splint on the Chief, Tsukinoko continuing to gorge herself to regain her strength and answering him with her mouth full.

  - Reptiles?" she grimaces. I don't look like a dragon, for God's sake.

  - Not really," replied Kakashi. But you had horns, like deer antlers, and with your scales and eyebrows, it reminded me of a dragon. But there's no such thing," he shrugs.

  - Of course not... she mumbles.

  She rolls her eyes discreetly as she remembers the dragon-shaped mark on her belly, and wonders if it wasn't due to the spell her mother had passed on to her that night.

  Her belly burned when she meditated.

  But she couldn't tell them, unable to explain or reveal the origin of the mark. However, the situation was about to become increasingly complex.

  Tsukinoko stands up in front of them, a sad look on her face. They follow her with their eyes as she stands in her bra in front of them. The Chief opens his eyes wide at the mark, while Kakashi spits out his tea in surprise, before staring at his feet, his face red with embarrassment.

  - Jījī. Do you think it might have something to do with this?" she said, pointing to the mark on his belly.

  - It's adorned with sacred seals... Where did you get it?

  - Bah... Well, I don't know," she sighs in disappointment.

  With a serious look on his face, he pondered over the drawing. Tsukinoko was fiddling with it, thinking sadly about her creation, and a thousand questions about its origin and purpose were running through his mind. Why had Nukade affixed this seal to him, what was its purpose, what was the link with his origins?

  Her mother had said it would protect her, but it had only served as a tattoo all these years.

  - However, I don't see a summoning seal around your mark," continues Haruo.

  - Yet it burns me when I'm in meditation.

  Tsukinoko meditates for a moment, before the puzzled eyes of the other two.

  As she approached the balance point, the dragon-shaped mark changed color. It then glowed with a golden light, revealing kanji and drawings all around the animal.

  Their eyes widened, and as Tsukinoko reopened hers, the glow had disappeared but the kanji were still present. She questioned the Chief, who could only see one way to determine if it really was a seal.

  - Invoke him.

  Tsukinoko took a step backwards. What was she really going to summon, if the attempt proved successful? The Two-Eyed Demon was locked inside, so there should be no risk, but she couldn't help doubting.

  But we needed answers.

  With a feverish hand, she clutches her belly, begging whoever is hiding behind to come. A violent burn invades her belly, similar to that of the affixing of the seal. She writhes in pain and a cloud of steam explodes behind her, blowing away all the torches and the campfire.

  No sooner had the cloud dissipated than two gigantic violet eyes stared back at the three. Kakashi immediately relights the fire but remains frozen to the ground, with the Chief. Tsukinoko turned and her breath caught.

  Faced with a gigantic dragon in the middle of the mountain, floating upright above the ground, towering over the nearest peaks, before landing full-length on the ground.

  The creature stared at her as steam escaped from its half-open maw. Tsukinoko was tetanized, and the burn had disappeared, as had the kanji on her belly.

  It was indeed a summoning seal, and perhaps even more so. The dragon was covered in green scales with a grayish sheen, and a long golden crest stretched from the nape of its neck down its back, merging with the golden hairs on its tail. Each of his paws was adorned with three black, hooked claws. Two black, antler-like horns sat atop his skull. Her head was covered in black scales, and two large violet eyes topped by long golden eyebrows looked right into her soul.

  Its sharp-fanged maw was surrounded by a dark golden, lion-like beard, from which two long black barbels protruded.

  Tsukinoko admired the beast with terror, finding it majestic. Standing on its feet, it wasn't even the size of one of her claws. The dragon suddenly exhaled a blast of steam through its nostrils, causing its hair to twirl in the air, and the heat stung her eyes.

  But strangely, she felt no danger from him and didn't react. The dragon slowly reopened its mouth and she tensed, fearing the worst.

  - You're finally deigning to let me meet you," he says serenely.

  His deep, powerful voice echoed through Tsukinoko's body until the ground beneath her feet shook. Mouth agape, she couldn't believe her ears and turned towards the Chief. But he lay unconscious on the ground, just like Kakashi.

  The dragon let out a cackle that shook the surroundings and she took a step back in surprise.

  - I didn't sign any incantations though... she murmurs.

  - There's no need for futile incantations with me," he replies. There are many questions and inner struggles occupying your mind. These are the ones that reached me when you called. And in view of the disorder in your mind, I agreed to come. Don't worry about your friends, I preferred to use my charms so they wouldn't remember this meeting.

  She pauses, frowning, and stands puzzled before him.

  - I'll introduce myself first, if you'll allow me. I am Tenryū, Celestial Dragon, Guardian of the Sky and Stars. For you mere humans, I come from the legends of the genesis of the Universe. Shortly after the creation of heaven and earth, seven generations of Gods were born, and I appeared with other creatures to protect them as Guardians. But that was far too long ago for you to understand. Today I'm free, or I was until I was given a new deity to protect. I discovered Earth a few millennia ago, by chance. I don't spend much time here, it's far too small for me. Let's just say I don't go unnoticed here. I prefer to wander freely through the dimensions.

  The dragon spoke calmly, his voice soft despite its high volume. Tsukinoko sensed a great deal of wisdom and nobility in his tone.

  - It took me a few seconds to remember you, because you see, for me, it was a good ten centuries ago that we were connected. I think..." he muses, expelling steam from his nostrils like a sigh. I'm so used to changing dimensions, I lose track of time.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Tsukinoko still found it hard to believe in his presence, and hearing him speak of millennia and distant dimensions didn't help.

  - The royal line of gods inherited the key to protecting their loved ones with divine powers. Or me, to put it simply, and my kind. It had been passed down from generation to generation, but abandoned on Earth it was found by the Udon clan later, before finally being passed down one last time nearly eight centuries ago. Or years," he continues.

  After a quick calculation, Tsukinoko realized it was her.

  - Are you talking about me? The Gods... she wonders. Why would my mother give me this protection? You say you protect the gods and-

  - One question at a time, I can't explain it all at once," he sighs. Yes, I'm talking about you, the divinity I must protect. And before you retort, know that if you weren't at least a true heir, the key would have broken and been destroyed immediately.

  - Why do you... Why-

  - She sensed that tragedies far greater than the one you experienced would occur if your father survived, and so chose to do everything she could to keep you safe.

  - What tragedies? What tragedies? How do you know that and how do you know her?" she snaps, bewildered. And why me?

  - Deity... he sighs. I can read your mind.

  There was no way this dragon could read her mind. Surely an imposter, Tsukinoko straightened up to find out more, but the ground shook again and she fell.

  - I'm not an impostor!" he roared. Majesty, I'll let you into my thoughts in turn, it'll be easier than spending hours telling you everything. I wonder if this seal was a good idea after all," he mused. Here, sit down.

  She hesitates, then complies. Tenryū moved a little closer to her, until she could place her palms gently on the tip of his snout icy. When she opened her eyes again, the mountains had disappeared.

  Stars shone all around, as if floating in space. A wooden house, also floating amidst stardust a few feet away. Tenryū, standing tall beside her, had shrunk to no more than an eagle.

  The wise old man began by briefly recounting the origins of life on Earth and of the Universe, then moving on to the rivalry between the Karumin and Anba families, and the founding of Hanamaru by Jinmuya Karumin and Hashirama Anba.

  To have knowledge of all this, he who spent his time in the stars, had the ability to take on any form he wanted, being able to camouflage himself in nature or in the middle of a crowd.

  Nearly a century ago, Tenryū had returned to the heart of the hidden villages. He had immersed himself in the human world, now more or less at peace. By listening in on conversations and documenting himself, he had learned all about the history of the military world and spied on the Udon clan who held the key to the seal. Their unfailing wisdom and good faith had won his trust, and the Guardian decided not to retrieve the key, even though he never imagined it would be used.

  - That's enough," she says curtly. I've had enough of your bullshit!" Tsukinoko shouts abruptly.

  She tries to get away, but only stirs up the emptiness around her. The dragon exhaled another fiery vapour from its nostrils, and Tsukinoko opened her eyes again. The mountains were there, and the stars in their places, high in the sky.

  - It's another nightmare, I'm going to wake up," she murmurs. I'm gonna-

  - It's real, Deity," he continues.

  - Stop it! Deity, Majesty, are you going to kneel and pray before me now?!

  - You haven't understood everything. If I'm here, it's because you're worthy of these names.

  - Shut up!" she screams, crying

  Disoriented, she leans against a rock, suffocating. Tenryū sighs softly and lies down in front of her.

  - Let me explain, and you'll understand. My life now is all about you. Protecting you, adoring you. I'll be there whenever you need me. However, don't abuse it, I believe by my power and my role that I have the right to choose the relevance of my interventions. It would seem that you did not receive the necessary instruction when you were given the seal.

  - Teaching? she murmurs.

  - Do you have the key?

  - Which key?

  - I know everything about you," he continues after a pause. Your every annoyance and everything you cherish. I know how to fight, you know. I'm the most feared Guardian in the Universe," he boasts in a way that makes Tsukinoko doubt him. That technique you call Shinigami no Hikari, it's one of my most powerful defenses. Whatever you call it, I'll live with it.

  Tsukinoko pondered for a moment, but one question remained in her mind.

  - Why do you take me for a God?

  - You are the heir to the God of Men. You have the power within you. Your father-

  - I'd heard about it, yes. But I didn't think it was true. They're just legends.

  - Know that there can be no smoke without fire, that the dead leaves that fly across the land are necessarily carried by a wind, wherever it comes from. It all depends on what you intend to do with your inheritance now.

  - I... I... I need you to show me what you can do. I might need you, I hope not, but you never know.

  The dragon lets out another sigh.

  - When you've digested all this, call me back.

  He immediately disappeared, leaving a trail of glittering dust on the stony ground. Tsukinoko sat there, in the dust and shock, cogitating.

  The clouds turned ochre and the sky lightened with the rising sun. That night, what had happened to her mother, after being swallowed by G?me? How had Tsukinoko ended up in Hanamaru? Why did her late father, Jinmuya, want his daughter to take control of Kyubi? Where to find information, who to turn to?

  The sun peeked over the lowest peaks, and Tsukinoko realized that she now knew where to turn. This divine being, who waved between the stars like a bird between the leaves. Groans drew her from her thoughts, as her superiors came to their senses behind.

  As if nothing had happened that night, they ate breakfast together. Facing a rocky mountain hundreds of meters high, her skin studded with scales and her pupils a crimson, Tsukinoko took the plunge.

  - Shinigami no Hikari!

  As she uttered the words that invoked Tenry? within her, she managed to control the direction of her attack, and propelled it onto the summit of one of the mountains. In a fraction of a second, the ball exploded over an even larger radius than on previous occasions. Thunder resounds and Tsukinoko catches her breath. No injuries, no power surges.

  The mountain had melted, disintegrated. The Chief then announced the sentence.

  - In this case, Tsukinoko is strictly forbidden to use Shinigami no Hikari. Also, this technique is now considered forbidden, due to the damage it inflicts on its user and target.

  - But... what's the point of all this then?! she shouts in confusion.

  - Let's hope you never have to use it, because that would mean the circumstances are... desperate," he says harshly. This technique will be a military weapon we can count on from now on.

  - Never," she exclaims curtly.

  Her aura swirled around her, gigantic, reflecting her state of mind. The Chief was astonished and tried to read her eyes.

  Deep down, behind the anger caused by wars and weapons that decimated the innocent, Tsukinoko was afraid. Frightened at the idea of being in possession of such a weapon in spite of herself. This technique would bring her nothing but trouble, and although it would give her incredible strength and skill, it would be useless unless she found herself facing a Guardian on her own, which was unthinkable.

  Upset, she crossed her arms in protest and exclaimed with her head held high.

  - I refuse to be a weapon of war. I want to go home now.

  - He's surprised. You need to learn to perfect this new talent. We'll stay a few more days and then-

  - I want to go home," she orders curtly.

  Kakashi waited for orders, his eyes riveted on the debris that sat in the mountain's place. With a barely restrained sigh, the Chief capitulated.

  As Tsukinoko crouched down to put her things away, the Chief came and sat down opposite her on one of the rocks. With a childlike movement, Tsukinoko dropped onto her buttocks to sit cross-legged in front of her master, as she had done after every training session in her early days.

  - Jījī, I'll use it as soon as you ask me to," she mumbles, fiddling with her bag. But in the meantime, leaves Shinigami in the dark," she cries dejectedly, pity...

  - Suit yourself. I'm a little disappointed all the same," he exclaims, amused, "after all the years I've hesitated to launch you into this training. I'd noticed that you possessed such ease. To think I've come all this way without being able to take care of my disciple," he smiles

  Tsukinoko giggles tenderly, without raising her head. He puts his hand on the top of her head to reassure her, ruffling her hair.

  - You mustn't be afraid of your abilities, Tsukinoko.

  - Say Jījī? Why did you choose to make me your disciple back then? When it was adjutants who had to take care of me. And you're Chief, wasn't it your priority to find a disciple, eh?

  Could it be chance, or the Chief who molded his pupils into renowned warriors?

  - Indeed," he smiled.

  - Why, then?" she insists, sulking.

  He sighs softly as he lifts his head to look up at the clouds, where his memories of being in hospital with Sagi took place. He snaps out of his thoughts, then answers softly, his nose still in the air.

  - Let's just say it would have been wrong not to. How about "The Dragon Warrior" then? Or how about "Hanamaru's Amethyst Dragon"?

  Tsukinoko had returned to work with Haruo, but on arriving in his office, he informed her that Somitto had asked to verify his innocence for themselves.