Naruto: Mixed Heritage(Rewrite)

Chapter 371: 370-Tether



Renjiro sat cross-legged as the seal paper lay flat in front of him, its surface illuminated by the flickering glow of a single oil lamp. The air was still, save for the occasional whisper of wind slipping through the slightly open window.

The mark he'd inscribed paled faintly under his scrutiny—a precise, intricate design that mirrored an alien beauty.

A double-circle outer layer enclosed the mark, its edges sharp yet fluid. At the very core was a diamond shape, perfectly symmetrical, anchoring the structure. But it was the six black streaks connecting the diamond to the outer circles that stood out the most. They stretched outward in precise, unbroken lines, resembling the spokes of a celestial wheel.

Renjiro leaned closer, his Sharingan active, the six-star pattern in it mirroring the seal's geometry.

"It looked like a Mangekyō Sharingan pattern," he muttered.

Not exactly—there was no distinct eye shape, no tomoe—but something about it felt similar. As though it held a kind of ocular authority, as if it commanded the very space it occupied. Which unsettled the young Jonin.

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind rattled the window, sending shadows dancing across the room. Renjiro ignored it. He exhaled, letting his eyes drift shut for a moment to focus on the chakra signature embedded in the mark. Would there be a reaction? Would the mark respond to him?

His senses stretched, probing for the faintest ripple, spark, or something. 

Silence.

Seconds stretched on.

A minute passed.

Then, slowly, he opened his eyes with a scowl. The mark sat inert, mocking him. With a frustrated snarl, he reached for the seal paper. He pulled at it gently.

"Rrrrip!"

With little resistance, the seal tore cleanly down the middle. The mark vanishing.

Renjiro sighed as he stared at the fragments, a heavy breath of resignation escaping his lips.

"Tch. As expected," he muttered, the words carrying a tinge of disappointment.

The Hadō no Kokuin—Mark of Dominion—was a fickle thing.

Its two variants, Sense and Strength, had strict limitations, more so the strength variation. The Strength Mark, when applied, could amplify the destructive force of his emerald flames, turning them into infernos that devoured chakra. But inanimate objects? Useless. He'd tested it on kunai, on explosive tags, even on a rice cracker. The cracker had crumbled faster. 

Renjiro slumped into his chair, the wood creaking under his weight. His gaze lingered on the torn paper, a furrow forming between his brows.

'If only it worked on inanimate objects…'

That would change everything. He could reinforce his shinobi weapons, bolster his gear, enhance his other jutsus—but most importantly, he could fortify his sealing techniques.

Stronger seals.

Greater firepower.

That was what Renjiro needed.

He flexed his fingers, tapping them against the floor as his mind raced through the implications. 'If I could strengthen my seals... I could turn even basic formulas into devastating tools. Traps, barriers, explosive tags, containment fields—'

His jaw clenched as his mind cycled through what-ifs, each scenario more promising than the last. The sheer utility of such an ability was staggering.

A single explosive tag enhanced by the Strength Mark could level an entire section of a battlefield. A barrier seal reinforced with the same effect could hold back even an A-rank jutsu.

Yet, despite the overwhelming potential, the strength variation of the Dominion Mark refused to function outside of his green flames. It was a cruel limitation.

Renjiro exhaled sharply through his nose.

'It would have been a game-changer.'

But one couldn't have it all.

He scoffed under his breath, shaking his head.

"Not like my seals are weak," he murmured, a wry smirk playing on his lips. "Not with the Resonator component I created back then."

The Resonator.

A Fuinjutsu component enhancement he had developed years ago, back when he was just starting out in fuinjutsu. The component amplified the effectiveness of his other seal components. It allowed his components to link with one another, creating chains of reaction rather than functioning as isolated components. That alone gave him an edge—but he wanted more.

He always wanted more.

But something about the previous mark had felt… off. Even without applying the sense effect, there had been a strange, almost intangible connection between him and the mark.

'Why was that?'

His Dominion Marks were supposed to be simple—either Sense or Strength. Yet even when he hadn't activated Sense, he had still felt a faint pull. A whisper at the edge of his consciousness.

'Was the mark naturally tied to me?'

He frowned.

He wasn't sure. But there was only one way to find out. Placing his fingers against the new seal paper, Renjiro activated the Dominion Mark once more. This time, however, he applied the Sense effect.

"Click!"

Immediately, the connection deepened. A tether snapped into place—invisible, intangible, but there. Renjiro's breath hitched. He blinked, flexing his fingers, experimenting with the sensation.

The connection felt like a hook lodged behind his sternum, a thread linking his mind to the mark, almost like a chakra link, but deeper. It drew him in.

The sensation was unlike anything he had felt before. Renjiro could feel the paper. Not just its presence, but its texture, its weight, the minute imperfections in its weave. 

"Impressive," he whispered. The tether pulsed in response, a heartbeat synced to his own. 

'If this mark pulls me in… Can I pull on it?'

The thought struck like a lightning bolt, his Mangekyō glinting in the dim light. If he could feel the connection, could he control it? Heart pounding, he focused more of his chakra into the tether.

He pushed.

Nothing.

He pulled.

The seal moved shifting an inch.

For a single moment, Renjiro's eyes widened in triumph. His lips twitched into a grin.

Then—

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind rolled in from the open window, fluttering the seal like a leaf. It tumbled to the floor.

Renjiro froze. The realization dawned on him. His expression deadpanned.

A moment later, he let out a long, suffering sigh.

"…Of course," he muttered dryly. "It was the wind."

For several seconds, he simply sat there, staring at the innocuous piece of paper on the floor. His eyebrow twitched.

'This is why Fuinjutsu research is frustrating.'

Shaking his head, Renjiro exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders.

The tether still remained. He could still feel the seal's location, its orientation. A tracking mechanism, perhaps? Or… 

Renjiro's gaze drifted to the shadow stretching across the floor. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting his silhouette in stark relief. An idea sparked. 

Forming a single hand sign, he muttered, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

"Poof!"

A swirl of chakra burst forth, and in an instant, a shadow clone materialized in front of him, identical save for the faint shimmer of its form. Renjiro studied it, Mangekyo whirring. The clone's expression was as neutral as his own with its arms crossed.

Renjiro had already begun his next experiment.

His eyes narrowed, dilating his Mangekyō, his gaze zeroing in on the clone's right hand, at the back of his palm.

The Dominion Mark manifested in an instant, its double circles and diamond stark against the clone's pale skin. 

"Hiss!" 

The clone blinked. Then, curiously, it lifted its arm, bringing the marked hand closer to its face.

As it observed the mark—

The black sigil began to glow. A sheen of blue shimmered across its surface, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. Renjiro's lips parted slightly, his fingers tightening at his sides.

This was new.

This was different.

And something about it felt powerful.

=====

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