Iwagakure's Trial of Earth: Secrets Beneath the Crystal Layer

During the three days outside Iwagakure, Su Ye and the others never stopped training. Naruto deeply fused the Nine-Tails Chakra with the power of the Uzumaki Sealing Stone, allowing pale blue sealing runes to form a crisscrossing defensive pattern across the surface of his Tailed Beast Cloak. Sasuke tried using the Power of the Fire Seed to ignite the minerals in the earth. Whenever the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword swept across the rocks, it could draw up subterranean magma and turn it into crimson-gold pillars of fire. Su Ye's work was the most crucial. He refined the Thunder God Pearl and the Thunder God Hammer with the power of the Rinnegan, and fine lightning patterns had begun to weave through his pale violet chakra. When he activated Space-Time Ninjutsu, he could even paralyze his enemies with the lightning.

On the day of the trial, Ōnoki personally led the three of them to the Earth Temple, deep within Iwagakure. Built a thousand meters underground, the temple's surrounding rock walls were covered in Earth Release runes. Three trial platforms made of obsidian stood in the center, their surfaces flowing with liquid Earth Release chakra like the pulsing veins of the earth. "The first trial, 'Inheritance of the Earth,'" Ōnoki said, hovering in midair as his aged voice echoed through the temple. "The three platforms will continuously release a field of gravity. You must remain standing on your respective platforms for half an hour. The gravity will gradually increase from ten times to fifty times normal. If you fall into the crystal layer beneath the platforms, you fail."

Su Ye and the others each stepped onto a platform. The moment they steadied themselves, a heavy pressure rose from its surface. Naruto grunted as his golden Tailed Beast Cloak instantly covered his body. The Nine-Tails Chakra gathered beneath his feet to form footholds, and he forcibly withstood ten times normal gravity. Sasuke infused the Power of the Fire Seed into his legs. Flames spread along the Earth Release runes on the platform, and he used the reactive force of the magma to ease the burden on his body. Su Ye was the most composed. As the Rinne Sharingan turned, pale violet chakra formed glowing patterns beneath his feet. They resonated with the Earth Release runes, channeling the force of the gravity field into the surrounding rock walls. He himself bore less than five times normal gravity.

"Interesting." A flicker of surprise crossed Ōnoki's eyes. He had expected Su Ye to rely on Space-Time Ninjutsu to evade the force, but Su Ye had instead used the runes to change the gravity's trajectory. As time passed, the gravity on the platforms gradually rose to thirty times normal. Veins bulged on Naruto's forehead, and the sealing runes on his Tailed Beast Cloak flashed continuously. Every breath came with a heavy gasp. Sasuke's flames began to weaken. The reactive force of the magma could no longer support his body, and his knees bent slightly, as if he might collapse at any moment.

Just then, Su Ye raised a hand. Pale violet chakra formed two chains that wrapped around Naruto and Sasuke's waists. "Follow the path of my runes." His voice traveled to them through the chakra. "Pour your power into the runes on the platform and use the earth's strength to dissipate the force." Naruto immediately did as he was told. The Nine-Tails Chakra flowed along the chains into Su Ye's glowing patterns, forming a circuit with the Earth Release runes. The gravity was instantly reduced by half. Sasuke caught on as well. The Power of the Fire Seed intertwined with the pale violet chakra, and his flames blazed brighter. A small magma whirlpool even formed on the platform, completely countering the pressure of the gravity.

Half an hour later, the first trial ended. As the three stepped off the platforms, Naruto was still gasping for breath, and Sasuke's flames had died down considerably. Ōnoki slowly descended and pointed to the second platform. "The second trial, 'Obstruction of the Earth.' The liquid chakra on the platform will coalesce into Rock Puppets. You must work together to destroy ten of them within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Remember, their cores are hidden beneath the crystal layer. You must destroy the cores to defeat them completely."

As soon as he finished speaking, the liquid chakra on the platform suddenly boiled. Ten rock puppets rose from its surface, their bodies covered in thick crystal layers. Their fists swung with a thunderous roar, sending stone chips flying. Naruto charged first, gathering a golden Tailed Beast Bomb in his palm and firing it at the puppet in front. With a thunderous boom, a web of cracks spread across the crystal layer covering the puppet, but it didn't break. "Their defenses are too strong!" Naruto cried. Just as he was about to attack again, the puppet swung a fist at him. He hastily blocked with his Tailed Beast Cloak and was sent staggering back several steps.

Sasuke leaped into the air and swung the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword, releasing a streak of crimson-gold flame. The flames spread along the puppet's joints, trying to melt through the rock. But the crystal layer absorbed the heat, leaving the puppet unharmed. It struck back with a palm and sent Sasuke flying. Su Ye teleported to Sasuke and caught him, then formed a sword from pale violet chakra and thrust it precisely at the puppet's joint. The chakra sword pierced the crystal layer, but the rock beneath stopped it from reaching the core.

"The core is three inches beneath the crystal layer." The Rinne Sharingan let Su Ye see through the puppet's structure. "Naruto, hit its feet with a Tailed Beast Bomb to crack the crystal layer. Sasuke, aim your flames at the cracks and melt through the rock. I'll find the core." The three immediately adjusted their tactics. Naruto formed a small Tailed Beast Bomb and struck the puppet's ankle with pinpoint accuracy, cracking the crystal layer. Sasuke thrust the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword into the gap. Golden flames erupted, melting a hole through the rock. Su Ye teleported above the puppet and thrust his pale violet chakra sword through the opening, precisely shattering the core hidden beneath the crystal layer.

The first puppet crashed to the ground and dissolved into liquid chakra that flowed back across the platform. The battles that followed went more smoothly. The three worked together with increasing coordination, and in less than half an incense stick's time, they destroyed nine puppets. When the tenth appeared, it was three times larger than the others. Dark golden light shimmered across its crystal-covered body, and its fists carried the effects of the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique. "This is an Earth Guardian Puppet. Its core is the crystal nucleus in its chest." Ōnoki's voice rang out. "It can absorb the earth's power to restore itself. You must destroy its core before it recovers."

The moment the puppet landed, it charged at Naruto. Not daring to meet it head-on, Naruto dodged, and the puppet's fist slammed into the platform, leaving a crater several meters deep. Sasuke seized the chance to circle behind it and swung the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword, sending out a burst of flames, but the crystal layer reflected them. Su Ye teleported above the puppet and channeled the power of the Rinnegan into his eyes, trying to control it with genjutsu. But the crystal layer blocked the influence of his ocular power. "This isn't working!" Naruto shouted. "It recovers too fast. We can't keep up with it!"

Su Ye furrowed his brow, then suddenly thought of the Thunder God Pearl's power. "Sasuke, use the Power of the Fire Seed to ignite my chakra. Naruto, get a Tailed Beast Bomb ready." He took out the Thunder God Pearl, and pale violet chakra intertwined with lightning, forming a long sword of electricity. Sasuke's golden flames instantly enveloped the sword, intertwining crimson-gold with pale violet to form a dazzling fire-and-lightning blade. Naruto gathered the largest Tailed Beast Bomb he could and poured all the Nine-Tails Chakra and the power of the Uzumaki Sealing Stone into it.

"Now!" Su Ye leaped up and swung the fire-and-lightning blade at the puppet's chest. The puppet raised a fist to block, but when the blade struck, the lightning instantly paralyzed it while the golden flames melted through its crystal layer. Naruto seized his chance and fired the Tailed Beast Bomb at the puppet's chest. A thunderous boom shook the air. The crystal layer shattered completely, exposing the core in its chest. Su Ye teleported forward and thrust the fire-and-lightning blade into the core. The puppet crashed to the ground.

The second trial ended, and all three were drenched in sweat. Ōnoki landed on the platform and looked at them. "The final trial, 'Core of the Earth.' Beneath the crystal layer deep within the temple lies the phantom of the Earth Crystal. You must carve a passage through the crystal layer and reach the phantom. The layer is filled with Earth Release traps, and Rock Guards patrol it. If they spot you, the crystal layer will swallow you whole."

Su Ye and the others followed Ōnoki to the depths of the temple. Thick crystal layers covered the rock walls here. Faint glimmers of light flowed beneath them: the phantom of the Earth Crystal. "The Earth Release traps in the crystal layer will sense chakra fluctuations," Ōnoki warned them. "You must suppress your presence and carve out a passage as stealthily as possible."

Su Ye activated the Rinne Sharingan and saw through the arrangement of traps within the crystal layer. "Follow me." He slipped into the layer first. Pale violet chakra formed a small blade of light in front of him, and he carefully cut through the crystal. The Earth Release traps sensed his chakra fluctuations and began releasing spikes of earth. Su Ye dodged them precisely with Space-Time Ninjutsu, while using chakra to divert the traps' energy in other directions.

Naruto suppressed the Nine-Tails Chakra, leaving only a faint trickle to sustain his body, and followed behind Su Ye. Sasuke compressed the Power of the Fire Seed to its absolute limit. The flames on the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword dwindled to the faintness of a candle, producing almost no fluctuations as he cut through the crystal layer. The three advanced slowly through the crystal. Along the way, they encountered several Rock Guards, formed from the crystal layer and equipped with extremely keen senses. Su Ye used the power of the Rinnegan to temporarily conceal their presence, allowing them to slip past the guards.

Half an hour later, the three finally reached the depths of the crystal layer. A bead formed entirely from Earth Release chakra floated in an open space ahead: the phantom of the Earth Crystal. "Touch the phantom, and you'll pass the trial," Ōnoki called from outside the crystal layer. Su Ye was just about to approach when the crystal layer suddenly shuddered violently. Countless spikes of earth rose from the ground and surrounded them.

"I didn't expect you to make it this far." A cold voice rang out. A man in a black cloak emerged from the crystal layer, holding a long sword made of rock. The runes for Shadow of the Ancient God were carved into its blade. "I am an emissary of the Shadow of the Ancient God, and I was ordered to wait for you here. You won't get the Earth Crystal so easily."

The man swung his rock sword, sending countless Earth Release: Rock Spikes at the three. Su Ye teleported behind him and thrust a pale violet chakra sword at his back. But the man had anticipated the attack. His body turned to rock and merged with the crystal layer. The next instant, he appeared behind Naruto and swung his rock sword at Naruto's back. Naruto reacted quickly, his Tailed Beast Cloak instantly covering his body. He turned and punched, and the golden Tailed Beast Bomb clashed with the rock sword, sending crystal fragments flying in all directions.

Sasuke seized the chance to attack, swinging the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword and sending crimson-gold flames racing across the crystal layer in an attempt to drive the man out. The man emerged from the crystal layer and swung his rock sword. The Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique surged toward Sasuke. Su Ye teleported to Sasuke's side and used the power of the Rinnegan to redirect the added-weight force. At the same time, pale violet chakra formed chains that wrapped around the man's ankles.

"Naruto, use the sealing stone!" Su Ye shouted. Naruto immediately channeled the power of the Uzumaki Sealing Stone into his Tailed Beast Bomb. Pale blue sealing runes wound around the golden chakra sphere as it hurtled toward the man. He tried to merge with the crystal layer again, but the pale violet chains held him fast. The Tailed Beast Bomb struck him dead-on, and the sealing runes instantly flared, sealing his body inside the crystal layer.

"That's done." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to touch the phantom of the Earth Crystal. At that moment, the crystal layer suddenly shuddered violently, and the phantom began to warp. "This is bad!" Ōnoki's voice rang out. "He planted an Earth Explosion Rune in the crystal layer. He's trying to destroy the Earth Crystal!"

Su Ye's pupils contracted. He activated the Rinne Sharingan and saw through the arrangement of runes in the crystal layer. "Sasuke, use your flames to melt the runes. Naruto, use Tailed Beast Bombs to counter the blast. I'll protect the Earth Crystal." Sasuke immediately raised the Power of the Fire Seed to its utmost. The Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword unleashed a massive wall of fire, and the flames spread along the runes in the crystal layer, trying to melt them. Naruto formed several small Tailed Beast Bombs and distributed them evenly around the crystal layer.

Su Ye teleported in front of the phantom of the Earth Crystal and formed a pale violet chakra barrier around it. The Earth Explosion Runes began detonating. Roaring blasts echoed through the crystal layer as countless shock waves spread in every direction. Naruto detonated all the Tailed Beast Bombs at once. Golden chakra collided with the shock waves, creating a tremendous storm of energy. Sasuke's flames successfully melted most of the runes, reducing the blast's force.

When the storm subsided, Su Ye's chakra barrier had dimmed somewhat, but the phantom of the Earth Crystal remained unharmed. He walked forward and gently touched it. The phantom instantly turned into a streak of golden light and merged with his body. "You passed the trial," Ōnoki said. He came in through the crystal layer and looked at the three of them. "The Earth Crystal's true form is hidden in the heart of Iwagakure. Come with me."

The three followed Ōnoki to a secret chamber at the heart of Iwagakure. A crystal bead floated above the stone dais in the center of the chamber: the Earth Crystal. "The Earth Crystal can control the power of the earth." Ōnoki handed it to Su Ye. "Together with the Thunder God Pearl, it can unleash Heaven and Earth Thunder Punishment, powerful enough to severely wound a Tailed Beast. But remember, when all five Bloodline Treasures are gathered, they will trigger Bloodline Resonance. When that happens, the seal on the Shadow of the Ancient God will weaken. You must be prepared."

Su Ye accepted the Earth Crystal. Pale violet chakra intertwined with Earth Release chakra, creating a dazzling glow. "Thank you, Lord Tsuchikage," he said. "We'll gather the last treasure as soon as possible and stop the Shadow of the Ancient God from resurrecting."

At that moment, the Six Paths Secret Record in Sasuke's hands suddenly lit up. Its pages turned by themselves, revealing information about the final treasure: "The last of the Five Great Treasures, the Deep Sea Pearl of the Water Clan, is hidden deep within Kirigakure in the Land of Water, guarded by the Mizukage. According to the records, the Deep Sea Secret Realm, where the Deep Sea Pearl lies, is surrounded by a powerful Water Release barrier. Only those who pass the Trial of Water can enter the realm."

Naruto clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes. "We're finally going to gather all five treasures. No matter how difficult Kirigakure's trial is, we'll pass it." Su Ye nodded and looked toward the Land of Water with his Rinne Sharingan. He could sense the presence of the Shadow of the Ancient God growing stronger. The seal would weaken sooner than they had imagined.

Ōnoki prepared an Earth Release warship for the three. Made of rock, it could travel quickly underground and avoid Kirigakure's patrols. The three boarded and set off toward the Land of Water. On the way, Su Ye began fusing with the Earth Crystal's power. The power of the Rinnegan, Earth Release chakra, and lightning intertwined to form three-colored chakra, further increasing his strength. Naruto infused the Earth Crystal's power into his Tailed Beast Cloak. Earth Release runes began appearing on its golden surface, greatly strengthening its defenses. Sasuke also tried merging the Power of the Fire Seed with the Earth Crystal's power. The flames unleashed by the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword began carrying Earth Release chakra, allowing them to leave permanent marks on rock.

When the warship reached the border of the Land of Water, a massive Water Release barrier suddenly appeared before them. Deep blue chakra flowed through it like a frozen sea. A shinobi wearing Kirigakure attire stepped out from behind the barrier. A mask unique to the village covered his face, and he held a Water Release Ninja Blade. "Who goes there?" His voice brimmed with murderous intent. "Kirigakure forbids outsiders from entering. Leave immediately!"

Su Ye stepped forward and took out the Six Paths Secret Record and the Earth Crystal. "We've come for the Deep Sea Pearl of the Water Clan. We wish to take the Trial of Water." The shinobi glanced at the Earth Crystal, surprise flashing in his eyes. "I must report this to Lord Mizukage. Wait here." With that, he turned and disappeared into the Water Release barrier.

The three stood outside the barrier, sensing the Water Release chakra within it. "Kirigakure's Trial of Water probably has something to do with the deep sea," Naruto said. "I'm not very good at Water Release, so I may need you two to help me." Sasuke nodded. The Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword trembled faintly in his palm. The clash of fire and water would be a difficult challenge.

Su Ye closed his eyes and channeled the power of the Rinnegan, trying to see through the barrier's structure. He could sense countless Water Release runes hidden within it, linked together to form an impenetrable defense. "The Mizukage may be even stronger than Thunder Fang and Ōnoki," Su Ye said, opening his eyes with a grave expression. "This Trial of Water will be the final hurdle before we gather all five treasures."

Before long, the Water Release barrier slowly opened, and a woman in a blue robe stepped out. Her hair flowed like the waves, and deep blue chakra shimmered in her eyes. It was Mei Terumī, the Mizukage. "Are you the ones who want to take the Trial of Water?" Her voice was languid, yet concealed a powerful pressure. "The Deep Sea Pearl is a treasure of the Water Clan, kept at the heart of the Deep Sea Secret Realm. To obtain it, you must pass three trials. If you succeed, I'll hand over the Deep Sea Pearl. If you fail, you'll remain in the depths forever, as slaves of the water."

Su Ye and the others exchanged glances, determination shining in all their eyes. "We accept the trial," Su Ye said. His Rinne Sharingan met Mei Terumī's gaze without the slightest hesitation.

Mei Terumī's lips curled into a smile, and she turned to enter the Water Release barrier. "Follow me. The deep-sea trial begins now." The three followed Mei Terumī into the barrier. The Water Release barrier slowly closed behind them, and the ultimate trial of water and fire, lightning and earth, was about to unfold within the Deep Sea Secret Realm.