A Yamanaka's Trait System

Sēramu held her daughter Sāra's hand. Together with Kei, Tenten, Hinata, and Saya, they made their way toward the core of the Ryūmyaku. 

Although they had to part ways with these three, she knew that these children had spent countless nights gazing at the stars, longing for their families. 

In the future, they would surely meet again!.

Bright incandescent lights illuminated the dim passageway. 

Tenten, Hinata, and Saya ran their fingers along the walls of the corridor, their eyes filled with the same reluctance. Everything here had been built bit by bit by them and the people of Rōran. 

Six years! 

How many six-year periods did a person have in their life...? 

Well, considering the future leaders of Konoha seemed to have exceptionally long lifespans, they probably had quite a few six-year periods. 

But that time—filled with laughter, tears, emotions, and hardships—was something worth remembering forever. 

As they emerged from the underground passageway, which stretched for hundreds of meters, a vast underground complex gradually revealed itself. 

In the towering subterranean cavern, massive chakra pipelines, each with a diameter of about a meter, were arranged in an orderly fashion. 

Inside the neatly organized factory buildings, the strong and sturdy Rōran citizens worked diligently at their respective tasks. Some used the power of the Ryūmyaku to operate large machinery, processing components. Others engaged in mass production of various daily necessities. 

At first glance, it all seemed quite basic. 

But Kei understood that regardless of the alliances between the Land of Wind, Fire, and Earth or the battles against Kiri and Kumo, the civilians of the shinobi world would inevitably suffer from the effects of war. 

And these items were exactly what the war-torn people needed most after the conflict! 

Kei gave a thumbs-up to Tenten, Hinata, and Saya. 

This mission had truly been accomplished exceptionally well. As for whether all of this would impact the future... As long as the population was controlled and the ninja industry could be regulated, how much of a difference could it really make? 

Passing through the densely packed underground industrial area, Sēramu held Sāra's hand and led the way toward an even deeper section of the underground—an ancient structure that clearly did not belong to this era. 

♪The light rising above the tower, 

Thoughts boil and run high, 

Dragon path to be protected, 

Pierce with shining blade look at the sky.

Sand, wind may rage proud blossoming, 

Bright sun dance in flowers and never will it die.

The golden light inherited through time,

To the realm where darkness shatters,

Blossoms of destined fate.♪

The mother and daughter softly sang an ancient melody. 

Deep within the underground, the hidden Ryūmyaku seemed to respond to their song. The special purple chakra pulsated like a living breath, casting waves of light and shadow along the dim passage. 

"Hmm?" 

Kei glanced at Sēramu and Sāra. 

The lyrics of their song were slightly different from what he remembered from his previous life. 

In his memory, the final lines were:

"The light flowing in spirals,

To the garden where the dragon's claws ends,

Shadows of the olden days."

But now, the lyrics had changed to:

"The golden inherited through time,

To the realm where darkness shatters,

Blossoms of destined fate."

Was this a change caused by his time travel? 

No, it shouldn't be. 

In the original timeline, when Minato sealed the Ryūmyaku at the end of the Third Great Ninja War, it remained sealed until Mukade's actions caused the seal to break. 

Afterward, the Ryūmyaku completely vanished. 

This meant that Minato likely never used the power of the Ryūmyaku, nor did he travel to the past to alter anything. 

So... could it be that someone from an ancient era once communicated with the Ryūmyaku and, like the Great Toad Sage, caught a glimpse of the future?

He pondered for a while, but unable to reach a conclusion, he decided not to overthink it. 

The shinobi world was filled with secrets—whether it was the demon Moryō, the Stone of Gelel, or the so-called Ancor Vantian. If he tried to trace the origins of every single mystery, he'd surely exhaust himself to death. 

Meanwhile, Sāra, who had been holding her mother Sēramu's hand, kept stealing glances at Kei. She would glance at him from head to toe, then from toe to head, over and over. 

Her youthful face, only thirteen or fourteen years old, alternated between anticipation, hesitation, confusion, and mild frustration. 

Compared to the original timeline, where her mother had died early and she had been manipulated like a puppet for years, Sāra was clearly much more innocent in this reality. 

Her expression couldn't hide a single thought. 

Noticing Kei looking at her, she hesitated, bit her lower lip, carefully chose her words, and then asked, "Are you... are you the Golden Light?"

"Well... admitting it outright might be a bit arrogant, but as long as nothing unexpected happens, I suppose I am." Kei rubbed the tip of his nose, instinctively assuming that the "Golden Light" she referred to was the one mentioned in the song.

"Oh~ Then you must be my inher—" Before Sāra could finish, Sēramu quickly covered her daughter's mouth.

The dignified and elegant queen then turned to Kei with an apologetic yet flushed expression.

"My apologies. Because of Tenten and the others, I've learned a bit about the future. So, from time to time, I would tell my child that the prophesied Golden Light would become the new King of Rōran. She may have misunderstood."

"It's fine. Sāra is a very cute child." Kei waved his hand dismissively, fully understanding what had just happened.

He now realized what Sāra had intended to call him. Unfortunately, Sēramu reacted too quickly, she didn't get to say it.

Tenten grinned mischievously, showing all her teeth. Hinata covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, while Saya exaggeratedly pounded the wall in amusement.

Sēramu shot the three of them a reproachful glance. Then, without hesitation, she grabbed her daughter's ear and briskly led her toward the depths of the Ryūmyaku.

Kei followed behind them, grinning. When Sāra glanced back at him with a look of grievance, he simply spread his hands as if to say, "Not my fault!"

They continued deeper until they reached the core of the Ryūmyaku.

Sēramu and Sāra activated its power together, opening the massive sealed doors.

A dazzling purple light burst forth from the doorway. Once the radiance subsided, Kei stepped forward.

Inside was a colossal chamber, resembling a giant open well. The once-invisible energy of the Ryūmyaku had now completely liquefied, churning like a boiling pool, radiating a terrifying, overwhelming power. A stone bridge extended from the doorway all the way to a central platform.

That platform was where the Ryūmyaku's energy converged—it was also the control switch for it!

This is just a fraction of the Ryūmyaku's true power? Kei stepped onto the stone bridge, with Sēramu, Sāra, and the kunoichi following closely behind. Once they all crossed, they shut the stone doors again.

Sending them back to their original timeline would unleash a tremendous energy surge. And the power of the Ryūmyaku could easily have negative effects on ordinary people.

Kei arrived at the Ryūmyaku's control mechanism—an ancient switch embedded in the stone like a massive eye.

He gestured for Tenten, Hinata, and Saya to come closer.

Channeling senjutsu chakra, he lightly tapped Tenten's forehead three times. A small burst of chakra mist appeared, revealing a basin-sized time-travel controller—designed to fit perfectly into the Ryūmyaku's control slot.

He placed it into position.

As soon as the controller was activated, streams of purple Ryūmyaku energy illuminated the area.

He swiftly adjusted the settings, configuring the precise time coordinates for their return. Then, he stepped back from the platform.

"Sēramu-nee, Sāra-chan, once we get back, we'll come find you again!"

Tenten waved enthusiastically.

"You got the titles wrong again," Saya sighed helplessly, and also began to say goodbye to Sēramu and Sāra.

Hinata reached into her pouch and took out a treasured pair of gloves, handing them to Sāra. Her large eyes shimmered with reluctance.

"That's so sneaky, Hinata! You secretly prepared a gift! Sēramu and I didn't even think of that!"

"N-no, it's just... just..."

The Ryūmyaku suddenly erupted with intense energy waves.

In just a few seconds, Tenten, Hinata, and Saya vanished from the platform.

The energy of the Ryūmyaku swiftly receded back into the well-like structure.

Kei narrowed his eyes, analyzing every single detail of the time-travel process.

After pondering for a moment, he gazed down at the surging, seemingly inexhaustible Ryūmyaku energy and couldn't help but marvel at its vastness.

"Give me one minute." He turned to Sēramu and Sāra, saying this before stepping toward the Ryūmyaku's control mechanism once more.

Using the information stored in his memory, he recalibrated the time coordinates—this time, setting a destination in the past.

Rising to his feet, he gave the mother and daughter a parting wave.

As the Ryūmyaku erupted once more, Kei's figure disappeared from the platform.