Chapter 45 - Against the Ido part 1

But before Senbonzakura could explain, their chat was interrupted by the coming of the Kurama family of 3, lead by Murakumo while Uroko, a few steps behind, was holding Yakumo hand.

Soon they are next to Ren and lightly bowing Murakumo says "We are ready to move Ren-kun, and once again thanks for helping us" but Ren embarrassed replies "Please Murakumo-san, raise your head, Yakumo is my friend it is normal that I want to help her" then he turns to Yakumo who had her head lowered and kept looking at the ground "Yakumo, do not worry your parent and I will help you, and believe me that thing can't hurt us, I'll make sure of it," and in the end says to everyone "Now let's go, the sooner we reach our destination the sooner we can start"

And so the four started their journey and after walking in silence for almost two hours, they finally reached the mountain where Ren's secret training ground was located, and then Ren led the Kurama family into the hidden cave.

Entering the cave Murakumo looked around and in a disappointed tone said "While here is far enough, I do not think this is a good place to deal with this problem" but with a grin Ren replies "Murakumo-san, this is only the entrance" and then with his Zanpakuto handle he tap a point in the wall in front of them and like magic instead of the wall a set of stairs leading downward appeared.

Under the curious gaze of Yakumo's family, Ren led them down the stairs and once reached the end they were all stunned by what greeted their sight, is a large training ground so big that they couldn't see the end of it with a ceiling and walls painted to resemble a cloudy sky over a floor of desolate, brown, craggy land dotted with trees.

Then looking around Murakumo scream "What the hell is this place? How can something like this be underground?" and Ren spreading his arms in a theatrical manner said "Welcome to Ren's personal training ground, we got everything from an isolated place to train in peace, to an underground lake to wash yourself, it is insect and animal free, so that you can have a nice rest, the only problem? the sky on our head is a little static, after all is painted", then an impressed Yakumo ask "How did you find such a nice place?" and with a proud face he replies "I build it"

Then Ren showed them around the place and after helping Yakumo family with setting up their tents and resting place they once again went to the center of the training ground where Murakumo finally starts to explain how to deal with the Ido.

"So the record of our clans says that there is only one way to deal with the Ido, we can't seal it as it never worked, sooner or later the Ido will overpower the seal and take over the body of the clan member and then the only way is to put it down, this already happened many times in our clan's history, so the only way is for the person himself to deal with the Ido and to do so Yakumo you must be capable of entering your inner world but here the records are damaged and I do not know what the inner world really is, I think is maybe how in the ancient times they describe their mind..."

But Ren interrupt him and say "Inner world is the term that denotes the manifestation of an individual soul in his subconscious, in which inner beings reside for example another personality or even a Bijuu sealed inside a Jinchuriki and it can be reached through meditation, or in some special cases when the inner beigin itself call you inside it, and maybe special eyes like the Sharingan can see into other people inner world...." 'Shit I should be careful of that, I forgot untill now that a powerful Sharingan can do that... truly the number 1 cheat of this world'

Then Murakumo ask "And how do you know all this?" and Ren replies "Well my sword training deal a lot with meditation and I have breached numerous times into my inner world" then Ren under the watchful gaze of Murakumo starts explaining how to meditate to Yakumo, and for the next two days she tries without success.

Then as Yakumo was meditating her appearance started to change her skin tone became darker, her ears started enlarging and became pointed she grew beast-like fangs and she grew two big straight horns at the sides of her head, and when she opened her eyes the white was replaced by purple and the rest became full black.

She then stood up and screeched, and as soon as she did so the ground started shaking a huge rocks were falling from the ceiling threatening to smash Ren and Yakumo's parents.

But Ren with Senbonzakura help was able to dispel the genjutsu and then rushed to wake Yakumo up from her trance by putting his hand on her on her head and send a strand on chakra to jolt her awake.

The effect was instantaneous and Yakumo once again became herself, while her parents that were ready for such a thing to happen at anytime were able to dispel the genjutsu before they were hurt by it.

Then Yakumo's mother, Uroko, came closer and asked "Yakumo are you okay?" and she replies with "Yes mother, I was able to enter my inner world, but before I could find the Ido, I found myself in the middle of a lighting storm, and as I was about to be hit by one I felt a jolt and woke up... by the way my inner world is strange, it doesn't have a sky or the ground all around me there is some purplish space with various painting floating around"

And after some encouragement Yakumo tried again, and again, but for the next week she was unable to find the Ido before she was put under genjutsu and the Ido started attacking Ren and her parents, who were it by various type of illusion from natural calamities, from ninja and monster attacks.

And seeing that Yakumo was starting to weaken and the Ido attack becoming more frequent, and the downcast and worried expression on her and her parents faces, Ren finally resolve himself and ask 'Senbonzakura how can I help her?' and after a minute of silence she say 'It simple Ren-dono, like a certain protagonist in your memories, you force yourself on her, and like magic she will heal and become stronger...' and Ren 'Wait! what the hell... how can something like that even work?'

And Senbonzakura 'It won't, I was just messing with you Ren-dono as your were getting to tense and for the best result to happen you have to be on the best state of your mind, now what you really have to do is to let Yakumo-dono hold on me as you both meditate and I will pull her and her dark passenger in your inner world, so that you can help her deal with it, the problem is that you will be vulnerable to its genjutsu as I won't be able to help you as I'll be busy keeping the Ido trapped inside, and all the damage that you will receive inside won't hurt you physically, but spiritually so if you die inside your inner world it will be your spirit dying, so are you sure?'