The Chakra Library

[Ace Trainer]

The Chakra Library

Shinjitsu no Chusen

Many millennia ago, when mankind existed under the rule of the genma, the power of chakra was far greater. The presence of so much spiritual power saturated the world in various types of energies, all of which empowered forms of ninjitsu and power lost to the times. As the spirits were forced out, and the genma were taken into subservience, their energy waned, and chakra gradually grew weaker as well. As such, there were powers and skills accessible many years ago that can no longer be accessed, the right combinations of energy and power no longer in existence. However, some of the greatest individuals of those eras would come together recognizing that the powers would change, and access to even a fraction of these great abilities would someday be needed. Thus, they worked together to form Shinjitsu no Chusen, the Center of Truth. Over time, its name would be lost to the history books, and much like many things of it’s time, it would fall away from common knowledge and into myth. Today, the “Chakra Library” is a fairy tale told to young shinobi, a farfetched dream to give the children hope that perhaps the legends and stories they hear of ancient times could potentially be true.

The Chakra Library does not actually exist in the human realm, but is instead tucked away in its own realm on a separate plane of existence. Accessing the library is effectively impossible, bound with fuuinjutsu more powerful than anything able to be created today, they lock the realm away from external forces, breaking any binds that attempt to take it. The realm itself is quite beautiful, a lush forest filled with small animals, several rivers that flow through it with no visible beginning or end. And a gorgeous temple that blends into the scenery. It seems to be eternally day within the realm, or at least, no visitor has been allowed to enter when it is night. A mystery to the modern shinobi who have visited it, the Chakra Library does not appear to sap away chakra from any of its inhabitants. The outside of the library make it appear ruined, large, thick vines grow over the various pillars and walls, moss covering most surfaces, the stone beneath it looking old and weak.

However, any one who enters the realm will find themselves placed in a courtyard, and before them two large wooden doors, so pristine they look as if they had been installed minutes earlier. Upon entering, visitors find an immaculate temple within, long hallways that have no mars or flaws in their floors or walls. Candle lighting is complimented by natural lighting that pours in through the many windows. Entering any room finds the visitor in large circular rooms with enormous vaulted ceilings that seem impossible given the rather small external appearance the temple has. Noticeable is a small constant hum that seems to be the raw amounts of energy flowing through the temple. Individuals within will find that they cannot control their chakra, unable to perform even the most basic of jutsu, to which they receive no explanation as to why.

Books line the walls of almost every room, of every color, thickness and size, written in perhaps every language mankind has ever spoken. A complete cornucopia of knowledge, perhaps a total anthology of humanity.

Shinjitsu no Chusen is tended to by 5 families, descendents of the clans from the founders of the library. Enormous statues of the founders can be located in the centermost archive, the room visitors are most often brought to when they are being given new knowledge. The ‘keepers’ of the Library, as the 5 families are referred to, tend to the knowledge and the grounds, and will visit the human realm to collect new information to bring to the realm. How they go about collecting is a closely held secret, though many a visitor has suspected they do not simply go and buy books or talk to people, as it appears knowledge no one should have access to is found in the library.

As stated, accessing the library from the outside is impossible. Instead, the door must be opened from the inside. The door can be accessed from 3 points in the world, found at the points marked on the map below. The ‘doors’ are large black obelisks they radiate a sinister energy to those who haven’t been invited. When an individual has been chosen by the keepers to access Shinjitsu no Chusen, they will find themselves with an overwhelming urge to go to wherever the closest access point is, and the door will open when they arrive. It is unknown how this process works, more magic lost to ancient times.

SpoilerShow

• The northernmost point is found the snowy wastelands of the north, embedded deep in the treacherous mountain ranges they wrap around the northern edge.
• The westernmost point is found deep within the caverns in the region, several miles underground, in a complex system. It is virtually impossible to find without the intuitive guide granted by the keepers.
• The southernmost point is found on a small, uncharted island. A tall plateau, the island is in fact about a half mile above sea-level, and has often been overlooked as a mirage from the long trips in the ocean.

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Knowledge within the Library

There are 5 individuals that consistently are granted access to the library: the five kage of the great shinobi villages. At some point, a kage requested that the library be used as a way of passing village secrets down through the generations, and the keepers chose to extend this courtesy to all the villages. Some of the key skills used to hide secrets for the villages are held by the library, and made accessible to the Kage when they are granted the title. Additionally, some individual secrets of each village are also kept in the library. Below is a list of jutsu and secrets that are kept in the library, the jutsu are learnable only by a character with the rank of “Kage”. They rely on ancient types of ninjitsu lost to the times, and considered the ultimate kinjutsu.

*Butsudan
Rankless Kinjutsu
Prerequisite: [Kage Rank]
Shaping their chakra to take the form of a jutsu, or chakra affinity, the user will place their hand against a surface (most often a scroll) embedding that chakra into the surface, and forming a seal on it. Should another person touch the seal and perform the basic kai technique, their own chakra will be immediately shaped to match the chakra within the seal. This trains the recipient's chakra to take the new shape, immediately allowing them to cast said jutsu, or utilize said affinity.

*Noroshi
Rankless Kinjutsu
Prerequisite: [Kage Rank]
After an individual has been to Shinjitsu no Chusen once, there may be cause for them to return, and keepers will selectively teach this technique to visitors. By approaching an access point and performing this technique, a signal is sent to the keepers that they are requesting access. Allowing the keepers to open the door for the visitor should they so choose. The keepers will not open the door if the visitor is not alone, or if they do not want the visitor to come in.

*Kinmotsu
Rankless Kinjutsu
Prerequisite: [Kage Rank], cannot be used in combat.
Usable only on a fully restrained target, and far too complex to utilize in combat, the user will do a series of hand seals, then place their hand on the target’s forehead. The user will be able to selectively erase any knowledge from the target they choose. This can be used to prevent secrets from leaking.

*Gokushi
Rankless Kinjutsu
Prerequisite: [Kage Rank], cannot be used in combat.
A highly complex technique, this jutsu was the first technique developed to combat the genma. The user will perform the technique, then make contact with a spirit, a spirit host, or an object containing a spirit, immediately killing the spirit and turning them to energy. Exceptionally strong spirits will reform after some extended period of time.

Kirigakure
The Mizukage’s of the past have not been afraid to utilize Shinjitsu no Chusen to keep secrets. Within the archives are a detailed account of “skeletons” so to speak, for each of the 5 noble families in Kirigakure. These accounts are used as leverage by the various kage to keep the families in line, and deter them from acting in ways contrary to the Mizukage’s own interests. These accounts include information such as the line of succession in each of the families, less than honorable actions they’ve taken, and things they’d like kept under the table such as illegitimate children, agents they have within the other families, and so forth.

Kumogakure
The Raikage have historically used this as a 'backup vault' to store items of particular interest to it, including secrets, seeds of regional flora, DNA of fauna, and even DNA to some key bloodlines. These are referred to as artifacts. The most notable artifact stored at the library however is "The Raikage Circuit". Utilizing other artifacts, it is the illusionary recreation of all the previous Kage. While each kage retains their personality and likeness, their access to all the information Kumogakure has specifically stored within the vault allowing them to represent "all that has been".

The current Raikage completes the circuit, when seeking audience and counsel becoming "all that can be".