[The violent leer aimed at Aori can be felt in the air.]

[Before the children could react to such a sight, instantly they witness Aori being held up into the sky by her neck. The one holding her up there appears to be the man they just handed their trust over to, the man who they thought wanted them as a family.

The Unmovable Tsuchiyo Itama stands firm in front of the children squeezing Aori‘s neck with a bone-shattering grip with enough pressure to snap it. Itama stares down at the twins and then focuses on Yama before he turns his aim back to Aori with a blank face. With Itama applying such pressure on her windpipe, Aori is unable to make a sound. She is helpless; all she can do is cry and kick him while clawing at his hands.

All within that instant of Aori initially getting grabbed, Yama pivots his attention to Aori’s face, and upon witnessing her in such pain, his hair stands up. Yama lets out a scornful grimace on his face, as he vanishes from the ground and instantly appears in between Aori and Itama mid-air, kicking him in the chest with unprecedented force. Unexpecting of such strength, Itama forcibly loosens his grip on Aori‘s neck, however still holding on, he endures the kick by Yama appearing unfazed.]

“Let her go!!” Yama roars in vexation.

[Returning to the ground, Yama thinks to himself after seeing Itama consume his kick, "He's strong." recognizing his opponents' strength, and realizing their differences in power. Yama figures he can't release Aori alone, he glances at the twins, and all three of them begin attacking Itama together.

Yama begins the assault by quickly unleashing a fury of kicks at Itama's head, while the Ryukyuko attacks his torso with several rapid punches. Ryukyuka comes up from behind in an attempt to sweep-kick his legs; but as this was all happening, Itama rotates his head in high-speed, dodging Yama's kicks. While at the same time, lifting his left leg to deflect Ryukyuka with a kick to the chest. And his right to strike Ryukyuko in the gut, sending them both flying to the ground. He continues to look with a straight-face as he chokes Aori after defending against the attacks. He finally speaks.]

“Weaklings.”

He pauses.

“No weaklings shall be considered my family! This is the world of Shinobi!” He shouts in unrevealed trauma.

“Show me what you have!! Show me your strength!!!”

[As Itama finishes his speech, he takes half a step and instantly appears in front of Yama, grabbing him by the neck with his free hand; as he flings them both to the ground next to the twins. Half a second before they could even realize they landed, Itama appears behind the children performing a handsign, (Soriddosutōn keimusho.) "Solid Stone Prison!" he yells, as the children are instantly engulfed in a seemingly impenetrable prison made of rock. The rock seems to be the size of a large boulder, at 7 meters in height, 10 meters in length, and 11 meters in width. Itama speaks.]

“Until you can get out of there, you are no family of mine.”

[Itama walks several meters away to a large-shiny stone and sits atop it, resting, as he waits for the children to break free. Growing up in a time where Shinobi fought and died every day, Itama grew up only knowing power. The early times during the dawn, and thereafter of Human civilization was a tough one. Humans have been fighting amongst themselves over land, and for particular abilities certain people possess; for ages. Sharing the world with Beasts, (and the like) didn't soothe the Human situation either; for a long-time war and blood had ravaged the land. During the last Great Blood War, Itama lost his siblings and parents to the rival Eastern Village. Having received strict and harsh training regimens from his Father and brother since his childhood. Itama blamed his families own weakness, and he could not fathom how they could have died despite all the rigorous training they had undergone. After that tragic day, Itama vowed to never fall due to lack of his own skill, because of his resolve, Itama honed his rock jutsu. Eventually, it would develop into something more formidable, Mineral Jutsu. Giving him the ability to control and manipulate all minerals, Itama can harden his rocks to unbreakable levels, including diamond; however, the prison being about as hard as garnet. He sits there patiently.]

[Inside the dark spherical cage]

Yama aids Aori as she coughs harshly, slowly recovering her breath. The twins surround them to make sure she is okay.

Aori speaks. “W-what *cough* i-is h-he doing?”

Yama angrily replies. “I-I don't know... H-he’s testing us!”

Ryukyuko interrupts.

“This is one hell of a test.”

“He almost killed her!”

Clenching his fist in a rage Yama pounds it on the ground, he interjects.

“Who the hell does he think he is doing this to Aori?!”

Yama looks down to Aori.

“I’m going to tear down this cage!”

"I'm going to choke him, just like he choked you!!"

Aori looks to Yama reassured, but she is still weak, he hands her over to Ryukyuka, then turns to Ryukyuko.

Yama stares Ryukyuko in the eyes with assurance and pressure as they know what the other will do. Yama and Ryukyuko take form and aim at the nearest side of the wall. Charging up, Yama shouts.

“Let’s show this old man who he’s messing with!”

They stand there still, with their eyes closed, taking a deep breath in unison. After a synced-mental count of three, they both simultaneously exhale and instantly charge their energy.

"OUUHHH!!"

[Itama can feel the change in the air as he raises his right eyebrow.]

They both charge at the nearest wall as they perform their respective Jutsu.

"(Kagayaku ryū no kōsen!)" Ryukyuko roars, as Shining Dragon Ray Jutsu releases from his mouth. Yama backs him up "(Suna nakkuru shinshoku!)" he exclaims as Yama smashes the wall with his Sand Knuckle Erosion Jutsu.

"KYAHH!!" they shout together.

The wall begins to crack.

Ryukyuka looks to Aori who has seemingly recovered and shouts.

"We can't let the boys show us up!"

The two of them stand together and cast their jutsu. Aori strikes the same area of the wall shouting, "(Mokusei no hikō ramu!)." While Ryukyuka backs up Aori's Wooden Flying Ram Jutsu sending it flying past with her Grim Dragon Beam, "(Osoroshī ryū no hari!)" The ram zips between Ryukyuko and Yama as it crashes through the cracked wall.

Yama & Ryukyuko look back in astonishment, as the entire hardened prison comes down. Dust is kicked up into the air, and no one is seen until a south wind blows, settling the dust.

"Leave him to me guys. This isn't over yet." Yama says in an angered and severe tone.

Yama walks over normally to the relaxed and perched on a rock, Itama who still has his eyes closed. He opens them and speaks.

"Well, congratulations. I knew you had it in you!"

He hops down with a smile.

"Now let's g-"

Yama interrupts him so enraged that he appears calm.

"Apologize."

Itama looks confused in silence.

"Apologize to Aori now!"

Itama bends down near his face, with genuine ignorance, he asks.

"For what?"

[Those two words hurdle Yama into a frenzy of emotion; ire & ferocity for Itama fills Yama's heart and mind. Underneath his shirt, the black dot left by Mukō virtually grows an inch in radius unbeknownst to anyone. At this moment, Yama undergoes an instant transformation. His eyes begin to slowly flood with violet leaving remnants of his green, as his eyebrows and lashes turn the purest-white with a trim of gold. Leaving his hair in pristine, pitch-black form.]

Itama takes notice of the change in Yama immediately to his amazement and intrigue. Before he could react, however; Yama had already had him by the throat. His hands filled with large-thick veins, armed with razor-sharp fingernails.

The children look at Yama astonished and startled, Ryukyuka asks.

"I-Is that Yama?"

"What is this I'm feeling..."

Ryukyuko stunned, interrupts.

"How is he able to hold up the Sonmyō like that?"

Still having hold of his Itama's neck, Yama repeats himself.

"Apologize."

[Feeling the immense energy radiating off Yama, Itama decides to get a little dangerous. He sharply exhales and quickly grabs Yama's arm, squeezing it until it snaps. Aori can hear the sound of a twig breaking; there is a thump in her chest. Yama's broken arm has unfazed him, however. His grip on Itama's neck is now lost. Paying the damage no-mind, Yama jumps mid-air attempting to roundhouse kick Itama in the chest. The strike is to no avail as Itama speedily grabs his leg and slams him on the ground with great force; causing the land to fissure.]

As this was happening Aori was already making her way to Yama as the twins stayed behind, dazed. To himself, Itama thinks.

"[This kid...]"

"[What was that energy...]"

"[There's something about it...]"

Outloud and free of anger, he shouts. "Wow, I'm surprised you managed to land a blow!"

Yama lay there idle, Aori catches up to him and holds his unconscious body. She shouts.

"What have you done!?"

"His arm's broken!!" She cries.

"Why are you doing this!!??"

In an apologetic tone, Itama replies.

"It wasn't meant to go this way..."

"He came at me with some rather, formidable power. I know you felt it." He pauses.

"I had to do what had to be done to calm him."

"He wasn't himself."

He kneels to Aori.

"I'm sorry."

Aori sits with his words for a moment before she bites her lip and looks up at him, reluctantly accepting his apology. She shouts.

"Don't apologize to me."

"Apologize to Yama when he wakes up!"

Hearing her words, Itama grabs hold of Yama's body carrying him carefully, as he begins to walk towards the infirmary.

"Come along now."

[Feeling the genuine remorse in Itama, the children decide to follow his lead inside. As the three of them walk a fair distance behind him, Ryukyuko speaks. "Are you sure we can trust him..." Aori replies. "I don't know... but I do that he could've killed Yama, even all of us if he wanted to. But he didn't." She pauses. "We just have to believe in Yama's choice right now, in our choice." Ryukyuka nods in agreement.

They soon make it to the infirmary where Itama places Yama on the nearest bed and leaves him to find a Medi to tend to him. The children stay, standing next to Yama as he lays there unconscious. Getting a better look at his face, they notice a few tiny white hairs on his right, upper eyelash, and eyebrow; before it quickly fades away.]

Itama enters the room a few minutes later, seeing the children laying over Yama, he calls to them.

"Come now, let the Medi do their job."

The children compliantly and slowly leave Yama's bedside as they Itama out the room, once outside he speaks to them.

"I will make sure he's fine by tomorrow, go on and get some sleep.," he says in a carefree tone.

[The children obey and make their way to their room, Itama has yet to give them their rooms, so they sleep together another night. On their large white bed, the children lay there, contemplating about all that's happened in the last 48 hours. Aori grasps Ryukyuo's hand quietly, and following her lead, he holds Ryukyuka's. They all lay there still, blankly staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Wondering to themselves what has happened to their friends, what will happen to Yama and wondering what they have gotten themselves into.]