"Hey, bandage man, listen to me. Guess what I just saw?"
Creak!
The wooden door slowly pushed open as a somewhat comical man with a small mustache tiptoed into the room. His eyes scanned the interior before finally landing on the figure on the bed.
The rooms were all standardized single dormitories arranged by the person in charge for the deceased of the Ninja World. The layout was basic: a bed and a nightstand, with nothing else.
The man in the dormitory was covered head to toe in bandages. He was leaning against the headboard, writing and sketching in a notebook.
Seeing the mustache man enter, the man immediately closed his notebook and rose from the bed, taking a defensive stance.
"Little Mustache, why have you come to see me so suddenly? You're not up to no good, are you?"
His words were blunt, dripping with suspicion.
He didn't have a single good impression of the man who had just appeared.
The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki!
In life, it was during a battle with Gengetsu Hozuki that he had fallen into this state, his skin completely destroyed and forced to be wrapped in bandages.
Later, he had fought to the death during the Great Ninja War, ultimately succumbing to his heavy injuries.
Fortunately, he had successfully killed his opponent at that time, removing a major threat.
He could never feel at ease around this man who had been entangled with him for most of his life!
Unfortunately, he was now just a ghost. He had lost his former power, and even the sensory abilities he was so proud of had vanished.
He had only sensed the other man's presence after the door was pushed open.
"Hey, hey, bandage man. You must miss me that much? You're really looking down on me!"
Gengetsu Hozuki heard this, and veins immediately popped on his forehead as he fumed with rage.
He stared at the bandaged man before him, his voice sounding exasperated yet laced with a hint of killing intent.
The Second Tsuchikage, Mu!
After fighting each other for half their lives and considering the other a worthy rival, he had planned to share what he had just seen. He hadn't expected to be so disrespected!
"Believe it or not, I'll kill you again right here!"
"The master of this place has strictly forbidden fighting. If you're the one to break the rules, I don't mind informing the patrol soldiers outside."
Mu's words immediately silenced Gengetsu Hozuki, snuffing out his rising battle intent like a bucket of water.
He waved his wide sleeves, a look of annoyance crossing his comical face as he grumbled indignantly.
"You've got a lot of nerve. I see you're still relying on such petty tricks."
Mu ignored his complaints and relaxed his stance. "Why aren't you staying in your own room? Aren't you afraid of being discovered by the patrols?" he asked directly.
"They only told us to follow the rules, but they didn't forbid visiting, did they?"
Gengetsu Hozuki gave a mischievous grin.
Logically, as ghosts who had died long ago and suddenly arrived in a strange place—what they heard was some Underworld or Pure Land—they should have stayed quiet and not caused trouble.
Most ninjas here were doing exactly that. The palace where they resided was quiet at night, with only the occasional sound of patrolling soldiers.
But he was naturally restless and bold. Coupled with the many doubts in his mind, he decided to exploit the loopholes in the rules.
"Just now, I took advantage of the soldiers' shift change to take a look outside. I wanted to gather some information about this place, and guess what I saw?"
"What was it?"
Mu was instantly interested upon hearing about intelligence.
"Second Mizukage, since it's information about this place, don't keep it to yourself. Hurry up and share it."
"Heh, now you know I'm the Mizukage!" Gengetsu Hozuki mocked.
"Hmph, you may be the Mizukage, but I am the Tsuchikage."
Mu folded his arms across his chest. Their lifelong rivalry made him unwilling to back down.
"In terms of status, I'm no different from you, and in terms of strength, I'm even better. Don't forget, I was the one who killed you in our last battle!"
"It was clearly a mutual kill! I killed you too!" Gengetsu Hozuki shot back.
As the two were bickering, the door was pushed open, and another burly figure walked in.
"The two of you were Kage of your respective villages. Can't you show a bit more composure?"
They stopped their argument and turned their heads simultaneously.
A tall figure came into view, dressed in Cloud Ninja attire. He had dark skin and the character for 'Lightning' tattooed on his exposed shoulder. His face was fierce, yet he exuded an aura of kindness and magnanimity.
Both men immediately recognized the newcomer's identity.
"I remember you... the Third Raikage!"
"Why are you here?"
The Third Raikage, A!
A gently closed the door and spoke to Gengetsu Hozuki with a steady expression. "My room is right next door. I was watching through a crack in the door when I saw you tiptoeing over. Since you weren't going back to your own room..."
"I figured something was up, so I followed you and listened from outside for a bit."
His gaze swept between the two before landing back on Gengetsu Hozuki. "So, what exactly were you going to say?"
"You actually followed me?" Gengetsu Hozuki grumbled. "Dammit, if I weren't just a ghost with no power, how could you have spotted me!"
Mu said, "Ultimately, it's because your skills are lacking. You didn't even notice you were being followed."
Seeing the two about to bicker again, the Third Raikage immediately intervened. "Enough. We're all in the same boat now. We're all ghosts who have signed a contract with the legendary Shinigami. We need to gather as much information about this Underworld as possible."
With that, he looked at Gengetsu Hozuki.
Gengetsu Hozuki smiled proudly. "When I went out just now, I happened to run into the three Hokages heading out of the palace, and the soldiers didn't stop them."
"So I was thinking... maybe we should give it a try ourselves."
The Third Raikage stroked his beard, contemplating for a moment. "You must have heard from the younger ninjas this morning about what happened in Konoha—the Uchiha clan being massacred..."
"The only surprising thing is that the Uchiha clan actually gained the favor of the big shots in the Underworld after their deaths, even becoming their right-hand men."
When they first woke up from their slumber, the people they saw, besides the soldiers, were the Uchiha clan.
It was through the Uchiha's explanation that they gained a general understanding of their situation.
When they went to see those important figures in the afternoon, they clearly remembered two powerful Uchiha among them.
Mu speculated, "The Hokages probably went there to settle things with the Uchiha. Those Uchiha are all lunatics, but they aren't easily fooled."
As he spoke, a domineering figure appeared in Mu's mind, and his face instantly darkened.
Gengetsu Hozuki asked, "So, do you want to come with me and try?"
"We still know too little information. It's always good to learn more." Mu stroked his chin, a look of certainty appearing on his face beneath the bandages. "If the Shinigami wants to recruit us, he must find us useful. In that case, he should grant us a certain level of leniency."
A nodded. "Correct. We've just joined the Shinigami's subordinates. Even if we overstep slightly, the guards likely won't punish us too severely."
"We're just taking a walk because we're bored. There's no rule against that. It's worth a try."
"More importantly, we can use this to test the mysterious Shinigami's attitude toward us."
Having reached a consensus, the three didn't hesitate and stepped out of the room.
But as they turned the corner, they encountered a squad of patrolling soldiers. Before they could do anything, a low, raspy voice sounded from behind them.
"The three of you... I remember you were the souls brought back from the Ninja World."
"What are you doing here instead of staying in your rooms?"
The three were horrified. They hadn't sensed the slightest trace of the speaker's presence.
However, they didn't show it on their faces. Forcing themselves to remain calm, they turned around as if nothing were wrong.
An incredibly tall man came into their view.
He was burly, standing at an estimated height of over three meters. He wore a white suit and a coat similar to the soldiers outside, with a peaked cap casting his face into shadow.
The three looked up. Even the Third Raikage, the tallest among them, only reached the man's chest.
When they saw the man, they recognized him immediately. Among the many soldiers they had seen after waking up, this man was one of them.
He was also the one who had assigned rooms to these souls.
Now it seemed he was also responsible for the security and protection of this palace.
Gengetsu Hozuki scratched his head awkwardly, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Haha, we were bored in our rooms and thought we'd come out for some fresh air."
"If it's not allowed, we'll head back to our rooms immediately."
From the shadow of the cap's brim, Sakazuki's gaze swept over the three of them before he gave a slow nod.
"Very well."
"But don't make too much noise, and don't leave the palace. The exterior is covered by a barrier. With your current strength, you'll dissipate the moment you touch it."
With that, Sakazuki walked toward the patrol squad and selected three soldiers.
"The three of you, follow them. Don't let them wander off."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!"
Looking at the three soldiers approaching, a genuine smile appeared on Gengetsu Hozuki's face.
"Much appreciated."
Who would have thought that such a stern-looking guy would be so easy to talk to?
The three had already gained enough information just from this interaction.
It seemed that, just as they had predicted, the Underworld wasn't as strict with them as they had initially thought.
This was a good omen.
In the Underworld city, at the Uchiha clan's residence.
Inside a spacious, brightly lit room, all the available elites of the Uchiha clan were gathered. They sat kneeling on tatami mats, forming a dense, dark crowd.
At the very front were four figures.
Uchiha Fugaku and Shisui sat in the center. To their sides were Setsuna and Kakkaku, the latter having just arrived from the Soul Society upon being notified.
Low tables were set before the four of them, with tea brewed and faint wisps of steam rising.
The Uchiha clan was ready and waiting.
Opposite the four of them, a row of low tables was also prepared for the soon-to-arrive guests.
Behind his desk, Fugaku's brow was furrowed, clearly deep in thought.
Beside him, Setsuna picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, took a small sip, and asked, "Fugaku, are you worried about the upcoming negotiations with those Hokages?"
At the sound of his voice, the eyes of everyone in the room fell upon Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku nodded first, then shook his head, saying solemnly, "The previous Hokages are coming for the sake of the Third Hokage. Our clan has already decided whether to release or kill him. Now, we're just waiting to see how the Hokages account for themselves."
"While this matter is important, what makes me uneasy is more than just this. It's also what those Marines said to the Lord earlier."
Fugaku briefly repeated the words Sengoku had spoken earlier to everyone.
After listening carefully, Setsuna nodded slightly. "Sengoku and Tsuru were right. You are indeed indecisive, Fugaku. However, being sent to the Pure Land is a good thing. What are you worried about?"
As soon as Setsuna finished, Kakkaku spoke up. "For Sengoku and the others to say such things, they aren't just simply recommending you, Fugaku. They might even have intentions of suppressing us."
"Fugaku, your position in the clan is significant, and you carry considerable weight in the Lord's heart. By sending you away from the Lord's side, they can let their own people step up, take the opportunity to replace you, and then gain a position in the Lord's favor."
"Fortunately, we still have Shisui. Shisui's position in the Lord's heart is very high and cannot be easily replaced."
Fugaku lowered his gaze, staring at the tea in front of him, and shook his head gently. "Sengoku and the others' move... perhaps that's only part of it. I always feel they must have a deeper purpose."
"And the Lord's reaction at the time..."
He looked at Shisui beside him and asked, "Shisui, you've been by the Lord's side the longest. Have you heard anything?"
Shisui sipped his tea quietly, his posture unmoving, as if he were an uninvolved bystander. It wasn't until he heard Fugaku's words that he finally reacted.
"Fugaku-sama, matters concerning the Lord's actions are not for us subordinates to speculate on lightly. Please speak with caution."
"Shisui, do you really not know... or do you just not want to say?"
Fugaku's gaze turned sharp, a different tone creeping into his voice.
"Don't forget, your surname is Uchiha. Think more for the clan."
"By knowing the Lord's thoughts in advance, our Uchiha clan can respond more calmly and avoid hindering the Lord's affairs."
Shisui said solemnly, "The Uchiha clan is loyal to the Lord. As long as the Lord gives an order, we follow it. What does it matter whether we know in advance?"
Looking at Shisui in this state, Fugaku suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. The image of his eldest son flashed through his mind.
At this moment, Shisui actually bore a striking resemblance to Itachi's silent and stubborn demeanor.
In life, he had sent his son, Uchiha Itachi, to the Konoha higher-ups to act as a spy, but Itachi's heart had leaned toward Konoha.
'Could it be that Shisui was making the same choice now?'
"Shisui, you..."
"Shisui is right!"
Kakkaku, sitting beside Shisui, suddenly spoke, interrupting Fugaku.
"Shisui being by the Lord's side makes him the representative of our Uchiha clan and our clan's last line of defense."
"As long as Shisui is fine, the Uchiha clan will never have a problem!"
He looked at Shisui with a solemn expression. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Kakkaku could see everything that Fugaku could.
By now, Shisui was no longer the Uchiha's Shisui, but their Lord's Shisui.
This point was clear to anyone with a brain.
But knowing was one thing; saying it out loud would be undignified.
"I understand."
Seeing this, Fugaku realized he had been too hasty and spoke no more.
In bringing Shisui along for this meeting with the Hokages, he hadn't been without such a purpose—to show the person above them that the Uchiha clan had nothing to hide, and that even the outcome of this negotiation would be witnessed by Shisui.
It was just that Shisui's answer just now had slightly annoyed him.
Just then, the door opened, revealing an Uchiha clansman on guard duty.
"Fugaku-sama, Shisui-sama, Elders."
"The three Hokages have arrived."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]