Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"...Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Although the Anbu were still confused, the Hokage's orders were absolute.

They put away their weapons, and together with the unconscious Neji and the other two, and a bewildered Might Guy, quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Once again, only Kakashi, Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto remained on the ruins.

Kakashi slowly walked to Sasuke's side, and the two stood side by side, looking at the sky in the distance that was dyed red by the setting sun.

After a long while, he asked softly.

"So......"

"What brings you back this time?"

Since he's willing to cooperate with my explanation, it means that his return this time, at least for the time being, isn't for revenge against the village...

This realization eased Kakashi's mood slightly.

However, Sasuke did not respond.

He turned around and walked away in another direction from the village without saying a word.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

Kakashi instinctively called out to him, sensing that the direction was not the way back to the Uchiha clan's territory.

Orochimaru and Kabuto exchanged a glance and followed suit.

"Seriously..." Kakashi scratched his head helplessly, and in the end, he could only use his teleportation technique to catch up.

.............

Four figures walked one after the other through the relatively secluded streets of Konoha.

Finally, Sasuke stopped in front of the torii gate of a shrine that had long been abandoned, or even dilapidated.

The vermilion paint has long since peeled off, and most of the stone lanterns around it are also tilted and covered with moss and vines.

"here it is......"

Kakashi appeared on a rooftop not far away, looking at the familiar vortex totem with confusion in his eyes.

"A shrine of the Uzumaki clan?"

He muttered to himself, his mind racing.

What are Sasuke and Orochimaru doing here?

Aside from some relics of the Uzumaki clan, there should be nothing of value left here.

Ignoring Kakashi's questions, Sasuke walked straight through the overgrown courtyard and finally stopped in front of the main hall, which was already half collapsed.

Sasuke pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a musty, rotten smell wafted out.

Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi followed closely behind.

Inside the Namian Hall, it was dark and deathly silent.

Only a few rays of light pierced through the hole in the roof, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.

Hundreds of bizarre masks of various shapes and sizes hang densely on the walls. They are made of different materials and have expressions ranging from ferocious to compassionate, silently watching the visitors in the darkness.

"hehe......"

Orochimaru's hoarse laughter echoed eerily in the deathly silent Namendo. "Looks like we're in luck, Sasuke-kun."

He examined the ancient masks with great interest, his snake-like eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Then, Sasuke-kun."

Orochimaru gave a wicked smile. "Which one do you think is our target for this trip? And what about the so-called Grim Reaper mask?"

This question caused Kakashi, who had been following behind, to frown sharply.

Death mask?

what is that?

Sasuke came here specifically to find this?

Ignoring Orochimaru's teasing, he walked quietly among the rows of mask racks, his crimson Sharingan silently activating as it swept over the masks bearing the marks of time.

After a long while, he stopped in an inconspicuous corner.

He slowly reached out and took down a seemingly ordinary mask from the dusty wooden shelf.

The mask was made of some unknown pale bone material, with a smooth surface and outlines of bright red patterns.

Two short horns grow on his forehead, and four sharp fangs are in his open mouth, giving him a look that is neither smiling nor crying.

It looks like a finely crafted sacrificial item.

"Wow, you found it so quickly?"

Orochimaru walked over with interest, looking at the mask in Sasuke's hand, a hint of amusement flashing in his snake-like eyes. "Sasuke-kun, how are you so sure this is what we're looking for?"

Sasuke didn't answer, but simply lowered his head, his fingertips lightly brushing against the mask, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He was certain that this was the purpose of his trip.

Because, on this mask, he clearly sensed an incredibly dense spiritual energy, strangely intertwined with the chakra of this world.

Even if this isn't the Grim Reaper mask I'm looking for, it must still have an inseparable connection with those so-called gods.

Not only that...

Sasuke's gaze darkened.

Deep within this power, he also sensed an aura filled with hatred and greed.

It's like... an illusion.

Is it just my imagination?

He couldn't be sure if what he was feeling was real.

After all, the existence of "virtual" shouldn't exist in this world.

If the world is a virtual construct, then he should be able to sense it.

"..."

Sasuke remained silent for a moment, but eventually put his mask away.

He took a deep breath, and under the bewildered gazes of Kakashi and Orochimaru, bit his thumb and slammed it heavily onto the empty ground.

"Spiritual communication!"

The blood-red array flashed by in the dimly lit Namian Hall.

A familiar figure appeared silently.

Kakashi Hatake's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared at the illogical scene before him.

Summoning magic... it can actually summon people?!

"..."

To Kakashi's astonishment, the summoned figure had already solidified completely.

She was a tall woman with long hair and a healthy tan complexion, dressed in a sharply tailored black bodysuit. A wild beauty and a powerful sense of oppression emanated from her.

Yoruichi looked around somewhat blankly, her gaze sweeping over the strangely shaped masks on the walls.

"Kid, you'd better have a good reason."

Yoruichi cracked her neck, producing a crisp popping sound. "I was just learning the crucial part from that old snake, about to finish my Sage Mode training, and you just... so roughly..."

Sasuke ignored the complaints in her words and handed her the pale, bone-like mask that exuded an eerie aura.

"Take a look at this."

"Ok?"

Yoruichi tilted her head in confusion, but still turned her gaze to the mask.

Immediately afterwards, her cat-like eyes, which had been filled with some dissatisfaction, suddenly narrowed into the most dangerous needle-like shape the moment she saw the mask.

Breathing stopped at that moment, and the body tensed up instinctively.

"This is..." Her voice trembled slightly.

Sasuke didn't speak, but just looked at her quietly, waiting for her to continue.

"This thing..."

Yoruichi's golden eyes reflected the狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) outline of the mask, and her voice became somewhat shrill, "How could you appear in this world?!"

In her eyes, the mask's material, its shape, and even the aura it exuded—an aura of hatred and greed unique to the fallen souls—were all part of it.

It's exactly the same as the mask on Hollow's face that symbolizes the core of power and ultimate weakness!

"It seems my feeling was right," Sasuke said softly.

"What exactly happened?" Yoruichi's voice suddenly turned sharp as she stared intently at Sasuke.

The horror in my heart was beyond measure.

Hollows are fallen souls, products of their own world. How could they possibly leave behind such pure physical forms in a world dominated by chakra?!

"Based on what I've learned these past few days..."

Sasuke calmly explained to Yoruichi his discovery at the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools and the inscription "Preceding the Six Paths."

"This world, long ago, may not have been any different from your world."

"It was only at some unknown point in time that a certain event occurred, which led the two worlds to develop along completely different paths."

Another world?!

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes suddenly narrowed, locking onto Sasuke and Yoruichi.

His breathing became rapid, and his eyes gradually became fervent.

At this moment, he clearly realized that the secrets held by these two people seemed to be far more complex than he had imagined.

Sasuke glanced at Orochimaru indifferently, seemingly unsurprised by his reaction.