Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Is it because of that special chakra?

That immense vitality seemed to have invisibly shortened the fusion process and alleviated the intense pain.

"It seems you're alright now."

The middle-aged Sasuke looked at him, nodded slightly, and then his figure began to become somewhat illusory.

"My chakra is almost depleted," he muttered to himself. "I should go. The rest of the journey is up to you."

"..."

Young Sasuke remained silent for a moment, then called out to his future self again.

"Hey."

"Ok?"

"Was the path you took back then..." young Sasuke's voice was soft, "Was it really wrong?"

The middle-aged Sasuke stiffened slightly. He looked at the stubbornness in the eyes of the young Sasuke, which was exactly the same as his own, and let out a complicated chuckle.

"Who knows?"

His figure, amidst the laughter, completely transformed into countless specks of light and vanished without a trace.

Only a single, fleeting word remained, echoing across the vast, empty sea.

"The future has no answers."

A sea breeze swept in, carrying a chill.

Sasuke looked at the corpse floating in the water, raised his hand, and a wisp of black flame quietly ignited in his palm.

Without hesitation, he gently waved his hand.

The black flames silently enveloped Itachi Uchiha's body, and everything was silently devoured beneath their embrace.

Not even ashes remained.

After doing all this, Sasuke slowly turned around.

In his perception, the world was a blurry picture composed of sounds, smells, chakra, and spirit particles.

The stinging pain in his eyes forced him to temporarily cover them with a black cloth torn from his sleeve.

But this didn't significantly affect his actions.

A black crack appeared, then disappeared along with Sasuke's departing figure.

........

Nanga Shrine, main hall.

When Sasuke emerged from the black cavity, the first thing he noticed was the two figures that had been waiting for him for a long time.

Orochimaru remained leaning against the broken pillar, while Kabuto Yakushi stood quietly in the shadows.

"It seems Sasuke-kun has already ended that deeply moving brotherly reunion," Orochimaru said in a hoarse voice, full of sarcasm.

Sasuke ignored his teasing and calmly walked forward, his gaze falling on Yoruichi.

"Hey, kid." Yoruichi's eyes narrowed slightly as she circled Sasuke, gently touching the black cloth covering his eyes. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

"It's okay, it will recover in a couple of days."

"Is that so?" Yoruichi stared at him suspiciously.

"Hmm." Sasuke nodded slightly, not wanting to dwell on the matter any further.

Seeing his reluctance to talk, Ye Yi pursed her lips, but ultimately didn't press him further.

She knew that if this brat didn't want to talk about something, even if you put a knife to his throat, you wouldn't get a single word out of him.

"Ok."

Yoruichi stretched, then her expression turned serious as if she had suddenly remembered something.

"After you left, that masked guy reappeared."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I exchanged blows with him." Yoruichi's tone was somewhat annoyed. "That guy's ability is troublesome. He can switch between reality and illusion at will, and my attacks can't even touch him."

"Although he can't beat me, if that guy wants to leave, I really can't stop him."

Yoruichi's eyes turned serious. "We must find a way to counter that ability to ignore physical attacks."

"When we get back, we need to get Urahara to research a device that can temporarily seal off space."

"Hmm." Sasuke nodded slightly in agreement.

He knew very well that with Obito's Kamui's mobility, unless he could negate it at its root using the power of Mokutsuhi, as he had done, it would be an extremely troublesome thing to really kill him.

"Speaking of which," Yoru looked at him, then asked curiously, "when do you plan to go back there next?"

Upon hearing this, Sasuke turned his head and shook his head: "No rush."

"Aren't you still exploring the nature of this world, how it can maintain balance even without wedges?"

"Uh..." Yoruichi's movements stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and retorted confidently, "That's true! But there's no rush!"

"But you, kid."

Yoruichi tilted her head back, her cat-like eyes gleaming with inquiry. "So, how do you plan to help me figure out the true nature of the Pure Land next?"

These words caused Sasuke's eyes to flicker slightly, and after a brief silence, he changed the subject.

"To study it, you must first touch it."

Sasuke's voice was calm, "Kato Dan's understanding of the Pure Land was too vague before, and he couldn't provide any valuable clues at all."

"Even the Sage of Six Paths only warned me with a Truth-Seeking Ball, without showing any intention to communicate with me."

Yoruichi's brows furrowed as well: "You mean, we're completely clueless right now?"

"Not really."

Sasuke shook his head, his face, hidden by a black cloth, turning in another direction.

"We also have another method, which is the most direct and effective."

Yoruichi looked in the direction he was looking and saw Orochimaru listening to their conversation with great interest.

"Hey, brat..." Yoruichi's lips twitched. She roughly guessed what Sasuke was planning, but her voice still carried a hint of uncertainty, "You wouldn't be thinking of..."

Orochimaru, what are your thoughts on the Pure Land?

Sasuke ignored Yoruichi and calmly spoke to Orochimaru.

"..."

Upon hearing this question, Orochimaru's smile froze slightly.

"Ideas?" he repeated in a low voice, a hint of wariness flashing in his snake-like eyes.

"Yes."

Sasuke nodded slightly, his voice devoid of emotion. "Or rather, what are your thoughts on sending you to that place?"

"You want me to go to the Pure Land?" Orochimaru's breath hitched. He stared blankly at Sasuke, then chuckled awkwardly, "Sasuke-kun, you must be joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Sasuke retorted.

Orochimaru took a half step back, his face drained of all color.

"Do not......"

He shook his head violently, his voice becoming urgent, "My goal is immortality! It is to explore all the truths in this world!"

"Death has never been the answer I long for!"

"..."

This almost out-of-control roar startled Yoruichi, who was standing nearby.

I never expected this guy to be so afraid of death.

"That's really strange logic."

She crossed her arms and shook her head in rebuttal, "Is death really that terrifying to you?"

"That's just the beginning of another chapter in my life."

Orochimaru stared intently at Yoruichi, his voice hoarse and urgent: "What do you mean?!"

Yoruichi stretched out his hand: "We've been together for so long, Orochimaru, haven't you noticed that I'm different from you so-called 'strangers'?"

She tilted her head, her long purple hair swaying slightly in the wind.

"That completely different place."

Orochimaru's breath hitched, and he stared at the man for a moment before his pupils dilated.

He found it somewhat unbelievable that after spending so much time together, he only discovered Yoruichi's special qualities after being reminded.

A life form completely different from that of normal people.

Abandoning the physical body, only the soul remains.

Orochimaru's pupils dilated suddenly, his thirst for knowledge instantly overpowering his fear of death.

"Is the soul such a wondrous existence?" He circled the purple-haired figure several times before stopping, unable to resist the urge to touch it, but was immediately knocked away by Sasuke's scabbard. "He abandoned his physical body and can still live."

“I always thought that after a person dies, their soul completely dissipates…” His voice became ethereal, “or like that old man, it is taken away by some strange Grim Reaper.”

Sasuke spoke calmly, repeating Yoruichi's earlier words: "The decay of the body does not signify the end, but merely the beginning of another life."

“Another life…” Orochimaru repeated in a low voice, the light in his snake eyes growing increasingly fervent.

But he quickly calmed down and a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"Although there are examples like Yoruichi, I wouldn't dare to take that step so easily."

He raised his head, his gaze finally settling on Sasuke, filled with anticipation.

"I suppose you, Sasuke, also possess this power?"

Sasuke nodded.