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Moon.
Inside a spacious room of the castle, Kaito sat cross-legged, surrounded by countless scrolls and books of various kinds.
Holding a thick tome in his hands, he flipped through the pages rapidly, murmuring to himself.
At this moment, his consciousness was linked to the countless clones he had left in the shinobi world. It was as if he possessed multiple brains operating simultaneously, allowing him to read, comprehend, and memorize the contents of these ancient texts at several times his usual efficiency.
Footsteps echoed from behind him. Sasuke stopped a few meters away, frowning at the cluttered floor in front of him, finding no place to step.
"Uncle."
Sasuke called out.
Kaito didn't pause his movements. His eyes remained fixed on the book in his hands as he responded, "What is it, Sasuke?"
"The war in the shinobi world is about to begin, isn't it?" Sasuke said.
"Mmm, that's right," Kaito replied absentmindedly.
"Orochimaru contacted me just now."
Sasuke lightly kicked aside the scrolls and books in front of him, clearing a path before sitting down beside Kaito.
"Hmm." Kaito remained as indifferent as before.
"Tch."
Sasuke shot him an annoyed glance but continued speaking as if accustomed to his behavior. "To be precise, I summoned Shinya from Ryūchi Cave earlier."
Kaito asked casually, "Oh? What does Orochimaru want?"
"He wants you to contact him as soon as possible," Sasuke said. "Because you unilaterally cut off communication recently."
"Ah, that's true." Kaito nodded. "Tell him through your summon not to worry. When the right time comes, I'll notify him."
"When are we going back? Those two from the Hyūga clan have been restless these past few days," Sasuke pressed. "Also, you promised Neji something before. Have you forgotten?"
"We'll return when the time is right. What about Neji?"
Kaito's response was still half-hearted.
"The Byakugan evolution! Didn't you say the Byakugan could also advance?" Sasuke reminded him, his tone tinged with displeasure.
"Ah, my apologies. I forgot about that." Kaito admitted bluntly, yet made no move to act.
"..." Sasuke stared at him intently, his gaze boring into Kaito's unmoving figure.
"Alright, alright."
Without shifting his posture, a paper shikigami slipped out from Kaito's sleeve and transformed into a humanoid form.
"Let's go. Don't disturb the main body," the newly formed paper clone said as it walked out of the room on its own.
"Hmph."
Sasuke snorted and followed.
The two moved through the corridor in silence before arriving at the castle's grand hall.
"We'll do it here," the paper clone turned to Sasuke. "Stand further away."
"Why?" Sasuke halted.
"The realms of yin and yang are separate. There are some things you shouldn't get too close to," the clone warned solemnly.
"Fine." Sasuke reluctantly retreated, stopping at a distant corner of the hall.
The paper clone nodded and clasped its hands together.
"Summoning Technique: Gates of Enma's Palace!"
A series of eerie, luminous patterns materialized in the air, forming grotesque depictions of spirits and demons before coalescing into two massive doors.
The doors solidified, exuding an ancient and desolate aura.
From afar, Sasuke watched the terrifyingly ornate gates and suddenly felt the temperature in the hall plummet. A chilling, ghostly energy swept over him.
He shivered involuntarily and took another step back, retreating into the corridor.
Creak…
The massive doors slowly opened a sliver.
Creak… creak…
The gap widened, revealing the scene beyond.
Sasuke strained his eyes. Inside, all he could see was darkness, punctuated only by flickering indigo flames and the indistinct silhouettes of countless figures moving about.
Suddenly, one tall figure emerged from the gloom, stepping forward until it crossed the threshold and became clearly visible.
Long hair, short eyebrows, crimson eyes, and intricate markings beneath the lower eyelids. The figure wore a white robe adorned with tomoe patterns, his handsome face carrying an air of cold arrogance.
"Finally decided to show yourself?" He lifted his chin, looking down at Kaito with disdain. "You brat, how dare you break your promise to me?"
"Eh?" The paper clone blinked.
Now that he mentioned it, Kaito had promised to speak with him a couple of days ago.
"You forgot?" Indra's expression darkened, fury simmering in his eyes.
"Not at all!" The paper clone denied immediately. "I've just been busy these past few days."
"Liar."
Indra narrowed his eyes, the tomoe in his pupils spinning before morphing into a peculiar spiral pattern.
With a derisive snort, he grabbed the clone by the collar, his smile laced with anger. "Well done. You actually had the gall to send a clone to brush me off!"
"It's the same thing. The main body is occupied," the clone replied, meeting his gaze with an unyielding look of its own.
"Fine."
After a long standoff, Indra finally released him and turned to walk back toward the gates.
"I'll let it slide this time. We'll talk when you're ready to show some sincerity."
"Understood." The clone smiled as it watched him leave.
Just as Indra was about to step through the gates, he suddenly turned back, his eyes locking onto Sasuke in the distance. A cryptic smirk played on his lips.
"Oh? So this brat is the vessel for my chakra's reincarnation this time?"
Sasuke stepped forward, his brow furrowing deeply. "What do you mean?"
Who is this man?
At that moment, he could also sense the strange, intangible connection between them.
"Ask Kaito," Indra replied with another faint smile before vanishing into the darkness beyond the gates.
"Wait—" Sasuke took a few steps forward.
"Stand back," the paper clone ordered.
"But—" Sasuke tried to advance again.
"I said step back!" The clone's gaze turned stern. "We'll discuss this later."
Sasuke clenched his jaw, glaring defiantly, but ultimately retreated with reluctance.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue and withdrew into the corridor once more.