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The Center of the Land of the Dead.
Hatake Sakumo walked all the way from the River Sanzu and stopped outside the gates of Enma's Hall.
Normally bustling with the comings and goings of countless souls, Enma's Hall was now surrounded by a massive crowd of the deceased gathered at its entrance.
Sakumo swept his gaze over the crowd and spotted a familiar face. Without hesitation, he walked up behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder, casually asking, "What's going on?"
"Huh?"
The man turned around, and his face immediately lit up with joy. "Mr. Sakumo! It's really you!!!"
"Dai," Sakumo sighed helplessly as he looked at the thick-browed man before him. "Just call me Sakumo."
"Right, Sakumo! It's been so long!"
Might Dai was clearly overjoyed.
Sakumo glanced around at the crowd, all of whom had turned to stare at them thanks to Dai's booming voice. He patted Dai's shoulder again.
"It's been a while," he said gently. "Let's take a walk together."
With that, he turned and walked away from Enma's Hall.
"Sure thing!"
Dai followed eagerly, his enthusiasm undimmed.
"Sakumo, I never thought I'd see you again," Dai began, launching into an animated conversation. "After the Land of the Dead was rebuilt, I met so many old comrades from when I was alive, but I never saw you. I thought you must've already reincarnated!"
"Sorry about that. I just arrived from the Yomi no Kuni side," Sakumo explained with a hint of frustration. "I didn't make it into the Land of the Dead in time, so a few Uchiha forcibly brought me here."
Dai's eyes widened in surprise. "What happened?"
Sakumo looked up at the perpetually gloomy sky of the Land of the Dead and sighed.
"Maybe it was because my guilt as a father left too deep a regret. After I died, I wandered alone near the entrance of the Pure Land, waiting for Kakashi to arrive. No matter what, I wanted to see him one last time, to hear about his life. Only then could I rest in peace."
He sighed again, only to suddenly hear a sniffling sound. Turning, he saw Might Dai's face streaked with tears and snot.
"Such a radiant father-son bond!" Dai sobbed, wiping his nose. "I'm moved, Sakumo!!"
"..."
Sakumo was momentarily stunned before hurriedly changing the subject. "Looks like you didn't live to old age either. What happened, Dai?"
Dai immediately thrust a thumbs-up into the air, beaming with pride. "I fought to the death against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to protect Gai and his comrades!"
"You used the Eight Gates Formation?" Sakumo instantly understood.
"That's right!" Dai grinned broadly. "I succeeded in protecting my son and the young saplings of the village!"
"That's wonderful," Sakumo said, a touch of envy in his voice. "I wish I could've died in front of Kakashi with such a towering presence."
"No!"
Dai suddenly shook his head, his expression serious. "Even if our methods were different, I know you did what you did to protect Kakashi too!"
"Even though we only met when we sent our sons to the Ninja Academy, I've always known you were a man of true understanding, Dai," Sakumo said with a faint, relieved smile. "The village always underestimated you—both your strength and your wisdom."
"Hahahaha… It's not that impressive. I was just an ordinary genin, after all," Dai replied humbly, waving his hand.
'You're clearly thrilled.'
Sakumo smirked to himself.
The two walked along the banks of the River Sanzu, silently watching the murky yellow waters flow endlessly.
After a long pause, Sakumo suddenly spoke. "I wonder what Kakashi is doing now…"
"Yeah, I'd love to know how Gai's doing too," Dai chimed in.
"We'll just have to wait," Sakumo murmured.
He thought for a moment, then added, "Though, given the rules of the Land of the Dead, I don't know if we'll still be here when they arrive. We might have already reincarnated before they come. But even so… I hope they don't come too soon."
"Oh! Right!"
Dai's eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement. "I almost forgot! There's an important opportunity right now that could let us stay here for a long time. More importantly, even if we can't find out how they're doing, we can still make sure they see us!"
"What do you mean?" Sakumo asked, surprised.
"Back there, at Enma's Hall," Dai said, pointing in its direction.
"According to the latest announcement from Uchiha Shiori, the secretary of the Great King Enma, the Great King is recruiting staff at all levels—including jailers and guards—to maintain the daily operations of the Land of the Dead."
Sakumo's eyes brightened slightly. "I see. That's an opportunity."
"But that's not all!"
Dai grew even more animated. "The highest level of judgment in the Land of the Dead requires the establishment of the Ten Courts and Ten Kings system. Right now, aside from the Fifth Court—Enma's Hall—which has already been claimed by the Great King Enma, the other nine courts are still vacant. Even the nine thrones for the Kings are empty!"
"Thrones?" Sakumo mused. "Are even positions that important open for selection?"
Dai nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. "Exactly! Since the Land of the Dead and its hells were recently reestablished, there's been a backlog of work, and things haven't been running smoothly. The Great King Enma wants to quickly restore order, so he's speeding up the selection process for necessary personnel."
Seeing Sakumo's nod, Dai continued with undiminished enthusiasm. "But most importantly—the finals for the nine remaining Kings' thrones will be broadcast live in the living world using a special jutsu!!!"
Sakumo's eyes widened.
"So, Sakumo, are you interested now?"
Dai grinned and thrust out his thumb again.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The Great King Enma is doing this to make the living world regain its reverence for the Land of the Dead. There won't be another chance like this!!!"
He clenched his fists in a determined pose.
"Go, go, go!!! Let's give it our all and show Gai and Kakashi their dads' long-lost heroic spirits again!!"
Sakumo couldn't help but smile at Dai's fiery passion. Unconsciously, he opened and closed his right hand, his heart stirring with emotion.
'So that's how it is… After being dead for so long, it seems I have to start striving again. Even though White Fang is no longer in my hand… I'm sorry, Kakashi. The last memory I left you with was so shameful.'
'But wait for me, Kakashi. This time, I'll only leave you with a father's towering silhouette! The White Fang of Konoha, who once shook the shinobi world, didn't earn his reputation for nothing!!'
"Oooohhhhh!!!"
Dai, sensing Sakumo's resolve, pumped his fists in the air.
"That's the spirit, Sakumo!!!"
He pointed dramatically toward Enma's Hall in the distance.
"Let's go sign up!!! Youth!!! Burn bright once more!!!"
"Hey, hey, hey…" Sakumo chuckled. "We're already dead. Do we really have to keep shouting about 'youth'?"