Kai set out alone, leaving even Kimimaro and Haku behind.
What he was about to attempt would be fatal for anyone else—even elite jōnin like Kimimaro and Haku, let alone most Kage-level shinobi.
He was seeking the founder of Ninshū—
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths!
That was Kai's next goal: to find the Sage of Six Paths.
The Sage himself had long since passed away, leaving only a remnant of his chakra drifting through the world—a lonely spirit, endlessly wandering the ninja realm he'd created.
But Kai didn't buy the idea that it was just a "trace of chakra."
Such power had to be anchored by the Sage's very soul. After all, pure chakra without a vessel would have faded away after a thousand years. And if it truly was just a fragment of chakra, how could it possibly grant Naruto and Sasuke the power of Yin and Yang? Kai would never believe that, no matter what.
Of course, the ninja world was vast, and the Sage's soul was little more than a wisp. Even with all his strength, Kai knew it was unrealistic to simply "find" Hagoromo by brute force.
But he had his own way.
He couldn't risk Black Zetsu discovering his plan, so he sought out the most remote, hidden place he could find. After using Divine Descent dozens of times at maximum range, Kai finally arrived on a solitary island far overseas.
"Reaper Death Seal!"
Wearing a grave expression, Kai formed the seals. A colossal shinigami phantom materialized before him, a short blade clamped in its mouth, two sharp horns jutting from its forehead, and a mane of wild white hair.
It was the first time Kai had seen the Death God since the Nine-Tails' attack on the village.
In the original story, the Reaper Death Seal was never described in much detail. But the last time Minato used the jutsu, Kai had felt the Death God's power firsthand.
Now, though, Kai was confident he could withstand the Death God's assault on his soul. If he weren't, he would never have dared summon it.
The shinigami glanced around, seeing only Kai. A flicker of confusion flashed in its eyes.
"Death God, I summoned you because I want to make a deal—" Kai hadn't even finished his sentence before a talisman-covered arm shot toward him.
The spectral hand plunged into Kai's body, trying to rip his soul free by force.
A cold glint flashed in Kai's eyes. "You want to die?"
Kagura: Soul Slash! His vast spiritual power condensed into a razor-sharp kunai, stabbing straight into the Death God's talisman arm!
The Death God recoiled, clearly in pain, and glared at Kai with icy eyes, waiting for him to speak.
Now, Kai's voice was as cold as the grave. "Death God, one hundred souls. In exchange, find me the soul of the Sage of Six Paths—Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo!"
As he finished, a hundred blue soul orbs floated into the air—the very souls of the Uchiha clan members Kai had killed with Wood Release: Hundred-Mile Root Coffin Technique.
The Death God stared at Kai for a long moment, then nodded. With a sweep of its talisman arm, all one hundred souls disappeared into its belly.
"Don't resist." The Death God's deep voice echoed in Kai's mind.
Suddenly, the shinigami opened its gaping maw and lunged at Kai. He frowned, but in the end, chose not to resist, letting the Death God swallow him whole.
In the next instant, Kai found himself in another realm.
Everything was void—utter darkness, devoid of time or space.
Kai's heart pounded. He quickly sent his awareness into his mindscape and was relieved to find he could still sense the space of Amenominaka: Lava. As long as he could reach that dimension, he could escape at any time and use it as a springboard to return to the ninja world.
"So this is the realm of the dead?" Kai muttered, frowning as he pondered his situation.
Gradually, the Death God's phantom solidified beside him. Here, it seemed, the entity was even more tangible.
"Death God, where is Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo!?" Kai demanded, ready to flee at the first sign of danger. This was not his turf, after all.
The Death God gave him an indifferent glance, then froze.
There was no sense of time in this place. Whether it was an instant or an eternity, Kai couldn't tell.
"Follow me," the Death God finally intoned, then drifted forward.
Unlike the physical world, spiritual energy here could take form. A pair of translucent, pale-blue wings sprouted from Kai's back.
He followed the Death God for an indeterminate stretch.
Suddenly, the shinigami stopped. Only then did Kai take stock of his surroundings. In the darkness, not far ahead, stood a simple wooden house with the Ōtsutsuki clan emblem hanging above the door.
The Death God's phantom faded and vanished.
"So this is where the Sage of Six Paths' soul resides? Is this where he watches over the ninja world?" Kai wondered.
Without hesitation, Kai stepped forward and pushed open the door.
Inside sat a figure in flowing white robes, the collar embroidered with a string of tomoe. His long silver hair was tied in two buns at his ears. His pale face was deeply wrinkled.
Most striking of all were the pale purple Rinnegan in his eyes, and the third eye symbol etched on his forehead.
The Sage of Six Paths was only mildly surprised by Kai's sudden intrusion—until he saw Kai's eyes. Then, shock overtook him.
"Tenseigan?!" The Sage of Six Paths gasped. "Are you a descendant of Hamura?"
But then he frowned, uncertainty in his gaze. "Why do I sense the aura of the Mangekyō Sharingan in your eyes?"
Kai made no effort to hide his gaze. Silver tomoe shimmered in his irises, slowly rotating and merging.
The Mangekyō Tenseigan!
Even the Sage of Six Paths had never seen eyes like these. He hesitated, then asked, "Tenseigan and Mangekyō Sharingan—do you possess both my bloodline and Hamura's?"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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