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"Enough nonsense!"
Izuna leaned against a tree trunk, looking down at Kaito.
"Tell me, how are things in the Underworld?"
"How impatient..."
Kaito said before leisurely tearing a piece of meat from the roasted rabbit in his hand and popping it into his mouth.
"Since both of you are so curious, why not go and see for yourselves?"
"Fine."
Izuna nodded in agreement, then glanced at Madara.
Madara gave a slight nod.
"Wait a moment," Kaito said, swallowing his food. "King Enma will summon you shortly."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Madara and Izuna vanished, leaving only two small wooden dolls falling toward the ground.
Kaito swiftly reached out, his spiritual energy shooting from his palm to envelop the dolls and pull them back into his sleeve.
Then, unhurriedly, he tore off another piece of roasted meat and ate it.
Meanwhile—
Madara and Izuna felt their vision blur for an instant before finding themselves standing in a familiar grand hall.
The vast hall was bustling with activity, most of whom were clearly members of the Uchiha clan.
Some were bent over desks, writing; others carried documents as they weaved through the crowd; still others escorted deceased souls deeper into the hall.
The entire chamber was noisy and chaotic, yet every Uchiha present wore a cheerful smile.
"List! Uncle! Have you finished organizing the list of souls under your jurisdiction?"
"Of course! I've been waiting here for you to finish your work—didn't you see me, brat?"
"Fugaku, here's the list of souls confirmed for reincarnation today."
"Got it. I'll submit it to King Enma for approval before execution."
"Understood. Thank you."
"Elder Hikaku, these are the records of the condemned souls. King Enma has ordered you to escort them to their designated hells for punishment."
"Understood… Hm?"
Hikaku, who had been moving through the crowd, accepted the documents and looked up—spotting Madara and Izuna.
"Lord Madara, Lord Izuna."
He waved and walked straight toward them.
"You've arrived!"
Izuna glanced around in amazement. "I didn't expect the Underworld to be this busy just hours after its establishment. Has everything already been set in order?"
"Far from it!" Hikaku's expression was complicated. "If anything, there's too much to handle—everything's still a tangled mess."
He glanced toward the elevated platform at the far end of the hall.
"King Enma is the busiest of all! Most matters require his personal judgment."
Madara and Izuna followed his gaze, observing the figure of King Enma hunched over his desk, with Uchiha Chiri assisting beside him.
"At any rate, it'll take a while before the Underworld reaches an ideal state of order." Hikaku lifted the documents in his hand. "Apologies, but I still have duties to attend to. I'm afraid I can't accompany you on a tour."
"Go ahead."
Madara waved him off.
"See you later, then!"
Hikaku nodded and hurried away.
Madara and Izuna exchanged a glance before weaving through the busy crowd and ascending the platform.
"You're here."
King Enma didn't look up, his voice identical to Kaito's.
"Apologies, but I'm too occupied to entertain you at the moment."
With that, he plucked a wooden tag from a container on the desk and casually tossed it onto the head of a soul below the platform.
"Prisoner Yamada Tarō, sentenced to the Black Rope Hell for thirty years."
"What?! I refuse! I refuse!!!"
The soul named Yamada Tarō immediately began thrashing and shouting.
"Take him away!"
Two Uchiha youths acting as jailers dragged him off.
"The Underworld is overflowing with souls, and its affairs are complex. Even I am struggling to sort everything out."
King Enma addressed Madara and Izuna.
"Thus, we must quickly select the remaining nine Kings of the Ten Courts. Only then can the Underworld's operations stabilize."
"And you're telling us this because…?"
Izuna asked.
"Naturally, I'm asking if either of you is interested."
King Enma finally looked up, revealing a face identical to Kaito's.
Madara raised an eyebrow. "How do you plan to select them?"
"Through a grand examination, of course," King Enma said matter-of-factly. "Not just for the Ten Kings—every department in the Underworld and every level of hell is severely understaffed. The Uchiha souls alone can't meet the demand."
"I recall the Uchiha clan being quite numerous," Izuna remarked, surprised.
"On one hand, many clansmen have no interest in serving in the Underworld and prefer reincarnation," King Enma explained. "On the other, I can't exclusively appoint Uchiha—that would lead to problems."
"Understood." Izuna nodded.
Chiri leaned in and added in a low voice, "The Ten Kings have the authority to appoint their own subordinates. If an Uchiha secures one of the positions, more of our clansmen can obtain official roles."
Izuna turned to Madara.
"I'm not interested," Madara said flatly. "What about Indra?"
"Lord Indra also has no interest in administrative work," Chiri replied, her tone slightly exasperated.
"So, how exactly will this examination work?"
Izuna asked curiously.
"King Enma is still drafting the rules," Chiri explained. "Broadly, it will consist of written exams and combat trials."
"Oh? Combat is involved?" Madara's interest was piqued.
Chiri elaborated, "Some clerical positions only require passing the written exam. But others—like jailers or guards—demand combat prowess."
"Especially for the selection of the other nine Kings," King Enma interjected. "Only the strongest candidates can command respect."
"Interesting." Madara smirked. "I'll be sure to observe when the time comes."
"Me too." Izuna also looked eager.
"Thus, I plan to use my connection with Kaito to promote this examination in the living world as well."
King Enma continued writing without pause as he spoke.
"We might even broadcast the trials in the Underworld directly to the living world via a formation."
"That would certainly motivate everyone," Chiri said with a chuckle. "After all, no one wants to embarrass themselves in front of their descendants."
"It would also expand the Underworld's influence in the living realm," King Enma added.
"Truly a brilliant idea," Chiri remarked, covering her mouth with a smile.
"It's going to be quite the spectacle!"
Another voice suddenly chimed in.
"Who's this?"
Izuna looked toward the young man ascending the platform steps.
Though clearly an Uchiha, he had an unusually soft mop of curly hair and a rounded nose—traits rare among the clan.
Yet the moment Izuna saw the distinctive pattern in the boy's eyes, his identity became clear.
"Uchiha Shisui?" Izuna addressed him directly.
"Yes."
Shisui bowed to Madara and Izuna.
"Heh." King Enma chuckled. "This kid had been hiding in the Enma Palace for a long time. I knew but didn't bother him. Only after the Underworld's reestablishment did he finally show himself."
Hearing this, Shisui smiled sheepishly.