Deep within a mountain forest in the eastern Land of Rivers.
Amidst the vast expanse of dense mountain woods, a massive fortress lay hidden amongst the trees and undergrowth. Vaguely visible around its perimeter were numerous humanoid statues carved from stone. Along a narrow forest path, a contingent of several dozen people advanced steadily towards the fortress.
Swish~
Suddenly, a figure darted out from the trees, rushing towards the front of the group.
"Cult Leader, the Angkor Fortress is just ahead," the scout reported respectfully to the man leading the contingent.
The leader, a middle-aged man, was none other than Yomi, who had previously escaped from Tatsuya's grasp in the Land of Demons.
Hearing the report, Yomi nodded, glancing upwards. Through the dense canopy, he could faintly discern objects flying back and forth high above. A faint smile touched his lips at the sight.
"Let's go," he murmured, leading his Yomi Cultists onward.
Soon, the group arrived before the Angkor Fortress. Ahead, nestled in the forest, stood a large humanoid stone statue, beneath which lay a massive stone gate. Yomi and his followers halted before the gate, waiting silently for a moment. Then, the stone portal slowly ground open automatically.
Behind the gate stood a sturdy man with a full head of white hair and a matching white beard, accompanied by several dozen masked ninja. Seeing the man emerge, a smile spread across Yomi's face.
"Old friend," Yomi called out, "long time no see!"
The white-haired man chuckled lightly in response. "Indeed! Since we parted ways in the Land of Demons, it's been over ten years since we last met."
This sturdy, white-haired man was Shinno. However, unlike a few years ago, Shinno now appeared significantly older.
The fortress hidden deep within the mountain forest was the legendary Angkor Fortress. During the Second Shinobi World War, the Sky Ninja Village, Soragakure, was almost completely wiped out after being defeated by Konoha Village. Only Shinno and a handful of other Sky Ninja remnants managed to escape. Because the Angkor Fortress had always been concealed deep underground beneath the old Soragakure headquarters, Konoha's ninja failed to discover it at the time.
Over the ensuing decades, through patient development under Shinno's leadership, the Sky Ninja remnants had managed to restore some of their former strength. Several years ago, after escaping from Konoha, Shinno had returned here with his followers and raised the Angkor Fortress from its subterranean hiding place to the surface.
Shinno's eyes briefly scanned the Yomi Cultists standing behind Yomi before he gestured invitingly. "Come! Let's go inside and sit down."
The two groups entered the fortress together.
Sometime later, Shinno and Yomi were alone in a private room within the fortress, kneeling formally opposite each other.
Shinno studied Yomi for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Yomi," he began, his tone tinged with displeasure, "you should be focused on rebuilding your strength in the Land of Demons. Why have you suddenly come all the way here?" Yomi's unexpected arrival made Shinno uneasy. He had always strived to keep the existence of the Angkor Fortress a closely guarded secret. Yomi arriving so conspicuously with such a large group severely risked exposing them.
"Shinno, you needn't worry," Yomi replied with a reassuring smile, sensing Shinno's displeasure. "We were extremely careful on the way here. We won't expose your location." Yomi knew Shinno well. When Soragakure fell, Shinno had fled with the remnants to the Land of Demons, successfully evading Konoha's pursuit. It was there that the two met. Their respective mastery of Dark Medical Ninjutsu stemmed from the same obscure lineage; in a way, they were fellow disciples from the same dark school.
Shinno's frown remained etched on his face. "Then tell me, what exactly is your purpose in bringing so many people here this time?"
Yomi's expression gradually darkened. He spoke slowly, his voice heavy, "My Yomi Cult... has been destroyed."
"Destroyed! By whom?" Shinno asked, his expression shifting to one of shock.
Yomi gritted his teeth, spitting out the name word by painful word, "A Konoha ninja... named Akimichi Tatsuya."
"Him!" Shinno exclaimed involuntarily.
"You know him too?" Yomi asked, surprised by Shinno's reaction.
"How could I not know of Akimichi Tatsuya, Konoha's famous Hiden user? His name resonates throughout the ninja world!" Shinno snarled, his face contorted with bitterness. "Besides... you could say we're acquainted." Internally, Shinno harbored a deep conviction that Tatsuya must have somehow stolen the Body Activation Technique he had painstakingly researched and developed over many years. Otherwise, how could that thief have risen to prominence so rapidly? Currently, aside from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Akimichi Tatsuya ranked second on Shinno's list of most hated individuals.
"Oh? So you have a grudge against him too?" Yomi leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued. Hearing that Shinno had also apparently suffered losses at Tatsuya's hands made Yomi feel considerably better.
"Let's get down to business," Shinno said coldly, clearly having no intention of sharing the details of his own past encounters with Yomi. He looked up, meeting Yomi's gaze directly. "What do you want from me?"
Yomi shrugged nonchalantly. "I want to join forces with you to destroy Konoha."
"Destroy Konoha?" A sarcastic smile twisted Shinno's lips. "With this ragtag bunch you've brought?"
"Every bit of strength helps," Yomi countered smoothly. "Aren't you also constantly dreaming of revenge? With my assistance, perhaps your wish can be realized sooner."
Shinno stared intently at Yomi for a long moment, then finally gave a cold, decisive nod. "Fine! I agree! However, from this point forward, all operations must follow my command."
"Agreed," Yomi nodded without hesitation.
And so, Yomi and his remaining Yomi Cultists settled into the Angkor Fortress, the stronghold of the Sky Ninja remnants.
The following day, in a small town in the eastern Land of Rivers, a middle-aged man stepped into an underground basement. This was an outpost for the ninja world's underground black market.
"Lord Kazuhiko! Welcome!" The man in charge of the outpost greeted the newcomer with an obsequious smile, hurrying forward.
"The intelligence?" the middle-aged man known as Kazuhiko asked curtly, extending his right hand expectantly.
"Rest assured! The commission is complete. I'll fetch the intelligence scroll for you right away," the outpost manager replied with another ingratiating smile. He turned and disappeared for a moment.
Soon, the manager returned with a scroll, which he presented respectfully to Kazuhiko. The middle-aged man took the scroll without further comment and turned to leave, tossing several thick bundles of bills towards the manager as he went. The manager scrambled hastily to catch the payment.
After leaving the outpost, Kazuhiko walked directly out of the town. Once he had put some distance between himself and the settlement, he finally opened the intelligence scroll and began to read its contents.
"Well now... I didn't expect them to end up gathering together," Kazuhiko murmured to himself, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
With that, the middle-aged man vanished, departing swiftly into the wilderness.