Seeing Kakashi agree, the Seven Prisons' expression turned visibly relieved. "Kakashi, even though there shouldn't be any direct danger inside, you still need to be cautious. This place isn't ordinary."
"I understand. How do I get inside?"
Seven Prisons didn't answer immediately. Instead, he approached the stone gate and inserted his paw into a shallow groove carved into its base. Instantly, a surge of red light illuminated the engravings across the stone, and the gate began to grind open slowly with an ancient, groaning sound.
The exposed interior looked like a gaping maw waiting to devour those who entered.
A sudden gust of wind rushed from within the darkness, sending a chill down Kakashi's spine. He instinctively tightened his grip on his ninja pouch.
"Be careful, Kakashi," Seven Prisons warned in a low, heavy tone.
For him, Kakashi was more than a companion—he was the only hope for vengeance. Once a psychic beast forms a contract with a shinobi, it becomes bound by loyalty, almost unbreakable. The Seven Prisons, of course, were not exceptions. Though there were rare cases like Manda, the infamous serpent of Ryūchi Cave, who valued power over loyalty, such cases were uncommon.
Kakashi nodded silently. He gathered chakra to keep his body warm and steady his nerves, then stepped through the gate, leaving Seven Prisons behind.
Darkness enveloped him instantly.
Unable to see beyond his immediate surroundings, Kakashi retrieved a chakra-powered lantern from his equipment pouch and activated it. A soft glow lit the narrow corridor in front of him.
The passage seemed endless. Ten minutes passed as Kakashi pressed forward, his footsteps echoing through the dry, still air.
This cave clearly hadn't been accessed in years. The dry environment suggested the tunnel had been sealed for decades, maybe longer. The air was heavy and cold, adding to the oppressive silence. Along the walls, age-worn etchings lined the stone—proof of a time long forgotten.
Kakashi continued walking. After another ten minutes, the narrow passage suddenly gave way to a vast, open cavern.
The darkness lifted slightly as he entered.
Before him stood five massive bronze gates—towering structures that stretched dozens of meters high.
Each gate bore ghostly engravings—twisted demonic faces with menacing glares. The colors of the gates differed slightly, their surfaces aged and corroded, but still pulsing faintly with power.
"Rashomon?" Kakashi muttered, wide-eyed.
He recognized the design instantly. Rashomon was a powerful defensive summoning technique—a barrier gate originally developed by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and later used by Orochimaru.
But what were these five doing here, sealed beneath the Hell Valley?
In legends, Rashomon symbolized a portal between the mortal realm and death—a gate to the underworld.
Kakashi stepped closer to the first gate, reaching out. His fingers brushed against the ancient metal, and he felt an unnatural chill seep into his hand. A strange, lingering chakra clung to it.
"This is real…" he whispered. "But why here? The original Rashomon was used in battle. It was summoned, not placed…"
Then he recalled the words of Seven Prisons—that someone was once recognized by the Hellhound Clan and allowed entry. Could that person have been Hashirama Senju himself?
Near the base of the gate, Kakashi spotted a large, dust-covered stone platform. Clearly, something had once rested upon it.
"A summoning scroll?" he speculated.
If so, it had long since been removed—perhaps taken by Hashirama when he left. If this was where he had first discovered or crafted the Rashomon technique, it would make sense. It also explained how Orochimaru later acquired it—likely through the scroll or information stolen after his defection from Konoha.
This place wasn't just a sealed cave. It was a relic—one that held secrets tied to Konoha's oldest history.
But without the scroll, the gates were useless to Kakashi. They couldn't be summoned, and they couldn't be moved. They were massive constructs tied to techniques he didn't possess.
Kakashi exhaled, disappointed. All the anticipation that had built up felt wasted. He had hoped for some hidden power, a tool to help him defeat Nagato or avenge the Hellhound Clan. Instead, he found remnants of history—valuable, yes, but not immediately useful.
Still, Kakashi figured he might as well make use of this discovery. He activated his Sharingan—its three black tomoe spinning to life.
Leaping up the Rashomon gate with chakra-enhanced steps, he reached the top and pressed his right hand down.
With a burst of concentrated chakra, he marked the gate with the Flying Thunder God seal—a technique originally developed by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
If he ever fought Orochimaru, this marker might give him a tactical advantage. Perhaps, if Orochimaru used Rashomon, Kakashi could teleport directly onto it.
As his Sharingan dimmed and he pulled down his forehead protector, Kakashi felt the toll. His vision had started to blur slightly on the left side—a side effect of frequent Mangekyō usage.
The threat of blindness still lingered.
"The Eternal Mangekyō…" he murmured.
But unlike Sasuke or Madara, Kakashi had no blood-related Uchiha to transplant eyes from. Obito had no known brother, and even if he did, it wouldn't help him now.
There had been rumors that Sage Mode could slow the degeneration of Mangekyō vision, but Kakashi hadn't learned it yet. Until then, it remained just a theory.
As he turned to leave, something on the far wall caught his attention.
A massive mural.
Kakashi placed the lantern nearby and approached.
The mural stretched across the stone—its carvings rough and aged but still readable. He squinted.
The images depicted three legendary artifacts:
— The Sword of Totsuka (Ten Fist Sword)
— The Yata Mirror
— Yasaka Magatama
Kakashi's eyes widened. "These are the spiritual tools used by Itachi's Susano'o..."
He examined the depictions carefully.
"There are supposedly three 'Kusanagi' or 'Totsuka' swords in the world," Kakashi thought. "Orochimaru wields one version—the Kusanagi Blade. Shisui wielded the ethereal Totsuka Sword, which he entrusted to Itachi before his death. Later, Sasuke would wield a Kusanagi variant as well."
Among them, Kakashi believed only the Totsuka Sword used by Itachi's Susano'o qualified as a true spirit weapon. It could seal anything it pierced—a power unmatched.
The Yata Mirror, capable of deflecting all attacks, and the Yasaka Magatama, used as a long-range projectile, were both bound to Itachi's perfect Susano'o as well.
"These artifacts…" Kakashi whispered. "They aren't physical weapons. They're spiritual constructs—likely created by powerful chakra. Not tools forged by human hands."
It seemed whoever had left this mural had knowledge beyond the ordinary—a sage, perhaps, or a shinobi on par with the Rikudō Sennin.
Kakashi stepped back, his mind racing with questions.
Why was all this knowledge buried beneath Hell Valley? What connection did the Hellhounds have to these ancient secrets? And if someone had once entered this cave decades ago… just how much did Konoha's original founders know?
For now, all Kakashi could do was remember. These secrets might one day prove critical.
He turned back toward the corridor, casting one last glance at the five Rashomon gates.
Their secrets weren't his to unlock yet but maybe one day.
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