The shadowy figure of Huang Quan, dressed in black, flashed behind the four figures. Spreading his arms wide, he shouted,"Enhance the treatment—inject chakra!"
At once, several black tendrils shot up from the ground, latching onto the backs of their necks. A surge of violet chakra pulsed through them before Huang Quan drew the tendrils back."The treatment is complete."
The four infused shinobi jolted upright, then charged toward the temple at the base of the cliff.
The guards stationed outside spotted them instantly. Swords rang free as they shouted and rushed to intercept.
"Go, Yitai! Setsuna!" one of the intruders barked. Two of them vaulted overhead, leaving the others to deal with the oncoming guards.
The scarf-masked shinobi stepped forward, hands flying through seals."Fire Release—Blazing Serpent!"
A torrent of fire erupted like a living snake, coiling around the four guards. Pressed back-to-back within the circle of flame, one shouted desperately, but his words did nothing to stop what came next.
The last intruder leapt high into the air, his arm slicing downward."Wind Release—Tempest!"
Three tornadoes howled into existence, merging with the raging flames below. In an instant, a towering firestorm consumed the guards.
With their enemies obliterated, the intruders regrouped at Huang Quan's side. Together, they pushed open the massive temple doors. Huang Quan stepped inside, his voice low and reverent."At last… the moment has come."
Fixing his gaze forward, he ordered, "Wait here. Beyond lies the boundary between this world and the next. Only I—Huang Quan—can pass."
"Huh? Only people named Huang Quan can enter? What kind of weird restriction is that? Couldn't someone just change their name and sneak in?""What does he mean by 'the other world'?""With a name like Huang Quan, it's probably the underworld—the realm of the dead.""The afterlife? Then… could I see my father again if I changed my name?""Don't be stupid! This has to be some kind of unique ninjutsu."
In the Pure Land, Uchiha Madara tilted his head, eyes narrowing at the scene in the sky curtain."The afterlife is not the Pure Land… and yet, there's a direct passage to the shinobi world here?"
His resurrection was already set in motion, but if another way existed, Madara would rather return on his own terms. For now, with nothing better to do, he watched closely, analyzing this strange gateway.
Alone, Huang Quan descended the temple steps into a fog-filled chamber. At its center stood a massive stone door, cloaked in a column of shimmering light and bound with countless talismans.
A sealing technique… but unlike any I've seen before.
He stepped through the barrier, pressing a hand against the door. Whispering to himself, he murmured,"Wait for me… Wuliang."
A meaningless chant spilled from his lips. The talismans ignited and burned away before the stone shattered, revealing a darkness within that reeked of malice.
"Ahhh… how nostalgic. Have I returned to this world once more?"
Black chakra oozed outward, a voice layered with echoes rumbling from the void.
Huang Quan dropped to one knee. "It has been far too long, Lord Wuliang."
"…You are?" The voice trembled, as if disoriented after centuries of confinement.
"Have you forgotten me? I am Huang Quan—the one who once drew upon your power to forge the Ghost Army."
"Pfft! He's acting all respectful, but Wuliang doesn't even remember him!""So there was a mastermind behind the Ghost Army all along?""Wait—so it wasn't the ghosts themselves in control, but this Huang Quan guy?""The village task force is already moving. This man won't escape.""Another world? Don't tell me it's just a glorified sealed space!"
Inside the Hokage Building, Team 7, led by Kakashi, waited alongside Team Guy. Though the two squads barely knew each other, the sky curtain had made introductions inevitable.
Naturally, since they might one day fight side by side, a little friendly conversation should have followed. But the atmosphere was… tense.
The reason? Rock Lee had confessed to Sakura the moment they met.
Even though she had already seen his thick eyebrows through the curtain, Sakura was still taken aback—and rejected him instantly.
Now Naruto glared at Lee like he wanted to throttle him, while Neji, the former top student, and Sasuke, the current number one, studied each other with cool curiosity. Only Tenten occasionally tried to ease Sakura's discomfort with small talk.
Guy thought about stepping in to build camaraderie, but with eyebrows even thicker than Lee's and that blinding green jumpsuit, Team 7 kept their distance.
Kakashi sighed, abandoning the awkwardness to refocus on the sky curtain.
"Why summon me?" Wuliang asked, his voice uncertain, as though still recovering his memories.
Huang Quan answered without hesitation. "The stars have returned to their cycle. The time has come for us to unite once more—to create the Millennium Kingdom."
But Wuliang's form wavered. "My soul remains, but without a vessel I will fade."
"Then use mine." Huang Quan opened his robes, producing a scalpel from within. "Through dark medical arts, your soul can be implanted into my body."
Without flinching, he carved open his chest, revealing not organs but a strange black structure like a sealed chamber.
"What the hell?! He has no internal organs?!""Is this guy even human?!""Dark medical ninjutsu… just the name sounds terrifying!""What kind of monster is this Wuliang, if he dreams of building a thousand-year empire?!"