Chisato found herself unable to look away for a moment.
"You'd better not touch that thing. It's definitely poisonous. Don't let the two of us end up buried here."
Torikaze spoke seriously, but he was really trying to lighten the mood.
"Come on, let's keep searching."
The two quickly arrived at the so-called cluster of buildings.
But there was actually nothing there—just a forest-like arrangement of piled stones and a few massive stone pillars.
"It looks like it's been abandoned. So where is the Sage of Six Paths?"
Torikaze and Chisato were feeling rather disoriented as well. There was no way to tell direction in this place, since there was no sun to use as a reference.
They could only keep walking blindly.
Following one path, Torikaze eventually spotted an enormous lake. Someone was sitting cross-legged in silence above its surface.
The man had his back to Torikaze and Chisato, so they could not make out his face at all.
But before Torikaze could approach, the man spoke.
"I've finally been waiting for you."
Torikaze and Chisato immediately quickened their pace and reached the lakeside.
Looking at the mysterious man's back, Torikaze formed a suspicion.
When the man turned around, Torikaze became certain.
"You must be the Sage of Six Paths. Seeing you truly surpasses hearing of you a hundred times."
In an instant, the Sage of Six Paths appeared before Torikaze. He sat cross-legged in midair, his entire body floating.
Torikaze did not know whether it was due to a Secret Technique or because he was in a soul state.
"You seem to know me, young friend?"
"Of course. Who in the Shinobi World hasn't heard of the Sage of Six Paths? And since you said you had been waiting for me, then you must have been the one