Pot Kage

Heart-wrenching screams echoed through the Reincarnation Hall.

"No! I'm already dead! All my sins from my life have been atoned for! I don't want to become an animal!"

A tall, thin figure was struggling desperately, but his limbs were pinned to the ground by four Velociraptor, their sharp claws piercing his soul, causing him excruciating pain with every struggle.

His name is Kakuzo.

In his lifetime, he was a Jonin the Torture Department of Mist Village. His skin was so pale it was almost sickly, and his body was as thin as a bamboo pole. At this moment, clear tears, belonging to the soul, were welling up from his deep-set eyes.

The Reincarnation Hall.

In reality, Uzumaki Naruto never gave this place a name. To him, it was simply "a place to deal with souls."

However, the First Hokage and his colleagues took it upon themselves to give this place this name in order to distinguish different areas, which is quite fitting.

The interior of the hall was spacious and empty, with pale golden halos flowing across the walls—the very rules that constituted this space. In the very center of the hall's floor was inscribed a massive, slowly rotating magic circle, around which were several Uzumaki teleportation portals of varying colors.

White, the Human Path.

Silver, leading to the Asura Path.

Grayish-white, leading to the Animal Path.

There are also several darker-colored ones, not yet in use, which are said to lead to places of even harsher punishment.

Hashirama the electronic screen that had appeared out of thin air before him. It was a "terminal" that Naruto had specially set up for the First Hokage and the others. As long as you placed your hand on it and thought of the soul you wanted to query, detailed information about that soul would appear on the screen.

Everything he did during his life, every crime he committed, everyone he harmed, and the basis for the final judgment.

At this moment, Hashirama Senju's expression was very unpleasant.

"Waaaaah... Please... I really don't want to become an animal..."

Kakuzo's cries continued, the sound so shrill it sent chills down one's spine. The First Hokage frowned, turning his head with a hint of pity to look at the figure pinned to the ground.

She's screaming so pitifully... could it be... she's not actually that bad?

With that thought in mind, he placed his hand on the light screen.

The name of that soul Kakuzo.

The light screen flickered slightly, and then the image appeared.

"..."

In the few seconds it took to read those words, Hashirama Senju's eyes widened. On the screen was Kakuzo's life—densely packed with blood and gore.

He witnessed how Kakuzo used his position in the Torture Department to arbitrarily frame ordinary Ninja and villagers from his own village, simply because "he was in a bad mood and wanted to have some fun."

He saw how Kakuzo dragged innocent people into the torture chamber and tortured them with all sorts of cruel methods—not to obtain intelligence, not for mission purposes, but simply, purely—he enjoyed watching others suffer.

He saw the eyes of those who were being tortured.

Fear, despair, and bewilderment at "why me?"—he saw the twisted, excited smile on Kakuzo's face.

He saw--

"..."

Hashirama Senju abruptly looked away, feeling completely awful.

What is this... what kind of beast is this... he cursed in his heart with the most vile words he had ever uttered.

Don't worry.

A non-human voice rang out.

It was the Velociraptor that had pinned down the Kakuzo creature. It lowered its head, looking down at the weeping soul at its feet, "The sin you committed is the Crime of Cruel Slaughter."

Kakuzo's crying stopped abruptly.

He looked up, a blank stare appearing in his tear-filled eyes. "Slaughter...?"

"Um."

The Velociraptor nodded. "So, it's not the Animal Path."

Kakuzo's eyes lit up for a moment.

"It's the Asura Path." The Velociraptor's voice ruthlessly extinguished the flame of hope that had just risen in his heart.

"Wh... what...?"

"You will experience there—" The Velociraptor paused, its claws tightening slightly, "The pain you inflicted on all the innocent people in your lifetime."

"All."

"Then -- only then can one be reborn as an animal."

"Wh... what--?!"

Kakuzo's eyes widened to their limit, and utter terror filled his pale face. "No--!!!"

He struggled desperately, kicking and thrashing his limbs, using all his strength to break free from the four Velociraptor ' hold.

"I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong--!"

"Please! Give me another chance!"

"I... I'm willing to atone for my sins! I'm willing to do anything—!"

The Velociraptor ignored it.

They simply released their claws at the same time, as if by unspoken agreement, and then—"Bang!"

A Velociraptor rammed its head into the silver Uzumaki portal, sending the entire soul of the horned creature Kakuzo towards it.

"No--!!!!" Kakuzo's scream was cut short the moment he came into contact with the silver Uzumaki.

His figure was swallowed by the silver light and disappeared.

Hashirama Senju stood there, staring at the slowly rotating silver portal, speechless for a long time.

After a long while, he let out a deep, long sigh.

"It seems to be going very well, everyone." Uzumaki Naruto's voice rang out in the Reincarnation Hall.

He appeared out of thin air in the center of the hall, behind him a black portal that was slowly closing—[Yomotsu Hirasaka].

Following closely behind him was Uchiha Satsuki. She still had that aloof expression, standing quietly beside Naruto.

The last person to step out of the portal was a silver-haired man wearing a mask, with one eye covered by Forehead Protector.

Hatake Kakashi.

His steps were unsteady, as if he hadn't fully recovered from the shock of "crossing life and death." His single, exposed eye darted around blankly, surveying this completely unfamiliar space.

Then, it froze.

"That is...?"

Kakashi's gaze fell on several figures on one side of the hall: the man with black hair and a long robe, a gentle smile, waving in their direction; and the man with short silver hair, a cold expression, scrutinizing him with a critical look.

"The First Hokage...?" His voice was slightly unsteady. "And... the Second Hokage...?!" Kakashi's face showed an expression of utter disbelief.

Yes, literally, seeing a ghost.

Historical figures, legendary figures—the two faces forever frozen in stone on the Hokage Rock —are now standing vividly before him, waving at him.

"Oh?" Hashirama Senju's eyes lit up. He took three steps forward in two, his face filled with the excitement of "seeing a living person".

Are you Ninja from the present-day Konoha?

He laughed and asked, "Hahaha! Nice to meet you! That's right—I am the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!"

He paused, then gestured around. "Currently living in the afterlife."

Kakashi opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.

The afterlife... life... how should I continue this conversation...?

Tobirama Senju stood to the side, glancing at his older brother with a speechless look.

Too unconventional, he thought to himself. Then

He turned to Kakashi and asked, "Who are you? How did you manage to be brought here from the human world?"

Before Kakashi could answer, Naruto kindly spoke up for him, "This is my Ninja team's teacher, Hatake Kakashi. Most of the important people in his life... are no longer with us."

"So, I brought him here to take a look."

Tobirama Senju nodded, then asked, "By the way, since you are Ninja from the modern world, how is Hiruzen?"

The moment the name Hiruzen was uttered, Kakashi's eyes flickered slightly. It must refer to... the Lord Third?

He immediately replied, "The Lord Third has already stepped down from his duties Hokage and is currently enjoying his retirement in the village."

"I see..." Tobirama Senju nodded slightly.

He fulfilled his mission, not by sacrificing himself as Ninja on the battlefield, but by being carried away by the years in his later years.

Such an ending... is too lucky for Ninja, but it's alright.

He wanted to ask something more—about the village's later development, about the people he knew, and about what happened after his death.

But when he looked at Kakashi again, a question quietly surfaced in his mind.

This Konoha Ninja, though only showing one eye, was respectful and behaved properly, clearly showing him and his older brother sufficient respect.

However, this chakra... Tobirama Senju's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The chakra aura emanating from Kakashi gave him a subtle feeling.

Cold and damp.

extreme.

She possessed a subtle... repulsive quality.

It's exactly the same as the Sharingan's chakra.

But this guy isn't Uchiha, is he? He wondered to himself, how could he possibly have Sharingan?

never mind.

He temporarily suppressed this question, but another thought surfaced in his mind: last time, he and his older brother were summoned by that guy called "Orochimaru" using the Impure World Reincarnation and used as weapons to attack Konoha. That battle caused Hiruzen a lot of trouble.

But throughout the entire process—from beginning to end—he didn't see that person at all.

Danzō Shimura.

I couldn't sense even a trace of chakra. There's a high probability... he's already dead.

Tobirama Senju sighed softly. He'd go find Danzo's soul when he had some free time.

He made a decision in his heart.

Go ask him what happened to Konoha afterward.

Ninja of Darkness: Children, thanks to me, the evil Uchiha Clan has finally disappeared from Konoha. Watch how I boast to my teacher about it.