The staircase leading underground was long. No one knew how long they had been walking when Yahiko and Kakashi, at the front of the group, finally stopped.
At the end of the staircase stood a circular archway. Beyond it stretched a road paved with blue-gray stone slabs.
On either side of the road stood life-sized statues of people clad in battle armor, holding long spears, or gripping swords.
Yahiko hurried down the stairs, passed through the archway, and entered the vast, enclosed underground space.
"This is..." Yahiko looked around at the exquisitely carved, lifelike figures lining the road and couldn't help exclaiming in admiration. "These statues look just like real people."
"Look up there." Karin followed him into the underground space, gazed overhead, and reminded them in a voice full of wonder.
Above their heads stretched a vast starry sky, shimmering with faint light.
"How did they do that? Could it be Genjutsu?" Yahiko looked up, his voice full of surprise and confusion.
"It's not Genjutsu!" Kakashi also gazed overhead, answering with certainty.
"So beautiful." Konan stared at the starry sky above and murmured to herself.
"Perhaps Deities really do exist in this world." Nagato spoke with hope, just as he always relied on Yahiko. He yearned for a Deity to appear and bring peace to the world.
"Everyone, let's keep going! The Temple of God is just ahead." Karin's voice drew them back from their amazement. She raised a hand and pointed ahead, where a building stood at the end of the road, atop the ruins.
"Let's go!" Yahiko cried excitedly, growing more and more eager to see what they would discover next.
The group followed the road onward. As the samurai statues gradually fell behind them, small buildings—some weathered, others collapsed—appeared on either side, along with metal ceremonial