Arrival

He retracted the kunai from the target and turned around.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across Itachi's face, and his pitch-black eyes reflected Shisui's gentle smile.

"I was held up by some matters." Shisui walked closer, his gaze falling on the five kunai that had struck the bullseye with precision. "Your throwing technique has improved."

Having returned from the Southern Border Battlefield, Itachi could be considered someone who had seen the world, and his arrogant nature had tempered slightly.

"Compared to Naoki, Setsuna-senpai, or even Zongxin, I still have a long way to go."

Shisui had always held Itachi in high regard, but he also knew the latter had been quite conceited due to the praise from his clan and the village. Seeing the change in him now, he couldn't help but smile even more broadly.

As the eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku and the future head of the Uchiha clan, Itachi bore the weight of the entire clan's future on his shoulders. Shisui felt it was necessary to guide him onto the right path.

He walked to the target, reached out to pull out the five kunai, weighed them in his hand, and handed them back to Itachi.

"Naoki..." Itachi took the kunai. "Is there still no news?"

Shisui was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Search and rescue efforts have basically ceased, but as long as no body is found, there is still hope."

A look of desolation appeared on Itachi's face.

On the Southern Border Battlefield, he had witnessed Naoki's resilience and decisiveness. Faced with immense pressure, the latter had always been able to maintain his perseverance, hold fast to his convictions, refuse to give up easily, and carve out a path to survival for everyone amidst death.

In Itachi's eyes, Naoki might not have been the strongest, but the shadow he cast in his heart was even taller than his own father's... especially now that Naoki had been all but declared dead.

Shisui patted Itachi on the head and consoled him: "I also hope that Naoki will suddenly appear before me one day, but the past is the past. It is meaningless to remain stagnant because of it."

"What we must do is inherit Naoki's wishes, protect the clan well, and make Konoha more prosperous. That way, if Naoki really does return one day, he will be happy for us..."

Itachi looked up at Shisui and nodded.

The night deepened. Outside the cave, the night wind wailed as it swept through the treetops. The campfire flickered deep within the cavern, casting shadows that stretched and shrank against the uneven stone walls.

Aikawa Yumi leaned against Naoki's shoulder, her breathing gradually steadying as if she had fallen asleep.

Naoki, however, felt no sleepiness.

He stared at the dancing flames, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan remaining active in the darkness—not out of vigilance against outside dangers, but because he dared not close his eyes.

Every time he closed his eyes, it could be the beginning of that nightmare.

The blood-red mist in his mind had already occupied more than half of his consciousness, squirming slowly like a living thing, eroding the clarity that belonged to him. He could feel that whenever his emotions fluctuated violently, the speed at which the mist expanded would accelerate.

When killing.

When angry.

And... when facing Aikawa Yumi.

Naoki looked down at the woman leaning on his shoulder.

The firelight shone on her face, outlining her soft contours. Asleep, Aikawa Yumi lost the allure and flamboyance she displayed during the day; instead, there was a touch of gentleness between her brows. Her breathing was light and even, her eyelashes occasionally fluttering softly.

"What kind of person are you, really..." Naoki murmured in a low voice.

As if hearing his voice, Aikawa Yumi's eyelashes fluttered again, but she did not wake up. She merely snuggled closer into his embrace, like a cat seeking warmth.

Naoki remained silent.

Just then, he suddenly felt that something in his surroundings was wrong. At that moment, he realized with a jolt that the woman in his arms was no longer Aikawa Yumi.

Sakurai Hideko was wearing a simple, plain garment, resting quietly against his shoulder. Moonlight spilled in from outside the cave, reflecting on her gentle face, and those eyes, clear as spring water, were gazing at him silently.

"Naoki." She called out softly, "You've finally returned."

Naoki's heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by something.

He knew this was an illusion.

He knew this was not real.

But that face was too vivid, that voice too familiar, and that tenderness too... irresistible to him.

"Hideko..." He reached out, wanting to touch her face.

Just then, the "Sakurai Hideko" in his arms suddenly raised her head. A bizarre smile appeared on her face, and dense, black cursed seals began to emerge on her skin. Those clear eyes turned hollow and deep.

"Naoki." Her voice became distorted. "Why did you leave me?"

Naoki's pupils shrank. He instinctively wanted to retreat, only to find he could not move.

"Why are you with that woman?"

"Sakurai Hideko" reached out, her slender fingers stroking his cheek. Her fingertips were ice-cold and bone-chilling.

"You said you would come back."

"You said you would let me wait for you."

"You lied to me."

Her fingers suddenly tightened, her nails digging deep into Naoki's skin as blood trickled down his cheek.

"You lied to me!"

Naoki snapped back to reality. The campfire was still flickering, and the night wind outside the cave was still wailing.

He looked down to see Aikawa Yumi still leaning against his shoulder, fast asleep, completely unaware of the horror he had just experienced.

Cold sweat soaked his back.

He gasped for air, struggling to calm himself down.

The red mist in his mind had expanded a little more.

"Again?" Aikawa Yumi's voice suddenly rang out.

Naoki looked down, meeting those eyes that had opened at some unknown moment.

Under the reflection of the firelight, the usual playfulness in Aikawa Yumi's gaze was gone, replaced by deep concern.

"Yeah." Naoki did not hide it.

Aikawa Yumi was silent for a moment, then sat up and reached out to touch his face.

The moment her fingertips touched his skin, Naoki instinctively wanted to pull away, but she held him in place.

"Don't move."

Her fingers brushed gently across his cheek, her movements as tender as if she were stroking fragile porcelain.

"Don't worry, I'll find a way to save you soon."

She turned and pointed her finger toward a mountain peak in the distance.

"See that? Once we reach that place, we'll have arrived."

Naoki nodded, habitually falling into silence, and Aikawa Yumi's mood had remained low ever since she learned of Naoki's condition...

Aikawa Yumi suddenly asked, "How much do you know about the Land of Hot Water?"

Naoki thought for a moment and shared the information he had learned about the Land of Hot Water back in Konoha.

"Is that all?" Aikawa Yumi shook her head. "You know far too little."

"Hidden within the mountain ranges of central Land of Hot Water are countless evil gods, all of whom are worshipped by the mountain folk... They grant the mountain folk special abilities, and in return, the mountain folk seek out nourishment for them."

"That thing in your mind is the product of one of the evil gods in the mountain range beneath our feet."

"The Jashin cult?" Naoki suddenly spoke up.

"No." Aikawa Yumi shook her head. "I have heard of the Jashin cult, but it is completely different from the thing in your mind."

"I hear that ninjas have seven types of chakra. Aside from the basic five elemental releases, there are also Yin and Yang chakra, is that right?"

Naoki nodded, answering Aikawa Yumi.

"Yin release chakra represents spiritual energy, while Yang release chakra represents physical energy."

"Exactly." Aikawa Yumi nodded. "The Jashin cult prefers what you call Yang release, that is, physical strength, while the thing in your mind prefers Yin release..."

Naoki asked, "Are evil gods also divided into Yin and Yang?"

Aikawa Yumi shook her head.

The two fell silent again. After a long while, Naoki suddenly spoke.

"Then, what is the name of the evil god I have to face?"

"Buddha Mother. It is called Great Black Buddha Mother..."

"Great Black Buddha Mother... Interesting."

Aikawa Yumi turned, cupping Naoki's face, her expression exceptionally serious.

"Do not be careless. The Buddha Mother may not be the strongest evil god in this land, but it is certainly the most troublesome!"

"From what I know, the existence of the Buddha Mother dates back over a thousand years."

"That long?" Naoki was somewhat surprised. "Older than the Shinobi Sect? Doesn't that mean it existed before the era of the Sage of Six Paths?"

Aikawa Yumi shook her head; she did not understand the Shinobi Sect, and her knowledge of the Sage of Six Paths was limited to legends.

"Perhaps." Aikawa Yumi let go, pulled her legs in, and rested her chin on her knees. "I don't know much about ninja history, but I do know that the things in these mountains are not something you ninjas can easily deal with."

"And you?" Naoki looked at her. "How do you know all this?"

Aikawa Yumi was silent for a moment, the firelight dancing on her face, casting flickering shadows.

"Because I am the one who escaped from there."

Her voice was very soft, so soft it was almost scattered by the night wind.

Naoki's heart sank slightly.

Aikawa Yumi looked up at the night sky outside the cave. Moonlight spilled onto her face, and those eyes that always carried a smile now hid an indescribable emotion.

"I grew up in that mountain, raised by the people around me as a 'sacrifice' to be offered to the Great Black Buddha Mother." Her voice was as calm as if she were telling someone else's story. "Every day, all I did was pray, chant, learn those bizarre rituals, and... wait for the day I would be sacrificed."

Naoki's brows furrowed slightly.

"Then how did you escape?"

"From the day I became aware of my surroundings, I knew my fate, so I kept researching. Fortunately, my research was quite effective, and I finally found the weakness of the Buddha Mother before I was sacrificed..."

"What is the weakness?" Naoki asked.

"The weakness of the Buddha Mother is the entity itself..."

As she spoke, Aikawa Yumi's face twisted in agony.

Seeing this, Naoki reached out and pulled her into an embrace.

"It's alright, I'm fine."

Aikawa Yumi waved her hand, her complexion worsening. She dared not recall the scene of entering that dark, gloomy cave again.

Naoki pulled her closer, his palm gently stroking her back; he could feel her trembling slightly.

This woman, who was always boisterous and unrestrained, was now curled up in his arms like a frightened little beast.

"Don't think about those things anymore." Naoki's voice was uncharacteristically soft.

Aikawa Yumi buried her face in his chest and gave a muffled "Mm."

The night in the deep mountains was long, but it eventually passed.

As the sky grew bright, the two set off once again.

Along the way, Aikawa Yumi told Naoki many more things regarding the Buddha Mother...

The path into the mountains was more difficult than imagined.

Although Aikawa Yumi had some skill, she struggled quite a bit, nearly slipping several times, only saved by Naoki pulling her back just in time.

"How much further?" Naoki asked.

Aikawa Yumi looked up at the sky obscured by the canopy, then at the surrounding terrain, her brows knitting together.

"Almost there." She said, her voice carrying a tremor she hadn't even noticed herself, "Once we cross that ridge ahead, we'll be there."

Naoki asked, "How can this place be so remote? Do they not interact with the outside world at all?"

Aikawa Yumi shook her head. "I haven't been back in many years."

The two continued up the mountain. As they passed a bend, Naoki suddenly noticed a black cat crouching not far away, watching him.

"Ninja Cat?"

He recognized the identity of the black cat instantly...

The black cat licked its paw while looking in the direction from which Naoki and Aikawa Yumi had come, then vanished into the bushes behind it.

"What does that mean?"

Naoki was confused and glanced back behind him.

Aikawa Yumi asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Naoki shook his head. "Let's go, it shouldn't be far now."

Are the hallucinations getting worse? Aikawa Yumi thought to herself.

She looked at Naoki with worry, the fear in her heart growing more intense.

Initially, to save Naoki, she had used a method she had never attempted before, sacrificing her soul to the Buddha Mother. It had miraculously brought Naoki back from the dead, but the consequences were severe: Naoki's soul no longer belonged to him...

Once, she had believed she could control the situation, but she realized now that she had been vastly overestimating herself.

Now, the Buddha Mother was slowly reclaiming its "offering."

And she was powerless to stop it.

"Yumi?" Naoki's voice came from ahead. "What are you spacing out for?"

Aikawa Yumi snapped back to reality and saw that Naoki had stopped and was looking back at her.

She quickly hurried to catch up, a smile reappearing on her face. "Nothing, just tired from walking. I wanted you to carry me."

Naoki looked at her in silence, offered no response, and turned to continue forward.

Aikawa Yumi pouted and followed him.

Soon, a village appeared in their sight.

Naoki stood on the ridge, looking in the direction Aikawa Yumi was pointing.

A cluster of houses could be vaguely seen, scattered across the hillside, with wisps of smoke rising and drifting into the air.

If one didn't know the truth about this place, it would look like nothing more than an ordinary mountain village.

"Is that it?" Naoki asked.

Aikawa Yumi stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the village. The smile on her face had vanished completely, replaced by a complex emotion.

"Yes." She replied softly. "The Buddha Mother's cave is behind the village."

Naoki's Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun slightly as he carefully observed the village, but the distance was too great; he could see no details and sense nothing.

If only I had the Byakugan...

"Do you have a plan?" Naoki asked.

"The Buddha Mother is in the cave behind the village. We will sneak in tonight..." Aikawa Yumi bit her lip, seemingly having made up her mind.

"Why not just go in directly?" Naoki asked.

Aikawa Yumi formed a reverse lotus hand seal with one hand and asked, "Do you remember this gesture?"

"This gesture is used to communicate with the power of the Buddha Mother. It's not just me who knows it; they do too."