Blue fluorescence illuminated the entire pitch-black world, carrying a trace of chilling cold.
Kato Osamu sat cross-legged within it, as though he were on an icefield deep beneath an abyss where living things were slaughtered—an ancient glacier that would never melt, bringing endless deathly silence.
The fluorescence suspended above the icefield scattered and dissolved.
The faint glow that had bloomed began to spread, slowly transforming into pure soul energy and gradually entering Kato Osamu's spiritual body as he sat in meditation.
The soul energy of dozens of Cloud Shinobi shattered and transformed into a river of blue energy, all of it flowing into his spiritual body. His spiritual body gradually became more solid, while the pitch-black longsword standing upright within his mental space slowly took on a complete form.
When the final trace of faint fluorescence vanished completely, Kato Osamu abruptly opened his eyes, blue ghostly light surging from his spiritual body's gaze.
With a sharp cry, the longsword flew into his hand. The slowly moving Soul-Extinguishing Blade suddenly stirred up a storm within his mental space. Its sharp edge gleamed with icy brilliance, as though it intended to cut the entire space in two.
"Still not enough..."
His current spiritual body was like a towering soul containment center. Pure souls entered its body, yet they could not be completely transformed into innate substance like flesh and blood.
Although the growing solidity of his spiritual body enhanced his mental strength, allowing Kato Osamu's understanding of genjutsu to deepen continuously,
the soul energy within his spiritual body, the foundation he relied on most, would be endlessly consumed with each use. Even if he could sustain himself through battle, there would eventually be a limit.
Unfortunately, Kato Osamu had yet to fully grasp the mysteries of Yin Release...
Konoha's sunset seemed to possess a unique beauty.
The rose-red sky set off the beauty of the forest, while golden light spilled through the trees and into every corner of the bamboo building.
Kato Osamu withdrew from his mental space and slowly rose to his feet. The fading light of sunset made him narrow his eyes slightly. Far across from the bamboo building stood Hokage Rock atop the mountain.
In the twilight, it gazed back at him, both of them shining brilliantly.
"The last peaceful afternoon..."
Without needing to think about it, Kato Osamu knew Danzo would summon him tonight.
Minato Namikaze's rapidly rising fame brought not only an increase in his personal standing, but also ever-growing momentum for Jiraiya's faction.
Even if the two people at the very center of the vortex felt nothing in particular,
the communities bound to them by shared interests would never let such an opportunity pass.
Public opinion seemed useless, yet it also had its uses. Although the selection of a Hokage would not depend on public opinion, it would never completely disregard it either.
He left the bamboo building by the forest path, and the sounds of bustle gradually rose around him.
Kato Osamu no longer wanted to think about those tangled matters. He simply walked silently through Konoha's streets alone.
Through the surrounding clamor, he carefully sensed the faint fluctuations emanating from the enormous barrier covering all of Konoha.
The Konoha Barrier, usually completely hidden in space, was extraordinary. Even with his current strength, he could only probe it covertly and did not dare make any unusual moves.
If he had a choice, Kato Osamu would rather be on the battlefield than in Konoha.
He sighed softly, but then a familiar figure suddenly appeared within his perception. His steps paused, and he stopped to look over.
It was a dango shop.
"Could that be... Anko? It really has been a long time..."
Something shifted in his eyes. Kato Osamu seemed to recall something, then suddenly turned and entered the dango shop.
The dango shop was not large, with only a few somewhat worn tables and chairs, yet it was nearly full.
The young owner was busy in the kitchen, while only two little girls served as waitresses. They looked like ninja apprentices who had yet to graduate.
Kato Osamu ignored the greeting from the little girls and walked straight toward Anko.
"Kato... little brother?"
Anko sat in an outer seat facing the open side door. When she looked up and saw Kato Osamu walking toward her, surprise mingled with uncertainty filled her eyes.
"Anko... it has been a long time..."
Kato Osamu spoke softly, causing the other two, who had their backs to him, to turn around as well.
The grayish-brown-haired girl had ruby-like eyes, like a clear autumn spring—shrouded in moist mist, yet carrying a hazy sense of unreality.
She looked at Kato Osamu in confusion, her gaze somewhat questioning, then turned to Anko.
At a glance, Kato Osamu could roughly tell that this girl was like him: either skilled in genjutsu or possessed special sensory abilities.
Of the three, her mental fluctuations were the most intense.
The boy seated beside her looked somewhat unruly. He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not immediately speak.
"Kurenai, Asuma... this is Kato Osamu... my junior disciple, and my little brother. Hahaha..."
Anko planted her hands on her hips and grinned. A skewer of dango vanished from her hand, leaving behind only a wooden stick.
"Anko is the junior disciple."
With no intention of continuing the conversation, Kato Osamu merely glanced at the young man carrying a faint scent of tobacco, then turned away expressionlessly.
This was the second person he had encountered who was being protected by ANBU...
"Anko, I need to talk to you..."
Kato Osamu extended a hand and slowly adjusted his hood. Some of the nearby ninja seemed to recognize him, and the concealed, unusual looks made him somewhat uncomfortable.
The joint recommendation from Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya had given him a small measure of fame as well.
"Hey! Why are you being so cold? Have you forgotten who brought you food every day so you wouldn't starve to death?!"
Anko shouted. Seeing that Kato Osamu gave no response at all, she snorted and sat back down, viciously stuffing a skewer of dango into her mouth.
"Kurenai, Asuma, wait for me..."
Only when she saw Kato Osamu about to leave the dango shop did she stand up again and reluctantly chase after him.
"Asuma, do you know him?"
Kurenai also liked dango, but unlike Anko, she did not practically eat them as meals. She gently placed the untouched dango before her into Anko's bowl.
"I think I heard that old man mention him once..."
Asuma looked thoughtfully toward the direction Kato Osamu had left. Though his relationship with Hiruzen Sarutobi was not particularly harmonious, he was still the Hokage's son, and his information was far more reliable than most people's.
"Asuma! How many times have I told you not to call your father 'that old man'? It's too disrespectful..."
Kurenai did not understand why Asuma's relationship with the Third Hokage had become so terrible. Moreover, Asuma almost never mentioned his father in front of them.
"Yeah... I know..."
Falling somewhat silent, Asuma said nothing more and answered in a muffled voice. Kurenai seemed deeply dissatisfied with this cold silence. She snorted heavily, stopped speaking, and viciously poked at the dango before her until it became a mushy mess.
"He seems to be Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara's teammate now. After Kakashi Hatake became a Jonin, he probably wanted to join the ANBU.
If not for the war, Kakashi Hatake would have already left Jonin Minato Namikaze's squad..."
Sensing that Kurenai seemed somewhat unhappy, Asuma had no choice but to give up on handling things with silence and took the initiative to break the strange atmosphere between them.
Kurenai always got angry for no apparent reason, leaving him completely baffled.
Before you continue