Just then, a silent, invisible energy quietly enveloped the entire island. It resembled a barrier, yet was lighter and even harder to detect.
No one noticed its arrival except Shin Uchiha. Even Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, remained completely unaware as she stared intently at Nawaki on the wooden platform.
Shin Uchiha knew exactly where this energy had come from. It was both a test and a greeting; what mattered was how he responded.
So, after sensing the energy, Shin, who understood the situation and was already prepared, hurriedly pretended he had only just noticed it. He raised his head and warily surveyed his surroundings.
Once he had shown that he could detect the energy, an extremely subtle mental fluctuation reached out toward him.
Shin took the initiative, extending his own mental power to make contact with it.
The moment their mental powers touched, Shin felt his spiritual form enter an empty space. It was vast, with no up, down, left, or right, and not even any gravity. He struggled to adjust.
Yet just after Shin entered, a figure abruptly appeared before him, sitting cross-legged and floating in midair.
The man's appearance was unlike that of ordinary people. He had two horns on his head, brown hair, and a long white robe,
But most striking of all were his eyes, identical to Shin's: the Rinnegan.
At the sight of this man, Shin Uchiha froze, unable to recover for a long time, as though he had discovered something utterly astonishing.
The man floating cross-legged in midair said nothing either. He simply waited quietly, a smile on his lips.
After a long while, Shin Uchiha finally came to his senses. He hurriedly bowed to the man before him, his voice filled with respect and excitement:
"This junior of the Uchiha Clan pays his