Pale sunlight.
A gust of wind swept up a sudden shower.
On closer inspection, it was a shower of pink petals.
Even in the warmth of spring in March, this country's sun could not dispel its gloom.
The salty, briny sea breeze lingered around his nose.
A silver-haired youth with honey-colored skin, clad in a dark robe, silently entered the Grand Narukami Shrine, which was adorned with red clouds.
He had sharply defined features and eyes as keen as a hawk's.
His presence was intimidating. Anyone who met his gaze for too long would feel as though their soul were being drawn into his pupils.
He was none other than Madara Uchiha, whom Yanbai had left in this other world for years through a form of cheating.
The winding stone path beneath his feet gradually blurred.
The Sacred Sakura ahead also flickered in and out of sight through the mist of falling petals.
Standing beneath the vermilion torii gate, Madara Uchiha felt slightly dazed. Everything here felt both familiar and foreign.
What felt familiar was the atmosphere of its culture and customs.
What felt foreign was that nothing in this country had anything to do with him.
Before the shrine, in the spring breeze that scattered the last of the blossoms.
A woman with long pink hair stood quietly and gracefully before him.
Her bearing and aura, so similar to Yanbai's, made Madara Uchiha frown.
The woman wore a predominantly white shrine maiden's outfit accented with red. A smile lingered in her eyes, her expression almost identical to Yanbai's.
Yet her current appearance was very different from his.
The woman slowly approached and stopped before Madara Uchiha. Her red lips parted, and a gentle voice drifted out. "I'm sorry. I cannot leave this country, so I could only ask someone