manynovel Chapter 479 The Shadows
Chapter 479 The Shadows
"Why do I have to see you, you bastard, the first thing I see after I die?! It's so annoying!"
A roar filled with disdain and rage shattered the tranquility of a certain area of the sanctuary.
The voice belonged to a man with long blond hair, wearing a high-necked dark trench coat, and with two meticulously groomed mustaches. At this moment, he was glaring at the figure opposite him with undisguised disgust.
"You're just someone I killed before, do you even deserve to bark here, Second Mizukage?"
The voice that responded to him was low and flat, without much inflection, yet carrying the same sarcasm. The speaker was a figure completely wrapped in bandages, with only his eyes showing, resembling a mummy—the Second Tsuchikage, Wu.
"Ah...that time..." Hozuki Gengetsu raised an eyebrow, but immediately retorted firmly, "No! That time you and I died together! No, I killed you!"
"Is that so?" Wu's voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of innocent doubt.
"I'm not in the mood to deal with someone like you right now. Get lost! Otherwise, I won't hesitate to kill you again!" The Second Tsuchikage's attitude towards his old rival with whom he shared a tragic fate of mutual destruction was extremely poor, his eyes flashing with impatience and coldness through his bandages.
"I'm already dead! And you're dead too, aren't you? And I killed you! How could I possibly lose to a half-dead mummy like you!"
Hozuki Gengetsu was not to be outdone; even his mustache twitched slightly with excitement.
The argument escalated quickly, the two closing in on each other, their glares almost sparking. Ultimately, it's unclear who struck first.
"You bastard!"
"Want to die again?!"
Hozuki Gengetsu reached out and grabbed Mu's bandages, while Mu, in turn, used his bandaged arm to tightly grip the collar of Hozuki Gengetsu's trench coat.
The two "Kage," who were once powerful figures representing the highest fighting strength of the Land of Earth and the Land of Water, were now fighting like two children, pulling and pushing each other while spewing out harsh accusations.
"Alright! Lord Mizukage! Let's teach that stinky mummy a lesson!"
"Don't lose to him! Lord Tsuchikage! How could that guy possibly be a match for Lord Tsuchikage! A fight to the death? He's definitely bragging!"
"Do you want to die again?! The Tsuchikage was clearly killed by our Mizukage! Don't deny reality!"
"Don't be ridiculous! How could that narcissistic little mustache possibly be a match for Master Wu?!"
Behind the two Kage, several figures had already gathered. They were ninjas from Iwagakure and Kirigakure, all figures from the early days of those long-gone ninja villages, loyal subordinates of their respective Kage, now awakened here as the dead.
They stood in two distinct groups, excitedly waving flags and shouting for their respective leaders, while also glaring at each other, creating a tense atmosphere.
"Little Mustache... Don't you dare call me Little Mustache! Otherwise, even if you're already dead, I'll kill you all again!"
While Hozuki Gengetsu was having no further dealings with the other ninja, he caught the insulting address uttered by the Iwagakure ninja opposite him. He instantly flew into a rage, and even the chakra emanating from his body took on a tangible killing intent.
"Alright, Second Mizukage!" Wu's voice carried a hint of weariness, even though he himself was also grabbing the other's collar. "...Save your energy, we're already dead. Fighting here is meaningless."
"...That's a real shame," Hozuki Gengetsu scoffed, but his grip remained tight. "The dead can't be killed again... Oh, right! Put everything else aside for now, you have to admit it! Our last battle ended in mutual destruction!"
"...Did that kind of thing really happen?" Wu continued to feign ignorance in that infuriatingly calm tone.
"You...!" Hozuki Gengetsu was so angry he was practically fuming, wishing he could summon a mirage immediately. He even considered grabbing a soul from the future who might have heard of the legend of that battle to come and be a witness.
At that moment, a clear thought naturally flowed into the depths of his consciousness and also into the perception of all the deceased present. It was an instillation of common sense about the fundamental rules of this world.
Hozuki Gengetsu was stunned for a moment, then a big, sly smile spread across his face.
"Heh... Looks like the managers of this pristine place are quite considerate, providing everyone with that kind of thing... Alright, you stinky mummy, let's see how you deny it now!"
A thought flashed through his mind, and he followed the guidance of common sense. The next moment, a mirror with an antique style and a faint halo around its edges appeared out of thin air in his hand.
This is a simplified version of the "Mirror of Cause and Effect: Judgment of Karma," or rather, a "personal terminal" for all souls in the Pure Land.
Every soul that enters this realm is automatically bound to one aspect, which serves two purposes: to facilitate the soul's reflection and self-understanding, and to act as a reference for future administrators when guiding or judging it.
Its core function is simple and direct: to reflect and replay all the experiences and scenes of the soul in its previous life.
Wu also received this information in his mind, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He instantly understood the purpose of the mirror.
Such a thing exists... capable of recording and reproducing the complete life of every soul... Just who is the current manager of this sacred land?
"Just watch!" Hozuki Gengetsu triumphantly raised the mirror in his hand, shouting at Mu and all the Mist and Iwa ninja who were watching, "In the final moments of my life, what will be reflected in this mirror is definitely your pathetic death!"
Seeing that the Second Tsuchikage and his subordinates on both sides had their attention drawn to this, Hozuki Gengetsu couldn't wait to activate the mirror.
However, what first appeared on the mirror was not the thrilling final battle, but a yellow-haired kid who looked a bit naughty, practicing water-style ninjutsu in front of a puddle.
"...Is this you when you were a child? Just as stupid and violent as you are now. No wonder you grew up to be that kind of battle maniac."
"W-what?! Who told you to look at this?!"
"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we supposed to stay here and watch you grow up from when you were a baby wetting the bed until you become an old man? I don't have that kind of time."
"Idiot! Use your brain!"
"Since it's such a convenient thing, how could it not have a fast-forward function! Let me see... how do I use this thing?"