Chapter 45: The Uzumaki Clan Shrine
The Uzumaki clan shrine. It was both the final destination of their mission and the perfect place to seal Hidan.
The Land of Whirlpools had fallen over twenty years ago. Any structures not destroyed by the fires of war had long since crumbled under the erosion of time.
Add to that the diligent "excavation" by various "heroes" and treasure hunters over the years, and the few remaining ruins of Uzushiogakure had been reduced to utter rubble.
The only place that might still hold any value was the underground section of the Uzumaki shrine.
Naruto stepped on a broken roof tile, crunching it underfoot. He frowned at the devastation around him. "How did it end up like this? This used to be a whole village, right? Now it looks worse than a garbage dump."
Sasuke walked over to a broken wall, examining the scratches on the stone. "These marks are new. Probably left within the last few years. Looks like a lot of people have been here. Most likely looking for Uzumaki relics or anything else valuable, just like us."
Shikamaru held a map, drawn by Konoha surveyors back when Uzushiogakure still stood.
But now, most of the landmarks on the map were gone.
"According to the map, we're in the central district of Uzushiogakure. The shrine shouldn't be far. But with all the destruction, it's hard to pinpoint the exact route."
"Neji!" Asuma ordered. "Byakugan! Check below."
"Yes, sir!"
Neji activated his Byakugan, his vision sweeping through the layers of rubble and earth beneath the ruins.
A moment later, he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Asuma-sensei, I don't sense any living people nearby. However, under a pile of rubble to the west, something is blocking my vision."
"Blocking your vision? Is it a barrier jutsu placed by someone, or an ancient Uzumaki mechanism?" Asuma repeated.
Naruto leaned in close to Neji. "Neji, is the blocked area big? Can you tell what's inside?"
Neji opened his Byakugan again, focusing intently. He shook his head slowly. "It's not large. Maybe the size of a single room. The chakra inside is chaotic, wrapped in some kind of power. I can't penetrate it at all. But I can confirm it's not natural."
Sasuke turned to the west. "Whether it's a barrier or an ancient mechanism, if it's lasted this long in Uzushiogakure and can block the Byakugan, it's not simple. It might be related to the shrine. It could even be the entrance."
Shikamaru spread the old map, trying to match the western ruins with any markings. "The map says the west side used to be the Uzumaki ritual grounds, near the shrine. The buildings are gone, so the landmarks don't match, but location-wise... Neji's spot could definitely be near the shrine."
"Alright! Everyone, move out!"
Inside the underground Uzumaki shrine, Orochimaru was meticulously selecting from a wall of masks.
As descendants of Asura, the younger son of the Sage of Six Paths, the Uzumaki clan had been responsible for the rituals and prayers of Ninshu. Consequently, they had a special affinity for masks.
On the walls of the underground shrine, the patterns on every mask recorded a piece of the clan's thousand-year history.
There were twisted demon faces, weeping priestess faces, and even beast faces that resembled the Tailed Beasts.
"Such a nostalgic collection..." Orochimaru stopped in front of the mask in the center—the Reaper Death Seal mask. In her past life, she had taken this very mask to break the Reaper Death Seal, releasing the souls trapped within to perform the Edo Tensei and "clean up the mess" for the shinobi world.
This time was no exception. The moment she learned Jiraiya had left the village and Naruto's group had been sent on a mission, Danzo's face had appeared in her mind.
"That old relic Danzo... he's probably busy stirring up trouble in the shadows right now. How ironic. We're the ones with the memories, yet he's the one still obsessed with these laughable power games."
"And once again, I have to be the one to wipe their asses."
She touched the pocket inside her robe. Inside lay the ring she had taken from Kakuzu's corpse, engraved with the character for "North."
After Might Guy killed Kakuzu, in the ensuing chaos, she had hidden in the shadows and pocketed the ring, the symbol of the Akatsuki's "Northern Star."
While the Konoha group was still struggling to figure out how to breach the barrier above, she had used her knowledge of Uzumaki barriers to slip in silently, clearing the obstacles for them in advance.
"Naruto and the others are still too slow," she murmured, her gaze sweeping over the masks again, returning to the Reaper mask. "But that's fine. It gives me enough time to choose."
She reached out and took the Reaper mask down. "Still as perfect as ever."
In her past life, when she took this mask, she had only cared about breaking the seal. She hadn't had time to investigate the mask's secrets.
Now, looking closer, the chaotic patterns were actually arrays used by the Uzumaki to communicate with the "Reaper" during rituals. If she could fully decipher them, she might find a new way to manipulate souls. That was far more interesting than simply breaking a seal.
She tucked the mask into her wide sleeve and looked at the mask next to it.
It was a fox mask, resembling the Nine-Tails. Slanted eyes, pointed ears, with faded red tassels on the sides.
On the forehead of the fox mask was a blurred character for "Nine." "A pity. The Nine-Tails is already sealed. This mask is just a decoration now."
From One to Nine, the Tailed Beast masks were arranged in order, each corresponding to the power of a beast.
"A pity. The Tailed Beasts have long been split up and sealed by the nations. These masks are useless now," Orochimaru sighed lightly. "Those Kage-level fools... they only know how to use the beasts as weapons. None of them ever thought about how to truly master their power. What a waste of heavenly gifts."
Outside the shrine, footsteps became audible, mixed with Naruto's loud voice. "Shikamaru, look! There's a path here! It looks like it goes deeper. Maybe the thing to seal Hidan is inside!"
"Don't rush, Naruto," Shikamaru's voice followed. "Check for traps first. It could be dangerous."
"What danger? There's so many of us!" Naruto retorted, though his footsteps slowed. "Besides, Hidan keeps cursing from inside the bag. If we don't seal him soon, my head's gonna explode."