Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 126 Sakumo Hatake, I will send you to kill Kakashi.
The 'shadow' walked out of the underground space.

There is no doubt that the modification of the "Box of Elysium" is now complete.

So now, he needs a test subject, a test subject to test the effects of the "Box of Ecstasy".

"Manifestation - Entering the gap between the Pure Land and the Ninja World, once." He silently recited in his heart.

[Spend 1000 points, will you realize this?]

"Representation."

As the thought arose in his mind, 'Shadow' felt an extremely strong tearing force.

But it wasn't tearing apart his clone's body, but rather tearing apart the soul fragments of the 'wedge' in his hand.

The 'Shadow', this clone belonging to Hyuga Kumokawa, was created by planting a 'Wedge' on the basis of a Shadow Clone and adding the 'Shadow Robe', which is why it is so special.

The 'Shadow' did not resist the soul-tearing force, and the core of the soul naturally emerged from the 'Wedge'.

The soul's appearance was that of Hyuga Kumokawa, but it was still shrouded in a "shadow robe" formed by Yin Release, as that power gradually seeped into the ground.

It was as if he had crossed an invisible and colorless boundary and stepped into a space that could not be described by common sense.

Is this the 'gap'?

Hyuga Kumokawa looked at the scene before him and involuntarily narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, "It's really impressive that Hatake Sakumo could wait for Kakashi in this godforsaken place for more than 20 years."

Before him lay a deathly silence unlike any other place he had ever been before, and all around him was a chaotic void that seemed capable of swallowing all light.

There is no sense of direction here, no distinction between up, down, left, or right. Beneath your feet lies a solid, flat, yet unreal ground that stretches into endless darkness.

There was no air movement, no temperature change, only absolute stillness.

Time has lost its meaning here.

This is the gap between the Pure Land and the present world.

A blank, flat, and desolate void.

"It's really difficult to find someone in a place like this."

Hinata Kumokawa simply smiled, but wasn't too surprised, and the shadow robe around him began to ripple.

If a ninja with exceptional sensory abilities were here, they would notice that his chakra aura is changing, gradually approaching that of Kakashi Hatake.

Hyuga Kumokawa knew very well that if everyone with a strong attachment stayed here, then given the chaotic and distorted state of the ninja world, the 'Gap' would be extremely crowded.

It's impossible that only Nohara Rin and Hatake Sakumo had such obsessions in the entire ninja world.

Therefore, the reason why Kakashi Hatake was able to accurately encounter Sakumo Hatake after being killed by Pain must be because other necessary conditions were met.

Given the Sage of Six Paths' wish to "transform chakra into bonds connecting people," this necessary condition is self-evident.

The moment that Xiang Yunchuan simulated the chakra aura belonging to Hatake Kakashi, which gradually spread out.

hum!
Like a pebble thrown into a lake, ripples spread across the calm surface, extending into the boundless darkness.

Finally, Hinata Kumokawa smiled and said softly, "I've found you."

He felt that the "ripples" were like touching a reef, with an extremely faint yet exceptionally clear wave pattern returning to him.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hinata Kumokawa followed that faint connection and stepped forward.

Moving forward in this absolutely flat void, devoid of any reference points, is not about relying on footsteps, nor on sight or hearing, but rather a kind of "approach" at the level of the soul.

His movement did not last long; in the depths of the impenetrable darkness ahead, a faint light gradually appeared.

The light had a warm orange-red hue.

That's the color of flames.

As Hinata Kumokawa approached, the firelight gradually became clearer and larger.

A lone campfire burns quietly in the darkness, its flames swaying even without wind, its warmth dispelling the surrounding desolation.

Those few pieces of firewood seemed to burn endlessly, becoming the only source of light in this void, creating a small visible area of ​​about a few meters in radius.

Beside the fire, on a rock, sat a figure.

The person had their back to Hinata Kumokawa, with a white armband embroidered with a red pattern on the cuff of their left arm, and short, silver-white hair that gleamed warmly.

He sat there quietly, like a stone statue frozen between life and death, the firelight casting a long shadow of him against the boundless darkness and silence behind him.

That figure from behind overlapped with the figure in Hinata Kumokawa's memory.

Konoha Shiroka - Hatake Sakumo.

A powerful soul that should have entered the Pure Land to rest in peace, but is bound by unresolved regrets and guilt, and lingers here.

"Is that Kakashi?"

Sakumo Hatake, still with his back to Hyuga Kumokawa, stared at the ball of fire. A voice that seemed calm, numb, and relieved reached his ears.

Hinata Kumokawa did not answer, but walked to the rock next to him, brushed away non-existent dust, and sat down beside him, his movements as natural as if it were the only way he should.

"you……"

At this moment, Sakumo Hatake realized that the figure beside him, whose aura was the same as Kakashi's, was not the person he knew. He was stunned for a moment and opened his mouth in astonishment. "To think that he could endure more than twenty years of loneliness and pain in a place like this."

Hinata Kumokawa's gaze fell on the stubbornly burning flames before him. As if speaking to the flames or talking to himself, he sighed and exclaimed, "It's really amazing."

This space is, without a doubt, a place through which all the dead souls must briefly linger before entering the Pure Land to slumber.

However, no one would stay in such a desolate place, where there is nothing and no concept of time, for long.

There was no light, no sound, no sense of the passage of time, and no sensory feedback.

This feeling is akin to being locked in a dark and silent room, where every second spent there is a terrifying and painful torment.

Therefore, the fact that Sakumo Hatake could stay in such a horrible place for more than 20 years shows just how deep his obsession with Kakashi Hatake was.

Even Hyuga Kumokawa couldn't help but sigh at the sheer force of this unwavering determination.

Hmm, this near-madman, if he could be transformed into 'Void'...

"More than twenty years?"

Upon hearing this, Sakumo Hatake's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Time here has long been confused, blurred, and even distorted. If Hinata Kumokawa hadn't pointed it out, he himself wouldn't have been able to accurately perceive how long he had been here.

But soon, a deeper chill seeped from the bottom of his heart, a chill that even the flames in front of him could not warm.

"who are you?"

Sakumo Hatake spoke again, his voice even drier than before. He slowly turned half of his face to the side, the firelight outlining his resolute yet weathered profile.

Those eyes were fixed on the strange figure beside him, filled with an instinctive vigilance and scrutiny honed in his previous life.

"I know what Kakashi means to you."

Hyuga Kumokawa ignored Hatake Sakumo's reaction, his gaze remaining fixed on the flickering flame, his tone calm and unwavering: "You want to see him, Hatake Sakumo."

"You gave up the chance to enter the Pure Land and find peace, and instead endure endless pain and deathly silence here, simply because you can't let go of that deep-seated guilt in your heart, and..."

"I want to confirm one last time whether the son you abandoned, who was only a few years old, is still alive and whether he is living like a human being."

Every word Hinata Kumokawa uttered was like a scalpel, precisely cutting into Sakumo's most painful scars.

Sakumo Hatake's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand from his knees.

However, Hinata Kumokawa's next words made his body stiffen instantly.

"I will take you away and back to the ninja world."

"Of course, this is a declaration, not a request."

Having said that, Hyuga Kumokawa slowly stood up, looking down at Hatake Sakumo, who was caught in the massive impact, his voice carrying an almost cruel truth:

"I will erase all your memories, emotions, and personality, and I will even make you go to Konoha to kill Kakashi Hatake with your own hands..."

Hinata Kumokawa might not actually do that, but he needs Hatake Sakumo's strong conviction to ensure that the other party gives his all in the battle of the 'Hollows'.

"you!"

Hatake Sakumo was jolted awake from his daze, his eyes instantly turning sharp and fierce, and he instinctively wanted to attack the guy.

However, the next moment, he found that his body could not move, and a cold chill seemed to freeze his soul.

"You have no choice, Sakumo Hatake."

Hinata Kumokawa slowly raised his right hand, without forming any hand seals or saying anything, and the shadow beneath his feet seemed to come alive.

This shadow, manifested from the depths of his soul, had already silently crept up onto his ankle before Hatake Sakumo even noticed it.

"Who are you, and what do you want to do to Kakashi?!"

The usually calm and composed Hatake Sakumo finally revealed the violent and ruthless nature deep within his soul after hearing that this guy was planning to attack Kakashi, and his face became ferocious and distorted.

“If you don’t want that to happen,” Hinata Kumokawa’s face, shrouded in shadow, smiled, “then continue to struggle and fight in pain and despair.”

"Let me see how far you can go."

"Please don't let me down."

As he spoke, the viscous black shadow rapidly spread upwards from Hatake Sakumo's legs, enveloping him, little by little, until it reached his knees, waist, chest, silver-white short hair, and face...

The flames gradually dimmed.

And at the very moment that Sakumo Hatake was completely swallowed by darkness.

The flame that had stubbornly burned for more than twenty years, as if having lost its last bit of strength, suddenly went out with a soft sound.

Hatake Sakumo's figure vanished without a trace, and Hyuga Kumokawa withdrew his hand, his figure disappearing silently into the darkness like a stroke of ink.

After he disappeared, a faint gaze swept across the area, lingering on the extinguished fire.

"Any new changes?"

The aged voice seemed to drift from afar, its tone carrying a thoughtful calm.

(End of this chapter)