"Oh? So these are the sacred tools left behind by the Sage of Six Paths?"
Master Bunpuku's eyes shone with excitement as he gazed at the Amber Purifying Pot and Crimson Gourd before him.
Chiyo nodded gravely. "That's right."
"You're saying the souls of the First and Second Hokage are sealed inside these?" Bunpuku asked, voice trembling.
Chiyo nodded again. "More accurately, it's a special type of ninjutsu."
"I'd like to hear the details," Bunpuku said, leaning in.
"According to the Kazekage, this technique was created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. It uses living people as sacrifices…" Chiyo proceeded to explain the conditions of the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu in detail.
Bunpuku listened, growing more and more horrified. Such a wicked jutsu existed in this world? Not only did it disturb the peace of the dead, but it actually required living sacrifices! Unthinkable!
Chiyo watched his reaction with satisfaction, knowing the moment was right. She pressed on, "Originally, this technique was classified as forbidden, but Konoha used it again to turn the tide, summoning the First and Second Hokage back to the living world."
"Amitabha… such sin, such sin…" Bunpuku pressed his palms together, chanting the Buddha's name. In his eyes, this had crossed a line—utterly inhumane.
But Chiyo's tone softened. "Fortunately, Jinghang kept his head in the crisis and borrowed the Six Paths tools from Kumogakure to seal both Hokage, preventing any casualties."
At this, Bunpuku's face lit up with relief. "Amitabha, how virtuous. Benefactor Jinghang's actions averted disaster—truly an act of immense merit."
"Yes, but there's a new problem," Chiyo continued. "Those Six Paths tools belong to Kumogakure, so naturally they must be returned. The souls of the First and Second Hokage also cannot remain in this world for long. That's why Jinghang entrusted me to ask you, Master Bunpuku—could your profound Buddhist arts help guide these two souls to the Pure Land? Let the dead rest in peace."
Bunpuku didn't answer right away. Instead, he fell into deep thought. "This… I cannot shirk such a responsibility. But to perform such a rite… I must consider the method carefully."
Chiyo didn't rush him. Once a monk agreed to something, he had to see it through—there was no backing out.
At length, Bunpuku spoke, voice low. "It seems I must use that method."
"What method?" Chiyo asked.
"Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel."
"Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel?" Chiyo echoed, unfamiliar with the name.
Bunpuku nodded. "It's the ultimate technique of the Manji Seal—so powerful that even my own master never used it."
"Oh? I've never heard of it. What makes it special?" As a fellow sealing master, Chiyo was immediately intrigued by any technique with such a grand name.
"Elder Chiyo, please follow me," Bunpuku said, gesturing politely.
The two made their way to the rear courtyard of the Sand Temple, where a small pagoda stood. Bunpuku pressed his palms together, murmured a few Buddhist chants, then suddenly slid aside a floor tile.
"What's this?" Chiyo's eyes widened as she peered into a deep, seemingly bottomless tunnel.
"This is the crypt beneath the Sand Temple—the resting place of every abbot who came before me," Bunpuku explained.
"Really?" Chiyo was surprised. The Sand Temple had been destroyed and rebuilt many times; who would have thought there was such a hidden world beneath it?
Bunpuku produced a flashlight from somewhere and took the lead down the stairs. "Come along, Elder Chiyo."
Chiyo followed, her curiosity piqued. The passage was long and dim, but not cramped—two people could walk side by side. She trailed behind Bunpuku's light, step by careful step.
"Actually, the Sand Temple predates even Sunagakure itself," Bunpuku said as they descended. "Back then, it wasn't called the Sand Temple—it was known as the Demon-Subduing Temple."
"Oh? I've never heard that before," Chiyo said.
"There's nothing especially mysterious about it," Bunpuku chuckled. "The 'demon' it subdued wasn't some evil spirit—it was Shukaku."
He gently patted his belly, as if soothing something inside.
"Shukaku was born in the era of the Sage of Six Paths—playful by nature, fond of killing, happiest when covering everything in sandstorms. It caused havoc for all living things in the desert. Later, a monk—the first abbot of this temple, Master Sōjun—sealed Shukaku inside himself, becoming the first jinchūriki. He dug a well here and built the temple to guide the souls of those lost in the sands. I'm the thirteenth to inherit that role."
"Wait, that doesn't add up. Didn't my late husband bring Shukaku back from Konoha after the first Five Kage Summit?" Chiyo interjected.
"That's true as well," Bunpuku admitted. "My great-grand-master faltered as a jinchūriki—his control was lacking, and Shukaku escaped. It was captured by Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, then brought back by Lord Rettō and resealed into my master's body."
"Huh… Rettō never told me any of this."
"That's because my master struck a deal with Sunagakure—Shukaku would forever serve as the village's strategic weapon, and the Demon-Subduing Temple was renamed the Sand Temple. You hadn't married into the family yet, so you wouldn't have known. When Lord Rettō died young, he probably didn't have time to tell you."
"I see. Please continue."
"Master Sōjun left behind a formidable array—the Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel. It's said even the world's most powerful evil spirits can be subdued and guided to rest, but the requirements are extremely strict."
"What requirements?"
By now, they'd reached the crypt. Despite the grand name, it wasn't very large—about half a basketball court in size. The furnishings were simple: thirteen offering tables, each with a silver box atop it—except for one table, which was empty. In the center stood a massive, closed black umbrella, easily eight or nine meters tall.
Bunpuku didn't answer immediately. He stepped forward, bowed deeply to the umbrella, then reached out and opened it.
In an instant, the dark crypt was flooded with golden light, dazzling and pure. Somewhere in the shimmering air, the low, solemn chanting of Buddhist sutras could be heard.
Chiyo could hardly believe her eyes. As a master of sealing herself, she could sense immediately that this was an incredibly powerful barrier—but it wasn't complete.
"You see it too, don't you?" Bunpuku smiled.
Chiyo nodded. "Yes."
"This is only the formation core of the Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel. To complete the entire seal, we need twelve relics from truly virtuous monks."
Chiyo's eyes lit up. "The twelve offering tables—could those be…?"
"Exactly! The relics of every abbot who's ever served at the Sand Temple." Bunpuku's excitement was palpable.
"Honestly, I always thought the technique my master taught me was just for show. Where would we ever find evil spirits strong enough to require the Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel? But perhaps Buddha was guiding us all along—at last, in my hands, the thirteenth abbot, this technique will shine."
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