How could you tell if a man and a woman had… gotten involved?
Namikaze Minato believed a single glance was enough.
Following Fox into Tsunade's office, Minato immediately sensed something… different.
The way Tsunade looked at Fox—he had never seen that before.
That sharp, commanding woman… her gaze now resembled the way Uzumaki Kushina looked at him.
But the moment her eyes caught Minato standing behind Fox, her expression returned to normal.
"Tsunade," Yako said, "I need to review the Uzumaki clan's sealing scrolls. There's a forbidden technique I want to study."
Tsunade replied, "Kushina is still young, so I've been keeping the Uzumaki sealing scrolls for her. Only Kushina and Minato have been allowed to see them so far. Which technique are you interested in?"
"The Reaper Death Seal."
Tsunade didn't ask further. She unsealed a massive scroll, nearly half a person tall.
Yako spread it open.
Countless sealing techniques filled its surface—descriptions, principles, formulas, and even release methods.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Yin–Yang sealing series…
And at the very end—
The Reaper Death Seal.
"Summoning the Shinigami through hand seals… does something like that truly exist in this world?" Yako muttered, reading.
"To consume the target's soul at the cost of one's own, sealing both eternally within the Shinigami's belly…"
Tsunade spoke softly, "Fox, even you must be careful. The Uzumaki records are clear—this technique guarantees death."
"I know," Yako said calmly.
"Minato, you too. Once you learn this, don't even think about using it to die alongside your enemy."
Minato nodded.
—
After leaving the office, Minato brought Yako to the Uzumaki clan's Mask Shrine.
Looking at the wall full of masks, Minato smiled.
"Konoha treats Kushina well. This entire shrine was built just for her. All these masks were brought from Uzushio Village."
Yako didn't correct him.
Kushina's control over the Nine-Tails wasn't strong enough yet.
It wasn't time for her to know the truth.
Minato pointed upward.
"Fox-sama, that one—that's the Shinigami mask. You need it to train the Reaper Death Seal."
A vine shot out from Yako's sleeve, wrapping around the mask and pulling it down.
The moment he held it—
He felt its weight.
Not physical weight…
But the weight of a soul.
Even a slight probe with chakra caused his flow to slow unnaturally.
"Fox-sama, be careful—"
Before Minato could finish, Yako had already removed his fox mask…
And put on the Shinigami mask.
Hand seals formed.
The moment the technique activated—
Yako's soul changed.
It grew light… unbearably light.
As if it wanted to leave his body.
Just like a released Impure World Reincarnation… or Kato Dan's Spirit Transformation Technique…
His soul began to drift upward.
Once separated, he saw Minato speaking urgently below—but heard nothing.
He had already left the physical world.
His soul rose higher and higher—
Breaking through the shrine roof, ascending into the sky.
Time lost meaning.
Konoha shrank—from a vast village… into a tiny black dot.
Higher still—
The earth began to curve.
Until finally—
It resembled a droplet.
And above him—
Another droplet, shrouded in gray mist.
Two droplets—
One below, one above—
Formed an hourglass.
Reality and the Pure Land.
Two poles of existence.
And at the narrow center—
The Shinigami.
Before it lay the living world.
Behind it—the destination of all souls.
The Pure Land.
Countless faintly glowing souls drifted upward, passing through the narrow waist, entering eternal rest.
The moment Yako saw it—
He understood.
Normally, only the dead could reach the Pure Land.
But the Reaper Death Seal allowed one to sacrifice their soul prematurely—
Offering it to the Shinigami.
In exchange—
The Shinigami would descend… and seal the enemy's soul.
But now—
The Shinigami's eyes turned.
It stared at Yako.
A living soul… where it did not belong.
Yako's scalp tingled.
A cursed hand reached out toward him.
According to Uzumaki records, this was the moment one formed a contract.
But—
That was not what was happening.
And Yako… hadn't come here to learn.
He came for something else.
To understand the nature of the soul.
In this world—
The dead did not vanish.
Their souls entered the Pure Land.
Even after death, they could be summoned again.
Even sealed souls… remained within the Shinigami.
Destroying a body was easy.
But how did one truly erase a soul?
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya… her soul could not be destroyed.
Even sealed, she would eventually return.
Asura.
Indra.
Their souls reincarnated endlessly.
Perpetuating conflict.
Even the Sage of Six Paths lingered like a ghost over the world.
All these lingering souls—
Pressed down on Yako like suffocation.
He didn't want to be saved.
Who decided who was a savior?
These ghosts—
All of them had to be erased.
The Shinigami before him—
Was a warden of souls.
It held answers.
Its hand reached him—
—
And suddenly—
A crimson hand grabbed its wrist.
The Shinigami froze.
Before it stood—
A grotesque figure, wrapped in blood-like brilliance.
The Evil God.
"Soul-binding thief!"
Yako's eyes narrowed.
The Shinigami… recognized it?
A thief of souls…
It made sense.
The Evil God trapped souls within its blood domain.
Like stealing them from the natural cycle.
Hidan's soul existed in such a state—neither alive nor truly dead.
The Shinigami drew its blade—
Striking down.
At that moment—
The Threefold Wrathful King Dharma Form manifested.
Two arms seized the Shinigami's limbs.
Three divine forces—
Collided violently at the boundary between life and death.
The gray mist surged.
Here—
The Shinigami was absolute.
[Host death detected. Arc of the Waning Moon activating…]
—
Yako returned.
To the previous full moon.
Just days earlier.
He hadn't used the system in months.
And yet—
The Shinigami had killed him.
—
He inhaled.
A familiar scent.
Not Tsunade's room.
Instead—
The orphanage.
He lay beside Yakushi Nono.
He reached out, turning her gently, exploring her warmth.
Half an hour later—
He sat up, breathing heavily.
"I'll have Tsunade allocate funds to expand the orphanage. This place is too cramped… especially your office."
Nono gave him a sidelong glance.
"And Tsunade won't get jealous?"
"You already know?" Yako replied instantly.
"Tsunade wouldn't let petty emotions interfere with Konoha's development.
The orphanage is part of the village's internal structure, isn't it?"
—
Leaving the orphanage, Yako reviewed his reward.
[Arc of the Waning Moon activated]
[One resurrection per month]
[Reward selection:]
1 — Forbidden Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal
2 — Reaper Death Seal: Release
3 — Shinigami · Soul-Seizing Pure Land
The first two were meaningless.
The third…
Had to do with souls.
He chose it.
A gray domain formed within his soul.
His inner world split—
One side a sea of blood.
The other—
A misty Pure Land.
Above it—
A Shinigami figure emerged.
Now—
Three powers stood within him:
The Wrathful King.
The Evil God.
The Shinigami.
A trinity of soul-based power.
The Evil God strengthened his soul.
Once strong enough—
He could wield the Shinigami's power.
To capture souls.
To hunt—
Asura.
Indra.
The Sage of Six Paths.
And one day—
Destroy them completely.
His path was clear.
—
But the enemies had vanished.
After Madara's death, none dared appear.
—
In Iwagakure—
The Deva Path stepped outside the gates.
Black and White Zetsu appeared beside him.
"Well?"
"Ōnoki understands Konoha's strength now.
He's contacted the Raikage.
Once the Two-Tails revives…
The Third Shinobi War will begin.
A war to destroy Konoha."
He paused.
"Konoha… has become too strong."