There was a deeply concealed location that had been designated as an absolute forbidden zone by the village for centuries. Other than the clan leader and a few senior elders with real authority, not even the core clan members knew of its existence.
This forbidden area was the Mask Storage Temple.
At this moment, outside the forbidden zone of the Mask Storage Temple, two figures appeared, Ashina and Shin.
"How do you know about this place, and why are you interested in it?" Ashina asked, clearly troubled.
He had been shocked when Shin said he wanted to see the Mask Storage Temple.
Who leaked the secret?
However, considering that Shin and Tsunade had just helped their village win a war they were certain to lose, even though he didn't understand Shin's reasons, Ashina brought him here out of gratitude and trust.
Shin explained, "Just curious, that's all. This past year, I've discovered several ancient ruins. After deciphering ancient texts, I've uncovered some old secrets, including... traces of gods once existing."
Hearing the word "gods," Ashina's pupils contracted. He took several deep breaths before regaining his composure, and his gaze toward Shin became noticeably strange. Because the Mask Storage Temple truly was related to gods, and as far as he knew, only the successive clan leaders of the Uzumaki clan were aware of this fact.
"…Alright then," he continued. "But you must remember this, once inside the Mask Storage Temple, do not do anything out of line. I can't guarantee what might happen if you do."
"Don't worry. I'm not the impulsive type."
After getting Shin's assurance, Ashina began undoing the many layers of seals that protected the passage. They entered a small wooden cabin with a simple, ancient aesthetic that gave off an air of mystery and solemnity.
Breaking through a few more restrictions, he lifted the wooden floor. The two descended a staircase into a strange, underground chamber.
The basement was spacious. On the left side of the entrance was an altar with candles, incense burners, and other ritual tools.
On the right was a table displaying several ancient scrolls.
But the most shocking sight was the walls, covered in mysterious runes and symbols, and the central wall neatly displayed 27 demonic-looking masks, each with a unique design.
"This is the Mask Storage Temple?"
"That's right," Ashina nodded. "The history of the shinobi world far surpasses what we imagine. But for some unknown reason, everything from ancient times has been lost. Aside from scraps left in ruins, the truth has long been buried. Our clan likely knows the most among those still alive."
"Could you tell me about it?" Shin asked with keen curiosity. Never underestimate the curiosity of a researcher. Since he was already here, he couldn't leave without uncovering some answers.
"Sigh… Alright," Ashina said, thinking that after nearly facing extinction, some secrets didn't seem as important anymore. He picked up a scroll from the table on the right and began to explain.
"The shinobi world has long gossiped that Uzushio wields some kind of evil power. Some even claim we intend to destroy the world using these forces. Others may laugh it off, but I understand, rumors always have some basis in truth. The so-called evil power… is these masks. But the truth is completely different from what they think. These powers cannot be wielded by anyone. Even we of the Uzumaki clan fear them. All we can do is seal them away, layer after layer."
"Then why did you still search for these masks?" Shin asked again.
Ashina didn't answer directly. Instead, he handed the scroll to him. "It's a long story. It's all written in here, take a look yourself."
Shin opened the scroll and began reading it carefully. The more he read, the more shocked he became. These masks weren't collected by the Uzumaki ancestors. They were painstakingly gathered by the Sage of Six Paths himself, who scoured the shinobi world in his final years to find them. As his life drew to a close, he became uneasy about leaving the masks behind, so he entrusted them to the Uzumaki ancestors, instructing them to seal the masks away for eternity, never to let them see the light of day.
The Uzumaki clan did indeed keep their promise, they established the Mask Storage Temple specifically for this purpose and guarded it faithfully for generations.
However, in those early days, they did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. After a few generations, someone couldn't resist and secretly began to study the masks.
The result? A terrifying incident occurred, and the existence of the Mask Storage Temple was exposed to outsiders.
The scroll did not clearly detail what that terrifying incident was.
But once people learned that Uzushio possibly held divine powers, some began to target the Mask Storage Temple, which eventually led to a war. At that time, the ninja villages hadn't been founded yet. Ninja operated in family-based clans. The Uzumaki clan, while perhaps not the absolute strongest, was undoubtedly ranked in the top five. They won that war without much difficulty.
Afterward, the ancestors of the Uzumaki clan issued a strict warning to future generations: never research the masks, and never reveal the existence of the Mask Storage Temple. Anyone who did would be treated as a traitor of the highest order, and their entire family would be mercilessly wiped out. By the time of the current generation, deliberate misinformation and secrecy had ensured that, aside from Ashina and a few elders, even the Uzumaki clan themselves had long since forgotten about that history and the Mask Storage Temple.
Who would've thought that even if the Uzumaki no longer remembered, someone in the shinobi world still did? Perhaps those people had only seen vague references in ancient records. Maybe they didn't truly believe it, and were just looking for an excuse to start a war.
But the truth was this: they didn't wield evil power, they had sealed it away.
After reading everything written in the scroll, Shin suddenly understood. He had always found it strange, why did the Uzumaki clan have this bizarre obsession, painstakingly collecting these masks?
And after collecting them, why simply seal them away in secret, without using them?
Now he knew, it was the work of the Sage of Six Paths. With that, everything made sense.
After returning the scroll to Ashina, he suddenly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
What was Shin doing? Hadn't he just warned him repeatedly not to do anything reckless? And now he suddenly activated his Mangekyō?
He just realized, Shin had always worn bandages over his eyes, hadn't he?
The lighting had been dim earlier, and he hadn't noticed that the bandages were already gone. And he had even reminded him to be careful... only to find out Shin had planned something from the start. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel✶fire.net
Seeing Shin's vivid, intricate eyes, Ashina couldn't help but shout inwardly, You pretended to be blind?! Seriously?!
Looking into those eyes, with their mysterious and unfathomable patterns, even someone like him felt a trace of fear.
Over the past two months, he had spoken often with Shin and Tsunade. He had learned about Shin's past.
Now, seeing those eyes, Shin's act of feigned blindness, and knowing how carefully he had plotted against people like the Third Hokage, Ashina could only think, Hiruzen... you'd better pray for yourself. As for me, I stand firmly with Tsunade and Shin.
After exhaling slowly, a light flashed in Shin's left eye, and he gazed directly at the mask he felt was the safest, the Shinigami Mask.
But in the very next moment, a powerful sense of dread surged through him, shaking him to his very soul. Scarlet blood flowed from his left eye, forcing him to shut it and begin to recover from the damage.
And it seems... incredibly worthy of study!