Ashen clouds drifted across the sky, casting a dull gray hue over the mountain pass. Gaki and Koumei Kurosaki pressed forward, their footsteps echoing lightly through the ravine, worn from days of travel. They had left behind the walls of Yami Village, driven by the need to uncover the truth about the Shadow Organization—and to reclaim what had been stolen.
The air began to change.
It grew warmer, drier. The scent of charred wood and molten stone filled their lungs. Flames flickered faintly along the mountain ridges, but no smoke followed. The landscape had transformed—twisted trees stood frozen in mid-burn, their bark glowing with embers that never died out.
Then they saw it.
A hidden valley stretched out beneath them, encased by ridges of scorched stone and blackened peaks. Deep within, glowing torches lit a stone pathway that led toward structures carved into the cliffside—homes and temples pulsing with a strange energy, neither fully shadow nor fully fire.
Gaki narrowed his eyes.
"What is this place?"
Koumei stepped beside him, cautious.
"I'm not sure... but we better be careful. Something about this place feels... alive."
They descended carefully, their senses sharp. Every sound—every breeze—felt amplified. As they passed through the threshold of obsidian pillars, a sudden gust of heat blew past them, and from the shadows emerged cloaked figures. Their chakra flared—some red and burning, others dark and twisting.
The two Yami shinobi froze, instinctively lowering into a ready stance.
A tall figure stepped forward, his voice calm yet firm.
"Outsiders rarely come here. State your purpose."