One Piece: I am Imu
Chapter 384: Echoes in the Pure Land

Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Echoes in the Pure Land

Who knew how much time had passed—or how many he had slain?

Alone, Madara broke through the outer defenses of the Soul Barrier and reached the interior of the Shinobi Sect.

There, he saw Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo slowly descending from the sky.

"Impressive."

Floating in midair, Hagoromo looked down at Madara—who wasn’t even winded—and offered praise.

But Madara didn’t care for the compliment, nor did he show reverence for Hagoromo’s identity.

Instead, his attention was drawn to the pair of Rinnegan in Hagoromo’s eyes.

Still, he chose to ask what he wanted most to know: "If you’re the Sage of Six Paths—then tell me: what is the World Government?"

"Very well."

Hagoromo agreed without hesitation.

He had already scanned the memories of many foreign spirits—

And learned quite a bit about the World Government and the King of the Dead.

To be honest—

He was quite shocked.

But after sifting through the memories detailing the actions of the World Government—especially their policies and attitudes after conquering other worlds—

He couldn’t help but feel that they weren’t entirely evil.

True, their rule was overbearing. Every aspect of life had to conform completely to their laws and commands.

But compared to the Ōtsutsuki clan, who drained entire planets dry using the Divine Tree—

The World Government’s methods almost seemed like a normal form of governance.

Even so, that alone wasn’t enough to make Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo give up the fight.

Regardless of everything else, battle must come first.

If they could win, they would hold the initiative, and be in a position to negotiate from strength.

Perhaps they might even gain an ally to face the Ōtsutsuki clan together.

And at last, Hagoromo began to understand why the Three Great Sage Regions had suddenly cut ties with the shinobi world—choosing neutrality in this war.

"Looks like Gamamaru foresaw something... and most likely, it was the shinobi world’s defeat."

Meanwhile—

Uchiha Madara had already begun absorbing the intel that Hagoromo was transmitting via ocular power.

"Wh—what is this..."

As the full scope of the World Government’s structure slowly unfolded before him—

Madara’s fists clenched instinctively.

"A worthy opponent!"

"Then let me, Uchiha Madara, be the one to test your strength, World Government!"

Suppressing the surging excitement in his chest, his eyes suddenly flared into the shape of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He lifted his gaze—

Fixating on the four figures standing near the gaping black vortex in the sky.

...

A dozen minutes earlier.

In the Pure Land, atop a high slope.

"What on earth is going on here?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad in a black combat uniform, stood with a look of shock on his face as he gazed into the distance—at the blazing firelight covering the sky and the massive black hole that sent chills down his spine.

Standing beside him was Shimura Danzō.

These two old comrades had died almost one after the other.

Given that—and perhaps due to a bit of fate—it wasn’t all that surprising they had run into each other here.

Danzō had been surprised to see Hiruzen arrive so soon after him.

Especially after learning that Hiruzen had died at the hands of Aramaki—the very enemy he had hoped to take down in his place—Danzō had been left stunned and furious.

But what could they do? They were already dead.

With no choice in the matter,

The two could only shift their focus to the situation now unfolding in the Pure Land.

"It looks like this place has been invaded too—and it’s very likely the invaders came from another world."

Danzō, who had arrived just seconds earlier than Hiruzen, said in a deep voice as he stared at the black hole in the sky that was continuously spewing out countless figures.

Hiruzen was speechless upon hearing this.

What had become of the Shinobi World?

The living world and the underworld had both been invaded simultaneously. Everything was happening far too suddenly.

"Look—!"

Suddenly—

Both of them noticed, at nearly the same time, an overwhelming sea of fire erupting on the distant ground.

Its scale was so immense that they were left utterly dumbfounded.

"Is that a Fire Release?"

Danzō muttered uncertainly.

"That seems like the B-rank Great Fire Annihilation technique. But the scale... it’s at least twice the size of the standard version."

Before long,

The two observed from their elevated vantage point a crimson-armored figure charging through the dense horde of demons and monsters, utterly unstoppable.

His physical prowess, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and combat instincts were so overwhelmingly powerful it defied belief.

Every movement of that figure was swift, decisive, and elegant—it stirred their blood and was a pleasure to behold.

"Wait a second... that looks like... Uchiha Madara?"

Danzō, who was more familiar with the Uchiha clan, squinted at the figure for a moment and seemed to recognize him.

"What?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen whipped his head toward Danzō, unable to believe what he had just heard.

He quickly turned his gaze back to the crimson-armored figure still wreaking havoc in the distance—and as he stared, his eyes widened in disbelief.

There was no mistake. That was Uchiha Madara!

"But didn’t he die ages ago? Why is he here, same as us?"

"Monkey, did dying make your brain dull?"

Danzō gave Hiruzen a blank look. "Why do you assume he just died recently? Can’t he have been here a long time already?"

"Uh—"

Hiruzen paused, then chuckled awkwardly.

Then Danzō asked, "So what now? Do we go talk to him?"

Though his words were tinged with sarcasm, he still habitually deferred to Hiruzen for decisions.

"Of course we should help. This is the Pure Land of our Shinobi World, after all. Let’s head in his direction—maybe we’ll find others too."

Hiruzen nodded.

Having made up their minds, the two turned into blurs and leapt down from the slope, darting toward the battlefield.

But before long, they were forced to stop in their tracks.

Because up ahead, a lone figure suddenly appeared, standing quietly in place. It was unclear whether this was a coincidence—or whether the person had been deliberately waiting for them.

A high ponytail of deep crimson hair.

A crimson haori over black trousers, cinched with a white belt.

A pale hand resting on the hilt of a long blade sheathed at the waist, radiating an aura of calm and stillness.

"Who might you be?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō exchanged a wary glance. Hiruzen took the lead, asking in a steady tone.

The figure did not reply immediately.

The silence grew heavy, the pressure between them mounting. The distant roars and explosions from the battlefield only added to the grim, oppressive atmosphere.

After a few moments, the figure slowly turned around.

A youthful man’s face came into view—handsome and refined, the very picture of Eastern aesthetics.

Especially striking were his beautiful crimson eyes, and the flame-like red markings along the left side of his face, both of which only heightened his magnetic presence.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, this man’s appearance rivaled even Namikaze Minato’s.

"Soul of the Demon Slayer World—Tsugikuni Yoriichi. A pleasure to meet you."

He gazed deeply at the two opponents he had chosen.

He hadn’t originally intended to participate in this invasion.

But everything changed when the King of the Dead told him that his wife—the only woman he had ever loved, Uta—

Because she had been devoured by a demon in life, she was unable to enter the normal cycle of reincarnation. She now suffered in the depths of Hell.

The King of the Dead had offered him a deal: if the strongest warrior of the Demon Slayer World were willing to fight for him—

Then he would free Uta from her torment in Hell.

And if his performance proved exceptional, he might even be allowed to reunite with her in the Underworld.

So Yoriichi had no choice but to come.

"The Demon Slayer World... So you’re an invader too!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō’s eyes instantly grew cold.

Their killing intent surged as chakra erupted from within them.

"I am deeply ashamed... but I, too, have reasons that compel me to fight," Yoriichi said solemnly, his voice heavy with conflicted emotion.

"In that case, there’s no need for further words!"

Danzō sneered coldly. No longer holding back, he swiftly formed hand seals and launched the first strike: "Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, perfectly in sync with Danzō’s Wind Release, unleashed his Fire Release without hesitation.

In the blink of an eye, a monstrous wall of flame over ten metres tall and several dozen metres wide roared forth, melting the Pure Land’s terrain into flowing magma.

[Swish!]

A second later—

They clearly heard the sharp ring of a blade being drawn, and watched in astonishment as the massive tide of fire they had just unleashed—

Was sliced into countless blocks by arcs of blazing crimson light.

And then—

They exploded outward in a chaotic burst.

And from within those flames...

Tsugikuni Yoriichi stepped forth, calm and unharmed.

The long blade in his hand was quite unusual. Though flame-like patterns were etched along its surface, the metal itself was black—yet it shimmered with a dangerous red glow.

"This is the Breath of the Sun. I humbly ask for your guidance."

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō’s expressions grew grave.

---

I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

---