(Maybe not ten, seven would do. Anyway, if it's your birthday today...Happy Birthday.)

West Rukongai, District 57,

Jay stepped at the foot of a mountain, looking at the settlement that was seemed to cover a massive area.

"Even from here, I can tell that the conditions of this place are much better," Jay kept his hands inside his coat's pockets.

Mabui agreed with him, "The whole city is built in a fashioned order, with a particular architecture in mind. Moreover, there seems to be a cleaner atmosphere here."

Jay chuckled, looking behind him. There wasn't anyone following. But after crossing more than 33 districts, they found quite a few people from their world. He just silently recruited them, asking them to form a chain, spread the economy, distribute food and rations.

He turned his scarlet eyes back towards District 57, scrutinizing it, "There is something else about this place...there. At the other end of the city, there is something there."

"Something that is calling you?"

Jay glanced towards Mabui, looking at her dazed face, "It's...or he's calling you too?"

"He?" Mabui looked into Jay's eyes in confusion, making him smile.

"I think...I know who that is," Jay stepped into the city, ignoring the peaceful and orderly people passing them by.

The two people crossed the city when their eyes fell on the small handmade house, which looked different.

He knocked on the door, waiting until it opened, seeing a young woman with long black hair, black eyes peeking from the other side of the gate, "Izumi?"

Izumi's eyes sparkled as she saw his surprised gaze, fulling opening the door, hugging him, "Jay!! You are alive!!"

She pulled back, sticking out tongue, "I mean dead, but...alive."

"No, no, no, the question is, why are you dead-" Jay narrowed his eyes, looking at Izumi. Since he lived in the Ninja world before this, he had been living in the Konoha since the time of the Nine-tailed beast's attack. Which was why he saved a few people who would have died without him, like Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and most of the Uchiha Clan to begin with.

He had watched Izumi grow up, which should have been a nice thing, "Wait...since you are here...does that mean."

"Yes, I am here as well," Itachi walked over, bowing as Izumi stepped back, linking her arm with Itachi's, grinning, "We got married."

"In death?" Jay raised his eyebrows. He wasn't surprised about them marrying since Izumi had been in love with Itachi ever since she was a kid. And Itachi might not say it, but Izumi was one girl that he loved, just not as much as his younger brother, "What happened after I died?"

Itachi invited them in, closing the door after they entered, "After you and Lady Tsunade died while killing Kaguya Otsutsuki, the war came to an abrupt end. Everyone was celebrating, but there was a wave of sadness over the battlefield. But we had to move forward and decide what we were going to do when a man appeared in front of us."

Jay walked the corridor, stopping in front of a room, opening the door, looking at the man at the center of the room, "Let me guess, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, The Sage of Six Paths?"

Hagoromo looked young, with two horns on his forehead, sipping tea, smiling, "We meet, Jay."

Jay puffed his breath out from between his lips, "So it wasn't what happened, but more of who happened?"

Hagoromo smiled as Itachi and Izumi sat down adjacent to him, and Jay sat down on the opposite of the square table. While Mabui bowed, nervously greeting Hagoromo, who asked her to sit as well.

Itachi continued his story, "After you died. Sage Hagoromo appeared in front of us, telling us about the changes in the afterlife. And how our universe seemed to have merged with another. At first, we were overjoyed to hear that everyone who died in the war would get another chance at life, our ancestors, people we lost on the way. When we learned about the treat from hollows, and even the situation of the afterlife, its workings."

Jay covered his face, "So what? You decided to ignore all my efforts of stopping you from massacring your family. Finding another way for Uchiha, curing your illness, culturing your new eyes. Even clearing your name, making you a war hero, preparing the next seat of Hokage, and die?"

Izumi whispered in Itachi's ear, "When he says like that...you sound so ungrateful."

Itachi bowed, "I will owe you forever, but I am not the only one. Even the Fourth is here, with quite a few others from all over the five villages. Even father."

Jay rubbed his forehead, shifting his gaze towards Hagoromo, "Was there a need? What is it like? Those who should have died are dead?"

Hagoromo put down the teacup, staring at the tea, "You created artificial karma, which you used to absorb my mother. But because karma was built for you and your powers. It is now at war against Otsutsuki data to stop it from taking over. This chaos inside you has blocked the powers you gained in life and the abilities of your soul. Especially when your soul hasn't settled with the flow of the new universe."

Jay narrowed his eyes, "So...I am weak right-"

He abruptly closed his mouth, letting out a breath, "There is something that I am not seeing?"

Hagoromo looked up, smiling, "Let's just say...you don't have as much time as you think you do. You need all the help that you can get, and these people were kind enough to offer."

Jay scratched his head, puffing out a long breath, "What about you?"

Hagoromo's sight became distant, "I...I need to look inside a pit...to understand the history of this world."

"A pit? That term I have mostly heard in a context like this when people talk about Abyss or Hell. Hell...you are literally going to Hell?"

Hagoromo let out a breath, standing up, "Hah, you are no fun. You should let some things remain a mystery."

Jay's eyes twitched, seeing his presence disappear, "It's a mystery why I don't kick your ass after you destroyed my life's efforts."

Izumi naughtily blinked, "Because you are weak and lost all your powers?"

Jay shot a look towards her, seeing Itachi look away, hiding a smile on his lips, sighing, "Ok...not so much of a mystery. Tell me...who all are here."