Morning came. Grey clouds. No sun.
I woke on the mountain. Cold. Stiff. My back hurt from the rock.
CRACK
My neck. Turning. Painful.
I sat up. The village below was waking. Smoke from chimneys. Shouting from markets.
THUD
Someone landed beside me. Kakashi. His one eye looked worse than yesterday. Dark circles.
You slept here?
Yes.
Sigh. He sat down. Slow. Careful with his missing arm.
Tsunade called a meeting. Now.
What about?
He was quiet. His eye stared at nothing.
A village disappeared last night.
My blood went cold.
What village?
Amegakure. The Rain Village. Gone. Everyone. Everything. Just... empty ground.
Silence.
The wind stopped. The birds stopped.
The Collector?
Kakashi nodded.
His army. The dead. They came at midnight. No warning. No survivors.
I stood. My legs were steady. My hands were fists.
Let's go.
The Hokage tower was full. Too many people. Too many faces.
Tsunade sat at her desk. Her face was grey. Her hands were shaking.
Naruto stood by the window. His back was straight. His jaw was tight.
Sasuke leaned against the wall. Arms crossed. Eyes closed. But I saw his fingers. Tapping. Fast.
TAP TAP TAP
Sakura stood next to Shizune. Both pale.
Tsunade spoke. Her voice was cracked.
Last night. At 3 AM. The Rain Village sent a distress signal.
BZZT Static. A radio on the desk.
Then silence. Then nothing.
She slammed her fist on the desk.
BANG
The wood cracked.
We sent a scout team at dawn. They found...
She stopped. Swallowed.
They found a crater. Two kilometers wide. No bodies. No buildings. No blood. Just... dirt.
Naruto turned. His blue eyes were burning.
Who did this?
Kakashi answered. His voice was quiet.
The Collector. But not alone.
He pulled a scroll from his vest. Opened it. Black symbols. Red ink.
Our spies found this. At the edge of the crater.
He read aloud.
"I give life to the dead. I take life from the living. My system is stronger. My army is endless. Surrender the ghost. Or every village falls."
Silence.
Everyone looked at me.
My face was cold. My hands were still.
He wants me.
Tsunade nodded.
He said your name. Specifically. Shin Anaro.
HAH.
A laugh. From Sasuke. Bitter.
The ghost is famous.
Naruto stepped forward. His voice was loud.
We are not giving him anyone! Believe it!
Tsunade raised her hand.
I know. That's not why I called you here.
She stood. Walked to a map on the wall. Pointed to the Rain Village.
This is the second village in one week. The first was a small town in the Land of Rivers. No one noticed.
She turned. Her eyes were hard.
The Collector has a system. Like Shin. But different.
Sakura spoke. Her voice was small.
What does his system do?
Tsunade looked at me.
Explain, Shin.
I stepped forward. Everyone watched.
My system lets me take techniques. From the dead. From the living. I steal power.
I paused.
His system... gives life. He resurrects the dead. Controls them. Uses them as soldiers.
GASP
Someone in the corner. A messenger. Face white.
He can bring back anyone?
I nodded.
Anyone who ever died. With a grudge. With power. With hatred.
Naruto's hands shook.
Can he bring back... Jiraiya?
Tsunade's face crumbled. Just for a second. Then it was hard again.
Yes.
CRACK
Naruto punched the wall. His knuckles bled.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
Sasuke grabbed his shoulder.
Stop. You'll break your hand.
I don't care!
Sasuke slapped him. Not hard. Just enough.
SMACK
Wake up, idiot. Breaking walls won't save anyone.
Naruto stared at him. His eyes were wet.
Then what will?
Sasuke looked at me.
The ghost.
Kakashi stepped between us.
We need more information. How many dead has he raised? Who are they? Where is his base?
Tsunade nodded.
Agreed. Shin. Your system. Can it detect his?
I closed my eyes. Reached inside.
The voice. My voice. Not the system.
Can you feel him?
RUMBLE
Kurama stirred. His voice was low.
Yes. East. Far. A place where the earth is black and the sun never shines.
I opened my eyes.
The Land of Shadows. East of here. That's where he is.
Tsunade's face went white.
That place doesn't exist. It's a myth.
It exists. And he's there. Building an army.
Silence.
The clock on the wall ticked.
TICK TICK TICK
Naruto spoke. His voice was calm now.
Then we go there. We stop him. We end this.
Sasuke nodded.
Kakashi said nothing. His eye was far away.
Tsunade looked at me.
Shin. How long until he attacks again?
I closed my eyes. Felt the system. Felt the Collector's power.
How many dead does he have?
The system answered. Not in words. In images.
Hundreds. Thousands. Walking corpses with glowing eyes.
I opened my eyes.
Three days. Maybe less.
Tsunade sat down. Her head fell into her hands.
Three days.
Naruto stepped to her. Put his hand on her shoulder.
We've faced worse. Together.
She looked up at him. Her eyes were wet.
Have we?
CRICKET
Outside. A single cricket. Singing.
No one spoke.
The news was out. The Revival System was real.
And the dead were coming.