Chapter 15 : Sign-in and Reward

After uttering these words, Kiyoshi helped Kazuhiko to stand up.

Turning around, they stepped aside and pressed a concealed spot that others might easily overlook. This action gradually caused a stone door to creak open.

"Is this the Uzumaki clan's secret chamber!? It's finally before us!"

With a wave of his hand, Kiyoshi motioned for Kazuhiko to follow.

"Remember this location, press it to enter. This is the Uzumaki clan's secret chamber."

As they walked, torches ignited, revealing a narrow path, one meter wide and five meters long, stretching ahead of Kazuhiko.

Strolling through the narrow passage and turning around, Kazuhiko laid eyes on a small room that had appeared before him.

The room was compact, seemingly no more than ten square meters.

It was well-illuminated at that moment, candlesticks on both sides aglow.

There was nothing but a stone wall.

The stone walls were adorned with Shinigami masks, precisely twenty-seven in number.

Each mask was distinct, encompassing expressions of sorrow and joy, silence and serenity.

Every mask was affixed to the wall, as though imbued with life.

Even Kazuhiko could feel their gazes upon him.

Their gazes shifted as he moved.

"Refrain from gazing at them!"

At that moment, Kiyoshi uttered a low growl.

Swiftly, Kazuhiko averted his gaze.

"You've laid eyes on all these Shinigami masks, yet all you've perceived are eerie toys bought by children in clan markets."

"But these are not toys. These are authentic ninja tools capable of summoning Shinigami!"

"However, the cost is indeed our very own souls, traded to the Shinigami!"

"Not even death offers escape; this is more fearsome than death itself!"

"Hence, only utilize these masks when truly necessary!"

Glancing at the preoccupied masks on the wall out of the corner of his eye, Kazuhiko promptly nodded upon hearing Kiyoshi's words.

"Observing such things at night makes sleep elusive and renders them quite unsettling."

"Their forms are truly bizarre... Damn it, that eyeball just moved slightly! It must have!"

Contemplating this, Kazuhiko involuntarily swallowed his saliva.

It was said that Kazuhiko harboured no fear of such occurrences.

Yet, an inexplicable trepidation emerged when confronting such apparitions.

"Perhaps it's because, in my previous life, I spent countless hours watching those miscellaneous horror movies.."

Kazuhiko ruminated to himself.

"Kazuhiko, these masks are eerie and unconventional."

"Nonetheless, they have been passed down for generations."

"While terrifying, they represent our family's heirlooms and treasures. Guard them diligently henceforth!"

"Allow me to elucidate; upon my first sight of these masks, I..."

Just as Kiyoshi's gaze shifted toward the Shinigami masks, lost in a reverie of his youth.

Kazuhiko understood that once the middle-aged man began reminiscing, he would be ensnared by the memories for a while, hence he opted to intervene.

"System, initiate sign-in into the Uzumaki clan's secret chamber!"

["Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully signing in at the Uzumaki clan's secret chamber!"

"Congratulations to the Host for acquiring the reward: Zaraki Kenpachi's template, the captain of Gotei 13's 11th Division."

"The system has delivered the reward to the Host's designated space, available for inspection and claiming at any time!]

"Zaraki Kenpachi? Fantastic!"

Unlike those who held the view of disdain, Kazuhiko felt rather content.

In an instant, Kazuhiko thought of Zaraki Kenpachi's explosive might during battles.

Virtually every slash mirrored the potency of a critical strike.

"I'm genuinely eager to see the outcome when Zaraki Kenpachi's formidable Reiatsu converges with Kizaru's Amakusa Cloud Sword!"

Kazuhiko prepared to accept the reward directly.

"...Consequently, I was naive back then, only comprehending it later on, Kazuhiko, do you understand?"

Kiyoshi snapped out of his reminiscence.

"Never mind. We can discuss this later."

Kazuhiko replied to Kiyoshi first.

"Understood, I comprehend fully, Clan Head!"

"Very well."

Kiyoshi bore the air of an instructable child, his fingers fondly grazing his goatee.

"Currently, what shall we do?"

Observing the still-entralled clan head, Kazuhiko swiftly offered a reminder.

"Oh, yes, let's take these Shinigami masks out and place them within the ancestral hall."

"Take them out?"

Kazuhiko struggled to grasp the concept.

"Indeed, Kazuhiko, these masks are unique, summoning distinct Shinigami upon their utilization."

"Not everyone can wield them, and even among those who can, the summoning effects differ greatly!"

"For the sake of the Uzumaki clan, the elders and I have reached a resolution!"

"In the final moments, we shall all employ these masks, risking everything!"

"As the clan head, I shall be the first to use the Shinigami mask and confront the foe!"

Kiyoshi spoke fearlessly, as though this were an unquestionable duty.

Kazuhiko also inwardly sighed.

"And to avoid any wastage of time, let us initially relocate these masks to the ancestral hall."

"When the need arises, we can select the mask best suited for us."

"Only at the last moment will we know which mask is most compatible."

"Thus, we can harness the maximum potential from these Shinigami masks!"