Starring:
Date: June 16th, 2010
Summary:
Goh learns of a legendary temple supposedly located in the northern deserts of the Land of Wind. One connected to the Sage of the Six Paths… He searches for it. And he finds it.
"Broken Memories Pt. 2 - Eyes"
Northern Desert - Land of Wind
The northern desert of the Land of Wind is just as barren as much of the rest of the country. There are animals adapted for desert life, and sometimes plants that are likwise well-suited to the harsh environment, but generally it's not the sort of place that human beings go into unprepared — at least not if they want to live. Sometimes there will be oases scattered about, which nomadic peoples keep records of. But these bastions of life can change from one season to the next, such that where once there was a small to large-sized lake of fresh water, upon a second visitation there may merely be a sand pit and nothing more. No, the northern deserts are not an especially friendly place to be.
But there was once something here that makes exploration worthwhile. Bandits have been searching for it for decades, ever since the Clan Wars started. But so far, none have found what they are looking for. What once was simply rumors has become legend on par with the Ghoul of the Desert — the Land of Wind's very own Bogieman. These legends speak of a temple where once the disciples of the Sage of the Six Paths had trained, meditated, and held ancient treasures, weapons, and Jutsu that could turn a single man into an unstoppable juggernaut. Obviously this appeals to bandits, but there are others who would have such power.
There were four temples originally. Two have definitely been utterly destroyed, and long-since scattered to the winds as their ruins were pillaged over and over again, long after anything valuable had been taken by the initial attackers. The location of the fourth is still in question, as is its present condition. The third, however, if rumors are to be believed, lies right here in the northern deserts. Is it still intact? Does it still hold treasures beyond imagining? Or are there extremely powerful students of the legendary Sage who have eliminated anyone who tried to plunder their secrets as armies had done to two of their other temples? That is not exactly what Goh is hoping to find out, but he might learn the answer regardless…
It is late in the day, but there are powerful winds whipping up dust, dirt, and sand, causing the heat of the sun to be filtered through many layers of eye-blinding detritus and ear-deafening shrieking winds. Somehow, through one source or another, Goh has discovered the stories of the third temple that may lie in the Land of Wind, and further that the locations of both of the towers that have arisen are centered on — or at least adjacent to — the locations of the First Temple and Second Temple. This is probably not a coincidence, and thus the Third Temple might hold some clues as to the nature of the Towers, the Stones, and more. Which is why Akuu Goh is out here in such miserable conditions, looking for something that has eluded countless others for a long time. Maybe he'll find what he's looking for. Maybe he won't. But it's worth at least trying, isn't it?
It's been a painful few weeks. After having Amuro dissapear on them inside the belly of Reiko, threatening to 'see him soon', Goh and Mushi have been constantly on the move. Never dwelling in an area for longer than a day, the two had ventured across a variety of countries, causing a slight buzz as they go. After all, one of the most powerful healers in the entire world was travelling around with, arguably, one of the strongest shinobi who wasn't a Kage: The Salamander Sage. The two of them would likely prove to be nigh unbeatable if they worked together! But as it turns out, the pairing hadn't seen combat at all along their travels. It had turned out to be quite nice indeed. With Sunagakure being their latest stop on their travels, the duo had split up for the time being in order to do whatever they wished. For Mushi, this was collecting rare and exotic herbs in the desert. For Goh? This was following up on an old rumour he heard from a Sunagakure nin; A Lost Temple.
It's by pure chance and luck that it's linked to the Towers, as Goh hadn't expected that to happen at all. But after spending hours of scouting and sending out various Salamander to do the hunting, the Akuu clan member had finally found what he was looking for. Despite the arid weather, Goh is still seen in his vest and pant ensemble, revealing his torso. However, he does his scarf lifted so that it ties around his nose and mouth, purely so that he doesn't drown on sand. Making the correlation to the Towers, Goh approaches what he believes to be the entry of the structure, peering around carefully. "..this is a related to the Towers?" He queries to himself. "..I thought this had to do with the Sage of the Six Paths." Hm. His bare hand traces along the outside of the temple wall as he makes his way around. Just skimming along it for now.
Goh locates the temple through sheer luck. It's not on any maps, and it appears from a distance to be simply part of the terrain. But apparently after getting close enough, he has determined that this is what he is looking for. The temple does not look like much of one. It is in ruins — though this seems to be more due to artificial reasons, rather than the passage of time. There are certainly signs of errosion from the wind, but there are more obvious dings and holes in the stone from metal instruments, and possibly Jutsu of one kind or another. The building is also pretty small. Is this really the temple? From the outside it looks like it could house maybe six people and nothing more.
If Goh actually enters the darkened interior as the wind howls past the entrance, he'll first find himself out of the unpleasant weather, and second find that appearances can be deceiving. The room inside is indeed small, just as it appeared from outside. But there's no room for six people to live in here, because most of the 'floor' is actually a gradually descending staircase that apparently goes underground. From the amount of dust, dirt, and sand accumulated in the corners of this ground-level room, it appears that no one has been here in quite some time.
The holes and various markings on the temple wall are noted, causing Goh to furrow his brow a little bit. "Mm.." He thinks, entering the entryway slowly. As he does, both of his hands lift to take the scarf off his face and back down around his neck. It was nice to be out of such evil weather! "This is so awesome." He muses with a giant grin, looking at the walls around him carefully. His attention is eventually drawn to down the passageway, watching as it fades into darkness. "I feel like some sort of explorer."
As he begins to descend, striding down the pathway, the ex-Jounin of Konoha raises a single fist. Only a moment after, the closed fist sort of fizzles—as if something is trying to catch alight. And then, only seconds later, a 'fwoosh' can be heard as his hand is engulfed in flame! He wasn't sure if there were any lights down here, after all. And as such, he may as well create his own. Thus, with his fist wreathed in flame like the wick of a candle, the Pickler proceeds to venture down. Curious, eyes wide. Surely there weren't any Stones down here?
The stairs are not quite a 'passage' so much as… Stairs. They go down. The light from Goh's flaming hand shows that the walls along the stairwell are not quite as battered and damaged as the exterior of the above-ground structure. Whatever or whoever went out of their way to attack or otherwise do stuff to the building either didn't get this far, or didn't feel like continuing the vandalism. There are 60 steps in the stairs, before Goh reaches another room — this one is much larger, and it is actually fairly chilly compared to the warmth of the desert above. Though not immediately visible unless Goh looks down, there are various circles painted on the floor. They might be for Jutsu, or just decorations. But some are red and some are blue, in terms of pigment. Across the large room, there are three other entryways, all darkened.
Descending the stairway, Goh stops his walk with a small glance down to the floor below. He was about to press on, but the pigment on the floor catches his eye.
"Huh." Tilting his head, the Pickler rubs his foot on each of the circles a little bit, before pressing forth and into the left-most entryway. It's not a terribly hard decision. All he'll do is systematically go through each passageway! One by one, until he has explored the whole thing. "This is crazy. Despite the fact that no-one has been here in ages, I still get the feeling that this place is empty. The Sunagakure nins are talking about a Temple that could well have been raided decades ago." Perhaps he's a little frustrated that he hasn't found anything yet? Who knows. On anyrate, he presses onward through the new corridor, holding his fist up a bit higher to provide light.
The circles don't smudge easily, so the coloration is probably going to require more than nudging with a food to disperse. Maybe some soap and water. The left-most portal leads into a hallway. Once Goh is about half-way through, the ground would seem to shift beneath him slightly… Or just one part of it. A stone block that sinks into the floor somewhat. There is a *click* and then three-foot long steel spikes >burst< out of both walls on either side of Goh, all along the entire hallway. There is no room to dodge, and it happens so quickly that it is unlikely most people would even have the time to try.
It seems that for Goh at least… This is…
THE END.
Or maybe he has some kind of Cool as Canaries defensive Jutsu that will get him to safety!?
"What?!" As soon as Goh steps down on the hatch, he immediately acts. Reflexes and speed appear to be something that the blonde prides himself on, and before he has a moment to think, the clicking is heard. "…damn. Time to move!" His feet lighting up like his hands, Goh /rockets/ forwards! Streaking through the air at a blistering pace, the Pickler turns his head around, only to see the crossing spikes getting closer! "..holey moley! Talk about fast!" Despite his impressive speed, he was being caught up on! But just like that, he exits the end of the hall, his fire-dodge giving out as he does so. His forward momentum carries for a little bit, before he falls and crouch-rolls to stop in this new room.
Panting slightly from the adrenaline, Goh stands up straight, looking at his vest. Ripped! It seems he cut it a little bit too close for comfort there. "Phew… close." Breathing in, he exhales, only to glance around at the new area he's in.
Behind Goh, after several seconds, the steel spikes slowly retract as a noise like clockwork echoes through the hall. They appear to seamlessly merge back into the walls, the surface of the hall looking smooth and undisturbed. What a tricky trap! The new room that Goh finds himself in empty. It's just a square room. No other entrances, exits, stairs, or anything else is evident. Again, the floor has a circle on it. This time, however, the circle is much larger and covers most of the floor. It is also not like the circles in the main room. This one is 'filled-in'. Half is red… Half is white… And the symbol that is created by this combination is…
The Uchiha Clan's symbol.
"The Uchiha?" Goh queries, recognising the symbol pretty much instantly. This was something he had plenty of experience with, after all! Hs surprise is quite clear though. "…there's so much that I don't know about this type of history. I'm sure this makes sense somehow… Unless the Uchiha got here first." A pause as he takes a gander. "…but this room is empty. Great." Peering around carefully, the blonde isn't quite so eager to return right now. No… instead, he walks around the square room, feeling for anything that may stand out. Pressing points on the wall, stepping on the center of the Uchiha crest, smelling the air. Anything.
Goh would most likely notice that there is nothing to notice. The air is dry, dusty, and cold. The walls are smooth(ish) and seem to bear no special marks or pressure points. The crest on the floor does not react to simply being stood on. If anything is odd about this room, other than the crest, it's that there are signs of ashes scattered on the floor. They're meager. Old. But they're still there. Was fire used in here? Maybe this was a training room for the Uchiha? No other answers are forthcoming, however.
Well, it wouldn't be much of an adventure if Goh didn't attempt to do the obvious! "Ha!" He proclaims, thrusting a finger out to the ashes on the ground. "Ashes! That must have been there was a fire here once upon a time!" It seems that Goh has an unbelievable ability to spot the obvious, that much is sure. He's an unbelievable Detective! Performing the seal of the Tiger, the nin will proceed to spit a small flame of fire out and over the entire crest. Over the ashes, crest.. Heck, pretty much the entire floor! Fwooooosh. As he does, keeping it going for a small amount, he eventually finishes his exhale-watching to see any results.
The fire that Goh bathes the stone floor in initially just lights up the enclosed room brightly, raising the temperature from chilly to blistering in a matter of seconds. The crest on the floor does not react as anticipated. Infact, >nothing< reacts as anticipated. When the fire clears, the crest and the rest of the stone floor is scarred by the flames, burnt and sending up dense, acrid smoke that is choking and awful in this confined space.
Seems Goh just wasted Chakra and damaged an ancient symbol of the Uchiha Clan that may have laid here since… Who knows how long! Smooth move, Goh. The only up side to this is that it is revealed that, underneath the red and white pigment, the outer edges of a stone block set in the floor are now evident. It's long, rectangular, and was previously hidden by whatever substance was used to draw on the floor.
"Yeow!" Leaping to the wall and sticking to it via some chakra, Goh escapes the rapidly heating floor and any burnage.
-.-;;
A slightly annoyed expression comes across the face of Goh as absoultely nothing happens. "What the heck! I thought this was supposed to be a mysterious dungeon in which it held super amounts of secrets?" He asks no-one in particular, a hand lifting to scratch his head. "This is turning out to be totally bogus." As the aridic smoke clears and wafts away, although not before he coughs a few times, Goh seems to notice the block set into the floor. Eyes widen, remaining clung to the wall carefully. He waits there a few moments, perhaps making sure that the floor has cooled down, before leaping down and across the floor to the stone. Sure enough, the youth bends down to try and wriggle it around. Pull, push, slide… anything. Maybe the secret is underneath?!
This would be a lot easier with a crowbar or some kind of wedge or something. The block of stone is heavy, and there's not a lot of room to get a grip by slipping one's fingers into the cracks. Goh would have a better chance of prying up a piece of the sidewalk with his bare hands, for all the progress he is making. Does he have any tools he can use? A Salamander who could yoink the stone up with its tongue? Goh is, at times, not especially bright. But he >does< have ingenuity on his side!
"…ORIYAAAA!" After trying and failing to wedge the thing open with his fingers, Goh has attempted to now /punch/ the thing and smash it to bits with his bare hands! Of course, such an endeavour has caused little result. Other than breaking some skin on his knuckles, of course. "Ow! Damnit!" Shaking his fist a bit, the blonde scowls down at the stone. "Fine then… Here we go! My Iron Punch! Flaming Fist!" His fist lighting up once again, wreathed in flame, Goh sends his punch once more towards the stone in an attempt to shatter it whole! Seems like he's prolonging the Salamander idea. Or just hasn't thought it up yet. But! With his fist on fire, he is well able to punch through solid walls and even some softer rocks. But will this stone hold up?
The block of stone breaks in half and caves inwards! This reveals that there is a hollow space underneath. The stone fragments are lying on top of another slab of stone — but this one isn't wedged tightly into the floor. Once the chunks of rock are gotten out of the way, it would be relatively easy to lift the oblong stone case from where it has lain for what might well be centuries. It's heavy, but at least it can be gripped on either side and lifted with hands alone.
On the surface of the rectangular case is the Uchiha crest, carved into the stone.
With the rock shattering beneath his almighty Flaming Fist, Goh grins in success. "Alright!" He cries out, picking up the various bits of debris so that they're out of the way. What is revealed seems to be … another stone? Frowning at this turn of events, the ex-Jounin crouches over it, his hand gently passing over the Uchiha crest. "This is crazy. How many rocks do these Uchiha guys want to have?" He pauses a little. "…if I find a bucket full of sharingan eyes under this, I'm gonna be hella freaked out." Eyes narrow a little as he discovers he should be able to move this stone normally. "Lucky for me though, this one doesn't seem to be as awkward."
Bending down at the knees, Goh will proceed to try and lift the rock out of the way. "…UURRGGGGGHHH!"
The heavy stone container is lifted, and depending on where Goh puts it, he will be able to investigate it at his leisure. What was under the stone container? Dirt. It seems that the stone slab is what was being hidden. Further… It's not a solid piece of stone. It's in two pieces. A bottom half… And a lid. Paper tags are placed along the edge of the lid periodically, apparently to seal it shut. Each tag has a Chakra Formula on it. They don't look like explosive tags.
Lifting the container up and resting it against his body, the blonde notes that it does seem to be a container, Goh tilts his head in curiosity. "Well. No hidden treasures this time around." He muses, seeing that nothing was underneath the container. Flexing his muscles, Goh heaves the container, lifting the whole thing up and onto the floor of the room which he just burnt moments ago.
Sweating and panting in effort, the blonde takes a moment to recover a little. "S..Seals?" He notes in between breaths, crawling over to the container. "..looks like some sort of formula. Too bad I suck at seals. Oh well, come this far right?" Sometimes, Goh truly did lack foresight. Being this way, Goh proceeds to tears off the seals, if he can. One at a time. So curious!
The Seals are removed without incident, apparently. The ancient papers shred from Goh's frantic tearing, leaving the lid now un-sealed. But then the room suddenly becomes very dark. The entryway into the room seems to melt and warp into itself, sealing off the only exit. This chamber is now black as pitch. Apparently removing the tags set off another trap.
"…oh dear." Goh gets out, the seals shredding in his hands as he tears them off the large container. With the room warping and changing around him, the exit sealing, the blonde sucks in a breath. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." With the room falling into pitch blackness, the Pickler takes a nervous step backwards. "Flaming Fist!" He calls, his fist once again lighting up. Hopefully should provide some sort of light to the scene, huh? "Sure I'll find a way out somehow." With his spare hand (the one that isn't on fire), Goh proceeds to remove the lid from the container, standing on his toes to push the thing off. Or lift, whichever works better. "Any big monsters in there?" He queries, half expecting something EPIC to happen.
Once Goh lights up the room, nothing has changed about it. Other than the lack of an exit. Inside the retangular stone container, longer than Goh is tall, there is no monster. But there >is< the remarkably well-preserved, and yet still obviously dead, body of a man. He is wearing the garments of a a warrior ninja, but these are very old in design. Stuff like this hasn't been worn in at least a hundred years! Maybe longer! Shouldn't he be a skeleton by now? The pale skin looks as pristine as marble… Though clearly dead, he doesn't look like he has rotted at all!
Yes. None are more surprised than Goh to find such an old corpse who looked like he had died just minutes ago. The pale skin is a dead give-away that the figure is dead, but… what's up with the clothes? He can't have died just recently given that fashion of clothing. Leaning back a little bit with his flame still on, the blonde will take a step back, almost in surprise.
"No wonder this place is so hard to get in. It's a damn tomb." Goh mutters, peering over to the door, which of course is now gone. "I came here for treasure, but I'm not able to start robbing dead bodies. Such bad juju. And Mushi would probably kill me." Turning on his heel, Goh will attempt to put the lid back onto the container. "Time to go, I think. This is starting to get a bit creepy."
As Goh is starting to put the lid back on the stone coffin, the door does not magically return from wherever it went to. There might still be a way out. He just has to think it over—THEN A HAND SHOOTS UP AND GRABS GOH'S WRIST.
The hand is definitely that of the dead man. It is cold, the skin is the same pale coloration, but there is strength in that grip that a simple corpse should not possess. Maybe it's the very fact that he's dead that allows him to try to hold on so tightly… A death grip, if you will. But either way, if the hand succeeds in locking down on Goh, it doesn't let go for anything.
At the same time that this is going on, the rush of many voices whispering in a jumble of quiet words that can't be understood properly can be heard all around. Then come the groans. The horrible groans of the dead. They are muffled, but from the thumping noises it seems they're… On the other side of the walls!
OH CRAP!
Putting the container, or coffin, back into its place, Goh nearly jumps out of his skin when the dead hand comes to grasp his own. Panicked, shocked and surprised at the action, he does little to avoid the clammy grasp of his sudden foe. "…what the heck! Animated corpses!" The sounds quickly follow, causing Goh to look around at the many walls. Voices? Groans? Definitely creepy. "..this isn't a flippin' Temple. It's just a tomb of some old Uchiha guy. Urgh! Seems these Sunagakure nin like to ham their stories up!" Trying to wrestle free of the grip, the blonde winces. "…jeez. This is tight." With his flaming hand still free, Goh having not used it to touch the container in an effort to not damage it, the blonde whips it around to try and slice off, or at least greatly damage the wrist which grasps him. Anything to get it to let go.
The flaming hand cuts through the flesh of the corpse's wrist, and severs the hand. Though Goh's Jutsu is powerful enough to slice through the bones and skin… It doesn't give quite as easily as normal skin probably would have. Either way, Goh is free of the dead man's grasp — for now, at least. The noises from all around grow in intensity when the man in the coffin is damaged. Regardless of if Goh stays close or backs up to put some distance between himself and the stone coffin, the man sits up slowly, and then turns his head with creaking and cracking noises of ancient ligaments twisting as they should not be, to face the former Konohagakure Jounin. Then his eyes open. The eye sockets are both empty.
And yet he seems to have no problem tracking wherever Goh might happen to be. The corpse stares for several seconds, as the walls seem about to starting cracking and caving in, to allow who-knows-how-many undead things to swarm in and get Goh! And then the man glances around with his eyeless sockets, and then puts his hands together rapidly in a series of seals. He releases a huge amount of Chakra that… Feels different from ordinary Chakra. Sort of… Cold. And dark. And then the noises abruptly cease in a wail as though a thousand souls has just been released from their earthly bonds. The man focuses on Goh again. Then his lips spread and he speaks. "A tomb robber… One quite bold, at that. But what you seek is no longer here. Another has already taken my treasure: the secret of my heritage."
This whole turn of events is just too weird to embrace. With the hand cut cleanly, granted, a little harder than he thought it would be, Goh leaps back to indeed put some distance between himself and the coffin. Granted, he's not quite got his back pressed against the wall, but he's close. His eye turns a little to spot the cracks as the supports begin to give. Was this the end of Goh? "…this is insane. Even if I survive multiple tonnes of debris, the corpses here are gonna eat me alive! They'l—WAUGH!" As the corpse comes alive and snaps its eyes open, Goh cannot help but cry in fear.
"N…No eyes!" He cries out, clenching his fists, feet back-stepping so he indeed does hit the wall. As the thing starts to speak and expel epic amounts of chakra, Goh shakes his head, not believing what he's seeing or hearing. A genjutsu, maybe? "Y..You've got it wrong, buddy. I'm not here to rob anyone. I didn't even know this /was/ a tomb until a few seconds ago. I thought it was just buried artifacts." He pauses a little, taking a step forward in curiosity and boldness. "Your heritage? Did someone steal your eyes?" Seems like a legit enough claim. "…I'm sorry about that. I didn't come here to steal anything, I swear. But to collect evidence or information about the Two Towers that have arisen."
Talking to an eyeless Uchiha corpse underground. Yes, Goh has definitely not experienced this one before!
The scrabbling at the walls, the noises of the restless dead… The sudden silence and stillness of this dark room… There is no light in here, thanks to the entrance into the room being sealed shut, and yet somehow Goh can see vaguely in the murk… Which doesn't really make the corpse any less horrifying. He is slow to respond to Goh. Either he is taking his time to think, or he's… Just dead. And dead people tend not to be very fast on the uptake. Usually, at least.
The man finally answers, "Yes… My eyes. My Sharingan… They were stolen after my death. It was quite unfortunate." He then goes silent again. "You seek the secrets that only the dead can offer, then. Plundering information, instead of power… Though, I suppose information is power in and of itself. I shall tell you what I told the thief who took the gift of my father… My father's 'eyes'… Power will be your savior. You must be strong to wrest peace from this cruel world. There are many powerful evil forces that would see the world be constantly at war. In order to force them to accept the will of the people… In order to force them to accept peace… You must be strong enough to stand up to the evil, and >destroy< all human malice. If you do not have the power to do this — the strength of your Chakra and your spirit — you will fail. Just as I did. I… The grandson of the Sage of the Six Paths."
He then says nothing further for the moment. If there was supposed to be an answer to the question about the Towers somewhere in that, it is not immediately obvious.
At the information which Goh receives, Goh furrows his brow a little in confusion. The Akuu clan member dares another step forward, slowly etching just a bit closer. "I've been told these words before.. followed by the fact that I'm not strong enough. It was regarding the Stone of Spirit. Is this something you know about? Do you know what it is?" His eyes try to focus on the dark figure ahead of him, sucking in a small breath. Time to bombard him with questions. "Information is power, huh… I can see that. And knowing that, I need to know more. First off.. Who stole your eyes? Was it a large man? When did this happen?" He doesn't answer anything about the Sage of the Six Paths immediately. Either he doesn't quite believe it or it's taken in as secondary information. His eyes to widen a little though, a moments beat passing. "You say you're the grandson of a legend. That man you speak of is more myth than fact right now." He intones. "…but here I am, talking to a dead Uchiha. So I guess you have no reason to lie."
Standing up straight, he puts shoulders back a little. "I am going to save this world from itself, lost Uchiha. But I need all the help you can give."
The man closes his eyelids, no longer displaying the gross emptiness within. "The Stone of Spirit…" he says quietly. After a few seconds, he says, "The dead do not change. We >can not< change. We are frozen in the moment of our death, tormented endlessly with memories of our past that we can not escape… And desires for the future that we can never achieve. I wished to bring peace to the world with my power. But I was not strong enough." He certainly seems to be speaking the truth. He is back to speaking of his failure, obsessing over his inability to fix things despite whatever power he possessed in life.
But then he seems to become aware again of his surroundings, and says, "There are some dead who are able to move on. There are some who are able to let go, and proceed to a better plane of existence… I do not know what this plane is like, for I am unable to escape this hideous destiny. But I know that ones like myself are rare. Spirits who truly can not leave the mortal world, and either be reborn anew or travel to what awaits them in the beyond, have had the course of their soul… Altered. There has been >interference< somehow. Whether this is due to a curse, such as in my case, or due to a Jutsu, weapon, or perhaps even an entity that can halt the flow of souls, or even simply an unwillingness to let go of one's passions from life… It matters not. Someone has interfered."
All of this is very interesting, but doesn't answer Goh's question. The Uchiha ancestor is silent for another several seconds. Then he speaks again. "I have felt the flow of souls halted in regards to certain individuals… Comrades… Family… Descendants… And yes, even enemies. Despite the war between Uchiha and Senju, we are both derived from the same blood. We share a connection… Even if that is a connection of hatred. Uchiha and Senju both have been >ensorcelled< — their souls trapped with no release. The souls of the Uchiha forever hunger for revenge and power… They possess the hatred inherited from the elder son of the Sage of the Six Paths. It is this which I believe you speak of. Souls… Crystallized… Contained… Turned into a weapon of ultimate destruction, and perhaps a tool of absolute peace."
The Uchiha opens his eyeless sockets again and looks across the chamber. "My eyes were taken by a very clever thief. Clever, like yourself, yet more so; for he did not trigger the trap that you stumbled into. He managed to take my Sharingan from my very >soul<. He has left my spirit blind, and without a way to find its way to its true fate. Thus, this conversation." He pauses and tries to remember, seemingly, from the slight furrowing of his alabaster-skinned brow. "When… Time has no meaning to me… And as long as you remain here, it matters not to you either. I may have been here for a day, or perhaps a year, or perhaps a thousand years… This conversation might have taken a century in the mortal world. >If< you ever leave here, you may find the world very changed… Everyone you know may be long-dead, and all would wonder, 'What ever happened to him?' and they would not believe you when you tell them who you are. That would be a cruel fate indeed." He smiles slowly, and very slightly. More a quirk of the lips than anything.
The smile fades. "Time has no meaning here."
And so Goh listens to the story intently, seemingly forgetting where he is for a short moment. "..so the Stone of Spirits is a thing of trapped spirits? Souls, sealed inside by something or someone?" He could have guessed at that already, although admitting to such could well have been like admitting to one's own insanity. It's a tricky thing to behold, that much is sure.
"..so in other words, you have no idea how long you've been here. Not that I blame you. Without any light or anything down here, there's no telling how long stuff has been brewing topside. Let me fill you in."
Goh folds arms across his chest, appearing to be more comfortable around this ghoul. "Whilst the Senju and Uchiha may have been enemies in the past, they are now at peace. The War of shinobi is over, with several hidden villages of ninja forming across the land. Conflicts…of course, come about. It are these that I wish to put a stop to. Can it be done? Maybe. But I won't know if I don't try." The last thing that is mentioned sort of makes him a bit worried. "..time has no meaning here? Are you saying that time… flows differently?" That would certainly explain why the corpse seems so fresh? "…that's impossible, even for a jutsu. But if you think I'm staying in this place with you for eternity, then I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'll find a way out." Pause. "..I always do."
The ancestor nods slowly to Goh's first question, confirming — at least to his knowledge — what the Stone of Spirit is. "That seems plausible." Then Goh begins to explain what has gone on while this dead man has been lying here for who-knows-how-long. The Uchiha slowly starts to lean forward, gradually moving further and further forward until it seems he will fall. But then he just hunches his back. And begins to… Shake? It may occur to Goh that telling the first true Uchiha that everything he did in his entire life, fighting against the Senju, losing friends and loved ones to war, growing in personal power and then losing it all to something as simple and inevitable as mortality… Telling someone like that all of it was for nothing, may well not be the wisest thing that Goh has ever done.
What did he say? 'The dead can not change'? If this is true, then he may be unable to accept what has happened in the mortal world. And he may lash out with the hatred he spoke of… No rest for the angry dead. However, what the Uchiha ancestor does next may assuage such fears — if they even occurred to Goh in the first place. He simply straightens up slowly, stopping his shaking and looking placid and calm again. Then he says, seemingly not having heard Goh's explanation about the Uchiha and Senju, or perhaps ignoring it, or even… Forgetting?
"This is not the world of mortals. You triggered a trap, as I mentioned. This trap was one intended to keep any would-be thieves from ever escaping to enjoy my treasure. You have been brought to an Alternate Spatial Environment… Effectively, this is a prison for the spirits of the dead. I was willing to allow this trap to be placed, because with my mastery of Sharingan I knew that I could find my way free of the prison… I could find the weak points in the wall between life and death. But then… That man… The clever thief… He not only entered my final resting place, but somehow managed to take the very essence of my Sharingan — my spiritual sight — from my soul. My body was left untouched, as far as I am aware."
He goes silent again for another several seconds, before explaining further, "Your soul has been brought to this prison. Your body likely lies lifeless in my tomb, outside. In order to escape, you would have to find the place where life and death join together, and pierce it, funneling your essence through the hole, and back into your own body. I may know a way to do this, but you must agree to take me with you."
On contrare, Goh knew exactly what he was doing. Telling an ancient Uchiha that everything he fought for had gone down the drain was of course going to garner a negative result. This is something that even he is aware of! The question remains as to why he did such a thing? It isn't clear right now. Goh just sort of watches the figure carefully as he shakes, before corrects himself and stands up straight.
"Huh… That must be some advanced ninjutsu then." Goh replies to the eyeless, dead Warrior. "It works sort of like a summoning technique. But instead of summoning a creature, the technique works by summoning the essence of someone into the space-time realm. Or.. something like that. Impressive stuff, I'll say that much." It seems the blonde knows quite a bit about summons and the space-time theories that go with it. "..to think that someone would be able actually to pull it off. Craziness." Hearing that there is no way out, at least as far as Goh can tell, the ex-Jounin tilts his head to the side.
"…and here it comes." He muses, hearing the offer. "I knew something like this would probably happen. Right now, my Salamander Reiko is probably heading back to the village of Sunagakure. Once there, she will retrieve my friend. She'll be able to bring my soul back, probably. Her healing and seal techniques are the best in the whole world right now. The question is, do I know for sure if she's able to pull it off?" His gut says no, but he doesn't let that on. Mushi was good, but he wasn't sure that this was up her alley.
"…you say you were able to see the gaps in the walls with a Sharingan. How can you possibly do that now with no eyes? And… how would you exactly be brought back? Your body in the real world would be long gone. Decayed, as mine is probably starting to. It wouldn't be livable."
The dead man does not answer Goh's suggestion that a friend of his can bring him back to life. If he is worried about that possibility, or cares, it's not evident in his face. Instead he waits until Goh asks his questions and then answers, "I can not see the weak points anymore… But I could when I had eyes. I do not wish to return to life. That is beyond me. I merely wish to leave this prison, and escape this curse. In order to do this, and in order for you to escape as well, all I require is my spiritual sight returned to me. For that, I will need a different pair of eyes. You have this… Stone of Spirits in your possession, correct? If it is what you believe it to be, it will have the souls of many Uchiha trapped inside…"
There is a brief pause, then the ancestor clarifies, "I wish to trade places with one of these souls. Give me his spiritual sight, and I can find my way to whatever final destination awaits me. In exchange, you will be free to leave this place alive and well. I will trust you to do this for me once I have freed you from the prison. Do we have a bargain?"
This causes Goh to narrow his eyes a little bit. Hands dig deep into his pockets as he clearly thinks some things through. "That sounds like a good enough plan." It's said only after the drama has hit the high point! It was actually far less intimidating than Goh thought. "So instead of being trapped inside this prison, you'd prefer to go to another? The one inside the Stone? Is that what I'm hearing? Or are you going to steal someone's eyes from /inside/ the Stone… Somehow. And then move on? What would happen to the Uchiha inside the Stone then? To the one you robbed? There is no place to move on inside that place if you do go there. It's… well, it doesn't sound like an ideal place to live." His eyes become slightly more friendly again.
"Fact of the matter is, I don't have the Stone of Spirit right now. It's in the hands of the Salamander. I can't trust myself with the thing at the moment. That said, I can't call on their aid in this place." Arms fold across his chest. "..but you already knew that, I guess. So you can't get access to your eyes until we leave this place. But to leave this place, you at least need SOME eyes. It doesn't leave much wriggle room, huh? You want to invade my body and use mine. Right?" This is suddenly becoming dicey.
The ancestor nods. "The one whose sight I take will remain here in this prison, and I will be able to move on. He or she will be free of the Stone, but will remain here until or unless someone finds my original spirit-Sharingan and grants it to the unfortunate sacrifice. Then he will be able to leave as well." He tilts his head and focuses his sightless sockets on Goh. "It would be less of an invasion and more of a 'partnership'. We will co-inhabit your body. I will merely be a guest, however… You will remain the >true< owner… And the moment I have my sight back, I will depart forever."
He then repeats his other question. "Do we have a bargain?"
"Wait a second." Goh intones, lifting a hand to rub his chin. "I need to know everything before I make a decision. What happens when someone finds youre spirit-Sharingan? If I find who took them and destroy him, effectively making him relinquish the eyes, that means that the Uchiha in here gets freed. Just to be clear." His hands go back down into his pockets and sort of clench in his pockets. "I do wonder about something though."
Seems he's wondering aloud. "Why would you go to all this bother, setting up such an advanced trap? You said before you were willing to be the sacrifice. Now you're so keen on getting out? I can't help but ask why, but you probably won't give an answer."
Nodding a little, he seems to be all clear with what's about to happen. "I stay in the drivers seat at all times, alright? If I even get a hint of a niggling that you're gonna take over, you're out. My friend I told you about? Fact is, I know for /sure/ she can deal with spirits or demons inhabiting bodies. I don't mind helping you, but if you've got a secret agenda, we'll have issues." His head looks over to the wall. "As soon as we get back, I'll get the Stone. When I get the Stone, you go in, get your eyes, come out, then you're gone. Alright? It won't take more than a minute."
The ancestor answers slowly once Goh finishes speaking. "The spirit-Sharingan can be claimed in many ways. Killing the one who stole it to begin with is one way. But another spirit can take it back — as can some Sealing Jutsu. The eyes would then have to be brought back to this place and willingly given to the imprisoned spirit. Then he would be free. If the eyes are not brought here, they would merely join with whomever dealt with the thief."
He closes his eyelids for a moment… And then smiles coldly. "I had agreed to be a sacrifice in the event that a thief attempted to take my physical Sharingan, because I believed I would be able to torment that individual for as long as I wished here in this prison, and then depart when I was done, thanks to my spiritual sight. The would-be thief would remain here forever and I would be free." The smile goes away.
"But the thief took my >soul's< eyes, and did so without triggering the trap. I have been stuck here, unable to move on, and unable to exact revenge on the thief. The destiny of the Uchiha Clan is revenge. There is no point in my remaining here, unable to harm the one who has wounded me so grievously. I would >like< to be able to track down the thief and make him suffer, but I would not impose upon you for the time necessary for that to occur. I will do as you have said, and leave the moment I can see the spiritual shroud again. I will find my path back to the Great Wheel of Transmigration… And maybe I will be reborn some day, and be able to see this… 'Peaceful' world that you spoke of."
"I think I know who took your eyes." Goh comments. "But getting near him at this stage would prove to be difficult at best, and I don't think I have much of a chance to defeat him. Not yet, anyway. Using me as a host would be a fruitless endeavour, I'm afraid." Goh shrugs, before chuckling a little. "I look forward to it. When you're reborn, come seek me out. We can have some of my pickled vegies." Pause. "..I'm the best in Konoha at pickling, yknow. Some say the best in the world. Er, anyways." Goh clears his throat.
"I cannot help but feel sorry about the Uchiha who will be stuck here for however long it takes me to find those spirit eyes. Who are the Uchiha that are stuck in the Spirit Stone? Are they criminals? Or were they once volunteers like yourself? Trading one soul to be released to just put another one seems pretty mean. Specially if theyre innocent people."
The ancestor starts to rise from the coffin, the hand that Goh had severed initially vanishing into ashes, and then reforming on the burnt wrist seamlessly. The ghost climbs from his resting place and looks at Goh, even without the ability to see. "I have a great deal of power I could lend you. That is the gift from the Sage… His spirit and Chakra were granted to his eldest son — my father. If you wish, I could provide you with a great deal of spiritual energy. This would make you much stronger. Perhaps enough to face this thief on even terms… Or with the advantage on your side. And with the knowledge and focus of two minds in a single body… Yes, I can see that having possibilities. But it is your choice. As long as you exact revenge in my stead, I will leave the task to you."
He then seems to give real consideration to Goh's question. "I do not know. I can feel that many Uchiha souls and Senju souls have been prevented from completing their celestial journey… But I did not know why or how until you spoke of the Spirit Stone to me. They may be criminals. They may be volunteers. Or they may be soldiers who were slain in combat, and gathered up by the Sen—enemy." He corrects himself, since apparently the Senju are not the enemy anymore. "Or perhaps they are merely civilians and innocents as you said, who were slaughtered and sacrificed to forge this weapon… I do not know for certain. I can find out once I have been inside of it. However, the loyalty of the Uchiha to their family — and by extension, their deceased ancestors — >should< be without question. I know of no Uchiha from my lifetime who would have refused to save my spirit by taking my place. But it seems things have >changed<. I will speak to the souls, and find out if any wishes to willingly reside here in this prison until he or she can be freed. Is this acceptable?"
"No thanks." Goh replies, almost too quickly. "Things are already complicated enough by having that Stone power me up. I like to go into battle under my own steam. And who knows what long-term side effects that sort of merger could entail? A human body isn't meant to have more than one spirit in it a time." Seems he's not tempted by power or spiritual energy that come from the outside.
After hearing the somewhat honest explanation, the blonde nods a little bit. "Tell them that finding the eyes will be my number one priority. They will definitely not spend long in such a prison, that much is sure. If no-one accepts, just take the most.. I dunno, evil one you can find. I know there are /some/ bad eggs in there, based off what I've heard when I touch the thing."
Opening his arms up a little, Goh sucks in a breath. He needed to stop being so trusting to dead guys that have no eyes. >_>; "Alright, lost Uchiha. Away we go. After all, the longer we stay here, the longer my body decays without life."
The ghost nods. "Very well. Let us return." Then his entire body turns into ashes and flies towards Goh. The specks of black and white swirl all around the Pickler, and then coat his entire body — or rather, his spirit's body. Everywhere except for the eyes… Which now have gained red irises and three black tomoe in each. Goh would be able to see things in a way he never has before. The walls of this prison are no longer ancient stone… They are shifting masses of some roiling, black, oily substance… Like liquid darkness, defying gravity and all sense of perception in regards to whether one is on the floor or the ceiling or any place at all. The same is true of the ceiling, and the ground.
'Look around the room, if you would. I do not have the authority to direct your eyes or body. We may more easily see the exit if we have more directions to look in.' The voice is silent, and yet audible. Someone else's thoughts inside of Goh's head. Unlike with the Stone, they are not suggesting he do anything by their very nature… These thoughts not sweet, seductive, or powerful. The presence of the Ancestor simply… Is. He is there, but he is not influencing Goh in any way, except via whatever Goh chooses to do as a result of the communication.
With ashes coming from his body, Goh takes a nervous step back as he is engulfed! "..mm.." Indeed. The shift of his blue eyes to dark, then to red causes a bit of a surprise for Goh. Experiencing the Sharingan is a natural step for the Uchiha… They gain their first level, adjust to it, then gain the second, adjust to it, then the third and so on. But for someone to suddenly rush at to the third level is a bit overwhelming. At least for poor Goh.
"…woah. I can see my chakra." Looking at his own arms, the youth can see the blue energy flowing through his body. "Neat. Oh, er, right. Looking around now." Peering up and around, he begins to look and scout the entire area. The rolling walls of liquid don't seem to concern him too much, but he's not even sure what he's looking for. "No wonder the Uchiha are damn good at fights. With this sort of vision, anyone would be at a disadvantage. I can see tiny muscle movements." Focusing a little, Goh steps around, pivoting so that they get a good view on everything.
Goh turns around for at least 20 seconds, looking at the room in its entirety, before the voice speaks up again. 'There.' At first it does not appear that there is anything special about where Goh is looking. But perhaps the experience of the one who is granting this visual power allows for some greater level of perception and understanding of—Oh, no. There's just a very small pinpoint of light that is occasionally exposed to the eye when the cold, blackened Chakra shifts aside just right… Like sunlight seen above the ocean, from far, far beneath the waves.
'That point of light… You must penetrate the barrier of Yin-aspect Chakra and head towards it. Do not deviate from that path. If you become lost, you may be swallowed up by the darkness forever — and I with you.'
"Where?" Goh queries, squinting at the point in which 'there' is. After a moment of studying, the blonde eventually does pick up on the source. Just a small pinpoint of light, occasionally getting overlapped by the rolling, oilly darkness. Approaching the hole gingerly, the figure crouches down a little to examine it more closely.
"..well, that'd suck. I'd rather not spend an eternity in rolling darkness, thankyou very much." Folding arms across his chest, the youth winds himself up, taking a step back. "Here we go, Uchiha! Hold on!" Arms unfold as he presses forwards. "ORIYAAAA!" He lurches forwards more! Heading shoulder first into the hole with all his might, the Sharingan-eyed Goh ploughs into… well. Nothing. He rams into the wall with a hard thud, reeling back in pain. "Ow! Ugh." Rubbing his shoulder a little bit, the Pickler readies himself once more. "Er, guess I gotta funnel my essence like you said before. Woops." Taking a deep breath as he tries to block out the pain in his shoulder, Goh forms a seal and closes his eyes, meditating for a bit. And just like that, he does as he's instructed—fueling his chakra and very essence into the light.
The ashes cling to Goh like glue, not falling off when he rams into the wall. There is utter silence from the Uchiha Ancestor on Goh's first attempt. On the second, however, it seems Goh has figured it out, and he may feel that he is being somehow 'stretched' and 'squeezed' simultaneously. His body that previously seemed so solid and real rises up in wisps, almost like a lava lamp's contents. Soon, Goh's vision would narrow to a pin point, as the room streaks past behind him, and then so do the walls, and the next thing he knows, he is hurtling at the light!
It seems that despite it seeming small originally, it is instead simply very >distant<. Further, Goh is flying at insane speeds, judging by the way the roar of the darkness on either side of him. It is black as the deepest crypt, and cold as death itself… And yet it is also comforting in some way. Almost like it is beckoning Goh to embrace it, to sleep forever in the darkness and enjoy a well-deserved rest from all the rigours, and pain of being alive…
If Goh can resist that temptation, however, the closer he gets to the growing white light ahead, the more panicky survival instincts will begin to surge inside of Goh, urging him to escape this place of death! Escape to the world of the living! Escape… And…
BREATHE! Goh would wake up on the floor of the tomb, with the coffin unsealed, its shredded spirit-prison tags all over the place, and the lid ajar. He would also be freezing cold, and desperate for air. It seems he is alive again.
BREATTTHHEE! Inhaling a huge amount of oxygen, the lifeless body of Goh rises, coughing and spluttering. Freezing as his blood kick-starts once more, his heart beating, the blonde Pickled Vegetabler sort of just lays there, adjusting to being alive again. "H…Holy moley." He gets out, going over the experience in his head.
The warp speed, the travelling. Every survival instinct has ever known, surfacing and clawing it's way out. It was an unreal sensation, but, to be honest, NOT one that he wishes to experience ever again.
Getting slowly to his knees, then to his feet, the ex-Jounin sucks in a breath. Seems he survived the entire process, if at all barely. "..still with me, lost Uchiha? Here we go."
Stumbling on his feet a little bit, Goh seems to have some issues gathering chakra. Being dead really sucked. Performing some seals after biting his thumb to sacrifice some blood, Goh performs the summoning technique. "Summoning technique: Stone of Spirit Retrieval!" He hollers. There's some silence that echoes through the empty room as the blonde staggers a bit more, before in a nigh instant, the ground rumbles! The floor cracks and breaks, and slowly yet surely—out pokes a head, but only the mouth is seen. Opening wide, the Salamander reveals the true Stone of Spirit. Balanced on a toungue, it seems.
"There you go, friend." Goh intones, still breathless. "It's your turn now." He doesn't have to touch the thing, does he? Oy.
The Stone of Spirit looks a bit different than usual… Unlike in the spirit prison, Goh has no Sharingan to let him see Chakra. But somehow… The essence of that ghost's ability continues to intersect with Goh's own physical eyes in the physical world. Where once it was merely a gleaming, smooth-surfaced stone, deep red in hue, it now seems to be made up of many tiny bubbles… The bubbles are still contained within the outline of the Stone, but it is as if Goh can see inside of this relic, and recognize part of what is within… Or almost so. It would take a closer look to make out the details.
There is no response for awhile from the Uchiha ghost, but eventually it would seem there is some silent urging for Goh to move closer to the Fire Stone. Not quite an attempt at taking over, but certainly at least a mental prodding sensation. Faintly, the thoughts of the ghost may be heard… '…closer… …not enough… …physical connection… …communicate…' The broken thoughts are disjointed, and accompanied by brief flickers of mental imagery. Sometimes it's Goh leaning closer to the Stone, and other times it's the Uchiha. In both cases, one of the two men bends down and breathes on the Stone of Spirit, and then Chakra visibly pours out of their mouths and is absorbed into the bubbling surface of the relic.
It seems the ghost is now able to plant images in Goh's mind. That's helpful, but… Also perhaps worrying. Still, he does not seem to be able to influence Goh otherwise, or even communicate properly in words. So it is probably not a big deal.
"Man," Goh intones, stepping closer to the Stone as it's offered. "..I sure hope Mushi is on her way. This could get messy, and fast. C'mon, Reiko. You gotta move." Unfortunately, Sunagakure isn't exactly 'right next door'. It's quite a bit of travelling distance! Edging closer to the Stone and leaning over it, the blonde crouches.
Indeed, the mental images were starting to distress Goh a little bit. If anything, they only make him increase his speed. Getting close and looking at all the many tiny bubbles, the ex-Jounin sucks in a breath, before… fwooosh. He blows out along the Stone as best he can, expelling all the air from his lungs. The air that he worked so hard to get back in, going back out.
Goh's own Chakra does not leave him. But a different Chakra, undetectable until now, seeming to sort of be 'coating' Goh without touching him, >does< leave. It flows out onto the Stone, invisible to the naked eye. Goh would catch a glimpse of the Stone's true contents… The bubbles are not simply bubbles… They are tiny, transparent prisons for even tinier people. Most of the people resemble skeletons or corpses on their way to becoming such, while others are merely hovering balls of flame. Only the most recent still look human, and even they are haggard.
They seem to realize that Goh can see them, and they begin calling out to him, begging him to use their power, to achieve his dreams, to—But before the corrupting voices can properly take hold, they fade out, as do the details of the Stone's interior. It seems that enhanced spiritual sight that Goh had been granted is gone.
Nothing happens at first. Then nothing continues to happen. A minute passes. Then ten minutes. How long does this take, exactly? What if that Ancestor was trapped inside after all!? But then Goh may feel a sudden sensation as though he'd just been hit by a speeding train. The impact is tremendous, but it's not physical. It's spiritual.
'I have what I need,' the Uchiha's voice says quite clearly in Goh's mind. There also seems to be a bit more warmth, or at least some emotion and feeling other than the previous emptiness in his tone. 'I believe I can now find my way out of this tomb. Thank you for what you have done for me.' More than just the initial impact, there is a sort of… Heaviness to Goh that wasn't there before. He'd probably feel almost… Crowded inside of his own body? Like he's sharing space with someone or something else!? Well, at least this will be over soon!
'Before I depart, might you grant me one last request?' the Ancestor asks.
Witnessing all of the little bodies and spirits is truly perplexing. His eyes widen greatly, a little more when they start to get him to use the power. How long had they been in there for…? It was nothing short of creepy. Feeling the spirit leave him, followed by the enhanced sight, the ex-Jounin leans back a little bit, still likely recovering from his death-experience. As the minutes pass, the blonde DOES start to get a little nervous, before… FWOOM!
"Ugh..!" Reeling back with such force that he had rarely felt, the teen suddenly starts to pant loudly again. "I'm…ugh. Glad about that.." Goh breathes loudly, still recovering from the physical and now the mental. "And don't sweat it. Hope you at least found a bad egg to go into that prison." Slowly standing up, Goh waves a hand, and just like that, the Stone is swallowed up—dissapearing into the belly of the Salamander and going underground.
"..certainly feels cramped. In.. my own body. But I can't promise anything. What is it?"
The Ancestor asks, 'May I see this new and peaceful world that exists in the mortal world? The world at peace… We knew it took power to achieve it. Power and the will to use it for the greater good. But none of us had enough. And yet here, however many years after my death, apparently there exists those strong enough to forge peace out of war… I want to see what this world looks like before I pass on. Will you take us there? So that I can know that my dream was not merely a fantasy… That it can actually be true and real?'
He goes quiet for awhile, waiting for Goh's response, but offers after whatever Goh says, 'I will not ask that you do this for no reward. I can disable the traps of this tomb. More would have been activated following the triggering of the one on my body's resting place. You might manage to bypass them on your own… But why chance it? I can ensure that both of us escape from this place.'
"I'm sorry, friend." Goh says, seeming to honestly mean that after some thought. "My travels are mine alone. Well, mine and Mushi's. Sides, that'd get super awkward when.. you know, stuff happens between us." Oy, seems he doesn't want to get into details there. "And I reckon I wouldn't be myself for very long with this feeling on me. I've done everything you asked of me, but I can't grant you the last one. You're free now. This world is definitely more peaceful than what you probably remember it being, but it's far from perfect." Folding arms across his chest, the blonde looks around carefully.
"I know you wouldn't let me go without a prize, but yeah. Thanks, but no thanks. This is where we part ways. You let me worry about how I'll get out of here." He seems a little sad by this, but Goh cannot risk further harm or events happening to him right now. He already had /so much/ going on. With the addition of a spirit living inside his body, it was a bit much.
"Before you go though. What are down the other two passages? This was the left passage that brought me here, but there was also a middle and right one. Where do they lead?"
The Ancestor is silent for a long time after Goh speaks, and then the feeling of his being present in Goh's body shifts… And lessens… And then it begins to depart as the weight lifts from the ex-Konoha Jounin. Before he leaves completely, the ghost says, 'Death awaits in the other two passages. Do not explore them, lest your escape from the spirit world be for nothing. The spikes in the hallway beyond can be avoided by walking along the edges, not the middle. Close your eyes in the meditation chamber. Do not open them for any reason until you have reached the stairs and are on your way up them. Do not look back, either… They will only… Attack… Those who… See…' The spirit presence is almost gone, when it suddenly returns in a forceful burst — but only as emotion, not as words or thoughts or clear images. The emotion is hatred… Intense hatred and a desire for revenge. It's not directed at Goh. Actually, it's hard to tell who it >is< directed at, but Goh would know it's not aimed at him. That emotion then fades away as well, and a moment later, all indications there is a ghostly presence in the room… Are gone.
The message he tried to leave behind, when taken together with what was already said in the spirit prison, should be clear: 'Exact revenge in my stead.' He wants Goh to get revenge on the thief who took his spirit Sharingan. Is revenge really Goh's way? Maybe not. Maybe he would rather call it 'justice'. But in the end, the one responsible had to pay for his crimes. And it seems Goh is the one who will make him do just that.
…As soon as he gets out of this tomb without dying a second time.
