The Shinigami stood there with the giggling Naruto in his arms. He put away his pipe, waving his beads over the infant's face for him to play with. Naruto reached out, grabbed the beads, and started pulling on them, putting them in his mouth before swiftly falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Kai, Tai Lung, and Shen stood there, frozen in place. They had no idea who this person or thing was and yet, his mere presence demanded respect and rolled off fear. Despite that, the baby had peacefully fallen asleep, clutching the beads. The Shinigami then looked at Kai and walked toward him.

The bull gulped, buckling his knees, lowering his head, and kneeling as the cloaked figure approached. For one of the few times in his life and un-life, he felt fear. Something more than losing his once-brother. Something more than dying. He felt more fear than when he first arrived in the Spirit World.

'W-Why can't I move?' Kai thought as he looked up, even straining his eye to see. The Shinigami bore no feature other than a small, toothy smile and death-filled eyes. He didn't see anger, rage, or sorrow, all he saw was... disappointment?

"Kai. The Collector. General. Supreme Warlord of all China. The Jade Slayer. Master of Pain. Beast of Vengeance. Maker of Widows..." The Shinigami listed off all of Kai's names. Everything he was called and actually brought shivers down his spine.

"I-I must say, h-hearing those titles come out of your mouth is... appreciated." Kai managed to stutter out, then he felt some weight on his back. He saw that the Shinigami had vanished and decided to sit on his own back.

"I am death. I know all of your names. I know all of your regrets. I know of all you killed." The Shinigami explained. "I know every sin, every word, everything about each and every one of you!" Shivers went down all their spines. To know everything about each of them? The people they killed? Their regrets? Even their sorrows?

The gears in Shen's head started to turn. Right now, he wasn't too concerned about running away, no, but he was trying to find a way to get out of this alive. The peacock gulped, bowing his head as he approached.

"O-Oh great and might... death, w-why are you here? A-And what does t-that child have to do with us?" Shen stuttered. He felt ashamed to bow to anyone, much more when he stuttered. He felt so small, so insignificant and it made his blood boil.

"Hmm? What's this? The great and mighty Shen, the last son of the royal Peacock family of Gongmen City, bowing and stuttering?" The Shinigami turned his head, his smile widening to reveal each of his knife-like teeth.

"Y-Yes, b-before you... m-mighty death." Shen replied, making the Shinigami's smile wider.

"If you must know..." the embodiment of death stood up and took a few strides toward Tai Lung. The heckles on the back of his neck stood up as he subconsciously growled, he was prepared for a fight... but he got the passing off of the baby. The Shinigami passed the infant to Tai Lung, whose growling had passed and now held Naruto. "The infant's name is Naruto and I brought him back as a favor."

"W-What?" Tai Lung asked, raising a brow.

"The child had died and, in exchange for eternal servitude, I brought him back to life... and I brought you with him."

"S-So what? Is he a Jiang Shi? A hopping ghost?" Tai Lung held Naruto away from him, actually afraid of being bitten as the legend would go. But he took a moment to realize that if Naruto was a Jiang Shi, the infant would be hopping around, stiff as a board.

"No, not exactly."

"But that doesn't explain us!" Kai commented, managing to stand on his own two feet. "Why are we like this? Hairless, ugly, apes?!"

"Simply put, this world isn't dominated by animals. They're called 'humans' and they evolved from Apes, so you're half-right." The Shinigami explained.

The revelation that they were now in a world dominated by humans left Kai, Tai Lung, and Shen utterly bewildered. The three of them exchanged glances, trying to comprehend the enormity of the situation. The Shinigami's words hung heavy in the air, and they struggled to wrap their minds around the concept of a world where animals were not the dominant species.

"But why are we here?" Shen finally managed to voice the question in their minds. "Why did you bring us back to life in this strange world?"

The Shinigami's smile never faltered as he responded, "Because you three have unfinished business. Regrets, unresolved desires, and lingering grudges tie you to the living world. Your deaths were not the end, but merely the beginning of a new chapter."

Kai, still somewhat uneasy, spoke up, "Unfinished business, huh? What do you mean? What's left for us to do?"

The Shinigami's eyes seemed to bore into their souls as he continued, "Each of you carries a heavy burden. Kai, your thirst for power and vengeance consumed you in life. Tai Lung, your relentless ambition led you down a path of destruction. Shen, your hunger for dominance blinded you to the true cost of your actions. You must confront these aspects of yourselves, face your past, and find a way to make amends or find peace."

As the weight of the Shinigami's words settled upon them, Naruto stirred in Tai Lung's arms, awakening from his slumber. The little boy gurgled and reached out, his tiny hand grasping the air in front of him.

"He has a part to play in this too," the Shinigami said, gesturing to Naruto. "He is connected to each of you, in ways you will come to understand. You will guide him, just as he will guide you."

Despite the initial shock, there was a strange feeling inside Tai Lung. It was a strange feeling similar to when he saw Shifu on the ground before him... when he said 'I'm sorry'. Perhaps this was a chance for redemption?

'No! Never! I was too far gone...' Tai Lung thought. A way to break free from the cycle of violence and find peace? As if, but now he looked down at the innocent child in his arms, contemplating the role he now had to play in the boy's life.

Kai and Shen, too, started to process the gravity of their situation. The idea of confronting their pasts, and their mistakes, and seek redemption? They knew there was no escape from this newfound reality and trying to confront their sins was stupid... and yet, they felt hope?

Before they could ask any more questions, the Shinigami had disappeared and his presence was gone, allowing them to breathe one more. The three warriors looked at each other, each silently acknowledging the gravity of their choices.

"I suppose we should at least amuse him for a while?" Shen said, brushing himself off.

"Maybe..." Tai Lung replied, choosing to move forward with Kai and Shen following.

"So, do you have any idea where we're going?" Kai questioned.

"No." Tai Lung continued to walk, passing by a sign that read '300 Miles to the Land of Earth'.

[There we are! Hopefully, this is okay. Work has just been trouble so I've not really been alright.]