"Itachi, I'm leaving Sasuke in your care from now on."
The full moon hung high in the cloudless sky, its cold, clear light showering Konoha Village.
Beneath this moonlight, the massacre of a clan was taking place.
In the Uchiha clan grounds at the village's outermost edge, the people of the Uchiha, regardless of age or gender, now lay tragically dead by the sword.
Eyes stared blankly, bodies littered the ground; a thick stench of blood permeated every corner of the clan grounds.
Inside the home of the Uchiha Military Police Force captain, Uchiha Fugaku and his wife, Mikoto, knelt, looking at their eldest son before them—a figure filled with murderous intent, yet with tears in his eyes. The couple closed their eyes, silently awaiting their son's slaughter.
With the sound of a faint sob, they both felt a sharp pain, and then, nothing.
When Uchiha Fugaku opened his eyes again, he found that his entire being had become transparent.
'This is...'
'A soul state?'
Uchiha Fugaku looked at his now ethereal body, then glanced around.
His son, Itachi, had already left the room. On the floor lay his and his wife's corpses, blood flowing freely.
His youngest son, Sasuke, was lying at the doorway. He had no injuries, and his chest rose and fell normally, but his face was pale and his brows were furrowed. He must be having a nightmare.
He was just a child, after all, and he had witnessed such a tragedy at home...
"This is..."
An equally ethereal and transparent figure floated up from his wife's body. Her appearance was identical to his wife's; it was, naturally, her soul.
Mikoto slowly opened her eyes. Confusion flickered for a moment before understanding dawned. Observing her and her husband's current state, she already had the answer in her heart.
"We... are really dead. I wonder what the world after death is like?"
"To think the Uchiha clan would fall at my hands..."
Just as Fugaku and Mikoto were lost in their post-mortem emotions, a strange and deep male voice sounded.
"The world after death is not as wonderful as the living imagine."
The sudden voice immediately interrupted the couple's lamentations. His rich ninja instincts made Fugaku spin around instantly, looking in the direction of the voice while shielding his wife behind him.
Fugaku hadn't detected anyone else in the room before.
He demanded sharply, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Before him was a tall man dressed in pitch-black clothing, a tachi worn at his waist, looking like a noble samurai.
But what was most impressive was the man's appearance.
His face was handsome and well-proportioned, with long, narrow phoenix eyes that held a certain majesty. His eyebrows were thick and long, but unlike Gai's from the same village, they were not heavy. Instead, they rose like burning flames. His short, dark-red hair was the same, giving him a strange combination of solemnity and vitality.
In the darkness, his eyes burst with a startling light.
"Mr. Fugaku, don't be alarmed... though being alarmed seems useless, since you're already dead," the man said. "My name is Shihoin Kenma, a Shinigami from another world. Right now, I want to make a deal with you Uchiha."
"A Shinigami? From another world?"
The couple both showed looks of confusion.
If he was a Shinigami, then he was here to collect souls like them. But what did he mean by 'from another world'?
Could it be that Shinigami also have territories, divided into spheres of influence like ninja, with different Shinigami stationed in various places?
Fugaku relaxed his guard slightly but still asked with a frown, "What deal?"
Shihoin Kenma took a step forward. "I can let you live again in another world, a world called Soul Society. In return, your Uchiha clan must sign a contract with me and pledge your wholehearted loyalty!"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over their chests. There were no chains, likely a difference between worlds.
"Live... again!"
Although Uchiha Fugaku was tempted by the allure of living again, he didn't lose his reason and agree immediately. Instead, he asked in a calm, deep voice, "Since we are already dead, how can we live again? Are you going to resurrect us? If we go to this Soul Society you speak of, will we be able to travel back and forth to the ninja world in the future?"
Uchiha Mikoto's gaze fell on Sasuke at the door, her eyes filled with guilt and love.
Kenma held up two fingers.
"First, you will go to the Soul Society in your soul state. Even so, it's not much different from being a normal living person. If your aptitude is excellent, you can even eat normally, and having children is also possible."
"Second, I have already grasped the coordinates of the ninja world. If you wish to travel back and forth in the future, you can do so freely by opening a Senkaimon, as long as you have my permission."
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes flickered, clearly moved. But he asked one more question, "What if we don't agree to this deal?"
"This world also has its own Pure Land, but it's different from the world I'm from. Souls exist in a state of frozen consciousness. If you don't follow me, you can only go to the ninja world's Pure Land, and your final fate will be to lose your will until your soul perishes."
After Kenma finished explaining, he waited a moment for Fugaku and his wife to process the information, then presented them with their choice.
"Choose. Follow me to live in another world, or return to this world's afterlife and eventually fade into oblivion."
The fate of over a thousand members of the Uchiha clan was at stake. One misstep, and the entire clan would once again lose its future.
At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders, so heavy it was hard to breathe.
Faced with such a monumental choice, his indecisive nature flared up again, making it difficult to make any decision.
"Lord Shinigami, this is a matter of great importance. May I have some time to discuss it with my clansmen?"
"You may, but time is short. You should act quickly."
Kenma nodded slightly, then added, "I have arranged a kido to guide the souls and a guide at your Military Police Force building. Your fellow clansmen should be arriving here soon."
Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged a glance and immediately walked out of the house.
As they passed Sasuke, they both paused for a fraction of a second, then continued without stopping.
There were priorities. Their son was unharmed; they couldn't waste time now.
The moment they stepped out of the door, they saw that the sky was covered by a nearly transparent film, blanketing the entire clan compound. Mysterious runes were plastered across the film's surface, crisscrossing like chains.
'What is this?'
They were both stunned. They hadn't seen this thing in the sky before.
Then, they both looked back into the house. They didn't need to ask to know that this was undoubtedly another one of the mysterious Shinigami's techniques.
Watching Uchiha Fugaku and his wife depart, the tension on Shihoin Kenma's brow eased.
'Given the nature of the Uchiha clan, dying with such grievances, they will probably agree in the end...'
'But considering this group of psychopaths' worship of the strong, I should probably let them witness my power first.'
Shihoin Kenma was all too familiar with the personality of the Uchiha.
Having read the manga and countless fanfictions in his past life, he had an extremely thorough understanding of the Uchiha clan.
That's right, Shihoin Kenma was not a native of the ninja world, nor was he indigenous to the Soul Society. He was a soul from a place called Earth.
Through a great stroke of luck, Kenma's soul had transmigrated to the Soul Society, where he was found by an old man.
Because he was found in an abandoned millstone workshop, he was named "Kenma" (研磨).
After half a year of study, he learned the language of the Soul Society and lived a life of mutual dependence with the old man.
Because he could feel hunger, he enrolled in the Shin'o Academy. However, when he registered, the school's teacher wrote his name incorrectly, and it was entered into the Seireitei's records, becoming the name he now bears: "Kenma" (硯磨).
Upon entering the academy, Kenma displayed extraordinary talent. Coupled with his diligent efforts, he was hailed as a top student by both teachers and students.
After graduation, due to his steady personality and handsome features, he was noticed by the previous head of the great noble Shihoin clan and was recruited as a son-in-law to assist and restrain the current, overly lively, clan head.
Although they were not officially married yet, the two were already engaged, and the matter was set in stone. Thus, Kenma gained a surname, becoming "Shihoin Kenma."
Shihoin Kenma was able to transmigrate again, from the Soul Society to the ninja world, thanks to the Zanpakuto at his waist.
His spiritual power had reached the fourth rank, the level of a lieutenant, and he could also hear his Zanpakuto's name, allowing him to perform Shikai.
One of his initial release abilities was enough to let him travel back and forth between two different worlds.
After making his decision, he broke the spatial barrier between the two worlds, and the first world he arrived in was this war-torn world of Naruto.
After familiarizing himself with the ninja world's environment for a while, he began his plan.
The timing was just on the eve of the Uchiha massacre.
After Fugaku and his wife left, Shihoin Kenma's gaze fell on the nightmare-ridden Sasuke.
'No rush... in a few short decades, you will be mine too.'
After leaving their home, the couple immediately split up, running through the various streets to call for the souls of their clansmen to gather on the main street.
The souls of the Uchiha had also realized their current predicament. Still immersed in anger and unwillingness, they heard the shouts of Fugaku and Mikoto outside.
"Uchiha Fugaku, what is going on! How dare your son Itachi do this to us!"
"Captain, look at the fine son you've raised! You must give us an explanation!"
"My daughter was only three months old, and she was brutally killed by Itachi like this, sob, sob, sob!"
"And my son, he was only five! What wrong could a child so young have done! Why kill him!"
Crying and cursing, the people came out of their homes and onto the street, cornering Fugaku and Mikoto, surrounding them completely.
The tearful accusations from their clansmen were almost too much for Fugaku to bear.
The man who had once terrified the ninja world on the battlefield with the name "Fugaku of the Wicked Eye," now found himself at a loss for how to face the sorrowful and angry cries of his people.
The one who committed the crime was his son; all the blame should be borne by him, the father.
"But not now!"
A roar almost drowned out the cries of the clansmen.
Within the clan, Uchiha Fugaku still held considerable authority, and the voices on the street gradually quieted.
Thump!
Fugaku, leading Mikoto, knelt down heavily before their surrounding clansmen, bowing his head to the ground with a loud thud.
His lowered face was already streaked with tears.
"I take full responsibility for Itachi's actions! After tonight, even if you all cut me into a thousand pieces, it would not be enough!"
"But there is an urgent matter tonight, one that concerns the future of our Uchiha clan! I beg you all to grant me one night, no, just one hour! After one hour, I will submit to any punishment you see fit!"
Fugaku's words were choked with sobs, his voice hoarse.
Beside him, Mikoto also shouted, "Me too! Please, everyone, listen to what Fugaku and I have to say!"
Amidst the crowd's sobbing, a voice called out, "But we're all dead! What future is there!"
"There is!" Fugaku roared at the top of his lungs. "Just now, I met Lord Shinigami! He has given our Uchiha clan a chance to live again!"
The couple quickly recounted what had just happened.
A wave of astonishment and doubt spread through the crowd.
"Something like that... how is it possible!"
"Whether that Lord Shinigami is worthy of our trust is still unclear, isn't it?"
"Furthermore, pledging loyalty? We are the proud Uchiha! Even to a Shinigami..."
Just as the crowd descended into chaos again, an overwhelming spiritual pressure descended from nowhere, pressing down on everyone.
The street instantly fell silent, all sounds ceasing abruptly.
Thud, thud, thud...
One by one, the old, the weak, and the children were the first to give way, forced to the ground by the pressure, unable to move.
They were followed by the able-bodied men and the genin from each family, and finally, by those outstanding clan members who had awakened the Sharingan.
In the blink of an eye, not a single person was left standing on the entire street.