"System, summon them." Hiroki took a deep breath and threw the Parchment Scroll in his hand into the air. The contract, carrying over two hundred souls yearning for a chance at life, traced a heavy arc under the dim light of the Training Ground.
"Understood." The system's voice remained cold, yet at this moment, it carried the weight of opening the gates of destiny.
The Parchment Scroll did not hit the ground. Just as it reached its highest point in mid-air, it suddenly erupted with a soft yet incredibly piercing golden light! The light wasn't blinding, but it was filled with an indescribable aura of life, instantly enveloping the entire Training Ground. Countless faint whispers of souls and the hum of space seemed to echo in the air.
Amidst the golden light, the Parchment Scroll dissolved and disintegrated silently, like snow falling into water. It didn't break; instead, it dissipated into countless tiny specks of light.
Immediately after, human silhouettes outlined by light began to emerge and solidify where the radiance was most intense. The outlines turned from ethereal to solid, with colors and textures filling in rapidly—jet-black hair, various casual clothes or Ninja attire, and most strikingly, the eyes that snapped open the moment the light began to fade.
On a crimson background, black tomoe slowly rotated within the pupils—the hallmark of the Sharingan! But the sheer number was beyond imagination. Countless pairs of blood-colored pupils, filled with suspicion, vigilance, bewilderment, and even a lingering trace of despair from having just experienced the 'clan massacre,' suddenly lit up in this narrow space, like numerous eerie crimson lamps blooming in the dark.
In less than a breath, a dense crowd filled the Kuroki Clan's Courtyard, which wasn't particularly spacious, as if they had appeared out of thin air. The young and middle-aged men subconsciously protected the elderly, weak, women, and children in the center, their movements swift and coordinated. Despite being in a strange place, the combat instincts and clan consciousness etched into their bones instantly revived. The slight breeze stirred by the crowd blew the stray hairs on Hiroki's forehead, bringing with it the faint rustle of clothing and the suppressed sobs of children. The scene was breathtakingly impactful—an entire Ninja clan, a ghost army that had just been wiped out, had completed their bizarre rebirth in the Courtyard of a lower-ranking noble in the Soul Society.
When the light completely dissipated, Uchiha Fugaku, standing at the forefront with the heavy dignity of a clan head, had a gaze as sharp as a blade. He quickly locked onto the only young man standing before them, dressed in a luxurious haori. Without needing words, he instantly understood the identity of the 'summoner' and the peculiar situation his clan was in. Fugaku did not hesitate; he took a deep breath and suddenly dropped to one knee, pressing his right fist over his heart. Shisui, Tekka, Inabi, and other young core members behind him followed suit with perfectly synchronized movements. Then, like falling dominoes, the entire Uchiha Clan in the Courtyard, young and old alike, bowed deeply toward Hiroki and knelt on one knee.
"Uchiha Fugaku—" The clan head's deep, resonant voice rang out in the silent Courtyard, carrying the complex emotions of rebirth and the clan's determination, "leads the entire Uchiha Clan to pay respects to My Lord!"
"Greetings, My Lord!" Over two hundred voices—some loud, some young, some deep—merged into an invisible torrent of will, striking heavily against the stone floor. This declaration of loyalty was the first contractual tribute paid for their new life.
This heavy and powerful scene of loyalty completely dissipated the last bit of Hiroki's concern about them being a 'burden,' replaced by the tangible feeling of controlling a powerful force. He raised his hand, his voice steady, carrying the poise expected of the Head of the Shihoin Clan: "Rise."
"Yes, My Lord!" After the unified response, the two hundred-plus people stood up like a well-trained army, their complex gazes gathering on Hiroki. There was awe, curiosity, and a lingering sense of confusion and anxiety about the future.
Hiroki's gaze quickly swept through the crowd. First, he saw Shisui standing beside Fugaku; his equally sharp yet calmer gaze left a deep impression. Then there were the faces behind Fugaku corresponding to familiar names—Tekka, Inabi, Yashiro, and others—all with steady auras and eyes full of vigilance and power. He even keenly caught sight of a young girl named Uchiha Izumi in the crowd; her expression was more shaken than the others, with deep fear and sadness still lingering in her eyes.
"System," Hiroki thought to himself, "can I view their status panels?"
"Yes."
"Let's see Fugaku's."
"Understood."
Name: Uchiha Fugaku
Spiritual Pressure: Third Class (Captain-level)
Skill Level: Hakuda: A (Converted from Taijutsu)
Shunpo: A (Converted from Body Flicker Technique)
Kido: S (Converted from Ninjutsu)
Zanjutsu: B (Converted from Kendo)
Talent: Mangekyo Sharingan
Equipment: None
Hiroki's eyelid twitched slightly. Holy crap, look at this panel—he's a total powerhouse! With a Captain-level Spiritual Pressure foundation and a combination of S-rank Kido plus A-rank Shunpo and Hakuda, along with the legendary Mangekyo... this strength is enough to serve as a mainstay Captain-level force in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!
"Now let's see Uchiha Shisui's."
"Understood."
Name: Uchiha Shisui, Spiritual Pressure: Third Class (Captain-level)
Skill Level: Hakuda: A (Converted from Taijutsu)
Shunpo: S (Converted from Body Flicker Technique)
Kido: S (Converted from Ninjutsu)
Zanjutsu: A (Converted from Kendo)
Talent: Mangekyo Sharingan
Equipment: None
Hiroki practically wanted to whistle. Nice, very nice! S-rank Shunpo! This is an absolute trump card! The core specialty of the Onmitsukidō! Thinking of Yoruichi's title as the Flash God... the Shunpo potential of the man before him probably isn't weaker than Yoruichi's! Now he finally has two trump cards capable of standing at the high-end combat level of the Soul Society!
Though it was only enough to gain a foothold; after all, in the current Soul Reaper World, there are still big shots with First Class Spiritual Pressure.
Even the slightly lower Second Class Spiritual Pressure big shots are quite numerous. Keep a low profile, don't get reckless.
Next, his gaze turned to the core members who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Among them, Uchiha Izumi was particularly prominent. Not only because she was the only female among these elites, but also because of the immense sadness that hadn't yet fully faded from her face.
He focused on her, and the system panel naturally popped up:
Name: Uchiha Izumi, Spiritual Pressure: Fourth Class (Lieutenant-level)
Skill Level:
Hakuda: A
Shunpo: A
Kido: B
Zanjutsu: C
Talent: Three-Tomoe Sharingan
Equipment: None
Sweeping over Tekka and the other eight Three-Tomoe clan members, their panels were similar, with Spiritual Pressure mostly at Fifth Class (Lieutenant-level). Their Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido fluctuated between B and A, while Zanjutsu was mostly C or B. In total, he now had 2 top-tier combatants comparable to Captain-level and 9 core combatants who firmly reached the Lieutenant-level! This instantly compensated for the fatal shortcoming of his own insufficient strength and brought huge room for expansion.
"System, can these people still grow?" Hiroki asked the most crucial question with a surging heart. Could souls that had died once break through their old limits in this new world?
"Yes," the system answered affirmatively, "otherwise it wouldn't be called living a second life." This meant they weren't mere ghost projections of the past, but had obtained true, brand-new lives with infinite possibilities.
A long-awaited thought emerged, and Hiroki's voice carried a hint of excitement and testing: "So, taking Uchiha Izumi as an example, she also has the possibility of awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan?" This girl was no simpleton; she had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at such a young age.
"Yes." The system's confirmation was like music to his ears. This didn't just open new possibilities for Izumi; it meant that other highly talented clansmen, and even... the entire Uchiha Clan, had obtained the key to breaking their inherent limits under the rules of the Soul Reaper World! The Mangekyo and even higher powers seemed no longer out of reach.
Hiroki suppressed his excitement and immediately threw out the final, vital question: "One more thing, will their Mangekyo still go blind if used too much?" If the risk of ocular power depletion existed like in the Naruto World, the value of these two trump cards would be greatly diminished, and they might even become expensive consumables.
"No." The system replied decisively. This answer allowed Hiroki's heart to finally settle. "To adapt to the system of the Soul Reaper World, the bodies of the Uchiha Clan have undergone adaptive adjustments. Now, if they use the abilities of the Sharingan through a Zanpakuto, it will only consume a large amount of Spiritual Pressure."
This meant the source of power had shifted from specific 'Ocular Power' to the more universal Spiritual Pressure, which could be recovered and trained! The cost of use was greatly reduced, while the potential for power remained unchanged. It was a perfect fit!
Hehe, this Beginner's Gift Pack is really damn good, hahaha! Hiroki looked at the dense crowd of the Uchiha army before him, with their eerie ocular light yet absolute obedience.