"Itachi, I'm leaving Sasuke to you from now on."
A full moon hung high in the cloudless sky, its cold, clear radiance spilling over Konoha Village.
Beneath this moonlight, a horrific clan massacre was taking place.
In the Uchiha compound, located at the very edge of the village, the people of the Uchiha clan—women, children, and elderly alike—were all being tragically cut down.
Their eyes remained open in death, bodies littering the ground. A thick stench of blood permeated every corner of the compound.
In the home of the Uchiha Military Police Force Captain, Fugaku Uchiha and his wife, Mikoto, knelt indoors. They gazed at their eldest son, his face filled with killing intent but his eyes brimming with tears. The couple closed their eyes, silently awaiting the slaughter at their son's hands.
Following the sound of a faint sob, they both felt a sharp pain, and then nothing.
When Fugaku Uchiha opened his eyes again, he found his entire body had become transparent.
"This is..."
"A soul state?"
Fugaku looked at his own ethereal body, then glanced around.
His son, Itachi Uchiha, had already left the room. On the floor lay his and his wife's corpses, blood pooling around them.
His youngest son, Sasuke, was lying in the doorway. He had no injuries, and his chest rose and fell normally. His face was pale, however, and his brow was furrowed, as if caught in a nightmare.
He was just a child, after all, and had just witnessed such a tragedy in his own home...
"I am..."
A similarly ethereal and transparent figure floated up from his wife's body. It looked exactly like his wife—it was, of course, her soul.
Mikoto slowly opened her eyes. A flicker of confusion passed, but she quickly understood. Observing her own and her husband's current appearance, she already knew the answer.
"We... are really dead. I wonder what the world after death is like?"
"To think the Uchiha clan would perish at my hands..."
Just as Fugaku and Mikoto were immersed in the emotions of their death, a deep, unfamiliar male voice spoke up.
"The afterlife isn't as pleasant as the living imagine."
The sudden voice instantly broke the couple's reverie. His extensive ninja training kicked in, and Fugaku immediately spun toward the sound, shielding his wife behind him.
Before, Fugaku had not detected the presence of anyone else in the room.
He shouted sternly: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Before him stood a tall man dressed in pitch-black robes, a tachi (long sword) at his waist. He looked like a noble samurai.
But what was most impressive was the man's appearance.
His features were well-defined and handsome, with long, narrow "phoenix eyes" that held a sense of dignity. His eyebrows were thick and long, but unlike the heavy brows of Gai from their village, they swept upwards like flickering flames. His short, dark-red hair did the same, giving him a strange aura that was both solemn and dynamic.
In the darkness, his eyes shone with a startling light.
"Mr. Fugaku, don't be agitated... though being agitated is useless, since you're already dead," the man said. "My name is Shihōin Yanmo. I am a Shinigami from another world. Right now, I want to make a deal with your Uchiha clan."
"Shinigami? From another world?"
The husband and wife both looked confused.
If he's a Shinigami, he must be here to collect their souls. But what did he mean by "from another world"?
Don't tell me Shinigami also have territories, marking out spheres of influence just like ninja, with different Shinigami assigned to different regions?
Fugaku slightly relaxed his vigilance, but still frowned and asked: "What deal?"
Shihōin Yanmo took a step forward and said: "I can let you live a second life in another world, a world called Soul Society. In exchange, your Uchiha clan must sign a contract with me and pledge your wholehearted loyalty to me!"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over their chests. There were no chains. It must be a difference between worlds.
"A new... life!"
Although Uchiha Fugaku was attracted by the temptation of a second life, he didn't lose his reason and immediately agree. Instead, he calmly asked in a deep voice: "Since we are already dead, how can we live a new life? 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 Shinobi World in the future?"
Uchiha Mikoto's gaze fell on Sasuke in the doorway, her eyes filled with guilt and love.
Yanmo held up two fingers.
"First, you will go to the Soul Society as souls. Even so, it's no different from being a normal living person. If your aptitude is outstanding, you can even eat normally, and having children is also possible."
"Second, I have already grasped the coordinates of the Shinobi World. In the future, if you want to travel back and forth, as long as you have my permission, I can open a Senkaimon (World-Piercing Gate), and you can come and go freely."
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes flickered, clearly moved. But he still asked: "And if we don't agree to this deal?"
"This world also has its own Pure Land. But it's different from my world. Souls exist in a state of frozen consciousness. If you don't follow me, you can only go to the Shinobi World's Pure Land. The final outcome will be the loss of your will, until your souls perish."
After Yanmo finished explaining, he waited a moment for Fugaku and Mikoto to digest this information, then gave them his choice.
"Choose. Either follow me to live in another world, or let your souls return to this world, eventually sinking into oblivion."
This concerned the thousand-plus members of the Uchiha clan. One careless mistake would cause the entire clan to lose its future once again.
At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders, so heavy it was hard to breathe.
Faced with such a heavy choice, his indecisive nature flared up again, making it difficult to make any decision.
"Lord Shinigami, this matter is of great importance. Could you allow me to discuss it with my clansmen?"
"You may. But time is short, so you'd better act quickly."
Yanmo nodded lightly, then said: "I have set up a Kidō to guide the dead souls and a guide at your Military Police building. Your kinsmen should be arriving here soon."
Fugaku and Mikoto looked at each other and immediately walked out of the house.
Passing by Sasuke, the two paused slightly, then continued without stopping.
There were priorities. Their son was physically unharmed. They couldn't waste time now.
As soon as they stepped out the door, they saw the sky outside was covered by a nearly transparent film, blanketing the entire compound. Mysterious runes were stuck to the film's surface, crisscrossing like chains.
"What is this now?"
The two were astonished. They hadn't seen this thing in the sky before.
Then they both looked back into the house. Without asking, they knew it must be another of this mysterious Shinigami's techniques.
Watching the retreating backs of Fugaku and Mikoto, Shihōin Yanmo's brow relaxed.
'Given the Uchiha clan's temperament, dying such a wrongful death, they will probably agree in the end...'
'But considering the 'worship-the-strong' nature of these lunatics, it's best to show them some of my power.'
Shihōin Yanmo was all too clear about the personality of the Uchiha.
He had read the manga and countless fan-fictions in his previous life, so he understood the Uchiha clan extremely thoroughly.
That's right. Shihōin Yanmo was not from the Shinobi World, nor was he a native of the Soul Society. He was a soul from a place called Earth.
By a stroke of incredible luck, Yanmo's soul traversed to the Soul Society and was later found by an old man.
Because he was found in an abandoned grinding mill, he was named [Yanmo] (研磨, meaning 'to grind').
After half a year of study, he learned the language of the Soul Society and lived together with the old man, depending on each other.
Because he could feel hunger, he enrolled in the Shin'ō Academy. However, when he registered, the school teacher wrote his name wrong. It was recorded in the Seireitei's internal files, and thus it became the current name [Yanmo] (硯磨, written with the character for 'inkstone').
Upon entering the academy, Yanmo displayed extraordinary talent. Coupled with his hard work, he was praised by students and teachers as a top student.
After graduating, because of his steady personality and handsome features, he was noticed by the previous head of the great noble Shihōin clan and recruited as a live-in son-in-law, to assist and restrain the current, overly lively, clan head.
Although they weren't officially married yet, the two were already engaged. The matter was set in stone, so Yanmo gained a surname, and was called [Shihōin Yanmo].
Shihōin Yanmo was able to traverse again, from the Soul Society to the Shinobi World, by relying on the Zanpakutō at his waist.
His spiritual power had reached the 4th rank, achieving the level of a Vice-Captain. He could also hear his Zanpakutō's name and thus perform Shikai.
One of the abilities of his initial release 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. The first world he arrived in was this war-torn world of Naruto.
After familiarizing himself with the Shinobi World's environment for a period, he began his operation.
This was the eve of the Uchiha massacre.
After Fugaku and Mikoto left, Shihōin Yanmo's gaze fell on Sasuke, who was having a nightmare.
'No rush... In a mere few 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 dead souls of the Uchiha had also realized their current situation. They were still immersed in anger and unwillingness when they heard the shouts of Fugaku and Mikoto outside.
"Fugaku Uchiha, what is going on! How dare your son Itachi do this to us!"
"Captain, look at the fine son you raised! You must give us an explanation!"
"My daughter was only three months old, and she was cruelly killed by Itachi like this, sobs!"
"And my son! He was only five! What wrong could such a small child have done! Why kill him!"
Amidst tears and curses, the people walked out of their homes and onto the street, forcing Fugaku and Mikoto together and surrounding them.
The tearful accusations from their clansmen were almost too much for Fugaku to bear.
The man who had shaken the Shinobi World on the battlefield under the name "Wicked Eye" Fugaku, this time, did not know how he could face the grief and anger of his people.
The one who committed the sin was his own son. All the blame should be borne by him, the father.
"But not now!"
A single roar almost drowned out the cries of the clansmen.
Within the clan, Uchiha Fugaku still held considerable prestige. The voices on the street gradually quieted.
Thud!
Fugaku pulled Mikoto down with him. The couple knelt before their clansmen and slammed their foreheads to the ground in a deep kowtow.
Tears streamed down their lowered faces.
"I take full responsibility for Itachi's actions! After tonight, even if you all cut me into a thousand pieces, I will not complain!"
"But there is an urgent matter tonight, one that concerns the future of our Uchiha clan! Please, grant me one night—no, just one hour! After one hour, I will submit to any punishment!"
Fugaku's words were choked with sobs, his voice hoarse.
Beside him, Mikoto also shouted: "Me too! Please, everyone, just 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. "Just now, I met Lord Shinigami! He has given our Uchiha clan a chance to live a second life!"
The couple quickly explained what had just happened.
A wave of shock and doubt rose from the crowd.
"Something like that... how is it possible!"
"We don't even know if this Lord Shinigami is worthy of our trust!"
"Let alone pledge loyalty! We are the proud Uchiha! Even if he's a Shinigami..."
Just as the crowd erupted into an uproar again, a monstrous spiritual pressure descended from nowhere, pressing down on everyone.
The street was instantly plunged into silence. All sound stopped abruptly.
Thump, thump, thump...
One by one, the old, the weak, the women, and the children were the first to collapse, pinned to the ground by the pressure, unable to move.
The able-bodied men and Genin from each family followed, and finally, even the elite clan members with active Sharingan.
In the blink of an eye, not a single person on the entire street was left standing.