The sky of the Land of Stars always seemed clearer and bluer than that of the Land of Fire. Sunlight poured unreservedly onto this newly risen nation.
However, the atmosphere in a newly planned, neatly organized residential area blending traditional and modern architecture, designated for the Hyuga Clan, was not entirely relaxed.
On the wide training grounds, led by Hizashi, twenty-eight successfully defected Hyuga Clan's branch family's members, including Neji, Tokuma, Tetsu, and their families, totaling fifty-seven people, knelt uniformly on one knee.
Most faces still bore the shock and unease from their escape, along with confusion about the future, but more than that, a complex mix of sorrow and resolve born from breaking free of their shackles.
Many eyes were fixed intently on the figure standing before them.
Shura, clad in his black robe with red trim, stood silently.
He didn't speak, merely slowly raised his right hand, his fingertips pressing lightly against his own left eye area.
The next moment, a strange and vast wave of Ocular Power spread out from him.
The pupil of his left eye instantly transformed into a complex, sinister Mangekyo pattern. The pattern wasn't static but slowly rotated like a living thing, emitting a deep, seemingly all-devouring luster.
"Dojutsu: Ame-no-Minakanushi."
Menma's voice was low and clear.
He didn't look at any specific individual. The Mangekyo's pattern in his left eye suddenly brightened, projecting a hazy yet powerful energy field that enveloped all the kneeling Hyuga Clan's branch family's members.
The kneeling Hyuga Clan's members shuddered in unison!
They could clearly feel a warm, yet domineering force, ignoring all obstacles, acting directly upon a certain mark deep within their souls!
The centuries-old green cursed seal on their foreheads, the [Caged Bird], under the impact of this power, began to dissolve and disintegrate as if ice meeting the sun!
Not simply sealed, but utterly... erased!
An indescribable feeling of relief instantly spread through their entire bodies. It was as if an invisible shackle that had choked their clan for generations had snapped at this very moment!
Many clansmen instinctively reached up to touch their smooth foreheads, their eyes filled with disbelief, wild joy, and excitement. Some couldn't hold back soft sobs.
Centuries of humiliation and restraint had finally ended today, severed completely by an outsider through absolute power!
Hizashi bowed his head deeply, his voice choked yet unwavering. "Hyuga branch family... is eternally grateful for Shura-sama's grace of rebirth! We swear to follow you unto death, without wavering!"
"We swear to follow you, Shura-sama!" All the Hyuga clansmen roared in unison, their voices filled with the gratitude of rebirth and the determination of loyalty.
Menma nodded slightly, withdrawing his Ocular Power. The Mangekyo in his left eye faded, returning to normal.
It was as if what he had just done was merely a trivial effort.
Kanon, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward with several Star Ninjas.
Her fiery red hair was as vibrant as ever, her expression gentle and capable. The Star Ninjas behind her held brand new forehead protectors bearing the unique five-pointed star emblem of the Land of Stars.
"From this day forward, you are citizens of the Land of Stars, protected by its laws, entitled to all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship," Kanon's voice was clear and forceful. She personally handed the first forehead protector to Hizashi. "This forehead protector symbolizes rebirth and protection. May you live up to Shura-sama's expectations and your newfound freedom."
Hizashi's hands trembled slightly as he received the protector, solemnly tying it around his forehead.
From now on, there was no Konoha's Hyuga Clan's branch family, only the Land of Stars' Hyuga Clan!
Menma observed this scene and instructed Hizashi, "Hizashi, take your clansmen and settle in properly to rest and recover. The Land of Stars will provide all necessary assistance. The past is over. The future needs you to forge yourselves."
"Yes, Shura-sama!" Hizashi responded respectfully.
Menma said no more, his figure vanishing from the spot in a flicker.
In the adjacent Uchiha Clan's residential area, the atmosphere was markedly different from the excitement mixed with sorrow of the Hyuga Clan's area.
Here, a heavier, deeper grief and silence permeated the air.
The new houses were orderly, the streets clean, but the Uchiha clansmen walking among them showed no trace of the joy of moving into a new home.
Almost every eye held remnants of bloodshot veins, deep sorrow, anger, and a hint of bewilderment after their narrow escape.
Many wore black mourning clothes. Soft weeping and sighs occasionally drifted from some of the houses.
In the central meeting hall of the clan grounds, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Hikari, Shisui, Inabi, and Izumi sat together.
Each face was exceptionally grim.
Even Izumi, who, after hearing the news of her mother's death, with whom she had relied on each other for survival, had unlocked her Mangekyo Sharingan amidst extreme anguish.
"The bodies of the deceased clansmen... have all been cremated," Izumi's voice was hoarse, tears still glistening in her eyes. She forced down her grief to report. "As you instructed, they have all been buried in the new clan cemetery on the mountainside at the back... It's just... there are too many tombstones... difficult to carve them all quickly..." Her voice choked up again at this point.
The bloodshed of that night and her mother's pale corpse still haunted her like a nightmare, the very extreme pain that had evolved her Three-Tomoe Sharingan into the Mangekyo.
Inabi slammed his fist hard onto the wooden table before him, instantly cracking the solid wood surface with a spiderweb of fissures.
His eyes were bloodshot, teeth gritted, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "Originally... originally our Uchiha Clan had nine hundred and fifty-three members! Now... now there are only two hundred and twenty left!"
"Seven hundred and thirty-three clansmen... seven hundred and thirty-three lives! Just like that... just like that slaughtered that night! Even Tekka... even Uncle Yashiro..." He couldn't continue, sharply turning his head, his shoulders shaking violently.
His younger brother, Tekka had died at the Konoha's Military Police Force, and Yashiro, who was like a mentor and father to him, had died blocking a blade from a Konoha's Anbu for him.
A deathly silence fell over the meeting hall, broken only by Inabi's suppressed sobs and the faint sounds of weeping from clansmen outside the window.
After a long while, Hikari spoke slowly, her voice cool. "The dead are gone. The living must move forward. The Uchiha Clan needs a new leader to guide the clansmen to survive on this new land and regain their strength."
Her gaze swept over Shisui, Inabi, and Izumi. "I propose that Uchiha Shisui assume the position of the new head of the Uchiha Clan. Do any of you object?"
Upon hearing this, Inabi and Izumi were momentarily stunned, looking at Hikari in surprise, then at Shisui.
In their view, whether in terms of strength, prestige, or relationship with Shura, Hikari was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate for the Uchiha Clan's head.
Shisui seemed to have expected this. Meeting Hikari's and the other two's questioning gazes, he nodded gravely. "I understand. I will spare no effort, live up to this trust, and lead the clan to find a new future."
Seeing Shisui agree, Hikari seemed to have a heavy burden lifted off her shoulders, letting out a slight sigh of relief.
She stood up. "In that case, the specific matters of clan resettlement, compensation for families of the deceased, personnel allocation, and the like will be decided by Shisui in consultation with you two. As for the Uchiha Clan's status, responsibilities, and rights within the Land of Stars, I will personally seek them from Shura-sama. I believe... Shura-sama will certainly not treat the Uch... treat our Uchiha Clan unfairly."
Having said that, she gave a slight nod to Shisui and turned to leave the meeting hall.
Having been raised as a war weapon since childhood, she was not adept at handling these clan's affairs, and her mind was never set on revitalizing the Uchiha Clan, so she simply handed it all over to Shisui.
After Hikari left, the atmosphere in the meeting hall eased slightly.
Inabi finally couldn't hold back, looking at Shisui and asking, "Shisui-san, why didn't Hikari-sama become clan head herself? In terms of strength, prestige, isn't she the strongest in our clan now? Wouldn't it be more fitting for her to lead us?"
Izumi also nodded, sharing the same doubt.
Although she respected Shisui, Hikari's strength and her stepping forward on the night of the massacre undoubtedly inspired more confidence among the clansmen.
Shisui looked at his two companions, a complex yet somewhat relieved smile appearing on his face.
He shook his head and asked softly in return, "When... have you ever seen the head of a clan... marry someone from outside the clan?"
"Marry?"
Inabi and Izumi were both stunned, not processing it immediately.
Izumi was the first to recover. She covered her mouth, eyes wide, a blush instantly spreading across her face, stammering, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "D-does... does that mean... Hikari-sama and Shura-sama... are... are in that kind of relationship?"
Shisui nodded, confirming their guess. "Although it hasn't been publicly announced, it's not a secret among the higher-ups of the Land of Stars."
"Hikari's feelings, and Shura-sama's protection of her, are clear for all to see. If she were to become the Uchiha Clan's head, it would be inconvenient in many ways, both emotionally and logically. For me to assume the position of clan head can both maintain the Uchiha's independence and heritage, and facilitate better communication with the Land of Stars' leadership. This is perhaps the best arrangement."
Inabi and Izumi digested this shocking news, looking at each other.
'So that was it... That incredibly powerful, aloof Hikari-sama actually had that kind of relationship with the mysterious Shura-sama.'
'Thinking back carefully, there seemed to be traces.'
After the initial shock, the two gradually understood Hikari's decision and Shisui's explanation.
"I understand," Inabi took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and looked at Shisui again, his eyes becoming determined. "Then, I'll be in your care from now on, Shisui-sama!"
Izumi also nodded firmly. Though sorrow still lingered in her eyes, there was now more hope for the future. "Shisui-sama, there is still much we need to do."
"For the revival of the Uchiha, let us strive together!" Shisui looked at his two re-invigorated companions, feeling somewhat comforted.
He knew the road ahead, leading this traumatized clan of just over two hundred survivors to rebuild their home in a foreign land, would be fraught with thorns.
But at least they had escaped Konoha's suspicion and persecution, gained a reliable sanctuary, and...
a brand new beginning.
The sunlight outside the window filtered through the lattice, entering the meeting hall still steeped in sorrow, seemingly bringing a faint trace of warmth.