"So this is... the Soul Society the Shinigami-dono spoke of!"
Shisui stepped through the Senkaimon, his feet meeting solid earth for the first time.
The Soul Society was also shrouded in night. Cloudless sky, pristine moonlight casting pale illumination across the landscape, rendering everything visible enough.
His Sharingan flared crimson, then shifted into the kaleidoscopic pattern of his Mangekyo. Shisui's eyes swept across the area with caution, his demeanor wary as he surveyed this new, unfamiliar world.
What greeted him was a sprawling courtyard compound—rows of wooden buildings arranged in neat succession, the grounds spacious and open. More than enough to accommodate the entire Uchiha population.
'Even in the afterlife, they build like this...'
The style felt strangely familiar to Shisui.
The courtyard lay silent in the darkness, empty of people. No immediate threats visible.
The moment his feet touched ground, Shisui felt a strange relaxation wash through his entire being. The air itself seemed saturated with energy. With each breath, he could sense energy entering his lungs, revitalizing his weary form.
The sensation was faint, but his refined perception couldn't be mistaken.
It was like ascending from an oxygen-deprived mountain peak into sea-level air—that profound difference in density.
'The air is filled with this energy... Reiryoku, as Yanagi-dono called it. No wonder he said most spirits here can survive simply by breathing.'
Shisui had died long before the rest of the clan. But his concern for the Leaf Village and his people had driven him to request Yanagi's permission to keep his spirit tethered to the shinobi world, silently watching over both village and clan.
This was his first time setting foot in the Soul Society.
After confirming the area was safe, Shisui returned to the Senkaimon to guide the others through.
One by one, the Uchiha passed the threshold, entering the courtyard.
Under Shisui's direction, order was maintained.
"Tekka, Inaka—everyone's through."
"Yashiro, we're next."
"Commander, the entire police force is ready to proceed."
The Uchiha streamed through in waves. Then came the police force personnel, maintaining their disciplined ranks.
Finally, only Fugaku and Mikoto remained, along with Shihoin Yanagi, who held the spatial rift and Senkaimon open.
Before stepping into the gateway, the couple turned back for one last look at the compound that had been their home for generations, at the Leaf Village they'd spent countless lives protecting.
A wave of melancholy washed over them.
Itachi must have acted under the village's orders. There was no other explanation for what he'd done.
The greatest clan in all the shinobi world—brought not to ruin on any battlefield, but slaughtered by the very comrades they'd shed blood to protect. The irony was almost unbearable.
'At least Sasuke will survive. Itachi will ensure it. And it's not as though we can never return to watch over him...'
"Let's go," Fugaku sighed, taking his wife's hand and stepping into the gateway.
They were dead now. No amount of regret would change that. Best not to meddle in the living world.
Once everyone had passed through, Yanagi sheathed his Zanpakutō and pointed a finger skyward, addressing the barrier with a single word.
"Dissolve."
The barrier encompassing the Uchiha compound shattered like soap bubbles. Yanagi seized the moment to step into the spatial rift himself, passing through the Senkaimon and into the white light.
Without his power to sustain it, the space sealed itself instantly, returning to its original state. The Senkaimon dispersed into nothingness.
Of course, the Senkaimon itself wasn't Yanagi's creation—it was Soul Society technology. He'd simply commandeered it, combining it with his Zanpakutō's ability to create a direct passage.
The standard Senkaimon used by ordinary Shinigami was housed in a grand, mountain-gate structure within the Seireitei itself, flanked by towering stone pillars. Using it required formal application to higher authority.
Yanagi's Senkaimon was different—the proprietary model used exclusively by the noble clans.
As a live-in son-in-law of House Shihoin, acquiring one had been trivial.
As Yanagi emerged, the wooden door sealed shut, transforming back into two three-meter-high stone pillars standing innocuously in place.
Before him stretched rows of Uchiha. Shisui and the police force were already maintaining order among them.
Fugaku could sense it too—the mysterious energy permeating the air. They had truly arrived in another world.
The Uchiha population was nervous, yes, but there was anticipation too. Longing for what lay ahead.
This was the realm of the dead. No hostile atmosphere like the Leaf Village had cultivated. No persecution from above. Here, they would begin anew.
The clan that had been systematically erased from the shinobi world had found an unlikely resurrection among the spirits gathered in the Soul Society.
The moment Shihoin Yanagi emerged, Fugaku didn't hesitate. He dropped to both knees, forehead meeting earth, offering this death god who had granted them rebirth his deepest gratitude and respect.
Behind him, the Uchiha followed in a domino cascade—strong and weak, young and old, all kneeling as one.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
The dull sound of foreheads striking earth echoed repeatedly. Across the courtyard stretched nothing but bowed backs and lowered heads.
"The Uchiha clan extends our boundless gratitude for the grace of resurrection, Shinigami-dono," Fugaku's voice rang out, solemn and heavy with resolve. "We vow eternal loyalty without wavering. Should any among us betray this oath, may we sink into the Avici Hell itself, never to rise again!"
"We, the Uchiha clan, pay our respects to the Shinigami-dono!"
A thousand voices merged—some sharp and commanding, some weathered with age, some innocent and childlike, some gentle and refined. Together they rose like a tsunami, each word dripping with sincerity.
They had already experienced death once. To invoke it again as surety would have been disrespectful—treating their oath like a casual matter beneath their new master's divine station. Instead, they'd invoked the Avici Hell, Buddhism's most agonizing punishment, reserving it as the ultimate consequence.
One thousand voices pledging loyalty.
Yanagi felt an unprecedented surge of satisfaction. These people were, for all practical purposes, his private army.
A rush of exhilaration threatened to overwhelm him. Yanagi forced it down, raising his hand in a commanding gesture, his voice steady and authoritative, carrying the bearing of a great general.
"Rise."
"As you command!"
The roar erupted again. A thousand Uchiha climbed to their feet, eyes fixed upon their new master—reverence, gratitude, curiosity, and confusion all mingling in their gazes.
Fortunately, the surrounding compounds were Yanagi's private property. The sound that escaped was barely perceptible beyond these grounds.
"Shisui, Fugaku, and your clan's administrative leadership—come with me."
Yanagi turned toward the exit.
Fugaku nodded to several people in the crowd. Shisui and two elderly men with silver hair stepped forward to follow.
As they walked through the courtyards, Yanagi gestured broadly across the adjacent compounds.
"These properties were gifts from a friend. Your clan will stay here for now. There are more than enough rooms to accommodate everyone comfortably."
"This district isn't near the heart of the Seireitei, but it's on the prosperous outer edge. Safety is guaranteed, and food and water are abundant—basic survival needs are well provided for."
"This is local currency, enough to sustain you for some time. Use this period to acclimate to your new environment. The general customs are quite similar to your old world. You should adapt quickly."
Yanagi retrieved a small wooden chest from a storage room and handed it to Shisui.
Money gifted to him by that same friend.
"Beyond self-sufficiency, however, I have another matter," Yanagi continued.
The four immediately focused, awaiting their master's next command.
"I need you to identify which clan members experience hunger. I will personally cultivate them."
He paused, then added with quiet certainty:
"Becoming a Shinigami is not beyond the realm of possibility."