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A newborn's cry rang out, piercing through the steady sound of rain.
"HE'S BORN! MADAM HAS GIVEN BIRTH!"
The midwife shouted with joy from inside the room.
"What? He's born?"
Uchiha Tajima jumped up, and all his tension vanished in a rush of happiness. He couldn't hold back anymore and hurried inside.
Outside, Manji watched quietly. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he put his hands behind his back and looked out at the empty, rain-soaked courtyard.
No one else saw the Reaper's shadow appear and kneel quietly before Manji.
Only Manji could see the Reaper. The storm, the people inside, and everyone else in the compound had no idea it was there.
"Sage," the Reaper said with its head lowered, its voice full of respect, "the souls of Uchiha Jin and Uzumaki Yū are both with me. I know they were reincarnations of those two lords, so I did not swallow their souls. I came to await your instructions."
Manji gave a small nod, his expression calm. "You've done well. Leave them to me. You may withdraw."
The Reaper wasted no time. It lifted both hands and carefully offered two pale-blue souls.
Once Manji took the souls, the shadow faded away. In a moment, it disappeared into the rain without a trace.
"Grandpa! Grandpa, come in and see!" Tajima's voice rang out, full of excitement and disbelief, like any man becoming a father for the first time.
Smiling, Manji walked into the warm room.
He went to Tajima and gently patted his shoulder. His voice was soft. "Congratulations, Tajima. You have your own boy now."
Seeing Tajima so bright-eyed and happy, Manji felt a wave of reflection.
He had watched Tajima grow up. Under Manji's guidance, Tajima hadn't become the cold, strict man he was in the original story. He had stayed warm, gentle, and open-hearted. His life had simply taken a different path.
Tajima was so happy he could barely think, but for a moment, he felt confused.
Grandpa had just come in. He hadn't even looked at the baby yet. How did he already know it was a boy?
That doubt faded quickly as the joy of holding his newborn took over. Tajima was too happy to worry about it.
Manji reminded him, "The child needs a name."
"Right! Yes, yes!"
Tajima nodded over and over. Then, an awkward look appeared on his face.
He had grown up during war, focused on ninjutsu, survival, and battle. He knew little about poetry or picking a meaningful name. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of one.
After a moment of hesitation, Tajima scratched his head and looked at Manji, embarrassed. "Grandpa, I really can't think of a good name. Please choose one for him."
Manji shook his head and turned to Rangetsu, who lay weakly on the bed, smiling softly. He spoke gently. "A child's name should first respect the mother's wishes."
"Right! Rangetsu, what do you want to name him?"
Tajima turned to his wife at once, his eyes eager.
Uchiha Rangetsu shook her head, smiling helplessly. "The Uchiha Clan spends its years at war. Most of us train and practice ninjutsu, but we don't learn much about literature. I can't think of a good name either."
"Grandpa knows much more than we do. It would be best if you chose the name."
Seeing they were serious, Manji gave a soft, helpless laugh and looked warmly at the newborn in his blankets.
"In that case, this child shall be called Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha Madara! That's a good name!"
Tajima's face lit up. He hugged the baby tightly, so excited he didn't know what to do. His words tumbled out: "I have a son! I finally have a son!"
........
Manji returned to the Pure Land.
The place had changed beyond recognition.
What was once an empty white space with invisible walls now had mountains and rivers. Islands floated in the sky, making the whole realm look strange and beautiful.
"Hagoromo has done well."
After praising him, Manji closed his eyes and sensed the whole Pure Land at once.
The Pure Land was far better than the shinobi world.
Older souls explained the rules and customs to newcomers, who rushed to share news from the living world. Many souls reunited with lost family, and some finally met people they had missed all their lives.
Enemies met each other too, but the Pure Land didn't allow fighting. Besides, everyone was already dead, so most grudges faded away.
In the Hyūga district, Hyūga Sennin was playing chess with his late father and grandfather while the newest Hyūga Clan Head told them about the clan's recent changes.
Similar scenes happened in every major clan district.
Hyūga. Hagoromo. Uchiha. Uzumaki. Senju.
In the center of the Pure Land, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo gave a lecture, explaining ideas and answering questions for the gathered souls. The square was packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder.
The Pure Land even had its own network now. Hagoromo's lecture was streamed live to tens of millions of viewers.
Off to the side, Sarutobi watched with a smile, as if he were back in the days when he studied under Hagoromo during the age of Ninshū.
At the edge of the Pure Land, the millions of criminals and violent offenders Manji had purged were still working to expand the realm, making it bigger every day.
By now, all of them regretted their life choices.
They had never imagined that the Sage of Six Paths was real.
Everyone else enjoyed the Pure Land, but these workers had to spend eight hours a day expanding its borders. They only got two days off each week. For fun, they mostly just scrolled through the Pure Land's short-video feed and watched others explore the afterlife.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki had adjusted too.
At first, when he realized he was dead, he thought about escaping and finding a way to come back to life. But after more than ten years, Urashiki started to think life here wasn't so bad.
With the money he earned from working, he bought a phone. Now he spent his days playing all sorts of Pure Land games, spending all his earnings on in-game purchases.
The civilian district was much the same.
The first-generation daimyō often gathered to laugh and share stories about their old countries. Ordinary people spent their days scrolling through the Pure Land's short-video feed and finding whatever amused them.
Here, there was no hierarchy by birth or rank. Everyone was equal. The only real difference was reputation, which mostly came from seniority. The longer a soul had been in the Pure Land, the more respect they got.
"The Pure Land has been built quite well... Better than the Infinite Tsukuyomi, I think."
Manji slowly opened his eyes.
The Pure Land had succeeded.
As long as he stayed alive, the Pure Land would not collapse. And as long as it remained, these souls could keep living here.
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