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Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo slowly opened their eyes.
"TEACHER?"
"SAGE??"
As soon as they became aware, both brothers cried out in shock and looked around in disbelief.
Manji looked at them and gave a small nod. "It has been a long time."
"Teacher, what is this? Why are we..." Hamura began, confusion written across his face.
"Yes," Hagoromo added. "Are we not dead? Why are we here? Did you revive us?"
Both brothers felt uneasy. If Manji had brought them here, it probably meant he had already found out about the plans they left behind after death.
Manji paused before speaking. "It's a long story. This isn't the shinobi world, and it's not the empty nothingness you expected after death. I built this place myself, so souls of the dead could rest and keep existing. I call it the Pure Land."
"From now on, when anyone in this world dies, their soul will come here and find peace."
He paused, saw them start to understand, and added, "You haven't been revived. I only guided your souls here. In the Pure Land, you'll keep existing as spirits."
Hearing this, Hagoromo and Hamura looked at each other. Their confusion faded, replaced by shock and admiration.
"So that's what happened." Hamura cupped his hands and bowed deeply, showing real respect. "Teacher, your power really has no limits. To create a place beyond life and death, a Pure Land for souls to live... even at my best, I could never have done something like this. It deserves respect."
Hagoromo nodded next to him, his eyes showing the same respect.
A place to rest beyond life and death was something they had never imagined.
While the brothers were still in awe, Manji looked at them with a slight trace of amusement in his eyes.
"Hamura. Hagoromo. You two planned rather carefully, didn't you? Each of you left a piece of your soul in the shinobi world. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
"..." As soon as they heard those words, both brothers froze.
Both of them looked awkward and panicked at the same time.
"Haha... Sage Manji, about that..." Hamura scratched his head and gave a nervous laugh. "I was worried about the Ōtsutsuki descendants we left on the moon. I thought they might run into trouble there, or that changes in the shinobi world could affect them. That's the only reason I left a piece of my soul—to watch over them from afar. I didn't mean anything else."
Hagoromo quickly bowed too, his voice honest and a little guilty. "Teacher, please forgive me. I was afraid you were too gentle with Indra. I worried he might go down the wrong path and cause trouble in the shinobi world. That's why I left a small part of my soul in the Rinnegan, so I could watch what happened and be ready if needed. I didn't mean to trick you."
Manji looked at them calmly. He didn't seem interested in arguing about it.
"What's done is done. I won't hold it against you."
He went on in the same calm voice. "Now that you're both in the Pure Land, stay here from now on. In the future, you'll help me take care of this place and protect it as a resting place for souls."
Hagoromo and Hamura glanced at each other.
They could keep existing in the Pure Land and follow Manji again. For both of them, this was the best they could hope for.
The brothers looked at each other again, seeing relief and respect in each other's eyes, and answered together.
"AS YOU COMMAND!"
"Good."
Manji nodded. Both men already knew Yin-Yang Release, so he didn't need to teach them.
"Teacher, WAIT!" Hagoromo called out suddenly. "I want to ask about my two sons. What happened to them? Did they keep fighting? How many years has it been since I died?"
Manji looked at him and answered gently, "Hagoromo, I'll tell you later. If we start that story now, we'll be here forever. Their conflict is still going on. Once the Pure Land is settled, we can all meet and talk about it properly."
..............
Time passed. In what felt like a moment, sixty years went by.
On Mount Myōboku, Hyūga Sennin came to the end of his life.
The old man had lived for a hundred years. After spending his last years peacefully on the mountain, he slowly closed his eyes and let out his final breath as his life quietly ended.
As soon as Sennin's consciousness faded—a gentle but unstoppable force came from the void and took hold of his wandering soul.
In the next moment, the darkness and emptiness disappeared.
Sennin's spirit took shape. He opened his eyes and saw a gentle white glow all around him. Under his feet was a smooth road shining like polished pearl, unlike anything in the shinobi world.
"So this is... the Pure Land the Grand Sage once mentioned?"
Sennin looked at the strange but peaceful scenery. As a spirit, he didn't feel tired. Realization came over him, and he spoke softly to himself.
He had lived a hundred years and had already made peace with death. Still, actually entering the world after death made him feel quietly emotional.
Before he could look around more, someone in simple messenger robes walked quickly toward him.
The man had the Byakugan, showing he was from the Hyūga Clan, and wore a familiar, easy smile. With one look, Sennin knew he was family.
"Congratulations, Clan Head Sennin. You have safely ascended to the Pure Land."
The Hyūga messenger greeted him in a light, teasing way, as if death hadn't separated them.
"Uncle? Why are you here?"
Sennin stared at the man, and his calm look quickly turned to surprise.
This was clearly his uncle. Back then, though, his uncle had chosen to stay with the Hyūga Clan in the shinobi world and hadn't followed Sennin to the Sage of Six Paths.
"Hahaha!"
His uncle laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Well, what choice did I have? I stayed with the Hyūga in the shinobi world back then. I never had your luck, living with the Grand Sage where living to a hundred is almost normal."
"After I died, the person in charge of the Pure Land made me the Hyūga Clan's soul guide. My job is to welcome our clan members' souls when they die. You could say I'm still looking after the Hyūga juniors—just from this side now."
He smiled and pointed ahead. "Come on. I'll take you to the Hyūga district in the Pure Land. The clan elders have been waiting for you."
Sennin listened and then smiled in helpless relief.
When he was young, he had imagined death many times. He always thought it was cold, unknown, and scary—the final end that no one comes back from...
But now that he had really died and come to the Pure Land, the first person he saw was a familiar elder from his family. His fear of death vanished right away, leaving only peace and a strange, light feeling.
"So death isn't so scary after all. If anything, I feel lighter than I have in years." Sennin's face relaxed as he smiled. "Uncle, please lead the way."
"Come on, then. Everyone's been waiting a long time for our hundred-year-old clan head. They all want to hear what you did during your years with the Sage of Six Paths..."
With that, Sennin's uncle stepped aside and led him forward. Together, they walked toward the Hyūga Clan's district in the Pure Land.
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