'What... what is happening?'
'What terrifying power. Just sheer presence alone... can be this potent!'
'Could it be... this is the Lord Shinigami the captain spoke of...'
The crowd felt a chill that pierced their very souls, as if gravity had suddenly multiplied several times, pinning them firmly to the ground.
The air seemed to have been filled with lead, becoming incredibly heavy. Even the simple act of breathing had now become exceedingly difficult.
Under this sudden pressure, everyone was terrified, a cold dread washing over them.
Not a single person dared to utter a sound under this soul-piercing presence.
Only the sound of heavy, panicked breathing rose and fell throughout the crowd.
Swoosh!
The sound of something cutting through the air was especially clear in the silent street as a figure clad in black appeared in the center of the crowd.
Fugaku, pinned to the ground by this pressure, activated his crimson Sharingan. The three tomoe began to spin, forming a strange pattern.
He struggled to lift his head and look. His eyes met a pair of white tabi socks and wooden geta sandals. The wide, black trouser legs swayed slightly before coming to a stop.
He barely managed to raise his head further but could only see the person's waist, where a tachi was worn. Still, it was enough for him to recognize the man's identity.
It was the mysterious Shinigami!
'What an absurd amount of power! So this is the strength of a Shinigami...'
Shihoin Kenma glanced around, looking at the Uchiha who were flattened on the ground in droves, and nodded to himself.
He had been observing the situation the whole time. When Fugaku finished explaining and the Uchiha began to voice their doubts, Kenma took the opportunity to appear, releasing his spiritual pressure to establish his authority through a show of force.
"I do not like noise. You all had best make your decision quickly!"
Kenma then withdrew all of the spiritual pressure he had released.
The people on the street felt their bodies lighten, as if a great weight had been lifted. After their breathing returned to normal, they felt as if they had been reborn. They stood up gingerly, their movements clearly restrained, and looked with gazes full of awe at the Lord Shinigami standing in the center.
Under the cold moonlight, the image of Lord Shinigami was imprinted in everyone's mind.
For a moment, no one dared to speak carelessly again.
Among these people were many jonin, and even some Kage-level powerhouses, but in terms of spiritual pressure as souls, they were at best only slightly stronger than ordinary people. Faced with Kenma's lieutenant-level spiritual pressure, they were completely powerless to resist.
And this was with Kenma holding back. If he had released it all, everyone present would have had their souls crushed and scattered, ceasing to exist entirely.
It was Uchiha Fugaku who, adhering to his duty as the clan head, mustered his courage and spoke respectfully to Kenma, "It is Uchiha Fugaku's incompetence. I could not restrain my clansmen and allowed them to disturb you, my lord. Please punish me."
Kenma smiled. "It's fine. The ignorant are not to be blamed."
Fugaku's attitude was now much more deferential than when they first met. It seemed the earlier display of power had not been in vain; the effect was immediate.
At this moment, a clamor came from the distance.
Amid shouts, the crowd parted to form a path. The members of the Uchiha Military Police Force, dressed in their uniforms, had returned to the clan grounds.
At the very front of this group was a young man with a short sword on his shoulder, neat short hair, and a pattern of four connected blades in his crimson Sharingan.
"Shi-Shisui!"
Uchiha Fugaku was startled to see this person. His gaze flickered to the Lord Shinigami beside him, and then he understood.
The newcomer was none other than Uchiha Shisui, who had been dead for a long time.
After Shisui arrived with his men, he walked straight to Kenma and knelt on one knee.
"My lord, the members of the Military Police Force have been brought here. I have already informed them of the situation on the way, and they have all agreed to go to the Soul Society."
"Well done," Kenma nodded lightly.
Shisui was the guide for the souls he had left in the Military Police Force building, meant to explain the situation to those members.
This group had arrived at just the right time, experiencing Kenma's spiritual pressure right after entering the clan grounds.
Kenma hadn't just crossed over to the ninja world today.
After arriving in Konoha, he had encountered the suicidal Uchiha Shisui and preserved his soul.
After some negotiation, the two reached an agreement.
Uchiha Shisui would pledge his loyalty to Kenma, and in return, Kenma would bring the willing Uchiha clansmen back to the Soul Society to live a new life.
Initially, Kenma didn't absolutely need Shisui. After all, the rules and powers of the two worlds were different; a powerhouse in the ninja world might not necessarily be a powerhouse in the Soul Society.
But then he discovered that Shisui could actually feel hunger!
Hunger meant that Shisui had the aptitude to become a Shinigami. And with so many people in the entire Uchiha clan, there was a chance that a few Shinigami could emerge.
In any case, bringing the Uchiha to the Soul Society was a simple matter for Kenma.
Uchiha Shisui stood up and moved to stand behind Kenma like a guard.
Kenma said to Fugaku, "There isn't much time. You should hurry."
With that, Kenma flickered and disappeared from his spot.
Shisui said to Fugaku in a deep voice, "Captain, Itachi made a mistake that led to this situation. This time, please be sure to make the right choice. Do not let the Uchiha repeat the same mistakes."
Before Fugaku could reply, Shisui also vanished, leaving the clansmen behind.
Only after Kenma left did the crowd dare to speak, quietly discussing their next choice.
Following the residue of Kenma's spiritual pressure, Shisui used a somewhat clumsy Shunpo to arrive at the roof of a house.
Kenma was sitting there, looking down at the massive crowd below. Noticing Shisui's arrival, he turned his head and praised him, "Shisui, you are truly outstanding. You've learned Shunpo in such a short time."
The four skills of a Shinigami were Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho, and Kido.
After taking Shisui in, Kenma had taught him some Shinigami skills. He hadn't expected him to learn the Shinigami's high-speed movement technique—Shunpo—so quickly!
Kenma remembered how much effort he himself had put into learning Shunpo back at the academy.
One could only say that a genius is a genius no matter where they go.
Shisui's talent was far greater than his own.
Otherwise, Kenma wouldn't have signed a contract with Shisui.
Shisui said respectfully, "It is because my lord taught me well."
He had already been skilled in the Body Flicker Technique, even earning the moniker "Shisui of the Body Flicker" in the ninja world.
Even though it was a different system of power, the basic principles of how the human body exerts force were the same, making it easier to learn.
Furthermore, he had a bit of a knack for this type of high-speed movement skill, which was why he was able to learn it so quickly.
Kenma was very pleased with Shisui's humble attitude. He said, "When we get to the Soul Society, I will arrange a place for you to live. You must manage your clansmen well and not cause trouble. Once you've adapted to life in the Soul Society, I will have an important task for you."
"As you command."
Kenma went on to explain some important things to note about the Soul Society, and Shisui listened intently, committing it all to memory.
At that moment, the voices of the Uchiha below quieted down considerably. It seemed they had finished their discussion. Kenma used Shunpo and reappeared in the middle of the crowd.
When he appeared, the Uchiha fell silent again, quickly averting their gazes, not daring to look directly at the Shinigami.
Kenma scanned the crowd and asked, "What have you decided? How many of you are willing to follow me to the Soul Society?"
All eyes fell on Fugaku. Fugaku walked before Kenma and knelt on one knee. "My lord, we, the entire Uchiha clan, are willing to follow you. We will have no regrets in life or death!"
After Fugaku, the other Uchiha also knelt in Kenma's direction, the dense crowd sinking like a wave.
"We are willing to follow you, my lord!"
"We swear our loyalty to you until death!"
Voices pledging allegiance rose one after another from the crowd, eventually merging into a single roar that shot to the heavens, deafening in its intensity.
"We swear to follow you until death, my lord!"
Kenma nodded slightly, not at all surprised by the Uchiha clan's choice.
With the sudden extermination of their clan, each person had their own dreams and obsessions. They would naturally not refuse the chance to live again.
"If that is the case, then sign the contract with me."
Fugaku had, of course, told his clansmen all about the contract. He asked with some confusion, "My lord, how will we make this contract?"
Kenma drew the tachi from his waist. The blade reflected the cold light of the moon.
"This is my Zanpakuto. One of its abilities is to form a link between me and you, allowing me to obtain a portion of your abilities. Let me be blunt: if I die, you all will also perish, your souls scattered. If any of you betray me after signing, you will surely face the sword and die a violent death."
"We would not dare! We will swear our loyalty to you until death, without a single false word!"
Fugaku said quickly, and the Uchiha echoed their agreement.
After all, signing a contract with a Shinigami was bound to come at a price. This was something everyone had anticipated.
The negative consequences Lord Shinigami mentioned were still within their expectations.
"Very good."
Seeing that the Uchiha all agreed, Kenma immediately released his Zanpakuto.
"Connect, Kiritsugu!"
Kiritsugu, the name of Kenma's Zanpakuto, was the same as a certain partner of justice.
He chanted the release command for his Zanpakuto, holding the blade vertically in front of him. As he finished speaking, a faint, clear light burst from the blade, transforming into countless fine threads that connected to every Uchiha soul present.
"I will ask one last time. Do you truly wish to follow me? If you have any objections, you may withdraw now."
"We are willing!"
The voices of the crowd rang out in perfect unison.
For the Uchiha, they were already dead. Getting a chance to live again was a gain in itself.
As for the entire clan submitting to Shihoin Kenma, they didn't feel it was inappropriate in the slightest.
They were ninja, tools.
Before, they were loyal to the village, tools of the Hokage. Now, they had simply changed masters.
Moreover, this new master was a god, and his strength was astonishing. His presence alone could pin them to the ground.
Faced with such a powerful being who had given their Uchiha clan a new lease on life, what was the harm in pledging loyalty?
"So be it. The contract is made!"
The clear light from the blade faded, and the threads vanished into the air.
Kenma could now clearly feel a close connection between himself and these people. From now on, he and the Uchiha clan were a community of shared destiny, living and dying together.
This connection was very faint, yet extremely resilient. No matter how strong these Uchiha became, they could not escape this bond!
Only with Kenma's consent could this thread of fate be severed.
Furthermore, this connection had other uses. Just as he had mentioned, he could obtain a portion of the contractors' abilities, including skill proficiency, special abilities, and spiritual pressure!
Although it was only a small portion, many a little makes a mickle. His growth would surely be considerable. In the future, he would certainly stand above the heavens!