"Clan Head, Lord Shihoin has arrived."
Fugaku was in his room, reviewing the financial statements.
Over the past few days, in order to solve the problem of providing food, clothing, and shelter for over a thousand people, the Uchiha clan had made large purchases in batches from the surrounding areas, simultaneously using the opportunity to learn about this unfamiliar world.
More than half of the large box of money Kenma had left them was already spent.
Seeing such high expenses, Fugaku had stepped in, hoping to find areas where they could cut costs.
Hearing the report from the man on duty outside, Fugaku didn't dare to delay and immediately got up to go outside.
At the same time, he didn't forget to instruct his subordinate, "Yakumi, go and ask the two elders and Shisui to come. Also, have the clansmen who have been identified as having potential gather in front of the main hall."
"Yes, sir."
Fugaku hurried to the courtyard gate. The two elders and Shisui, who had been training the clansmen, had also heard the news and followed.
The four of them waited at the gate for a while. Soon, they saw two carriages approaching from the distance. When they stopped in front of the gate, the four immediately stepped forward.
"We greet you, my lord."
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a tall man stepped out. He was dressed in black with a tachi at his waist, had exceptionally thick eyebrows, a well-proportioned face, and a serious demeanor.
It was Kenma.
After telling the four men before him to rise, Kenma's gaze swept over their faces, and he nodded to himself.
After these ten days of life in the Soul Society, the Uchiha's expressions had improved considerably. At the very least, they no longer had the look of suppressed panic they had when they first arrived.
How to put it? They now had that Uchiha "flavor" that Kenma remembered.
"It seems you have gotten used to life here."
"Thank you for your concern, my lord. We are immensely grateful. Even nine deaths would not be enough to repay your kindness."
As the head of the clan, Fugaku immediately stepped forward to express the loyalty of the entire Uchiha clan.
The three behind him also nodded in agreement.
Kenma shook his head lightly. "It was a small effort. It's not that exaggerated."
"It may be a small effort for you, my lord, but for us, it is a kindness that will last for all eternity. The fact that we are still here today is all thanks to your grace. The Uchiha swear to be loyal to you until death."
Looking at the solemn faces of the four Uchiha and hearing them talk about his kindness, Kenma almost thought he was the sun in some country.
However, seeing their grateful attitude did put him in a good mood.
Weren't these Uchiha quite sensible? How did they end up nearly flipping the table in Konoha?
From this perspective, the high-level F4 of Konoha's leadership really didn't know how to govern.
Kenma pointed to the carriage behind him and said to Fugaku and the others, "These are the weapons and some supplies I brought from home. Please have them moved inside."
"As you command."
Setsuna, at his side, beckoned, and the Uchiha clansmen who were on guard inside and outside the courtyard immediately came forward to unload the goods.
Kenma, meanwhile, led the four Uchiha leaders inside, asking as they walked, "I imagine you have come to understand a little about the Soul Society in these past few days. How are you adapting?"
"My lord, everything is going well. The environment and customs here are similar to the ninja world. After these ten days, the clansmen have all adapted well. It's not much different from when we were alive. Sometimes, we even forget the fact that we are already dead."
At the end, Uchiha Fugaku even gave a joking example.
Just as he said, the Uchiha had a large number of ninja among them, who were extremely adaptable and quickly accepted their new lives after death.
Moreover, these Uchiha ninja had made intelligence gathering an instinct. Through brief contact with the outside world, they had already gained a general understanding of this world's situation.
The Soul Society, the Seireitei, the Rukongai, the Soul King, the nobles, the Hollows, and most importantly, the Shinigami!
The Gotei 13!
With the exception of some highly classified information, Fugaku and the others had already investigated the rest.
The so-called Shinigami were not the omnipotent gods of death they had imagined, but rather a profession similar to samurai or ninja.
He had also heard that among these Shinigami, those who stood at the pinnacle were the captains of the Gotei 13, each possessing power that surpassed the mundane.
Some were even capable of destroying heaven and earth, omnipotent!
Even though they had been powerful ninja in their previous lives, in front of those Shinigami, they were truly not enough.
As for their new lord, the Uchiha clan would naturally investigate him with great care.
Although it was difficult to investigate a single Shinigami in the Rukongai, some well-known facts could still be understood.
Such as the name "Shihoin"!
One of the Four Great Noble Clans at the very top of the Soul Society, descendants of those who were said to have created the world with the Soul King. They were noble beings that even the famous Gotei 13 had to protect!
This point, the Uchiha could understand.
Nobles were bound to have a distinguished origin. Their Uchiha clan was, after all, the direct descendant of the legendary Sage of Six Paths in the ninja world.
And the lord they had pledged their loyalty to must be a member of this great noble family.
To be honest, after learning the definition of a Shinigami, Fugaku and the others had felt a great sense of relief.
After all, facing a god of unimaginable divine might and facing a person with great power were two vastly different things.
At least for the Uchiha clan, the pressure they felt when facing the two was undoubtedly worlds apart.
But even so, the Uchiha clan's loyalty to Kenma had not changed in the slightest.
In the hearts of Fugaku and the others, they even felt much closer to him than before.
As Kenma and his group walked into the innermost courtyard, they saw that it was filled with people.
These people were standing in neat rows. Upon seeing Kenma enter, they all dropped to one knee in unison.
"We greet you, my lord!"
The voices of at least a hundred people combined, deafening in their volume.
Kenma looked at this scene, as if they were waiting for his inspection. While waving his hand for them to rise, he asked Fugaku and the others, "This is?"
Shisui, at his side, immediately stepped forward and replied, "My lord, these are the people who can feel hunger."
Kenma suddenly turned his head, a look of astonishment in his eyes. His gaze fell on the faces of these Uchiha clansmen. Each one was expressionless, with a cold temperament that gave off an immense sense of pressure.
Among them were even some young children.
He looked at Shisui again, frowning slightly. "All of these people?"
"Yes, my lord."
Receiving confirmation from Shisui again, it would be a lie to say Kenma wasn't surprised.
Being able to feel hunger meant that one had good aptitude and could become a Shinigami.
And the people before him numbered at least a hundred, which was close to one-seventh or one-eighth of the entire Uchiha clan.
This probability was terrifyingly high!
At least in Kenma's memory, it was a rarity in the world.
The population of the Soul Society was vast, a collection of souls who had died in the World of the Living over many years. But how many Shinigami had there been over the years?
Kenma had once estimated that a squad had at least two hundred members, and the Seireitei had thirteen squads. Including the nobles and their guards, plus the powerful individuals in the Rukongai, it was uncertain if the total number even reached five thousand.
Comparing the number of Shinigami to the total population of the Soul Society, saying it was one in ten thousand would be an exaggeration by ten thousand times.
If one excluded those of noble birth and only counted the number of Shinigami who emerged from the Rukongai, the number was likely even smaller.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been treated as a treasured find after being adopted by his grandfather, even being taught the language, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, and other skills that ordinary souls had no use for.
And the Uchiha clan had a success rate as high as one-seventh or one-eighth!
Could it be that this clan was truly blessed by the gods?
They were powerful in life, and the same was true after death in a different world?
But the shock that the Uchiha clan's abnormal talent brought to Kenma was not yet over!
Shisui took a deep breath and continued, "My lord, we discovered something over these past few days that we must report to you."