lerbook Chapter 318 The Funeral of the Eighth Uchiha
Chapter 318 The Funeral of the Eighth Uchiha
As morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, Uchiha Mitsunori gently opened his eyes.
Temari was still fast asleep beside him, a faint smile on her lips, clearly still immersed in a sweet dream.
Uchiha Mitsunori slowly rose, his movements as light as a feather, as if afraid of waking her.
As soon as I stepped into the living room, the faint sound of crying drifted into my ears from afar.
Uchiha Mitsunori frowned slightly, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
Fairy Village has always been peaceful, and the villagers live in harmony. Such a large-scale weeping is rare.
He raised his hand to gather chakra, and the golden six-tomoe Rinnegan slowly emerged from the depths of his eyes. The vision of the God's Eye instantly covered the entire Sage Village.
Passing through neat houses, quiet training grounds, and shops that were not yet open, we finally stopped in front of a house on the east side of the residential area.
The place was surrounded by Uchiha clansmen, each with tears on their faces. Several older clansmen were leaning against the door frame, quietly comforting the people inside. In the very center of the house, a white cloth was spread out, and a familiar figure was covered under it.
"The Eighth Hokage of Uchiha... is dead."
Uchiha Mitsunori's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart sank.
He recalled that five years ago, when he relocated a portion of the Uchiha clan to the ancestral planet, he specifically chose the Eighth Hokage of the Uchiha clan to manage the Sage Village.
He was calm and composed, meticulous in his work, and devoted to his clan. Over the past five years, he had managed the Immortal Village with great efficiency. But he never imagined that the next news of the Eighth Generation would be such an ending.
Five years in the ninja world is twenty-five years in the Sage Village.
When they migrated here, the Eighth Hokage of Uchiha was already forty-six years old; now, he is exactly seventy-one.
Uchiha Mitsunori sighed softly. He wasn't without ways to extend the Eighth Hokage's lifespan. The nourishment from the Avatar Mode, and even his chakra, could allow the Eighth Hokage to live for several more decades.
The Eighth Hokage of Uchiha chose to pass away peacefully, presumably because he had no regrets.
Uchiha Mitsunori walked towards the direction of the Eighth Hokage's clan. When he encountered clansmen along the way, they all stopped and bowed to him with red eyes.
Their voices were choked with sobs: "Clan leader... the eighth elder is gone..."
Uchiha Mitsunori nodded slightly, his tone heavy: "Thank you all for your hard work. I will handle the aftermath."
He knew that what his clansmen needed most at this moment was comfort, and as the head of the Uchiha clan, it was his inescapable responsibility to preside over the Eighth Hokage's funeral.
In the courtyard of the Uchiha Eighth Hokage's family, the clansmen had already begun setting up the funeral venue.
A white cloth strip hung on the door frame, and a table was placed in the center of the courtyard with a photo of the eighth generation on it.
In the photo, the Eighth Hokage is wearing Uchiha clan attire, with a gentle smile and eyes full of love for his clansmen.
Upon seeing the photo, Uchiha Mitsunori's thoughts drifted back to five years ago, when Uchiha Yatsuho held his hand and solemnly said, "Clan leader, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of the clan members and protect Sage Village."
"Clan leader, Lord Eighth Generation, he..."
The clansman responsible for taking care of the Eighth Hokage's life, his eyes reddening, choked out, "He was fine last night, but when we came to deliver breakfast this morning, we found he had passed away peacefully. Before he left, he specifically told us not to trouble the clan head, but to let him depart naturally..."
Uchiha Mitsunori raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder, his voice low and deep: "I understand. The Eighth Hokage did a good job. He did not let down his clan, nor did he let me down."
He turned to the clansmen present, his tone solemn and serious: "The Eighth Generation Elder dedicated his life to Immortal Village and to the clansmen. We must hold a grand funeral for him to send him off on his final journey."
The following day, Fairy Village was shrouded in a solemn atmosphere.
The clansmen put aside what they were doing and helped set up the funeral venue.
White strips of cloth covered the entire residential area, and white flowers picked by the clansmen were placed in front of the mourning hall. Everyone was dressed in plain clothes, and their faces were filled with grief.
When Temari woke up, she rushed over upon hearing the news. She stood quietly beside Mitsumine, gently holding his hand and comforting him in her own way.
The funeral was held in the afternoon, and Uchiha Mitsunori, dressed in black Uchiha clan clothing, stood in front of the mourning hall.
His gaze swept over the clansmen present, and he said solemnly, "The Eighth Hokage of the Uchiha clan migrated to our ancestral planet with me at the age of forty-six and passed away peacefully at the age of seventy-one. For twenty-five years, he devoted himself to managing Sage Village and protecting the clansmen, allowing us to live peacefully and cultivate in peace on this land. The clansmen will never forget his contributions; his spirit will forever remain in Sage Village."
The clansmen bowed one after another, and the crying rang out again, but this time with more respect than in the morning.
Uchiha Sanfeng personally stepped forward and covered the Eighth Hokage with the flag bearing the Uchiha clan crest. His movements were slow and solemn, and his eyes were filled with reverence.
This is the highest respect for an elder, a guardian.
After the funeral, the clansmen gradually dispersed, and Temari accompanied Mitsumine on their way home.
As the sun set, neither of them spoke, and a faint sadness lingered in the air.
Suddenly, Uchiha Mitsunori stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowed, and his expression turned serious.
He could clearly sense that subtle changes were taking place on the ancestral star, as if a brand new energy was slowly surging underground, carrying a hint of coldness, yet being exceptionally stable.
"What's wrong?"
Temari noticed his unusual behavior and asked him with concern.
Uchiha Mitsunaga shook his head, calling out in his heart, "Houtu, are you there?"
A moment later, a gentle female voice sounded in his mind: "Master, I am here."
Uchiha Mitsunaga asked directly, "Has the ancestral star... undergone any changes? I sense a new energy being generated, and... it seems to be related to life and death."
Houtu paused for a moment, then slowly said, "At the very moment the Eighth Hokage of Uchiha passed away, a faint connection was established between the Ancestral Star and the Underworld, and currently, an Underworld region belonging to the Ancestral Star is being generated."
Uchiha Mitsunaga's pupils dilated slightly, his heart filled with surprise: "The Underworld region? Didn't our ancestral planet have an Underworld before?"
"The energy of the ancestral star was only enough to sustain the living and cultivation of the living, but it could not support the existence of the underworld."
Houtu explained, "But as the Uchiha clan lived and trained on the ancestral star, natural energy continuously nourished it. In addition, the Eighth Hokage of the Uchiha clan passed away. He was the first administrator of the ancestral star to pass away naturally. With deep feelings for the ancestral star, his soul became the key to connecting with the underworld, which allowed the ancestral star to have the energy to generate the underworld region."
Uchiha Sanfeng remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the tombstone of Uchiha Yatsuho in the distance.
He never imagined that his natural death would cause such a change.
The ancestral planet having its own underworld region means that the souls of those who died on the ancestral planet have a final resting place, rather than simply dissipating into the world...