Dong! Dong! Dong!
Three heavy bell tolls rang out from the Hokage Building.
Hearing the sound, the villagers of Konoha all froze for a moment, then turned in confusion toward the Hokage Building, unsure why the bells were being rung.
Immediately after, a solemn voice spread across the entire village through the Konoha broadcast system.
"Obituary!"
"Our beloved First Hokage and Great Elder of Konoha, Lord Arisu, has passed away today due to old age and declining strength, despite emergency efforts to save him…"
———
As news of Arisu's passing spread, the entire village of Konoha was thrown into shock and uproar.
At the same time, within the Uchiha residence, upon hearing of his grandfather's death, Uchiha Tajima's body stiffened violently. A sharp pain twisted through his chest, and overwhelming grief swallowed his mind.
Already in his sixties, his body weakened with age and his spirit worn down, he simply could not withstand such a devastating blow. His vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious on the spot.
The people in the residence rushed to save him, but in the end, there was nothing they could do.
In a single day, two deaths, one after another.
From that moment on, Madara and Izuna had lost all their close family.
The two founders of Konoha had died on the same day.
———
Along Konoha's long streets, white mourning banners stood everywhere, filling the view with solemnity.
Tens of thousands of villagers lined both sides of the road, each wearing a white flower on their chest, their faces heavy with grief.
Buildings, shops, streets, and halls throughout the village were draped in black cloth. Mourning veils covered the entire village, even the towering gates of Konoha shrouded in somber black gauze.
At the center of the street, two coffins moved slowly side by side.
One held Arisu, the other Tajima. Grandfather and grandson, gone on the same day, their funerals held together as they departed side by side.
Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Izuna, Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Hyuga Tennin, and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire... six figures stood shoulder to shoulder, jointly carrying the coffins as they led the funeral procession.
When the Daimyo of the Land of Fire first heard of Arisu's death, he was deeply grieved.
In recognition of Arisu's contributions to Konoha and the Land of Fire, he immediately ordered that Arisu be buried with the highest honors reserved for a Daimyo, granting him the utmost respect.
White paper offerings fluttered across Konoha, mournful music lingered in the air, and waves of crying rose and fell through the streets.
Elders of the great hidden clans... figures who rarely left seclusion... knelt along the roadside, tears streaming down their faces as they wept openly.
Meanwhile, countless ordinary villagers and younger generations stood in a daze, their expressions blank and unfocused.
With two core figures of different generations gone in succession, the tides had shifted overnight. No one knew what path Konoha would take in the future.
Within the vast crowd, Mu and Onoki were also among those in the procession.
Looking at the endless, solemn funeral line ahead, their expressions were shaken, their thoughts turbulent.
"We… truly witnessed history.", Mu murmured softly, his gaze filled with complex emotion.
There was some regret in his heart, but also a sense of relief.
If Arisu had continued living, Iwagakure and the other villages would likely have remained under Konoha's shadow forever.
"A brilliant era has come to an end. Rest in peace, Lord Hokage…", Mu muttered.
Beside him, Onoki licked his lips. "Man, just a few days ago we had that state banquet in Konoha, and now we're here at a funeral feast. Too much rich food... I'm about to pass out."
"Onoki, watch your mouth."
Mu's face darkened. Without hesitation, he stomped hard on Onoki's foot, sternly warning him to mind his words and not speak nonsense at a funeral.
———
The news of Arisu's death spread instantly across the entire shinobi world.
Every nation and every hidden village's intelligence network received the report.
All of them breathed a sigh of relief... then sent letters of condolence.
'At last… it was over.'
Though Arisu never initiated war, the pressure he exerted had always been immense, like a towering mountain pressing down on every nation and village.
———
[Mount Myoboku]
"In the 870th year of the Shinobi Era, Konoha's First Hokage and Great Elder has fallen. A giant of his age has now sunk into silence."
Black Zetsu and Fukasaku wrote side by side, solemnly recording this world-shaking event into history.
The two exchanged a glance and sighed, their hearts heavy.
"The Great Sage should be returning soon, shouldn't he?", Fukasaku spoke slowly.
Black Zetsu nodded faintly, his tone calm. "That would seem so."
At that moment, Gamabunta hurried in, his face full of confusion.
"Huh? Who died today? Why has my phone screen turned black and white?", Gamabunta asked, puzzled.
Black Zetsu lifted his eyes slightly and said flatly:
"The one who passed is the Hokage of Konoha... and also the incarnation left behind in the lower world by the Great Sage. As for your phone turning black and white, it's likely Gamamaru's doing."
———
[Mount Myoboku, Longevity Peak]
Otsutsuki Kaguya and Uchiha Hikaru sat in the courtyard, admiring the flowers.
"Sister Kaguya, the Sage should be coming back very soon, right?" Uchiha Hikaru said with a smile.
Kaguya smiled faintly, resting her chin on her hand as she nodded. "After so many years… he's finally coming back…"
To be honest, when Arisu used to stay at Mount Myoboku every day, she hadn't felt much.
But now that he had been in the lower world for so long, she truly missed him.
At the thought, a faint blush rose on Kaguya's face.
Was she… being too strange?
Could it be that she had fallen for Arisu?
Uchiha Hikaru watched her expression and smiled to herself, then said playfully, "If you like him, you should just say it."
A trace of sadness flickered in Kaguya's beautiful eyes. She sighed softly. "You wouldn't understand… what lies between him and me. I don't dare…"
———
[Pure Land]
On this day, everyone's phone screens in the Pure Land turned black and white.
Even the like effects on Pure Land had become gray.
"Oh my god, what happened? Even this has changed!", Asura said in surprise.
"It's probably the passing of someone important. Someone who could warrant this level of response…"
Otsutsuki Hagoromo frowned slightly. Someone who could merit this… perhaps only himself or Arisu.
But Arisu died?
Impossible.
"Sigh… perhaps it's something that happened in the human world. We'll have to ask someone newly arrived.", Hagoromo said slowly.
"Lord Patriarch! According to a clan member who just arrived, it's the First Hokage of Konoha who passed away."
Sarutobi stepped forward and reported.
"How could a mere mortal cause such a disturbance?"
Asura frowned slightly in confusion.
Hagoromo stroked his chin and asked, "Sarutobi, what's the Hokage's name?"
"I think it's Arisu," Sarutobi replied.
Hearing this, Hagoromo was startled. He muttered, "Then it's no wonder… no wonder…"
The world only knows the Sage of Six Paths.
But in truth, the Sage of Six Paths had another name... Arisu.
It was just that when Arisu took on the identity of the Sage of Six Paths, the change had been so complete that everyone came to know only the Sage of Six Paths, and no longer Arisu.
———
[Elsewhere]
Uchiha Tajima slowly opened his eyes in the Pure Land.
"This place… is this the world after death?"