In the Uchiha room, Chikara waited alongside one of Akeno's clones for the Uchiha to wake up.
For security reasons, the real Akeno was in the Kaguya room. Among all his younger siblings, Akeno was the most worried about Maiko, due to her combat abilities and her social skills.
But once again, he had not chosen Maiko to lead the Kaguya because of her fighting prowess, but because of her pure heart.
During the rescue of the Kaguya, he had paid close attention to avoiding the most unstable ones. Among them, he had saved a young boy who seemed promising, and Akeno had particular expectations for him.
He hoped it would help Maiko.
"He's waking up!" Chikara said, growing more and more tense as he noticed signs of awakening from one of his clan members.
Everyone's strength varied and was not the same. It was therefore normal that they would not all wake up at the same time.
As the young Arashi struggled to lift his head from the ground, he looked completely lost.
Running a hand through his hair to clear the strands blocking his vision, something seemed to come back to him, and he suddenly froze while staring at his right hand.
"My hand…"
Letting his gaze travel from his hand to the rest of his body, a deep feeling of shock washed over him.
Where were his wounds?!
"Are you okay?"
Seemingly snapping awake a second time, Arashi turned toward Chikara. His gaze lingered on Chikara's clothes, and a glimmer of recognition crossed his eyes. He recognized his clan's attire and relaxed slightly.
For the occasion, Chikara and the others had put back on their old uniforms to show their affiliation. First impressions mattered.
"Where am I? My hand… I'm sure I lost it," Arashi said as he stood up, still confused. Digging deeper into his memories, he seemed to recall his final moments. "I remember the pain… I'm sure I died… how is this possible?"
Activating his one-tomoe Sharingan, Arashi began to panic. In response, Chikara also activated his Sharingan, further proving his belonging to the clan.
"Don't worry." Showing his empty hands, Chikara did his best to reassure him. "I know what you're thinking. I went through the same thing. Calm down and breathe. We're safe, in a city called Hope City."
Pointing toward Akeno's clone standing motionless near the door, Chikara continued. "That's Akeno. He saved you, just like he saved me."
Still tense, the young Uchiha calmed down slightly. Turning his gaze toward the other young Uchiha lying on the floor, his mind suddenly went blank.
"Sayuri…"
There, in the corner, he saw his sister still unconscious. Approaching her with unsteady steps, Arashi knelt down and reached out to touch her body. His fingers trembled. He feared that all of this was nothing but an illusion.
Then, he noticed the faint movements of her breathing.
Alive.
She was breathing.
His heart clenched so tightly he felt as if it might burst. His hands gently clutched her body.
And then, unable to hold back any longer, he pulled her into his arms, buried his face against her shoulder, and began to cry.
"Sayuri… you're here… you're here…"
Tears flowed freely—heavy, burning. Nothing else mattered anymore. There was only her.
"How is this possible… I saw you die… I held you in my arms… your blood on my hands… I was sure… sure I would never see you again…"
His sobs choked his words, but he kept going. He held her tighter, as if afraid she might disappear again.
Sayuri stirred slightly, still unconscious, but her calm breathing was enough. Arashi remained there, kneeling on the floor, arms wrapped around what mattered most to him in the world, and for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to hope.
…
In the Kaguya room, Akeno's real body remained still, just like his clones stationed at the door, observing how Maiko would handle the situation.
He would only intervene if it became necessary.
Maiko and he waited in heavy silence.
Suddenly, two of the five unconscious members opened their eyes at the same time. Sitting up, their minds still groggy, they looked at each other—both shocked and confused.
One had white hair, the other black. While it was not unusual to see a white-haired Kaguya, it still stood out—especially since most of them had black hair.
"Daigo?"
"Gekido?"
The young boy named Daigo—the one with white hair—looked stunned, utterly astonished. "How is this possible? I saw you die."
"And you? I'm sure you lost your right eye," Gekido said, not seeming particularly panicked.
Bringing his fingers to his right eye, Daigo finally seemed to notice that his vision had indeed returned.
"Uh… hello."
Suddenly, Daigo and Gekido finally seemed to notice Maiko's presence in the room.
While Daigo stared at her in silence, Gekido began growing bones along his arms. "Who are you?"
Not feeling very confident, Maiko stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the bones forming on Gekido's arms, forcing herself to maintain a calm and composed attitude. "My name is Maiko Kaguya. We are part of the same clan. There's no need to be afraid, I—"
"Afraid?!" Seemingly insulted, Gekido raised his arm and pointed at Maiko, a hint of rage in his eyes. "You think I'm afraid?"
From the side, Akeno was exasperated. She hadn't even finished a sentence and they already wanted to fight?
Stepping back instinctively, Maiko forced herself to regain her serious expression and continued. "As I was saying, we are from the same clan. You are in a safe place."
"Where is this?!" Gekido shouted. "Why are we here? Where's the rest of our clan?!"
Doing her best to ignore Gekido's temperament, Maiko spoke again. "This place is Hope City, a safe city. You were saved. As you may have noticed, you are healed and in perfect condition."
As Gekido was about to interrupt again, a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Daigo?"
"Be quiet," Daigo said impatiently. And he seemed to carry enough authority, because Gekido did not argue or react to the order. He fell silent.
"Thank you," Maiko said, relieved that at least one person could calm the raging ball of anger that was Gekido. "You may not remember it clearly, but you are dead."
"Wha—" Gekido began, before stopping as he felt the grip on his shoulder tighten.
"Please continue," Daigo said, his demeanor still calm.
"We are in another world. As for our clan, for now, there are only those in this room. If you have doubts, you will discover that everything is true once you leave this building."
Pausing for a moment, Maiko—still a bit timid—waited to see if Daigo had any questions.
"That sounds interesting, but why are we here?" Daigo asked.
"Wait, Daigo! You believe her?!" Gekido blurted out.
Looking him straight in the eyes, Daigo shrugged. "I'm sure I saw you die with my own eyes. Yet here you are. And I remember being electrocuted before losing consciousness. So I'm fairly certain we died. From there, the idea of being in another world doesn't seem that absurd to me."
Akeno, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.
"If you are alive, it is because I saved you. You are dead, and I am giving you a second chance. I want the Kaguya clan to be rebuilt here and to fight by my side."
"And why would we do that? Who are you?" Gekido asked, crossing his arms as the bones on his forearms slowly retracted.
"Someone who knows your clan better than you do, who knows your ancestor, and who knows the truth about your world. Let me ask you a question—are you proud of your clan?"
"Of course! We are born warriors!" Gekido replied proudly.
"And you?" Akeno asked, turning to Daigo.
"We are powerful. We can be proud of our strength," Daigo answered.
"Then let me tell you this: your clan will be completely wiped out in the near future. Let me tell you that your world has been manipulated by a single being for centuries. And let me tell you that your clan descends from the gods.
Now tell me—how powerful do you think your clan truly is today, when it knows neither where it comes from nor who its real enemy is?
I offer you the chance to recreate your clan here, as a new beginning, in a world where mortals can become immortal.
Join the new Kaguya clan—one of the clans that will become, I promise you, one of the most powerful clans in this world."