A few hours later, after explaining several rules, providing information about Hope City, and outlining the steps required to obtain Qi,the young ninjas were already taking mental notes about the Celestial Tribulations they would one day have to face, preparing themselves mentally for the events to come.
"Now that you are aware of most of the essential knowledge you need to know, I invite you to visit your respective buildings and get some rest. You have experienced a very demanding day, and I hope you will be able to truly flourish in this second life. You are no longer bound by the manipulated thoughts of your respective clans—you are the true future of your clans.
If you have any questions, your respective patriarchs or matriarchs will be able to provide you with any additional information. Starting tomorrow, if you wish, you will be invited to begin your training. Until then, rest well."
Finishing his speech, Akeno watched them head toward the buildings he had previously purchased for them.
From now on, each clan would have its own designated building.
Little by little, more and more of them would come to this world, creating the image of a numerous and powerful clan.
All that remained was to wait and grow stronger quietly. Here, in Hope City—where nothing ever happened, and where the city was now half under their control—nothing could happen to them.
This was the path Akeno had chosen. There was no need to put oneself in danger or under the spotlight to reach the peak of this world.
Moreover, chakra had perfectly fulfilled its purpose. Through chakra, the body was strengthened; with a strong body, Qi reserves increased just as easily as if one were using pills. As cultivation progressed, even Akeno's cells—and his very soul—underwent a qualitative evolution, allowing his body to produce stronger chakra and increase its reserves.
Akeno could feel it—he would soon be able to break through to the sixth level of cultivation: Muscle Purification.
That was his cheat code.
Why constantly push oneself to search for resources when the body itself could achieve the same result?
…
Upon reaching their respective buildings, each of the new members explored their new home with curiosity.
The courtyard at the center of the building, the various bedrooms, the large dining hall, and the library.
As they wandered through the library, they found only a few books—techniques and history books.
As for technique manuals, there were not many: a few jutsu noted down by Kaede and the others, a Qi breathing manual, a manual on the sect's Lotus Cultivation Method, and a few technique manuals originating from the branch.
Without knowing any cultivation method other than that of the sect, they had no choice but to go through it.
In a world where the powerful controlled knowledge, this forced everyone to join an organization in order to become stronger.
However, Akeno did not intend to register every clan member into the sect. For now, there would be no flags, no banners—and even their clan names had to remain hidden. They could not yet reveal their clan affiliations, or clans that felt threatened might act against them.
In a few years, each clan would be able to legitimately appear in this world. By then, they should have no ties to the Thousand Lotus Sect.
For now, it was crucial that no sect elder detected their cultivation method; otherwise, they would be considered thieves, and an investigation would be launched to find those responsible for leaking the manual.
No one outside the sect was supposed to use these techniques. Doing so would mean being hunted down and labeled a criminal across the entire Empire.
Until they obtained a better manual or created their own cultivation method, they would have to make do with the sect's.
Just like the others in their respective buildings, Umeko Senju wandered through her clan's library, reading the titles of the books. Each manual was neatly arranged by section, until she stopped in front of a shelf with no label.
"Why doesn't this section have a name?" she murmured.
Running her finger along the spines of the books, her gaze stopped on the first volume.
"Naruto?"
Picking up the book, the cover depicted a blond boy dressed in orange, wielding oversized paintbrushes.
It was, of course, a copy of the manga Naruto that Akeno had reproduced over the past month.
Naturally, it was not an exact panel-by-panel reproduction of the original manga. Even with Akeno's excellent memory, it had been several decades since he had last read it.
The goal was to give the children a glimpse of the future—the future of their clans. Akeno had even added a few passages that were only briefly explained in the anime, expanding on the more interesting parts concerning the disappearance of their clans.
He had still left several blank areas, allowing the children space to develop critical thinking and figure out the true reasons behind certain events on their own.
During the extermination of the Uzumaki clan, had Konoha truly been unable to help its founding ally? Or were there deeper reasons behind that massacre?
Akeno intended to give the children time to reflect on these questions, nurturing them to become both warriors and thinkers.
Deciding to take a look, Umeko opened the book. Inside—one drawing. Then another. And another.
Images that moved inside her mind. Simple, direct dialogue—often funny, sometimes heartbreaking.
She sat down on the floor, leaning against the bookshelf, and began to read.
Naruto's antics, ninja classrooms, a ninja village. She devoured the manga from beginning to end.
Naruto. Sasuke. Sakura. Fox demon. Konoha. Hokage.
Umeko gradually discovered the story of the young Uzumaki who dreamed of becoming what he called the Hokage, in a world that resembled her own—yet was completely different.
A village where powerful clans and civilians lived side by side.
Where children her age lived lives far more carefree than hers.
"If only Konoha could exist…" Umeko murmured, lost in her thoughts.
Indeed, she felt sadness for Naruto's miserable life as depicted in the manga, but she also saw the lives of the villagers—children obtaining their ninja diplomas at the age of twelve under relatively gentle conditions.
Sakura Haruno, for example—a girl who was not particularly interested in being a ninja, focusing more on her diet to appeal to boys. Only a village at peace could give rise to such situations.
For Umeko, who had trained from the moment she learned how to run, living in the constant tension of war, such a reality was impossible within her clan…
Without even realizing it, she had finished the volume. Her eyes finally left the pages, still immersed in that other reality.
"Umeko?"
A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
Renji appeared at the entrance of the library. He raised his hand with a small smile.
"So this is where you were. I've been looking for you everywhere. We were going to eat together—do you want to come?"
As he approached, he noticed the book in her hands.
"Oh! You found Naruto? I was going to talk about it with the others after the meal. Akeno said everyone should read it. Did you like it?"
Umeko gently brushed her fingers over the cover, the images still vivid in her mind.
"The main character resembles you. A little stupid… and with dreams far too big," she said teasingly.
"Exactly—wait, did you just say stupid?" he replied, feigning shock.
She smiled, half amused, half melancholic.
"It's a beautiful story. If only it were possible…"
"What would be possible?" Renji asked, watching her as she stood up.
She carefully placed the manga back on the shelf, sliding it between two other volumes.
"This story. Konoha. The clans united. No hatred. No war. Just… people trying to live together." She sighed softly. "It's a lovely tale. But unrealistic. Perfect for children."
She lingered for a moment in front of the shelf, silent.
In her heart, a strange emptiness had taken root.
The kind of emptiness one feels upon discovering the life one wished they could have lived… but never did.
Renji, standing beside her, watched her quietly. Then he smiled.
"But it's possible. It's even real."
"What is real?"
"This story," he replied, stars shining in his eyes. "It's not just a story. Akeno said it's the future—the future of our world. Konoha, Naruto, and the others aren't just fiction.
Akeno said these events will occur in one or several centuries."
Feeling a shiver run through her, her gaze returned to the shelf where the volumes were neatly lined up. Umeko looked stunned.
After everything she had seen in this new world, she no longer doubted Akeno's words. As she looked once more at the title Naruto on the spines, her gaze changed.