bliss*Curtain fall

(The previous text has been revised; please review it again, as it is almost entirely different.)

The golden light grew stronger with Izuna's movements, and his low ponytail, tied up, fluttered in the wind that seemed to come from nowhere.

The gold slowly spread, clinging to all the objects and giving them a faint golden glow. Hashirama sensed the aura of Natural Energy.

They intertwined with that person, spinning together, their resonant glow flashing.

So rich yet so harmonious, it's as if they are dancing gracefully with Izuna.

It was so harmonious that it made one feel completely at ease.

As Izuna's singing resumed, their emotions were stirred once again.

Whether it's the time of parting or the time of seeing someone off.

[Beneath the lingering warmth of the ripples, scars always remain.]

[Although every time I think of it... I feel immense pain.]

[Yet, this pain remains hidden in my heart.]

Upon hearing this, many of the Ninjas who were still stubbornly holding on finally couldn't hold back anymore. They disregarded their dignity and covered their eyes with their hands, tears streaming down their faces.

Yes, who can understand the pain of Ninjas?

The pain of losing loved ones and the despair of losing friends must be buried deep in one's heart; they must not be allowed to show even a hint of their grief, or they will be doomed.

This song brought out the bitterness in their hearts; no one can remain cold-faced when being gently comforted.

[In that guidance]

[Let's move forward together, never to be apart--]

Izuna took a deep breath and, as the drumbeats began, raised his voice.

[Across Time -- Wildflowers Everywhere --]

I will follow the guidance to come to your side.

Just then, a transparent entity emerged from the ground, then flew into the air, flashing past in a white light.

A figure appeared in mid-air.

He was one of the men who died in battle; it was his soul.

[Gathering in prayer -- Singing aloud --]

[Let the longing in my heart flow endlessly]

As the strings surged like Hurricane and ocean waves, an incredibly grand sound instantly filled everyone's eardrums.

Immediately afterwards, another transparent soul emerged from mid-air, and characters shimmering with white Runes were scattered from the sword that Izuna was wielding.

One figure after another, a total of sixteen, no, seventeen souls who perished in this battle, appeared in mid-air along with the song.

Ōnoki stared at Kudan Moku's figure, his eyes wide with surprise.

The deceased also seemed quite surprised, but then they seemed to understand something and immediately floated to the side of their family and friends.

In an instant, the faces of all the deceased's relatives and friends showed expressions of grief and joy. Although they could not be in contact with each other and seemed unable to communicate, they were still extremely happy.

Ōnoki looked at Kudan Moku, who reached out and lightly touched his head, and couldn't help but burst into tears. Tōho, standing beside him, covered his mouth and murmured, "Is it really you?"

Kudan Moku reached out, trying to wipe away her tears, but the tears slipped through his hand.

Kudan Moku seemed somewhat at a loss, unsure of what to do.

Just then, the grand interlude paused, and Izuna's voice, deep and soft, called out.

[The Eternal Song... Passed Down Through the Wind...]

[O pioneering souls, please ignite the light!]

[So that even sorrow can lead to redemption--]

Ōnoki barely dared to blink, even though his eyes were filled with tears and the white light emanating from Kudan Moku stung his eyes. Yet, he still raised his head and stared intently at the soul before him.

But it seems the time for parting has come.

Two urgent shouts rang out from Izuna's mouth.

[Towards that voice! In the direction it's calling!]

[Through the long night--]

As the song began, beams of white light descended from the sky, and the souls, carrying the longing and reluctance of their loved ones, floated upwards along the beams of light.

[A sea of flowers blooms across the land--]

In an instant, green shoots actually sprouted from this land, and in a flash, the entire Dueling Arena was filled with colorful flowers.

[I suppose I can return to your side--]

Their family and friends simply watched them go, seeing them float up into the sky, but this time, everyone's face was filled with smiles.

[Smooth the storms and waves—dispel the gloom—]

[In dreams, clarity remains unchanged]

[Continue writing this chapter of endless azure blue--]

As the song ended, the golden light gradually faded, leaving only the sea of flowers on the ground to remind people of the miracle that had just occurred.

The surroundings were completely quiet.

After being struck head-on by something beyond comprehension, everyone stared blankly at the sky or Izuna.

The musicians remained in their playing postures; Hideki's taiko drumsticks hung in mid-air, Shinya's fingers were still pressing on the Biwa strings.

But they actually stopped playing halfway through because it wasn't necessary; Izuna took care of everything himself.

There were no such extraordinary phenomena during rehearsals! Before, I only felt it was grand, but now it feels sacred! Lord Izuna! What song are you singing?!

The people below the stage had tear stains that hadn't dried yet, and their feet were stepping on newly blooming flowers. The image of the seventeen souls rising into the sky along the pillar of light kept replaying in their minds.

After singing and dancing through all that, Izuna let out a long sigh, looked down at the practice sword in his hand that he used as a conductor's baton, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Performing sword dances at a funeral doesn't seem like a good idea. Next time, try using a fan or a willow branch instead.

Izuna had no idea what a momentous thing he had just done.

He sheathed his sword and mentally gave his performance a score of 70 out of 100.

The Accompaniment in the chorus is still too thin, the Shakuhachi is half a beat too slow in the second verse, and his breath control is not very stable on the high note "blue flowers everywhere". He needs to practice more when he gets back.

Luckily, no one has heard this song before, so no matter how I sing it, it'll still be passable.

The process of guiding souls is not wrong; hopefully, they can be reborn into good families after atoning for their sins.

He quickly thought about it in his mind, then walked to the front of the altar, clasped his hands in front of him, and bowed deeply to everyone below the altar.

"This Memorial Service has officially concluded. Thank you all for attending. Please accept our deepest condolences and take care on your journey home."

The audience remained completely silent.

No one moved, no one spoke, only the wildflowers scattered on the Dueling Arena swayed gently in the breeze.

A small white flower was broken off its stem by the wind, swirling and drifting to Tobirama's feet. He glanced down at it, then looked up at Izuna on the platform, took a deep breath, and rubbed his temples.

The report he has to write tomorrow will probably break his personal record in length.

Hashirama stood beside him, raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes, and chuckled softly, a sound only he could hear.

This child has absolutely no idea what kind of trouble he's caused.

The audience was still in a daze. After bowing, Izuna straightened up and, finding no one moving, added, "Well, the Memorial Service is over, everyone can leave now. You can pick the flowers; someone will come to clean them up in a few days."

After saying that, he felt he had said enough, so he turned and walked off the stage.

Ban was already waiting beside the steps.

As soon as Izuna stepped down the last step, Madara unfolded the dark Haori he was holding and draped it over Izuna's shoulders.

Izuna had just finished singing and dancing, and was still steaming with heat. When the cool morning breeze blew on him, he couldn't help but shrink his neck and obediently put his arms into his sleeves.

"Are you tired?" Ban asked.

"It's alright." Izuna pulled her Haori tighter, and lingering golden particles of light drifted out from the fabric and dissipated into the air. "I'm just a little thirsty."

"I'll make you some tea when we get back," Ban said.

Tobirama stood a few steps away, watching Izuna casually discussing with Madara what tea to drink at home, then glancing at the sea of flowers that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the Dueling Arena, and took a deep breath.

He didn't want to ask right now; he needed to suppress all the questions in his mind first, otherwise his workload for the day would double.

I refuse to work overtime.

Hashirama squatted beside the altar, reaching out a finger to gently touch a small white flower that had just sprouted from a crack in the stone slab.

A few golden specks of light clung to the petals. When he touched them with his fingertips, the specks floated up gently, circled his finger twice, and then dispersed.

He couldn't help but chuckle, "It really does bloom."

Then he stood up and glanced in Izuna's direction. The child was huddled inside Madara's Haori, gesturing that he hadn't sung a high note well, and Madara was adjusting the length of his sleeves.

Forget it, there's no need to ask now. Anyway, Izuna is in Konoha, so there'll be plenty of time to ask him later.

Thinking it over, he began to organize everyone to leave the area in an orderly manner.

In the distance, on the railing of the stands, Mokushō was sitting there, swinging his legs.

"Hmm, not bad." He muttered to himself, "Luckily, those who died this time were all willing, otherwise I would have had to go through the trouble of purifying them."

"But for Izuna to be able to do this even without his memories, it's no wonder he was once Kagura's child in the Uchiha Clan. His natural affinity is just too high."

After muttering to himself, Mokushō slid down from the railing, landing gently behind Izuna, and followed him away.

Tobirama and Hashirama stood side by side on the side of the altar.

Tobirama watched Izuna's retreating figure and spoke, his voice filled with confusion. "What exactly was that phenomenon of guiding souls to heaven? To make souls manifest and guide them to the heavens—this is beyond the realm of Ninjutsu; it's a level even Forbidden Techniques can't reach. Is this the Onmyōji ability Madara spoke of?"

Hashirama watched Izuna's retreating figure. Madara was bending down to tighten the Haori on Izuna's shoulders. Izuna hunched his neck and said something, and Madara's lips curled into a slight smile.

A thin layer of flowers covered the ground in the distance. The crowd was slowly dispersing. Several children squatted on the ground, carefully picking flowers. Some people were talking in hushed tones, and some were still wiping away tears, but the expressions on their faces were no longer sad, but rather a kind of calm that was closer to relief.

"Although I don't know the reason behind it, I think it's great," Hashirama said, his tone frank. "Everyone seems happy. Being able to see deceased relatives and friends, even for just a short while, is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Big Brother, you're just being too emotional." Tobirama lowered his arm. "We need to figure out why Izuna's dance and music could stir up Natural Energy and cause such strange phenomena in the heavens and earth."

Hashirama turned to look at Tobirama. "So what are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that this is no longer a matter of individual ability. The ability to summon the souls of the dead on a large scale, to make them manifest before the living, and to guide them to heaven with beams of light... what would be the consequences if this fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives? What if this isn't a unique ability of Izuna, but some kind of technology that can be copied and exploited..."

"Who do you think can copy this?" Hashirama interrupted him. "You?"

These words carried no hint of sarcasm, only pure curiosity, yet it was precisely this tone that left Tobirama speechless, unsure of what to say.

"You don't even understand how he did it, yet you're worried about someone copying him." Hashirama patted Tobirama the shoulder, the force as strong as ever, causing Tobirama to stumble forward half a step. "Relax, Tobirama. Izuna is on our side."