At six in the evening, a faint madder red appeared on the horizon.
Uchiha Naruto, now dressed in a black suit, left the old house with Matsudaira Chiyo and Sakaki Namiru, both wearing black kimonos, and got into a black Passat.
The other assistants got into another black sedan.
"Tonight is the wake. The farewell ceremony and funeral aren't until tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, we can return to Tokyo tomorrow afternoon," Sakaki Namiru said as she drove.
Japanese funerals followed Buddhist procedures and took about three days.
On the first day after the death, the body was laid out, and the funeral company, municipal office, and temple were notified to arrange the funeral proceedings.
On the second day, the funeral company set up the mourning hall. After the mortician prepared the deceased's appearance and placed the body in the coffin, a wake was held between six and eight in the evening. Anyone who had ordinary dealings with the deceased could come to pay their respects and offer incense.
A monk chanted sutras, praying for the deceased's rebirth in the Pure Land, while the bereaved family, relatives, and friends kept vigil that night.
The farewell ceremony on the third day was smaller and somewhat more formal, usually attended only by closer friends and relatives. After the farewell ceremony came the funeral procession, which took the coffin to the crematorium for cremation.
"Mm." Uchiha Naruto nodded.
"By the way, what did my brother-in-law say?"
"He's returning to Japan today. He said he'd do his best to attend the wake. If he really can't make it, he'll definitely be at the farewell ceremony."
They stopped talking. The black Passat turned a corner and drove for another three to five minutes before an ordinary wooden house came into view. Firewood was stacked up