The next day, at noon, on a small hill between Mount Arakawa and the village.
Dressed in a black suit, Uchiha Senmon solemnly held an urn in both hands and placed it in a pit on the hill.
Behind him stood a group of well-dressed dignitaries from Shizuoka Prefecture, all in black, their expressions grave. A few particularly theatrical ones even forced mournful expressions onto their faces and shed streams of tears. Anyone who did not know better would have thought it was their own father who had been taken to the crematorium that morning.
Uchiha Senmon buried the urn with his own hands, stepped back, straightened his clothes, composed himself, and bowed toward it.
The other dignitaries hurriedly followed suit.
"Wood Release."
Uchiha Senmon clapped his palms together and formed hand seals before his chest.
A speck of green emerged from the mound, passing through decades, even a century, in mere seconds to grow into an evergreen over ten meters tall, its trunk thick enough for a person to encircle with both arms.
Everyone marveled at the lush evergreen and its tall, spreading canopy.
"Director Uchiha's supernatural power is truly miraculous."
For the vast majority of the wealthy Shizuoka locals present, this was their first time witnessing a supernatural miracle in person. It was a real eye-opener, and they could not stop clicking their tongues in wonder.
"This is the tree burial that's so popular now. Becoming one with nature while leaving a legacy for future generations, preserving green hills and clear waters-it really offers the best of both worlds."
"What a blessing to rest in such a beautiful, spiritually blessed place. Even as a ghost, one would be happy!"
It was only a hill with reasonably pleasant scenery, but the president of the Marushichi Tea Company sounded utterly