Another month passed.
Konoha's reconstruction was finally complete. New streets, new houses, and new signs stretched out in neat rows, looking no different from before Isshiki had set foot there.
Yet everything was different.
Strange figures were always roaming the streets-white ones, black ones, big ones, small ones, crawling, hopping, floating through the crowds. No one shied away from them in fear anymore. Everyone had long since grown used to them.
"Hand Princess Big, give me a hand with this sack of rice!"
A pale little hand immediately emerged from the crowd. Its five fingers gripped the corners of the rice sack, and, holding the sack's cord in its mouth, it moved it steadily to the shop entrance, quick and efficient.
"Hand Princess Three, stop hopping in the middle of the road! You can't afford to pay for that vegetable stall if you crush it!"
The little foot stopped at once, its toes tapping the ground lightly as though meekly acknowledging the scolding.
"Hand Princess Four, float a little lower! You're blocking the sun, and this old man can't even open his eyes!"
The eye in midair narrowed, then obediently floated three inches lower, neither blocking the light nor getting in anyone's way.
"Hand Princess Five, move over! You're blocking the road!"
The torso slowly shuffled aside, all thirteen eyes on its belly blinking in turn, looking endearingly goofy, as though apologizing.
The smaller fragments were even more rambunctious. Little ears, little noses, and little toes, all pale, darted back and forth, playing with the village children.
The children had long since stopped being afraid and had even given them nicknames. At a call of "Little Ear" or "Little Nose," they would eagerly crawl over and wait for candy with pleading looks.
At the general store entrance, Miyoko leaned against