Mascot * Parade preparations

A bright red fox emerged from the stone wall.

Its outline was initially a blurry mass, like the soft halo around the outermost edge of a newly lit flame, before gradually converging and solidifying into a round, chubby little fox.

Nine tails spread out loosely behind it, their tips a pale gold, swaying gently as it moved.

With its round eyes wide open and its head tilted, it walked from one end of the stone wall to the other, as if scrutinizing everyone in the tunnel.

Then it wagged its tail and, seemingly satisfied, gently raised its head.

[He's waving to you.] Akari's voice carried a hint of a smile.

The Nine-Tails Fox nimbly weaved through the walls.

It leaped from the lights and shadows of the Ferris Wheel to the flowing light of the Carousel, its nine tails leaving a faint golden trail behind it.

It perched on Wakako's shoulder, tilted its head, and touched her hair bun with the tip of its nose.

Wakako held her breath, her eyes wide open, almost exactly the same shape as the fox's eyes.

Kurama turned his head, tilted his head at Yuan Yusheng, and then leaped backward.

It passed by each Envoy in turn.

The warrior from the Land of Lightning reached out to touch it, but his fingers passed through the light and shadow, Kurama's tail turned into a wisp of golden mist at his fingertips.

Ishimi watched it leap over his shoulder, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The Envoy from the Land of Water looked up, his gaze following it as it passed overhead.

The Envoy from the Land of Wind couldn't help but follow its gaze.

He liked foxes, Summoning Beast he chose was a fox.

Foxes are beautiful, cute, and most importantly, incredibly resilient.

Even in the desert, Life-Forbidden Zone, traces of these creatures can be found. They are like desert spirits, bringing a touch of vitality to the barren desert.

Although the fox in front of him had nine tails, just like the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a calamity-inducing Tailed Beast, its large, Fennec Fox- like ears and big eyes were so adorable that he couldn't help but feel fond of the little guy.

The same applies to others.

"Look, he's welcoming you all too," Tokuko said.

Kurama leaped up from behind the last Envoy, jumped back to the right-hand stone wall, and his figure gradually disappeared.

Like a shrunken sun, frozen in the frame.

At that moment, the wall light came on.

Warm yellow light seeped out layer by layer from deep within the rock face.

Light spilled from the ground to the ceiling, and the shadows of the crowd stretched and shortened on the ground, completely dispelling the darkness.

The flowing light and shadow on the stone wall disappeared, solidifying into exquisitely crafted murals.

Each scene is meticulously depicted on the rock face using the brushwork of a traditional Chinese ink painting scroll.

The silhouette of Carousel, the frame of Ferris Wheel, the silhouette of a bungee jumping platform, the arc of Zipline, the span of High-Altitude Bridge, and the fluffy tail of the Kurama.

Every scene remains, only now the flowing light has transformed into still ink and color.

The Nine-Tails Fox was located at the end of the passage.

Its body is the last part of the mural, with nine tails tucked behind it, its round head turned towards the exit, and its Anko- colored eyes gazing at the light ahead.

It raised one of its front paws, as if it was about to step out of the border of the mural.

In the hidden broadcasting room, Akari looked at Uchiha Ryo, who was manipulating the Genjutsu Formation.

He removed his cool hand from the array patterns and nodded to her.

Akari a deep breath and spoke her final line into the Voice Transmission Array: "Finally, welcome once again to Konoha Amusement Park. Please enjoy yourselves."

The Delegation reached the end, whereupon a great white light shone.

Wakako instinctively raised her sleeve to cover her eyes.

Light seeped in through the gaps in the fabric at the cuffs, bathing her vision in a pale gold hue.

She blinked, and after the stinging sensation subsided, she lowered her sleeve and looked ahead.

Then she opened her eyes wide.

The first thing that catches the eye is the Ferris Wheel standing quietly deep inside the park.

It lay quietly in the spring sunshine, much larger than they had imagined.

A lot of.

From a distance, it looks like a meticulously crafted star chart, standing majestically between heaven and earth.

The reddish-brown wheels gleamed with a warm metallic sheen in the sunlight.

The red and blue cabins are scattered on the wheel, and the tracks and supports below the wheel are half-hidden by the lush new greenery, making it impossible to see their exact location.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the spokes, casting dappled shadows on the grass below, where the amusement rides were nestled.

The blue and white Carousel canopy was gently caressed by the Kasuga breeze, and the gold trim along the edges gleamed in the light.

The animal silhouettes slowly rotated, like a row of quiet silhouettes, hidden in the warm light.

The cableway in the distance resembles a silver-gray shooting star, cutting through the lush greenery of the mountains and piercing straight to the summit.

Beneath my feet lies a path paved with red bricks, surrounded by vines with pale purple flower clusters hanging down, mingling with the dark green pine branches sprouting tender yellow new shoots, and a fragrant aroma wafts through the air.

And at the edge of that clear, pale blue sky, a building they had never imagined appeared in their field of vision.

It turned out to be a Tenshukaku.

Its exterior walls are pure white, and the roof is covered with dark gray tiles, layer upon layer, with each layer of eaves extending horizontally to form straight horizontal lines.

The entire castle sits quietly on a stone platform, surrounded by deep green pine forests.

Everything revealed that, despite its blasphemous nature, it was merely an ordinary Tenshukaku.

The only thing that struck them as unusual was...

This thing is huge; it looks bigger than a Ferris Wheel.

"So big..." The Envoy from the Land of Lightning tilted his head back, drawing out the last syllable.

The Envoy from the Land of Wind, unusually unpretentious, responded with a simple "Hmm."

Wakako at the Tenshukaku, which was several times larger than Ferris Wheel, Wakako couldn't help but ask the existential question, "Who exactly lives here?"

"Of course, it's for our mascot to live in."

Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound. Izuna had somehow appeared behind them, holding the half-open scroll in his hands, his expression completely matter-of-fact.

A mascot? That tiny little fox? Living in such a huge castle? The Envoys exchanged bewildered glances. Izuna tucked the scroll under his arm. "Well, he's not here now, and he might not even like it. But perhaps next time, you'll all see what he looks like."

He stepped aside to make way for the path leading to the park.

Alright, let's begin our Amusement Park adventure.

Izuna actually hoped they would travel according to their own wishes.

The Amusement Park's guidebook is quite detailed, with explanatory signs next to each attraction, directional signs at intersections, and rest stops and information desks at regular intervals.

He originally planned to distribute the manual and let everyone explore on their own.

Those who enjoy thrills can go bungee jumping, those who prefer tranquility can visit the Botanical Garden, and those who simply want to relax can sit on the terrace of the dining area and enjoy a cup of tea.

However, when he proposed this plan, Hashirama asked a question that made him change his mind.

"Um, Izuna, although I really want to try them all, what are they, and where should I even begin to understand them?"

These people are not familiar with Amusement Parks in modern society.

Even if a modern person has never been to Amusement Park in their life, they will still have some understanding of the rides and attractions Amusement Park, and they will know what to do when they arrive at the park.

But for these people who have never seen Amusement Park before, everything here seems to have appeared out of nowhere, a completely unfamiliar place.

Without guidance, they would likely be stuck in a long and confusing period of beginner's confusion.

That's not good. This Amusement Park was built to quickly win them over. If it can't make them happy, then all of this is meaningless.

Then--

"Since this is your first time here, I'll act as your guide and show you around!"

Izuna pulled a flag out of nowhere and held it up.

"Marching towards Konoha Amusement Park!"

Wakako gave a very gracious cheer.

Here, Izuna is leading people through the past projects one by one.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Daimyo's Residence, under a sunshade in an open space, a large group of people were busily making final preparations.

Hyuga Tetsuya's voice was almost hoarse from shouting.

He stood beside the float's platform, holding Dispatch Schedule in one hand and pressing the palm of his other hand against the edge of the platform, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Hurry! Faster! We have to leave before Lord Izuna arrives at the Daimyo's Daimyo's Residence!"

The floats were parked on the open ground inside the intersection.

The roofs of the floats were covered with light wood frames and wrapped with paper flowers. Each float was decorated in a riot of colors and had its own unique characteristics.

When Tetsuya received this mission, he was completely bewildered.

The story begins when Izuna went to see the Third Elder.

"I want to organize a Float Parade."

The moment the word left her lips, Emiko understood.

The former courtesan listened to his brief description and nodded slightly, saying that she would handle the matter.

For a whole week after that, Emiko led all the skillful people, starting with making the frame, pasting paper, dyeing, gilding, and decorating.

Each float had a different theme, and the position of every petal was carefully observed by her.

When Izuna came to inspect the float, he stood in front of it for a long time, unable to say a word, and could only silently give a thumbs up.

Now that the floats are made, the coordination should be handled by the person who organizes the entire program, right?

Emiko refused.

When Izuna went to find Emiko, she was putting petals on the last float.

"Why, Third Elder?" Izuna was completely puzzled. "This is a matter you're in charge of; you're the most suitable person to be the final person in charge. Why are you refusing?"

Emiko didn't even look up, continuing to arrange the bouquets. "This Theatre Troupe isn't the Uchiha Theatre Troupe, it's the Konoha Theatre Troupe. Even if you were the mastermind behind all of this, I must relinquish this position and let an outsider take charge. I hope you can understand."

Izuna was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then who do you think is suitable to give it to?"

"Hyuga Tetsuya." Emiko straightened up, smiling at him. "His fiancée, Hyuga Akari, is one of the main characters in this Float Parade. As her husband, he won't let this performance be ruined."

When Tetsuya was called to the Rehearsal Ground and stood in front of Emiko and Izuna to hear the arrangement, he was completely stunned for a while.

"But you were the mastermind behind all of this," he said, looking at Emiko, "why—"

"I've already said that," Emiko said gently, but each word was spoken with firm conviction. "This is Konoha's Theatre Troupe. And,"

She looked at him, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes deepening with her smile. "Besides, I feel more at ease leaving it to you. You won't let Akari's performance go wrong, right?"

Tetsuya's lips moved slightly. He understood another reason that Emiko hadn't explicitly stated.

As the Young Clan Head of the Hyuga clan, he was the most suitable in terms of status and was better able than anyone else to quell any potential gossip.

"... I see."

Right now, at this very moment, Tetsuya, clutching the Dispatch Schedule, stood on the open ground beside the Daimyo's Residence, shouting out what was probably the umpteenth time he'd said that day.

"Float! Who's in charge of the taillights on the last float? That wisteria vine on the left is crooked! Fix it again!"

A Ninja from the Props Team stepped onto a wooden frame and leaned halfway out to reach the crooked wisteria vine.

Tetsuya looked down at the timeline on the Dispatch Schedule, then looked up at the position of the sun.

The Float Parade is the first event; if all the floats are not in position inside the intersection before the Delegation arrives, all the subsequent events will fall into chaos.

"Test the Sound Team Amplification Formation again!" He turned the page. "And the actors—where are they? Are Kakuzu in position?"

Just then, Akari rushed in through the side door of the Rehearsal Ground, shouting, "I'm here! I'm here!"

She rushed to the float, where two assistants who were already waiting immediately went to her and put the Jūni-hitoe she had prepared on her body, one by one.

With each layer of clothing— Karakinu, Uwagi, Uchigi, Itsutsuginu — Akari would take a deep breath and straighten her back even more.

After putting on her kimono, she immediately stepped onto the Stepping Platform, dragged her entire Jūni-hitoe, and leaped up, landing steadily on the float.

The layers of fabric on her clothes unfolded and then closed as she leaped, like a flower that had been blown by the wind and then quickly closed again. After landing, she didn't pause for a second and went straight to the port side, where her performance position was.

Before Tetsuya thank his fiancée for her hard work, he discovered that the musicians' troupe was missing a key member.

"What about Shinya?" Tetsuya asked.

Uchiha Ryo and Akari arrived together, and upon arrival, they were conscripted to adjust the Amplification Formation installed under the vehicle.

Hearing Tetsuya's question, he looked incredulous. "I don't know! I may be Uchiha, but I'm really not that familiar with Shinya!"

And I'm new here, is this person in charge out of their mind?

Tetsuya realized he might be getting a little too busy to think straight, so he turned to the other side. "Hideki!"

Senju Hideki shouted, "He went to the toilet!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Uchiha Shinya jumped out from behind the makeshift changing shed next to him, his belt still half-undone.

As he ran, he tucked the hem of his shirt behind his back, saying, "Sorry, sorry, I'll be in position right away!"

"You're too slow," Hideki, holding the drum with dissatisfaction.

Shinya plopped down in the seat next to him, placing the Biwa across his lap. "You fucking fast!"

"Everyone to your positions!" Tetsuya tucked the Dispatch Schedule into his pocket and gave the entire team a final look.

Effects Team in position, Music Team in position, float driver in position.

The lookouts signaled to them at this time.

Tetsuya took a deep breath.

He tucked the Dispatch Schedule into his pocket, stood directly in front of the float procession, his back to the avenue they were about to enter.

He looked around at the entire team.

The performers on the float were already in place, the musicians sat on the edge of the float with their instruments, the Props Team moved to the side of the road, and everyone was watching him.

He took a deep breath and shouted, "This performance concerns Konoha, it concerns the future of our Ninjas! Everyone, be alert! There can be absolutely no mistakes!"

"Yes!"

"Attention all units—Departure!"