Side story: Red Camellia

The third day after the funeral was my 25th birthday.

After the Clan Meeting, Setsuna and I had dinner at a restaurant on the family land.

It was very quiet and cold here. Everyone was dressed in darker clothes than usual, and dark clouds drifted around them.

Almost no one spoke.

He sat down Setsuna, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Are you alright?"

I didn't say anything.

"Although Lord Izuna has left, he did it for everyone's sake. Lord Madara will be even stronger with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and we..."

"Stop talking."

He shut his mouth in Setsuna and couldn't help but sigh.

I closed my eyes, unable to bear it any longer.

When I was a child, I witnessed the death of my uncle for the first time, and I activated One-Tomoe.

Young Izuna said that he had inherited his uncle's will to train hard and make the Uchiha Clan stronger.

I believed it and practiced diligently, becoming one of the most outstanding children at the time, along with him.

My close friend sacrificed himself to protect me, and I awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Everyone was overjoyed, saying they had gained another great ally.

Izuna, Tadayo, and Setsuna were on a mission at the time and weren't around, so nobody cared what I went through.

No matter how painful it was, I knew I had to look forward, so I gritted my teeth and forced a smile.

But now, I can't laugh no matter what, and even in this sadness, I still haven't awakened that damned Mangekyō Sharingan.

Glory and power are just excuses; in the face of true death, they are worthless.

He Setsuna remembered it was my birthday, treated me to a drink, and then we each went home.

I passed by Dango Shop, thinking I could have something sweet to cheer myself up, but the Dango Shop was closed.

On this gloomy day, even this little bit of sweetness is not allowed.

As I turned the corner and walked home along the dirt road, I wasn't paying attention to my footing, and lo and behold, my shoelace snapped.

Damn it.

Fortunately, it wasn't far from home, so I took off my shoes and started walking home.

The sky was a deep blue, with an evening breeze, and the Camellias of the Tadayo were growing exceptionally well, reaching out into the courtyard.

The flowers swayed gently in the wind, their subtle fragrance wafting through the air.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept by.

Camellia fell from the branch and landed on the ground with a soft "plop".

My eye twitched.

Camellia.

Severed-Head Flower.

It's alright on ordinary days, but falling on a day like this feels like a head rolling on the ground; it's just so unlucky.

Today was already unlucky! A few days before my birthday was my best friend's funeral, the Dango Shop closed down, my shoelace broke, and now even a flower is trying to annoy me!

I stared at the Camellia on the ground.

It lay there, a whole flower, dazzlingly red, like a head that had been twisted off a branch.

The anger suppressed beneath the grief was like oil poured on it, bursting forth and burning through the top of his head.

I pushed open my front door, and the door slammed against the end of the Zipline with a loud bang.

"Old man!"

In the courtyard, my father, who was drinking, looked up, still holding his wine cup, and stared at me blankly.

He probably never saw me like this before.

His hair was disheveled, he was barefoot, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like an enraged wild beast.

"You--"

I didn't give him a chance to speak.

He threw a punch right at it.

My father, being a seasoned Ninja who had seen battle, tossed aside his wine cup and dodged to the side, but my second punch was already upon him. He didn't dodge; he took it with his chest, letting out a muffled groan, and grabbed my wrist.

What's wrong with you?!

I didn't answer.

The third punch, the fourth punch, the fifth punch.

There was no technique, no Ninjutsu, no Sharingan; it was just pure, brutal, and cathartic punching and kicking.

At first, my dad tried to restrain me, but after realizing that I wasn't sparring at all, but rather courting death, his expression changed.

He punched me in the face, and the taste of rust filled my mouth. Then he kicked me in the stomach. I bent over, gagged, and straightened up, continuing to throw punches.

My son and I wrestled in the yard, from under the eaves to the muddy ground, and from the muddy ground to the fence.

Tadayo the neighbor's cat was frightened and let out a piercing scream.

I don't know how long I fought, but I lay on the ground, completely exhausted, panting heavily.

The sky was a deep blue, and one or two stars were already visible.

The branches of the Camellia swayed overhead, and the red flowers stubbornly clung to the branches.

The fight was so fierce that the fence collapsed onto the trees, but not a single Camellia fell.

It seems that the flower really did fall just to spite me.

My dad was sitting next to me, also panting.

His lip was cut, his left eye was bruised, and his clothes were covered in mud. I probably wasn't much better off, because my face was swollen, my lips were cut, and my tongue tasted blood when I licked them.

"Have you had enough?" Dad asked.

I didn't say anything.

"Because of Izuna?"

I still didn't say anything.

My father remained silent for a long time.

"I know you're hurting," he said, "But hitting me won't help. He's dead, and that's it."

My eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"I know," I said, my voice muffled, as if talking to myself, "I know... I'm just... having such a bad day... Ugh..."

The evening breeze rustled through the Camellia.

Another flower fell, this time landing gently on my chest, like someone's hand patting me.

"When you were little," Dad suddenly said, "You used to climb this tree."

I didn't reply.

Back then, we were all envious of Izuna's family for having a beautiful Camellia, which was completely different from ordinary Camellia. It grew tall and far, like a work of art.

So Tadayo begged his father, Mase, to let him plant one in the yard.

Although it wasn't particularly tall, it was considered a giant tree for them at the time.

The Camellias bloomed the year after they were planted.

The flowers on this tree are not white, but an incredibly vibrant red.

Tadayo and I had been hoping for the flowers to bloom for half a year, and after waiting for half a year, I couldn't resist climbing up.

"That time you climbed up, your mother was calling from below, telling you to come down. You wouldn't listen, insisting on picking the reddest flower for her. Back then, you weren't very skilled, Chakra absorption technique was terrible. As a result, you fell from the tree and broke your arm. Your mother cried even harder than you did."

I didn't manage to pick that flower, but later Izuna came to visit me and brought a white camellia from his garden, though the red one was even prettier.

So Tadayo and he formed a human pyramid and picked the flower.

I lowered my arm and turned my head to look at the Camellia that had fallen on my chest.

I'd rather the whole flower wither than fall apart piece by piece.

I suddenly wondered if Izuna was like this when he left.

Whole blossoms, complete, resolute, without a trace of regret, fell from the branches.

I sat up, picked up the flower, and held it in my hand.

"Old man."

"Um."

"I won't die."

"Say what..."

Even if I have to die, I'll make sure to leave you something before I go.

My dad reached out and slapped me on the head.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Go wash yourself; you're covered in mud."

I stood up, dusted myself off, grabbed the flower, and walked into the house.

I also tucked it inside the book.

My birthday just passed by in a blur.

The days that followed were no different for me.

Lord Madara lost.

Subsequently, the Uchiha and Senju smoothly submitted Alliance Proposal, and without any surprises, they reached an agreement and established Shinobi Village.

But even that I don't really care about.

Many people say that Lord Madara has forgotten Lord Izuna's death, and that fighting against those damned Senju is the right path.

See, isn't that what Lord Izuna thought too? That's why he entrusted his eyes to Clan Head Madara, wasn't it?

But that's not what he thought.

First, if that were the case, would we have been able to finalize the alliance in just one week?

Secondly, as someone who knows Izuna and grew up with him, I feel that Izuna always had a gentle aura about him.

Both the pro-war and pro-peace factions had a good relationship with Izuna.

He's like a friend you've known for many years. Although most people don't know his likes, dislikes, or worries, just talking to him for a couple of minutes is enough to make you feel like you've found your match, and your mind will unconsciously soften.

He is such a gentle and conciliatory person.

Even when dealing with his arch-enemy Senju, he was fair and aboveboard, always leaving room for maneuver. Unfortunately, the Senju usually didn't appreciate it, so even though both sides had prepared for an alliance long ago, the relationship between the Senju and Uchiha was still very bad.

Most importantly, Izuna didn't actually dislike his universally acknowledged nemesis Tobirama Senju.

"He's a good opponent." That was Izuna's assessment of Tobirama. "Although I know nothing about him personally, I actually enjoyed fighting him."

"A worthy opponent?"

"Indeed, a worthy opponent."

Even when he was severely injured and nearing the end of his life, he did not blame his mortal enemy.

But that doesn't mean I can't argue with him.

Given the chance, I will definitely target that white-haired guy; it's the only way I can rebel against this world.

Six months later...

That day, Lord Madara brought someone back.

A person whose appearance, voice, and even subconscious aesthetic sense and habits are almost identical to Izuna's.

When Huo He saw that person pulling Ban to do shopping on the street, Hikaku felt as if he had been transported back to the past.

Izuna didn't die, there was no funeral, Lord Madara wasn't depressed, and everyone wasn't working so hard.

That past, filled with hatred and hardship yet incredibly fulfilling, seemed so close, just ten steps away.

Faced with this situation, I, Uchiha Hikaku, fled.

They fled in disarray.

Perhaps that's just how people are; when faced with a dilemma, they turn to their family for advice.

I told my father, Shigō.

He didn't say anything, just told me not to do anything rash, and then left home.

As for me, now the right-hand man of the Ban Clan Head, I'm shamefully cowering in my room, too ashamed to go out.

Then, the next day, I heard that Lord Madara had been seriously injured.

I went to take a look at the scene of the incident.

A row of large trees fell in a spectacular fashion, and it was clear that the attack had been launched from the front.

There was also a faintly visible human-shaped hole on the last tree.

This is clearly a burst of Monster Strength from the Senju Style school.

Could it be that Hashirama Senju did it? If that's the case, then everyone might have a lot of complaints about the incoming Hokage.

After all, although the current Clan Head doesn't do any work, he is still the strongest person in our clan. Now that he is seriously injured at home, the clan has lost its protection, and everyone will be very uneasy.

I decided to go to the Clan Head's house and get the truth from him.

That person opened the door.

That "Izuna".

"Izuna" paused for a moment, then smiled at him and stepped aside to let him in. "Are you here to discuss something with Madara-san? Please come in, I'll take you to see him."

But it felt like my feet were rooted to the spot; I couldn't take a single step or utter a single word.

When he turned around, I ran away again.

What a shame.

A week later...

I have been avoiding meeting that person. When delivering clan affairs, I would sneak directly into the study, put down the books, and leave. Lord Madara seemed puzzled by my reaction, but he didn't say much and tacitly approved of my overstepping of boundaries.

That very night, Lord Madara found me.

He said, "Izuna is back."

He also said that he had just returned from a mission and that his understanding of the village was different from theirs, and that he should inform everyone.

Don't reveal any weaknesses in front of "Izuna"; just pretend he's still alive.

That's not "Izuna," that's a fake.

Hikaku felt a chill run down its spine after hearing this.

Otherwise, why would Lord Madara ask us to do something so obvious?

But looking into Madara's gleaming eyes, I agreed, thinking to myself, if that imposter could make Lord Madara so happy, then it wouldn't hurt to play along for a bit.

But deep down, I just can't accept it.

So I acquiesced to Tadayo's actions, watching him lead the Jonin who had stayed behind and hadn't gone on missions these past few days because they had seen Izuna, to the Training Grounds to prepare for that Hongmen Banquet.

The next day, he indeed appeared in the clan's territory.

But I never expected that he would contact me first.

When I saw him appear at my Office door, I panicked so much that my hand trembled and I almost dropped the scroll.

I tried to avoid talking to him by looking down and tidying up.

But he spoke up.

"Hikaku, good morning." He called out his name clearly and made his request without any hesitation, "Do you have time? I'd like to talk to you about the recent situation in the clan."

It took me about two seconds to barely control my expression.

Taking a deep breath, he replied in as calm a tone as possible, "Izumi- Lord Izuna... You've arrived. Of course, please have a seat."

He naturally asked him about recent events within the clan, all simple questions that he answered fluently without even looking at the scroll.

But inside, it felt like I was experiencing an 8-magnitude earthquake; everything in front of me was the source of the earthquake.

That face, that tone, that expression, that gesture—every glance and smile of the creature before me seamlessly overlapped with those of my past friends, making me feel almost hysterical.

Even though deep down I knew this person was unlikely to be my old friend, I couldn't help but hope, hoping that this person was him.

Then.

He smiled.

But in that instant, I felt relieved.

He is not my friend.

He was just another person with the same name, surname, and appearance as Izuna.

Because he doesn't know me.

After that, my attitude towards him became much more natural.

I found him to be very intelligent and bold. He seemed to have endless solutions when dealing with matters, and I could always get a satisfactory result by consulting with him when problems arose.

He's incredibly strong, ridiculously so, especially in Taijutsu. I reckon even Madara would suffer a great loss against him, because I saw him practicing his sword when I infiltrated the Clan Head's house.

... I can't describe it, it was practically a martial Taijutsu from another dimension.

He was also an optimist and a very curious person.

It's not that he would ask questions everywhere; he would just stare intently at something with his beautiful eyes until he thought he understood what was going on.

Although it's not quite right to say it like that, it's like a cat.

As for the optimist? Well, I've never seen anyone sing with such composure as him. "Hikaku is handsome and capable, you can entrust him with anything, he's the Perfect Ninja!"

Lord Izuna!! Don't you have any shame?!

Why is it okay to praise someone in public?

Oh my god... it was the same last time! Why do you always like to drag me into this?!

But... why don't you introduce yourself?

Hikaku watched as Madara took the people away.

Is it that you don't know how to introduce yourself? Or is it that you don't know how to introduce Uchiha Izuna?

But you're playing him right now! If you don't understand him, how can you portray that person next to Lord Madara?

Walking towards the office area, I inevitably began to feel anxious.

The feeling that "that person is him" welled up in my heart again.

Hikaku didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew perfectly well that this person was not Izuna, and that the real Izuna was still in that coffin, his body should have rotted into bones. But as long as there was the slightest "flaw", his heart would always tell him otherwise.

That's the person you're thinking of.

When he complained to his friends or confided in his wife, he knew that he was actually protecting her in every way, all because of his damn intuition.

In "Hundred Night Tales," life in ancient times was peaceful, and people would sit down together to tell ghost stories. It was said that after telling a hundred stories, a ghost would appear.

I was wondering, if I could find a hundred "weaknesses" in him, would Izuna's ghost be resurrected in him?

In the "Hundred Night Tales," after people had told fifty ghost stories, it would be noon the next day, and since ghosts are afraid of light, they would not appear.

Those expectations and fears, in the end, can only be digested by oneself.

But I stubbornly continued my search.

Izuna was a gentle person, and so was he.

I'm not talking about that kind of fake, naive tenderness.

Instead, even if they have many dissatisfactions with the current situation, they feel no resentment or bitterness towards life, their own unsatisfactory self, or the slightly disappointing future ahead.

Learn to face these things with a grateful heart.

Even when faced with an invitation from a nobleman that was almost humiliating, he remained unfazed, disregarding their offense, and used the opportunity to benefit Konoha.

But he was also a stubborn hardliner, which was also typical of Izuna.

He has the same unyielding spirit as Izuna, and his ambition to assemble Production Crew in just over ten days is too much. I don't know where he gets the confidence to think he can succeed.

Although he is a hardliner, he is not someone who is all barbs.

On the contrary, he is very patient with everyone.

He would visit again and again, just so that the person he had his eye on could become his actor.

It's not that he would stoop to begging for help.

If someone treats him gently, he will treat them gently in return.

If he gets angry, he won't tolerate it.

If the other person is someone with whom communication is impossible, he won't bother trying to make them understand.

Because of the time constraint, even if it means binding them, he would definitely bring them here bound.

Of course, this situation did not actually occur.

Judging from some people's expressions, they seemed no different from those who had been tied up.

For example, the young man who played the role of Kumagai Naozane, who killed Atsumori.

That's a Senju.

I reckon Izuna convinced him to agree by saying he could fight the Uchiha and win.

Perhaps because he was forced, he completely ignored Izuna when he arrived, his attitude was terrible, and apart from acting, that guy wouldn't say a single word to the Uchiha.

However... he still comes every day, which is quite strange.

Perhaps it's because he, like Izuna, possesses that gentle aura.

He treated everyone the same, like a calm lake reflecting everyone.

So even his arch-enemies would only complain a bit when he ordered them around, and would not actually go on strike.

And his smile—he loves to smile, and when he smiles, two dimples appear, sweet and incredibly charming.

Just like before, even though he was in his early twenties, girls still scrambled to get close to him, and even the boys would get distracted.

Oh right, this one looks very similar too.

He was like a flower in full bloom, never getting entangled in a single petal. Originally, he was an unmarried man, just like the clan Clan Head, who had escaped marriage by chance because the clan was busy.

He looks the same way now, except he seems to genuinely not understand women's feelings.

If I accept something, I will refuse to return it on the spot. If I really can't return it, I will keep the things I like and give the things I don't like to others or simply throw them away.

The girls were both angry and annoyed, but what could they do? If they wanted to become the Second-in-Command's wife, they could only continue to stay by his side.

As for me, I just watched the show from the sidelines. It's a pity I'm not his friend now, just his subordinate, otherwise I would definitely tease him about it.

After listing so many things, I still don't know how to express my current feelings.

He wasn't my friend, even with so many similarities. They were completely different in personality and behavior, but he was also a very good person.

I think that in the future I will continue to watch him silently, without being able to have any interaction with him.

Then, he gave me a big surprise.

That was two days before the ceremony to prepare for Hokage Hashirama Senju.

He approached me and dragged me into an investigation—no, it was I who was unilaterally informed of the information that everyone else had received.

He didn't know much about it, only its name and the Ninjutsu or philosophy it was best at.

For example, Setsuna.

He said, "Uchiha Setsuna is skilled in Kyudo, and his philosophy is actually Uchiha... I never expected such a taciturn person to be such a hardliner... You really can't judge a book by its cover."

Yes, that's all.

The problem is, he knows all of this information about everyone.

Yes, he knew everything, even newborn babies and elderly people who never left their homes.

That's a bit too scary.

You know, I used to think he found these actors through investigation and inquiries, but now it seems... he probably already knew all along.

But didn't he lose his memory? Why does he know everything so clearly?

Even the most sophisticated intelligence system in the world couldn't possibly know so much; the only person who could know information about everyone is...

It's a ghost or spirit.

For a moment, I felt a chill run down my spine.

The sunlight shone on the person next to him, but instead cast a thick shadow, obscuring his face.

Then I remembered the warning he had given me before we set off. "Hikaku, um... whatever you see or hear later, don't be too surprised, and don't tell anyone. Just use your Sharingan to remember it for me."

Wait, take note, what do you mean? Am I just a recorder?

"Um, Lord Izuna?"

"Um?"

"Could it be... that you called me out because I have the Sharingan?"

"Yes, quick! This person! He is..."

The terrifying feeling just now vanished abruptly.

A sense of absurdity welled up inside me.

Okay. This person may be aware that his ability is terrifying, but he completely fails to consider whether those around him can accept it.

Well...

In this respect, they seem... quite similar.

Izuna often stated the terrible truths without batting an eye; in some ways, he was even better than Izuna, as he knew to give advance warnings.

What's going on? I suddenly feel so relieved. It feels like my friend has finally done something right.

However, this matter was still too frightening, Hikaku thought that if he could ask, he should ask to find out the details.

Under the Old Cedar Tree, he relayed the information he had obtained to Ryo, as Izuna had instructed.

Izuna wanted to perform a large-scale Genjutsu during Hashirama's speech.

According to the description, the white Clan Crest of their clan appeared precisely on the bodies of those who listened to Hashirama's speech, then converged in front of Hashirama to form a unique Konoha symbol.

Although I feel it might be a bit offensive, if it really happens, it would be a truly spectacular sight.

After all, it was a speech script like that; even someone with no sense of belonging would be slightly moved.

However, Izuna firmly believed it was a good idea; he... seemed to just think it was cool.

In short, the Hikaku only needs to transmit people's faces and their surnames.

Even though they were only given their names and appearances, they still looked horrified.

--Izuna was completely unaware of his own actions.

Okay, that's the end of it.

After Ryo and the others left, Hikaku wanted to find out why Izuna knew about this, but Madara arrived, so he had to give up.

I didn't have a chance to ask after that, so I just let it go.

Soon, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and his Delegation arrived. During the Inauguration Ceremony, Ryo and his group performed admirably, with astonishing results.

It's no wonder Hashirama Senju is known as the God of Shinobi; his imposing presence and tone gave his speech a powerful cohesive force, and it's unlikely anyone would remain unconvinced after hearing it.

Then... my workload suddenly increased.

Although I was busy before, the frequency was okay, and I could stroll home for dinner while it was still light.

But after today, the documents seemed to multiply overnight, flooding the office area.

Initially, as a member of the Uchiha's decision-making team, I was simply helping to handle the sudden influx of requests that seemed to come from nowhere.

Later, an exception was made to allow him to handle the mountain of reports.

The decision-makers of all ethnic groups were mobilized to handle this matter, with the entire Nara Clan participating.

Even so, the number of documents that needed to be decided by the Hokage and his team after screening was still piled up like a small mountain.

Looking at those small hills, all of us, regardless of our ethnicity, silently shed a tear of sorrow for those four adults.

As a result, Lord Izuna increased his workload even more!

--I seriously doubt that the eye falling out was just a coincidence.

But others don't think so.

--Therefore, Lord Izuna had to take action.

But! We're the ones who do all the work!!

Life inevitably involves a long, busy period, during which one's temperament will change.

Therefore, it is often necessary to step outside of one's original life and examine oneself from an outsider's perspective.

It's lucky to do something with all your might—bullshit!

Having just finished get off work late at night, I slammed down the last file in my hand and stood up, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

Amidst the envious glances of others, he angrily walked home.

After we moved away from our original clan territory, Tadayo and I remained neighbors, though our homes were very close to the Clan Head's.

After all, we are now considered close advisors to the "Son of Heaven," and living in the compound feels really good.

My mind was in turmoil, and I tried to use random thoughts to counteract my anger.

Then my shoelace broke.

Without any warning, it just broke in two.

I looked at the flip-flops on my feet and remembered what Tadayo had once said to him.

"We have new shoes now, so let's not wear those anymore. Flip-flops don't protect our feet and they rub, so let's change them as soon as possible."

But I refuse to follow the trend of the times.

So now I'm getting my comeuppance.

I took off my shoes, intending to walk barefoot, when suddenly this scene seemed familiar. I turned around and saw that the Dango Shop was indeed closed.

I opened my Sharingan and looked at the Red Camellia in the neighboring Tadayo —it was too dark to see clearly at night—trying to comfort myself.

But it failed.

The Red Camellia is still a bud.

Damn it. What am I expecting? To go back to that unlucky birthday?

No need!

So I decided to go to the hot Hot Spring next door and use my hard-earned money to soak in the Hot Springs.