Meanwhile, Konoha was brightly lit after Orochimaru and the others had put the village through the wringer. The Third Hokage had died, so they had to show their respects. At the very least, they had held a dignified memorial service for him during the day.
Everyone wore solemn black mourning clothes, their faces ashen. It really wasn't appropriate to laugh under the circumstances.
People dutifully placed the white flowers in their hands on the table bearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's photograph, saying nothing. Only one child, who looked about seven or eight and had a long blue scarf trailing on the ground, was sobbing loudly.
"Waaah! Grandpa!" The boy was, of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi's grandson, Konohamaru Sarutobi. Just hearing his name was enough to imagine the hopes and ambitions Hiruzen had for him.
A middle-aged man with a short layer of stubble snuffed out his cigarette, patted Konohamaru on the back, then exhaled a puff of smoke and sighed.
He knew that the good days for the Sarutobi Clan weren't exactly over, but things certainly wouldn't be as comfortable as they had been with Hiruzen Sarutobi in power.
Once the memorial service was over, everyone went off to handle their own affairs. With the Hokage's seat now vacant, their most urgent task was to find a suitable candidate to fill it.
Inside a high-rise building, several elderly men and women who looked like people in positions of power had gathered. Their seats formed a circle, and they were discussing something.
"The envoy from Sunagakure sent word earlier that their Wind Shadow had been killed by Orochimaru some time ago. They attacked Konoha because they received false orders from Orochimaru. To show their sincerity about living in peace with Konoha, they're willing to pay compensation in supplies and funds, and help rebuild Konoha..."