Burial

Drizzling Rain

Ever since Konoha had settled everything with Kumogakure and brought Tobirama Senju's body back to Konoha, the village had been shrouded in endless rain.

It was as if even the heavens were mourning Tobirama Senju.

The Senju Clan rushed to commission a luxurious coffin, made entirely of Golden Phoebe wood and purchased from the Land of Fire at a tremendous price.

It was said that the craftsman who made the coffin came from a family that had made coffins for Land of Fire nobles for generations. Those who used such coffins were generally the Daimyo of the Land of Fire or members of the Land of Fire's royal family.

It was just a pity that by the time Tobirama Senju got to use it, his corpse was already covered in livor mortis, and the stench of decay could be smelled.

Under Mito Uzumaki's direction, the funeral proceeded in an orderly manner. By the time news of Tobirama Senju's death in battle reached the ears of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, informed sources revealed—

That very day, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was overcome with grief. He wept until his voice became hoarse and nearly fainted from sorrow.

Everyone at his side was moved to tears, praising the Daimyo as a man of true feeling and declaring that the bond between the Land of Fire and Konoha was stronger than gold.

After the Daimyo had calmed down, he announced that court would be suspended for three days in mourning for Tobirama. At the same time, he dispatched his eldest son to Konoha to attend the funeral, ordering that the condolences be generous and that the hero who had defended the Land of Fire must not shed blood and tears alike.

The other dignitaries who had received Konoha's invitations were likewise deeply saddened. They sent important members of their families to attend the funeral, along with equally generous condolences.

After several days, the funeral preparations were finally complete, and Tobirama could at last be laid to rest.

At the center of the mourning hall,

A Golden Phoebe wood coffin stood there. On the table directly before it sat a portrait of Tobirama Senju, along with an incense burner, candles, and offerings of Tobirama's favorite foods from when he was alive.

White funeral wreaths filled the area around the mourning hall.

"The filial son, break the pot!"

Standing at the very front of the coffin, Senju Touma smashed the jar in his hand with a crack, then dropped to his knees. The moment the jar shattered, cries of mourning rang out.

Since Tobirama Senju had no son, Senju Touma was the most suitable person to break the pot for him.

After burning the spirit money and offering brief worship,

"Raise the coffin!"

Four strong members of the Senju Clan lifted Tobirama Senju's coffin and headed toward Konoha Cemetery. They were Tobirama's closest blood relatives, his nephews and younger kin.

The sounds of gongs and drums rose behind the coffin. The procession would pass through Konoha's streets, giving the villagers and Tobirama Senju one final chance to say goodbye.

Tobirama Senju had enjoyed an excellent reputation in Konoha. Though he usually looked icy and rarely smiled, his contributions to Konoha were plain for all to see.

It could even be said that without Tobirama Senju, there would be no Konoha as it was today. How could Hashirama Senju have understood the hardships of building a village from nothing? Tobirama had handled it all himself.

The streets were already packed with people on both sides. The villagers wore sorrowful expressions, tears unconsciously streaming from their eyes as they bid their final farewell to Konoha's Second Hokage.

"Teacher, may your journey be smooth."

"I'll protect Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood among the crowd, tears filling his eyes as grief overwhelmed him. Tobirama Senju had traded his own life for Hiruzen's.

"Teacher..."

"Wuwuwu, I wanted so badly to see you off one last time."

Shimura Danzō stood beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, equally grief-stricken, his heart filled with regret.

As soon as word spread that Tobirama Senju's funeral was being held, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō had come together to the Senju Clan residence. They were Tobirama Senju's disciples.

They had volunteered to carry Tobirama Senju's coffin. If permitted, they could even break the pot in his place!

Unfortunately, members of the Senju Clan ordered by Senju Touma had driven them out. They had not even gotten to see Mito Uzumaki.

To put it bluntly, if not for burdens like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, Tobirama Senju would have escaped long ago.

How could Senju Touma not know Tobirama Senju's strength?

Besides, who did those two think they were? Did they really think the Senju Clan had died out and needed two outsiders to carry the coffin? No matter how the turn was taken, it would never be their turn.

They truly had no shame.

Senju Touma had wanted to personally curse out Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, but the dead deserved respect. He could not offend the departed, so he endured it.

The funeral procession slowly made its way through the streets and arrived at the cemetery, where Tobirama Senju was lowered into the grave that had long been dug.

Cries of mourning rang out once more as members of the Senju Clan approached the grave one by one and kowtowed.

After the rites concluded, the friends and relatives who had come to the funeral bid Tobirama Senju farewell. They did not need to kneel; each held a bouquet of white flowers and placed it before Tobirama Senju's grave.

At last, it was time for the most important part of the funeral.

The banquet!

A grand feast!

The Senju Clan had set up over a hundred tables before they could accommodate everyone who had come to the funeral. It must have cost quite a bit.

But compared to the condolence money they had received, it was naturally just a drop in the bucket. The most expensive part of the entire funeral was probably that Golden Phoebe wood coffin, which alone had cost 600,000 Ryo, comparable to an A-rank mission. With all the other miscellaneous expenses added together, the funeral had only cost 1 million Ryo.

Yet the condolence money received totaled over 63 million Ryo. In the end, it was split evenly with Konoha. The reason so much money had been given was because Tobirama Senju had been Konoha's Hokage. If he had merely been the Senju Clan Head, the funeral would not have been anywhere near this grand.

Even so, the Senju Clan still pocketed over 30 million Ryo in the end, making it no small source of income.

Uchiha Nan, however, did not care about any of that. He was currently feasting at the banquet, dish after dish being served until he ate to his heart's content.

Given Uchiha Nan's status, no one dared to spin the lazy Susan while he was picking up food, unless they no longer wanted to get by in Konoha.

It had to be said that the chef for this banquet was skilled. The food was no worse than the 30,000 Ryo feast Uchiha Nan had attended last time.

At the tables, cups clinked amid lively exchanges. The Senju Clan was holding a funeral, and those attending the feast were all people of status and standing. Scenes where so many important figures gathered were rare, and many took the opportunity to expand their networks.

Although the occasion was somewhat inappropriate, it did not matter. Tobirama Senju had been valuable in life and valuable in death. He would surely be smiling in the afterlife.

The Daimyo's eldest son had already raised his cup and begun striking up a friendship with Uchiha Nan.

The Uchiha's new Clan Head possessed formidable strength and might even become Konoha's Third Hokage. Such status carried enough weight for the Daimyo's eldest son to lower himself and treat him with courtesy.

Naturally, Uchiha Nan would not let this opportunity pass. The two chatted very pleasantly, though it left Senju Touma somewhat displeased.

Tobirama Senju's era had passed. Konoha had to face the future, and the foremost issue before it was selecting a new Hokage to lead Konoha onward.

A few days later, a meeting concerning the Third Hokage was convened in Konoha.