A night as black as ink.
Lightning coiled like serpents across the sky.
The downpour raged. A hill vanished from sight, flattened into the ground, and amid the rumbling thunder, a bolt of lightning seemed to illuminate the entire night sky.
High above, a figure cradled a newborn baby. His black robes made him look like the Grim Reaper in the storm, and three tomoe in his scarlet eyes slowly formed a strange pattern.
"My name! Madara Uchiha!"
A deep, aged voice resonated through the night sky alongside the thunder, and an oppressive despair swept over everything, carrying endless murderous intent.
"Fuck you! I don't care who you are! Give me my son back!"
A figure shielded her firmly from behind, then charged without hesitation into the howling wind and rain.
"Susanoo!"
Two colossal figures, one black and one blue, towered between heaven and earth. Lightning flashed, and the scene seemed to freeze in time.
"Hey! Tsunade! Sis... Sister! What's wrong?"
A shake pulled Tsunade back from her memories. At Nawaki's concerned gaze, she realized tears were streaming down her face.
If she hadn't been so willful, Liu Yun wouldn't have been gravely injured. And the child wouldn't have...
Her gaze drifted once more to the little figure teasing Kakashi, grinning as he gave him a hard time.
At least, though he'd been on the brink of death, Liu Yun had saved him at any cost. He'd made it back, hadn't he?
At the thought, she couldn't help wearing another bitter smile.
Liu Yun, don't worry. I'll take good care of our son!
Seeing his sister like this, Nawaki sighed. He regretted asking. He shouldn't have.
"I heard the Third Hokage wants to take the boy on as his student?"
"Mm!"
Tsunade rubbed her eyes, then smiled with the pride every parent showed. "The old man says Qing Xuan would make a good Hokage."
A Hokage?
Nawaki suddenly remembered what Qing Xuan had said at Itachi's graduation ceremony.
[As the spiritual leader of this ship, I can't have a single stain on my record!]
Well... He probably would make a good one.
Nawaki could hardly imagine what the village would be like if the boy grew up to lead it one day.
After all, his father really had once been in the running to become the leader of a village.
Who would've thought that the Fourth Mizukage, who'd fled to the Hidden Mist with a fortune, would be an Uchiha?
At the thought, Nawaki shook his head.
The Senju no longer bore responsibility for Konoha. What did it matter to him who became Hokage?
"What about you? How long are you planning to stay in the village?"
As her younger brother, Nawaki knew Tsunade better than anyone.
"I'll stay a little longer."
Tsunade sighed, looking through the open doorway at the street outside. Sunlight gilded the stone pavement.
"Then... are you planning to take him with you when you leave?"
The question seemed to put Tsunade in an even worse mood. She glared at Nawaki, then snapped irritably, "I'll decide when the time comes! Why think so far ahead now?"
Nawaki opened his mouth, but she smacked him on the head. "Questions, questions, questions! Are you ever going to stop? I can't stand that mouth of yours. Can't you say something cheerful for once?"
The blow nearly knocked Nawaki to the ground. He hurriedly grabbed the counter with his left hand and looked at his irritable sister in exasperation. With a sigh, he said, "I only wanted to ask if you have enough money to take Qing Xuan shopping later."
"Oh? You're going to lend me money?"
Tsunade instantly changed her tune, smiling as she patted Nawaki's shoulder. "I knew you cared about your big sister. Unlike that old Third Hokage..."
"You asked the Third Hokage for money too?"
"No... How could I?"
"Tsunade! You've disgraced the entire Senju Clan!"
"Thump!"
"Idiot! Watch how you talk to your big sister!"
Listening to the commotion at the counter, Qing Xuan casually fed Haku a dumpling and sighed. "Such a close brother and sister..."
Kakashi's face darkened. Watching Nawaki get beaten up by Lord Tsunade, he couldn't see anything close about their relationship.
Haku's little face was flushed. She just stared blankly at Qing Xuan, then echoed him without thinking. "Yeah, so moving..."
Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito.
But Kakashi still heard her.
He couldn't understand how a girl who looked so sharp could go all dazed after Uchiha Qing Xuan fed her a dumpling.
Was there poison in those dumplings?
"Pfft..."
A clear laugh came from nearby.
Ling covered her mouth, smiling. Her familiar gesture left Kakashi staring.
At that moment, Qing Xuan felt the smug certainty of being the only sober person in a room full of drunks. He thought about reciting a poem, but decided it wouldn't quite fit, so he let the idea go.
"Our paths split, and you left me behind
You played the elegant one; I pretended to let go
I hope you'll meet someone better
Like waves that can never kiss the sunset
I've no strength left to fight
We used to cherish each other
But now all that's left is distance
Like wildflowers that can't touch the crescent moon
Only to be plucked by the evening breeze
The love between doves and crows
Only ever happens in fairy tales..."
He tapped the plate with a bamboo skewer as he hummed softly. Haku clapped along beside him, her little hands turning red.
Kakashi blinked. Why had he started singing?
But for some reason, the longer he listened, the more his heart seemed to ache.
A breeze swept by. When he looked up again, the girl across from him was gone.
Watching the curtains flutter in the breeze, he heard the wind chimes softly accompany the tune. A sudden emptiness settled over him.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd missed something.
But what?
The street bustled, vendors shouting from both sides as people streamed past in a scene of lively prosperity.
"What's wrong, Ling?"
Sensing her downcast mood, Tsunade asked, "Did Qing Xuan bully you?"
The girl shook her head but said nothing.
Tsunade thought it over and seemed to understand. She fell silent, then reached behind her, grabbed the person darting around nearby, and hauled him in front of her.
"Uchiha Qing Xuan!"
Looking at the little guy dangling in front of her like a puppy, Tsunade felt all her anger fade. She let out a deep sigh.
Her son was just too much trouble.
She stared into his innocent eyes. "Your dad wasn't this much of a handful when he was little, you know?"
Qing Xuan nodded. "An uncle named Orochimaru told me."
Tsunade's heart tightened. "What did he tell you?"
Qing Xuan answered honestly. "He said I wasn't your biological son."
"That bastard!"
Tsunade was genuinely furious. What on earth was Orochimaru going around saying?
"Of course you're my biological son! Don't believe him. He's a real piece of work!"
"And there's more! There's more!"
Qing Xuan grew even more indignant. Dangling in the air, he flailed his arms and legs as he said, "He also said I'm more shameless than Dad, and that I've got no sense of shame."
But this time, he didn't get the scolding he'd expected.
The air fell silent.
Even the gloomy girl beside them looked up. She seemed to be feeling much better.
Was it just his imagination?
"Sigh, how could Orochimaru say that in front of a child?"
Tsunade muttered under her breath.
Even if it was true, he shouldn't say it to his face.
Didn't Qing Xuan have any self-respect?
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