Inside the Hokage's office, shrouded in mist within the Hokage Building.
"Knock, knock, knock—" A series of powerful knocks rang out.
"Come in," Hiruzen Sarutobi called without looking up from the documents he was sorting.
"Third Hokage." Aburame Keiichi pushed the door open and entered, speaking respectfully.
"Keiichi. How are you finding your new role as a teacher?" Hiruzen asked warmly, pipe in his mouth.
At that, Aburame Keiichi's expression stiffened a little. He scratched his head and said,
"How should I put it... I just don't feel like I'm cut out to be a teacher."
"Hmph, hmph, hmph. I think you just find it a hassle..." Hiruzen raised his head, revealing the slightly haggard face beneath his Hokage robes.
"How could that be? This is a mission you assigned me. As a ninja, I'll obey without question." Aburame Keiichi stepped closer, his tone earnest.
"And what about you, as a person?" The old man stretched his back and rose from his desk chair, turning his back to Aburame Keiichi as he gazed out the window.
"What does Aburame Keiichi want?" Hiruzen asked meaningfully.
"Does that matter, Lord Hiruzen?" Aburame Keiichi paused, then asked in return. "As a ninja, obeying orders and completing missions are the only rules, aren't they?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Hiruzen let out a helpless sigh. He looked at the stubborn Aburame Keiichi as if the man were giving him a headache.
"You... You're letting missions take over your mind. That's exactly why I had to pull you out of Anbu for a while." Hiruzen shook his head and spoke slowly.
"I still don't understand, Third Hokage. My mission success rate and intelligence-gathering record have always been among the best. Why make me leave Anbu?" Aburame Keiichi frowned, a trace of discontent in his voice.
"Alas, I understand how you feel, Keiichi. But that's precisely why I have to stop you. It's true that ninjas serve their missions."
"But, Keiichi, ninjas aren't machines. We're all people of flesh and blood, with thoughts of our own. If we do nothing but serve our missions..." Hiruzen's voice grew heavy.
"Sooner or later, we'll sink into the mire and become machines that know only how to kill over and over..."
"I understand your concerns, Third Hokage. I know the drawbacks of living this way, too," Aburame Keiichi said. Ripples stirred in his otherwise still, lifeless expression.
"It's just... It's just... What else can I do? My beloved and my closest friends all fell on the battlefield in the Land of Rain. From the moment I decided to join Anbu, I had nothing left to own and nothing left to lose..."
"Third Hokage, can you tell me? What can someone like me do besides lose myself in missions?"
"That's why I sent you to the Ninja Academy to become a teacher, Keiichi. Everything and everyone, every era, will eventually fade and grow old. We ordinary people can't change that." The Third Hokage turned around, meeting Aburame Keiichi's gaze.
"But we have those who come after us, the next generation who carry our hopes. They're the continuation of our spirit, the symbol of the ninja legacy, and proof that we were once here."
"Our deeds and names will be passed down from one generation of ninjas to the next, becoming goals for those who come after us to strive toward. Even when we grow old and have nothing left, we can still be kindling for a new flame."
The aging Hokage took off his hat, the character for "Fire" carved into its front, and set it on the desk. His eyes held thought and worry, but no attachment to power.
"Because wherever the leaves dance, the fire will never die."
Konoha's shopping street, Akimichi Barbecue Restaurant.
"Why are there so many people here today? I know it's graduation day, but this is ridiculous! Even that awful Dorayaki shop over there has a line! This has to be a joke!" Morino Kei shouted, as if he'd witnessed some kind of sacrilege.
"Didn't we win a huge battle at Mount Kikyo a few days ago, one that decided the course of the war? The Sand Ninja were badly beaten and can't keep fighting," Uchiha Kai said, rubbing his chin.
"I guess the next step is to shift the focus of the war to the Stone Ninja."
"Huh? What does that have to do with all the people?" Morino Kei scratched his head, wearing an expression of great wisdom.
"You idiot. They're shifting the front lines, so the ninjas who've been out on missions must be returning to the village to report and wait for their next orders. They can take a break and treat themselves while they're at it." Hyuga Rei slapped her forehead, exasperated.
"Ahahaha! So that's it. This is complicated."
By the time the three finished chatting, they'd reached the barbecue restaurant. Looking at the packed place, Morino Kei suddenly said something utterly baffling.
"Uh... Barbecue restaurants must be making a fortune these days. Why do they still have ninjas guarding the entrance...?"
Hearing that, the other two followed Morino Kei's gaze. Two people stood on either side of the entrance: one had spiky, unruly hair, while the other had smooth hair swept into a side fringe.
"Come on, they're probably just waiting for someone. Why is your imagination so wild?" The girl finally lost patience and smacked Morino Kei on the head.
"You know, it really is a good fit." Uchiha Kai smiled knowingly as he looked at the two by the entrance.
It was because the two were none other than Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, who in the original story were inseparable and jointly guarded Konoha's gates. The pair were jokingly called the Gate Guardians, and they'd truly managed to keep guarding Konoha's gate even after the village had lost it.
You could say they were dedicated, in their own way.
The three walked together through the entrance guarded by the Gate Guardians and entered the barbecue restaurant.
The next moment, the tempting aroma burst over them. The steady sizzle of iron griddles filled the place, and the air was thick with the rich, smoky scent of sizzling fat. The smell of food mingled with the sound of conversation until the two were inseparable.
All three of their stomachs promptly betrayed them with loud growls.
"Hello! How many people are in your party?" A server hurried over to help them.
"Three, please," Uchiha Kai replied gently.
"Table eighteen just opened up. It's a table for four. Would that work for you?"
"No problem. We'd appreciate it if you could take us there soon," Uchiha Kai said.
"Right this way. The second-to-last table on the left is yours." The server pointed out their seats.
"Sure. Thanks."
"I'm starving! I'm going to eat ten plates of barbecue all by myself!" Morino Kei boasted, unable to hold back any longer.
"Yeah, right. You've got a big mouth and a tiny appetite, you scrawny little pig. You order a ton every time and never finish it, so you have to take the rest home. Can't you have a realistic idea of your own limits for once?" Hyuga Rei said mercilessly, rolling her eyes.
"Come on, let's get to our seats. If it gets any busier, we won't even be able to squeeze through." Uchiha Kai urged the two of them onward, then headed for the table.
Just as they were about to sit down, they heard a very familiar voice.
"Huh? Is that Kai, you little rascal?!"
A boy at the next table, wearing a Forehead Protector and an orange scarf, suddenly called out.
Uchiha Kai turned toward the voice, surprised. There he saw a cheerful boy grinning and waving at him.
"Senior Obito? When did you get back?" The boy asked, bewildered.
The boy with spiky hair, who always seemed optimistic, was none other than Uchiha Obito—the great villain in the original story who had set off countless wars and calamities.
The spark that ignited many major events, the first victim of the endless chain of schemes, a coward who couldn't bear the pain and chose to run away by denying the world, a man who evaded blame by shifting it onto everyone else.
Right now, he was sitting in an ordinary barbecue restaurant, ready to enjoy a rare break during the war.
"Well, of course I'm back! We completed our mission with flying colors and got paid, so Teacher Minato brought us here for barbecue!"
Obito turned his head toward the gentle figure sitting beside him, quietly praying before the grill.
Before you continue