A crescent moon hung high in the sky, its cold light spilling over Konoha as usual.
It was not particularly late yet. The village was still brightly lit, with people coming and going amid bursts of laughter. Children carrying lanterns darted back and forth through the streets and alleys.
The Hokage Office Building was still lit as well. The Third Hokage was handling official business there, having taken Minato Namikaze's place in overseeing things these past few days.
No one noticed that an eerie figure had appeared atop Kage Rock, standing openly on the First's stone face.
By all rights, this should have been impossible. It was not the dead of night; countless pedestrians and ninja were moving through the streets and alleys. All they needed to do was raise their eyes slightly to see Kage Rock, and the First's face was such a conspicuous spot that it should have been visible at a glance.
Yet not a single person noticed his presence. The eerie figure blended perfectly into the surrounding environment, as though he had existed there since time immemorial. Even if someone glanced in that direction, they would instinctively overlook him, as if he were merely a stone.
Shin surveyed Konoha as it stood now, taking in the entire village at a glance. He slowly sat down and looked into the distance.
In that direction, an unseen upheaval was taking place, and the consequences it caused would descend upon Konoha in the near future.
Retracting his gaze, Shin smiled faintly and said softly, "Hashirama, you watched over Konoha every day. What do you think now?"
Naturally, no one answered him. But he did not care, continuing to speak to himself. "If you could see present-day Konoha through this stone statue, I think you'd be gratified. Compared to