Farewell, Senju Hashirama

"I still remember back then. The three of us were just children, knowing nothing, yet spouting grand words about bringing peace to this world. Honestly, even I never imagined there would be a day when we succeeded. Looking back now, it really feels like a lifetime ago."

Senju Hashirama laughed heartily and drained the wine in his cup in one gulp. Then he broke into a violent coughing fit, blood spilling out with each cough, yet nothing could dampen his enthusiasm for reminiscing about the past.

Shin glanced at the blood on the floor without speaking, then poured him another cup of wine and chuckled. "Yeah. I remember when we first met—your hairstyle was unbelievably awful."

Senju Hashirama drained the cup again, already somewhat drunk. At that, he snapped angrily, "You Uchiha have some nerve mocking my hair when your hairstyles are so bizarre. At least mine, though plain, were still within the realm of normal human hairstyles. What was with those hedgehog-like hairdos of yours?"

Shin burst into laughter, drained his own cup, and shrugged. "That wasn't me."

From their initial quiet conversation to their current carefree drinking, it felt as though they had suddenly returned to the days before the three of them had joined hands to establish Konoha.

That had been the time when they trusted one another most. They had all worked toward the dream of a village, believing they could overcome any hardship or obstacle. Unfortunately, after the village was founded, their paths had gradually diverged, until the eruption at the Valley of the End.

Their voices were loud enough that they should have disturbed those outside long ago, yet strangely, there was utter silence beyond the room, without the slightest sound. Hashirama laughed for a while before erupting into another violent coughing fit. Sitting