The Situation

The door was flung wide open, and Mirai saw several familiar faces appear before him. It was the group of friends he was closest to, all arriving together.

"Yo! You all came!" Mirai raised a hand to greet them.

The group froze, only then realizing that Mirai had woken up. Expressions of pleasant surprise appeared on their faces, and Hyuga Hiben hurried to Mirai's side, saying, "Mirai, you're finally awake! How do you feel? Is there anywhere that still hurts?"

"I'm fine, completely healed. I'm doing great, no need to worry," Mirai said with a smile.

Mikazuki Sora looked at Mirai and said, "You've been unconscious for three days. You looked like a corpse; how could we not worry?"

"Three days? I've been asleep for three days?" Mirai asked, stunned. He hadn't realized he had been out for so long.

"Mirai, I heard you got caught up in the Nine-Tails incident. It's truly a miracle you survived," Cunxia Ye said, blurting out the thoughtless remark.

Shiba Bun rolled his eyes at Cunxia Ye in annoyance. "Is that any way to talk? Go back and learn how to speak properly before you come out again."

Mirai smiled and waved his hand. "It's alright. The Nine-Tails attacking Konoha was indeed a disaster; surviving such a catastrophe is a stroke of luck for anyone."

"See? Mirai says the same thing. What was wrong with what I said?"

Seeing Cunxia Ye like this, Shiba Bun shook his head, deciding not to argue. Instead, he asked Mirai, "During the days you were unconscious, the village has been shrouded in grief. Too many ninja sacrificed themselves to protect the village. Even the Fourth Hokage perished along with the Nine-Tails..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions on everyone's faces dimmed. The Hokage was the goal many ninja aspired to, but more importantly, he was the pillar of the village. The Fourth Hokage had visited the academy many times and was an idol to everyone there; his sacrifice left a heavy weight in their hearts.

Mirai was naturally the first to know this news, but he still asked, "Is that so? The Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to protect the village. What is the situation in the village now?"

"The Third Hokage has come out of retirement to take charge. He's currently repairing the damaged buildings and settling the injured villagers and those whose homes were destroyed. Sigh! The damage this time was truly too great."

Mirai could imagine it. When the Nine-Tails charged into Konoha, it was no different from a wolf entering a flock of sheep. With every move it made, countless buildings were destroyed and countless lives were lost. In this world of ninja, lacking power meant being utterly helpless.

"What about Itachi? How is he?"

"Itachi is fine. He came by a few times while you were unconscious, but he seems to be at home taking care of his younger brother now. His parents are both out helping with the village's reconstruction."

"Right! Today is the funeral for the Fourth Hokage and the other ninja who sacrificed themselves in the battle. Should we go?" Cunxia Ye asked.

Mirai was stunned. It was already time for the funeral? Thinking of the care the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina had shown him, Mirai felt he had to go and see them off.

"Let's go," Mirai said. He quickly put on his clothes, and the group rushed to the destination. A large crowd had already gathered, dressed in black and holding white flowers. The Fourth Hokage was a man beloved and respected by everyone in the village, so naturally, many came to bid him farewell.

Moreover, it wasn't just the Fourth; there were many other great ninja who had sacrificed themselves to protect the village. Their families, friends, and comrades were there, and the entire scene was infected with a deeply sorrowful atmosphere.

Mirai spotted the Third Hokage there. Among the dead was the Third's wife, Biwako. Having lost the wife he had lived with for so many years, the Third was naturally in great pain, yet he did not show it on his face. He was the Hokage; at a time like this, he had to be the pillar of the village and could not show any weakness.

Before long, Mirai also arrived before the tombstone. Looking at the names of the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina carved into the stone, Mirai felt a complex mix of emotions. In his heart, he whispered to them, "Rest easy. If your child is ever in danger in the future, I will certainly step in to save him."

The Third Hokage noticed Mirai and asked, "Mirai, you're awake? How is your body?"

"I have no major issues," Mirai replied to the Third Hokage.

"Is that so? That's good. Come to the Hokage's office tonight. There are some things regarding Minato that I would like to ask you."

Mirai nodded. He knew what the Third Hokage wanted to ask. He was the only one who had witnessed the entire sequence of events, so naturally, the Third wanted to understand everything that had happened leading to the Fourth Hokage's death.

After dusk, Mirai arrived at the Hokage's office. "Knock, knock!" Mirai tapped on the door twice.

The Third Hokage's voice came from within: "Come in."

"Creeeak!" Mirai opened the door and walked in. It was already night, but the Third was still sitting at his desk. Mountains of documents were piled up, and he was still working through them. Konoha, already weakened by the Battle of Mount Kikyo, had suffered a devastating blow from the Nine-Tails attack. A massive void had appeared in the number of active ninja, making it impossible to complete many missions. Everything required careful coordination and planning—these were the duties of the Hokage.

The Third looked up, saw Mirai, and said, "You're here, Mirai. Sit for a moment; I'll be finished with this shortly."

"Yes," Mirai said, taking a seat on a chair.

A short while later, the Third finished processing the documents, came over, and sat down in front of Mirai. "Don't be nervous. I just want to understand what exactly happened with Minato and Kushina. They left in such a hurry. Can you describe the situation as you know it?"

Mirai nodded and recounted everything he knew to the Third Hokage. The Third listened intently the entire time. When Mirai finished, the Third Hokage sighed and said, "I never imagined such a dangerous event had occurred. It was truly hard on Minato and Kushina. Mirai, tell me—was that man in the mask a member of the Uchiha clan?"