The Meeting

The Uchiha Fireworks Technique spread far more widely than Rikusei had imagined.

On the way to the Ninja Academy, Naori's excited little face was tinged with a blush. She gently brushed the purple hair beside her ear and recounted the spectacle she had seen the previous night: "The Fire Release techniques shone like blazing streams of fire across the night sky. The clan leader really is amazing!"

Rikusei chose to stay quiet, simply nodding in agreement. He couldn't exactly say that the fireworks show had been performed just for him.

Naori gave him a curious look, then started wondering whether other dazzling techniques could be used in a new fireworks display.

In the end, the two of them decided they couldn't.

"That would probably cause a thunderstorm. It might even bring heavy rain."

Rikusei pictured it in his mind: Fire Release and Lightning Style blazing into the sky, fire and thunder intertwining and possibly triggering convective activity. He couldn't help shaking his head.

"Then surely a single display like last night's would work?"

"I'm afraid not. There weren't many clouds in the sky last night." Rikusei recalled the clear night, filled with shining stars.

"Rikusei, you really did see everything clearly last night, didn't you?"

Oh no.

Realizing he'd been tricked into giving himself away, Rikusei turned his head woodenly and met the girl's sly gaze.

His mouth opened and closed like a machine, repeating the motion several times. Then his shoulders slumped. "You saw through me."

"With the clan leader's personality, he wouldn't suddenly do something like that unless..." Wisdom sparkled in the girl's eyes. Mysteriously, she produced a Kunai from behind her back and handed it to him. "It's a little late, but this is your birthday present. A finely crafted Kunai."

The entirely black Kunai gleamed coldly as it lay quietly in Rikusei's hand. He felt a trace of warmth in the white bandages wrapped around its handle. "Thank you."

"You don't have to say that."

The smile in the corners of Naori's eyes spread to her lips. Her long hair bounced against her shoulders as she walked along with a spring in her step.

The Ninja Academy was also abuzz with talk about the previous night.

The two who knew what had really happened sat quietly, sharing an unspoken understanding. Kagami, seated beside them by the window and looking around, was thoroughly confused. Had they really become that close?

Were they planning to form an alliance in the next Clan Tournament and beat up every Uchiha in their year together?

Terrifying memories spread through him, and Kagami gritted his teeth and shuddered involuntarily.

Torifu Akimichi glanced back at him in curiosity, then continued chatting with Homura and Koharu behind him about last night's fireworks.

"Hiruzen! Were those Fire Release techniques last night performed by your Sarutobi Clan?" The boy with tousled black hair dragged a chair over and asked.

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. He didn't hide anything from his close friend, making it clear that they hadn't done it.

Danzo was eager to say something, but the teacher walked in and interrupted him. He had no choice but to return to his seat.

Rikusei looked at the teacher standing at the lectern. It was Uchiha Kaku.

At the Ninja Academy, he wasn't the ninjutsu teacher he'd been assigned to be at the Clan Academy. He was the Taijutsu teacher.

That made sense.

Not everyone at the school had Fire Release chakra, but every ninja needed to learn Taijutsu.

Kaku, his hair tied in a short ponytail, looked over the students. He was quite satisfied with the spirit of the Ninja Academy's first class.

"The two most important aspects of Taijutsu are physical fitness and combat experience. Unlike ninjutsu, it doesn't require Hand Seals to channel chakra before it can be used." Kaku began sharing the Taijutsu experience he had accumulated over many years, writing on the blackboard as he spoke.

Time slipped away as the writing on the page dwindled beneath the pen.

Boring?

Rikusei didn't think so.

Everyone had their own unique fighting style. Training with Madara had been different. Madara emphasized moving one's eyes with one's thoughts, using the Sharingan's insight to adapt to the situation.

The village's buildings had all been completed, and the arrival of the Daimyo's supplies had given the construction another boost.

Today was the day all the clan leaders would attend a meeting. The proposals concerning every aspect of the village would be discussed there.

Everyone sat quietly around the round table.

Nameplates bearing each clan's name had been placed in front of their seats.

Once everyone was seated, the white-haired man standing behind Hashirama, dressed in a black ninja uniform, picked up a stack of documents from the table and glanced around before speaking. "The first agenda item: the village's name is Konoha, and its leader's title is Hokage."

Tobirama, looking at the agenda at the top of the stack, saw that no one present objected and silently nodded.

The village's name had been decided long ago. This was just a formality. His gaze happened to sweep over the long-haired man sitting with his eyes closed.

"The second agenda item: the village's emblem."

As he spoke, Tobirama passed around sheets of paper bearing a pencil sketch of the emblem.

"This design looks familiar."

The Hyuga Clan leader pointed at the somewhat abstract leaf on the left and spoke softly.

"It's an emblem designed to represent the name Konoha," Tobirama explained. He had designed it himself, and it was already being used above the entrance to the Ninja Academy.

The second agenda item was unanimously approved as well. Everyone knew these matters had already been decided and that they were only going through the motions.

The Daimyo turned his eyes toward the design on the paper and examined it carefully. After comparing the options, he agreed that the one Tobirama had chosen looked best.

The Senju Clan really did have talented people.

"The third agenda item..." Tobirama paused, his keen gaze carefully studying everyone's expressions before continuing. "The establishment of the village's various departments."

The main event had arrived.

All the clan leaders perked up, their previously languid expressions sharpening. This would determine their standing in the village going forward.

"First, the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad, directly under the Hokage. Its main duties are to protect the Hokage, identify spies within the village and ninja inclined to defect, and carry out other classified missions."

The unusual name of the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad made them uneasy. More concerning was that it answered directly to the Hokage.

That suggested they wouldn't be able to place their own people in the squad to learn what was going on. They couldn't tell whether the supposed classified missions might actually involve keeping an eye on them. After all, every ninja clan had ties to other clans, some of whom had joined different Hidden Villages.

Small clans like Ino-Shika-Cho breathed a sigh of relief and stole a glance at the Hyuga and Uchiha. If anyone was going to be watched, it would be the larger clans.

"Second, the Internal Affairs Department, responsible for handling Konoha's documents and records and distributing ninja missions."

Tobirama gestured for the ninja waiting outside with a large stack of files to come in. They distributed the organized documents to each clan leader for them to read carefully.

Like the other clan leaders, Hashirama picked up the documents and leafed through them. The words in the table of contents immediately caught his eye.

"Medical Department, Intelligence Department, Logistics Department, Interrogation Department, Police Department, Barrier and Sealing Department, Land Planning Department."

Including the first two, there were nine departments in total. The dense text made his head spin.

But most of these were meant for wartime. Now that a peaceful village had been established, war seemed to be fading away before their very eyes.

"Tobi—"

Tobirama, who was explaining the various divisions under each department, heard the sensitive word and sharply turned his stern gaze toward the speaker.

Hashirama, who had been holding the documents and waiting for a response, lowered his head and sank into dejection.

"Heh."

Madara closed the documents in his hands. His face had been tense ever since he entered the meeting hall, but seeing his friend in such a sorry state finally brought a long-absent smile to his face.