Uzushio Village and Konoha Village (Continued)

In the dark blue firmament, a gorgeous and fantastical galaxy hung lazily in the air like a silver ribbon, with nebulae visible to the naked eye piling together to cast a hazy, dark starlight.

The ninjas of Konoha, nestled within the sea of trees, were currently enjoying the festivities of this special day, and no one seemed to notice the wondrous night sky.

This was the first time an alliance had been forged, signaling to the Shinobi World that Konoha had officially stepped onto the stage of history.

For the first time, the ninjas of the various clans felt a true sense of belonging to Konoha.

It was no longer the shallow belief held previously, when they had joined the village simply as clans huddling together to form a place where they could safely accept missions.

If the joining of the various clans had expanded the scale of Konoha, then the establishment of diplomatic relations with Uzushio Village represented the birth of the "one country, one village" structure in the Shinobi World.

Rikusei chewed slowly while looking around, carefully carrying his dango through the celebratory crowd; the sheer number of red-haired Uzumaki Clan ninjas was an eye-opener. He quietly deactivated his Sharingan, his heart confirming that their chakra reserves were indeed as vast as the rumors claimed.

Ordinary people had chakra; they had "chakratons."

Naori had been successfully dragged away by her parents, but before parting, she had reluctantly given Rikusei several skewers of her dango, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

Candlelight illuminated the streets, and the bustling crowd flowed in an orderly fashion toward the base of the Hokage Building.

In the plaza, ninjas from Konoha and Uzushio stood intermingled, gazing with joy at the Hokage Building that stood tall upon the earth.

The building, adorned and glowing brilliantly, cast a radiant light upon them; in the quiet crowd, there was nothing but the sound of long, steady breaths and the crackling of sparks from the bonfires.

Rikusei stood with his clansmen, swallowed the last piece of dango, and waited quietly for the appearance of the Hokage.

On the platform, flames danced with the wind, and sparks caught by the breeze drifted slowly into the sky; the flickering light reflected the heartfelt smiles of the people.

All the clan heads of Konoha gathered together, standing in neat rows, watching the front of the platform with smiles on their faces.

Tobirama, his silver hair seemingly dyed orange by the light, accompanied Uzumaki Ashina. His crimson pupils flickered with softness as he silently watched Madara, dressed in a high-collar robe, hand the Hokage Hat to Hashirama, who wore formal ceremonial robes.

The event he had once imagined was actually happening, yet Hashirama did not take the hat, instead grabbing Madara's hand and suddenly falling into a state of melancholy.

It was understandable; the position Hashirama stood in now should have been Madara's.

But as the village expanded, it would inevitably move toward a democratic approach, and Hashirama's verbal promises would be hard to change the minds of others.

Tobirama glanced nonchalantly at the stern-faced Madara, unable to guess what was going through his mind.

The firelight danced, casting shadows across his cold, sharp features. Relying on his understanding of Madara's personality, he thought silently, The most important thing is that you don't know how to communicate or trade interests with others.

"When will you ever change this old habit of yours?" Madara poked Hashirama's forehead with his finger, chiding him without mercy: "This is a complete waste of the Kage Rock on the cliff that's almost finished. All that effort to carve you looking so spirited, wasted."

"But..."

"But what?"

Madara suddenly slammed the hat onto his head, pressed his left hand on his shoulder, and gave him a firm shove, exposing him completely to the eyes of everyone.

A mountain-shaking roar, like rolling thunder, instantly filled all of Konoha, and the shouts of "Lord Hokage" soared into the clouds.

Standing where he was, Madara curled his lips into a silent smile, his eyes reflecting the firelight as he watched the figure waving the hat in his hand.

At this moment, Hashirama captured the gaze of everyone in Konoha; starlight, moonlight, and firelight shone upon him together.

At the same time, he was also exerting his own light with all his might.

It was the light of peace.

Madara crossed his arms over his chest, his thoughts drifting; their childhood ideals were gradually moving further away through their joint efforts.

The scene reminded him of what Rikusei had said on the balcony downstairs—that he should just have Hashirama wave the hat in front of everyone.

The effect seemed quite good, though the ceremony was truly simple.

After the continuous cheers subsided, Hashirama turned around, his face filled with excitement as he invited Ashina to step forward. After bowing his head slightly and meeting those bright, piercing eyes, he said loudly: "Today, under the witness of all the ninjas of Konoha, we officially establish an alliance with Uzushio Village."

As his voice fell, ninjas who had arrived via Body Flicker Technique began to push the giant scroll placed on the platform.

The long, unfurling scroll rolled slowly across the ground, and the moment the edges fell, the surface opened against the wind, the crisp sound echoing in the air.

In the crowd, Rikusei looked up and focused his eyes on the fluttering, swaying scroll, which depicted the emblems of Konoha and Uzushio.

The blue swirl and the red leaf were firmly attached to both sides of the building, one on the left and one on the right.

Bang!

Fireworks rose from the ground toward the sky, scattering like petals in the air, and the atmosphere in Konoha was completely ignited at this moment.

Although the figures were no longer on the building, the sea of people began to split into the rivers of clans, then into the small streams of families flowing through the streets, wandering through the village with great interest.

Rikusei did not find his grandmother among the Uchiha, but while wandering the streets, he was drawn to a wooden hut displaying a flag that read "Daimyo Fighting Contest."

The room was brightly lit and crowded with silhouettes.

Because of the boisterous shouts of "Pair of threes, can't beat that!", it was impossible to miss.

He glanced from afar at his grandmother, who was dominating the game, and turned away; he wouldn't participate in the senior citizens' club.

At a street corner, he ran into young Uchihas holding various desserts and snacks, and was dragged into the crowd by Rai and Kagami to enjoy the prosperity of Konoha.

The Hokage's Office was filled with ninjas in various attires, and the aura they unconsciously exuded with every move made Uzumaki Kaimi feel a chill; he should have known better than to come in.

These were, after all, the heads of the major clans who had fought their way out of the chaotic world of blood and corpses.

The left eye visible beneath Uchiha Madara's long black hair at the front was enough to strike fear into his heart with just an accidental glance, forcing him to hurriedly lower his head and shift his gaze.

?

Madara, arms draped lazily, scratched the crook of his arm with curiosity; was his face really as fierce as Hashirama claimed?

Yet that brat Rikusei had told him unfunny jokes without a hint of fear the very first time they met.

Regaining his composure, Kaimi snuck a glance at the Hokage sitting behind the desk, sensing even through perception alone the terrifying power hidden beneath that calm expression.

It was a relief that his old father was there, but the thought that he would be the one dealing with the people of Konoha afterward made his head begin to ache.

The negotiations had reached their end, and every clause was finalized under the pen of the man with the pineapple head.

Kaimi recognized the clan crest and realized it was a member of the Nara clan; as expected, it had to be the Nara clan head.

Shikahira's gentle voice echoed through the room as he read the contents of the Alliance Treaty aloud.

Kaimi quietly summarized the points in his heart.

Konoha and Uzushio Village recognize each other as independent entities and establish diplomatic relations.

Provide military and economic assistance when necessary.

It seemed that ever since Uzushio Village was founded, Konoha ninjas had been assisting them, Kaimi thought, rolling his eyes in contemplation.

Neither side shall accept commissions for assassinations or similar hostile acts against the other.

This was excellent, Kaimi nodded in affirmation; just the thought of battling the ninjas in this room made his legs tremble.

To promote trade between the two nations, tariffs for traveling merchant caravans shall be significantly lower than those of other countries, especially for materials used in civil engineering.

This was good, Kaimi continued to nod in praise.

What? The specific figures were to be negotiated in the coming days? That was even better! These things should be left to the professionals.

Under the lamplight, Kaimi became a heartless nodding machine, genuinely agreeing with the signing of this treaty from the bottom of his heart.

The evening breeze blew the lively atmosphere from outside into the room, refreshing and invigorating; Kaimi gazed at the flickering wick on the Hokage's desk, his pupils gradually blurring along with the elongated flame. His hometown by the sea must be just as lively right now.