Beneath the deep indigo sky, a brilliant, fantastical river of stars hung lazily overhead like a silver ribbon. Nebulae, barely visible to the naked eye, clustered together, casting a faint, slanted glow across the dark sky.
The ninjas of Konoha Hidden Village, nestled amid a vast sea of trees, were reveling in this special occasion. None of them had a chance to notice the beautiful night sky.
This was the first time an alliance had been forged, marking Konoha Hidden Village's formal arrival on the stage of history before the Shinobi World.
For the first time, the ninjas of the various clans felt a sense of belonging to Konoha Hidden Village.
Before, as they joined the village along with their clans, they had only thought of it as a place where the clans could band together and reliably receive missions.
If the clans joining the village had made Konoha grow in size, establishing ties with Uzushio Village meant that the Shinobi World's system of one hidden village per country had now taken shape.
Rikusei took small bites as he looked around, carefully carrying his dango through the jubilant crowd. The sight of so many red-haired Uzumaki ninjas opened his eyes. He quietly deactivated his Sharingan and thought that, sure enough, their chakra reserves were just as incredible as the rumors claimed.
Ordinary people had chakra. They had chakra by the ton.
Naori's parents successfully dragged her away. Before leaving, she reluctantly gave Rikusei several of her dango skewers, leaving him both exasperated and amused.
Torchlight filled the streets, and orderly streams of people converged beneath the Hokage Building.
In the square, ninjas from Konoha Hidden Village and Uzushio Village stood intermingled, all gazing joyfully at the Hokage Building rising above the earth.
The building, adorned with brilliant lights, shone down on them. In the quiet crowd, only the long, steady breaths of the people and the crackling of sparks in the bonfires could be heard.
Rikusei stood with his clan members, swallowed his last dango, and quietly waited for Lord Hokage to appear.
Flames danced atop the platform, stirred by the wind. As it swept over the kindling, sparks rose one by one into the sky, while the wavering firelight illuminated the people's heartfelt smiles.
All the clan heads in Konoha had gathered together in neat rows, watching the front of the platform with smiles on their faces.
Tobirama, his silver hair seemingly dyed orange by the firelight, stood beside Uzumaki Ashina. A softness flickered in his crimson eyes as he silently watched Madara, dressed in a high-collared robe, hand the Hokage Hat to Hashirama, who wore a long ceremonial robe.
The thing he had once imagined had come to pass after all. Hashirama didn't accept the hat. Instead, he took Madara's hand and suddenly grew despondent.
It was understandable. Madara should have been standing where Hashirama was now.
But as the village grew, it was bound to move toward democracy, and Hashirama's verbal promise could hardly change everyone else's minds.
Tobirama discreetly glanced at Madara's stern expression, unable to guess what was going through his mind.
Firelight flickered across Madara's cold, shadowed face. Drawing on his understanding of Madara's character, Tobirama silently thought, The most important thing is that you don't know how to communicate with people or bargain for mutual benefit.
"When are you going to break that old habit of yours?" Madara jabbed Hashirama in the forehead and scolded him bluntly. "You're wasting the Kage Rock that's nearly finished on the cliff. All that effort to carve you so heroically, for nothing."
"But—"
"No buts!"
Madara abruptly plunked the hat onto Hashirama's head, pressed a hand against his shoulder, and shoved him sideways, putting him fully on display before the crowd.
The cheers crashed over them like thunder and instantly filled all of Konoha. The shouts of "Lord Hokage!" soared into the sky.
Standing still, Madara curled his lips into a silent smile. In his firelit eyes, Hashirama's figure appeared, waving the hat in his hand.
In that moment, Hashirama drew every eye in Konoha. The starlight, moonlight, and firelight all shone down on him.
And he, too, was shining brightly with a light all his own.
The light of peace.
Madara folded his arms, his thoughts drifting. Through their shared efforts, the ideal they had dreamed of as children had gradually led them farther and farther from where they began.
The scene reminded him of what Rikusei had said on the balcony downstairs: just have Hashirama wave the hat in front of everyone.
It seemed to have worked pretty well. The ceremony really was simple, though.
After the endless cheering, Hashirama turned and invited Ashina forward, excitement on his face. He bowed his head slightly, met the bright eyes fixed on him, and spoke aloud. "Today, in the presence of all the ninjas of Konoha Hidden Village, we formally establish an alliance with Uzushio Village."
At his words, a ninja who had arrived using the Body Flicker Technique began pushing the enormous scroll stacked on the platform.
The long scroll slowly rolled across the ground. The instant it dropped over the edge, it unfurled in the wind, its crisp snap echoing through the air.
In the crowd, Rikusei looked up and studied the swaying scroll. It bore the emblems of Konoha and Uzushio.
A blue whirlpool and a red leaf, one on either side, sat neatly beside the building.
Bang!
Fireworks shot up from the ground and burst apart in the sky like petals. At that moment, the festive atmosphere in Konoha was fully kindled.
Though the figures atop the building were gone, the sea of people began to break apart into the rivers of the clans, then the streams of individual families, flowing into every street as they strolled around the village, full of excitement.
Rikusei didn't spot Grandmother among the Uchiha Clan crowd, but while wandering the streets, he noticed a wooden house flying a "Daimyo Fighting Contest" flag.
The interior was brightly lit, and people moved about in a throng.
It was impossible to miss the booming declaration, "Three of a kind! Can't beat that!"
He glanced from afar at Grandmother, who was dominating the game, then turned and left. He wasn't going to join the old folks' club.
At a street corner, he ran into a group of little Uchiha carrying all kinds of sweets and treats. Rai and Kagami grabbed him and pulled him into the crowd to enjoy Konoha's lively streets.
The Hokage's Office was packed with ninjas in all manner of attire. The power they unconsciously revealed in every movement made Uzumaki Kaimi uneasy. He wished he'd never come in.
These were the heads of the great clans, all battle-hardened survivors of the bloody chaos of the warring era.
At the front, beneath Uchiha Madara's long black hair, only his left eye was visible. A chance meeting of their gazes filled Kaimi with fear, and he hurriedly lowered his head and looked away.
?
Madara lounged with his arms draped loosely, curiously scratching the crook of his elbow. Did he really look as fierce as Hashirama said?
But that kid Rikusei had shown no fear the first time they met, telling him a joke that wasn't funny at all.
Kaimi gathered his spirits and glanced at Lord Hokage, seated behind the desk. He could sense the fearsome power held in check beneath the man's calm expression.
At least his father was here. Kaimi immediately relaxed at the thought, but then he remembered that he'd have to deal with everyone from Konoha afterward, and his head began to ache.
The negotiations were nearing their end. A man with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle was putting the finishing touches on all the clauses.
Kaimi recognized him as a member of the Nara Clan from his crest. As expected, he was probably the clan head.
Shikahira's gentle voice rang through the room as he softly read the contents of the Alliance Treaty.
Kaimi quietly summed it up in his mind.
Konoha Hidden Village and Uzushio Village would recognize each other as independent and establish diplomatic relations.
They would provide military and economic aid when necessary.
Konoha's ninjas seemed to have been helping Uzushio Village ever since it was founded. Kaimi's eyes shifted as he pondered this.
Neither side would accept hostile missions, such as assassinations against one another.
That was good. Kaimi nodded in approval. The thought of fighting the ninjas in the room made his legs tremble.
To promote trade between the two countries, traveling merchants would pay much lower tariffs than in other countries, especially on materials used for construction projects.
That was good, too. Kaimi kept nodding in approval.
What? The exact figures would be negotiated in the days ahead? That was great! Those things should be left to the professionals.
Beneath the lamplight, Kaimi became an unfeeling nodding machine, wholeheartedly approving of the treaty.
The evening breeze carried the lively bustle outside into the room, filling it with a refreshing scent. Kaimi gazed at the dancing wick on Lord Hokage's desk. As the flame stretched higher, his eyes grew hazy. I wonder if my seaside hometown is just as lively right now.
Before you continue