Back to the Village [Two-in-One]

The silvery moonlight spilled across the empty ground, almost tangible. The wooden house stood in silence, while two figures, one large and one small, sat side by side on the roof, gazing at the huge full moon above the distant forest.

Having narrowly escaped disaster, Rikusei sized up Madara beside him, dressed in casual clothes. The gentle moonlight fell upon his black robe, making him seem softer and more approachable. Perhaps it was only in the stillness of the night that his scarred heart could enjoy a moment of peace.

"What is it?" Feeling Rikusei's gaze, Madara glanced at his robe to check that it wasn't dusty, then asked curiously.

"Ah, it's nothing." Caught looking, Rikusei smiled with his lips pressed together, then raised an arm and pointed at the full moon. "Teacher, can you see anything on the moon?"

Madara turned his face toward him and studied his eyes. His tone was easygoing. "What made you ask that all of a sudden?"

Rikusei's eyes filled with just the right amount of yearning. His voice rang out beneath the night sky, almost ethereal, as he said wistfully, "They say the moon was made by the Sage of Six Paths. Do you think he might have left something up there? A mysterious code, or some strange ninjutsu, or something unexpected?"

"What kind of nonsense are you coming up with now? Why not say there are strange creatures up there, too?" Moonlight dusted Madara's lips as he chuckled and tapped Rikusei on the forehead. He activated his Mangekyo and examined the moon carefully. "I can't see anything. Satisfied?"

Clutching his forehead, Rikusei really wanted to tell him, Congratulations! You guessed right.

There really was the strangest creature of all up there: the Ten-Tails. And if the right conditions were met, it even came with a beautiful white-haired big sister, though she was already a mother of three.

Beneath the bright moon and sparse stars, the rooftop fell quiet again. Before long, Madara sensed Rikusei's long, steady breaths. Then a soft weight leaned against his shoulder, followed by the prickly sensation of hair brushing through his clothes.

The familiar face softened his gaze and drew him into memories. Once again, they were on a rooftop bathed in moonlight. Izuna had excitedly chatted with him about everything happening in the clan and their hopes for the future. Just like Rikusei, he would eventually succumb to drowsiness and lean against Madara's shoulder.

How nostalgic. Madara took off his outer robe and wrapped it around Rikusei, then gazed at the bright moon alone.

At dawn, the sun rose above the horizon. Rikusei stood among the assembled ranks, watching with his own eyes as a certain Hashirama spent chakra by the ton to plant trees.

The earth rolled violently, as if a subterranean dragon were thrashing beneath it. Lively green growth burst through the shifting ground, and in an instant, a towering forest sprang up, restoring the ravaged land to its former state.

Hashirama walked over to a tree that reached into the clouds and patted its sturdy trunk. It gave a dull thud. He nodded in satisfaction, as if silently declaring, This is the power of Wood Release.

Dusting off his hands, Hashirama directed the troops to begin their return to the village.

The Nine-Tails, tormented all night by Kikaichū, lay quietly in an inconspicuous wooden crate as the Uzumaki Clan leaped their way toward Konoha.

"Lord Hokage is on his way back?"

Shikahira, the Pineapple Head, set down the document in his hands and muttered as an Anbu vanished from sight. His eyes widened in disbelief. They'd subdued the Nine-Tails completely in less than two days.

He had heard plenty about Senju Hashirama's power—no, Lord Hokage's power—but he hadn't expected it to be so overwhelming. This was no longer the power of a human. It was a god walking among them.

The God of Shinobi?

Shikahira was pleased with the new title. He thought they could ride the wave of excitement over capturing the Nine-Tails and raise Lord Hokage's standing in the Shinobi World even higher.

Because of the distance between their lands, every shinobi clan knew that Hashirama and Madara were the strongest in the Shinobi World. But most people had no clear idea what that actually meant. Wasn't sealing the Nine-Tails the perfect opportunity to show them?

He pulled a sheet of paper from the desk and wrote down everything that came to mind. A poor memory was no match for a pen and paper.

He had spent the past few days handling documents on the Hokage's behalf, and the endless variety of trivial matters had already left him frazzled. Looking at the mountain of paperwork that still remained, he sincerely missed the days when he could drink at the izakaya.

Still, all this busyness and overtime weren't so bad. When he got home late at night, the nagging that usually irritated him had disappeared. In its place, he found a delightful late-night snack.

Just as he was about to lower his head and continue working, his thoughts turned over and over. He gazed at the lazy clouds outside the window and murmured, "What a pain."

Rikusei had problems of his own. It was break time, and he had barely sat down before Kagami, Baru, and Naka came trotting over and surrounded him.

After some jostling, Baru stepped forward bashfully and asked Rikusei, who was sitting on a rock, "What's it like carrying a Gunbai?"

"A Gunbai?" Rikusei looked at them in surprise and was about to take it off his back and let them play with it. Then he noticed their eyes were fixed on his.

He understood. They were using the Gunbai as an excuse to ask him about something else. Rikusei stood up naturally and followed them into the woods.

Naori glanced back curiously at the three of them as they walked away. Hearing that it was about the Gunbai, she thought nothing of it and went back to chatting with Nao and Koharu about things girls liked to talk about.

After walking a while through the forest, Rikusei turned to them. "No one should be able to overhear us here. Ask whatever you want."

"Please tell us how to awaken our eyes!" Kagami, who was usually quiet, suddenly stepped forward and asked with a serious expression.

Naka and Baru nodded in agreement.

The four of them met one another's eyes. From their resentful gazes, Rikusei understood what had brought this on.

It must have been the incident in the cave. As Uchiha, they had relied on Kikaichū and the Byakugan to watch the battle. It had dealt a heavy blow to their young hearts.

That was probably the main reason they'd come to him today, Rikusei thought.

"I can tell you how to awaken them, but first you have to answer a question of mine." Rikusei took the Gunbai off his back and rested it on the ground, gazing at their eager eyes. "Kagami will answer on his own."

Bearing the hopes of the other three on his shoulders, Kagami began to breathe heavily. He clenched his fists to psych himself up, then said solemnly, "No problem."

"Here's the question. Multiple choice: who sealed the Nine-Tails?" Rikusei asked, and continued despite the three of them looking bewildered.

"Senju Hashirama."

"Uchiha Madara."

"Uzumaki Ashina."

"Uchiha Rikusei."

As soon as the question was asked, Kagami began thinking hard. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as his mind raced.

First, he could eliminate D. Clearly, Rikusei had included it as a joke to help him relax. Then again, maybe he'd shamelessly put himself in the choices just because he was the one asking the question.

A and B were the ones who had defeated the Nine-Tails, so they could be eliminated.

"The answer is C!" Kagami replied excitedly, raising his clenched fist to his chest, certain he had it right. He had been there, after all.

"We won!" When Baru and Naka saw that Kagami had picked the right answer, they hurried over, clapped him on the shoulder, and shouted excitedly.

Rikusei watched the three excited children, twirled the Gunbai in his hand, and tucked it onto his back. Shaking his head, he said regretfully, "Wrong answer."

"How could we get it wrong?" Naka stepped forward and stopped him, asking indignantly. "We all saw Clan Leader Ashina seal the Nine-Tails with our own eyes!"

Baru seemed to understand. After calming Naka down, he analyzed the question seriously. "You were hinting at Kagami with option D, weren't you? The question itself is flawed. There should be multiple correct answers."

"Your question was flawed, so of course mine was, too." Rikusei walked up to them and replied, "So many gifted people have been born into the Uchiha Clan, and none of them have found a shortcut to awakening their eyes. How could I possibly give you the answer?"

Seeing their spirits sink, Rikusei beckoned them closer, then whispered a few words in their ears.

"Are you serious? The clan head actually—"

Naka's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at him. Rikusei clapped a hand over his mouth and stuffed the rest of his words back down his throat. His face darkened as he said ominously, "If anyone leaks this, don't let me catch you at the Ninja Academy. Understand?"

What an earthshaking secret! Baru stared at Kagami in amazement. It was the first time they'd heard such inside information, and all the resentment they'd felt had vanished.

Doesn't that mean the later you awaken your eyes, the stronger you can become—just like the clan head?

"Rikusei, we're leaving!" A purple silhouette waved from the woods and called out to them in a sweet voice.

Rikusei patted Naka on the shoulder and beckoned the others to join the crowd. "Stop grinning and come on."

The shinobi heading home were eager to return. They had only been away for two days, but homesickness had already spread through their minds. Plenty of them planned to tell their relatives all about the operation once they got back to their clans.

What does the power of a god look like? This is the power of a god.

No shinobi had been organized to welcome them at Konoha Gate. The new village had too many affairs to deal with, and few people had time to pay attention to such formalities. But the shinobi guarding the gate welcomed the returning troops with great excitement.

Through the crowd of jostling figures, Rikusei caught sight of pale eyes. He recognized the voice, too; he thought he'd heard it at a clan meeting. It must have been someone from the Uchiha Clan.

Wait a minute. They had Uchiha and Hyuga shinobi guarding the gate? Clever. Wouldn't they end up fighting over clan pride?

At first glance, it seemed like a crazy idea. But on second thought, it made perfect sense.

At a time when shinobi from all over the surrounding lands were frequently joining Konoha, the Sharingan and Byakugan were ideal for identifying those entering the village. Add in the prestige of the great clans, and they would surely deter plenty of wandering shinobi.

Rikusei rose onto his toes to get a better look. With the Gunbai's help, he finally made out their faces, and silently marveled at what he saw. It was a man and a woman. The way they got along so well meant they must have some dirty business going on.

"Should we give them a day off?" Hashirama stood at the head of the group, looking at the pairs of gleaming eyes before him. Unable to bear it, he worked up the courage to suggest it to the white-haired man beside him.

"No. They still have a lot of lessons to catch up on." Tobirama, with the sunset at his back, might as well have been a white-haired demon as he mercilessly refused. A wave of groans rose from the crowd.

Tobirama turned to Madara and asked if he had anything to say. After Madara declined, Tobirama continued, "Then you're dismissed."

Rikusei handed the Gunbai to Madara and followed the joyful crowd toward the clan grounds.

Ashina adjusted the wooden crate on his back. His white eyebrows twitched as he watched the lively crowd gradually disappear into the distance. "These are all the new seedlings of Konoha."

Hashirama nodded in agreement and looked at the wooden crate behind them. "Have you found somewhere to store it?"

"Come with me." Tobirama glanced at the crate beneath the slanting rays of the sun and headed off.

The crowd poured into every street in the village, gradually dispersing. The farther they went into the clan grounds, the fewer companions walked alongside Rikusei. In the end, only two people remained with him, as inseparable as their shadows.

Rikusei walked along the familiar street, feeling that the scene before him was strangely familiar. The sun had dipped below the horizon, but it still shone with a fiery brilliance.

"Rikusei." The long-haired girl stopped. As she turned, her beautiful purple hair fell across her chest, obscuring the sunlight's golden glow. Her bright eyes fixed intently on him.

Their eyes met. Bathed in the sunset, Rikusei could clearly sense the unusual emotion in the girl's eyes. He waited quietly for her to continue.

"Just now..."

The girl's voice held a hint of nervousness. As she opened her lips, she accidentally bit her tongue, and her voice abruptly trailed off.

"Don't rush. Take your time," Rikusei said quickly, walking up to her and gently reassuring her.

Naori hurriedly waved her hand to show that she was fine. Her words came out a little slurred, utterly at odds with her serious expression. She looked Rikusei in the eyes and continued, earnest and intent: "I think I saw that the Dango Shop in the village is having a sale?"

"?"

Rikusei stared at her blankly. So she hadn't bitten her tongue because she was nervous—she was just too excited. Come to think of it, it had been several days since he'd been there. He was getting hungry for dango, too.

Naori nervously twirled her purple hair in front of her chest, her dark eyes full of expectation as she waited for the answer she hoped to hear.

"Then what are we waiting for?" The sunset made Rikusei crave dango. He grabbed the girl's hand, feeling the warmth pass between their palms, and looked into her eyes with a smile. No words were needed.

The lengthening twilight slipped through the gaps in Naori's purple hair and dappled Rikusei's face. The ripples rising in the girl's heart pieced themselves together into mysterious symbols, their bright reflections shining in his radiant smile.