The Celebration

"Then what would count?"

Danzo was so angered by Mitokado Homura's words that his face turned livid. But he quickly composed himself and said coldly, "Even so, it was just a fluke. What could a Chunin with a Two-Tomoe Sharingan possibly accomplish?"

"Just a fluke?" Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke, tapping his pipe against the table. "Danzo, you and I have both been on the battlefield. You should know there are no flukes out there. He completed a sabotage mission behind enemy lines, then led his team through a tight encirclement until Shisui arrived to rescue them. How many Chunin in your Root could do that?"

Danzo fell silent for a moment, then gave a cold snort. "Where is he now, then? No sign of him alive or dead. Even if we give him credit, he's still a dead man."

"Alive or dead, we need proof," Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a low voice. "The bounty has already been issued, and the search won't stop. If he comes back alive, he'll receive every reward he's due. If he's dead..."

"Let's talk about that when we find his body."

"One more thing," Sarutobi Hiruzen added. "Shisui awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. That power is of great importance to the village, and I'll reward him personally."

"The Mangekyō..." Danzo's eyes flickered, his thoughts inscrutable.

"That's right, the Mangekyō Sharingan," Mitokado Homura chimed in. "It's been many years since the Uchiha Clan produced a shinobi of that caliber. Thankfully, it was Shisui. Otherwise, we'd have plenty to worry about."

Utatane Koharu nodded along.

"Yes, thankfully, it was Shisui. If it had been someone else... the Uchiha Clan wouldn't have been so easy to appease. But..." Utatane Koharu changed tack. "The restless elements in the Uchiha Clan will surely test Shisui. To be safe, we should recall Jiraiya." She turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Smoking his pipe, Sarutobi Hiruzen sank into thought.

Nearly a year had passed since the Nine-Tails Incident. Though the Uchiha Clan and Konoha High Command seemed to get along well on the surface, things were different behind the scenes.

As Konoha's foremost clan, the Uchiha Clan was renowned throughout the Shinobi World. They were eager to rise in the ranks.

Ever since Konoha was founded, Uchiha shinobi had wanted to join Konoha's leadership, but not once had one of them become a Hokage Advisor.

Then the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, came along and gave them hope.

But now both Namikaze Minato and his student Obito were dead, and the Uchiha Clan had returned to square one. The problem was that the ambition stirred in the Uchiha wouldn't simply fade back to how things had been before the Third Shinobi World War.

That raised a problem.

The Uchiha's political ambitions had not subsided. As time went on, they would grow increasingly dissatisfied with the status quo, and there were already signs of it. Yet now, a new Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared—a power unseen for decades.

In this situation, no matter where Shisui's loyalties lay, the emergence of this Mangekyō Sharingan would accelerate the long-suppressed ambitions of the Uchiha Clan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wondered how much longer his policy of appeasement could last.

And if it couldn't, what should he do next?

Also, would the mysterious man who had never shown himself, yet stirred up chaos in Konoha and caused the Nine-Tails Incident, take advantage of this opportunity to make trouble?

When Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent for a long time, Utatane Koharu cleared her throat.

"Oh..." Coming back to himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "The Uchiha Clan isn't an urgent concern yet. Let's keep an eye on things for a while. Besides..."

"That man is deliberately keeping out of sight. I've sent people to look for him several times, but they haven't found him. If we go again now, we probably won't have any luck either."

Since Sarutobi Hiruzen had said so, Utatane Koharu could only nod.

"Hyuga Akira and Shisui will soon return with the army. The village's reconstruction is nearly complete, so let's take this opportunity to hold a celebration and give everyone something to be happy about."

The Konoha army had swept through the Southern Border, and the fighting across the Land of Fire was basically over. The Third Hokage's suggestion made sense. Konoha needed a grand celebration to dispel the gloom left by the Nine-Tails Incident.

"I think that's a good idea. Let me handle it," Utatane Koharu volunteered.

The reconstruction was nearly finished, and Utatane Koharu had both earned merit and worked hard. Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed at once.

The celebration was set for the day the army returned.

A full year had passed since the Nine-Tails Incident. The village had been rebuilt atop the ruins, its new buildings more orderly and sturdier than before. The streets had been widened, and the Hokage building had been given a fresh coat of paint, gleaming under the sun...

The ceremony at the Memorial Stone was solemn and dignified.

The Third Hokage personally laid flowers, while Hyuga Akira and Shisui stood at the head of the triumphant army, lined up in formation.

Sakurai Hideko stood on higher ground, her gaze sweeping over one person after another.

Familiar and unfamiliar faces passed by in front of her: Hyuga Akira, Shisui, Uchiha Zongye, Uchiha Zongxin... and Uchiha Setsuna, supported by others, his white hair disheveled.

She counted them one by one, skipping past them one by one.

No.

Still no sign.

Even at the end... the person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen.

She lowered her head, her fingers clutching the hem of her clothes.

"Hideko?" A friend beside her called softly. "You don't look well. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She shook her head and forced a smile. "I've probably just been standing too long. I'm a little tired."

Her friend nodded and asked no more.

After the ceremony ended, the celebration officially began.

Stalls lined both sides of the street. The aroma of grilled dango, the shouts of goldfish vendors, and the laughter of children blended together.

Konoha was celebrating its victory, healing its wounds, and welcoming a new beginning.

Sakurai Hideko walked among the crowd, yet it felt as though an invisible wall separated her from it all.

Without realizing it, she found herself near the village gates.

The old tree was still there.

A year ago, she had stood right here, watching Naoki leave with his squad.

Back then, he'd had a dark look on his face, like a sulky child. He'd turned and strode away resolutely without even looking back.

She had wanted to call out to him, to tell him he'd misunderstood, to explain that she simply hadn't known how to say goodbye. But when the words reached her lips, she couldn't get a single one out.

"Hey?"

A voice came from behind her.

She turned and saw Uchiha Zongxin standing not far away. The boy had several new scars on his face, and both his hands were wrapped in bandages.

"I saw you, and I guessed you were looking for Naoki. Is that right?"

Hideko parted her lips but didn't know what to say.

After a moment of silence, she gathered her courage.

"Naoki... hasn't he come back?"

At the mention of Naoki again, Uchiha Zongxin pressed his lips together and took a deep breath, forcing down his grief before saying slowly, "He was knocked into the sea by Karatachi Yagura. We searched for a long time, but... there's been no sign of him."