Chapter 9

What would you do if you ran into your sworn enemy on the street?

Senju Saki wanted to cry. He really wanted to cry.

He'd gone on a trip for the first time in half a year. He'd heard that the Spring Festival in Muyun City, Land of Lightning, was famous, so he'd decided to stop by and see it. And somehow, he'd run into someone from the Uchiha Clan again! That face looked seventy percent like Uchiha Madara's—ahhh! Was that his younger brother?!

Last time, at least, they hadn't interacted much. But this time... he'd taken the last skewer of candied fruit, leaving Uchiha Madara's little brother with none to eat. Waaaah...

Could he still offer it to him now?

Uchiha Izuna immediately revealed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and went on guard. Amid the colorful lights crisscrossing the busy street, his red eyes didn't cause a stir. The two of them stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at each other. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought it was love at first sight, and that they were gazing into each other's eyes with deep affection until the end of time...

A tall figure in dark teal emerged from the night. "What's wrong?"

Senju Saki's face turned even paler. Damn it! Wasn't this Boss supposed to be a homebody? Why had he run into him again?!

"Big brother, there's someone from the Senju Clan."

Madara gave him a once-over. "Anyone who comes is a guest. Don't turn away someone eager to give us money." Then he added meaningfully, "Especially if his surname is Senju."

Any Uchiha would be delighted to fleece the Senju. As a side note, the Uchiha happily accepted thirty percent of Muyun City's annual taxes without asking for anything in return.

Smack! A direct hit! Senju Saki's eyes widened. He nearly clutched his chest, staggered backward, and fell—he, he was that sharp-tongued! So much for being gentle and elegant! It had all been fake! Right?!

At his words, Uchiha Izuna immediately put away his Sharingan and lowered his head, obediently eating his dango.

"Let's go. Don't waste time on someone irrelevant. The fireworks show at Water Cloud Plaza is about to start."

The two brothers walked away at an unhurried pace, leaving Senju Saki alone to wallow in misery and draw circles on the ground.

"Hey, isn't that Saki?"

Senju Saki lifted his haggard face. "Ah, Lord Tobirama... Lord Tobirama?!"

The white-haired young man looked surprised. "Why are you squatting there? Does your stomach hurt?"

No, it was his heart—his heart hurt, Lord!

"What brings you here?"

Tobirama asked, puzzled, "Why can't I come?"

Lord, this is the Land of Lightning, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Lightning! Say it with me three times! What are you trying to pull by coming to the Uchiha Clan's home turf?!

Why was he still alive in this unreasonable world? Waaaah...

"Come on in, make yourself at home..." Senju Saki said weakly. "Did Lord Hashirama come too?"

"Ah, he's too busy." He had to sort out relations with the Hyuga Clan, the Uzumaki Clan, and the Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, and other clans... Senju Hashirama was destined to have no free time for a while. "I'd heard how lively Muyun City was at night, but I'd never had the chance to see it. I finally got to come today! Too bad my big brother couldn't join me."

Not too bad at all! Not even a little! If the two Uchiha brothers, the clan head and his younger brother, ran into the two Senju brothers, the clan head and his younger brother, would the Spring Festival turn into a battlefield? Senju Saki decided it was better not to think about it.

"Uchiha Madara and his younger brother are here too." After a moment's thought, Senju Saki decided to tell him.

Tobirama's expression grew serious. "Are you sure?"

"...I've already run into them."

"..."

Lord Tobirama! Why were you looking at him like you were wondering why he wasn't dead yet?!

Senju Saki's mouth twitched. If Lord Hashirama had come too, they might have stood a chance. But even if Saki counted as a fighter, Uchiha Madara could probably take him out in one move. Then Senju Tobirama would be facing two opponents alone... "Lord, you'd better be careful."

"Haha, it's fine, it's fine!" Tobirama scratched the back of his head, suddenly relaxing. "I've come all this way. How could I give up halfway? I haven't seen the famous fireworks show here yet! Besides, if you're still alive, what do I have to worry about?"

Senju Saki was instantly depressed. I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I'm still alive...

Waaaah~~~ Lord Hashirama! I want to go home!

At the center of Water Cloud Plaza was a circular pool more than twenty meters in radius. Coins of every kind were scattered across its one-meter-deep bottom. Delicate little peach blossom lanterns floated on the smooth, mirrorlike surface, their soft pink lights twinkling beneath a sky full of stars. People by the pool kept setting their handmade floating lanterns onto the water, sending gentle ripples drifting outward.

At the center was a three-meter-wide platform shaped like a peach blossom, carved from stone resembling white marble. It rested quietly in the middle of the water like a floating island. At that moment, it was piled high with unlit fireworks.

"Come on, come on! To the left! A little farther left~ Please, little lantern~" A girl in a pale yellow kimono watched anxiously as her cherry blossom lantern drifted across the pool.

"Mieko, did it touch?"

"Not yet..." The girl sighed.

According to legend, people should set lanterns afloat on Cloudwater Pool on the night of the Spring Festival. If your lantern touched the peach blossom island in the center, you had to hurry and make a wish! Muyun City was one of the safest places in the whole continent, so its people had plenty of leisure to come up with romantic ideas.

"Oh, it's fine. There's another way!" The girl in the green kimono pulled out two glittering coins. "Ta-daa! What do you think? You can make a wish by tossing coins into the pool too~"

"That's great, Noriko!"

"Ehehe, Mieko, what did you wish for?"

"N-nothing!"

"Was it Matsumoto? Was it, was it? Come on, tell me!"

"Well... they say wishes won't come true if you tell anyone!" The girl's cheeks flushed.

"But we're the very best of friends!"

"Mm... all right, I'll tell you." The girl gave in and whispered it to her.

The girl called Noriko exclaimed, "Ah! You really—"

The other girl lowered her head and murmured, "Mm."

"But Matsumoto is a shinobi," Noriko said quietly. "You're my best friend, and I want you to be happy."

The girl lowered her head and spoke softly. "I know. But I love him, and he loves me. Whatever happens in the future, life is short. Being with the person you love is the greatest happiness of all. I'll... wait for him, always."

"Don't worry! He'll come back safe and sound!" Noriko clenched her fist. "And then I'll beat him up for you! Hmph, that awful man. So what if he's a shinobi? How could he leave sweet Mieko waiting all alone just for some stupid mission? He didn't even come back for the Spring Festival! Unforgivable!—How's that?"

The girl burst out laughing.

"Look! The fireworks show is starting!"

The shinobi in charge of the fuses vanished one after another, then landed on the platform with graceful leaps and twists. The crowd erupted in astonished cheers and applause, while women shrieked with excitement.

"Those are jōnin..." Tobirama murmured.

Shinobi from other lands, who had come to the plaza from all over, clutched their twitching faces.

Jōnin were important combat assets everywhere. And Muyun City... no, the Uchiha... had actually let jōnin openly take part in an entertainment event like this. It made them feel like they were nothing but circus performers!

The jōnin wore radiant smiles. One of them, who looked very Uchiha, raised a hand and unleashed a Fire Release technique. A huge phoenix-shaped flame lit up the pool... and another wave of rapturous cheers erupted.

An Uchiha in the crowd rubbed his eyes. "Isn't that your grandson, Miae?"

"Ah, that little rascal! He told me he was out on a mission!"

"Hehehe! Young people sure are full of energy!"

"Everyone—sorry to keep you waiting! The moment we've all been waiting for is almost here!" Uchiha Miae copied the gesture of the clan head he admired, raising a hand to silence the crowd. Then he snapped his fingers with a stylish flourish. "I'll skip the chatter! Now, count down with me!"

"Ten—!"

"Nine—!" The crowd seemed to snap out of it and shouted along.

"Eight—!" The cheers grew louder with each count.

"So noisy..." Senju Saki muttered, rubbing his ears, but he couldn't hide his smile. The joyful atmosphere had infected everyone.

"Three—!"

"Two—!!"

"One—!!!" The final count was met with a thunderous cheer as a crimson streak shot into the sky.

Whoosh—BANG!

The streak burst open, blazing with light. A gunbai grew larger in the sky as magnificent fireworks illuminated the dark blue heavens, heralding the start of the grand celebration.

"Good evening! Good evening! Good evening!"

"Wishing you happiness!" "You too!"

"Be happy, all right?"

"I wish all the girls in town would grow more and more beautiful! And the boys... hmm! Strong like me, hahaha!"

"Miss Takako, I like you!"

"Matsumoto~ Please come back safe and sound!"

Grand fireworks, like falling stars and rain, poured across the sky. The streets thronged with people, who shared their well-wishes without distinction.

Tobirama gazed at the joyous scene, his feelings complicated. "This is probably the peace and harmony my big brother wanted." People lived peaceful, harmonious lives, and there was no great divide or hostility between ordinary people and shinobi.

Uchiha Madara...

On a nearby slope.

"On this night, the east wind scatters a thousand blossoms, and blows down stars like rain..." The lines from a poem buried deep in his memories flowed from his lips. He raised his hand toward the sky, but his palm held nothing.

He'd been in this world for more than twenty years. His distant past life had finally faded into nothingness—something he could see, but never touch...

"The fireworks were amazing!... Big brother?"

Madara lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. "Would you like to try some 'wontons,' Izuna?"

"Didn't you come up with that snack, big brother? It's spread all the way out here?"

Madara smiled without answering and led his younger brother down the slope,

Searching for him a thousand times in the crowd, I turned at last—and there he was, in the dimmest part of the lantern-lit night.

As if by chance, Madara turned his head and lifted his eyes, meeting from afar a pair of black eyes filled with emotion at the sight of this peaceful, prosperous world.