Stars sparkled across the night sky, scattered through the pitch-black darkness, keeping the ancient night from falling into utter stillness.
A bright full moon hung high at the very top of the sky, its cool light making the surroundings seem less desolate than usual.
Beneath the pale moonlight, a winding river rippled and shimmered, curving like a slender river of stars as it reflected the moonbeams.
"Whoosh..."
A gentle breeze drifted by, making the branches on both sides of the river sway softly like spirits in the night, brimming with life.
Just then, beneath the moonlight, a young figure lay reclining on the slope along the riverbank.
Though he wore the formal kimono that signified him as the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku paid it no mind. He simply lay on the grass, feeling the fine blades gently brush against him.
Sometimes, when a breeze passed over him, a look of comfort crossed his face, making him seem like an innocent boy.
Most of the time, though, he simply gazed at the shimmering river with calm eyes. A glimmer would occasionally flash in them, but no one knew what was on his mind.
Just as he was immersed in an atmosphere of comfort he might never experience again...
A faint rustling along the road above the riverbank instantly caught his attention.
"Rustle..."
He sprang upright and turned to look. His clear black-and-white eyes instantly transformed into a blood-red Three-Tomoe Sharingan, his gaze turning cold as he stared toward the sound.
"Sorry. I was so exhausted that I disturbed you without meaning to. I really am sorry."
An apologetic voice drifted softly from the grass above the riverbank.
What met Fugaku's eyes was a grimy figure, his body hunched slightly with fatigue.
Yet beneath the silvery moonlight, the newcomer's blond