He saw Mrs. Keiko standing in the crowd, her eyes red.
He saw Samui and Mabui standing on the roof. The two girls stood side by side with bright smiles on their faces and waved to him.
He saw Killer B standing on the roadside, holding his eight-stringed harp and shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Yo--Fourth Raikage! Shaoyu brother! Today is a good day! Bi also wants to sing a song!"
He saw Third Raikage standing at the door of Raikage Building. The old man with white hair had a relieved smile on his face and nodded towards him.
Shaoyu withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
His steps were still unhurried and slow, and every step was steady and powerful.
Behind him is Shisui, with a proud expression on the young man's face, and the pair of Mangekyō Sharingan shines with dark red light in the sun.
Behind him is Lianhuo, the elite Uchiha who usually handles family affairs. At this moment, he is wearing a brand new combat uniform, with his waist straight.
Behind him is Uchiha Setsuna, the old man who has endured humiliation for decades in Konoha. At this moment, there are tears on his face and his lips are trembling slightly.
Behind them are hundreds of Uchiha people who have moved from Konoha. They are wearing brand new clothes and have unprecedented pride and satisfaction on their faces.
They walked through the streets of Kumogakure, past those brand-new houses, past those bustling shops, and past those eaves with Kumogakure flags hanging on them.
They have passed through one era and entered another.
At the door of Raikage Building, Third Raikage stood there.
The old man's waist is still straight, but his eyes that once shone with thunder and lightning are now a little cloudy.
His hair is a little grayer, and his face has many more wrinkles than it did a few years ago.
But his momentum is still there. The momentum that has gone through hundreds of battles and killed decisively stands there like a mountain, which no one dares to despise.
"Coming?" Third Raikage asked, his voice hoarse and calm.
"Here we come." Shaoyu replied, his voice equally calm.
Third Raikage looked at him for a long time.
He looked at this young man who defected from Konoha a few years ago, looked at this man who had grown from a rebel ninja to the strongest person in Kumogakure within five years, looked at this man who had grown up in In the troubled times when Third Kazekage disappeared, Iwagakure was defeated, and Konoha surrendered, he was the one who single-handedly pushed Kumogakure to the top of Shinobi World.
Then he laughed.
There was relief, joy, and a hint of indescribable emotion in that smile.
He was older, and he couldn't help but feel emotional as he watched Shaoyu become Fourth Raikage and take on this important task.
But he believed in Shaoyu, and he knew that Kumogakure in the hands of Shaoyu would definitely present a completely different Kumogakure in his hands.
"Let's go." he said.
He turned around and walked up the steps of Raikage Building.
Shaoyu follows.
The steps are very long, extending from the ground to the top of the building, a total of ninety-nine steps.
Each level is covered with a red carpet, and on both sides of the red carpet stand Kumogakure and Anbu, wearing uniforms and masks, and the daggers at their waists shine coldly in the sun.
Third Raikage walked in front, walking slowly but firmly.
Shaoyu walked behind, with equally firm steps.
They walked through one step after another, one Anbu after another, and one red carpet after another.
On the top of the building is a wide platform, paved with bluestone slabs, with flags of Kumogakure standing around it. There is a stone platform in the center of the platform, and a white robe is placed on the stone platform.
That robe is an inheritance from all generations Raikage, and is said to have a history of hundreds of years.
The coat of arms of Kumogakure is embroidered on it, and the collar and cuffs are trimmed with gold, which shines in the sun.
Third Raikage walked to the stone platform, stopped and turned around.
He looked at Shaoyu and spoke slowly.
"Uchiha Shaoyu."
His voice was not loud, but it echoed on the platform, as clear as a bell.
"A few years ago, you defected from Konoha and came to Kumogakure. At that time, I asked you why you came. You said, you want to become stronger. You want to change the fate of Uchiha. You want everyone to know that Uchiha is not only Sharingan, but also has a heart that is unwilling to be inferior to others."
Shaoyu stood there, listening.
"So many years." Third Raikage continued.
"You did it. You became stronger than anyone else. You changed the fate of Uchiha. You let everyone know what the name Uchiha Shaoyu means."
He reached out and picked up the white robe on the stone platform.
The movement was very slow and solemn, as if completing a ritual that had lasted for hundreds of years.
"From today on, you are Fourth Raikage."
He said, his voice hoarse but firm, "From today on, you will bear the honor and disgrace of Kumogakure. You will create the future of Kumogakure."
He handed the robe to Shaoyu.
Shaoyu took it and acted equally solemnly.
The fabric of the robe is very light, but it feels heavy in your hand.
That's the weight of responsibility.
That's the weight of trust.
That's the weight of the entire Kumogakure.
Shaoyu Put the robe over your shoulders, tie the belt, and adjust the collar.
Still handsome.
But it gives people a sense of stability and makes people feel convinced.
Then he turned around and faced the dense crowd below the platform.
The cheers came again, louder, more enthusiastic, and more deafening than before.
"Fourth Raikage!"
"Shaoyu-sama!"
"Kumogakure! Kumogakure! Kumogakure!"
The sound collided back and forth on the rock wall of Cloud Hidden Mountain, rumbling like thunder.
Shaoyu stood on the edge of the platform, the wind blew the corners of his white robe and his black hair tied back.
His eyes swept across the faces of those people and saw countless faces, countless pairs of eyes, and countless expressions.
There are old people, children, men, women, ninjas, civilians, Uchiha, Kumogakure, some who moved from Konoha, and some who have lived here for generations.
They are all Kumogakure people.
They are all people he wants to protect.
Shaoyu withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance.
In the distance are the rolling mountains, the vast sea of clouds, and the endless sky.
There are Konoha, there are Iwagakure, there are Sunagakure, there are Kirigakure.
There are enemies, there are friends, there are allies, and there are rivals.
There are countless people looking at here, looking at Kumogakure, looking at him.
"From today on." Shaoyu said softly, his voice was blown away by the wind, and only he could hear it.
"I am Fourth Raikage."
The wind blew across the platform, blowing the white robe and the flag embroidered with auspicious clouds and thunder.
The flag rustled in the wind, like an ancient war song.
Kakuzu stood at the corner of the platform, looking at the white figure, and was silent for a long time.
Then he took out the 100 million tael note from his pocket, took a look at it, and carefully stuffed it back.
"Okay." He said to himself, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.