"Sasuke's gone crazy?"
Sen lay in his rocking chair.
The teacup in his hand wobbled, spilling a few drops of pale yellow tea onto the back of his hand. They stung with heat.
He didn't rush to wipe them off.
He simply slammed the cup down on the little wooden table beside him.
"Crazy how?"
"Did he streak through the streets in broad daylight? Or run to the Hokage Building to confess his love to Auntie Tsunade?"
Below, Naruto stamped his feet in agitation, his wooden sandals clacking against the concrete.
"No, nothing like that!"
Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.
"This morning, he acted like he was possessed! He locked himself in his room and refused to come out!"
"Sakura knocked on his door, and he burned it down with Fire Release! He even shouted that Konoha was too boring and he was going to find greater power!"
Sen rolled his eyes.
That terminally delusional teenager had probably been pushed over the edge by his repeated displays of Wood Release over the past two days.
"Let him be."
Sen yawned and settled back into his chair.
"He's a rebellious teenager. Let him smash a few pots and pans at home. Once he's blown off some steam, he'll settle down."
And yet.
Peace in the Shinobi World always burst faster than a soap bubble.
While Konoha was still embroiled in endless arguments over the petty details of reconstruction.
In a bank of morning mist outside the village.
Two uninvited visitors appeared without a sound.
Two tall figures.
They wore black cloaks patterned with red clouds and straw hats hung with bells.
The large bells chimed softly in the wind, ding-dong, ding-dong.
On that fog-shrouded morning, the sound was especially grating.
Itachi Uchiha.
Kisame Hoshigaki.
"So this is your