The meeting

At some point, a light rain had begun to fall.

The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had stopped moving.

Every Grass Ninja at the scene had been wiped out. Not one survived.

But the man who had been like an older brother to them was dead, never to return.

Rain fell on Nagato's and Konan's faces.

They knelt before Yahiko's body, a picture of grief.

In the end.

They left, taking Yahiko's body back to their homeland.

Konoha.

Kazan walked out of the Forest of Death.

"Hurry up, Kazan!"

Kurenai pulled him along.

With the fighting over in every region, the troops at the front gradually returned to the village.

Their old classmates had all returned to Konoha as well.

Having lived through the war, they had learned to cherish what they had. Today, they had all agreed to celebrate together.

To celebrate surviving the Third Shinobi World War.

Kazan and Kurenai arrived rather late. Kakashi, Obito, Gekko Hayate, Asuma, and the others were already waiting.

The students from their graduating class at the Ninja Academy filled the dining room of a barbecue restaurant.

Kazan sat at the same table as Kakashi and Obito.

Kurenai and Rin Nohara cheerfully grilled the meat.

Fat sizzled on the grill, and the aroma drifted out into the street.

While they waited, Kakashi suddenly brought up Hiruzen Sarutobi's impending retirement.

"The village should be choosing the Fourth Hokage soon, right?"

Kazan glanced at Kakashi, who was looking at him too.

"What? Excited that your teacher's about to become Hokage?"

"I wouldn't waste my time thinking about something that silly." Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Besides, nothing's settled yet. Lord Orochimaru might still be the one who becomes Hokage."

"It only looks undecided on the surface."

"Do you know something, Kazan?"

Deep down, Obito