Before the festivities

Hashirama had promised Ichiro that he could come to them with a commission whenever trouble arose, but in reality, Ichiro's village would not be making requests all that often. They did see Konoha Shinobi Village as a place that could help them, but Kazemori Masaki and the others had left them with the impression of soldiers. Asking Konoha Ninja to drive off bandits was one thing; asking them to weed the village or plow the fields was something they simply did not have the courage to do.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were also a little worried that Ichiro might come asking for that sort of help. They were ninja, not farmers who worked the land. How could they do such things?

Kazemori Masaki did not think it was a big deal. In fact, the Genin of Konoha Shinobi Village would probably all be doing farmwork like that in the future. For civilian ninja who had no clan land and lacked strength, those would be the only missions available. But at least for now, they did not need to undertake tasks that ran counter to a ninja's traditional duties.

Although going out on missions could give them more experience, the country was still relatively stable, and there were not that many missions available for Kazemori Masaki and the others. They therefore spent most of their days training.

The only time Kazemori Masaki could truly relax and enjoy himself was when he returned home and spent time with his wife, Satomi. However, Satomi was not the sort of woman who would simply stay home and tend to her husband. She was eager to improve her strength, so she asked Kazemori Masaki to train with her whenever he had time.

Though it was more tiring than sitting down together for a chat, Kazemori Masaki found a different sort of pleasure in it and did not refuse. Watching Satomi train was a delight in itself.

Even when she was not training, Satomi captivated Kazemori Masaki as his wife. She did not simply go along with everything he said. They occasionally bickered, and she always spoke her mind. Kazemori Masaki loved that straightforward nature of hers, and they enjoyed a very happy marriage.

Satomi also enjoyed living with Kazemori Masaki. Her only regret was that she had yet to conceive a child. Of course, this was not due to any physical problem, but rather Kazemori Masaki's demanding training schedule. He often came home looking exhausted, and Satomi could hardly pester him at such times. And so the matter had been put off until now.

Although Kazemori Masaki very much wanted a child to carry on his bloodline, he knew that his most pressing concern was facing the First Shinobi World War. He therefore devoted almost all his time to training, spending only the necessary time with Satomi to satisfy his emotional and physical needs.

Kazemori Masaki also knew that his training left Satomi troubled over the matter of children, but there was little he could do. He could only make it up to his wife in other ways. Once the First Shinobi World War ended, he could raise their children with Satomi without worry. After all, the shinobi world would enjoy a full twenty years of peace after that. If he handled things carefully, he might even be able to make that peace last longer.

As it happened, Satomi's birthday was approaching. Kazemori Masaki made a special request of a merchant who had come to Konoha Ninja Village to sell his wares, asking him to purchase some beautiful clothes and accessories that young women liked in the Capital.

Konoha Shinobi Village was not yet as prosperous as it would become. Shops such as Ichiraku Ramen and Yakiniku Q did not exist yet. Its current residents were all ninja clans and a few artisans who made ninja tools, and Kazemori Masaki always found life there rather dull.

In Kazemori Masaki's other life, the explosion of information had brought all kinds of entertainment before the public. He felt that a single day's worth of information there exceeded what he encountered in several years in Konoha Ninja Village. Frankly, in terms of entertainment alone, that world was more interesting than the present Konoha Ninja Village by an immeasurable margin.

Perhaps precisely because life in Konoha Shinobi Village was so dull, some merchants in the country had spotted a business opportunity. Although ingrained perceptions of ninja meant that few dared to come and do business, some still came.

However, these merchants did not achieve much growth in Konoha Shinobi Village. Ninja had different needs from ordinary people, which limited what the merchants could sell. Commerce would probably only truly flourish later, when Konoha Shinobi Village became less of a military organization and more of a small society.

Kazemori Masaki had gone to considerable lengths to buy birthday presents from the Capital. He had even secretly asked Hashirama for help to scrape together enough money. The merchant came through as well, bringing him items that were very popular in the Capital and assuring him that his wife would love them.

Just as the merchant had said, when Kazemori Masaki gave Satomi the clothes and accessories as birthday presents, he could clearly see the sparkle in her eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief. Though she was a ninja, Satomi was still a woman, and every woman was sure to love looking beautiful.

To thank Kazemori Masaki for his gifts, Satomi insisted that he take a break from training, and they spent three leisurely days together. During that time, Satomi also tried on the gifts he had given her. He had to admit that, with her natural beauty, she looked stunning in them.

After learning of this, Hashirama laughed and said to Tobirama, "Masaki certainly put the money he borrowed from me to good use. How did we never notice his talent for charming girls before?"

"Who knows?" Tobirama said. "Before I started teaching him, I had no idea he had such a clever side either. All I can say is that we didn't really know the boy very well before."

"Mm, but what Masaki did was rather interesting. We could try following some of the customs in the Capital ourselves," Hashirama said, struck by a sudden idea.

"Brother, I don't think that's a very good idea." Tobirama frowned slightly. In his view, such activities would affect the ninja's mindset and gradually lead them away from what ninja ought to be.

"I think it sounds fun. Doing it once in a while shouldn't hurt, should it? It's been ten years since the village was founded. We ought to celebrate," Hashirama said.

Tobirama stared at Hashirama for a while, then sighed helplessly. "We can give it a try, but it must be a proper occasion. Don't bring over any of that ostentatious nonsense from the capital."

"All right." Hashirama smiled. "It'll have to go through you anyway. If there's anything you don't like, I'll cancel it outright. No arguments."

Tobirama sighed again. With his temperament, he truly disliked festivities and celebrations of this sort. But Hashirama was so eager, and the village's anniversary did deserve to be commemorated, so he could only agree. He hoped it would not leave the villagers curious about the lavish, ostentatious things in the Capital.

When Hashirama announced that Konoha Shinobi Village would hold a celebration, the entire village was both curious and excited. As ninja, they had never enjoyed anything like this before. Now that they could finally experience it, how could they not look forward to it?

Although some clan elders disapproved, they could only tacitly accept it when they saw how eagerly the younger members were anticipating it. Preparations for the celebration immediately began throughout the village. Even Kazemori Masaki had no idea that his request for someone to buy gifts in the Capital had inspired Hashirama to do this.

As Hashirama watched the village bustle with activity, he felt deeply heartened. At that moment, he could not help thinking of Madara Uchiha, who had left the village two years earlier, and wondering how he was doing.

After Madara Uchiha left the village, Hashirama had sent people to search for him, but there had been no word of him at all. It was as though he had vanished into thin air. Hashirama knew that if someone as skilled as Madara Uchiha did not want to be found, finding him would be practically impossible. He had given up, but now he truly wished Madara Uchiha could see this scene.

Whether Hashirama's wish somehow reached Madara Uchiha or not, three days before the celebration, a figure slowly appeared outside Konoha Ninja Village—Red armor, black hair, a massive Gunbai on his back, and a scythe in his hand. That appearance belonged to only one man.

Madara Uchiha, the man who had abruptly left the village, had returned at this moment. Madara gazed at the village he had named. His stern face betrayed no emotion, and no one knew what he was thinking deep down.

(End of chapter)