Afternoons in Konoha, in the Fire District, always carried a sticky heat.
Cicadas shrieked from the old banyan tree on the street corner. Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, scattering dazzling patches across the bluestone paving.
Two middle-aged men tugged at each other at the entrance to an alley, much to the amusement of the dumpling vendor.
"Big brother, didn't you order Maya to look for him? Why drag me along to search too?"
The white-haired, red-eyed man looked irritated and uncomfortable. "You dumped the affairs of an entire empire on the Sarutobi and the others, while you spend every day lazing around.
"Oh, come on. The work never ends." Tetsuhiro kept his grip on the other man's arm. "How long has it been since we strolled around the village like this? We might as well take this chance to talk."
"Spare me. If you want to reminisce, go find your wife." Tobirama tried to pull away, casting Hashirama a contemptuous glance.
"Ever since you and that woman... your wife has had plenty to say behind your back."
He simply couldn't understand how his brother had gotten involved with Kaguya. Wasn't he afraid the Sage of Six Paths would leap out of the Pure Land and chase him down with the Six Paths Staff?
"Uh..." Hashirama's smile froze for half a second before he immediately adopted a serious expression. "You don't understand. As they say, you have to start when they're young. Searching in person shows our sincerity, too. If we really find him, it'll put his family more at ease."
"Speaking of which, big brother, aren't you worried about angering the Sage of Six Paths and making an enemy of him?" Tobirama refused to let it go.
"What nonsense." Hashirama spat on the ground. "That venerable old man is