The moonlight was clear.
The roses in the courtyard filled the night air with a rich fragrance.
Autumn was drawing to a close.
Red leaves fell onto snow-white roses and blades of grass that were about to wither.
The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures had grown.
At night, frost would settle on the plants' leaves.
By early morning, the scenery looked as though a thin layer of snow had accumulated.
It was already late autumn. In a few more days, the courtyard would become a strange blend of greenery and winter snow.
The frigid air sank down to the ground.
Yanbai sat at the edge of the narrow veranda.
Madara Uchiha sat beside Yanbai, dressed in black robes and leaning against a pillar. His eyes shone as he watched Yanbai, and just as he brought his wine-filled cup to his lips, he suddenly spoke.
"Yanbai, the biology you had Tobirama Senju and me study before was factual, wasn't it?"
Yanbai nodded. "Yes."
"I remember there was a cell theory in there. Cells are the basic structural and functional units of living organisms," Madara Uchiha said casually.
Yanbai furrowed his brow.
That morning, they had fought fiercely in the kitchen, but Madara Uchiha had grinned brightly even as he took a beating, leaving Yanbai utterly speechless.
They had even frightened the two children.
Muye and Silver Moon had said they had plans that evening and would not be coming home for dinner.
So tonight, Yanbai and Madara Uchiha were drinking together again.
Ignoring Yanbai's faintly disdainful look, Madara Uchiha smiled. "Cells undergo division, differentiation, and death. Large numbers of dead cells are replaced by new ones, and there's a limit to how many times cells can divide. That's why people age, moving toward death one step at a time."
Yanbai