Toward evening, Konoha's delegation returned from the talks.
The people of Konoha had set out full of joy, but returned with faces full of dejection and loss.
Although they had gained even more from this trip than expected, Konoha had lost Hashirama Senju.
He was the man whose efforts had brought Konoha into being, its greatest contributor and strongest fighter.
What's more, Hashirama Senju had always been kind, and his relationships with everyone had been almost absurdly good.
His passing made everyone feel that the talks had cost them far too much. They couldn't even force a smile.
Tobirama Senju was in no mood to rally their spirits either, letting the dispirited delegation return to Konoha.
"What's going on?"
"Did the talks fail?"
"Huh? Why don't I see Lord Hashirama?"
Passersby murmured among themselves, peering eagerly into the delegation.
"Dismissed."
At Tobirama Senju's command, the delegation slowly dispersed.
He had already told them on the way back what they should and shouldn't say.
So he felt comfortable dismissing them now and letting everyone go home to rest.
"Hey, hey, what's going on? How did the talks turn out?"
"Why does everyone look so miserable? And where's Lord Hashirama? Why haven't we seen him?"
People who knew them immediately crowded around, hoping to get firsthand information, but those surrounded said only one thing.
"The talks succeeded, but Lord Hashirama was attacked during the meeting and died of his injuries..."
"What?!"
"Who attacked Lord Hashirama?"
"But Lord Hashirama was so strong! How could that happen?"
The onlookers erupted in outrage. Hashirama Senju enjoyed great prestige among ordinary people. Despite being Hokage, he put on no airs at all, and whenever he had free time, he would go among the villagers and mingle with them.
(Free time = dumping his official duties on Tobirama Senju.)
His Wood Release was perfect for construction, making him Konoha's best contractor. He worked on the front lines of Konoha's construction efforts every day, and would even fix a leaking roof for someone.
So generous and tolerant, so considerate of ordinary people-who wouldn't feel fond of a leader like that?
So when they learned that Hashirama Senju had died fighting a powerful enemy, they left with grief-stricken faces and heavy hearts, passing the news on to those who hadn't heard.
Watanabe Ichiro walked slowly behind Tobirama Senju.
He saw people turn deathly pale upon hearing of Hashirama Senju's passing, their faces filled with disbelief.
He saw people cover their faces and weep, murmuring that good people died young.
He saw people grab the witnesses from the delegation and question them over and over, refusing to believe that Hashirama Senju had died in battle.
The feeling was a little strange.
Those heartfelt words, those faces wet with genuine tears, those people grieving Hashirama Senju's death...
It makes this feel like a real world.
The thought suddenly flashed through Watanabe Ichiro's mind, and his steps faltered.
Real?
Haven't I been treating this place as reality?
What mindset have I been living with all this time?
Was it...
Playing a game? Yes, playing a game.
Ever since Watanabe Ichiro had crossed over into this world and gained the system as his cheat, he had lived as though he were playing a game.
That was why he usually kept such a low profile, maintaining only the bare minimum of contact with important figures. He had no interest at all in interacting with people who couldn't earn him points.
One could say that if not for farming affection to exchange for points, he might not have wanted to see anyone at all.
It was like playing a massive online game. As long as someone had no exclamation mark above their head and wasn't involved in a quest, who cared how an NPC lived?
Whether some villain had occupied the kingdom, a princess had been abducted, or someone had been poisoned and needed an antidote...
No matter how urgent the situation or how painful the story, to a player, it was no more appealing than some glowing piece of junk or material on the ground.
That was the state Watanabe Ichiro had been in.
But now...
"Is Uncle Hashirama never coming to see me again?"
Beside him, a child who didn't understand what death meant looked up at his parents with innocent eyes.
"But he won my spinning top, and I haven't had a chance to win it back yet!"
"And, and he promised he'd bring me candy next time. Is he staying away because he wants to keep my candy?"
"Then I don't want it anymore. Will he come play with me again?"
Watanabe Ichiro stopped walking.
At that child's voice, so quiet yet sharp as a knife.
He felt as though some invisible film that had always clung to him had been torn open.
The sounds around him went from muffled to distinct, and the world before his eyes grew clear, as though washed clean.
One by one, the "faceless" villager NPCs before him began to shed their roles as background scenery.
Tobirama Senju, who turned to look back when he stopped, also stepped out from behind the words [Important NPC], becoming vivid and alive.
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing."
Watanabe Ichiro raised his eyes to answer. His black eyes, with the Sharingan inactive, reflected the lingering sunset, taking on a warm glow.
He lifted his head and relaxed his shoulders, as though he had set something down.
A breeze brushed past. Two white-haired figures stood facing each other, wrapped in the sunset's afterglow and surrounded by soft, mournful sobs.
One older, one younger, they looked at each other in silence.
Indifferent to human feelings, the sun quietly set.
The last gleam faded from the horizon.
But Tobirama Senju noticed that the faint light in Watanabe Ichiro's eyes hadn't faded.
What's brought this on all of a sudden?
Tobirama Senju muttered inwardly.
Watanabe Ichiro didn't seem any different on the outside, but Tobirama Senju could sense that he had suddenly gained a little... human warmth.
The boy was young, yet he always carried an old man's sense of detachment and isolation from the world.
Whether trapped in desperate danger with his resources exhausted or holding enough strength to overwhelm everyone, he remained as unruffled as a spectator.
Wherever he was placed, he seemed out of step with his surroundings, like two things drawn in different art styles put together.
Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju had tried all sorts of methods, including throwing him into the Ninja Academy and keeping him by their side as a Hokage guard.
But none of it had done much good. The boy would simply lean against a wall off to the side, barely making his presence felt.
But now...
Watanabe Ichiro stopped meeting his gaze and continued forward on his own, gradually passing Tobirama Senju.
The boy was starting to fit into Konoha.
Tobirama Senju watched Watanabe Ichiro walk with light steps along the increasingly dark street.
Night fell, and the residents around them switched on their lights.
Amid the lights of ten thousand homes, Watanabe Ichiro turned back.
"Teacher, come on. Let's go home."
Tobirama Senju couldn't quite stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.
He didn't know how the boy had come around, but this was enough.
Uchiha Ichiro, my finest student, this is how you should live.
Brimming with life!
Shining brilliantly!
Before you continue