With that, Tatsu Uchiha opened the door, and Fū Uchiha took Tsukina Fujiwara's hand and slowly walked out, smiling at the clansmen watching them.
"Thank you all for coming to my wedding! I... I..." Fū Uchiha suddenly stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what to say next.
Kyō Uchiha nearby, spoke on his behalf, "I am delighted and happy that everyone has come. Thank you all for visiting."
Fū Uchiha glanced gratefully at Kyō Uchiha, then began talking to all the clansmen who had gathered around him.
"Feng! You really got married? I thought you were joking."
"Feng! I thought you were going to stay single your whole life. I almost thought you were really going to live a lonely life forever!"
"Today's a happy day, Feng, shouldn't you join us for a drink? If you ask me, let's just drink until we drop!"
Listening to the sounds outside the door and seeing Fū Uchiha and Tsukina Fujiwara holding hands, Tatsu Uchiha sat quietly in the empty room, a calm smile on his face.
Seeing the new Grand Elder get married, he was reminded of himself through Fū Uchiha.
He used to be just like Fū Uchiha, single-mindedly devoted to his clan, with absolutely no interest in romance.
But then a girl forcefully barged into his supposedly solitary life, inserting her own into his world.
That girl was Tatsu Uchiha's wife. Tatsu Uchiha still remembers that girl's smiling face. Looking at Fū Uchiha's shy and awkward appearance for the first time, he seemed to see himself in her.
In the empty room, he involuntarily drifted into memories.
"Chen! Over here!" A smiling black-haired girl stood in the sunlight, waving at Tatsu Uchiha.
Tatsu Uchiha, who was only 15 years old, tilted his head and pouted, saying, "You can go by yourself, why did you have to call me?"
The girl put her hands behind her back, tilted her head, and slowly walked to Tatsu Uchiha's side, saying with a smile, "But if we go by ourselves, someone might be unhappy, right?"
Tatsu Uchiha turned his head away. "How could that be... no way."
"Really? You're blushing!" the girl exclaimed. Tatsu Uchiha blushed even more. "No, I'm not!"
The girl looked at Tatsu Uchiha with bright eyes and suddenly asked, "Tatsumi, what does it feel like to be married?"
Tatsu Uchiha frowned. "Marriage? I don't think I've ever experienced it myself, how would I know?"
"Really? You really don't want to get married? Don't you want to experience what it's like to be married? That joyful and lively atmosphere!" The girl said with a look of longing.
Looking into the girl's eyes, which were filled with anticipation for a beautiful wedding, Tatsu Uchiha took a deep breath and said, "Would you like to experience a wedding with me?"
Upon hearing this, the girl seemed taken aback, pausing for a moment before exclaiming with delight, "What did you say? You want to get married with me? That's wonderful! Of course I would!"
"Then it's settled. I'll give you a truly spectacular wedding, with all the clansmen attending!" Tatsu Uchiha clenched his fist, looking at the girl with a serious expression.
The girl chuckled, "Really? That's difficult. I don't crave a grand wedding; I just want to be with you in a simple, ordinary way."
At that time, the boy and girl made their promise under the sun.
But fate is unpredictable, and this beautiful dream ultimately remained just that—a dream. As the war intensified, this beautiful fantasy was completely shattered.
"Just being together... peacefully... would be enough." The girl, covered in blood, lay in Tatsu Uchiha's arms, her once bright pupils now dimmed.
Tatsu Uchiha, who was holding him, was trembling all over and crying his eyes out, "You can't die! I promised you, I'd give you a wedding! I'll become the Grand Elder and then give you a grand wedding!"
Upon hearing this, the girl's lips twitched, as if she wanted to laugh, but she had lost too much blood and didn't even have the strength to laugh.
"Fool... I... have always wanted nothing more than... a simple... life together." The girl looked at Tatsu Uchiha with dim eyes.
Tears streamed down the girl's blood-stained face. Tatsu Uchiha's tears flowed like a broken string of pearls, unstoppable. "No, you can't die! I'll find someone to save you! You'll survive!"
"Don't... cry, crying... makes you look ugly," the girl mustered her last strength to force a smile, "From now on... live well..." Then, the girl breathed her last in Tatsu Uchiha's arms.
Feeling the movement in his arms, Tatsu Uchiha hugged her even tighter. Tears streamed down his face like a burst dam, and his eyes, which originally had one One-Tomoe and Two-Tomoe, slowly turned into Mitsudomoe with each tear.
After transforming into Mitsudomoe, the Tomoe didn't stop their progress; they even tried to merge together to form a new pattern. However, they were abruptly stopped at their maximum speed before slowly coming to a halt.
"I hope we can be together forever!" The voice from outside the door snapped Tatsu Uchiha out of his reverie.
It's Fū Uchiha. It turns out they've reached the final stage of their wedding, where they'll be praying and exchanging vows in the presence of their gods, ancestors, and clan head.
With a solemn expression, Fū Uchiha took Tsukina Fujiwara's hand, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. "I hope that no matter what happens in the future, no matter what comes our way, we can always be together."
Tatsu Uchiha remained seated, not moving. If the girl hadn't died... could he have had such a spectacle when he became the Grand Elder?
He once told the young woman that he would become the Grand Elder and give her a grand wedding. Now, he has indeed become the Grand Elder, but the person who made that vow with him under the sun is gone forever.
The wedding has finally reached its final stage. All the blessings have been given, and it's time for the couple to remove their masks and put an end to everything.
Just as Hō Uchiha reached behind his head to remove his mask, Tatsu Uchiha suddenly shouted, "Wait a minute, I haven't given my blessing yet!"
The clansmen all turned to look back, Tatsu Uchiha was striding towards them, his steps no longer showing the aged gait of before.
Uchiha Takashi nodded. "As the former Grand Elder, how could we possibly leave out his blessings?"
He slowly stood in front of Fū Uchiha and said, word by word, "I wish you both could always be together in peace and safety! Never to be separated!"
Fū Uchiha's expression behind the mask froze for a moment. He had never seen Tatsu Uchiha so serious before, as if this were something extremely important.
It wasn't until Uchiha Takashi reminded Fū Uchiha that he removed his mask and thanked Tatsu Uchiha, saying, "Thank you for your blessing, senpai!"
Tatsu Uchiha slowly curled the corners of his lips into a smile, "No need to thank me. You two must always stay together. I'd be happy to see my juniors happy!"