Forever Presence of the Shadows…
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D/C: I own nothing.
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Hiruzen rubbed his forehead in frustration, it's the anniversary of when the Nine-Tails had run rampant over the village and costing so many lives to contain it. It was decided to do a Memorial, to remember all those that had fallen that day and to hopefully reignite the Will of Fire within everyone in the village. To bring in a new era of peace into the minds of everyone.
Well, that was the intention. The only thing people are feeling right now are angst, hatred and so much killing intent towards their supposed hero. Many are not even considering that the Fourth had died to save them all and they won't even honor his last wish.
Which reminds the Hokage…
Hiruzen looked through his mail to see that one of his former students had send him a scroll via a summons. He had put away the scroll to read later, right now is a good time to read it. After making sure his office is secured and empty except for himself before he opened the scroll to see the latest update.
What was written in the scroll made Hiruzen him drop his smoking pipe and his mind to go blank. Of course, Minato did this… of course Jiraiya hadn't told him or Shikaku of the change. He had assumed the Fourth had informed the appropriate people of the change before leaving the village to continue with his spy network.
Shikaku sure as hell does not know this information. He would have used, abused and right down dangle it in front of the council's faces for his own advantage. That only made the Hokage grumble, the Nara is already doing that as it is, and this will only emphasize his side on everything.
For now, Hiruzen will maintain the information under file and key until the Toad Sage return in one month's time. At least Naruto is in safe hands right now.
-.-
"Is the kitchen set, Shikaku?"
"Yes, dear."
"The backyard?"
"Yes."
"Front yard?"
"Of course."
"Are you sure you bought the right streamers?"
"White and green."
"I thought I told you to also buy orange streamers. Heaven knows how much he loves that color."
"…Er…All they had was this kill-me orange one…"
"Next time, make sure you get the right hue."
"Yes, dear."
Yoshino huffed, glaring at her husband who weakly held up said streamer. The color is revolting, but her son loves that dreadful color. It was always have been blues, greens, blacks, browns and grays. Then… it was an accident. Yoshino had brought her boys out to buy clothing, they are growing babies, and babies grow. Shikamaru didn't care what he is put into, he did show some interest for green and gray. Naruto is picky with what he wears, preferring to wear blue or even the occasional red. Then that day, Naruto was wide awake and kept grabbing onto everything in his reach that he found interesting. One time he had managed to grabbed hold of hat that looked like an orange, it had a green stem along with a leaf.
It was cute.
There was even one of a green apple too for Shikamaru. She got both the hats, (the owner of the shop was one of the few shops that did not show any sort of hostility) and went on her way. Since then, Naruto had a huge fascination with the color, along with swirls.
Now it's orange this, orange that. For a, now, one year old, Naruto is very communicative when he wants something or to make his point. For his first birthday, orange will be the primary color used for the event. Now if she could get the now one year old to stop smacking his brother with an orange.
"What time does the Memorial start again?"
"Nightfall, there's also going to be a festival. Small one, but a festival nevertheless."
"…Should we go?"
"We have to make an appearance…"
"But?"
"It could go one or two ways. We are left alone or-"
"We get verbally or physically attacked by mourners." Yoshino faced scrunched up, she shook her head to get rid of her negativity. After her husband had told her about Naruto's apparent ability to sense negative emotions. She put on a smile and went towards the boy's room to retrieve Naruto and Shikamaru's outfits for the party. "Once you string up the streamers, get ready. We should be expecting our guest within the next hour."
"Yes dear."
-.-
It has been one year since the Nine-Tailed Fox had attacked Konoha. One year of rebuilding the village, burying and mourning the dead, trying to make sense of what had happened a year ago. Realization hit many on how much had changed in their lives within that year, so many reminders of their loss are at every corner. Good days and bad days are too few and too many.
For those that had seen before through their work, this drove many to be lost in their work, losing their lives for allowing grief to overtake them or move forward. Death is a common friend and foe, they simply saw this as a reason to get stronger and to ensure it never happens again.
Right now, everyone allowed their masks to fall to fully mourn the lives that were taken from them. Everyone worked together to set up the festival that was to occur that night and decorating the graves of those that had fallen.
"Do you think it will make an appearance?"
"Shh! Do you want someone hear you?"
"Hn. Whatever. Like I care, everyone feels the same way. So, do you."
"I've been doing some thinking…"
"Don't tell me you feel some sort of sympathy for the demon?"
"Baby. First off, that demon is a baby that just so happen to contain a demon within himself."
"How can you say that? That thing killed your entire family? He killed our Hokage!"
"The Fourth wished him to be a hero, not as a container. What do you think I've been doing the past year? Seething and thinking of revenge? No. For your information, my son was found a few days after the attack… with a broken arm and ankle… but okay! Jezz… He became my focus…"
"…I thought… I apologize…"
"Don't apologize to me! Just…Just keep working. I need to meditate."
-.-
"Father is running security of the festival and Mother fell ill." Itachi Uchiha responded to Yoshino on the whereabouts of his parents. He had his brother tied around him with a navy colored blanket. Standing next to him are two friends of his which his parents made him bring along to the birthday party. Izumi and Shisui Uchiha. Itachi's father had assigned Shisui to go with his sons to the party and Shisui invited Izumi when they found her wondering around the Compound, acting all despondent. (The oldest Uchiha is taking inner enjoyment at making jabs at Itachi for his lady friend.) "I hope you don't mind some extra company."
"No, no, come in. We just started." Yoshino signaled for them to come inside into her home. "Make yourself at home, we are just about to start."
"Izumi-chan!" A voice called from within the home.
Izumi looked around Yoshino to see her friend, Hana, already in mid-celebration. Her expression lightened up at the sight of her friend. "Hana-chan!"
"Aww…Looks like she left you for another…" Shisui nudged Itachi with his elbow.
Itachi shot his cousin a glare before he entered the Nara's residence. He felt nervous entering the home, many Heads are at the party with their children. The only ones that were not there were the Hyuga's and Aburame's. The Head's brought along their children, all possible future heads of their respective heads. The children, babies, were playing in the middle with random toys.
-.-
Hearing his father repeat the same story folklore for what seemed like the hundredth time, is making him rather sleepy. He wonders if he could just nap or he should act fussy to go play with his brother and friends… then again. Naruto is currently having a stare off with Sasuke, ehh… getting in-between those two would be troublesome. Hopefully they'll be cake… something.
Why does his father keep reading him the story?
A nap seems like a good idea.
He already memorized the story, nothing is going to happen to the main character after this one part. Once he takes a nap, he'll wake up to a different scene and hopefully to an empty and quiet house.
-.-
The Third Hokage walked around the festival that had just began. Despite it was a time of mourning, it is also a time to move forward and show how brightly the Will of Fire burns within everyone. To not allow all the sacrifices that happened that night to not be in vain, to live in their memories. It seemed his speech lifted the spirits of many, but he could feel that many prefer to continue in their own period of mourning.
Which is completely understandable.
Hiruzen lost his own wife that day, in private, he mourns in his own way and at times never properly mourned her. He has to set an example for the village, he must not look weak during this time and must put his own personal loss away to secure the village. With a mental shake of his head, the Hokage had to not show his grief now.
For now, the Third needed to get to the Nara Compound. He has the scroll that Jiraiya had sent him in his person and needed to discuss the contents with Shikaku.
To be continued…
R/R.