Uchiha Kagami sat alone atop the Hokage Monument, gazing absently at the village below.
A rustle sounded behind him. Before he could fully turn, the faint scent of alcohol reached his nostrils.
"Clan Head?" Kagami's surprise carried a hint of guardedness as he furrowed his brows slightly. "Why are you here?"
"Knew I'd find you here, Kagami." Uchiha Hikaku waved weakly, his smile tinged with remorse. "When I drink... I get carried away. Might've said some harsh things earlier. Don't take it to heart."
"I-I'm not that sensitive..." Kagami scratched his neck awkwardly under Hikaku's earnest gaze, suddenly flustered. "I just... just prefer quiet sometimes."
Hikaku approached. When Kagami moved to rise, the clan head pressed him down gently.
"Lord—"
"Don't treat me as elder. We're peers, Kagami."
With a conspiratorial wink, Hikaku settled beside him. "So this is your sanctuary." His gaze swept across moonlit rooftops. "Serenity suits you."
"The clan feast..." Kagami's confusion showed. "Shouldn't you be there?"
"Feasts exist to bind clansmen." Hikaku's eyes grew distant watching distant Uchiha lanterns. "You're clansmen too."
"I..." Kagami's throat tightened unexpectedly.
"Never deserved this position." Hikaku sprawled backward casually. "The previous head... incomparable. My succession was charity."
He stared at constellations. "Flawed leader. Miss clues. But your pain... you can share."
Kagami bit his lip, silence stretching.
"You're lonely."
"!!!"
Kagami's denial came sharp. "Absurd! I've comrades! Mentors! Brothers-in-arms—"
"Brothers?" Hikaku's chuckle held knives. "Years as head taught me every outcast. You're textbook."
"My lord, I never—"
"Stammering again." Hikaku's hand gripped his shoulder. "Your brother... Madara's desertion festers?"
"Betrayal," Kagami whispered.
"Semantics. Does it consume you?"
"Every night." The confession tore free. "That massacre... Had I acted faster—"
"You hold guilt?"
Kagami's fingers dug into rock. "...The blood's on me. Can't face clan or village properly."
Hikaku studied him until constellations shifted. "If I slaughtered Kamihane before you... would peace come?"
"My lord!" Kagami clutched Hikaku's sleeve. "He's Kage-level! Six years' growth—"
"Hypothetical." Hikaku raised calming palms. "Would his death heal you?"
Kagami straightened. "He's family. If execution's inevitable..." Steel entered his voice. "...take my life instead. The original sin was mine—"
Hikaku's lake-calm eyes held decades of sorrow.
"Will you stand with me?" Kagami pressed.
"Support your suicide?" Hikaku exhaled starlight. "Understood."
Disappointment colored Kagami's whisper. "You think me foolish?"
Hikaku rose silently before answering. "Never anticipated... this depth in you."
Kagami lowered his head listlessly. "Do you think my ideas are naive, Clan Head?"
"No."
Contrary to expectations, Hikaku suddenly stood and embraced him, whispering softly, "You've suffered greatly these years."
Kagami's mind went completely blank. While he remained stunned, Hikaku patted his buttocks and stood up, laughing awkwardly, "Ah, got a bit too sentimental there. The night grows colder... You should return early. Tomorrow's banquet is the main event..."
Watching him leave, Kagami gazed at the still-bustling Konoha village, an unconscious smile tugging at his lips.
After opening his heart, that vast, lonely feeling spanning heaven and earth had actually diminished considerably...
...
The next day, the evening banquet commenced as scheduled.
Inside the Hokage Building.
The dining hall was already packed. Burgundy ceilings, flower-adorned walls, and luxurious carpets shimmered under lights that flowed with hues between fresh blood and roses.
The long table overflowed with people and activity. Sumptuous dishes were arrayed in neat splendor, their rich aromas and steaming heat filling the air. Not only the Kage from the other four great villages, but their personal guards had also been invited to the table.
"First, I sincerely thank everyone for attending Tsunade's hundred-day celebration. If the Five Great Nations could always maintain this..."
Hashirama Senju, wearing pristine white robes, sat at the head seat. As he spoke, genuine emotion overwhelmed him, tears streaming down his face.
Tobirama, seated second, silently covered his face and whispered sternly, "Brother! You're the strongest Hokage! There's no need for this!"
"But..." Hashirama turned teary eyes toward his brother, "I'm just so moved..."
"Haha, Lord Hashirama remains as emotionally unrestrained as ever," the Raikage said gruffly around a chicken leg.
The Kazekage chimed in, "Truly, time spares no one. Six years have passed - we've all aged somewhat. Take Mist and Rock for example. The guards who attended the Five Kage Summit back then have now become Kage themselves. Yet Lord Hokage remains youthful."
"Hmph, you flatter me, Kazekage," Hōzuki Gengetsu stroked his thin mustache, eyes narrowing mockingly. "How could Lord Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, be compared to Stone Village's aging rocks?"
"Before insulting others, you should examine yourself. Foolish people always end up cursing themselves without realizing it," retorted Second Tsuchikage Mu from across the table, his voice muffled.
"Fool? Look at your appearance - neither human nor ghost! How dare you criticize others?" Gengetsu spread his hands and sneered, "But I can't blame you. After all, your Stone Village is full of rejects. Do any of you look like proper humans?"
He casually pointed, "Hey, that short-stack over there! If you don't climb onto the table, I can barely see you!"
Behind Mu, Ōnoki stood like an attendant, glaring venomously at the Mist contingent as his hands formed a seal.
"Calm yourself, Ōnoki. We needn't lower ourselves to a jackass's level," Mu said, glancing at his disciple.
"Bandage-wrapped freak! Insult me once more and I'll bury you myself!" Gengetsu slammed upright, killing intent pouring forth.
"Enough!"
Tobirama rapped the table sharply. "On this joyous occasion, neither my brother nor I wish to see bloodshed. Moreover..." He drew out the pause, forcing all ears to focus, "...you'd do well to remember..."
His crimson eyes swept across the gathering. "Uchiha Madara... still lives."