Chapter 15, Mourning Parents’ Death, Heart-Wrenching Act
Notes:
Byakugan, literally meaning White Eye, is one of the three great visual jutsu, the others being Sharingan and Rinnegan.
Two days later, the frontline combatants returned. The first thing they did was bury those who died. Under Sarutobi Hiruzen’s leadership, the Uchiha clan members accounted for one-third of the dead in the war with Kiri.
The remaining casualties comprised various support and a large number of cannon fodder shinobi. The bodies of the fallen were covered with white cloth and placed on the turf.
Their relatives came to bid their final farewells.
“Father, don’t go!”
“Brother, Brother…”
“Rest in peace. I’ll take good care of your wife.”
…
Heart-rending cries rang out all around. Tonan tied a white cloth around his forehead and knelt in front of Kotoura and Nanako’s remains, a dim expression on his face.
The key to a crying scene was not the tears, but convincing others that you were suffering in agonizing grief.
Howling and mourning wouldn’t make you stand out. Sadness must be presented with calmness, and then complemented by contrasting expressions at the right moments.
Tonan placed the cups he prepared in front of Kotoura and Nanako’s bodies. Sake and tea were poured into the cups respectively. The tea was brewed strong, and the sake he chose was the most fragrant kind.
In an instant, the aroma of the sake and tea filled the air, drawing people’s attention. “Father dear, you had a sharp tongue, but I knew you had a soft heart. You never spoke a single kind word to me, but I knew you gave up a lot for my sake.”
Tonan looked at the remains of his parents, and as happy memories passed through his eyes, he said in a calm voice, “I was so nervous on the shinobi entrance exam day. You had a cold face and told me I was worthless. You told me not to disgrace you and the clan. But I knew that you were more nervous than me, your palms were covered in sweat.”
“The sun was so strong that day. I was taking the exam in the classroom but you stood outside waiting for me the whole time. When I told you I’d passed, all you said was ‘not bad’. But you drank three jars of sake that night when you would usually drink just one cup. You said that ninja must stay sober at all times, but you got drunk that day.”
“My grades were always bad, and you would reprimand me every day. But you would also lead me by the hand to teach me how to refine chakra and throw kunai. Work was already hard on you, but you still stayed up late with me.”
“You told me that ninja improve strength in danger, so you were just setting an example for a worthless son like me. You gave up your secure position in the police force and chose to fight on the frontlines. You said that you would teach me the Phoenix Sage Fire technique if my skills weren’t the worst by the time you returned.”
Speaking up to this point, a stiff smile spread across Tonan’s face as he said senselessly.
“Now, not only have I unlocked the three tomoe, but I also secretly learned the Phoenix Sage Fire technique, so that I could surprise you when you returned.”
By this point, Tonan’s voice became hoarse. He was holding back his grief, yet he kept smiling on the surface. Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. Wiping it off, he stood up and began forming hand seals.
The people around him shifted their gaze towards him. His hands moved so fast, it only left afterimages behind, and he quickly finished the last seal.
“Fire Style – Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.”
A loud and hoarse shout followed. Several fire serpents shot out from Tonan’s mouth towards the sky, colliding together. The commotion diverted people’s attention to him.
After the Phoenix Sage Fire technique was completed, Tonan’s hands weakly fell to his side, and he spoke with a dejected expression, “I won’t ever get to hear you call me trash again, so let me have my first and final drink with you.
Tonan raised his head and downed the bottle of sake. Tears and liquor streaks met at his chin before flowing down his neck, soaking his shirt. Those who came to mourn were moved. Even those who were crying their hearts out earlier felt their loss was nothing compared to Tonan’s.
Uchiha Fugaku was standing among the mourners. At this moment, he too was also looking at Tonan. He said, “To think the clan actually produced such a genius and even one that cherished his family so much. He should’ve received the clan’s nurture and care, but his heart went with the Hokage instead.”
The more Fugaku spoke, the worse his expression became. He was unhappy with the senior clan members’ behavior.
The Great Elder beside him watched Tonan’s performance with a deep gaze and whispered, “Don’t let his looks throw dust in your eyes. This boy’s abilities are far above ordinary men’s. If he can be nurtured, he can lead Uchiha back to the war days’ glory.”
Fugaku looked at the Great Elder with surprise. He moved his gaze back at Tonan, observing the boy more carefully this time. He said with doubt, “But when I’d just returned, I heard some clan members talk about him. They mentioned he…”
The Great Elder smiled and patted Fugaku’s shoulder. He said, “Don’t mind what they say, Fugaku. You’ll see for yourself in the future.”
Fugaku nodded. He chose to believe the highly revered Great Elder’s words. The Elder always had a good eye for people.
Tonan’s performance was not over yet. After all, both his parents had died, he couldn’t generously pour his emotions only to his father. It was his mother’s turn now.
“Dear Mother, you’ve always…”
Kakashi and Sakumo stood a short distance away, watching Tonan quietly.
“Kakashi, Tonan is a trustworthy companion. You should cherish this bond.”
“I understand,” Kakashi answered curtly, pretending to not care, but his eyes that were looking at Tonan showed his worry.
‘Ding! Achieved Hatake Kakashi’s acknowledgment.’
Tonan, who was deep in his act, suddenly jerked. Kakashi? He had a long life, but his strength in the later stages was only so-so. He wasn’t a good target. What was he even worth?
Tonan shook his head inwardly. To him, Kakashi was no different from bland food. But he had no idea when he might obtain Sakumo’s recognition.
There were only a dozen or so people where the Hyuga clan’s fallen members were placed. Hyuga Chiryo was kneeling in front of a body, her eyes lost in thought.
Since she was far from the center, she hadn’t seen Tonan’s act. Her father was a scout shinobi who died on the battlefield at the very beginning of the war. But till now, no one informed her.
Chiryo’s father, a special genin, wasn’t very talented. The Hyuga clan would not send their elite to a war of this small scale. Instead, they would toss out the cannon fodder like her father to serve as scouts.
“The strong ones from the main house enjoy a comfortable life, while the weak in the branch houses are sent to die. Why protect such a dirty clan?”
Chiryo muttered with her head down. Reaching through the long bangs covering her forehead, she gently touched the caged bird mark. A frenzied glint emerged in her eyes, bereft of any of her former pity and tenderness.
In the next moment, blue veins bulged on her face. She had awakened her Byakugan but no one noticed this because the view was blocked.
After the burial, all the ninja who participated in the war and the relatives of the fallen came to the memorial. Hiruzen, dressed in his Hokage cloak, began his condolence speech.
“Where leaves flutter, embers keep on burning…”
Everyone had long become sick of this speech, but for their status’ sake, they could only bow their heads in silence. Halfway through the speech, Hiruzen suddenly switched to a new subject.
“Three Hokage have existed in Konoha since its founding. The Will of Fire has also changed according to the changing times. To sum it up, the core idea of the Will of Fire remains the same, but the focus for each era evolves.”
“I’ve summarized the focus of these three eras. The focus of the first generation Will of Fire was unity…”
Tonan, who was standing at the back behind the Uchiha clan, watched Hiruzen with excitement and admiration as the man spoke eloquently on the stage.
The contents of Hiruzen’s speech came from Tonan’s diary. Not only were the main points copied, but even the minor details were plagiarized. Even so, the people gradually became absorbed in his speech.
