I hate graveyards. Even if the weather is perfect, with not a cloud in the sky and the sun warming up, the leaves of the trees rustling quietly and the birds trying to out-sing each other. Visiting the Konoha Public Cemetery always brings back memories of my past visits here, and with it, those who were put in the ground and taken to their final resting place.
Nevertheless, I couldn't not show up, so now I stood in the strict black clan robes and waited with the rest of the shinobi and kunoichi for the ceremony to end. Hishi Hyuga was a tough old man, but he helped me a lot, and I had a good relationship with him, despite the occasional arguments and scolding when I disagreed with him.
Many other iryonins from the hospital came to say goodbye to their colleague, under whom some of them had worked almost all their lives, but there were only a little more than a dozen of them, headed by the head of the clan. I didn't see any elders, which was strange - they were burying shinobi of the clan's elite and the only iryonin of the first degree.
Whatever his relationship with the top Hyuga, but with the total number of byakugan wielders, a dozen was nothing. Recently, a middle-aged shinobi and a distant acquaintance of mine from the main branch had been buried, and more than two hundred people from the clan had come to the funeral.
Sarutobi was also absent from the funeral, though it seemed he was supposed to be present at this kind of farewell to the elite of the village. Hishi had done him a disservice, but as they say, "death will take care of everything" and he shouldn't stoop to such pettiness.
I don't know what kind of disagreements the old man had in his clan, but he had given the main hospital of Konoha his best years, building the iryonin service almost from the very formation of the village and had saved the lives of a huge number of people directly or indirectly, not to mention respect for personal strength.
Not saying goodbye to that kind of shinobi in person would certainly not add points to Hiruzen in the eyes of the gathered crowd.
And yes, in addition to Hyuga and nearly a hundred iryonins, the cemetery was attended by members of ALL of Konoha's clans and even more ordinary shinobi and kunoichi, approaching half a thousand people.
- Too bad for the old man," Shenesu sighed, "he could have lived and lived, with his experience.
As soon as he heard from me about the funeral of old man Hishi Hyuga, he put aside all business on the appointed day and went to the cemetery with me and two dozen other Nara. The allied clans were also present, because, well, who hasn't been hospitalized once?
And for all the cult of strength, shinobi also respect such old men, because only the very tenacious, strong, and lucky get to live to a ripe old age or die of old age. Or disabled and unfit for military service, but that's not the case.
- Hishi-san's life's work was taken away from him and he was forcibly retired with the clan's full consent, with no living family," I shrugged, "so he burned out so quickly, even though he could have beaten Hiruzen, despite his age, not to mention the others. What other result could be expected?
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