14th February, 58 AE
Rain poured from the sky onto the thousand people who had gathered in the Uzumaki Cemetery to attend the funeral of the War Hero of the Third Shinobi War, Uzumaki Kazuma, The Red Storm.
The late Lord Uzumaki was one of the most beloved people of the village, and at the age of fifty-two, he succumbed to the injuries he had suffered over six months ago, trying to save the Uchiha Clan from being wiped out at the hands of Uchiha Itachi, who had teamed up with a mysterious masked man to kill his entire clan.
His widow was carrying their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter in her arms, and she was holding the hand of a four-year-old boy, Uzumaki Arashi, who was inconsolably crying.
By Arashi's side was his older sister, Karin, who was vacantly staring at her father's grave, and next to her, holding her hand, was the new Head of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Kushina, whose eyes were filled with sadness.
On her right side was the new Heir of the Clan, Uzumaki Enma, who had his head lowered.
All the survivors of the Uchiha Massacre, led by their new Clan Head, Uchiha Hazuki, were present to pay their respects to their saviour.
The heads of all the Shinobi Clans of Konoha were present with their wives and children, and classmates of Enma and Karin were also present in the gathering.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was attending the funeral as well, and by his side was the young Uzumaki Naruto, who was crying his eyes out just as much as little Arashi.
He had lost someone who had always been kind to him, helped him buy things from those who refused to sell him the essentials, always made sure that he had everything he needed, and listened to him every week as he took him out for a meal. To the blond Uzumaki, Kazuma was the father he never had, and just the mere idea of never being able to see his kind Ojii-san again made him choke on his tears.
Once the thirteen minutes of silence passed, the families stepped forward one by one to offer their condolences to the Uzumaki family.
Finally, the Hokage stepped forward, and under everyone's eyes, he returned Kushina's greeting with a bow of his own.
It was the ultimate show of respect from the Head of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Naruto looked at his two friends, and not knowing what to say to them, he just stayed silent.
The Hokage then led him away and followed Uzumaki Kushina to the side, away from everyone else.
"Anko will wake up tomorrow, Hokage-sama. The seal your former student planted on her could not be removed as her life is now linked to it, and I need to study it for some time. However, his connection to the Cursed Mark has already been severed by me. She is perfectly fine now. Her life is in no danger and nor will she lose her mind."
"I see. Thank you for your hard work, Kushina-san."
"You're welcome, Hokage-sama."
"Will you be attending tomorrow's Council Meeting?"
"Yes, I will be there." She nodded her head and then smiled at Naruto before gently combing the boy's hair with her fingers. "Don't cry. My brother hated seeing kids crying."
Naruto sniffled at her words and immediately wiped his tears away, but failed to hold back the fresh ones.
Even though he wanted to stay by the side of his friends, the Hokage was holding his hand, and he gently led him away after his conversation with the Lady of the Uzumaki Clan ended.
"Can I not stay with Enma and Karin, Jiji?" he asked the old man, who sighed at his words.
"They are grieving, Naruto-kun. Give them some space for now. Some wounds are only healed by time, not by words or the presence of close friends around you."
Naruto did not really understand those words and was just sad that he could not be with his friends.
He looked around, and he saw Ino and Sakura being led away by their parents. Shizuka was being led away by her grandfather as well. Shino too was following his parents out of the Uzumaki Forest. And it was the same for Kiba who was leaving together with his mother and sister.
Perhaps, the Hokage was right and it was not suitable for him to stay by Enma and Karin's side right now.
Back at the cemetery, once everyone else left, the Uzumaki and Uchiha stayed for another half an hour, observing silence, and soaking in the rain.
Enma was the first one to walk away, and instead of going to the compound, he rushed towards the training field in the forest.
Seeing him leave, Karin immediately rushed after him, and Sasuke too could not stand still.
There was something that the Uchiha wanted to say to his friend, but he was not sure what he wanted to say.
The two found Enma lying on top of a stone bench, under the pouring rain, and there was a gold coin spinning on the tip of his nose.
They knew that this was how he liked meditating.
"Nii-san..."
"Was Father wearing a smile when he passed away, Karin?"
The question froze both of them, and their hearts ached as they were reminded that he could not see.
"Yes," Karin wiped her tears and nodded her head.
"Go, be with Kaa-san. Don't leave her and Arashi alone."
"Nii-san..."
"Go."
Karin could never disobey him, and she quickly ran away, back to her mother's side.
Sasuke stayed by his place, watching Enma soak in the rain.
Seeing him like this, he could not help but remember the death of his own parents once again, and he remembered who had killed them.
Usually, rage would bubble up in his heart at the image of Itachi, but right now, it was shame and sadness. The blood traitor had not just killed their parents, but also Enma and Karin's father...
"I am sorry..." he whispered, and flinched when Enma's voice entered his ears.
"What are you sorry for?"
"Itachi... he..."
"Never be sorry for the actions of someone else, Sasuke. You are not responsible for what your brother did to your clan, to your parents, and to anyone else. He is responsible for his own actions."
"I will make him pay..." he vowed.
Enma remained silent at his words for a good minute, and when he spoke again, Sasuke froze at his question.
"At what cost?"
"At any cost..." he answered after a short while but was cut off.
"You are silly."
The Uchiha frowned at his words.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I have said. You are silly, Sasuke."
"Shut up."
Enma shook his head.
"You are silly, Sasuke. You wish to ruin yourself. That's something only a silly person would do." He sadly whispered.
Sasuke could no longer stand his words and rushed back towards the compound. Even though he did not want to be mad at his friend, he was angry now because he felt insulted.
"Silly Little Brother..." Itachi's words echoed in his mind, the memory of the night surfaced again, and tears poured out his eyes uncontrollably.
Enma did not understand how he felt.
How could he just give up?
Itachi killed everyone... and he only spared him because he was too weak and pathetic. He had spared him because he was "silly".
He would not rest until he had avenged the blood of his parents and the clan. He could not rest until Itachi lived. What if he came back and killed Enma, Karin, Akane...
No, his friend did not understand what kind of a danger Itachi was.
Sasuke wiped his tears when he reached the compound, and then silently walked into his new room.
Back in the forest, Enma was lying on the bench, and if tears could come out of his eyes, they would have flowed like a river.
There was so much pain in his heart that it suffocated him. He could not even see his father's face as he laid him into the grave.
Now, he would never see him again.
In his mind, all the memories and words of his father flashed, and he stayed lying on the bench long after the rain stopped as the sky turned dark.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence appearing over his head, and then the coin that he was spinning on the tip of his nose with his Chakra Control was snatched away.
"Give it back."
"No." Her gentle voice entered his ears, and he became even more upset at her.
"Go back, Kushina."
"Kushina?" She grinned at him. "Oh my dear Enma, have you forgotten your manners?"
"Yes."
"Why are you so grumpy?"
"I am not grumpy."
"Yes, you are."
"I want to be left alone right now, Kushina. Please, go back."
"Why?" She gently asked him, and he clenched his fists tightly.
"Leave me be with my father's memories, please."
Her heart ached at his words and she lowered her head, feeling a pang of guilt for disturbing him.
However, she did not leave and just silently stood next to the bench.
Eventually, she could not bear the silence between the two of them and spoke again.
"I never knew my parents, Enma. They were killed when I was only two years old. I don't even remember their faces, and I have no memories of them. The only parents I knew were Onii-sama and Akiko-nee. You and your siblings are not the only ones who lost their father today..."
"And yet you are fine and feeling okay."
"You don't know how I am feeling."
"I do."
Kushina sighed at his words and then raised her head to stare at the stars.
"You only had to live through one day of pain, and you are acting all up. I watched my Akiko-nee die, and for the last eight years, I knew that Onii-sama was going to die. He had already told me about it. So, you have no right to claim that you understand how I feel. I have shed enough tears on my brother's death in all these years, and now, all I am left with are these responsibilities, and a grumpy little kid whom I hate just as much as I love."
"Heh... so you finally admit that you hate me."
"I never denied it. I have always hated you. You killed my Akiko-nee."
"I did not kill my mother."
"Yes, you did."
"Shut up..."
"Hurts, doesn't it?" She mocked him. "So, think twice before you decide to throw another accusation at me again." She coldly said and grabbed him by his collar, and before he could react, she had already teleported with him inside the compound.
She threw him on the wooden floor of his room and then left him alone.
"You can grieve all you want after taking a bath and your meal. Don't leave the compound or I will punish you."
"I hate you."
"The feeling is mutual, my dearest Enma-kun." She smirked and closed the door behind her, and instantly, her smile ceased and her eyes became vacant.
Kushina walked down the empty hallway and stopped at the door of her brother's room... No, it was just Himari's room now.
She knocked once on it before she entered, and found Himari stroking Karin's head, who was resting it in her lap.
Little Arashi, tired and sad, had fallen asleep, and the eighteen-month-old Hiyori did not even realise that she had lost her father today.
Now, they were all her responsibility, and she had to keep them all safe. She had to keep the promises she had made to her Onii-sama. And she had to keep the promises that her Onii-sama had made to them as well...