The Konoha celebration proceeded as scheduled.
Aside from the Hyuga Clan, who did not attend, the entire village participated in the festivities.
Konoha's many ninjas looked at the delegation from the Hidden Cloud Village with proud and confident gazes. After all, this treaty was secured through Konoha's overwhelming victory. To put it bluntly, the Cloud Village had been forced to yield under pressure, it was nothing less than a surrender.
Wearing the Hokage's ceremonial cloak and hat, Fifth Hokage Kaede made an appearance, surrounded by his Hokage Guard and others such as Yuhi Kurenai, as he walked a circuit through the celebration.
Wherever he passed,
Whether it was the gathering of the Uchiha Clan, the areas designated for other clans, or even the common civilian shinobi, all eyes turned to him with deep respect and awe.
But even more prevalent were the countless young women cheering and waving, their sparkling eyes filled with excitement as they tried to capture his attention.
"How has the Raikage been doing lately?"
Halfway through his walk, under the gaze of countless onlookers, Kaede stopped in front of the Cloud delegation, looked at the head envoy, and asked with a faint, friendly smile.
Despite his warm tone and lack of any intimidating aura, the sheer presence behind that smile caused every member of the Cloud delegation to feel a wave of pressure.
The Fifth Hokage,
A man now revered as a God of the Shinobi, just like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!
"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama. Raikage-sama has been in excellent health," the Cloud envoy replied with a respectful bow.
Kaede gave him a quick glance and chuckled softly. "The last time I saw him, neither of us were Hokage yet. I heard after that battle, he was eager for a rematch and had been training diligently ever since. But it seems we won't be having that rematch after all."
The Cloud envoy's expression froze. He didn't know how to respond.
Kaede didn't mind. He smiled casually, as if merely making small talk, and added, "I hope you all enjoy your time here in Konoha."
With that, he turned and walked off into the distance.
The Cloud envoy wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his brow, swallowed hard, and after exchanging glances with the others, finally sat back down.
From the moment they arrived in Konoha, to the moment they laid eyes on Kaede, the legendary Fifth Hokage, the only thing they had felt was pressure.
This was not the Konoha that had once suffered the betrayal of Orochimaru, the death of the Fourth Hokage, and the decline into a shadow of its former glory.
This was the Konoha that, under Kaede's rule, had never lost a single battle since the Third Great Ninja War. It had forced Iwa, Kiri, Kumo, and Suna, all four of the great ninja villages, to surrender and negotiate peace.
In the past two years, the smaller nations and minor shinobi villages had also been steadily conquered and absorbed. Every Konoha shinobi could feel it:
Before us,
There are no foes.
Such confidence and pride weren't things they had to force. They were simply etched into their faces, an aura born of true strength.
Many of the Cloud delegates wore grim expressions.
At that moment, one of them leaned close to their leader and whispered, "Captain, I haven't seen anyone from the Hyuga Clan. I don't think they came to the celebration."
"Really?"
The envoy looked around, surprised, and indeed saw no one with the Hyuga's distinctive white eyes.
He narrowed his eyes, thoughts racing.
The Hyuga didn't attend? This was a celebration the entire village participated in, even the Uchiha were here… Could it be that they were being ostracized by the village?
It was possible.
Konoha had grown so powerful that even clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha were becoming too influential. Maybe the village had started suppressing them.
If that were the case… there might be an opportunity here.
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The celebration continued until dusk.
Kaede had made a public appearance earlier in the day, smiling and greeting the major clans and the civilian shinobi. But not long afterward, he quietly left the event.
The reason was simple: once the celebration was in full swing, the streets became crowded and chaotic. He could feel countless passionate gazes fixed on him.
If he didn't leave soon…
He was beginning to worry about his personal safety.
Of course, with his ability to rewind time, no one could really take advantage of him. But as the Fifth Hokage, he couldn't very well allow himself to lose his composure.
Dinner was already prepared when he got home. But just as he was about to dig in, Yuhi Kurenai appeared, wearing only a thin robe. With a subtle smile on her delicate face, she sat beside him and handed him a glass of red wine.
Kaede tilted his head and said, "Minors aren't allowed to drink."
Kurenai picked up her own small glass and leaned in slightly. "But today we're celebrating the end of the war and the arrival of peace… breaking the rules just this once should be fine, right?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaede glanced toward Kurenai's room.
Through the crack in the door, a pair of excited eyes were peeking out, clearly belonging to Anko Mitarashi.
You two…
Kaede sighed helplessly. "Alright. Just for today."
Kurenai smiled softly, raised her glass, and took a small sip. Then, with a seemingly accidental flick of her finger, a splash of wine spilled onto her chest, soaking her robe.
"Oh no…"
She lowered her glass in mock dismay.
Kaede's gaze naturally followed.
At that exact moment, the door to the living room swung open. Rin walked in, took in the scene, paused for a moment, and then gave a sweet smile as her eyes narrowed.
"What are you two doing? You know minors aren't allowed to drink."
Smack.
Anko, still hiding in Kurenai's room, slapped her forehead and collapsed backward. Why'd she have to come back now, of all times?
Kurenai blinked at the unexpected intrusion but didn't panic. She just gave a calm smile and said, "It's a day of celebration. Just this once should be fine, right?"
"But drinking at your age really isn't good," Rin said with a smile. "Why don't I grab us some juice instead?"
Kurenai tilted her head. "You're back so soon? Everything settled with the Cloud delegation?"
"I asked Kakashi to handle it," Rin said with a cheerful grin.
Their eyes met in midair, and for a brief moment, sparks seemed to fly.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria