Hikaru scratched his head awkwardly as he glanced at Chiri, who stood to the side, cheeks puffed up in anger.
He knew exactly why she was upset.
They had agreed to attend the Ninja Academy's graduation ceremony together today. But on a whim, he had completely forgotten.
Anyone would be angry about being stood up like that.
Hikaru walked over and gently patted Chiri on the shoulder, apologizing sincerely.
"Sorry, Chiri. Something really did come up today. I didn't mean to keep you waiting so long."
At his words, Chiri turned her head slightly. Her curled-up lips still showed her displeasure.
Those eyes—once prone to blushing shyly at the slightest glance—now shimmered with tsundere brilliance.
Looking at her, Hikaru couldn't help but sigh inwardly: As expected of an Uchiha—tsundere suits her best.
He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his voice tinged with fondness.
"Alright, alright, don't be mad. We're here now, aren't we? Let's go watch the ceremony together."
His movements were smooth and natural, like he'd done it a hundred times before.
However, Chiri reacted like he'd pressed some sort of switch. She jumped back a step, knocking his hand away.
Her cheeks flushed red, though her voice remained stubborn:
"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time—but next time, it won't be that easy!"
Seeing her reaction, Hikaru's smile only grew.
He could tell Chiri had already forgiven him. Her tsundere nature just wouldn't let her admit it out loud.
Looking at her, he nodded repeatedly, grinning.
"Okay, okay, it's my fault this time."
Their back-and-forth drew a lot of attention.
Tsunade and Nonō Yakushi watched them with a hint of envy, while others burst into laughter at Chiri's reaction.
Watching her all puffed up like that was just too entertaining.
Someone even joked:
"Look at her—Uchiha's little tsundere princess! Way too cute!"
At that, Chiri's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
She shot a glare at Hikaru, then ran off toward Uchiha Ang and Uchiha Noboru.
Sure enough, the two Uchiha laughed as soon as she rejoined them, prompting Chiri to kick them both in a huff.
Meanwhile, some distance away, the arrival of Hashirama and Tobirama caused quite a stir.
After all, they had long since passed away. Their sudden appearance naturally drew major attention.
As the First and Second Hokage—founders of Konoha—their presence was beyond extraordinary.
As the crowd once again surged toward them, Mito Uzumaki turned to Hashirama with a thoughtful look.
"Maybe you should give the graduation speech this time. Otherwise, this is going to get out of hand."
Seeing the gathering crowd, Hashirama nodded.
"Alright. I'll explain the situation myself."
With that, he leapt over the heads of the crowd and landed in the center of the stage.
He cleared his throat and announced loudly:
"Everyone, I am the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju."
His voice boomed, easily silencing the commotion.
The entire audience stood in shock, unable to believe their ears.
None of them had ever imagined that the First Hokage—long since deceased—could return.
Hashirama continued:
"My brother, the Second Hokage Tobirama, and I have returned to the world of the living. We're here because something important must be addressed."
"We were only able to return thanks to the help of Uchiha Hikaru."
"But as you all know, we are already dead. So please don't concern yourselves with us too much. Once this is over, we'll be leaving again."
His words detonated like a bomb.
The crowd stared, jaws slack, their understanding of reality shattered.
How could dead Hokage possibly return to life? It was simply unimaginable!
Some eyes turned toward Hikaru, burning with intensity.
The implication was clear: Who hasn't dreamed of seeing a lost loved one again?
Akimichi Torikaze, once a student of the Second Hokage, had a guess.
He suspected Hikaru had used the forbidden Edo Tensei to resurrect the two Hokage.
Just then, Hashirama seemed to realize his statement might cause trouble for Hikaru.
He quickly added:
"Hahaha! Kids these days are amazing. I couldn't even land a single blow on Hikaru."
That was like a bucket of cold water dumped on everyone's heads.
Some had hoped the First Hokage might be able to restrain Uchiha Hikaru.
Maybe then they'd have room to maneuver.
But now, with Hashirama openly admitting defeat—and considering Hikaru's long-standing record—who in their right mind would still think they had a chance?
Hikaru calmly swept his gaze across the crowd. Whether their stares held fear, awe, or admiration, he didn't particularly care.
To him, what others thought was irrelevant.
As long as they didn't provoke him, everyone could get along just fine.
But if someone did cross the line—no matter who tried to intervene, it wouldn't make a difference.
He wasn't one to start trouble. But he wasn't afraid of it either.
At that moment, Orochimaru approached with his parents in tow.
Looking serious, Orochimaru spoke:
"Hikaru-kun, I've said this before, but thank you for saving my parents."
The man and woman behind him bowed in gratitude.
Their eyes were filled with admiration and deep appreciation.
They knew all too well—they would've died if not for Hikaru.
Hikaru gave Orochimaru a helpless look. He really hadn't expected him to be this persistent.
After reaching the Orange tier of power, he'd used Mahāvairocana's flame of vitality to fully heal Orochimaru's parents.
But ever since then, Orochimaru thanked him at every formal occasion.
It left Hikaru both exasperated and amused.
Waving his hand, he said:
"Orochimaru, you don't have to be so formal. I only did what I wanted to do."
He knew Orochimaru would keep thanking him no matter what he said—but still, he wanted to make his stance clear.
Orochimaru nodded and dropped the topic.
Then his eyes drifted toward Tobirama, brimming with excitement.
"Hikaru-kun, can I ask you a favor?"
Seeing his expression, Hikaru instantly knew what he was thinking.
With a bemused smile, he replied:
"Of course. I'll introduce you to Lord Tobirama right away."