The main gate of Konoha.
Both sides of the wide street were packed with villagers.
Flower baskets filled their hands as they gazed toward the village gate with eager expressions. At the far end of the street stood a temporary platform, lavishly decorated with colorful flowers.
Groups of ninjas stood among the crowd.
Their faces were filled with smiles as they spoke excitedly with the villagers around them.
Atop the platform stood the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, accompanied by his two advisors and the leader of Root, Shimura Danzō. All of them were looking toward the main gate at the end of the street.
Suddenly—
A large group of dark figures appeared beyond the gate.
"Ohhh!"
Cheers erupted instantly.
The villagers grabbed flower baskets—some their own, some from others—and tossed them high into the air.
In an instant, the entire street was showered in colorful petals.
The first person to step through the gate was Jiraiya, his long white hair flowing freely, his forehead protector shining under the sunlight.
Beside him walked a figure bathed in golden brilliance, drawing everyone's attention—
Namikaze Minato, Konoha's famed Yellow Flash.
Following closely behind was a young ninja with silver hair, his left eye covered by a slanted forehead protector and most of his face hidden beneath a mask.
Hatake Kakashi.
His gaze swept coldly across the jubilant crowd.
Behind them came a long procession of ninjas.
They waved to the villagers on both sides of the street as they continued forward.
Soon after, Tsunade stepped through the gates as well.
She walked ahead of the others, her expression distant, almost dazed, as she moved down the street.
Then came Orochimaru, his face dark and unreadable.
He walked calmly with a group of ninjas, his eyes revealing nothing.
Each time a new group entered the village, the cheers from the crowd grew louder.
"Welcome back, heroes!"
Before long, all the returning ninjas gathered at the plaza at the end of the street, beneath the towering flower platforms, reuniting with family and friends.
The square instantly became lively.
Some laughed with joy.
Some cried in grief.
Some burned with anger.
Others stood frozen, unable to process everything.
…
Uchiha Ryu walked behind Tsunade.
Behind him followed a group of shinobi wearing the Uchiha clan crest.
When the Uchiha members noticed Ryu, they immediately greeted him with respect.
After acknowledging them, Ryu walked toward a small boy who appeared to be four or five years old.
The child's eyes were dull, showing neither happiness nor sorrow.
"Uchiha Itachi."
Ryu placed a hand gently on the boy's thin shoulder.
Feeling the familiar warmth, Itachi's eyes slowly regained their light.
"Uncle…"
Itachi looked up at Ryu, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something.
Ryu shook his head lightly, interrupting him.
"Uchiha Itachi."
He patted the boy's arm twice, then lifted his gaze toward the platform where the Third Hokage stood.
Itachi followed Ryu's gaze.
"The war is over," Sarutobi Hiruzen declared loudly, his voice echoing across the plaza."Every one of you here is a proud shinobi of Konoha!"
A wave of cheers erupted.
"But war is cruel," Hiruzen continued solemnly."In this conflict, 8,763 comrades have lost their lives."
"Let us observe a moment of silence for these fallen heroes."
The Third Hokage removed his Hokage hat, held it against his chest, lowered his head, and closed his eyes.
The ninjas below followed suit, bowing their heads in silence.
Even the villagers in the distance sensed the change in atmosphere and stopped celebrating, quietly honoring the dead.
The entire plaza fell silent.
No one dared to breathe loudly.
Time passed slowly.
"The victory of this war was achieved by the living and the fallen together," Hiruzen finally said."From this day forward, live well—for yourselves and for them."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Now, return home and rest. You have earned the peace you brought back."
Without further ceremony, the Third Hokage turned to leave with Danzō and the advisors.
Now was not the time for long speeches.
The soldiers were physically and mentally exhausted.
The grand speeches could wait for the commendation ceremony later.
As Hiruzen stepped down from the platform, many of the ninjas also began preparing to leave.
After all, they had fought continuously across multiple fronts.
Victory on one battlefield often meant rushing to another.
They had been pushing their bodies to the limit every single day.
Even though they had finally enjoyed a few nights of peaceful sleep upon returning—
Nothing compared to resting in their own beds.
Uchiha Ryu also prepared to leave with the others.
But just then—
A loud conversation erupted nearby.
"I'm telling you, this time in the battle against the Hidden Mist, the Sarutobi clan made the greatest contribution!"
A young man with curled hair on one side, an ordinary appearance, and a forehead protector spoke loudly. He looked about fifteen or sixteen years old.
"To be honest, if it weren't for our Sarutobi clan, Konoha would never have defeated the Mist ninjas!"
Someone nearby, who hadn't participated in the war, asked curiously,"What about the Uchiha clan? They should've contributed a lot too, right?"
"Yeah," another echoed."The Uchiha fought mainly in the Land of Water. They must've done a lot."
At the mention of the Uchiha, the young man's face twisted with disdain.
"The Uchiha?" he sneered."That red-eyed clan? Just mentioning them irritates me. How could a clan like that exist in Konoha?"
"Hey, Asuma!" someone protested."The Uchiha submitted countless battle reports. Isn't it unfair to belittle them like this?"
A Hyūga clan member with pale eyes stepped forward, his tone sharp.
"Battle merits?" Sarutobi Asuma scoffed."Didn't they just clean up leftovers? They hide behind our Sarutobi clan and only step in once the enemy is already injured. Isn't that the truth?"
These words rang clearly.
Uchiha Ryu—and the Uchiha clan members behind him—heard every single one.
Their expressions darkened instantly.