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Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me.
Psalm 66: 20
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The month had been a depressing one, not due to some tragedies, but rather, because of the harsh weather. This was mainly applicable to the adults who wanted to recuperate at home all day, but their financial crisis forced them to push forward and trample on the ground full of needles. Despite the pain, they grit their teeth and persevered, adamant on overcoming all obstacles, no matter how menacing it may seem.
(Welcome to the adult world!)
Well, perhaps it may be more accurate to denote that nobody really faced any financial crisis; they simply want to generate more income in hopes of leading lavish lives.
The more, the merrier.
However, today was different, as it was New Year's Eve, providing an opportunity for the adults to respite for today. Several tended to their work posts, strictly adhering to their roles of garnering more income, but most have decided to fall back and relax.
While it may seem pitiful to those who tended to their routine, ultimately it was all worth it. Due to the declining rate of work today, this was the perfect opportunity to reap a bountiful harvest, as the vast majority of the populace approached them in hopes of purchasing something. Despite it being New Year's Eve, they had their hands full, but the vendors salivated at the mention of accumulating funds.
Trotting through the carpet of snow, which had significantly deteriorated thanks to the efforts of the villagers, Hayato and family happily gaited forth, especially Naruto and Karin. The children duo would occasionally bolt toward anything that engaged them, as a lot of peculiar events met their eyes. Naruto was not new to this, but Karin was, and so, he boisterously invited Karin to anything that piqued her interest.
One such event was known as the "Ninja Art Festivities," hosted by several clansmen who performed dazzling ninja arts to hype the crowd. Then there was the "Ichiraku Ramen Feast," hosted by the venerable Teuchi, who served myriads of special dishes to attract more customers. In his case, business was truly booming, and with such delicacies at discounted prices, the meals were worth consuming.
The dishes were truly sublime, a treat for the palates, causing those who consumed the meals to salivate, and internally beg for more. To spice things up, a little competition was held; a ramen eating contest to determine who could eat the most ramen within a specific time frame. Depending on the winner, they attain the title of "King/Queen Of Gluttony."
However, due to the objective at hand, poor Naruto was left sulking, dawdling beside his parents to meet a special someone.
The further they walked, the more lively, and adventurous the village seemed, thriving with all sorts of programmes that truly tempted Naruto to vacate his family's hold, and observe the performances. Noticing Naruto's heightened psyche, who rotated his neck back and forth, registering the various events that unfolded before his coruscating eyes, Hayato inferred, "Naruto, we will definitely make time to check out all of these festivities."
With his uncle's affirmation, Naruto broke into a radiant grin, before bolting forward, and exhorted while flailing his miniature palms, "C'MON, LET'S GO OJI-CHAN, OBA-CHAN!"
"Hold on, we're coming dear," Kaede played along, and as such, the family increased their pace.
Numerous festivities drew their attention, but the family pursued on, occasionally sparing a few seconds if they were really intrigued, before moving on.
And as they did so, Hayato halted in his tracks at the sight of one event in particular, staring at a teenage youth in the distance who bore an uncanny resemblance to a close associate of his.
Entering a temporary state of reminiscence, an image of a youth in earlier memories resurfaced, who was short, had slight spiky, black hair, and obsidian black eyes that cradled affection and care. However, in contrast to his earlier memory, the current youth that caught his attention was taller, making him seem rather mature.
Yet the resemblance led him to confirm that merely his height had changed; the youth that reflected in his scarlet eyes was the same from back then.
'Shisui,' Hayato named in his mind, aware of the youth's identity.
There was no doubt, that the youth was none other than Uchiha Shisui.
With a serene smile, Shisui welcomed the audience with open arms, and announced, "Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Uchiha Shisui, and I humbly welcome you to my Illusionary Show."
Now this, this fascinated Hayato. After all, Shisui was a student of his, not to mention, a notorious prodigy of Konoha.
As such, like a proud father, Hayato observed, and not a single soul could disrupt his engrossment.
Kaede, raising a brow, seemed to retain familiarity with the teenage boy, and voiced, "That's Shisui, right?"
Hayato nodded, "Yep."
Reigniting a former memory, the latest, most memorable interaction was a tumultuous state of combat, in which Shisui stood in the epicentre of the battlefield. However, the trait that garnered the most attention upon viewing his figure was his 2 crimson eyes that shone menacingly under the backdrop of the silver moon. Further accentuating with the gloom was a crimson fluid, seeping from his scalp, and draining his features in a fountain of red. The spectacle was menacing!
His crimson eyes may be perceived as a mere sharingan at first, but upon closer inspection, the pattern embroidered within differed; it was shaped like a quad-pointed shuriken, rather than the perpetual 3 tomoes.
This event was a major trigger in Shisui's life; the manifestation of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and the first time Hayato had ever witnessed such a frightening power!
Shisui was his pupil, but the power he illustrated was nothing short of mind-blowing, so much so, Hayato was left bewildered. While Hayato harnessed a unique power of his own that could be considered mind-blowing, Shisui's was...
Destructive!
In this particular image of Shisui, under the dazzling silver moon, the youth stood menacingly in a wide, circular chasm that encompassed about half a kilometre. For a kid to wield this calamitous force, merely at the tender age of 9, who else wouldn't share utter dismay?!
Reminded of the chaotic past, Hayato made a mental note, 'I'll need to catch up with Shisui.'
Meanwhile, Shisui methodically weaved a few hand signs, before his obsidian eyes morphed into an enchanting crimson, magnetically alluring the crowd into his schemes. Hayato and Kaede too, were no exception, captivated by the mesmerising world Shisui summoned his audience into...
The audience, as well as Hayato, Kaede, and the children duo, gasped in awe at the presentation that unfurled, educating the populace by portraying famous, historical battles, before transitioning to breathtaking panoramic views of some of the world's most breathtaking attractions.
Everyone's eyes shimmered in excitement at the numerous scenes that unfolded, scenes that they never knew had existed. To think such a vast world existed out there, despite the abhorrent anarchy that revolved everywhere, every day. Such magnificent landscapes were the valley of the end, the Naka River, which became especially profound and captivating under the radiant moon, the enormous tree that soared to the heavens, encompassing an insurmountable range housed in the land of Waterfalls, the dignified appearance of the towering cliffs of the Land of Lightning... so on and so forth!
These unbelievably crafted works of art were truly a delight to the eye, offering everyone insight into the obscured grandeur of Mother Nature.
Unfathomably profound, and a glorious, yet inconspicuous work of art.
No mortal artisan is capable of replicating such breathtaking intricacies.
And so, the beautiful displays had reached its climax, leaving the audience stunned, and lost for words. Shisui expected this reaction, and vocalised in a soothing tone, "While we all stand here, worried for the future as imminent deaths may loom in the distance, I want all of us to unite under one notion."
All ears perked, and Hayato watched with arms crossed. With all gazes projected toward him, he deliberated, "This world is cruel and ugly. We're always under the threat of war, exposed to danger, and forced to be vigilant at all times due to these looming threats. However, I don't want that harsh reality to dispose of the beauty of this world."
Gesturing with his hands, Shisui continued, "I have a dream, one so simple, yet fleeting..."
The audience held their breaths in anticipation, until finally, Shisui shared, "Peace. My dream is to rid this world of wars, and that we may all unite, and explore the beautiful aspects of this world, a world devoid of chaos."
Hearkening to his utterance, Hayato's lips curled in joy as his scarlet eyes reflected the dedicated Shisui, whose every word emerged from his lips with depth and passion. He inwardly acknowledged, 'Shisui, you've grown.'
Shisui finalised, "I'm sure one day, we will see a world with no wars, where we live at peace, where our children may also witness the beauty of this world, and that we will shake hands with all nations, and be at peace. I'm sure the day will come, but until then, I'll be fighting to achieve this ambition."
With a bow, Shisui formally expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for your time."
Moved by his touching words, the crows erupted into applause, aligning with the youth's notion, and yelled phrases of support and motivation;
- You gooo kid! -
- We too, will work hard. -
- Peace will prevail! -
- Yeaaaahhhh! -
Hayato, emanating pride akin to fatherly benevolence, smiled at his pupil, who scratched his head sheepishly, and seemed to get along well with the villagers. Retracting his gaze from his pupil, Hayato alerted his wife, and the children about their impending visit, "Alright then guys, let's get a move on, or we'll be late."
Kaede detached from the lively scene, bearing an equally jubilant visage, and chimed in, "Yeah, let's go."