Wearing black clothes, everyone in Konoha were in a grim mood.
The Second Hokage has just died. And he has chosen Akame Uchiha as the Third Hokage.
To most people, it was expected. Afterall, Senju and Uchiha clans founded the village. It was expected that an Uchiha would become the next Hokage.
Though, there were many old timers who were displeased about a woman becoming the Hokage.
The body of Tobirama laid in a grand coffin, similar to Hashirama. The current head of the Uchiha clan and the mother of the Third Hokage had scolded Tobirama to prepare such an ordinary coffin for the Hokage, just made from the wood.
The Third Hokage, Akame, started playing the flute, the tune her mother played when Hashirama died.
Sadness and Sorrow.
"*Sob!* *Sob!*"
Tsunade, just 6 years old, started crying. Her grandpa died when she was just 3, and now her granduncle also died, just some months after her father and mother died.
Hearing her cry, others also started having tears. Mito became teary eyed as she comforted her granddaughter.
Hiruzen and Danzo were in tears, and even Akane, who was waiting for Tobirama to die, couldn't help but shed tears.
'My daughter has grown up. She is making me cry with her flute.'
Akane looked up at the clear sky, reminiscing about the past and the future she has changed.
She doesn't have much more time left, so she will leave it to her daughter.
Perhaps, when her body burns, her daughter will stop trying to appear strong in front of the village and shed tears?
After the music ended, Tobirama's coffin was covered, and Akame looked at the villagers, putting away her flute.
"Today, Konoha has lost yet another founding father, an important branch of the tree of Konoha.
The leaves that have fallen alongside him aren't angry.
When Second Hokage protected us, we saw him smile for the first time.
The branches and leaves that fall during spring, they protect the new buds from falling off.
My mother has asked me a question before. If we imagine that the pieces of Chess are various people of Konoha, what will I represent? And what will King represent?
I didn't understand the answer mother gave me, but I understand now.
The Hokage is not the King. He/She is the Queen. The most powerful piece on the board, yet, not the most important.
The King, who should be protected at all costs, are the next generation. The children. The future of the village.
Second Hokage has shown us what it means to be the Queen, and the other chess pieces of the board. Our duty, our job, is to protect the King. The children.
Yet, we have to be the powerful tree that made the chess board and the pieces possible to exist.
Ideals without strength, and strength without ideals will only lead to doom.
We have to protect the King, such that, they get promoted and become the tree in the future that protects the whole village.
Despite how many setbacks we have had and will have, we can't let the fire in us to protect our village get put off.
Despite how many powerful winds try to put off our fire, we need to remain undeterred, to continue having our fire.
Will of Fire, that's how I see it. And everyone has to find their interpretation of Will of Fire on their own.
Our predecessors have made sacrifices to allow us to have the time to think, instead of fearing when we might die on the battlefield.
Engrave this scene in your heart. Don't let the sacrifice go to waste. Find your role, to become future pillars of the village, to protect our family, that is the entirety of Konoha.
And, don't ever let the Will of Fire in your hearts get extinguished, no matter how hard it gets.
We will have two minutes of silence for the heroes of the village, the Second Hokage and everyone who have sacrificed their lives for Konoha.
And let's make sure that there is no need for people to become heroes by sacrificing their lives to protect us, but by living extraordinary lives."