Konoha's Tatsuya

Three days later, the chaos of the Nine-Tails' attack had completely subsided, and Konoha had returned to a semblance of peace.

At the entrance to the Akimichi clan compound, a large group of Akimichi ninja, all dressed in black, marched in formation towards the Memorial Stone in the west of the village.

At the front of the procession were the clan's leaders, headed by clan head Chota Akimichi. They were all the clan's publicly known Jonin, and among them was Choji Akimichi's father, Choza, the designated successor to the clan head position.

Behind these leaders, the clan's Chunin and Genin were arranged in order, forming a procession of dozens of ninja divided into three columns. In a ninja clan like the Akimichi, strength was almost equivalent to status. The greater one's strength and talent, the more influence one held within the clan.

Everyone carried a bouquet of white flowers, their faces solemn and filled with sorrow.

During that fateful night three days prior, several Akimichi ninja had perished in the Nine-Tails' rampage.

Most heartbreaking was the loss of veteran clan member Torifu Akimichi, and the deaths of Akizuki and Mitsuki Akimichi, both in the prime of their lives. All three had been Jonin of the clan.

The clan already had few Jonin, and to lose three at once was devastating.

Moreover, if it hadn't been for Kyoko's Cha-maru, who had selflessly shielded Rou Akimichi, he too might have died that night.

Even so, Rou had been severely injured and was not among the clan members attending the memorial service today; he was still recovering in the village hospital.

During that night, Tatsuya's summoned beast, Seiryu, had also nearly died.

The corrosive power of the Nine-Tails' chakra was truly terrifying. If Tatsuya hadn't acted decisively, using his seal knowledge to quickly replenish Seiryu's life energy, the snake would likely have perished from the chakra's corrosive effects.

Even with Tatsuya's intervention, Seiryu had been listless for days, sustained only by the massive amounts of food Tatsuya constantly provided to replenish his life energy.

According to the Bio-Chip's estimates, Seiryu would need another half a month to fully recover. During this time, Tatsuya had to spend tens of thousands of ryo each day to purchase the food Seiryu needed.

Arriving at the plaza in front of the Memorial Stone, they found it already crowded with ninja, all dressed in black and holding white flowers.

In the crowd, Tatsuya saw the Third Hokage and other village leaders at the front, as well as the large contingents of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans were grouped together.

Towards the center, Tatsuya also spotted Kakashi, Might Guy, Hayate Gekko, Kamizuki Izumo, Morino Ibiki, and other elite ninja of his generation. Sakawa and Teru Yuhi, his former classmates, were positioned further back in the crowd.

Among them, Tatsuya's gaze couldn't help but linger a little longer on the captivating Kurenai Yuhi.

However, Kurenai, who had just lost her father, was completely immersed in her grief and showed no reaction to Tatsuya's attention. Beside her, the ever-devoted Asuma silently watched over her.

Tatsuya's side, Kyoko, her delicate frame holding a bouquet of white flowers, stood quietly beside him.

Everyone present was dressed similarly, and the entire plaza was enveloped in an atmosphere of profound sadness.

Among those who had fallen that night were family members, friends, comrades, and the universally respected Fourth Hokage.

For Konoha, which had just endured the Third Great Shinobi War, the Nine-Tails' attack was undoubtedly a severe disaster.

Although the disaster itself was relatively short-lived, it inflicted tremendous losses on Konoha.

Beyond the casualties and structural damage caused by the rampaging Nine-Tails, the subsequent problems it triggered nearly brought Konoha to the brink of utter ruin.

The village, already facing a shortage of skilled ninja due to the Third War, was further weakened. Many mid-generation ninja, like Iruka's parents and Kurenai's father, had died in the chaos. Konoha's Chunin and Special Jonin ranks, the village's middle tier of strength, were nearly decimated.

And this wasn't even the most devastating blow. The deaths of the newly appointed Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki, were the most difficult losses to bear.

The Hokage was the strongest ninja in Konoha, and Minato Namikaze, once considered by Jiraiya to be the Child of Prophecy, was in his prime. Who could say what heights he might have led the village to had he lived?

Furthermore, Kushina's death meant that Konoha had temporarily lost control of the Nine-Tails' power.

In a single night, the village had lost two of its top-tier fighters.

Without the nuclear deterrent and the reputation Minato had earned during the Third Great Shinobi War, Konoha's influence over the other hidden villages was greatly diminished. This would soon lead directly to a prolonged period of tension and conflict with Kumogakure.

At the very front of the crowd, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his pipe clenched between his teeth, silently gazing at the newly erected memorial stones.

He might not yet foresee that Kumogakure would soon wage war on Konoha again, but the village's precarious situation filled him with worry as he resumed the mantle of Hokage.

He had once led Konoha to the pinnacle of its power as a ninja village, and now he was witnessing its decline to its current weakened state.

However, despite the grim outlook, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not despair.

Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire still burns!

He believed that new generations inheriting the Will of Fire would continue to emerge, and that Konoha, with its abundant talent, would always stand strong in the ninja world.

A grand memorial ceremony concluded in a solemn and sorrowful atmosphere.

"Tatsuya."

As the ceremony ended and Tatsuya was about to return with his clan members, a voice called out to him.

Turning his head, Tatsuya's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the person who had addressed him.

Anko Mitarashi!

Her signature purple hair, paired with a fishnet undershirt and a trench coat, gave her a certain air of a spirited young woman.

She was pouting, her round face displaying clear displeasure as she looked at Tatsuya.

"Anko? What do you want with me?" Tatsuya frowned slightly, looking at the clearly haughty Anko Mitarashi.

Anko was also considered a prodigy among their peers at the Ninja Academy. She and Tatsuya had never had much interaction before. Her sudden appearance now was likely related to Orochimaru.

"Hey, come with me. My teacher wants to see you!" Tatsuya's indifferent response made Anko even more annoyed. She huffed and turned to leave.

Tatsuya paused for a few seconds before following.

His guess had been correct.

Following Anko, Tatsuya soon arrived at a grove of trees not far from the Memorial Stone.

At the edge of the grove, Orochimaru, dressed in standard Konoha ninja attire, stood silently beneath a large tree.

"Teacher, I've brought him!" Anko announced respectfully as they approached.

"Hmm. Anko, you may go back now," Orochimaru nodded, glancing at the silent Tatsuya.

"Um..." Anko's expression was slightly conflicted. After a brief internal struggle, she shot Tatsuya a reluctant look and obediently turned to leave.