Age Sixteen (continued)
We made it back to Konoha four days later.
The Hokage greeted us at the gates, his face tired but relieved.
"You did it," he said. "The bomb is destroyed. Kiri has lost their advantage."
"The war isn't over," I said.
"No. But we've bought ourselves time."
I nodded. Time. That was all we ever bought.
---
Tsunade and I walked to the hospital together.
My father's body was still in the morgue, waiting to be buried. I had asked for a sea burial—Uzumaki tradition—but Hiruzen had insisted on a Konoha funeral. A compromise was reached: a small ceremony at the harbor, with a boat and lanterns.
"He would have hated this," I said.
"What?"
"The attention. The ceremony. He was a private person."
"He was also a hero. He sacrificed himself to save Uzushio. To save you."
"He was a broken man who did the best he could."
Tsunade took my hand. "Aren't we all?"
---
The funeral was at sunset.
We stood on the dock, a small group of mourners. Kushina was beside me, her hand in mine. Tsunade stood on my other side. The Hokage spoke words I didn't hear. Jiraiya and Orochimaru—before his betrayal—had sent their condolences.
We released the lanterns. They floated on the water, following the boat that carried my father's body.
"Goodbye," I whispered.
The boat drifted toward the horizon, and I watched until it disappeared.
---
That night, I sat on the roof of the hospital, staring at the stars.
Tsunade found me there.
"You're brooding," she said.
"I'm thinking."
"Same thing."
She sat down beside me. The night was cold, but she was warm.
"The Eternal Mangekyo," she said. "How does it feel?"
"Different. Clearer. The threads are easier to see. The cost is smaller."
"But not gone."
"No. Not gone. Every time I use it, I still lose something. Just... less."
"How long do you have?"
"I don't know. Years. Decades. Maybe a lifetime." I looked at her. "Long enough."
"Long enough for what?"
"Long enough to see you become Hokage."
She snorted. "I'm not going to be Hokage."
"You will. One day. When you're ready."
"And what will you do?"
"I'll be there. Beside you. Protecting you."
She leaned her head on my shoulder. "You're an idiot."
"So I've been told."
We sat in silence, watching the stars, and for a little while, the world felt almost peaceful.