Years passed in silence, though silence in Konoha was never still. Missions blurred into one another, enemies shifted shapes, and those who had survived the old wars became the spine of something new.
Akari was among them. No longer merely a shadow beneath the leaves—but a blade forged by them.
Three years had passed since the founding of the village. Konoha had changed—grown stronger, more structured. Patrol routes replaced wandering clans. Children laughed in streets once soaked in blood. Peace, however fragile, held.
Akari stood atop the unfinished Hokage monument, arms folded as the early morning sun painted the village in soft gold. Wind played with the ends of his long black hair, and his violet eyes scanned the waking rooftops of Konoha: the bustling market, the ever-busy training fields, the disciplined Senju compound, and the quiet, watching rooftops of the Uchiha.
He had changed, too.
Clad in a dark, high-collared battle kimono marked with the insignia of Konoha's Special Tactical Corps, Akari now carried the quiet weight of authority. His eyes no longer wandered. They studied.
Behind him, footsteps echoed.
"Enjoying the view?" Hashirama's voice was light, amused.
Akari didn't turn. "Always. It reminds me what we're trying to protect."
Hashirama stepped beside him, arms crossed. His presence radiated strength laced with kindness—still the same man who dreamed of peace, even as the world conspired to test it.
"Reports say you've been too hard on the new recruits," Hashirama said.
"They need to know what's coming," Akari replied. "We won't have forever to prepare them."
Hashirama gave a tired sigh. "You sound more like Madara every day."
"I learn from the best," Akari said, and the faintest trace of a smirk touched his lips.
They stood in silence for a while.
"I saw him yesterday," Akari added. "He was watching the northern gate."
Hashirama nodded. "He watches everything. Including you."
"He should," Akari said. "When the time comes, I'll be the one standing at his side."
"You believe in him that much?"
"I believe in both of you," Akari said. "Separately, you're strong. But together—you're the only chance this village has."
Hashirama turned his gaze to the horizon. "I hope you're right."