By now, the sky had already darkened.
Night had fallen over Konoha, and stars had begun to twinkle along the horizon.
With the first burst of fireworks blooming into the night, more followed, launching high into the sky one after another.
Brilliant explosions lit up the heavens, as if the air were blooming with vibrant, multicolored flowers.
The red flared like fireflies ablaze, the blue shimmered like stars in the night, and the golden sparkled like sunlight scattered across the earth.
These dazzling sparks danced through the sky like spirits of the night, swirling in a breathtaking spectacle.
Tsunade watched, utterly entranced. She had never seen such a beautiful fireworks display before.
Especially that one firework shaped like her—it completely captured her gaze.
Finally, the display reached its climax.
A long, colorful dragon of light unfurled across the sky, glowing brilliantly as it slithered through the stars.
Eventually, and much to Tsunade's reluctant disappointment, the fireworks faded away.
But the gloom in her heart vanished with them.
Right then, the Anbu arrived, intending to investigate, but they were all blocked by the newly arrived Senju Yosuke.
With a wry smile, he began explaining things to them—at least enough to prevent Hikaru and Tsunade from being interrupted.
At this age, Tsunade didn't understand what love was. But the sight before her carved itself deep into her heart.
One day, it would take root.
Uchiha Hikaru simply stood there, silently watching Tsunade, watching the light return to her eyes.
That alone brought him relief.
In his past life, Hikaru had always loved Tsunade's character.
Of course, real life and fiction were always different, but even this younger Tsunade had grown on him.
Naturally, it was a big-brother kind of fondness. After all, Tsunade was still just a kid.
(No way someone could fall in love with a six-year-old… right? Probably not, right?)
That affection might shift into something else one day—but definitely not today.
So when he saw her like that earlier, he'd been genuinely worried.
Worried that he might've changed her, turning a bright, cheerful girl into a gloomy one—that would be a sin.
Thankfully, the old Tsunade was back.
Hikaru quietly sighed in relief, remembering the mix of surprise and disappointment on her face when she first heard about the fireworks.
So, teasingly, he said:
"Well? What did you think of the fireworks? Count as a surprise?"
Still immersed in the afterglow, Tsunade snapped back to reality.
Her cheeks turned red. Then, forcing down her flustered embarrassment, she crossed her arms and replied with a huff:
"Hmph! I guess you pass."
With that, she quickly turned away to hide her blushing face from Hikaru.
Hikaru knew pushing it any further would just be asking for trouble.
He chuckled, then shifted his gaze toward Senju Yosuke.
Yosuke, still explaining things to the Anbu, noticed Hikaru looking over and suddenly gave him a big thumbs-up.
It took a while, but once Yosuke managed to wave the Anbu off, he gestured a quick "head home" sign to Hikaru before vanishing—whether he left or went into hiding was anyone's guess.
Tsunade had also finished composing herself. She now looked at Hikaru with wide-eyed curiosity.
That complex but joyful feeling from earlier had faded, and her sharp little mind was back in full force.
Which is exactly why she now wanted to know—where the heck had Hikaru gotten those fireworks? Especially ones with her face in them.
So she asked without hesitation:
"Hikaru, where did you get those fireworks?"
Of course, he couldn't tell her the truth.
After all, it was thanks to his Mangekyō Mahāvairocana and a combination of Fire Style manipulation and shape transformation.
The different colors were actually produced by flames of different temperatures, each showing a unique flame reaction.
Combined with his Mangekyō's fire control abilities, he could craft intricate patterns.
That's how this entire display came together.
And it hadn't just attracted the Anbu—though Tsunade didn't realize it, those fireworks had spooked a lot of people.
Back in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been working overtime. He was just about to light his pipe when—
Boom! A huge surge of chakra gathered above Konoha, exploding into a sky full of fireworks.
Startled, his hand shook and the match dropped to the floor.
And he wasn't alone. Many other chakra-sensitive shinobi across the village experienced something similar.
So why hadn't anyone besides the Anbu shown up?
Well, that was thanks to Mito Uzumaki.
With her Kagura's Mind Eye ability, she immediately sensed that Hikaru had done something major.
She put down her bowl instantly and rushed to the Hokage building at top speed.
After a quick explanation to Hiruzen, she used his authority to broadcast a message to the village.
The official story: it was a misunderstanding—Lady Mito had set off the fireworks for Tsunade to enjoy.
The excuse was half-hearted at best, and clearly just a cover-up.
Fortunately, aside from scaring a few chakra-sensitive shinobi, there was no real damage.
Those without sensing abilities were actually thrilled.
After all, fireworks like that only showed up during big festivals.
Many even felt grateful to Mito, thinking she'd brought a little joy and celebration to a village still scarred by the pain of war.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi was not among those grateful.
As the Hokage, even a "gift" fireworks show should've been reported to him in advance.
To him, Mito's excuse was clearly dismissive of his authority.
Still, because of her status, power, and reputation, he could only grit his teeth and swallow his frustration.
Mito hadn't intended to offend.
But as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, she could clearly sense Hiruzen's growing hostility toward her.
She frowned, then sighed at his cold expression.
"Hiruzen… I was wrong this time. I'll apologize."
Only then did Hiruzen's face soften slightly—though the resentment in his heart remained.
Of course, Mito could sense that too.
She had only stepped in to protect Hikaru and keep his abilities secret.
Strictly speaking, what Hikaru had done was wrong.
But since she acted before things escalated, and no harm was ultimately done, the damage was minimal.
If Hiruzen couldn't let that go, then the real danger was in his pettiness.
Because that would mean he'd become the kind of leader who stifled the next generation out of jealousy.
And bearing ill will toward the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki? That was no small matter either.
Mito felt a pang of sadness.
She realized the little monkey she once knew was long gone.
What she didn't realize… was just how twisted power can become.
Some people retain themselves in the face of power. Hiruzen Sarutobi, clearly, was not one of them.