Tsubone lightly patted Canaria's back, "No need, the young master hasn't awakened yet."
Kurajing was taken aback, and as Kurapika's gaze flickered, he followed to look...
The young girl recovered, responding respectfully, "Yes,"
She turned and led Kurapika into the kitchen,
"Sister, what's wrong?"
The kitchen had tables and chairs specifically for the Zoldyck family's butlers and servants to use,
Kurapika followed Kurajing's lead, got his meal, and sat by the table, glancing at his sister and asking quietly.
Kurajing said nothing, silently finished her dinner, led Kurapika back to the room Tsubone had arranged for him, and then went to the window, gazing through the hazy moonlight toward the ancient castle atop Kukuroo Mountain of the Zoldyck Family, her back to Kurapika as she said softly, "Pika, today you asked me just how powerful the young master is, didn't you?"
"I think you'll see tomorrow."
Kurapika's eyes flickered, wanting to ask more but considering his sister's status and their current situation as guests, it was indeed not suitable to know too much, so he simply murmured agreement,
and then raised his head to join Kurajing in gazing far off at Kukuroo Mountain's peak, silently calculating the time...
"Dong..." At nine in the evening, the wooden clock in the corner struck the hour,
In Roy's bedroom, the curtains swayed slightly with the wind, letting in the moonlight through the bright glass windows, lending a touch of tranquility to Roy lying on the soft bed...
The young man was still deep asleep, not yet awakened,
At that moment, he was in the Hokage world, with Sakumo Hatake in the southern forest, and Shisui and Itachi danced nearby, quietly savoring the tea.
Clearly, there were no tea leaves, only boiled water, yet from the drink, one could taste a hint of farewell sorrow...
Minato Namikaze was heading to the battlefield, Obito too was going to fight, and the White Fang and his son Kakashi, along with Rin Nohara, were all heading to battle... Roy toasted Sakumo Hatake from afar, tilting his head back and drank the hot tea clean...
Such a refreshing and carefree manner made Sakumo Hatake feel an illusion momentarily, as if…the young man before him was his peer, not…a youngster not even in his teens.
White Fang returned Roy's toast, gently sipping his hot tea, smiling at Roy and saying, "Then let's hope everyone wins their battles..."
Roy met Sakumo Hatake's warm gaze,
Suddenly asked, "White Fang uncle, do you think missions are more important, or are companions?"
Sakumo Hatake paused slightly, holding the stone cup, rubbing it, falling into contemplation...
After a while, he raised his head to look at Roy and asked, "Why ask such a question?"
Roy was straightforward: "I'm just curious, want to know the answer."
Sakumo Hatake furrowed his brow, pondering again for a while, focusing on the tea in the stone cup, which rippled slightly with the wind, murmuring, "Regarding duty, a ninja must prioritize completing the mission, so, missions are important but…"
"Regarding camaraderie, a ninja must not forsake companions while finishing the mission, allowing them to be killed by enemies, thus, companions are important too..."
"So?" Roy lifted the stone pot to add tea for Sakumo Hatake, seriously looking at the man and asked, "White Fang uncle, do you lean toward missions or companions?"
Sakumo Hatake furrowed his brow again, pondering for a long time, slowly shaking his head: "I don't know, but if I were to abandon my companions and ignore them, I think, I couldn't do it."
"Then you lean toward companions." Roy understood,
Konoha's White Fang remained the White Fang, valuing bonds over missions, greater than the sky…a true man!
Unfortunately, such men are too rare, their brilliance easily targeted by vile figures, buried by filth…Roy looked deeply at Sakumo Hatake, the one who wronged him or put him directly to death was none other than…the companion he saved with his own hands!
If not for his companion's collusion with those villagers pointing fingers behind his back, it's unlikely he'd have chosen suicide in despair!
If someone had spoken on his behalf then, even just a word, tragedy might not have happened!
Of course, whether the Hokage tacitly approved, whether Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado pushed this behind the scenes…Roy didn't know, nor did he want to know...
A cup of tea refilled...
The young man put down the stone pot, smiled at Sakumo Hatake, "White Fang uncle, want to hear my answer?"
Sakumo Hatake was slightly stunned, then came to his senses, smiled at Roy, "Tell me, I'm listening."
Roy reached out to catch a green leaf falling with the wind, placed it in his palm and fiddled with it, "Both missions and companions are important and unimportant, in my view, nothing surpasses 'I'm alive'!"
The young man's mind moved, rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, instantly a flame ignited, the green leaf burned to ashes...
He stood up next, watching Shisui and Itachi steadily advancing through "Ten Thousand Basic Swings", squinting his eyes slightly, "When a person is dead, even if floods overwhelm everything, it's no longer their concern, so only by living, living continuously, can one truly find this answer,"
"What do you think?"
"White Fang uncle?"
Roy timely turned his head to look at Sakumo Hatake,
Sakumo Hatake visibly fell silent, clearly stunned by Roy's answer!
Evidently, the young man's answer was more 'selfish', more 'self-centered', and more 'extreme', not aligning with Konoha's current 'mainstream awareness', nor with the 'Will of Fire' passed down nearly a century, since the founding of Konoha by the First Hokage, yet... in the depths, a voice persistently told Sakumo Hatake...
The young man's answer, upon reconsideration, wasn't without logic!
When one's own life is gone, 'missions' and 'companions' alike vanish, just like those ninjas who died in war, ultimately turning to mound of yellow earth, and a whole corpse may not even be found!
Sakumo Hatake's contemplative eyes gradually found some light again,
After a while, he returned to his senses, deeply looked at Roy, "At times, I feel you're too mature for your age..."
Roy shrugged, "Even the Hokage said the same,"
"Is that so?" Sakumo Hatake chuckled lightly, relaxing his brows, picked up his teacup, imitated Minato Namikaze, tilted his head back, gulping down the tea, emptied the cup!
"Hoo~"
After a few breaths' time...
Tea finished,
Bottom of the cup visible,
The man comfortably exhaled, glanced once more, put down the teacup, stood tall, and cheerfully looked at Roy, "Jin, I'm off too..."
"When I return, let's have tea together again."
Roy extended his right hand, held out his pinky, and winked at Sakumo Hatake, "Pinky swear Uncle."
"If I can't see you upon return, don't blame me for venting at Kakashi~"
Sakumo Hatake was slightly startled, pointed at Roy, broke into a smile, "You little brat, daring to threaten me! Pinky swear, pinky swear!"
Speaking, he extended his pinky, hooking it with Roy's...
Nearby, secretly watching, Shisui got momentarily distracted, his sword swung, force misplaced, off by a millimeter, "Snap~" two stones cheekily fell out of the basket,
Then, the-boy's body shivered, feeling a cold breeze blow across his neck...
"Shisui, add ten thousand!"
"Yes..." Shisui showed a crestfallen face, wishing to slap himself,
Hurriedly arranged his posture again, earnestly swinging his sword, unknowingly as the sun descended in the west, dyeing the evening sky red,
The young man finally completed the second round of "Ten Thousand Basic Swings",
Dragging aching arms, pulled by Roy by the collar, guided back to The Uchiha Clan residence...
"Caw~" Night deepened, an occasional crow split the night sky, landing upon a rooftop, preening its feathers...
Roy escorted Shisui home, took Itachi by the hand home, then accompanied mother Mikoto for dinner before going to sleep...
Upon reopening eyes...
A pair of hazy Buddha ears came into view...
"Ho ho ho... you're awake..."