Drizzling Rain
Ever since negotiations with Kumogakure were concluded and Senju Tobirama's remains were returned to Konoha, the village had been shrouded in unending rain.
It was as if even the heavens were offering their mourning for the fallen Second Hokage.
The Senju clan wasted no time commissioning an extravagant coffin—crafted entirely from golden jinmu wood, purchased at great expense from the Land of Fire.
It was said that the craftsmen who made it had, for generations, served only Fire Country nobility. Coffins of this caliber were typically reserved for the daimyo himself or the royal family.
Unfortunately, by the time Tobirama came to "use" it, his body was already mottled with livor mortis, a faint stench of decay lingering no matter how carefully it was treated.
Under Uzumaki Mito's supervision, the funeral proceeded in an orderly, meticulous fashion.
When news of Tobirama's death reached the Fire Country daimyo, insiders claimed that the daimyo was overwhelmed with grief that very day—crying until his voice turned hoarse, nearly fainting from sorrow.
Those around him were deeply moved, praising him as a man of true feeling and declaring that the bond between the Fire Country and Konoha was stronger than blood.
After regaining his composure, the daimyo announced a three-day suspension of court in mourning. He also dispatched his eldest son to Konoha to attend the funeral in person, instructing him to deliver generous condolences.
"A hero who bled for the Fire Country must not bleed again in death."
Other nobles and dignitaries who received Konoha's invitations were similarly grief-stricken. Each sent important family members to attend, along with lavish funeral gifts.
After several days of preparation, everything was finally ready.
Senju Tobirama could, at last, be laid to rest.
The Memorial Hall
At the center stood the golden jinmu coffin. Before it was an altar bearing Tobirama's portrait, incense burners, candles, and offerings of his favorite foods from when he was alive.
White funeral wreaths filled the hall.
"—The filial descendant breaks the basin!"
Standing before the coffin, Senju Tōma slammed the ritual basin in his hands onto the ground, shattering it in a sharp crack. He immediately knelt, and wails erupted throughout the hall.
Tobirama had no children of his own.
By custom, the duty of breaking the basin naturally fell to Tōma.
After burning spirit money and completing the rites—
"Lift the coffin!"
Four strong Senju clansmen hoisted the coffin onto their shoulders. Each of them was among Tobirama's closest blood relatives—his nephews.
Gongs and drums sounded as the procession moved forward.
The route deliberately passed through Konoha's main streets, giving the villagers one last chance to bid farewell to their Second Hokage.
Tobirama's reputation in Konoha had always been exemplary.
Though stern and unsmiling in life, his contributions to the village were undeniable.
It could even be said that without Senju Tobirama, there would be no Konoha as it existed today. Hashirama may have founded the dream, but the grueling work of building the village from nothing had all been shouldered by Tobirama.
The streets were packed.
Villagers stood on both sides, faces drawn with grief, tears streaming freely as they offered their final respects.
"Sensei… travel safely."
"I will protect Konoha."
Hidden among the crowd, Sarutobi Hiruzen wept openly. His life had been bought with Tobirama's.
"Sensei…"
"Waaah… I wanted to see you off one last time…"
Beside him, Shimura Danzō was equally stricken with sorrow, his heart filled with regret.
The moment word of Tobirama's funeral spread, Hiruzen and Danzō had gone together to the Senju compound. As Tobirama's disciples, they had volunteered to help carry the coffin—if allowed, they would even have taken on the role of breaking the basin.
They were driven out instead.
Senju clansmen, acting on Tōma's orders, expelled them before they could even see Uzumaki Mito.
To put it bluntly—without the burden of Hiruzen, Danzō, and the others, Tobirama would have escaped long ago.
Tōma knew Tobirama's strength better than anyone.
And besides—who did these two think they were?
Even if every Senju were dead, it still wouldn't be outsiders like them carrying the coffin.
Utterly shameless.
Tōma had wanted to curse them out personally, but the dead took precedence. Out of respect for Tobirama, he swallowed his anger.
The procession moved slowly through the streets, finally arriving at the cemetery, where the coffin was lowered into the prepared grave.
Wails rose once more.
Senju clansmen knelt one by one, bowing deeply before the grave.
After the formal rites concluded, the attending relatives and guests stepped forward to pay their respects. They did not kneel—each placed a white flower before Tobirama's tomb.
And then came the most important part of the funeral.
The banquet.
A grand banquet.
The Senju clan set up over a hundred tables just to seat all the attendees. It must have cost a fortune.
Yet compared to the condolence money received, it was practically negligible.
The most expensive part of the entire funeral was that golden jinmu coffin—six hundred thousand ryō, nearly equivalent to an A-rank mission.
All other expenses combined barely reached one million ryō.
But the condolence gifts totaled over sixty-three million ryō.
In the end, the sum was split fifty–fifty between the Senju clan and Konoha.
Such generosity wasn't for the Senju clan head—it was for the Hokage.
If Tobirama had been only the Senju leader and not Konoha's Second Hokage, the funeral would never have been this grand.
Even so, more than thirty million ryō still ended up in the Senju clan's coffers—a considerable windfall.
Uchiha Nan, however, couldn't care less.
He was busy devouring dish after dish at the banquet, eating with pure satisfaction.
Given his status, no one would dare rotate the lazy Susan while he was picking food—unless they wanted to stop surviving in Konoha altogether.
The chef in charge was undeniably skilled. The food was on par with that thirty-thousand-ryō feast he'd attended before.
Glasses clinked constantly at the tables.
A Senju funeral meant that everyone present was someone of status and influence. Gatherings like this were rare, and many used the opportunity to expand their networks.
The setting might have been inappropriate—
But that didn't matter.
Tobirama had lived with value.
And even in death, he continued to serve.
He would surely be smiling beneath the nine springs.
The daimyo's eldest son had already raised a cup and struck up a conversation with Uchiha Nan.
The newly appointed Uchiha clan head—powerful, influential, and a potential candidate for the Third Hokage—was more than worthy of such deference.
Nan naturally seized the opportunity. The two chatted amiably, much to Senju Tōma's displeasure.
The era of Senju Tobirama had ended.
Konoha had no choice but to face the future.
And standing before the village now was its most urgent question—
Who would become the next Hokage?
A few days later, a meeting concerning the Third Hokage was convened in Konoha.
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