Chapter 568: How Can a Knight's Funeral Be Without High-Beam Headlights?

Konoha,

Thick layers of dark clouds shrouded the village. The streets, usually bustling, were eerily silent. Every household had hung white mourning cloth outside their doors as a sign of grief.

People walking the streets were dressed in plain black clothes, holding white flowers, spontaneously and slowly heading toward the martyrs' cemetery located in a corner of the village.

The usually desolate martyrs' cemetery was packed with ninjas and villagers who had come to see the deceased off. The sound of stifled sobbing rose from time to time, adding a touch of desolation to this farewell ceremony.

In front of the heavy monument of remembrance, Senju Feizhen, dressed in a pitch-black kimono, had a tense expression. Her gloved hands held a black-and-white portrait. Lowering her head to glance at her own photo, she felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity in her heart.

I'm attending my own funeral?

"Feizhen, it's almost time."

Just as Senju Feizhen was wondering how to mock this farce today, a gentle and virtuous voice sounded in her ear.

Senju Toka, who had just offered a bouquet of flowers before the monument, led a secretly weeping Tsunade to her side. Her pretty face, covered by a black veil, was filled with deep sorrow.

"I know."

Senju Feizhen looked around and discovered that among those who had come, besides her disciple Uchiha Kagami, there was no sign of the Uchiha clan. She felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

Not seeing that idiot Uchiha Izuna kowtow before her grave was the greatest regret of Senju Feizhen's life.

"Lower the coffin."

Nodding slightly, the Senju clansmen carrying the corpse of the Senju Tobirama clone parted the crowd and slowly lowered the black coffin into the pre-dug grave.

"Thud~"

As the first handful of soil was sprinkled onto the coffin engraved with the Senju clan crest and the Konoha symbol, the sorrowful atmosphere at the scene reached its climax.

"Wuu wuu wuu, Second Grandpa, don't leave me! I'll be obedient and be a good child!"

Young Tsunade finally couldn't hold back the grief in her heart. With a thud, she knelt on the damp grass. Bean-sized tears fell slowly, splashing ripples full of longing on the back of the young girl's delicate hands.

"Master! We have failed you!"

The F6, dressed in plain black, knelt in unison before Senju Tobirama's grave. Every face was filled with remorse; if it hadn't been for the master staying behind to cover their retreat, he wouldn't have died in a foreign land.

The other clansmen who had followed Senju Tobirama in battle for many years were also tearful, and some even fainted on the spot due to excessive grief.

Witnessing this scene, Senju Feizhen felt a complex mix of emotions; he could be considered the first person to attend his own funeral.

"Huh? That is..."

While still feeling deeply emotional, Senju Feizhen suddenly discovered two tall figures standing under a large tree in the corner of the martyrs' cemetery. With her excellent eyesight, she recognized who they were at a glance.

So they really came?

The complexity on Senju Feizhen's face vanished, replaced by a hint of curiosity due to the unconventional attire of the two.

"Big Cousin, why did you drag me to attend that white-haired guy's funeral? The family is waiting for the banquet!"

Under the large tree far from the crowd, Uchiha Izuna looked at the solemn and respectful crowd with an unreadable expression. He tugged uncomfortably at the long scarf wrapped around his neck. The exaggerated silver ornaments hanging on his tight black leather jacket clattered due to his restless movements.

"And this outfit, are we here to be clowns?"

Uchiha Gin, dressed similarly to Uchiha Izuna, slowly took off the motorcycle helmet he was wearing. His dead-fish eyes actually held an inexplicable sense of sanctity.

"Something is still missing."

He looked up at the overcast sky and said a nonsensical sentence.

"Rumble—"

The next moment, as if the heavens had received a calling, a harsh clap of thunder was followed by a light, drizzling rain.

"Now it's finally complete."

Uchiha Gin was very satisfied with the cooperative heavens. He immediately tucked his helmet into his waist and gave a look to Uchiha Izuna, who was standing to the side with a pained expression.

"Do we really have to do this?"

"It's a rare opportunity; if we miss this, we won't get another chance."

As he spoke, Uchiha Gin intentionally or unintentionally opened his leather jacket, revealing the bright belt at his waist. As his small hand tapped the switch on the side of the belt, the circular gem in the middle instantly erupted with a light like high-beam headlights.

The wattage was so high that he was afraid the people present wouldn't notice.

"What is that? So blinding!"

"Mom, I see the light!"

Seeing that everyone was attracted by his light, a few smug expressions appeared on Uchiha Gin's face. He patted the shoulder of the Izuna beside him and spouted nonsense with a straight face.

"Little Cousin, Kamen Riders are beings that can bring light to humanity in the darkest of moments!"

Knowing he couldn't win against his big cousin, Uchiha Izuna had to compromise. He raised his hand to pull down his cowboy hat, attempting to hide his identity, but his body was very honest as he unzipped his leather jacket to reveal the shining high-beam light worn at his waist.

"Snap!"

With a light tap on the side of his waist, an equally blinding light shot out, hitting Senju Feizhen, who had a murderous expression in the crowd, right in the face. Her scarlet eyes were instantly blinded.

Not only that, but a song with a strong rhythm also blared from the flashing high-beam light at Izuna's waist.

"The vast horizon is my love"

"This music... why am I shaking uncontrollably?"

The crowd, upon hearing the BGM, was briefly stunned before gradually being influenced by the strong rhythm, starting to nod and sway.

"THOSE! TWO! BASTARDS!"

Her perfectly fine farewell ceremony had been turned into a massive grave-side rave by Uchiha Gin and his companion. Senju Feizhen wished she could smash her own portrait into their faces.

"Big Cousin, are you a poet!?"

Izuna, who was clumsily imitating Uchiha Gin's pose, was shocked by the BGM from his own belt. Noticing the unfriendly gazes from the surrounding Senju clansmen, he immediately turned his head to question the main culprit of this incident.

"Huh? Where is he?"

The result left him feeling cold; Uchiha Gin, riding his motorcycle, had already sped away, disappearing into the curtain of rain, leaving not even a trace of exhaust.

"I haven't gotten on the bike yet!"

Izuna spread his hands, his bitter face full of the helplessness of a middle-aged man.

Is there any emotion more fragile than brotherhood?

"THIS! UCHIHA! GENTLEMAN!"

Just as he was feeling dejected, a ghostly voice sounded in Izuna's ear. The familiar aura instantly triggered his conditioned reflex, and he clutched his kidneys tightly with both hands.

"Don't take my kidney!"

Only after seeing who it was did he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Phew... so it's you. How are you just as sinister as your dad?"

"Since you're here, aren't you going to kowtow?"

Senju Feizhen glared fiercely at the curly-haired guy who had run away, her beautiful eyes landing on the evasive Uchiha Izuna.

"I came in a hurry and didn't even bring flowers. I'll definitely make up for it next time."

Unobtrusively turning off the switch at his waist, the grave site returned to its previous solemnity. Uchiha Izuna feigned regret and shook his head, indicating that his heart was willing but his strength was lacking.

"It's fine, chrysanthemums are flowers too."

Senju Feizhen suddenly raised her hand and pressed it onto Uchiha Izuna's shoulder.

"Don't!"

A flash of blue light passed. Before the panic on Izuna's face could even rise, the two figures landed in front of Senju Tobirama's grave.

"Thump~"

With Senju Feizhen's intentional adjustment, Izuna, who had been transported by the Flying Thunder God, saw stars and almost couldn't stand steady, landing on his butt in front of Senju Tobirama's grave, offering his old chrysanthemum.

"It's the Second Clan Leader's Flying Thunder God Jutsu. She really is Master Tobirama's own daughter."

After showing off a little, the surrounding Senju clansmen, who had originally doubted Senju Feizhen's identity, were instantly convinced.

Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Jutsu was unique in the ninja world; unless he taught it personally, it was basically impossible for anyone to master it.

"Not bad. To be able to cultivate the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to this level at this age, you are stronger than your old man."

In order not to look too pathetic, Uchiha Izuna immediately adopted the posture of an elder, looking at Senju Feizhen with a face full of gratification.

"Are you done with the pleasantries? It's time to kowtow."

To avenge the prank, Senju Feizhen was determined to make Uchiha Izuna kowtow to her.

"Feizhen, don't be naughty. Mr. Izuna was a good friend of your father's during his lifetime. Perhaps he did this to make the rain feel less sorrowful."

At this moment, a gentle, jade-like hand reached out in front of the aggressive Senju Feizhen. Senju Toka, with a face full of sorrow, gave Izuna an apologetic smile.

"Who is his..."

Senju Feizhen turned red with anger on the spot. To say she was Uchiha Izuna's friend—such an extreme insult was extremely rare in the entire ninja world.

"Alright, be obedient,"

Senju Toka raised her hand and pressed it onto the head of the hopping Senju Feizhen. The dignity of an eldest sister-in-law instantly overflowed, successfully intimidating this niece who had appeared halfway through.

"Mr. Izuna, since you're here, please offer some incense."

Turning her head, she pulled three sticks of incense from the arms of the weeping Tsunade and handed them to the bewildered Uchiha Izuna.

"..."

"Alright."

Finally, the long-silent Uchiha Izuna took the three unlit sticks of incense, raised his hand to form the Tiger seal, and scorching fire-attribute chakra rose from thin air, igniting the tips of the incense. Wisps of blue smoke drifted away.

"Phew."

Seeing this scene, Senju Toka felt relieved in her heart. Currently, the two pillars of the Senju clan were either dead or missing, and the family was at its most vulnerable. At this juncture, they must not fall out with the rising Uchiha clan.

Moreover, the relationship between the two families was not as stiff as the newly returned Senju Feizhen thought; the higher-ups actually communicated frequently, and they were only one step away from becoming one family.

Turning her head to look at the gloomy Senju Feizhen, Senju Toka nodded secretly.

After returning, she must give this eldest niece a good lesson, let her visit Gin's house often, and get close to that little aunt who was living under an assumed name.

And maybe pick up some New Year's money to help with household expenses.

"White-hair..."

Crouching before the grave of Tobirama Senju, Izuna Uchiha, holding three incense sticks, suddenly felt a bit dazed; in a flash, it was as if he had returned to many years ago, his vision filled with two young boys standing over the creek with blades held horizontally.

"Tobirama Senju!"

"Izuna Uchiha!"

"Clang! —"

Today, the water of the Nanhechuanhe still flows slowly, not having stopped its pace due to the ravages of time, but of the two children who stood confronting each other with blades back then, only one remains.

An inexplicable sense of emptiness instantly flooded Izuna's heart, bending his once-upright spine into a decadent arc; the look of disdain often carried in his eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a bit of the vicissitudes and loneliness unique to the elderly.

"I still haven't decided the winner between us."

Gently shaking his head, the hunched Izuna Uchiha slowly inserted the three half-burned incense sticks before the grave of his former nemesis, saying nothing more.

The surrounding Senju clansmen could clearly perceive his tragic emotions and took the initiative to clear a path, watching that lonely figure disappear into the curtain of rain.

Hizhen Senju watched Izuna's departing back, somewhat lost in thought; she had not expected that the nemesis whose kidneys she had been stabbing for years would reveal his true feelings before her grave, and that undisguised mutual appreciation gave her a sense of inexplicable emotion.

If not for the hatred brought by war, they might have been childhood friends catching fish and playing by the Nanhechuanhe, encouraging each other to grow, and eventually becoming life-and-death friends fighting side by side.

"Hizhen, Hizhen!"

The voice of Toka Senju interrupted Hizhen Senju's thoughts; turning to look at the leveled grave, she knew what she had to do.

Stepping forward, the white-haired girl holding her own portrait bowed deeply to the remains of her clone, and the dense crowd behind her also bent their waists in turn.

"Lord Izuna."

Before the grave, as a sensitive Uchiha, Kagami could read the loneliness in Izuna Uchiha's departure; that man, like a lion, might sink into despair now that he had no rival.

"Hiruzen, are you prepared?"

"Kagami, what are you talking about?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, kneeling before his teacher's grave to repent, frowned; he could hear the subtext in his friend's words.

"The Hokage's life or death is uncertain, the Assistant to the Hokage is in his prime, so what qualifications do I have? You, on the other hand, are you ready to take the baton?"

"In this matter, it is not up to us to decide."

Kagami took a deep look at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his gaze sweeping unobtrusively over the surrounding ninjas who had come to mourn; looking at each familiar face, a bitter smile played on the corners of his mouth.

The ninja alliance, which once relied on unity to survive, has now grown to the point where it can compete with the Senju clan.

Outside the martyrs' cemetery,

Izuna, walking out slowly, saw at a glance Gin Uchiha, who had abandoned him; the other was leaning leisurely against a motorcycle, a lollipop of unknown flavor hanging from his mouth, making smacking sounds as he ate.

"Big cousin! You actually ran off and left me alone."

"I was creating an opportunity for you to say goodbye; no need to thank me."

Looking at his indignant little cousin, Gin Uchiha sucked on his strawberry-flavored lollipop with an expression of having done it for his own good.

"I have no interest in seeing off that hateful white-haired one."

The pride unique to the Uchiha was displayed vividly at this moment; even if he could see the deep sorrow in his little cousin's eyes, it did not affect his stubbornness.

"Alright, alright, since the memorial service is over, it's time to go back and eat the funeral feast."

If we are any later, we won't make it in time for the eight-treasure rice.

Due to the motorcycle restriction order recently issued on the streets of Konoha, Gin Uchiha, who wanted to show off, had to push his cool motorcycle and walk back to the clan grounds with the preoccupied Izuna.

"Big cousin, I don't want to be Hokage anymore."

Suddenly, Izuna, walking behind, said something that surprised Gin Uchiha, startling him so much that the lollipop in his mouth fell out.

"Hiss, are you alright?"

Holding the Hokage throne was a hard target set by Madara Uchiha with a wave of his hand back when he was still around.

The fact that his little cousin, in whom he had placed high hopes, was secretly designated as the next successor had long been an open secret in Konoha.

"If I can't order that white-haired one around, then what use is this Hokage position to me?"