Team Harmony

KC44: Sandaime and Yondaime

Later that week, all dressed in their mourning attire, Team Harmony met in front of the Hyuuga Estate before somberly making their way toward the top of the Hokage Tower. They were already on the verge of being late for Lord Third's services when they decided to stop waiting for Kakashi. Hinata had used her Byakugan to locate the Jonin and said nothing when she saw him standing at the reason he was always late, only urging her best friends to get going.

When they arrived, all of the shinobi in the village were standing in formation, though it was very informal, and the three took their positions at the front after Konohamaru waved them over. The young boy stood closely next to Hinata and she had her hand on his shoulder, knowing no words could help at the moment.

She looked forward at the pictures of the lost ninja from the invasion and was shocked to see Gekko Hayate's photo right there next to Lord Third. She couldn't possibly connect the dots between Hayate and Orochimaru. He hadn't been there to proctor the last stage of the exams, and she could only assume it was because he had already been killed. She concluded that he must have seen and heard something he wasn't supposed to. She clenched her fist tightly, angry at the needless killing that man was causing.

It was quiet. So eerily quiet that not even the sound of singing birds could be heard. It was as though the world had stopped moving when Hiruzen Sarutobi took his last breath. Out of respect and mourning, the entire village had shut down for today specifically. Last night, the civilians had held their own vigil in honor of their previous leader.

Kakashi had arrived just as it began raining, taking his place behind his team and looking on at more friends he had lost in his short lifetime. Most days he could go on, but there were days when it weighed heavily on his shoulders and he could barely bring himself to get out of bed.

No one moved an inch, allowing the rain to soak them down to the sadness in their bones, and this is when the service began. "We will begin the memorial service for the Third Hokage, who lost his life in this battle, as well as those who sacrificed themselves to protect our village," Homura spoke.

"I just don't get it," Naruto spoke softly, his voice barely heard by his team and sensei. "Why kill all of these people? Why leave my dad to suffer? All for...power?" He sighed. "I can't accept that."

"There's always going to be someone evil just for the sake of it," Sasuke replied. "Someone who doesn't care about who he has to crush. Orochimaru is one of those people."

"And we exist to stop people like that," Hinata added. "Sometimes they will come from the same place we do, and that especially makes it our duty to stop them." Truthfully, she didn't care about bringing Orochimaru to justice; she wanted him dead and that thought terrified her.

"We'll do whatever it takes," Naruto concluded.

*

At the end of the service, as people began dispersing after placing their flowers in front of the fallens' pictures, Konohamru broke. He held his face in his hands as he cried. Hinata got down on her knee and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It will be okay," she assured him gently. "I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but I promise that it will be okay." Konohamaru said nothing and only continued crying on her shoulder. "Remember that he is not gone, not truly. He still lives on within us, and especially within you. His hopes and dreams, they're with all of us."

"His will of fire," Kakashi said. "His will has been passed down to all of us."

Sasuke glared down at the rooftop. Will of Fire. It was similar to what Itachi had told them when Shisui died. The ones who attacked Lord Fourth belonged to the same group Itachi had defected to. Sasuke felt partially responsible for Minato's condition due to this. He just couldn't let it go, and he was afraid Naruto was secretly angry with him, too.