Under the Sun

Chapter Twenty Two

Re-entering Konoha made Seiichi burn with nostalgia. Regret pressing at his back, he stayed on his guard. He walked about the village to familiarize himself with any changes that were made during his absence and was pleased to find that most everything was the same. The Kage's stony faces still protruded from the mountainside. They watched over the village, seeing far into the distance. And the Hokage's tower was still the tallest building.

It was noon and a constant drizzle fell from the sky. The worst of the storm had passed through during the night. It left behind a series of flooded streets and muddy pathways. He saw children playing in the puddles that formed small pools along the road to the academy district. They jumped in and splashed one another. Their laughter rang out across the way, turning a few heads.

Seiichi spied a corner building with a wide overhang. He decided to wait out the rain. He wasn't fond of it or the cold that made his teeth chatter. But he found comfort in the urban scene, in spite of the dreary weather. He people watched while he waited. Passerby were cloaked in coats of different colors. Umbrellas were held high above heads, catching the rain as it poured from the sky. Rain had never stopped anyone from tackling a day's work. That much had not changed.

Seiichi tugged his coat around himself and pulled his open-fingered gloves further up his hands. Time flew by. A passing food kart stopped at the other end of the street. Seiichi ran up to it and purchased something to snack on. Then, he retreated to his corner. No one in the area looked familiar. This pleased Seiichi. He was afraid to be recognized. Luckily, even those that happened to stare didn't take much interest in who he was. Seiichi blended right in.

At some point later he concluded that he'd distracted himself more than was necessary. The daylight was going to disappear on him if he spent another hour hanging around like a stray dog. So Seiichi headed home. Along the way he questioned whether such a place really existed. It couldn't be so. At least not for him. He had become his father in every sense - a lone wolf, wandering the world for pleasure. The nomadic life suited him.

He came upon the Hyuga grounds, which were really just a group of elongated buildings with some gardens and a wide space used for training. The amount of people he saw there, living in one place, gave new meaning to the word overpopulated. Had there always been so many of them? Seiichi took his time approaching the gates. Every trace of damage accrued since the previous winter's blaze was all but gone. The transformation was incredible. He picked out more than a few familiar faces and saw some new ones which he did not recognize.

He'd convinced himself that there wasn't any point in being discreet and yet he hung back, waiting for the right opportunity to reveal himself. It came when Seiichi saw two men approaching the gate to relieve the current guards on duty. One of them he knew well. He was an older man, best known for his work with the new generation of the branch family. He'd helped Seiichi, along with a slew of other boys, hone some of their very first techniques. He looked good for his age but definitely overworked.

It was as good a time as any to face the inevitable. Seiichi stepped into the open where he could be seen by all. Both guards on duty saw him first. His old instructor did a double take. Eyes widening, he froze in place. The other guard blinked a few times, surely not believing that Seiichi was real. The unintelligent reaction made Seiichi roll his eyes. Yes, it's me, he thought. He wanted them to snap out of it already.

He came to a stop at the entrance and took his pack off and let it drop to the ground. He lifted his hands in surrender. Finally, the call was made. More of the Hyuga were alerted and their attention was diverted to the front gate. No one moved, not even Seiichi. He felt caught in a pivotal moment of time where he was not in control of what was going to happen. Then the calvary arrived. Seiichi sensed them before he saw them. The collective mood of his audience, shifted. They exuded an overwhelming sense of relief.