[Comprehensive] living to death

The day when her name was engraved on the monument was in the early spring of the new year, on a sunny day.The fourth generation held Kunai, and personally engraved the name on the gray-black stone tablet, drawing lines with soft sounds.

Shisui stood in the front row, watched Hokage's movements, and silently wrote her name stroke by stroke in his heart.When the fourth generation turned around, Shisui looked at it intently, but was dazzled by a spot of light, and saw only a dense group of stone marks.

Such a small piece of text, such a short process, is a person's life.

Zhishui couldn't see the words on the memorial tablet, so he wanted to look at the tombstone sideways.But the front tomb has been given to the predecessors who died in battle, while the one belonging to Mingyue fell behind, submerged in a black sea of ​​people, only a small open space was left around; white flowers.

He sighed inwardly, and decided to wait until after the memorial service to see her.But after thinking about it, I felt that there was nothing in the tomb, and the so-called "visit" could only comfort the living.

The number of people who came to the memorial service today was unexpectedly large.In addition to the familiar ninjas, there are also many ordinary villagers.Also, she was notified and buried as "the hero who destroyed the 'Akatsuki' organization", and "Akatsuki" attacked Konoha not long ago, so the villagers naturally paid more attention to this matter.

In the cool-toned cemetery, apart from the sunlight, Hokage's blond hair and the fiery red pattern on the white Hokage robe became the only bright colors in the world.

The fourth generation began to speak.Zhishui wanted to listen carefully, but perhaps the light refracted by the stone tablet was too dazzling, and before he knew it, he started to lose his mind.

He remembered a kind of flower called "chun".The camellia is gorgeous and graceful, with layers of petals scattered and overlapping, and it gradually blooms in the early spring when the cold still remains.According to legend, when it is in full bloom and beautiful to the extreme, it will leap off the branch resolutely in such a perfect posture.

Concentrate all vitality in the most beautiful moment, and obtain eternity in death; its name is "Luo Chun".

It is such a beautiful flower.

"so good."

There was a ninja whispering next to him, his voice full of envy and longing.

"I also want to die as a hero like Senior Mingyue, and then Hokage will personally engrave his name on the memorial monument, and pass it down from generation to generation."

……yes.

indeed.

Things like ninjas are very similar to samurai, walking on the edge of blades and death, longing for a decisive and gorgeous fall like a camellia.No, ninjas are worse; they are destined to be with the dark, but they are more eager to be remembered because of this.

As long as you die like a hero, then death is enviable, and even the grief of relatives and friends is covered with a poignant cloak.Only dishonorable death is abhorrent, just like Kakashi's father, who violated the ninja code and was forced to commit suicide, but was always pointed at after death.

The unknown lives, the prophet dies; this is the ninja.

"...As long as there are leaves flying, fire will burn." Hokage ended the last sentence.

The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only those who were truly heartbroken.Zhishui stood there for a while, and finally saw Mingyue's tombstone; the small stone platform was almost submerged in flowers.

If she knew, she would probably be proud of her high popularity.Zhishui thought suddenly.

Itachi was also standing there, holding his brother Sasuke by the hand.Just now the atmosphere was solemn and depressing, but now that everyone has left, Sasuke was crying out of breath.Meiqin also covered her face and shed tears, and Fuyue held her shoulders.The Uchiha patriarch didn't cry or speak; Itachi didn't cry either.

The two men stood there, as silent as two mountains.

As if sensing his gaze, Itachi looked at him.When their eyes met, the two seemed to understand each other's thoughts.Zhishui nodded at him, not intending to disturb their grief, turned and left.

Come back later and buy a bouquet of flowers.

Itachi seems to have completely returned to normal... No, since hearing the news of his sister's death, all his emotions have been done internally, only those kaleidoscope Sharingan, and his performance at the hospital that night, how much It can reflect how drastic changes his mood has actually undergone.

In the past, Shisui has always admired Itachi's forbearance and regarded it as one of his abyssal and unmeasurable talents.But now he suddenly felt that it was no wonder Mingyue was always worried about her younger brother.Such a forbearing and repressed character, it is easy to live a very hard life.

It's as if he suddenly changed from a friend to a brother-like mentality... No, maybe this is a mature expression?Isn't there a saying that boys of the same age always mature much later than girls, and this should also be true for him and Mingyue.

It's just that now that she's gone, it's time for him to get rid of his childishness in the past.For example, learning to take care of her brother like she would have done while she was around.

Zhishui originally wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers and came back, but for some reason, he walked into the forest on the northwest edge.There is an artificial lake there, and not far away is a shooting range for practicing shuriken; scratches are everywhere on the trees, and dry aerial roots hang down to the ground.

They used to come here a lot when they were kids.Later she would bring Itachi, and then Sasuke.But when Sasuke was able to run, their work had become very busy, and they didn't come many times.

Zhishui walked slowly to the lake.

Although it is early spring, the temperature is no different from winter for the time being.A large body of water gathered in front of him, bringing more coolness.The surface of the lake is very quiet, and it is almost impossible to feel the flow of water, but the water is still as clear as it was many years ago; Zhishui saw his own reflection in the lake.

The breeze blew a little wave on the water surface, and his image also shook.Zhishui stared at his own shadow, twitched the corners of his mouth, trying to show a relaxed and confident smile, but finally glanced down helplessly.

He looked at the reflection tiredly, and the reflection looked at him tiredly.

"...you can maintain a strong smile no matter what, you are still better than me, Mingyue."

Saying this to himself, Zhishui sat down by the lake as if giving up, and finally stretched out his arms, and fell down on the grass with a "bang".There was a gloomy and cold feeling coming from the ground below him, but he didn't take it seriously at all, he just watched the floating clouds in the sky.

It is said that people only like to recall the past when they are old, but Zhishui suddenly discovered that in such a quiet time when there is no one else to do, the memories of the past will pop up by themselves, and he does not need to spend the slightest effort to search.

How did they meet?

Tsk, I don't remember.Things like childhood sweethearts have something in common with old classmates, that is, we can hang shoulders together, chat and brag, and tell each other how many times they peed the bed and got beaten a few times when they were young, but they can't remember how they messed up in the first place. Cooked.

But Zhishui at least remembered one thing.When they were all very young, their personalities were not quite the same as they are now.

...That's right, that's it.It seems that at the beginning of the memory, that guy was a stubborn and sensitive little girl, and the thing she hated the most was practicing.Zhishui remembered that there was a scene where he ran laps with his father to warm up, and she was being scolded by her father under the tree; when Zhishui ran over, he glanced curiously, but was caught by the red-eyed man who refused to look away. The tearful little girl gave a hard look.

puff.

Shisui couldn't help laughing.

If he hadn't been very confident in his memory, he would have thought he had made a mistake.That brain circuit is extremely clear, he can put on a sincere face and then get angry when he speaks, he is extremely hardworking in cultivation, and his talent is amazing... Such a guy used to have that kind of youthful time.

As for himself, he seemed to be a very gentle and polite boy when he was a child... At least there must not be as much inner drama as now.So it was Mingyue's fault that it became like this.

A fallen leaf rides the wind.Before his forehead was hit, Shishui reached out and grabbed the leaf.He turned the petiole, and found that the leaf was only slightly yellowed, but most of it was still bright green, which symbolized vitality, and its shape was complete.

Did you survive the winter, but fall in early spring?

"It's a little... sorry." Zhishui said softly.

He lifts the leaves high and dangles in the wind.

"I said, Mr. Ye Zi, you can still continue to grow, right? You just fell off the branch without authorization, have you ever thought about the feelings of other leaves?"

"Just like the toon flower, why do you have to choose to drop it at the most beautiful time? 'Luo Chun' is really so great, is it worth everyone's pursuit?"

His voice suddenly became slightly hoarse.

"Obviously... living is the most important thing, right? Only by living, no matter what, can we accomplish other goals?"

"Didn't you keep clamoring to become Hokage... Didn't you say that you wanted to become a woman who stood on top of the world? In the end, even my important younger brother had to be taken care of by me. This kind of life is really anticlimactic."

The two of them grew up together.Practice together, go to school together, and graduate together by skipping grades.When she was punished with a bucket, he would be by her side; when he was depressed, she would buy two drinks from the vending machine, one for each of them.They caught up with the tail of the war and witnessed the cruelty of death.When his father lost a leg and was forced to withdraw from the ninja world, she was the one who offered to lend him his shoulder in the pouring rain, under the cloudy canopy of trees.

He always remembered what she said at that time.

——"Man is a strange creature. If he can only feel sadness, he will be devastated; but if he can feel some happiness, even a little bit, he will cheer up and work hard to go on."

The leaves flew away again on the wind; Zhishui covered his eyes.

Only when you close your eyes can you see her again, like the new leaves on the treetops or the flowers in the forest, healthy and bright, with a transparent brilliance in your eyes.

——"In order to protect themselves, people can be very forgetful, Shishui. The earth will continue to rotate without anyone, not to mention ninjas will definitely get used to 'losing', sooner or later."

——"Although I don't agree with it, maybe it's not necessarily what my teacher said. The so-called 'ninja'..."

Can't cry.to laugh.

Shishui still covered his eyes, but the corners of his lips tried to lift up.Because the so-called "ninja"...

"It's the one who has to be patient." He laughed and coughed, and choked, "And the greatest ninja is the one who can endure the most."

——"What a mess of theory!"

She once said so contemptuously, and made that white-haired legendary ninja jump in anger.

But life is like this, no matter how much you say you will not admit defeat and resist fate, there will always be times when people are helpless; for what has happened, human beings are powerless and have no choice but to endure.

But just like what she said... As long as there is a little happiness in life, people will continue to live to taste that sweetness.

"Ha... talking to myself here alone, am I a three-year-old child?" Zhishui got up, walked to the lake, and poured cold water on his face, "Don't laugh at me if you hear that, Mingyue."

"Let's go, I have to buy you flowers... But you don't seem to have any flowers that you particularly like?"

Zhishui suddenly remembered that Mingyue once said proudly that she likes all beautiful flowers, and if she wants to give her, she can give one of each kind.

He must have been a fool to think of sending her flowers on her birthday.

"Forget it, just buy whatever you want... The sunflower is ready."

Flowers that bloom towards the sun are also quite suitable for her.

He left the lake, left the forest, and set foot on the streets of Konoha again.Today's village is like every day in the past, full of fireworks and human atmosphere; joy, sadness, anger...all emotions exist at the same moment and under the same dome.

For a long time, some people have always misunderstood that they are lovers, and except for Zhishui's short-term relationship that ended without a problem, the two of them have indeed remained single.

He remembered the late autumn night when he was 15 years old, he drank two bottles of beer, and then told her very seriously, you are so beautiful.She laughed and said nothing.That night there was a moon, an owl cooing, and the sweet scent of flowers in the air; the ferret came to look for them, and the lights illuminated the shadows of the three on the way back.

Zhishui thought, perhaps the relationship of "lifelong best friends" is more suitable for them.

A wind chime is hung at the entrance of the flower shop, and it will jingle when you push the door.The flower shop of the Yamanaka family is very famous, Shisui doesn't need to pick too much, just ask the proprietress to help him choose a bunch of sunflowers and wrap it up.

"Shanzhong" is also a common surname.Shisui remembered that the proprietress also had a young daughter studying at the Ninja School, who seemed to be in the same class as Sasuke.This is his conditioned reflex when he is Anbu, and he is always sensitive to all kinds of information.

The proprietress took another look at his pure black clothes, hesitated for a moment, and asked one more question: "Are you sure you want sunflowers?"

"Yes, sunflowers are fine." Zhishui took the flowers, and there were still a few drops of crystal water on the petals, "Is there any problem?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing. It's just..." The proprietress's eyes concealed some careful sympathy, "The flower language of sunflowers is 'silent love'."

"..."

"Do you need another bunch?" she asked, "There is no extra charge."

The wind chime at the door rang again; a new guest came in.

"No, no need."

Zhishui smiled, thanked the proprietress for her kindness, and left the flower shop.

Some things, since they are silent, keep silent.Anyway, whether it is silence or love, it only belongs to the person who sent the flowers.

He just felt that Sunflower was really suitable for her.

That's enough.