[Hokage] Summer Festival

When they saw the faces of Asi and Lizi again, they stopped talking and smiling to each other.The immature face of twelve or thirteen years old was dirty and covered with dust and blood.His eyes were closed tightly, as if he couldn't wake up no matter how he screamed.

——It's not as if, it's true that I can't wake up no matter how I scream.

And there was nothing he could do except watch over their corpses and weep silently.

He heard a voice calling "Xia Zi" behind him, it seemed to be a companion from another team, judging from the voice, it was probably some distance away.

Not daring to look back, he quickly raised his hand to wipe away the tears from his eyes and cheeks.

Ninja Experience No. 20 Five Points - As a ninja, no matter what the situation, you must not show your true feelings, you must put the mission first, and you must not shed tears no matter what happens.

Ah, now, the ninja experience has been memorized more than anything else.

It's a pity that the tears in my eyes are like the water of a fountain, and I can't wipe them away no matter how I wipe them off.Although I kept telling myself not to cry, don't cry, but there seemed to be a faucet in my eyes that couldn't be turned off.

You can't face other ninjas like this.

Today, I don't want to be questioned any more.

The voices behind him gradually approached, and they were worrying about how to face them, when they suddenly felt a warmth surround their backs, and a familiar breath brushed their faces:

"To block other eyes, cry."

Slightly low, with obvious comfort, gentle, and reassuring voice.

I couldn't help being absent-minded for a moment, only to feel that the violent heartbeat slowly calmed down, and the man turned around in his arms, only the verdant green of the Konoha ninja vest was in sight.Buried his head in his chest, no matter how the tears raged, it didn't matter.

I have never had such a wonderful feeling at this moment - the heartbeat of the man next to my ear seems to be more beautiful than any other sound in the world.

"Hey, why is Shuo Maosang here?"

I heard a ninja say doubtfully.

The voice above the head answered irrelevantly:

"Let's go back to the camp first, just leave it here."

Clutching the Ninja Uniform on his arm, he was relieved when the footsteps gradually faded away until he could no longer hear them, and finally dared to cry out.

There was always a big hand stroking the back, like an elder comforting a child who was crying because of an accidental fall.

But it's not just as simple as "accidentally falling down".Knowing that today's bloodstain will not heal even if it takes a lifetime.

It felt like a long, long time passed. He raised his head, took a few deep breaths, and said slowly to him word by word:

"They were like their own children."

His palm passed through the hair, and the strength of the hug was very light, and the originally soft tone was even deliberately relaxed at this moment, like catkins falling in spring:

"know."

Just this sentence, infinite understanding, infinite love.

***

After returning to Konoha, I have been busy all the time. I don't even know what I am busy with. I always feel that there are many things to do, and I always feel that I can't let myself relax.

The time spent with Sakumo Hatake suddenly decreased, and he had no objection to this, he was still gentle and gentle, and his eyes were full of tolerance when he smiled slightly.It’s just that sometimes the moon is on the treetops, and only the street lamps emit a pale halo of yellow light under the night. Going home from elsewhere, I saw him standing quietly leaning against the trunk of the ginkgo tree at the door, with a few strands of silver hair falling from his forehead, fluttering lightly. Next to the cheeks that are not wearing a mask, they are particularly conspicuous under the light.

Like a painting of depression and loneliness.

When I asked him if there was anything wrong, he always smiled lightly and said:

"It's okay, I just want to see you."

Then he walked to his side and gently urged:

"Go in, it's late, go to bed early. It's time to go back."

He would always look into the house before leaving. On the stone path leading from the front yard to the main house, he wanted to look back at him several times, but he held back in the end.

I don't know what I can't live with.

When I first came back, I went to Asi and Lizi's house.When their parents learned the bad news that their children had died in battle, their expressions of extreme sorrow and pain were like a sharp arrow piercing their hearts.To this day, I can't forget the dead silence in Lizi's mother's eyes.

But they didn't respond to a word of blame, and they didn't think the teacher was at fault in any way.Asi's mother forced a smile out of the tears she couldn't hold back, and said, choked with sobs:

"It is also an honor for him to be able to sacrifice for the village."

That smile, how should I describe it, probably anyone who sees it will cry for it.

But it was her words that shocked her.Mingming is heartbroken, and obviously suppressing the pain so hard, why can he still say such words so smoothly.

——It is his honor to be able to sacrifice for the village.

But I never felt that the sacrifice of the students for the village was something to be proud of.I would rather not be so proud, even if I would be punished by mission failure.

At that moment, I realized more clearly-they are the real ninjas.The values ​​​​of the ninja world are still difficult to agree with.

Looking at her, I felt very complicated in my heart, and I didn't know what to say.

In July, the morning glory blooms particularly vigorously. The purple-red flowers climb the fence, like colorful funnels filled with sunlight.

Anbu asked to go to Hokage's office, and after passing by, he saw Xiaochun and Kadoyan as no surprise.I heard that the three of them were teammates in a small team when they were young, which is great, they are still old partners after so many years.How many ninjas didn't even have the chance to talk about the year with their teammates.

"Third generations, Mr. Koharu, Mr. Kamenyan."

Xiaochun handed over a document and said:

"Let's meet, my new student."

The hand holding the paper tightened, not wanting to open the document in his hand at all, staring at a corner of the page in a daze, without making a sound for a long time.

Probably seeing this appearance, Hokage asked kindly:

"What's wrong? Is there any difficulty for Xia Zi?"

Then I heard Menyan's voice saying:

"Although it is not the graduation season of the ninja school, the guide of these three children, Jonin, died in a mission not long ago. Let's continue to teach these children instead of him."

I closed my eyes, and the last faces of Lizi and Asi flashed in my mind. After I opened my eyes, I looked away from the paper. For some reason, my voice suddenly became a little hoarse:

"No more students."

Xiaochun looked at it as if he didn't hear clearly.

Repeated again:

"No more students."

Then she frowned, and the expression in her staring eyes became more and more serious.

Hokage was smoking a cigarette, and the white smoke lingered in the air.Men Yan's expression is not very good-looking either.

He is a relatively submissive person, but sometimes he insists on certain things that he can't even explain clearly like a fool.

After a while, Xiaochun opened his mouth and said:

"Xia Zi, don't be willful."

Her voice was flat and calm, like an elder teaching a younger generation who made trouble for no reason.

Menyan pushes glasses:

"Ninja Tips No. 70..."

"never mind."

Hokage interrupted him suddenly, and said with a benign smile:

"Since Xia Zi is unwilling, forget it."

Hokage has always been a good elder who is kind and tolerant.

"Is it because you still have a grudge about the sacrifice of the students on the battlefield?" Xiaochun said.

Her usual flat tone made her heart tingle, and she couldn't hold it back for a moment before blurting out without thinking:

"How could the teacher understand..."——feeling.

The voice stopped abruptly because she saw a slight loosening of the expression on her face, although it was a fleeting change, but she was sure that she read it correctly.It suddenly occurred to her that she knew it—every one of the students she had taught, except for Xia Zi (in his eyes, was Xia Zi), died on the battlefield.

She understands the loss of a student better than anyone.

Bow deeply to Hokage and the others, bid farewell and leave.

***

In the early morning of the next day, I was fascinated by the names of Lizi and Asi in front of the memorial monument.Someone came up behind him and called "Teacher Xia Zi", retracted his hand touching the stele, turned his head and said:

"Mr. Zhiwei."

Of the former student, only the young man next to him is left.

Last month's Chunin exam, the young girl from the Younv's family lived up to expectations and passed smoothly. He has been able to lead his team to perform tasks independently as the captain, and he no longer practices with him in normal times.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't even prepare a gift to congratulate me on being promoted to Chunin," he said.

Then he looked down at the memorial tablet, thought for a moment, then curled up his mouth and laughed at himself:

"Speaking of which, he is actually an incompetent teacher, and in the end he failed to teach us anything great."

He stood by silently, not knowing what to think.

It wasn't until he turned around to leave that he heard him say:

"I always thought that ninjas were born for war. I was taught this way when I was young. I was full of longing and anticipation for going to the battlefield. But I realized later that war should not be exciting. Even if it is for the village, the sacrifice of companions is not Of course."

"Ninjas should be born to end wars."

"These are taught by the teacher."

It was as if the soles of his feet were filled with lead, and he couldn't take a step forward. His heart was spinning a thousand times, and a thin layer of mist suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, and he looked at him in surprise.

The young man put his hands in the pockets of his coat, and the sunglasses mirrored the light of the morning sun. The young man seemed to be emotionally mature, and said very seriously:

"Teacher, do you still remember the agreement of the four of you, no matter who dies in battle, those who survive must not be sad for a long time."

"Ah, like Ashiko, I think it's great to be a student of Teacher Natsuko."

The sun on the distant horizon is getting brighter and brighter, so bright that it makes me want to cry.

The author has something to say: the author is dead in the graduation thesis. . . . . .