[Hokage] A rose in mourning for the summer moon

The development of all things has traces to follow.

Once, when I was walking on the streets of the clan land, an older man stopped me.From his beard and domineering eyes, people can easily judge that he is one of the elders of Uchiha.If you want to say who can be more domineering than a Uchiha, it must be the elder of Uchiha.

"Xiayue," he said in an inexplicably familiar elder tone, "when do you plan to become a Chunin? We are all very optimistic about you."

I don't know why, so I just took it as an old man's idle gossip, and politely expressed that I would work harder and make persistent efforts to become a Chunin, add chaijiawa to the family, serve the village, and contribute to world peace.

I thought I had taken care of everything, and the words should be very appropriate, but the clan elder frowned, obviously not so satisfied.

"village--"

He draws out his voice.

"Xiayue, the ones who have taken care of you all these years are from the clan, right? Back when Longping was still there, we didn't drive him away just because he had a different surname. Later, Zhijiang and her... the clan also made justice deal with it. Could it be that you still have any dissatisfaction?"

I was even more baffled, so I could only randomly reply with words like "I dare not dare", "Great kindness and great virtue, I feel the five inner feelings".These questions and answers are all routines, casual talk, no need to take it seriously.Otherwise, do I have to argue with them one by one, telling how they laughed at his father back then, and how they deliberately ignored Zhijiang's actions?Many people saw the incident of her poisoning, but they put it off until the incident happened before pretending to uphold justice, just because of the sharing eyes.

The clan elder couldn't hear my slander, so he showed a relieved smile.

"The family is very optimistic about you. Among the young people, after Shisui, there are only a few of you children." He said meaningfully, "You must work hard and don't embarrass the surname 'Uchiha'."

I did feel a little strange at the time.According to talent, according to the speed of promotion, according to the calmness of personality, anyone can say that itachi should be the most outstanding among the younger generation of Uchiha, right?Shisui is certainly a well-known genius, but Itachi is 6 years younger than him, so he can be compared with him. Shouldn't this child be the most optimistic and mentioned?

After thinking about it, I finally guessed that it must be because the clan elders disliked Itachi.Itachi is the son of the patriarch, and the patriarch and the patriarch have always had some rifts.The adults' secret struggles for power and profit will affect the younger generation to some extent.

Also, probably Itachi's character is really not suitable in a big family.I don't want to say that his personality is "bad", I only want to say "inappropriate", which means that it is not his fault that he doesn't get along well.

That child Itachi—that person, he behaved politely and couldn't find anything wrong with it, but that was only on the surface; he had his own opinions on what to think and what to do, and he would never listen to other people's opinions easily. Even the elders of the same clan can't suppress him by age, and they are likely to be half-dead by his superficially respectful but in fact disapproving demeanor.

What big families like most is obedient juniors, even if they are not so smart; for talented but rebellious young people, they are very likely to be regarded as thorns in their eyes.What's more, they not only hated him, but also said that he was disgusted because he "didn't fit in with the group" and "refused to consider everyone", and they should be punished.

Besides, that kid is very serious and stubborn.If he can act like a baby, make jokes, pretend to be stupid when it’s time to play dumb, and make everyone happy, even if he does his own way, some people are willing to support him. After all, he is extremely talented, and Uchiha has a tradition of admiring the strong; but he is not.

He doesn't even understand his parents and is unwilling to please him. He never acts like a baby, never complains; he is often expressionless, and only the quietly opened Sharingan reveals how violent mood swings he has experienced.Those blood-red eyes would only open with sudden, intense sadness.

The clansman may be relieved for a few days.It’s not because Uchiha has another pair of eyes and more power—no one doubts that Itachi will open Sharingan—but, they discovered that Uchiha Itachi really has the emotion of “sadness” , he breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn't help sighing: he is still in the human category after all.

But, soon, people forget this comfort.Because Itachi is getting stronger day by day, the improvement of strength brings the improvement of status, and his words have weight; people can no longer pretend to ignore them.

I've seen the way the clansmen looked at him.It's different from when they looked at Shisui, and it's different from when they looked at me; they looked at Itachi, angry, because they needed weak anger to cover their inner fear.

——Is that guy really human?

I have heard such whispers.They say it with words, and they say it with their eyes.

Itachi never paid any attention to them.He just became more and more silent, and more and more lonely; all his true feelings were hidden deep, and he did not reveal the slightest.

The more he hides himself deeply like this, the deeper the estrangement between others and him grows; in the end, the estrangement turned into hostility, and then it gradually became the enmity between the tribe and him.

How strange, he is obviously the eldest son of the patriarch, the young man with the highest talent, who should have been the favored son of heaven, but in the end he has come to the point where everyone criticizes him.

Being rebellious and unruly is always a headache in the group, and probably I can only move out to live alone in the future.This is the conclusion I came up with at the time.Simple conclusion.

At that time, I really felt that this matter was complicated and complicated, and simple but extremely simple.Isn't it just that they have different personalities? What's the big deal?If you can't live together, then separate and go your own way; independent and free individualism is the general trend of modern civilization.It's not that I want to say bad things about Uchiha, but the so-called "high-pressure education" and "humiliating education" that I often witness make me deeply sigh. So far, Konoha has not published a book similar to "Toxic Parents" and "Toxic Parents". Books like "Family of Origin" are a miracle.

This can only prove that material civilization is still relatively backward, and people can't take care of their spiritual needs for the time being.

It’s that big of a deal—at the time, I really thought so.

Even after I started to participate in clan gatherings, and felt uneasy about the grievances that flowed in those dark night gatherings, I was still too optimistic and too naive, thinking that the worst thing was that the trees fell and the monkeys scattered, and everyone fell into trouble. fly.

God is sorry, all I saw was a group of disaffected, nagging, frustrated middle-aged people, without firm beliefs, careful plans, years of planning, and even discord.Only the group of frustrated middle-aged people firmly believed that they were not given the opportunity to be promoted because they were rejected by the village. The younger generation was very ignorant, and most of them only promised to promise, but they had no assertiveness.

Therefore, I always feel that many people in Uchiha died unjustly.Really wronged.Many of them are not even ninjas, but one or two people in the family are engaged in this job, and even they suffer.Among the ninjas of the same clan, many people, like me, did not take the coup / d'etat seriously.Who would take uncle's complaints seriously?I thought it was a mid-life crisis at most.

They did not die in rebellion.In the records of Konoha Anbe, it is said that the Uchiha clan was rebellious and brought about the genocide, but the truth is not the case.The truth is, it is precisely because they are too loose, did not seriously examine the crisis around them, and did not strive to grasp their own destiny, that they were pushed and shoved by a few people who were truly rebellious, pushed by fate and the trend, and walked on the road ignorantly. dead end.

Most of us are just too loose.

Under the shining surname of "Uchiha", most of them are actually just ordinary people.He is just an ordinary person who has neither great talent nor foresight.

me either.In essence, there is no difference between me and them, except for a little extra... luck.Lucky, I think.

The development of all things has traces to follow.

If I could have seen it so clearly from the very beginning, I would feel that everyone is drunk and I am sober. Unfortunately, these naive and sentimental comprehensions do not come late until after the tragedy.That's when all those in the know can point their fingers at it and express some clever insights.Only when you are in it can you understand that human beings are far less intelligent than they imagined.

I don't have boundless wisdom; I only have boundless optimism.I went to a ninja school when I was 5 years old, and I finished all the cultural courses that year. I mastered the skills required for graduation at the age of 7, but I didn't graduate until I was 9 years old.

Itachi once asked me why.I say because I am well aware of my strengths and weaknesses.I said, I am not a real genius. If you want to go far, you must walk steadily, and you must slowly hone your taijutsu and ninjutsu in order to go step by step.

He smiled when he heard this statement.The time we have known each other is getting longer, and his smiles are also increasing, even if it is just a little upward arc of the corners of his lips, and the silent and soft sparkle in his eyes.That was indeed Itachi's smile.

"So that's the case. It is indeed a very knowledgeable approach." He said, "Please come on, student Xia Yue."

It is such a natural, gentle and considerate support, with sincere appreciation.I am very happy, but also a little moved.So, how could someone accuse Itachi of being arrogant, indifferent, and self-righteous?What a thoughtful man he is.He has always been a very considerate person.

I graduated at the age of 9 and became a ninja. I honestly did tasks. I could play cats chasing dogs and deliver mail and bodyguards.After dawdling until the age of 11, he was urged by his family to submit the application for the Chunin Exam.Some people see me as a typical child, others despise me as a coward.

"Obviously many people graduated from Ninja School when they were eleven or twelve years old."

Only in private, in the forest, when I was alone with Itachi, would I justify myself, and I would blow continuous flames at the lake to prove that I was indeed practicing solidly.

The water of the lake is slightly choppy, and the air is scorching hot.A pitch-black crow was parked on the treetops by the lake, looking at us tiltedly, as if deeply attracted by the light of the flame.

Itachi stared at the sea of ​​flames.When the crow landed on his shoulder, he raised his hand to touch the smooth feathers of the bird, and told it that the flame was not a precious stone, and could not be brought back to the nest.

"Crow was chosen as the psychic beast because its feather color is very similar to your hair?"

The child and the crow looked at me together.

"Student Xia Yue is joking again." He looked indifferent, and turned his head to glance at the bird on his shoulder.The crow spread its wings and flew away with a "hula-la".

"The Chunin exam is held every year. From my point of view, Xia Yue already possessed the strength of Chunin when she graduated the year before last, and the teacher who led the team was willing to recommend the exam, but Xia Yue herself refused."

"I know I can't hide it from you." I was a little awkward, and I would rather squat down and poke the water with a reed than look at him, "Didn't I just say that I am a steady player."

He stood quietly beside me.The grass surrounds him, the lake reflects him, and the shadow of the cloud passes by him.Beautiful tranquility.

Before my thoughts went too far, he made a move that I didn't expect.

The child raised his hand and placed his palm on top of my head.

The sudden move, calmly comforting.When I looked over blankly, I saw the smile in his eyes, just like the surface of the lake beside us; the water of the lake was slightly choppy.

"It's okay." He said, "Student Xia Yue doesn't want to kill people, it's okay. I can understand."

"but……"

"You can do what you want. Xia Yue can live according to her own ideas." He said seriously, "I will protect you."

It's a very serious look.It is very "Uchiha Itachi" kind of "very serious".

So serious—at that time, in my perception—his serious expression and words, so serious that I couldn't speak for a while.It will take a while before I can make a sound.

"Ah... I was comforted by a child." I felt awkward, even more awkward than before, and my cheeks were a little hot, "It's nothing, I know I have avoided it for long enough. Of course I will live according to my own ideas, Who said there is only one way to live well, protection or something, to protect a young and lovely child like Sasuke..."

Awkward to gibberish.What was said at the time, and whether it was said in my memory, I am not sure.I can only guarantee that I must have been incomprehensible at the time.

Because I remember his smile.Again, he smiled.It is the kind of smile that Uchiha Itachi would have, always slightly, lightly, with understanding, and tolerance born of understanding; it is to put oneself in the position of an adult and a protector, to reveal smile.

"I see," he said.

Know what, what do you know?Never clarified, never left only guesses and doubts.But, I was like, okay.

It doesn't matter.I'll have time to figure it out.

"Well, I will work hard. I have been cultivating hard for the past two years, so I didn't waste time." I replied, "The future is still long, so-so-long-"

We were both 11 years old.Only 11 years old.The gossip and vague complaints of the clansmen are just small things, and it is not uncommon to have them everywhere, and they will not hinder us.Our future is in our own hands.We are talented, conscious, and willing to work hard. If we go step by step, we will reach the end.

Later—later, of course, I would understand what blind optimism I had embraced.Come to think of it, when I was a child, I swore that I would rather be sober in pain than in ease and ignorance, but I have lived in ease and ignorance from beginning to end. Isn’t this the greatest irony?What I once thought was a "big little thing" eventually developed into a tragedy that changed the color of people who talked about it later, and became "really a big thing".

It's so ironic.too difficult.

Life is so difficult.