Chapter Forty-Eight: The Celebration of Peace

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.

During these days, news of the ceasefire at the front lines and the impending arrival of the Cloud Hidden emissaries to sign the peace agreement spread throughout the village like falling snowflakes. The dawn of peace was imminent, filling the entire Leaf Village with a joyful atmosphere; the streets were livelier than ever.

Early this morning, Hiruzen Sarutobi issued a Hokage decree: the Leaf Village would host a celebration to mark the arrival of the Cloud Hidden, a festival dedicated to peace. To that end, Hiruzen had specially invited every citizen and clan in the village to participate. Though Uchiha Li stood on a different side from the Third Hokage, he couldn’t help but admire Hiruzen’s approach.

In Li’s eyes, the celebration served two purposes. The first was the most basic: to dispel the heaviness of war through festivity, thereby uplifting morale. The village often employed such methods, though the reasons and occasions varied—sometimes commemorations, sometimes victory celebrations, and so forth.

But the second purpose was what truly earned Li’s respect for the Third. In the current situation, holding a celebration, especially one bearing the name of ‘peace’, offered Hiruzen countless advantages. As long as the agreement was signed smoothly and true peace achieved between the two villages, the accomplishment would be enough to solidify the Third’s position. Otherwise, once Minato Namikaze finished his convalescence, certain matters would inevitably need to be addressed. Acting as Hokage was, after all, only temporary; returning power to the Fourth was a foregone conclusion. Yet the timing of that transfer could be manipulated by various means...

“Yet life is unpredictable; things rarely proceed as smoothly as one hopes,” Li murmured inwardly, dismissing further thoughts and focusing his attention on the festivities.

It was nearing noon, and the entire celebration venue was packed with people. On the main stage, the Third Hokage sat in the place of honor, flanked by advisors Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. As for Danzo, stripped of his official duties, he now merely represented the Shimura clan, seated alongside the other clan leaders.

Li and Yao stood among the crowd below the stage, chatting idly as they awaited the arrival of the Cloud Hidden emissaries.

“Strange, why haven’t any members of the Hyuga clan appeared?” Uchiha Yao scanned the surroundings and noticed the absence. The venue was a sea of people, yet not a single Hyuga could be seen—not even the clan head, Hiashi Hyuga, nor any branch family members.

Li stroked his chin and replied, “The Hyuga must have something important today, so they’re celebrating within their clan.”

“But the celebration is a village-wide event. Even if there’s something major within their clan, it seems unreasonable not to participate at all,” Yao said, puzzled by the Hyuga’s behavior.

Li merely smiled, making no further comment. He remembered clearly: in the original story, the Hyuga had been absent under similar circumstances. It had coincided with Hinata’s third birthday; the entire clan had been celebrating for her, so none attended the village festivities. Most likely, their absence this time was for a similar reason.

“Let’s not dwell on it. I’m going over to Shisui to chat—do you want to come?” Li had spotted Shisui standing alone at the edge of the crowd.

“No,” Yao refused outright, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Didn’t you say he was sent by the village to monitor you? Why go seek him out?”

Li didn’t notice Yao’s expression, smiling as he replied, “I plan to try something with him.” Initially, he hadn’t intended to get too involved with Shisui, preferring to let things happen naturally. Yet, under the Third’s orders, Shisui had become increasingly involved with him. In that case, it was better to seize the opportunity.

If the Third could mislead Shisui, why couldn’t Li help Shisui see the truth?

“I see, then never mind...” Yao pondered, her gaze settling.

“What do you mean, ‘never mind’?” Li asked, wondering if he’d heard wrong.

Yao placed her hands behind her back and quickly replied, “Nothing. If you’re going to him, hurry up.”

Seeing Yao unwilling to answer, Li didn’t press her. Before leaving, he said, “Go home early. The killer still hasn’t been caught.”

He sighed, “Such a dangerous person—how is it possible no clues have surfaced?”

“Got it,” Yao responded, her eyes flashing as she shoved Li forward with a fierce demeanor.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop,” Li said, thinking Yao was annoyed by his lecturing, and walked toward Shisui.

Watching Li’s retreating figure, Yao pouted and left the celebration grounds.

Li soon reached Shisui’s side and greeted him, “With all this going on, shouldn’t you be on duty as an Anbu?”

Shisui was unsurprised by Li’s easy familiarity, hesitating briefly before replying, “Lord Third gave me time off, told me to rest for a while.”

Just then, excited shouts erupted from the distant crowd.

“They’re here! The Cloud Hidden emissaries have arrived, escorted by the Anbu!”

The atmosphere instantly grew lively, everyone’s attention fixed on the entrance. About a dozen Cloud ninja, escorted by Anbu, marched toward the stage, where Hiruzen and the others rose to greet them, offering every courtesy.

Li watched the scene, hinting to Shisui, “The Third is certainly considerate to his subordinates. If it were me, I wouldn’t let you rest during such an important escort mission.”

He paused, then said quietly, “But perhaps it’s for the best. After all, as an Uchiha, you might not be the best fit for this kind of task, right?”

Shisui fell silent, then objected, “Li, you misunderstand Lord Third. He never treats us differently.”

“Perhaps.” Li shrugged, letting the matter drop.

Seeing Li fall quiet, Shisui opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss.

“Enough, don’t overthink it.” Li shifted the topic, “Do you remember what I said to you a few days ago?”

Shisui quickly recalled, “About you inviting me for supper?”

“That’s right. If nothing unexpected happens, it’ll be tonight. I’ll come find you then.”

With that, Li fixed his gaze on the Cloud Hidden delegation atop the stage, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Shisui nodded in understanding, also turning his attention to the stage.

Now, atop the stage, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alongside the Cloud Hidden leader, Kamoi, exchanging greetings. Amidst the fervent atmosphere, the peace agreement was swiftly signed. The crowd erupted in wild cheers; the mood reached its peak.

Finally, Hiruzen delivered a speech, formally declaring the celebration open, and the venue boiled over with excitement.

Seeing this, Li lost interest. He bid Shisui farewell: “I’ll take my leave—remember to wait for my message tonight at home.”

Shisui nodded, watching as Li vanished from sight.

The celebration grew ever more spirited, but a faint shadow crept across the sky, unnoticed...