Chapter 28 — Fireworks of the New Uchiha
Thousand Nights had never harbored hostility toward the village nor any resentment toward the villagers themselves.
In his eyes, the people of Konoha did not dislike someone without reason,
nor did they hate anyone without cause.
The reason the villagers once showed malice toward the Uchihawas entirely due to the hidden guidance and manipulation of Konoha's upper echelon the same distrust born after the era of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju,
who believed the Uchiha's Sharingan was rooted in hatred.
But fortunately, that era of suspicion was beginning to change.
Another thing worth remembering Konoha was originally a village founded together by the Senju and the Uchiha.
Yet now, the once-great Senju clan had nearly vanished from the village.
By that logic, Konoha's foundation still stood upon Uchiha hands.
So what was wrong in saying that Konoha, at its roots, still belonged to Uchiha blood?
Since the village and the clan shared the same origin,
the first step was to make sure the Uchiha were no longer treated as outsider to let them truly integrate with the village once more.
It was for this reason that Thousand Nights decided
to hold the upcoming fireworks festival within the Uchiha district three days from now.
That location choice was no coincidence by bringing the villagers to Uchiha lands,
he hoped they would see for themselves that the clan was not cold,
not cursed, not dangerous just people like everyone else.
This time, the festival had a clear theme: celebration.
But what were they celebrating?
Naturally, it was the rebirth of the Uchiha. After three months of reform and reconstruction, the clan had gone from lifeless and divided to vibrant and unified once again. No longer did they wear expressions of gloom or isolation now, hope and laughter had returned to their streets.
This fireworks display was for every Uchiha.
It was a declaration of their new beginning!
For that reason, Qianye did not hesitate to invest one hundred million ryō.
The entire clan compound would be illuminated,
the arrangements lavish enough to astonish even the wealthiest merchants of Konoha.
---
Soon, three days passed.
As dusk descended, villagers began to gather near the Uchiha district,
flocking in endless streams to secure good viewing spots.
After all, this was no ordinary fireworks event rumor had it that it cost hundreds of millions of ryō!
A festival of such scale might only happen once in a lifetime.
For many villagers, this was their first time stepping into Uchiha territory. They looked around curiously at the clan's grand walls, its lantern-lit streets, the calm smiles of its residents.
In the past, poisoned by malicious whispers,
most believed that though the Uchiha lived in the same village,
they were people of a different world cold, distant, and bound by pride.
But now, standing here beneath the bright paper lamps,
hearing laughter echo from the stalls, the villagers slowly realized
Everything here felt just like the rest of Konoha.
There was no difference at all.
Some enthusiastic members of the Uchiha clan smiled warmly and took the initiative to greet the villagers who entered their district.
Sure enough rumors were just rumors. Not all were credible after all.
At eight o'clock in the evening, under the collective gaze of Konoha's citizens, the long-awaited fireworks festival officially began!
Shuu!
Bang!
Boom!
Strings of fireworks shot into the night sky, blooming in succession above the village.
Under the dark velvet sky, countless colors burst forth reds, blues, and golds painting the heavens like spilled ink from a celestial brush.
The villagers erupted in cheers, their laughter echoing through the air. For the first time in years, the Uchiha district was filled with joy rather than suspicion.
Off to the side, a group of young shinobi had also gathered to watch the display Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Sarutobi Asuma, Mitarashi Anko, Moonlight Hayate, and Yūgiri Yūgao.
"Kakashi!" Guy grinned, folding his arms. "I didn't expect someone as stoic as you to come watch fireworks!"
Kakashi said nothing. He merely tilted his head upward, the reflection of the fireworks shimmering in his lone visible eye.
Behind that blank expression, there was a quiet melancholy.
He had been here once as a child back when the Uchiha still sold their famed dango in the streets and Fugaku's patrols guarded Konoha's western sector. But after Obito's death and the growing rift between the Uchiha and the Hokage's office, he had never returned.
Now, standing here again, memories of the past stirred faintly in his chest.
"Asuma," Anko said suddenly, her tone casual but teasing, "still thinking about Kurenai?"
Asuma scratched his beard awkwardly. "Yeah… but lately she's been busy. Every time I stop by, she says she's got something important going on."
"Oh… I wouldn't know much about that," Anko replied with a forced chuckle, averting her gaze.
She had promised Kurenai she wouldn't mention her frequent meetings with Thousand Nights.
Boom!
Another wave of fireworks rose into the air and burst into a pink heart-shaped pattern, painting the night sky in warm color.
A collective "ooooh" swept through the crowd. The atmosphere shifted soft, romantic.
Couples exchanged loving glances beneath the glowing sky; some held hands, others embraced.
Nearby, Yūgao Yūgiri closed her eyes and leaned gently toward Moonlight Hayate. The meaning was obvious.
Flustered, Hayate mustered his courage and leaned in only to be overtaken by a fit of coughing.
Cough, cough, cough!
The tender moment shattered. Yūgao opened her eyes, disappointment flashing briefly across her face.
Hayate's cheeks burned with embarrassment; he wanted to disappear into the ground.
"Ahh…" Asuma sighed dramatically. "Even under fireworks this beautiful, I've got no one by my side. Life's cruel."
Then he looked at Hayate and muttered, "But honestly, it's worse for that poor guy. Having a beautiful woman next to you and still suffering like that… what a waste."
He paused, frowning slightly. "And Yūgao's such a kind girl. If she ends up with him, she'll just suffer."
Asuma's expression turned protective like the son of a Hokage should be, though Kakashi only rolled his eye in quiet contempt.
He thought to himself, So much for a Jonin's intuition, Asuma. You still don't see what's really going on tonight.
Because for sharp-eyed shinobi like Kakashi, it was obvious this festival wasn't just a celebration.
It was a message.
An announcement disguised as festivity.
The fireworks that cost over a hundred million ryō were more than just spectacle they were a declaration from the Uchiha clan.
Through the color and sound that lit up the sky, they were saying:
"Uchiha has returned."
It was both a celebration of rebirth and a subtle warning to those in power.
Only a clan with wealth, influence, and unity could stage something of this scale.
And Kakashi knew that as Uchiha's influence grew stronger under Thousand Nights' leadership, tensions with the village council and even the Hokage's office were bound to rise again.
He sighed inwardly and glanced at Asuma.
Our 'Prince of Konoha' still doesn't realize he's watching history shift right before his eyes.
---
The fireworks gradually dwindled, and the night returned to darkness. One by one, villagers began to leave, smiling and chatting about the grandest celebration they'd ever witnessed.
For most, tonight's memory would last a lifetime.
But just as the sky dimmed
Boom!
A final explosion of light tore through the night!
The crowd gasped as a new pattern blossomed above them a cartoon silhouette of a man and woman leaning against each other, framed by a heart.
This was no ordinary firework. It was clearly custom-made.
"Huh?" Asuma blinked. "Is it just me, or does that woman look a lot like Kurenai?"
Anko: "..."
Even Kakashi's visible eye twitched in disbelief.
He didn't need his Sharingan to see the irony—Asuma, so preoccupied with his pride and romantic ideals, had just been publicly "greened" by the very woman he adored.
He sighed silently.
Poetic justice… or maybe just karma.
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