Watching the full moon slowly rise back into the center of the sky, and watching that cluster of azure radiance gradually vanish into the moonlight and night, the Fourth Raikage A, who had clenched his fists several times because of the moon's sudden changes, finally let out a long breath.
"The moon fell down, then rose back high Brother's smile came back alive"
Killer B, who had also stood beside him and watched the whole thing, struck an impromptu performance pose with a relaxed expression, fooling around in front of the Fourth Raikage, whose expression had only just eased.
Seeing Killer B acting as if the crisis moments ago, one that could have destroyed everything, was nothing serious at all, the Fourth Raikage's mouth twitched. Out of habit, he raised his fist and smashed it heavily toward B's head, roaring at him in irritation.
"Is this really the time to be so happy, B!?"
"Isn't it, Brother?"
Killer B grinned and dodged the Fourth Raikage's heavy fist, then sang back with a carefree face.
"The crisis of the falling moon is gone Our hopeless cooperation with Root is done Kumogakure's future path is clear We gained everything just by watching from here Why hang our heads and drown in fear?"
"How could it possibly be as easy as you make it sound, B…"
The Fourth Raikage pressed his fingers against his brow and spoke in an agitated voice.
"Everything that happened today has almost severed the ambitions we have accumulated all this time. As long as Rei Kaguya does not die, Kirigakure will forever remain the undisputed strongest power and ruler of the shinobi world… Father did not hand Kumogakure over to me just so it could fall into some neither-high-nor-low position among the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"He is only another First Hokage. Why must you frown so hard, Brother?"
Killer B extended his fist toward the Fourth Raikage A, and the words from his mouth carried a rare sincerity meant to comfort him.
"First came fire, setting rules anew. Next comes water, reforming all in view. The shinobi world's future cannot be fixed in one day. Clouds that nurture thunder may yet climb to the peak one day."
"Can we only wait, B?"
Raikage A raised his hand with a somewhat wistful expression and gently bumped fists with Killer B.
"Temporary retreat is better than rivers of blood, and thunderclouds scattered for good."
Killer B grinned, as if trying to pass the optimism in his heart to his elder brother.
"You really are optimistic…"
The Raikage shook his head helplessly.
"When family stands together, why worry we cannot go against the current?" Killer B's smile remained bright and confident. "With Brother here, Kumogakure will be the most united shinobi village. When all hearts work as one, destiny will answer in turn."
…
Iwagakure.
"Rei Kaguya… He truly is an enemy even more terrifying than Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju."
Onoki sighed and slowly descended toward Iwagakure, whose lights were being lit again below.
Seeing Onoki reveal such a rare expression of loneliness, the tall and broad-shouldered Kitsuchi took the initiative to walk beside the short old man, accompanying him toward Onoki's residence.
"Am I… already somewhat unable to keep up with the times, Kitsuchi?"
"Why would you suddenly think that, Father?"
"Perhaps because I have witnessed the official beginning of a second era of Hashirama Senju, and could not help remembering the fact that I am an old man who lived through even the previous era in its entirety."
At that point, Onoki stopped.
With countless emotions in his heart, he lowered his head and looked at the wrinkled, age-spotted back of his hand. Then he rubbed his faintly aching old waist and slowly sighed.
"A stubborn old man like me, who walked out of the chaotic Warring States Period, may truly have to bow to old age and admit defeat before this new era that is about to arrive…"
"But looked at another way, you once personally experienced and witnessed the turbulent age in which Hashirama Senju created the shinobi village system from the chaos of the Warring States Period. Such experience should be very helpful for Iwagakure's survival and development in the competition of the coming new era, shouldn't it?"
Kitsuchi bent down slightly and stretched out his large hand, far broader than his father's, placing it over the back of Onoki's hand.
With utmost sincerity, he spoke to Onoki, whose mood had fallen somewhat low.
"At least in my eyes, Father, whether in mind or strength, you are still far from the point where you must bow to old age and admit defeat."
"…If I continue sitting in the Tsuchikage's seat, perhaps the entirety of Iwagakure will become stubborn and conservative like me."
"Even if stone is a little stubborn, that is not necessarily a bad thing, Father."
Listening to Kitsuchi's particularly unambitious comfort, Onoki shook his head with helplessness written all over his face.
Then, looking down at the people below who were returning to their homes under the guidance of Iwagakure shinobi, a faint smile could not help appearing on his aged face.
"Forget it. Let me consider it buying some time for the children who will be born and grow up as the new era arrives…"
"It is wonderful that you can think it through."
"Enough of that. If you had even a little ambition, Kitsuchi, Iwagakure should have already entered the era of the Fourth by now…"
"Er…"
Kitsuchi laughed awkwardly, his expression stiff as he looked left and right, changing the subject with obvious unease.
…
Sunagakure.
"Has Gaara fallen asleep, Karura?"
"Yes. He is already asleep, and more quietly than ever before."
Although her complexion still was not very good, Karura, who ultimately had not died because of her difficult childbirth, walked out of her youngest son Gaara's room.
Looking at Rasa, who was standing beneath the bright moonlight and gazing up at the sky, she spoke with a gentle expression.
"When Granny Chiyo said the full moon could easily provoke a Tailed Beast's ferocity, I was worried that Shukaku might become restless… It is wonderful that Gaara can sleep properly."
"…Is that so?"
Rasa turned around.
With guilt on his face, he stepped forward and embraced the wife whose life had been saved only through a secret medicine resold to them from Amegakure's side. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"I am sorry. I made the wrong decision…"
"People will inevitably make mistakes, especially when it comes to matters where no one can predict the future," Karura said softly, gently stroking her husband's hair. "I also agreed to let Gaara become Shukaku's Jinchuriki. Do not take all the responsibility onto yourself, Rasa."
"But Gaara…"
"The era has already changed, hasn't it?"
Karura tightened her embrace around Rasa and spoke words that would have been mocked as naive in the past, but now possessed no small degree of feasibility in the future.
"If Sunagakure cannot solve this problem, we can still seek help through Akatsuki's platform. We can even ask the one who just stopped the moon…"
"But if we do that, wouldn't Sunagakure become too close to them?"
"Becoming a little closer to Kirigakure and Akatsuki, who are about to construct a new era, should not count as an unacceptable bad thing, should it?"
"…True."
After speaking, Rasa once again raised his head and looked at the bright moon in the sky, which was gradually returning to its original position.
He smiled bitterly at himself.
When facing the changes of an era, choices made according to past experience would inevitably be wrong at times.
Fortunately, the coming new era allowed him to use the methods of the new era to make up for this mistake.
…
Land of Water, Kirigakure.
The Kirigakure shinobi who had witnessed that scene, which could only be called a miracle, all burst into cheers.
They were cheering for their omnipotent Mizukage, and also celebrating Kirigakure's future, which now stretched before them like a broad, unobstructed road.
Many shops that had already closed for the night reopened one after another, providing places for the shinobi too excited to sleep after Lord Mizukage's miracle to cheer freely and pour out their emotions.
Perhaps because the joy was simply too infectious, the Konoha shinobi, whose hearts were filled with shock that still needed to be digested, were also pulled into today's revelry by the surrounding Kirigakure shinobi.
Although most of them were somewhat at a loss and wanted to refuse, when the black-haired man wearing ancient armor from the Warring States Period joined the cheering crowd with loud laughter, they could only swallow the refusals on the tips of their tongues and join this spontaneous celebration, half helpless and half enjoying themselves.
And outside Kirigakure, in the cavern where the Six-Tails lived.
Rei Kaguya, still dressed in a white magatama-patterned robe, stepped out from the brand-new space-time barrier created by the Tenseigan.
Smiling, he greeted Mei Terumi, whose face was full of surprise.
"Why do you look so shocked? Did you not want to see me right now?"
"…I thought you would return to the village first and further expand the influence of this incident."
"That can be done later. There is no need to rush for such a short while."
Rei Kaguya drifted lightly down in front of Mei Terumi like a feather in the wind.
Then he extended his hand toward her and smiled gently.
"Right now, I need to properly deal with something that has been delayed because of all sorts of reasons."
"Is it all right?"
"Is it not all right?"
"But I am only an ordinary person without any special bloodline… Is it really all right?"
"How do you think shinobi clans like the Uchiha, Senju, Hyuga, and Kaguya came into being?"
Rei Kaguya raised an eyebrow and pulled the motionless Mei Terumi into his arms.
Then he poked her suddenly stiffened slender waist.
Amid Mei Terumi's soft cry of surprise, he spoke with teasing written all over his face.
"Let me tell you this much. Right now, my chakra is practically zero, and my stamina is nearly gone too. The one and only chance in this life to beat me is right in front of you. So, do you want it or not?"
"Now!? Right here!?"
Mei Terumi's face immediately turned bright red, and even her words became stammered.
"Wherever you want, that is where it will be~"
Rei Kaguya gave a frivolous whistle.
Then he wrapped an arm around Mei Terumi's waist and, with movements as gentle as wind and clouds, brought her soaring into the clear, cloudless sky.
When she nervously hugged him tight, he laughed brightly.
"Look down, Mei Terumi! Together with me, embrace everything that belongs to me—"
"In this moment, I can be the freest and most willful person in this world, all for you!!!"