Konoha New Year’s Eve.
The village central plaza was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners.
Red lanterns hung on both sides of the stage.
Konoha’s Five Elders—Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Hikaru, Hashirama Senju, and Tobirama Senju—sat in the front-row viewing area.
After the Hokage delivered his opening address, the Konoha Village New Year’s Gala officially began.
For this gala, the relevant Konoha departments had held open auditions for hosts.
Four candidates ultimately stood out: Senju Mōna, Uchiha Tekka, Hyuga Rin, and Nara Masao.
Sarutobi Sasuke had spent a considerable sum to invite some of the more famous singers and performers from the shinobi world.
For many Konoha residents, this was their first time seeing such celebrities in person.
They watched with rapt attention, applause rolling in wave after wave.
At first, Tobirama had been rather engrossed in the performances.
New Year’s Eve was the only time he could truly relax.
Over the past year, he had gone from fighting the Uchiha on the battlefield with real blades to struggling against them politically within the village.
Unfortunately, the Senju had been thoroughly suppressed.
Konoha’s public opinion and political correctness had elevated the Uchiha to near-divine status.
Even the schools—that last bastion of innocence—had not been spared by that wicked Uchiha Hikaru.
The Konoha Publishing House’s curriculum was laced with Uchiha propaganda, constantly preaching that the Uchiha were a clan of great love and compassion.
As for the Senju, his naive brother paid no attention to any of it.
Sister-in-law Mito was equally unreliable.
The Senju clan could only rely on him alone, struggling to hold on.
On stage, program followed program.
Song and dance performances, instrumental music, theatrical skits and acrobatics—the people of Konoha, bathed in the New Year atmosphere, set aside the toil and exhaustion of the past year.
The four hosts took turns emceeing.
Senju Mōna: “Thank you to the previous performers for that wonderful presentation.”
Uchiha Mie: “The Warring States Period of the shinobi world was consumed by flames of war.
Clans large and small fought for years on end, and the people suffered greatly.
The peace and stability we enjoy today did not come easily.”
Hyuga Rin: “The Senju and Uchiha were bound by a thousand years of misunderstanding and pain.
But hatred finally has its end, and understanding will eventually arrive.”
Nara Masao: “The following program will recreate the scene of these two clans setting aside their grievances and joining hands, interpreting the true meaning of the Will of Fire.”
All together: “Please welcome the performers.”
The stage lights dimmed, then rose again.
A group of students dressed as Senju and Uchiha walked onto the stage and began performing the historical drama. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
And then came the scene Tobirama least wanted to see in his entire life.
A group of students reenacted the battle between the Senju and Uchiha from that day.
The actor playing Tobirama Senju—Mitokado Homura—appeared on stage for only one second.
He was kicked flying by the actor playing Uchiha Hikaru—Shimura Danzo.
And then he lay on the ground for the entire remainder of the scene, not even showing his face.
The rest of the drama depicted Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Izuna, and Uchiha Hikaru surrounding Hashirama Senju, followed by Hashirama’s defeat.
The actor playing Uchiha Madara—Sarutobi Hiruzen—walked toward the Senju, extended his hand to Hashirama, and offered peace.
Then came the famous scene of Madara threatening to take his own life, and Hashirama stopping him.
When the actor playing Hashirama—Utatane Koharu—delivered the line: “Madara, I accept,” it marked the moment when the two strongest clans of the Warring States Period made peace.
In the end, the two clans joined forces and founded Konoha.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Tobirama’s face was ashen.
How dare this whelp humiliate him so!
Damn you, Uchiha Hikaru!
He felt as though he had been publicly executed before the entire village.
The more seriously the students performed, the worse his expression became.
Tobirama could feel that his standing in Konoha had taken a fatal blow.
The way the clan heads of the Mitokado and Utatane clans had looked at him moments ago was deeply unsettling.
Tobirama turned to look at his brother.
Hashirama Senju was completely unbothered—he even led the applause.
Tobirama looked away and stared silently at the stage.
“Sigh.” He sighed inwardly.
“My life has been like walking on thin ice.
Will I ever be able to lead my clan to the other side?”
On stage, host Nara Masao stepped forward again, his voice resonant and warm:
“Peace is hard-won, but nothing soothes the heart like the warmth of everyday life.
A bowl of ramen holds the gentleness and warmth of Konoha.
Next, please enjoy the skit: ‘Let’s Eat Ramen Together.'”
As a beloved national dish of the shinobi world, ramen had broad appeal.
The audience perked up at the mention of the title.
The stage set was simple—a small house, a low table, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks.
A man in Konoha shinobi attire pushed open the door and entered, travel-worn and weary.
He removed his tool pouch, took off his mud-caked shoes, and stepped inside, calling out to the house: “Honey, I’m home.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
A woman emerged from the kitchen, carrying a steaming bowl of ramen, and set it on the table.
“Dear, Happy New Year,” the woman said.
“I was waiting for you to come home to eat.”
The man sat down at the table, lifted the bowl, and took a bite.
He looked up and said with a smile: “Nothing tastes as good as home cooking.
Only after finishing this bowl of ramen does it truly feel like New Year’s.”
The shinobi in the audience fell silent.
Many lowered their heads and quietly wiped away tears.
They had been too busy with missions to tend to their families.
Some hadn’t been home for months; others were still on the road even on New Year’s Eve.
The bowl of ramen on stage struck the softest part of their hearts.
Among the crowd, a young boy named Ichiraku Teuchi watched with unusual intensity.
He was still a student, lacking any talent for becoming a ninja.
His grades were average, and he had even failed a few subjects.
When his teachers asked the class what their dreams were, the other students all said they wanted to become Hokage.
He didn’t know what his dream was.
He too wanted to bring joy to people, but he knew—he could never be a ninja, let alone a Hokage.
But today, Ichiraku Teuchi felt he had found his dream.
It turned out that ramen could also make people happy.
He decided right then: after graduation, he would learn to make ramen.
Hikaru-sensei had once said: Whether you are a Hokage or a commoner, as long as you bring joy to people, you are carrying on the Will of Fire.
Happy moments are always brief.
Konoha’s Village New Year’s Gala came to its final program—the student choir performance of “One Konoha Family.”
The children stood in rows on stage, dressed in their matching school uniforms.
The lead singer was a girl with twin ponytails, her voice clear and young.
Young, innocent voices sang of peace, of hope, of freedom, of equality.
At first, only the children were singing.
But soon, the audience began to hum along.
The sound grew louder and more unified.
When the song ended, applause and cheers rang out for a long time.
And so, Konoha’s first Village New Year’s Gala came to a perfect close.