I walked deeper into the cemetery, my heart weirdly light, yet a stubborn sadness still lingered within. I moved slowly past the tall, grey tombstones, passing a few people who were visiting the graves of their loved ones in the quiet morning. As I went deeper, the cold mist thickened, swirling around the bases of the stone monuments until I finally reached my destination, Master Shuzo's last resting place.
Because he was a Sarutobi, his grave was located in a prominent section reserved for the clan's distinguished elders. The monument was a traditional, three tiered vertical pillar of weathered grey granite built to withstand the ages. At the very top, the Sarutobi family crest was carved deeply into the stone. The front of the pillar bore the formal family inscription, Grave of the Sarutobi Family. On the side, his specific posthumous name had been freshly carved. It was a long, rhythmic title that honored his wisdom and his mastery of the sealing arts.
Since his passing was recent, the ritual area in front of the stone was meticulously kept. A set of heavy stone vases held fresh branches of pine and white chrysanthemums, symbols of longevity and grief. A small stone basin, was filled to the brim with clear water, and a wooden ladle rested across its top. The offerings left by others were numerous. There were several small cups of sake, a pipe filled with fresh tobacco, and a stack of small, rectangular papers weighed down by a smooth stone. These were not just notes, but blank seal tags left by younger members of the clan, a silent promise to carry on his work.
Behind the stone, a row of tall, fresh wooden memorial tablets stood in a rack, their tops carved into the shape of five rings representing the five elements. The ink on them was still dark, inscribed with prayers for his journey and the names of those who had offered them. Standing there, looking at the symbols of the village and the clan, the reality of his absence finally felt solid. I reached for the wooden ladle, the water reflecting the pale, misty sky. I poured it slowly over the top of the stone, watching the grey granite turn dark as the water washed away the dust of the world.
I then walked back slowly and sat down on the ground, looking directly at the grave while my eyes stayed low.
"Hello Master, your student has come back from the Hidden Sand. I have gone through a lot, but as I promised, I haven't failed you. I was promoted to Chunin and even met the One Tails jinchuriki. The poor kid was suffering because of an insufficiently powerful seal that couldn't keep the beast from harming its host. Although the village might not have approved, I studied the formula and miraculously figured out how it worked. Even more miraculously, I actually adjusted it and helped that boy, allowing him to live a normal life. My understanding of the craft has reached a level where the advanced seals you left me are finally starting to make sense. I can somewhat use them now, and I am getting better at memorizing their complex structures and applications. I won't be lazy. I promise to comprehend the legacy you left me to help the village, then pass it on to the next generation when the time comes, as you wished."
I then stayed silent for a long time. I didn't feel like doing anything else but staying close to my master. Being in his company always felt comfortable and safe. He always knew what to do and how to teach me. He knew how to deliver any concept in a way that I got it immediately. He was wise and loved by all.
The mist grew even heavier as time passed, to the point where it felt like only the grave and I existed in this world, surrounded by pure whiteness. A smile touched my face as I pulsed chakra into my hand seal. A scroll puffed into existence, and I took up my brush to look over the complicated formulas I was working on. The Stormdrive array was a massive project. Progress had been sluggish, as every new stroke had to be perfectly compatible with those that came before, making the design increasingly difficult to develop.
However, I felt like it would somehow be easier. True to my intuition, the design of the seal formula flowed smoothly from my head. It felt like the good times where I worked on seals in silence, comforted by Master Shuzo's quiet presence as he worked on the village barrier seals, only looking over my work from time to time. Even now, I felt like he was still doing so. The moment I felt like I was about to make a mistake, I felt like a guiding hand corrected me as I flew through the complicated array.
Time felt ethereal as the world of white rotated around me, isolating my thoughts. I lost track of everything, completely in a trance, unaware of anything else but that small space cut into existence.
"You seal experts are something else," a distant voice came through the mist. It almost felt unreal, but it grew clearer as it continued. "I expected to meet you here eventually. I am glad that I visited now."
Finally, my mind started to focus on my surroundings. The cool mist around me started to evaporate as if it had never existed, and to my surprise, the sun was almost setting. The sky was colored in a hue of orange and red in a beautiful tapestry. I looked at the person who walked closer to me. He was Kenjiro, Master Shuzo's eldest son. I shot to my feet, cleaning my pants as I bowed deeply. "Kenjiro-sama."
He shook his head reproachfully, which made him resemble his father a lot. "We are practically family. You don't need to be so formal with me." A knot appeared in my throat as I appreciated his words. Usually when I visited, he was the one handling the family affairs. Master Shuzo had many children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren, yet they all looked to Kenjiro as the family head.
He looked at the grave and said in a serious tone, "Father left this for you." He took out a storage seal and gave it to me. I held onto the seal as I listened to him continue with an almost humorous tone. "Some of my brothers and sisters are actually jealous of you. He usually forgot who we were, but he often remembered you. He even made sure that we would promise him that we would deliver this to you. When my siblings complained, he just reprimanded them, saying they should have shown more compatibility with the sealing arts, or at least studied harder to compensate if they wanted to be seal masters and receive special messages from him."
He started to chuckle lightly. The lines in his aged face resembled my old master more and more. My heart constrained at the thought of Master Shuzo remembering me in his last days. I couldn't control my movement as I hugged Kenjiro, my eyes growing misty. I tried to control myself not to tear up and ruin his clothes. "Thank you, Kenjiro-san."
He patted my back gently as he replied with a smile, "That is more like it."
I then separated from him, feeling a bit shy at the sudden show of intimacy toward someone I was always formal with. However, he reminded me of his father so much at that time that I couldn't help it. He looked around and said, "I have heard that you have been here for a very long time. Thank you for keeping my father company, but you should go home and rest now. I will take over from here."
I bowed again as he continued, "And do visit. My siblings and I consider you a brother now, especially with how much my father valued you. So come over, some of my monkey-like brothers and sisters want to fight you just to establish dominance and hierarchy." He said that last part jokingly, making me laugh despite myself. I nodded as I promised, "I will visit," then I turned and walked away silently.
Once I reached the cemetery gate, I found that the priest had vanished. Even the flowers beneath the stone where he had played his music were gone, as if he had been a phantom of the mist. He was gone, and with him, the heavy burden he had lifted from my heart. I clasped my hands together in a silent prayer of gratitude for the peace he had granted me, then began the walk home, feeling truly thankful for the solace the day had brought.
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A/N: Sorry guys, but I have been pulling 12 and 13-hour shifts for a couple of days now, and I am deathly exhausted. I genuinely have no energy to do anything but schedule new chapters, and I'm barely even able to do that right now. I will be taking a 4-day break to recover my energy and will be back with a vengeance on Saturday! I promise you that the next stretch of chapters is absolutely insane and will change a lot of things, so look forward to it. Sorry again y'all, and I hope to see you soon in good health. Take care. Love you. Mean it <3