darknovel Chapter 282 The whole village is in an uproar! The day the hero returns!
Chapter 282 The whole village is in an uproar! The day the hero returns!
Under the golden sunlight that seemed to melt everything in the central plains of the Land of Fire, the massive army completely merged into one, transforming into a long black dragon winding across the land, slowly swimming towards the familiar outline at the horizon.
The joy of victory and the excitement of reunion, after fermenting overnight, did not dissipate, but instead settled into a more profound and steady strength.
That was no longer simply the killing intent honed from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
It is a sense of belonging called protection.
The closer you get, the stronger the familiar scent in the air becomes, a blend of earthy fragrance and the aroma of everyday life.
That's the aroma of roasted meat, the scent of freshly turned earth, and the smell of sunshine on bedding.
That's the taste of home.
The previously solemn atmosphere within the group began to stir uncontrollably.
Many young ninjas couldn't resist peeking out, past their companions, searching for something at the edge of that green expanse.
Even the veterans who have been fighting since the Warring States period gradually relaxed, their tense bodies loosened, their fingers that had been gripping the hilt of their swords loosened, and the hard lines on their faces, etched by years of wind and frost, began to soften.
Kushina Uzumaki's long red hair danced wildly in the wind, like an inextinguishable flame.
She excitedly grabbed her cousin's sleeve and shouted with all her might:
"Nagato! Look! Is that Konoha? It's so big!"
Nagato, being pulled along, also peeked out from behind the cover, revealing half of his head.
He watched quietly, gazing at the village in the distance, gently embraced by the endless forest.
The towering walls, like the arms of a giant, guard everything within. In the center of the village stands a massive rock formation carved with human figures, appearing solemn and sacred in the sunlight.
He had never seen such a magnificent and vibrant village.
On the other side beside them, Yahiko and Konan were equally stunned by the scene before them.
"Master...that is..."
Yahiko's mouth was agape, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time, and he instinctively gripped Jiraiya's hem.
Jiraiya, unusually uncharacteristically frivolous, crossed his arms and grinned, his white hair gleaming brightly in the sunlight.
"That's right!"
His words carried a heartfelt, unprecedented pride.
"That's our home, Konoha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked at the very front of the group.
He didn't turn around, but he could clearly feel that the heartbeats of everyone walking side by side with Hatake Sakumo and Mitokado Homura, as well as the core high-ranking members behind him such as Tsunade, Danzo, and Uchiha Kagami, were gradually becoming hotter.
Just then, an unusual, enormous sound, like a tidal wave, faintly came from the direction of the village.
The sound grew louder and clearer, eventually merging into a deafening torrent.
It wasn't a battle, an explosion, or the roar of any ninjutsu.
Rather, it was a... pure cheer that brought together the most fervent emotions of tens of thousands of people.
"Ooo ...
"Heroes!!"
"Hokage-sama—!!"
"Welcome home!!!"
Cheers, shouts, children's screams, and old people's cries mingled together, creating the most beautiful symphony in the world.
When the group arrived at the massive main gate of Konoha, everyone stopped in their tracks.
The area in front of the gate was packed with people.
Countless colorful flags fluttered in the wind, bearing the dual logos of Konoha and Uzumaki, rustling in the breeze.
The petals were tossed into the sky, weaving together into a dazzling rain that fell gently in the golden sunlight, landing on the shoulders of the returning ninja.
The entire Hidden Leaf Village was in an uproar.
Kushina Uzumaki's mouth opened into an "O" shape, and her beautiful purple eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.
"Wow... Wowaaaaah..."
She wanted to say something, but found that her voice was as insignificant as a pebble falling into the ocean amidst the deafening roar, unable to even create a ripple.
Nagato, standing behind them, was terrified by this scene she had never witnessed before.
His small body instinctively shrank back, clutching his sister's clothes tightly. His quiet black eyes reflected the fluttering flowers and ribbons, filled with confusion and helplessness.
This is not the world he knows.
There was no cold rain, no muddy ground, no hunger or fear.
Only... an overwhelming, almost meltingly hot kindness and fervor.
Yahiko and Konan, who were equally stunned by the grand scene, were now even more speechless.
Yahiko looked up at the children, who were about his age, riding on their father's shoulders, waving their little flags and shouting "Welcome home!" in their childish voices with all their might.
He watched as those scenes, once only existing in the teacher's words, like a dream, became reality.
So... so there really is such a place.
Xiao Nan tightly gripped a freshly folded paper lily in her hand, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.
Her gaze fell on an elderly woman with white hair.
The old woman wiped away her tears with her sleeve and tremblingly handed the flower wreath in her hand to a travel-worn ninja who walked past her.
The ninja silently accepted the wreath and bowed deeply to the old woman.
Xiao Nan's heart was instantly filled with an indescribable, burning emotion.
The front of the line.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped in his tracks.
He looked at the sea of revelry before him, a sea of smiles, tears, and cheers, and at the faces flushed with excitement.