"What do you all think?"
Yagura's voice pulled everyone back to reality.
Some of the crowd, feeling an inexplicable itch brush across their faces, took a step back, squeezing out of the gathering to stand off to the side.
Elder Genshi licked his dry lips before speaking, "And what will the festival be called?"
Yagura ran a hand over the lantern he was holding, nodding at the positive response. "This lantern is called a Kongming Lantern, but you can also call it a Sky Lantern."
"As for the festival... it shall be called the Sea Lantern Festival."
The Land of Water was, after all, a nation of ports.
Across the vast sky and sea, people could release their sky lanterns, sending them towards distant loved ones.
As the lanterns floated into the night, they illuminated the darkness like a rising moon—bridging the gap between those separated by the ocean, allowing them to share in its glow together.
"Kongming Lantern... Sea Lantern Festival..." Elder Genshi murmured, lowering his head in thought.
A senior shinobi of Kirigakure spoke in admiration, "A fine name."
...
Yagura gathered the materials for the lanterns and approached the group of craftsmen. With the eager curiosity of a child, he humbly asked,
"Masters, could you teach me how to make one?"
If anyone had been most moved by the beautiful vision Yagura had just described, it wasn't the people of Kirigakure, who lived and worked in their homeland.
It was the craftsmen of the Land of Artisans, who now lived in a foreign land.
Thinking of their families, friends, and clansmen still back home, these middle-aged men—forty to fifty years old—felt their eyes sting. The delicate lanterns in their hands suddenly seemed unbearably heavy.
Hearing the young Mizukage say he liked the idea and wanted to learn, the master craftsmen wiped their eyes and broke into genuine smiles.
They turned back, rolled up their sleeves, and prepared to demonstrate their expertise.
But wait—hold on.
Why were they all rolling up their sleeves at the same time?
Who even said they were all needed?!
There was only one student, yet four teachers.
"Of course! It's simple!"
"A mere lantern? I'll teach you, no problem!"
"The lantern you were holding just now? I made that!"
"Nonsense! Anyone can make a lantern! I can make one bigger and fly it higher!"
"Your nose is running, go wipe it first!"
The craftsmen practically shoved each other aside, scrambling for the honor of teaching the Mizukage. They nearly broke out into a scuffle right at the warehouse entrance.
The younger onlookers clenched their fists in excitement. Though the craftsmen were too busy arguing to notice, they, too, had been deeply moved by Yagura's words.
And since their Mizukage was taking the lead, they weren't about to be left behind—they wanted to learn as well!
The older officials, more experienced in the ways of politics, saw an even bigger picture.
From Yagura's description alone, they understood that if this Sea Lantern Festival were to become a tradition, it could wield tremendous influence.
Especially in Kirigakure, where warmth and camaraderie were in short supply, and cohesion was lacking.
Kirigakure's people needed this.
Even in a shinobi village where military strength was paramount, a unified force—a people and their warriors standing together—was far stronger than a fractured community.
Since their Mizukage was setting an example, it was only natural for them, as high-ranking officials, to follow suit and lead by example.
The Minister of Resources was the first to move. He immediately approached the warehouse clerk and began filling out a materials requisition form.
"Miss, the materials Lord Mizukage requested—give me a set first!"
The warehouse clerk, a sentimental young woman, had been listening in the whole time. She was so caught up in the moment that she barely registered the minister's words before snapping back to reality.
"Ah! Right!" she stammered, flipping to a new page in the logbook and pushing it toward him. "Here you go!"
The minister quickly scanned the number Yagura had written down, then multiplied it by four, filling in a request for twenty sets of materials.
Handing the form back, he instructed, "Process it immediately."
The warehouse staff wasted no time, tearing off the request slip and springing into action.
"Yes, sir! Please wait a moment!"
"Hold on, miss—one more thing!"
The Minister of Resources called after her. "Bring everyone from the warehouse out here!"
"Huh?!"
Yagura stopped him, chuckling helplessly.
"We only have four masters teaching. If we bring too many people, they won't be able to handle it."
The craftsmen immediately nodded in agreement, fixing sharp glares on the minister.
Teaching the young Mizukage? They were happy to oblige.
Teaching everyone else? Not interested.
"Fine, fine..."
Even without summoning the entire warehouse staff, the spectacle of the Mizukage, elders, and over a dozen department heads gathered outside the warehouse was enough to draw attention.
Once they received the materials, chairs, and tools, each master craftsman ended up with about five apprentices.
Kirigakure's top officials sat awkwardly on the ground, fumbling through the delicate process of crafting sky lanterns under their instructors' watchful eyes.
Accustomed to handling national affairs, they now found themselves struggling with this hands-on task, their clumsy efforts earning them no shortage of embarrassment.
Winter days were short, and the sun set early, dimming the light.
By the time evening approached, not a single one of them had successfully completed a lantern.
Meanwhile, the craftsmen, despite taking time to teach, still worked at a brisk pace—producing a finished lantern every thirty minutes with ease.
By the end, all twenty lanterns were made solely by the masters.
Yet, Yagura was satisfied. If nothing else, it proved he wasn't alone in his lack of skill.
If they were bad at it, they just needed more practice.
"Alright, alright, clean up and call it a day! We'll continue tomorrow!"
The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, though some were reluctant to stop. A few stubborn ones refused to admit defeat, determined to keep trying.
"The sky isn't completely dark yet... We can still play a little."
Yagura picked up one of the lanterns, carefully opening it before stepping forward. Under the full moon, he held it high.
"Here, someone light it. I remember you know Fire Release."
Mangetsu scoffed at his friend's casual reliance on him.
"Do you have to be this practiced at asking for favors?"
Still, he snapped his fingers, producing a small flame at his fingertip and lighting the candle at the lantern's base.
"I almost forgot I could do this."
Zabuza, quick on the uptake, grabbed a lantern of his own, grinning. "The more, the merrier."
Yagura gave him an approving nod, ignoring Mangetsu's quiet grumbling. He tilted his chin, signaling the others to follow suit.
As the only one present with Fire Release, Mangetsu had become the sole "capable one."
The flames within the lanterns flickered to life, their warm, orange glow radiating hope.
As the heated air filled the lanterns, they began to rise.
Yagura let go, and the first lantern ascended, marking the beginning of the night's spectacle.
One by one, twenty sky lanterns floated into the darkening sky, illuminating the night in their small corner of the world.
...
The next morning.
Yagura arrived at his office right on time—only to be met with a group of expectant eyes.
"Yo, good morning."
After finalizing their decision the previous night, Yagura wasted no time getting to business.
"Alright, let's get to it. Aside from urgent matters, everyone else, let's discuss how we'll establish Kirigakure's Sea Lantern Festival."
Those with pressing work buried themselves in their tasks, while the rest eagerly took their seats, ready for the meeting.
But as Yagura opened his mouth to speak, he hesitated.
"Wait a second... Which department handles cultural affairs?"
Silence.
Kirigakure never had festivals before.
The entire shinobi world didn't celebrate the New Year.
New Year's Eve was just another night, with people simply noting the passing of another year before continuing on with their lives.
Likewise, there were no other holidays.
Yagura had been Mizukage for months, yet he had no idea which department was responsible for this.
Everyone exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows and nudging each other.
Nobody was certain who was in charge of cultural matters.
Finally, Elder Genshi spoke.
"As a matter of fact... We do have a Ministry of Culture."
...
Yagura: Shocked!
"Kirigakure actually has a Ministry of Culture?!"
Everyone else: Even more shocked! "Wait, we have colleagues in that department?!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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