Chapter 180: Message
The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the lavish apartment shared by Alice, Jada, and Margaret. William was the only male present among them, as Jasper and Alexander were off on secret missions.
Although everyone had gathered numerous times to discuss recent events, the return of Hiruzen merited a deeper conversation. Alice settled herself comfortably on the floor, sitting cross-legged as she reached for Margaret's hair, admiring its beauty.
"You know, Marge," she said, her fingers gently brushing through the silky strands, "your hair is just so pretty. It's like a red waterfall."
Margaret gave a faint smile and said, "I don't do much with it, though."
"I think you should let me brush it more often," Alice smiled brightly. She grabbed a hairbrush from a nearby shelf and began working through the tangles. William was seated at the edge of a table, resting his elbows on his knees.
"It's crazy to think we're discussing that now," he began, glancing at the girls. "Hiruzen's back, and everything feels like it's about to change. What if he never died in the real story? Things would be so different in Konoha."
"Ugh!" Margaret said with disgust. "Did you just call it 'Konoha'?"
It was clear that when it came to English and Japanese phrases, not all Naruto fans agreed on the same thing. Jada, sitting on the couch with a notebook in her hands, nodded in agreement regarding Hiruzen's change.
"It's a little weird to think about," she said. "If Hiruzen had survived, he would have definitely continued to lead the village and guide it. I mean, think of the things everyone could have learned from him!"
Alice, pausing her brushing momentarily, chimed in and said, "Hiruzen was all about tradition and the philosophy of being a Leaf ninja, right? I think he believed in understanding and guiding the younger generation. One can only imagine how he'd help us grow."
Margaret smiled gently, leaning back into Alice's careful strokes. "And he would've trained Naruto more," she added. "That's something Hiruzen missed out on."