On a bench near the central fountain, a boy with spiky, sunshine-yellow hair sat alone. He was staring intently at the Hokage Monument carved into the mountain face, his expression a familiar mix of determination and longing. A single, whisker-like mark adorned each of his cheek.

He didn't seem to notice the wide berth the passing villagers gave him, or the way a mother subtly pulled her child closer as they walked by. He just kept staring at the stone faces high above.