The rain started to fall. Everyone was silent. It was a day of mourning, the Third Hokage was dead. As a token the villagers put flowers on his coffin. As Sakura Haruno walked up to the coffin she remembered.

It was a beautiful spring day, Sakura and Ino was out playing in the fields. Then they saw the Hokage watching them, smiling. Sakura whispered something in Ino’s ear, she nodded and they started to pick flowers. After they had picked a big bouquet they ran over and handed them to him.
“What? For me, oh you girls are so nice thank you.” He laughed, that hearty laugh, patted them both on the head and said. “Ah, these are beautiful, just what an old man needs. I’ll put these in a vase.”
Ino and Sakura laughed as the Hokage left and waved at them.

Shikamaru walked up to give his flower as well, and he too remembered.

Shikamaru and Chouji had skipped class and were just lying on the roof. Suddenly there he was, the third Hokage.
“Hello kids, aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?”
Chouji nearly panicked and tried to come up with an excuse but Shikamaru just sighed.
“Yeah, but me and Chouji decided to skip class.”
“Well, that’s no good at all, you want to become shinobi right?”
Shikamaru sighed.
“Listen today’s class is just a lame history test.”
The third looked at them.
“You know, I think I will personally get you back to class.”
Shikamaru was on his feet.
“Chouji, run!”
They got up and the third actually chased them back to the classroom to ensure that’s where they were going. As fast as the door had closed he laughed. “He’s just like his father that Shikamaru.”

Chouji remembered it too. He had been so scared that day. When it was Hinata’s turn to put down her flower she remembered the day after their first successful mission.

Kurenai was taking them out for dinner to celebrate. They were eating dango down at a restaurant in the village.
“Well kids, chow down, you deserved it.”
They all laughed, well except for Shino. Then they heard a familiar voice.
“Celebrating I see, would you mind if I joined you?”
Kurenai turned around and she met the third Hokage’s face.
“Lord Hokage? Well certainly, it would be an honour.”
The rest of the evening the Hokage ate with them and laughed and he told them stories of when he was a genin. Before he left he said to Kurenai.
“Lovely team you have there Kurenai. They will go far.”
“Thank you lord Hokage, I hope you’re right.”
He said goodbye and laughed to himself as he left.

Kiba remembered another time when Akamaru was feeling sick and his sister was treating him and all Kiba could do was just sit down and wait. He sat down on a bench outside the clinic and the third Hokage came along.
“You look down Kiba, is something bothering you?”
“It’s Akamaru, he’s sick… and I can’t do anything.”
The Hokage sighed.
“I know how you feel, you feel so helpless. But you know the minute he comes out from there he will need you more than ever.”
Kiba looked at the old man.
“Thanks that kind of makes me feel better.”
The Hokage laughed.
“Good, now cheer up, Akamaru will be all right, I’m sure of it.”

Sasuke dropped his flower on the others, he remembered that time when he had ran away from home and the third Hokage had come along.
“Sasuke, what are you doing out here?”
Sasuke looked away to hide the fact that he had been crying.
“I’m running away, they don’t want me at home, they just want Itachi.”
“That’s not true, your father loves you. He just wants Itachi to be strong, when you grow older, he will wish the same for you.”
Sasuke turned around and looked into the old man’s face.
“Really, you think so?”
“I’m sure of it, now I’ll take you back home.”

Lee put down his flower and remembered the first time he actually met the lord Hokage. It was cold outside and Lee was feeling so useless. He had been picked on in school because of his lack of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. He was sitting on the academy roof when the third Hokage came out and stood next to him.
“What are you doing up here in this cold, you could get sick.”
“They do not want me in there, because I am a failure.”
“They call you a failure? Well, in my opinion there is no such thing as a failure, just different ways to achieve different goals.”
Lee looked at questioningly.
“I… I do not quite understand what you mean.”
“Well, what I mean is that as long as you believe in yourself nothing you do is failed.”
Lee didn’t understand what the Hokage had meant back then, but in time it had a great impact on him.

Neji thought of one time when the Hokage had visited their home, Neji was just four years old and he was a bit scared. The Hokage looked at him hiding behind his father’s leg.
“A little scared are we, don’t worry I’m not dangerous.” Neji stepped forward and bowed only to hide behind his father’s leg again. “I see much promise in that one, he will become an excellent shinobi one day.”
Hizashi looked a bit down.
“No, I think it’s his destiny to be just another servant of the main branch.”
The Hokage looked at Neji.
“I’m not so sure, there is more than meets the eye.”
Neji couldn’t for his life understand how he could have forgotten those words until now.

As Tenten delivered her flower she remembered the time when she had been training extra hard and the Hokage had come to the practice field.
“Training hard I see Tenten, your aim is excellent.”
She spun around.
“Oh, lord Hokage. Eh, thanks.”
“I have seen you practice like this many times, is there a particular goal you are trying to achieve?”
Tenten nodded.
“Yes, I want to become strong like the legendary kunoichi Tsunade.”
“Ah, Tsunade, she was my student you know. And with that aim, I think you are on good terms to be a great kunoichi.”
She blushed a bit.
“You really think so?”
“Yes, I have seen many great kunoichi, and you are one of the best.”

The last flower came from one who had really held the Hokage very deer. Naruto Uzumaki.
“Why? Why dose someone so good have to die? That old man was one of the nicest people in this village.” Naruto thought back on the many times he had played pranks on him and now he felt bad. He remembered one time though when the Hokage had walked by Naruto as he was sitting on some steps.
“Oh, hello there Naruto.”
“Hi…” Naruto answered and the Hokage could hear he was feeling down.
“Naruto, I have a little favour to ask.”
Naruto looked curiously at the old man.
“What?”
The Hokage laughed.
“I was going down to Ichiraku Ramen, and I hate to eat alone. So what do you say, could you eat with me, I’ll treat you of course.”
Naruto’s face lit up.
“Really? Thanks old man!”
He jumped up and clung around his neck. The Hokage just laughed.
“Well, I’ll take that as a yes then, let’s go.”

Naruto looked down on Konohamaru, he was crying of course. Naruto felt so sorry for him. Iruka was sitting down next to him to try and comfort him. It was surely a day for crying, but also for happy remembrance. They all had special memories of the third Hokage and as long as Konoha stood he would not be forgotten.