"What heavy rain." Choji said, standing next to Kiba. He glanced at Kiba, "Getting married in winter? Not waiting until after the New Year's festival?"
"How could I wait that long?" Kiba replied, the sharpness of his youth gone. Leaning on the railing of the Hokage Tower's corridor, he rested his head on his hand and watched the rain boredly.
Boom! Rumble!
Lightning flashed and thunder roared… the wind and rain were like a wild dragon.
Cool wisps of rain drifted over again and again. Beyond the curtain of rain, the road ahead was unclear. Perhaps only after this winter rain would Konoha truly enter winter.
The chill fell with the raindrops, splattering against the railing and exploding, splashing onto Kiba's face. He instinctively dodged, then realized it was just cold wind and chill, and laughed at himself.
"Why the rush? You're only eighteen, right?" Choji said, "Even though Shikamaru and I are married too, it was completely out of our hands, and it's only been half a year."
"It's not ideal to hold a wedding before the New Year's festival. The winter snow is cold, so people can't stand being outside. There aren't many places to hold it indoors, and it's hard to entertain guests who come."
He was still trying to persuade him, his intentions genuine towards his friend.
"Winter lacks ingredients, and most of it is meat. It's hard to put together a proper wedding banquet. I just don't understand, what's your hurry, kid?"
"She's pregnant." Kiba said, looking into the distance calmly.
"What?!" Choji's pupils dilated sharply. He stumbled back several steps, his feet slipping out from under him, and fell on his backside.
"Why are you so excited? It's not like it has anything to do with you." Kiba rolled his eyes. He knew Choji was a loyal friend, certainly more so than that freeloading blond guy.
"How could it be such a coincidence..." He muttered, picking himself up off the ground.
"Such a coincidence? You too?" Kiba glanced back at Choji, giving him a once-over.
"You're the one! How could something like that happen so quickly?" Choji grumbled for a bit, then suddenly realized maybe he should put in more effort himself lately.
Now Ino was also expecting, and Kiba, like Naruto, was troubled by the premarital pregnancy. If all their children were born around the same time, at least they'd have company.
Just like them, they could become close friends over a decade later.
"What are you thinking about?" Kiba gave him a light shove.
"Nothing. So what are you planning to do?" Choji shook his head, temporarily dismissing the thoughts in his mind. Having kids was something to consider later.
Lately, he'd been almost afraid to get near his own wife. Before marriage, he was like a fierce tiger, but now, he was practically a kitten. He spent all his time wandering outside, avoiding home.
Ultimately, he was just too idle. He needed to find something for her to do.
"What else can I do besides get married?" Kiba sighed. After saying it, he seemed to realize his tone was off and paused.
"Actually, I'm more anxious than she is. She's much calmer than me about it."
"Why?"
"Don't know." Kiba slowly shook his head, his gaze focused. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "Maybe it's because I'm just one person, but she's two now."
"She's a very hot-tempered person, but that time I came back with food, I found her standing quietly at the end of the street, smiling at a baby's toy. It was a side of her I'd never seen before. At that moment, I only had one thought in my head."
Kiba paused, his tone becoming firm, enunciating each word clearly.
"I - want - to - marry her."
"No one's stopping you from marrying her. Have you figured out the wedding banquet?" Choji asked.
Hearing this, the resolve Kiba had just mustered instantly deflated. He looked like a defeated dog, muttering gloomily.
"I haven't told them yet. It's not like you don't know my family situation. My parents would probably be okay with it. But if my big sister finds out, she might beat me to death."
"Isn't your big sister married? Why is she still like that?" Just hearing the name 'Inuzuka Hana' made Choji feel inexplicably nervous.
An image of a big sister figure who trained fierce dogs popped into his head. She was calm and steady, which made her even scarier when she got angry.
Compared to Kiba's easy-going mother, she was dozens of times more terrifying.
"Married?" Kiba blinked, "I guess that's true, but I can't worry about that now. This time, no one can stop me."
Boom!
The drifting rain suddenly intensified, lightning streaking across the sky.
Somewhere on Konoha's main street...
Hinata's feet tensed, she let out a muffled groan, and finally went limp on the sofa.
Only the sound of their breathing remained in the living room, mingling with the tick-tock of the clock. It wasn't until ten minutes later that Naruto broke the silence.
"You said you needed to talk to me about something earlier?"
"Mm." Hinata's voice was soft, "It's not really a big deal. It's just... Ino seems unwell. I passed by the flower shop a couple of days ago..."
Hearing this, Naruto glanced at Hinata. He knew this girl wouldn't just 'pass by' the Yamanaka Flower Shop for no reason. Even though her relationship with Ino had improved a lot, she still avoided Ino's parents.
Although it was ultimately his fault, Hinata had never once blamed him. She occasionally sulked, but a little coaxing would make it better. She had a soft nature. She must have seen something that worried her, which is why she walked past the flower shop.
"Unwell?" He asked.
"I saw her secretly wiping away tears. I was worried, so I walked further down the street past the shop." Hinata said hesitantly, "I actually... hesitated for a long time. If Ino is crying, it must be related to you. I thought maybe something happened. I also knew that whether I asked or not, I would feel upset."
'Crying?' Naruto fell silent immediately. Feeling Hinata's body warmth in his arms, his thoughts were exceptionally complex.
Things seemed to be getting more and more difficult. If it were anyone else, just getting married would suffice, but he was involved with too many people.
In the end, he didn't even have an elder to rely on, and the proper etiquette couldn't be fulfilled.
Kakashi couldn't command the respect needed. The final outcome was hard to predict. Unless absolutely necessary, Naruto really didn't want to involve Kakashi, fearing things would only become more troublesome.
"Hinata."
"Mm?"
"You're not pregnant, are you?"
"Ah?" Hinata looked bewildered, blinking at Naruto. Suddenly, her face flushed, and she said in a small voice, "I... I used to calculate the days carefully."
"That's good. Don't worry, it's fine." He reassured her with a glance, then asked again, "You said you used to calculate the days carefully before. But what about today?"
Hinata's face turned red again. She didn't answer, but her blush and silence answered everything. Naruto was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted and knew what to say.
"We really should have a child. Actually, today would be quite good too."
"Things like children..." Hinata felt embarrassed, "It probably isn't that lucky, right? It's probably just a one-time exception."