"Finally, it's over! I'm starving!" Kurenai Yuhi exclaimed, clutching her stomach.
Because of the celebration, none of them had eaten lunch.
Not just lunch—they wouldn't be eating dinner either.
After all, the celebration offered a variety of delicious foods, enough to keep them eating for hours without repeating a dish.
"Let's go!" Asuma Sarutobi waved his hand grandly. "My treat!"
"Why so generous today?" Hanekawa asked with a smile.
"What do you mean 'today'? I've always been generous!" Asuma puffed out his chest proudly. "Right, Shisui, Shizune?"
"That's true," Shisui Uchiha said with a smile. "Our team often eats out on Asuma-senpai's dime."
Shizune nodded in agreement.
"Does Kakashi's dad not treat you guys?" Hanekawa glanced at Kakashi Hatake, who had been unusually quiet compared to Asuma's exuberance.
"Sakumo-sensei does treat us, just not as often as Asuma-senpai," Shisui explained.
"What do you all want to eat?" Kurenai looked around, visibly torn.
The streets were lined with all kinds of food, snacks, and miscellaneous items like masks.
In short, it was bustling with activity.
"I'll start with a bowl of cold noodles!" Asuma's eyes lit up as he spotted his target. "Anyone want to join me?"
"I'll have grilled fish," Shisui said after some thought.
"Same here," Kakashi added. "Preferably mackerel."
"Let's make it a competition!" Might Guy suddenly exclaimed excitedly. "A grilled fish eating contest!"
"No, I refuse," Kakashi said flatly.
"Why?" Guy froze, visibly crushed.
"Grilled fish is best enjoyed slowly to savor the flavor," Kakashi explained.
"Then... let's see who can eat the most!" Guy's spirits lifted as he proposed another challenge.
"No," Kakashi shook his head.
Whenever it came to competitions, the focus shifted from enjoying the food to winning, and Kakashi wasn't interested in that.
"Guy-senpai, I'll compete with you," Shisui offered with a smile.
"Great!" Guy was moved to tears. "This is the essence of youth!"
Shisui's smile stiffened slightly.
He had agreed out of politeness and a bit of pity, but now he realized just how... unique Guy was.
"I want takoyaki!" Kurenai declared, then turned to Hanekawa, her ruby-like eyes filled with anticipation.
"Then let's have takoyaki," Hanekawa said, patting her head.
"Why do you always pat my head?" Kurenai pouted.
Rin Nohara, watching this, felt an inexplicable pang of envy.
"Yamato, what do you want to eat?" Hanekawa turned to the silent Yamato.
"Anything's fine," Yamato replied indifferently.
"Then come have cold noodles with me!" Asuma slung an arm around Yamato's shoulders.
Partly because eating alone would feel lonely, and partly because he knew Yamato was a Wood Release user.
Wood Release held special significance, so befriending him wasn't a bad idea.
Yamato nodded woodenly.
"Rin, want to join us for takoyaki?" Hanekawa's gaze shifted to Rin.
"I..." Rin hesitated, meeting his eyes.
It felt inappropriate to intrude on Hanekawa and Kurenai's time together.
"Come on!" Kurenai grabbed Hanekawa's hand with her right and Rin's with her left, pulling them toward a nearby takoyaki stall.
"Huh?" Rin was too stunned to react, stumbling along with her.
"Lord Hanekawa?!" The takoyaki stall owner's eyes widened in shock upon seeing Hanekawa.
"You know me?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
"Who doesn't know you these days?" The owner beamed. "Today's on the house. Eat as much as you like."
"Thank you," Hanekawa said, slightly taken aback but not refusing. "Three orders of takoyaki, please."
"Take a seat over there. It'll be ready soon," the owner pointed to some nearby stools.
"Wow!" Kurenai exclaimed as she sat down. "Hanekawa, you're so famous now!"
Rin nodded in agreement.
At the hospital, whenever she introduced herself as Rin Nohara, the first thing patients mentioned was that she was Hanekawa's teammate.
Before, they would have said she was Tsunade's student.
"Being too famous isn't always a good thing," Hanekawa said with a smile.
"I think it's great," Kurenai said smugly. "At least we get free food!"
"Little glutton," Hanekawa teased, flicking her forehead.
Rin pursed her lips.
She felt out of place here.
Maybe she should have gone with Shizune and the others for grilled fish.
Just then, she felt something brush against her leg.
Rin instinctively looked down.
She was wearing a yukata, a lightweight kimono, so her legs were completely covered.
It was Hanekawa who had touched her.
Rin looked up and met his gaze, her heart skipping a beat.
"Rin, have you been at the Konoha Hospital lately?" Hanekawa asked casually.
"Yes," Rin replied obediently.
"That's a shame," Hanekawa said regretfully. "I haven't had time to teach you medical ninjutsu."
"It's okay," Rin quickly reassured him. "Yakushi-sama has been teaching me."
Hanekawa suddenly frowned.
Now that the Third Great Shinobi War was over, where was Kabuto Yakushi?
Had he been adopted by Yakushi Nonō?
Hanekawa made a mental note to have ANBU look into Kabuto's situation after the celebration.
After all, Kabuto's talent was undeniable, rivaling even Orochimaru's.
Whether it was medical ninjutsu or research, Kabuto was top-tier.
"Hanekawa, what's wrong?" Rin and Kurenai asked in unison.
Both girls blinked, glanced at each other, then quickly looked away.
"Nothing," Hanekawa said sheepishly. "I just remembered there's something I need to handle in ANBU."
"Do you need to go now?" Kurenai's face fell.
"No, it can wait until tomorrow. It's not urgent," Hanekawa waved it off.
"Here you go, three orders of takoyaki!" The owner arrived with their food.
"Thank you!" Kurenai cheered, picking up a takoyaki ball and popping it into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out.
Rin, on the other hand, ate more elegantly, taking small bites and savoring the flavor.
"Hanekawa," Kurenai suddenly remembered something. "Now that you're the Hokage's assistant, do you still go on missions?"
Rin instinctively looked at Hanekawa, her heart filled with worry.
"Of course," Hanekawa knew what they were thinking and answered directly. "Our team isn't disbanding."
"That's a relief!" Kurenai exhaled.
"How's the takoyaki?" Hanekawa noticed some sauce on Kurenai's lips and wiped it off with a tissue.
"It's good, but not as good as yours," Kurenai said with a bright smile.
Rin, seeing this, paused mid-bite.
When she came to her senses, she noticed a bit of sauce on her own lips.
Hanekawa casually pulled out another tissue.
"I... I can do it myself," Rin reached for it but missed.
"We're teammates. I should treat you equally," Hanekawa said with a straight face.
"Th-thank you," Rin blushed as she felt his fingers brush against her lips.
"What should we eat next?" Kurenai asked after Hanekawa finished wiping her mouth, still holding his hand.
"What do you want?" Hanekawa asked in return.
"That!" Kurenai pointed to a nearby stall. "Taiyaki!"
Taiyaki, a fish-shaped pastry or pancake filled with sweet red bean paste.
Hanekawa nodded and looked at Rin.
"Anything's fine," Rin said quickly.
"Let's go."
After finishing the takoyaki, the three headed to the taiyaki stall.
This time, there was no wait—the taiyaki was ready.
Hanekawa bought a box.
"I want some!" Kurenai leaned in, opening her mouth wide.
Hanekawa picked up a piece and fed it to her.
"Not bad," Kurenai said as she chewed. "A bit sweet."
"Rin," Hanekawa did the same for her.
Rin looked at the taiyaki in front of her, suppressing her shyness as she took a small bite.
While Kurenai had taken a big bite, Rin only took half.
Hanekawa casually ate the other half.
Rin, who had just raised her hand to take the taiyaki, froze.
In less than half a second, her face turned bright red.
She couldn't bring herself to look at him, feeling utterly flustered.
Hanekawa was momentarily stunned.
He had just received a new talent entry.
[D-rank Talent Entry: Three's Company.]
[Trigger Condition: Spend time with Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara.]
[Effect: Single-handed seal speed increases by 30%.]
Hanekawa's lips twitched.
There were too many things to unpack here.
The effect wasn't bad.
Single-handed seals were useful in many situations.
Now he could wield his Raikiri in one hand and perform ninjutsu with the other.
But why was the entry called "Three's Company"?
And why did it boost single-handed seal speed?
How would this entry level up in the future?
Hanekawa's mind was flooded with questions.
"Did we forget about Tsunade-sensei?" Kurenai looked toward the distant stage, now empty.
"She's discussing something with the daimyo, related to ANBU," Hanekawa explained. "She'll probably join us after."
"Being Hokage sounds exhausting," Kurenai sighed.
"Do you want to be Hokage?" Hanekawa handed her another piece of taiyaki.
"No," Kurenai tilted her head. "Because I can't compete with you."
"How about this," Hanekawa joked. "When I become Hokage, I'll let you take over for a couple of days."
"Sounds good!" Kurenai grinned. "It's a deal!"
"What about you, Rin?" Hanekawa asked casually.
"Huh?" Rin looked up, her deep brown eyes unfocused.
She had been lost in thought and missed the conversation.
"Do you want to be Hokage?" Hanekawa repeated.
"No," Rin shook her head firmly. "I... I don't have what it takes."
"Don't sell yourself short," Hanekawa handed her another piece of taiyaki.
"Thank you," Rin took the taiyaki and lowered her head.
In her eyes, only Hanekawa was worthy of being Hokage.
As for her, all she could do was admire his brilliance.
Time passed slowly.
The three of them ate and explored, making their way around Konoha.
They also watched some traditional dance
In the ninja world, there were performers.
Hanekawa remembered a wandering performer from the original series who admired Kakashi, named Kagerō.
What stood out to him was that Kagerō was from the Lock Village and specialized in using her eyes to perform hand seals.
Honestly, using eyes to perform seals was a god-tier skill.
Hanekawa really wanted to learn it.
By evening, the celebration turned into a fireworks festival.
Everyone stood in the streets, looking up.
Giant fireworks exploded in the night sky, their dazzling light dispelling the darkness and forming umbrella-like patterns.
One after another, the fireworks grew more intricate and varied.
"So beautiful," Kurenai instinctively grabbed Hanekawa's hand.
Rin glanced at them, hesitated for a few seconds, but didn't dare to do the same.
Hanekawa looked at her.
Rin's body stiffened, her face flushing with nervousness.
Hanekawa chuckled and casually took her hand.
Rin's face burned, her heart racing.
She was especially worried that Kurenai might notice, leaving her mind blank and body numb.
The sound of fireworks filled the air.
Rin gradually regained her composure.
She instinctively squeezed his hand, realizing it was damp with sweat.
Only then did she wonder why Hanekawa had taken her hand.
She looked up at him.
Under the fireworks, he seemed to glow, making it hard for her to look directly at him.
He was so outstanding, so far beyond her world.
Rin stared blankly, wishing this moment could last forever.
"Hanekawa!" Asuma's voice broke the spell.
Rin quickly pulled her hand away.
Hanekawa turned to look.
"Come join us for food!" Asuma waved from the crowd.
Besides him, there were Shisui, Kakashi, and Shizune.
"Let's go," Hanekawa said with a smile. "The fireworks are over. Now it's time for food."
But where was Tsunade?
Hanekawa suspected she had already slipped away, probably fast asleep at home.
As the night deepened, Hanekawa bid farewell to everyone and returned home.
Sure enough.
Tsunade was dozing on the couch.
"Sensei, when did you get back?" Hanekawa walked over and asked.
"After talking with the daimyo, I left. Celebrations are too much trouble," Tsunade yawned, then added, "I'm hungry, brat."
"Got it, sensei," Hanekawa smiled and headed to the kitchen.
Though it was a celebration, for the two of them, it was no different from any other day.
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