"The people who invaded your village have been dealt with by me. These minerals are the spoils of war. Do you have any objections?"
"No, no… Please, sir, feel free. Is there anything else we can assist with?"
"No need for help. I'm in a hurry. Goodbye!"
After securing the bodies of the Black Hoe Family and the minerals required for creating puppets in two large storage scrolls, Izanami floated into the air. He alternated between flying and using the Body Flicker Technique, quickly leaving the Land of Rivers.
By the following morning, Izanami had returned to the Land of Fire. Without wasting time, he headed straight for the tailor shop. He created an Izanami shadow clone, channeling a large amount of chakra into it, and entrusted the clone with the scrolls containing the minerals and corpses.
The main body, however, didn't take a moment to rest. He visited a certain shop to pick up some items, then grabbed a few souvenirs for Hinata and Hanabi before heading back to Konoha at full speed.
Finally, just before 6 p.m., Izanami arrived in Konoha. Taking advantage of the shift change, he entered the village from a less crowded path. After passing through the wilderness and Central Street, he made his way home.
"I'm back."
Following local customs, Izanami announced his return as he took off his shoes at the entrance. With the gift box in hand, he made his way up to the second floor.
But when he reached the stairwell, he noticed something different—a cloth curtain had been hung.
Curious, Izanami pulled back the curtain and was greeted by a dimly lit room. Blackout curtains covered the windows, and the only source of light came from twelve candles burning on the coffee table. Below them sat a five-layer cake, each layer decorated with adorable, Q-version snowmen, representing Izanami and the Hyuga sisters.
"Oni-chan, happy birthday!"
"Juuyabiru, happy birthday!"
Hinata and Hanabi had been waiting for Izanami in the living room. As for the Izanami shadow clone, it had been thoroughly beaten to pieces by the two girls just the day before.
Seeing him enter, both Hinata and Hanabi approached him with warm smiles, offering their birthday wishes as they gently led him to the cake, one on either side.
Today was June 16th—Izani's birthday.
Ever since the three of them became a trio, Hinata and Hanabi had always made it a point to celebrate his birthday every year. And with the news that the Izanami shadow clone had been torn apart by the girls, it was clear they were planning a surprise for him.
Izanami, of course, didn't want to disappoint them.
After being seated on the sofa, Hanabi knelt beside the coffee table, supporting her chin with her hands. A playful smile appeared on her face as she said, "Oni-chan, make a wish."
Izanami raised his hands in a praying gesture, closing his eyes. He spoke aloud, "Oni-chan's wish is simple: I wish for Hanabi to grow up quickly, for every day to be as colorful as a rainbow, as bright as a star, and as beautiful as Big Sister."
He paused for a moment, then added quietly in his heart, I wish for everything to go smoothly so we can all escape the limitations of our lifespans.
With that, Izanami blew out all the candles, and Hanabi immediately pounced on him.
"Oni-chan, I love you to death, Mu~a!"
She planted a big kiss on his cheek, making Izanami laugh as he rubbed her small face affectionately. "The wish is made, but where's my birthday present?"
"Big Sister and I have already prepared it for you," Hanabi replied, her eyes sparkling.
She jumped off the sofa, followed closely by Hinata. The two of them returned with three beautifully wrapped boxes in hand.
"Oni-chan, open them and see!"
Hanabi placed the boxes on the ground as Hinata turned on the lights, revealing the three gift boxes—two large and one small.
Izanami smiled as he removed the ribbon, tearing off the wrapping paper. First, he opened the small box. Inside was a deep red scarf.
The moment Izanami picked up the scarf, he seemed to realize something and couldn't help but look at the two girls. "Did you weave this?"
"As expected of Oni-chan, you guessed it right away!" Hanabi beamed, her eyes sparkling. "Then Oni-chan, guess who wove this scarf?"
"You've already given it away." Izanami flicked Hanabi's forehead with a playful smile. "Your Big Sister must have a share in it. Since it wasn't made solely by her, it's clear the two of you worked on it together."
Hanabi pouted her small lips, a little disappointed but amused. Hinata, standing nearby, watched with a soft smile, unphased by Izanami's accurate guess.
"Autumn is coming soon, and winter won't be far behind. I really like this scarf," Izanami said, draping it around his neck. "Thank you, both of you."
He then continued to open the boxes. This time, he unwrapped the two larger ones simultaneously. Inside, he found clothes: one was a heavy snowman-themed outfit, and the other was a white robe with flame patterns made of luxurious materials.
"Oni-chan, can you guess who sent these clothes?" Hanabi asked again, her curiosity piqued.
"This one was sent by Hinata," Izanami said, picking up the snowman suit with a smile aimed at Hinata.
"And this one?" Hanabi picked up the white robe, eagerly waiting for his answer.
"You both sent it together," Izanami replied, flicking Hanabi's forehead again with a grin. "Have you forgotten the flame pattern on your kimono? That's your favorite symbol. You even confessed it earlier! So, since the snowman suit was clearly from Hinata, this one must've come from either you or both of you."
"Not fair, Oni-chan! Can you read minds now?" Hanabi whined, pouting and acting like a spoiled child. "I really wanted to win against you this year!"
"I told you, you can't deceive Juuyabiru," Hinata said, her eyes sparkling with a smile.
"Alright, alright, don't be upset." Izanami picked up Hanabi, setting her aside gently. He then grabbed the gift box on the floor and smiled. "I've got souvenirs for both of you too."
"Oh, right! Oni-chan, where have you been these days?" Hanabi's curiosity flared up once more, her focus completely shifted. "Izayoi's shadow clone said you were off doing something big. What was it?"
"You'll find out later. I can't tell you now." Izanami gave a gentle smile, not wanting to taint their pure hearts with his more complicated affairs.
"Oni-chan is so annoying!" Hanabi puffed out her cheeks and made a face before opening the gift box Izanami had handed her. She then tried to analyze the contents. "This rectangular gift box is pretty big... Could it be clothes?"
"You guessed it right, Hanabi. You're amazing." Izanami grinned triumphantly, giving her a boost of emotional value.
"Hee hee…" Hanabi's face lit up with a joyful smile.
After entertaining his younger sister, Izanami pulled Hinata down to sit beside him. He placed the gift box in her arms, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, "I love the gifts you two gave me. Let's relive our childhood memories this winter! This one's for you, open it quickly."
"…Okay." Hinata, who had intended to wait for Hanabi to finish, was now eager to open the gift when she saw the expectant look on Izanami's face.
She quickly tore open the packaging and revealed the contents inside. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise.
"This is…?" Both Hinata and Hanabi spoke in unison, looking at Izanami with a mix of curiosity and intrigue.
"It's called... a sailor suit," Izanami said with slight excitement in his voice. "I made it myself. Go try it on and see if it fits."
"Okay!" The Hyuga sisters, filled with wonder at the fact that Izanami had made the clothes himself, stood up and headed into the room together to try them on.
Meanwhile, Izanami activated his Reincarnation Eye—not to spy on them, but to locate Hiruzen Sarutobi's position. He saw that Hiruzen had finished work for the day and was enjoying dinner with his grandson, Konohamaru. The Hokage wasn't using the Crystal Ball Technique, so Izanami relaxed and turned his attention elsewhere.
Before closing his Reincarnation Eye, Izanami's gaze briefly shifted to a certain direction outside the house.
Just then, Hanabi's voice echoed from inside the room, causing a bead of cold sweat to form on Izanami's forehead. "It fits so well! Big Sister, how does Oni-chan know your size?"