"The one who invaded your village has already been killed by me. These minerals are my spoils of war. Do you have any objections?"
"N-No… Please, sir. Do you need our help?"
"No need. I'm in a hurry. Goodbye!"
After storing the bodies of the Black Hoe family and the minerals needed for puppet manufacturing into two large storage scrolls, Izanami rose into the air. Alternating between flight and the Body Flicker Technique, he left the Land of Rivers at maximum speed.
By the next morning, Izanami had returned to the Land of Fire. Without delay, he headed straight to a tailor shop. There, he created a Shadow Clone, pouring a vast amount of chakra into it, and handed over the scrolls containing the minerals and corpses.
His main body didn't rest for even a second. First, he visited a certain store to make a purchase. Then, carrying souvenirs for Hinata and Hanabi, he rushed back to Konoha at full speed.
At last, Izanami returned to Konoha just before 6 PM.
Taking advantage of the shift change, he entered the village from an alternate route, rejoining Central Street from the wilderness, and soon arrived at his home.
"I'm home," Izanami called loudly, embracing the local customs as he changed his shoes at the entrance.
He picked up the gift box and headed toward the second floor. But to his surprise, a curtain had been hung at the stairwell.
Pulling it aside, he was greeted by the dimness of blackout curtains drawn tightly across the windows. The only light came from twelve burning candles on the living room table, illuminating a five-layer cake.
The cake was beautifully crafted. Each layer featured three Q-version snowmen, representing Izanami and the Hyuga sisters.
"Oni-chan, happy birthday!"
"Izayoi-kun, happy birthday."
Hinata and Hanabi were already waiting for him in the living room. As for the Shadow Clone from before, it had been mercilessly destroyed by the two girls yesterday.
Upon seeing Izanami return, Hinata and Hanabi approached him, offering their birthday wishes as they took his hands—one on each side—and guided him to the cake.
That's right—today was June 16th, Izanami's birthday.
This was the very reason for his rushed return.
Ever since the three had formed a close bond, Hinata and Hanabi had made it a tradition to celebrate Izanami's birthday each year.
And upon learning that the Shadow Clone had been eliminated by the two girls, Izanami immediately realized they were planning a surprise for him.
Naturally, he didn't want to let their efforts go to waste.
After seating Izanami on the sofa, Hanabi knelt by the coffee table, resting her chin in her palms as she smiled.
"Oni-chan, make a wish."
Izanami made a praying gesture with his hands, closed his eyes, and said aloud, "Oni-chan's wish is very simple: I hope Hanabi grows up quickly, that every day is as colorful as a rainbow, as bright as the stars, and as beautiful as your older sister."
But in his heart, he silently added: "I hope everything goes smoothly, and that we all escape the limitations of lifespan."
With that, he blew out all twelve candles.
"Oni-chan, I love you to death! Mu~~a!"
Overwhelmed by his heartfelt wish, Hanabi launched herself at him and gave his cheek a loud kiss.
Izanami laughed as he rubbed her cheeks with both hands. "The wish is made. Now, where's Oni-chan's birthday present?"
"Sister and I already prepared them for you!" Hanabi declared proudly.
Together with Hinata, she walked into another room, returning shortly with three exquisitely wrapped boxes.
"Oni-chan, open them and see," Hanabi said as she set the gift boxes on the floor in front of him.
Hinata didn't open the blackout curtains but instead switched on the living room lights, softly illuminating the room.
There were three boxes—two large, one small.
Izanami untied the ribbons, tore off the wrapping paper, and opened the small box first.
Inside was a red scarf.
The moment he picked it up, realization dawned on him. He turned to the two girls and asked, "Did you two knit this?"
"As expected of Oni-chan! You guessed it right away," Hanabi giggled.
"Then, Oni-chan, guess who knitted it?" she challenged.
"You already gave yourself away."
Izanami flicked Hanabi's forehead lightly. "Your sister definitely helped. Since it wasn't made by her alone, it must've been knitted by both of you."
"Hmph…" Hanabi pouted in mock frustration.
Hinata, smiling gently, clearly wasn't surprised that Izanami had figured it out so easily.
"Autumn's coming, and winter's not far behind. I really like this scarf," Izanami said, wrapping it around his neck.
He then opened the two large boxes simultaneously. Inside were two outfits—one was a thick snowman costume, and the other a white, high-quality one-piece robe with elegant flame patterns.
"Oni-chan, can you guess who gave you these two outfits?" Hanabi asked again.
"This one is from Hinata," Izanami said, picking up the snowman suit and exchanging a smile with her.
"What about this one?" Hanabi asked, holding up the robe.
"You both did."
He flicked her forehead again. "Did you forget the flame pattern on your own kimono? It's your favorite. And since the snowman suit came from Hinata, this one's either from you—or from both of you."
"This isn't fun! Oni-chan, do you read minds?" Hanabi cried out, feigning a tantrum. "I really wanted to beat Oni-chan this year!"
"I told you, you can't fool Izayoi-kun," Hinata said, chuckling.
"Alright, don't be upset."
Izanami lifted Hanabi and placed her beside him on the sofa. Picking up the souvenirs he brought, he smiled warmly. "I have gifts for you, too."
"Oh right! Oni-chan, where have you been these past few days?" Hanabi asked curiously. "Your Shadow Clone said you were off doing something important. What was it?"
"You'll find out soon. I can't tell you yet," Izanami replied, unwilling to taint her innocence.
"Oni-chan is so annoying."
Hanabi pouted but was quickly distracted. She opened the gift box he handed her, observing the shape like Izanami had done earlier. "A flat, square box, and it's big—could it be clothes?"
"You guessed right! Hanabi is so smart."
Izanami, who had just scored a major win, instantly showered Hanabi with praise.
"Hehe…" Hanabi beamed with delight.
After coaxing his sister-in-law, Izanami turned to Hinata. He gently pulled her to sit on his other side, placed the gift box in her arms, and whispered in her ear with a smile, "I really love the gifts. Let's relive our childhood this winter! This one's yours. Go on, open it."
"…Mm."
Hinata, who had originally intended to wait until Hanabi finished, was moved by Izanami's excited expression. She quickly unwrapped the gift.
Her beautiful eyes widened slightly the moment she saw what was inside.
"This is…"
The Hyuga sisters spoke at the same time, then turned toward Izanami.
"Oni-chan—Izayoi-kun—what kind of clothes are these?"
"They're called… sailor uniforms."
Izanami's voice held a hint of excitement. "I made them myself. Try them on and see if they fit."
"Okay!"
Upon hearing that Izanami had crafted the outfits himself, the two girls lit up with joy. Without further hesitation, they walked into the next room to try them on.
Meanwhile, Izanami activated his Reincarnation Eye—not to peek, of course, but to locate Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Seeing that the Third Hokage had finished work and was having dinner with his grandson, Konohamaru, without using the Crystal Ball Technique to spy on anyone, Izanami retracted his gaze.
But just before deactivating his Reincarnation Eye, he glanced in a particular direction outside the house—only to freeze when he heard Hanabi's shocked voice ring out from the room.
"It fits so well! Sister, how did Oni-chan know your size?!"
A drop of cold sweat formed on Izanami's forehead.
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