The spring breeze of Konoha's Year 57 had not yet completely dispelled the winter chill, but the warmth of the festival had quietly soaked into the streets and alleys of Konoha Village.
Brand new shimenawa ropes hung in front of every household, kadomatsu pine decorations emitted a clear, refreshing fragrance, and the air was filled with the aroma of ozoni soup and grilled fish.
During this season symbolizing new life and reunion, Menma's residence near the Hyuga Clan's compound was unusually filled with a lively atmosphere.
Naruto sat cross-legged on the tatami, several brand-new Ninja Education picture books spread out before him.
They were a New Year's gift from Menma, even if they only contained a few hand seals.
Naruto was trying to mimic the hand seals from the book, his small face scrunched up in intense concentration, muttering to himself: "Boar, Rat, Ram, Snake... Ah, wrong again!"
"Idiot Naruto, hand seals need to be fast! Accurate! If you're this slow, the enemy would have turned you into Swiss cheese long ago!" A clear voice, full of fire, rang out.
The speaker was none other than Hinata, or rather, the [Big Sis Hinata] from the [Limited Tsukuyomi World] currently in control of this body.
She wasn't wearing the intricate light purple kimono of the main family today, but had changed into a dark blue outfit more suitable for movement, casually throwing a beige short haori over it.
Her smooth, deep blue hair wasn't neatly tied back as usual but was simply tied into a high ponytail with a hair tie, swinging sharply behind her head as she spoke.
Sitting cross-legged, she carefully cradled a baby swaddled in a pink-blue blanket in her arms… her own biological younger sister, not yet a year old, Hyuga Hanabi.
Big Sis Hinata's personality was as flamboyant as her attire.
At this moment, while rudely scolding Naruto for his clumsy hand seals, she extended her free hand. Her fingers flew and several basic hand seals completed instantly. It was so fast it almost left afterimages. Naruto watched, dumbfounded, instinctively shrinking his neck, feeling a natural apprehension towards this fierce Hinata.
"Nee... Nee-chan…" The Hanabi in her arms seemed attracted by her sister's sharp movements, babbling with her small mouth, her little arms, like lotus roots, waving upwards, trying to grab Hinata's swinging ponytail.
Her small face was pink and chubby, a pair of pure Byakugan curiously surveying everything around her.
"Hey! Hanabi is so good!" Hearing her sister's vague call, the impatience on Hinata's face instantly vanished. Her eyes curved into smiles, and her voice softened several degrees.
She lowered her head and affectionately rubbed the tip of her nose against Hanabi's smooth, tender cheek.
"Call me 'nee-chan' again~"
"Nee… chan-" Hanabi giggled, her small fists waving even more energetically.
"Haha, Hanabi is so cute!" Naruto, seeing Hinata's attention diverted, immediately sighed in relief and leaned over to play with the baby.
He put down the picture book, vigorously rubbed his own cheeks, made exaggerated, funny faces, and made strange noises.
This trick really worked.
Hanabi was amused by Naruto's rich expressions, giggling non-stop, her small hands and feet excitedly kicking about, her big eyes curved into crescent moons, babbling as if trying to imitate Naruto's strange faces.
The warm room was filled with the innocent laughter of children.
Menma sat a little further away at a low table, holding a cup of hot tea. The rising steam blurred his calm face.
He watched this somewhat strange yet inexplicable harmonious scene.
The boisterous Naruto, the fiery and straightforward big sister Hinata, and the pure, untouched snow-like little Hanabi in her arms.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the tenderness Hinata showed while playing with Hanabi, so different from her usual appearance, then fell upon Naruto's purely happy laughing face, a faint ripple stirring deep in his heart.
'Maybe this is what 'family' feels like?'
"Hey, Menma!" Hinata's voice interrupted Menma's thoughts.
While gently rocking the Hanabi in her arms, she frowned with her delicate brows and began complaining to Menma, her tone full of dissatisfaction with the Hyuga Clan's main family.
"Tell me, isn't that old man of mine sick in the head? Even during the New Year, he keeps a stern face and has a bunch of rules… eating a meal feels like torture! And those elders, always going on about 'main family', 'branch family', [Caged Bird]… it's so annoying! If it weren't for Hanabi, I wouldn't even bother going back to see their old faces!"
She didn't hesitate to call her father, Hiashi, 'that old man', her words sharp and biting, even lashing out at the main family's elders.
To her, that decaying and rigid Hyuga Clan's main family was far less important than the little sister right before her eyes who needed her protection.
Menma listened to her complaints and smiled faintly.
Hinata's outfit today was different from usual, giving off a bit of a spicy little sister vibe.
He knew that Big Sis Hinata's hatred for the Hyuga Clan's main family was deeply ingrained, and this kind of venting was more of an emotional release.
It's just that recently, when listening to her complain, he heard that the main family's elders, after losing their Byakugan, seemed to have become universally bad-tempered, often scolding branch family's members.
'Calculating the time, Toneri and his father should be arriving soon.' Menma vaguely remembered that Toneri and his father came around when Hinata was seven or eight years old, or possibly even earlier, to the Hyuga Clan to search for suitable Byakugan.
Menma took a sip of tea and turned his gaze toward the engawa direction.
Hyuga Ko, as Hinata's bodyguard, was kneeling meticulously on the engawa of the small house at this moment, his back to the warm interior, facing the sporadic remnants of snow not yet fully melted in the garden.
He wore the standard dark-colored Hyuga Clan's Ninja Attire, his posture straight as a pine tree, his Byakugan active, maintaining a 360-degree vigilance of the surroundings without any blind spots.
Since the second attack by Shura, Ko's duties had increased significantly, especially around the Spring Festival.
Even though the Hyuga Clan's compound was right next door, he remained highly vigilant.
That mysterious Shura had appeared repeatedly within the Hyuga Clan's compound before, leaving no trace.
At this moment, Hinata's complaints about the main family and the clan's head inside the room clearly reached his ears, but his young face showed no fluctuation in expression, as if he were a stone statue.
The capricious remarks of the main family's young lady were not for him to comment on… his duty was solely to protect her safety.
Just then, Ko's body tensed almost imperceptibly for an instant before relaxing again.
He turned slightly and bowed his head respectfully toward the garden direction: "Hokage-sama."
The wooden door of the engawa was gently pulled open, letting in a slight breeze carrying the chill of early spring into the warm room.
Standing outside was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had taken off his Hokage Robe and was wearing a set of dark brown casual clothes.
He had a kindly smile on his face and was holding several simply wrapped gift boxes, a few small snowflakes were stuck to his hat.
"Pardon the intrusion, children." Hiruzen's voice was gentle, carrying the unique kindness of an elder.
"I heard Naruto is spending the New Year here with you this year, Menma. I came to see you and brought some New Year's gifts."
His gaze swept across the room, and when he saw Hinata holding Hanabi, a perfectly appropriate hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Oh? Hinata and Hanabi are here too, how lively."
"Grandpa Third!" Naruto, seeing the Third, immediately jumped up excitedly, his previous 'funny face performance' forgotten entirely. He rushed to the doorway like a little cannonball.
"You came! Come in, come in!"
Menma also stood up and bowed slightly in greeting: "Hokage-sama."
His movements were polite, showing the warmth of a host.
Big Sis Hinata, holding Hanabi, just casually lifted her chin in acknowledgment. Her attitude couldn't be called respectful, but no major fault could be found with it either.
"Yo, old geezer Third, what a rare guest."
Her tone remained as bold and direct as ever.
Hiruzen didn't mind Hinata's address at all. He walked into the room laughing heartily and placed the gifts he brought on the low table.
There were new stationery for Naruto and a few introductory books on refining Chakra, Naruto's favorite brand of instant ramen, a set of good-quality dark blue new clothes for Menma, and some small toys.
Seeing Hinata and Hanabi, Hiruzen stroked his beard and smiled apologetically: "It seems I didn't prepare thoroughly enough. I didn't expect Hinata to be here with her sister too. Can't forget the Otoshidama."
As he spoke, he took out several small envelopes, prepared in advance and symbolizing good luck, from his pocket and handed them to Naruto, Menma, and Hinata respectively.
After all, as an elder, occasionally running into younger generations around the Spring Festival meant he had to give out New Year's money, so he had quite a few small envelopes prepared on him.
"Wow! New Year's money!" Naruto cheered as he took it, impatiently wanting to open it immediately to see how much was inside.
Menma took the envelope… it felt slightly heavy in his hand, its weight not light.
He thanked calmly: "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Hinata took her share, weighed it in her hand, pursed her lips, but for once was relatively polite: "Thanks, Grandpa Third. I'll buy some candy for Hanabi later."
She looked down at Hanabi in her arms and said: "Look, Grandpa Hokage gave us New Year's money. Hanabi gets a share too."
Hanabi seemed to pick up on the happy atmosphere and giggled again, her little hands grabbing toward the Third's direction.
After distributing the New Year's money, Hiruzen, at Menma's courteous insistence, found a seat by the kotatsu and sat down.
Ko silently closed the door, shutting out the cold outside, and remained stationed on the engawa like a loyal sentinel.
Hiruzen looked at the three children before him, each with very different personalities.
The lively and energetic Naruto, the calm and reserved Menma, and Hinata, holding her sister, her brows carrying a wildness and frankness. His gaze was warm but held a trace of hard-to-detect complexity, especially when it swept over Naruto and Menma.
He cleared his throat, a look of encouragement on his face: "Children, after the spring begins, the Ninja Academy will officially open. You've all reached the age to enroll."
He looked at Naruto. "Naruto, are you looking forward to it? At the Academy, you won't just learn the skills to become a Ninja… you'll also get to meet many friends your own age."
"Friends?" Naruto's eyes instantly lit up like stars. He nodded vigorously, his blond hair bouncing, "Of course I'm looking forward to it! Super looking forward to it! I'm gonna make tons and tons of friends! I'm going to become the greatest Ninja! Like... like the Hokage!"
He waved his small fists excitedly, as if he could already see himself surrounded by friends and making a name for himself at the Academy.
For him, the chance to escape the isolation of being the [Demon Fox] and have real friends was something he yearned for even more than learning Ninjutsu.
Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Menma, "Menma, you have a steady personality and strong learning abilities. I believe you will certainly achieve excellent results at the Academy. The path of a Ninja is long, and laying a solid foundation is crucial."
Menma met Hiruzen's gaze, his sapphire blue eyes calm and unruffled. He gave a slight nod. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I will do my best."
His reply was, as always, concise and proper, leaving no room for fault but also revealing no true emotion.
The Ninja Academy?
For him, the [Shura] who had experienced war in the [Limited Tsukuyomi World] and controlled the vast power of the Land of Stars, it felt more like a mandatory stage play where he had to wear a mask.
Just a period of time to play along with Naruto and Hinata.
Finally, Hiruzen's gaze fell on Hinata, who was holding Hanabi.
Big Sis Hinata raised an eyebrow and spoke first, her tone carrying a touch of wild indifference: "Got it, old geezer Hokage. It's just school, fine, I'll go. But let's be clear upfront… if anyone at school is stupid enough to pick on my sister or mess with me, don't dock my grades when I beat the crap out of them!"
She waved her fist threateningly as she spoke. Hanabi in her arms seemed to find her sister's actions amusing and also waved her tiny fist, babbling "Ya ya!"
Hearing this, the Third stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his laughter filled with helplessness and a trace of tolerance, "Hinata, oh Hinata, your temper... The Academy has its rules. Students should be friendly with each other. But then again."
He continued, a sly glint flashing in his eyes, "I doubt anyone would dare provoke you. And if they do, the teachers and I will understand."
"Just don't go too far."
Hiruzen had heard some things about this Hyuga Clan's young lady and knew she had a dual personality. He had also met the timid, somewhat shy Hinata a few times.
He knew that trying to force rules harshly on this Hinata would be counterproductive.
The warm glow of the kotatsu illuminated the young faces. Naruto was still excitedly fantasizing about life after enrollment, chattering nonstop, Menma listened quietly, occasionally sipping his gradually cooling tea.
Big Sis Hinata, meanwhile, alternated between playing with Hanabi in her arms and half-listening to Naruto's 'grand ambitions', a lazy, slightly indulgent smile playing on her lips. Hanabi's babbling was like the clearest wind chimes of spring.
Hiruzen instinctively reached for his pipe and pouch, then suddenly remembered the children present and stopped his hand.
Watching this warm scene, a genuine smile spread across his weathered face.
The shadow of war seemed temporarily distant. The peace of daily life was so precious.
He hoped these children would find their own paths and bonds in their soon-to-begin ninja careers.
Outside the window, the first rays of spring light of the Year 57 of Konoha were quietly climbing the branches, melting the last remnants of snow.
On the engawa, Ko's Byakugan continued to vigilantly scan the garden, guarding this noisy, genuine warmth.
The new year was slowly lifting its curtain.