The thought that his Big Brother's secretary might become his Second Sister-in-Law confused Minato's thoughts; he needed a moment to process it.
"Then, Big Brother, will Second Brother succeed? Can't we help him?"
Torifu shook his head. "Whether he succeeds or not is entirely up to him. If Anka doesn't like him, there's nothing I can do. After all, Anka's future happiness is just as important. It has to be mutual."
Minato nodded. Big Brother was absolutely right. He had been a bit too naïve. Love and marriage required both parties to be satisfied. They couldn't be settled for or forced. It seemed he still had much to learn.
"Alright, then I'll go back to what I was doing."
With that, Minato ran off.
Afterward, when Yahiko and Konan came out, they also asked the same questions as Minato. Torifu answered them one by one and told them not to disturb the pair, lest they ruin Amado's chance at happiness. The two youngsters nodded obediently and stayed close to Torifu, watching him play his game. They occasionally peeked over to see how Amado was doing, acting like they were up to no good.
Amado, who was chatting with Anka, constantly felt glances being directed his way, but he didn't pay much attention, continuing his conversation with Anka. Anka really enjoyed Amado's slight humor, and her smile hadn't faded throughout their long chat. Her good feelings toward Amado were quickly rising.
Just as the two were engrossed in their conversation, Naori's voice came from the kitchen: "Dinner is ready, everyone can eat!"
Anka immediately got up to go to the kitchen to help, giving Amado a smile before she left.
Although their conversation was abruptly cut short, Amado wasn't annoyed. He knew that affection couldn't be rushed; it needed time. His performance yesterday and today was enough to leave a good impression on Anka. He would continue to work on it slowly. If he tried too hard, he might only spoil his chances.
So, Amado also got up and headed toward the kitchen, but he was stopped by Torifu on the way.
"Well, how was it? It looks like you two had a pretty good chat?"
Hearing this, Amado finally understood why Anka had been invited to their home for dinner today, and why their long conversation had been completely undisturbed. Amado was very happy and grateful. "Yes, Big Brother. Anka and I were quite compatible. I just don't know what will happen next."
Torifu smiled slightly. "Just do your best to show your excellent qualities. Leave the rest to fate."
Amado nodded at the advice. "Okay, Big Brother, I will try."
Torifu then waved his hand, telling Amado to go inside and help, while he continued to play his game leisurely. Torifu was already satisfied that Amado had such a good start today. He naturally hadn't intended for the two of them to get married right then and there. They could take their time getting to know each other.
A short time later, Anka came out of the kitchen carrying a dish, and under Torifu's direction, she brought it into the room where they usually ate. The remaining dishes were carried out by Amado and the children. Naori had made a total of eight dishes, which was plenty for everyone.
"Where is that boy, Akihara? Is he still sleeping?" Naori asked, looking at Torifu, who was playing his game.
Torifu defeated the last opposing shinobi, then turned off his phone. "Yep, still sleeping. You go ahead and eat. I'll carry him over."
Torifu rose to his feet, but Naori stopped him. "Never mind. Let him sleep. We can just warm up the leftovers for him when he gets hungry tonight."
Torifu nodded casually. "Alright, we'll do that then."
It was fine to raise a boy to be a little rough and tumble; being too delicate was a disadvantage. With that, the couple also entered the room, ready to eat.
"Naori prepared this large table of food today to host Anka. We've all seen the work Anka has put in this year, so tonight is our small appreciation dinner for you."
Anka was completely overwhelmed, immediately waving her hands and saying she hadn't done anything. However, everyone had witnessed her efforts, and they couldn't be dismissed by a few words. Torifu liked to slack off, and the majority of the village's affairs were completed by Anka and the Puppet. Since the Puppet couldn't provide high-quality plans or strategies, Anka often had to come up with them herself, call Torifu for approval, and then announce them. It was exhausting work, so Torifu hosting Anka tonight was perfectly justified.
"Alright, everyone, start eating, or the food will get cold."
"Anka, you start eating, too. These are all Naori's signature dishes; they're delicious."
Anka smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Lady Naori, for cooking yourself. I truly don't deserve this." Anka was a humble person, and being praised so much by Torifu meant she spent the whole meal constantly expressing her gratitude.
It wasn't until Torifu stopped talking about appreciation that Anka finally relaxed a bit. During this time, Amado, who was sitting beside her, continuously and quietly joked with her, which helped alleviate much of Anka's tension.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Torifu sent Minato, Yahiko, and Konan to wash the dishes. The remaining garbage was left for his Clone to handle. This was usually Amado's task, but today was a special circumstance that required special treatment.
Amado was currently in the gazebo saying goodbye to Anka. After dinner, it was already past six o'clock, and Anka definitely had to go home. The sky had long since turned dark, but with streetlights, Konohagakure was quite bright.
"Anka, let me walk you home. Big Brother wouldn't be at ease if you went alone." Amado said this at the right moment, using Torifu's name to make the offer sound necessary.
Torifu immediately nodded. "That's right. Let Amado escort you back. If you don't want to talk to him, I'll have him stay far behind you, and he can leave once you're safely home."
Anka felt a little conflicted, thinking it wasn't right, but she figured declining might waste too much time. Besides, she and Amado had a nice conversation, and they could talk a little more on the way. "Alright, then I'm indebted to Amado-sama."
Amado shook his head. "Don't be. It's the least I can do."
It was a good thing Amado used the excuse that Torifu wouldn't be at ease. If he had directly said he himself wouldn't be at ease with her going home alone, it would have been too sappy and overly aggressive. Anka would likely have found that repulsive. After all, saying something like that in front of so many people would make anyone uncomfortable, and they were still only just friends who got along well. They were nowhere near the stage of worrying about each other yet.