The night was dark as ink, the cold moon hanging like frost in the sky.
Though Kyusei usually gave people the impression of being unreliable and carefree, the details of his home revealed something else entirely—he was someone who valued ritual and occasion.
To celebrate both his and Kaoru's upcoming graduation, Kyusei had uncharacteristically cooked several dishes tonight, instead of his usual habit of making one meal and stretching it over two sittings.
Now, only one final dish remained—the perfect companion to rice.
Hot pan, cool oil.
Wait until thin white smoke rose, then pour in the beaten eggs prepared beforehand. Stir casually a few times, letting the eggs set, then slide them into a bowl to the side.
Heat the pan again with fresh oil. Add the chopped tomatoes. Once they softened and released their juices, toss the eggs back in, season with salt, chicken essence, and a pinch of sugar, stir-fry briefly, and finish with a sprinkle of scallions.
"Done!"
Standing beside him as his helper, Kaoru blinked at the golden-red dish in his hands and asked curiously,
"What dish is this? I've never seen it before."
Seeing her puzzled expression, Kyusei flashed a smug grin.
"Tomato scrambled eggs."
"Kyusei, you're amazing! I didn't know you were this talented at cooking."
Kaoru looked at him with sparkling eyes. Not only had she never tasted this dish before—she'd never even heard of it.
Which meant, by flawless logic, that Kyusei was obviously a natural-born master chef.
As expected of Kyusei!
Like a little tail, Kaoru followed closely behind him. When she watched him place the final dish on the table, her beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons.
A year ago, with Sarutobi Hiruzen's help, Kaoru had moved into the house next door. Now, aside from sleeping separately at night, the two of them were practically inseparable.
"Hm, not bad at all."
A clear, cool voice sounded from the doorway.
A tall, graceful young woman walked in—black hair cascading like a waterfall, skin pale as jade, delicate features framed by a pair of pure white eyes that seemed to hold a unique brilliance.
She wore a purple knit top and a khaki skirt that accentuated her elegant figure.
"Naorie-nee!"
Kaoru immediately ran over, joy written all over her face as she looked at Hyūga Naorie.
"Huh? When did you get back?"
"I thought you wouldn't make it in time."
Kyusei looked at her in surprise.
A year earlier, Hiruzen had officially lifted Kyusei's so-called surveillance, leaving only Naorie by his side. But not long ago, the Hyūga clan head—Naorie's father, Hyūga Sōju—had taken her to the Land of Water to visit relatives.
The Kaguya clan.
The relationship between the Hyūga and the Kaguya was much like that of the Senju and the Uzumaki—longstanding allies, bound by intermarriage.
Though neither the Hyūga nor the Kaguya enjoyed the same fame as the Senju and Uzumaki once had, at least they were still thriving, unlike the latter two clans, which had been reduced to only a handful of survivors.
According to her father's plans, Naorie shouldn't have been back this early—so her sudden appearance genuinely caught Kyusei off guard.
"What?"
"Are you unhappy that I came back early?"
"Did I interrupt the precious little world of Kyusei-sama and Kaoru-chan?"
Naorie spoke in her usual sharp, mocking tone whenever she was dealing with someone familiar.
"Naorie-nee…"
Kaoru blushed shyly, clearly embarrassed.
Kyusei, however, was long immune to this behavior. With a shameless grin, he fired right back:
"Oho~"
"So you know you're interrupting, yet you still barge in—what, trying to steal Kaoru from me with a sword in hand?"
Naorie's forehead twitched as a vein popped out.
Without another word, she grabbed him.
Both fists pressed against Kyusei's temples, twisting mercilessly as she snarled,
"You little brat! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!"
"With a runt like you who hasn't even finished growing, I'd rather pick a random guy off the street than look your way!"
"Ow—ow—ow!"
Kyusei howled exaggeratedly.
Only then did Naorie release him, clearly satisfied.
"Still dare to tease me again?"
"Nope, nope, absolutely not~"
Yeah right. Totally will.
Rubbing his temples, Kyusei shot her a sideways look.
Just wait till you dump Hyūga Hiashi—let's see which poor sucker still wants you then.
—
A tall, broad-shouldered white-haired man stood before Konoha's massive gates, emotion stirring in his chest.
Three years…
Finally back…
I wonder how Kaoru's been these past three years.
The man strode straight through the gates without hesitation.
"Hey, you—stop—"
One of the gate guards tried to speak, only to have his mouth forcibly covered by his partner, who allowed the white-haired man to pass unchallenged.
When the figure vanished into the darkness, the guard finally let go.
"What was that for? He didn't even show a pass!"
"You don't get it," the other guard said seriously.
"If I'm not mistaken, that man was one of the Legendary Three Ninja—"
"—the Mad Oni, equal to Lady Tsunade and Orochimaru."
"Jiraiya."
Fresh back from the Land of Rain, Jiraiya had no time to admire Konoha's nightscape. He headed straight for the Hokage Tower.
On a whim, he had stayed in the Rain Country for three years.
No matter what, the first thing he had to do upon returning was report to his teacher—Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Familiar paths guided him effortlessly to the tower. At this hour, most staff had already gone home, and Jiraiya encountered no acquaintances.
But his teacher would definitely still be in the office, buried in paperwork.
Nothing's changed at all…
Jiraiya felt a surge of nostalgia as he took in the familiar surroundings.
He knocked on the office door. At the sound of "Come in," he pushed it open and saw the man who was both his mentor and, in many ways, a father to him.
"Yo!"
"Old man! Long time no see—miss me, the great Jiraiya?"
He struck an exaggerated, arrogant pose, radiating his usual infuriating energy.
In response—
BAM!
A heavy, merciless punch smashed into his head, slamming Jiraiya flat onto the floor.
"Ow… yeah, that's the punch I remember," Jiraiya groaned as he rubbed his head and climbed back up.
"Still got it, old man."
He'd been a little worried that his sudden disappearance might have truly angered Hiruzen.
Judging by that punch—
Yeah. Definitely worried for nothing.
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