The next morning, at six o'clock, Hayashi woke up.
He had planned to sleep a little longer, but for some reason, all drowsiness had vanished. He turned his head toward the window and noticed a thin layer of frost clinging to the glass.
It was already November, and the weather had begun to turn cold. Frost was not unusual, yet yesterday the temperature had still hovered near twenty degrees. Overnight, it had dropped to ten. The sudden changes in Konoha's climate were enough to irritate anyone.
As Nawaki once liked to say, this kind of weather was sick and needed treatment.
Because the temperature had not declined steadily, traces of green still lingered throughout the village. Leaves fell, of course, but among the mix of brown and fading colors lining the roads, green always stood out first. Perhaps it was because green made people feel calmer. Green leaves, green grass, green hats…
Wait.
That last one was odd.
Hayashi cleared his thoughts.
Since sleep was no longer an option, he decided not to waste time. He rolled out of bed, planning to run a few laps around the village to readjust to his significantly increased strength. On the way back, he would buy breakfast for Mikoto and Kushina.
After washing up, he took two steps forward, then paused and glanced toward the bookshelf.
A crow lay curled up there, wrapped snugly in a cloak.
Little Black had tucked itself inside, hunched into a round, brooding shape and sleeping soundly.
The cloak had been sewn by Kushina using old clothes. It even came with a hood, decorated with a crooked drawing of a crow that somehow made the garment look even more ridiculous.
"Little Black," Hayashi said by the door, "want to go for a walk?"
No response.
"Little Black, I'll take you out to get some exercise."
Still nothing.
Hayashi knew better. A crow with hearing that sharp could not possibly miss his voice.
This time, the bird stirred. A black head poked out from the cloak, one eye squinting at him with clear disdain, as if saying, I am a crow, not a dog. Why would I go for a walk?
Five seconds later, it pulled its head back inside and resumed sleeping.
Hayashi sighed.
Left with no other choice, he stepped out alone and headed toward the street.
The road was quiet, though vendors had already begun setting up their stalls. Life did not stop simply because ninjas existed.
Ordinary civilians did not risk their lives on missions, but they still struggled to make ends meet. In that sense, no one lived easily.
With that thought, Hayashi warmed up as he walked, then gradually picked up speed and began running through the village.
Halfway through his run, he encountered Might Dai.
"Yo, Hayashi. Out running too?"
"Yeah," Hayashi replied. "I've had too much free time lately. If I don't move, my body feels like it'll rust."
Dai was, as always, dressed in his eye-catching green jumpsuit. Even though he had earned more money over the past two years, he showed no intention of changing his wardrobe.
It was clear he genuinely loved it.
Sure enough, Dai leaned closer and spoke enthusiastically. "I'm telling you, Hayashi, taijutsu just isn't complete without the proper outfit. How about I give you a set?"
Hayashi shook his head immediately.
No matter how confident he was, there were limits.
Without thick eyebrows and that level of shamelessness, wearing something like that was simply impossible.
They chatted for a while before parting ways. Dai also reminded Hayashi to visit the shop sometime to check the accounts from the past two years.
It was unnecessary, of course. Hayashi did not lack money. He simply wanted to help Might Guy's father however he could.
Dai deserved respect.
By the way, Dai was now married.
That alone eased a long-standing worry in Hayashi's mind. He had once feared that Dai might follow some extreme ideal of devotion and never settle down.
Thankfully, that concern proved unfounded.
After eight o'clock, Hayashi ended his training. He returned home to shower, then went to the shopping street to buy breakfast before heading to Konoha Hospital.
Beside Mikoto's bed sat a folding recliner for whoever stayed overnight. It was cramped but usable. Hayashi used to sleep there himself, but since the agreement had been signed, Kushina had taken over night duty.
When Hayashi entered the ward with breakfast, both girls were already awake, lying on the bed and playing shogi.
Judging by Kushina's restless scratching at her ears and cheeks, her loss was imminent.
"Hayashi brought breakfast," Kushina declared shamelessly. "Game over, game over. This one doesn't count."
She sprang off the bed and smoothly intercepted the food.
Mikoto only smiled and calmly packed away the board.
Hayashi stayed for a while, chatting casually. At ten o'clock, he stood up and left.
Soon, he arrived at the familiar small building.
He knocked a few times.
"The door's not locked. Come in, kid," Tsunade replied almost instantly.
Hayashi turned the handle and stepped inside.
Honestly, no thief would dare come here. Even ignoring Tsunade's fearsome reputation, anyone trying to steal money would be better off gambling against her instead.
The house looked exactly as expected.
Unwashed lunchboxes, underwear casually tossed onto the sofa, and a floor layered with dust.
A mix of strange odors lingered in the air, nearly forcing Hayashi back outside.
Can people really live like this?
After a moment's thought, he gave up on removing his shoes. The floor was unlikely to be cleaner than the soles anyway.
He opened every window in the living room. Only then did the air improve slightly.
Tsunade descended the stairs in her pajamas.
She showed no concern for her disheveled appearance. In her eyes, Hayashi was still just a kid.
After nudging aside the underwear she had tossed onto the sofa earlier, she dropped onto it and yawned.
"What brings you here now?" she asked lazily. "Got time to spare?"
The sarcasm was obvious. Preparations for the operation had been finished days ago.
Hayashi smiled awkwardly. It was clear that Tsunade remained well-informed about village affairs, even without leaving her home.
Including matters involving the Uchiha.
After some idle conversation, her gambling itch resurfaced. She dragged Hayashi into another card game.
The deck he had left behind last time now looked noticeably worn.
Apparently, she had been playing quite often.
"I won't lose today," Tsunade said confidently.
Hayashi only smiled faintly, saying nothing as he met her gaze.