Shin Higashino followed the two little ones into a private booth at Yakiniku Q and saw his parents.
Also seated were a man and a woman about the same age as the four of them, happily toasting and chatting; the main dishes hadn't arrived yet, only a few appetizers on the table.
The moment Jiro Higashino saw Hayate and Yūgao's flushed faces, he asked, "Shin, did you bully them?"
"You worry too much, Father. I'd never do anything so rude."
Gekkō Hayate and Yūgao Uzuki kept their heads down, not daring to look at the adults—exactly the look of kids who'd been bullied.
The grown-ups didn't mind; squabbles among children are normal.
"Good, if that's the case. Come, let me introduce you. These are your Uncle Yuuwa Uzuki and Aunt Sakura Uzuki—old classmates of your mother and me. Your uncle and I were teammates as well, and we just got back together."
So it's a Sakura, only with violet hair.
Judging by the surname, they must be Yūgao's parents.
Shin Higashino obediently saluted the two adults across from him. "Hello, Uncle; hello, Aunt. My name is Shin Higashino. Pleased to meet you; please look after me."
Sakura Uzuki: "Such a polite and handsome child, Megumi. He looks just like you."
Megumi Higashino: "He really does take after me."
Yuuwa's hair color was close to Shin's; deep brown was fairly common inside Konoha Village—black was the majority, while all those flashy colors were the minority.
He smiled amiably, waved the three kids to sit, and studied Shin with curiosity. "Jiro, so this is the boy you had with Megumi? Looks steady and dependable."
"Steady, yes—just not cute at all."
Yuuwa laughed heartily. "What's wrong with steady? Saves you worry. Wait till you get one who runs wild all day; then you'll know trouble."
"That part does save his mother and me a lot of effort. Shin never causes trouble and rarely even goes outside. That's why I asked you to bring Yūgao and Hayate today—so he can meet friends his own age."
Just then the servers began bringing dishes, and the grill on the table roared to life.
The food at Yakiniku Q really was good; Shin couldn't stop eating. The adults only picked at their plates while drinking, leaving him to demolish plate after plate.
Gekkō Hayate watched enviously; because of his poor health, his appetite had never been strong.
In his previous life Shin had been more balanced, but now he was a total carnivore—if you want a strong body, meat, eggs, and milk are indispensable.
People who preach veganism are either on the take or plain cultists.
---
After a few cups, Yuuwa glanced at Shin again. "That calm, cool air reminds me of a Senior's kid—shame that boy's become so disagreeable now."
Megumi: "You mean Kakashi. Works himself hard; comes back from missions injured all the time. I've seen him at the hospital several times this year—too cold."
Jiro: "That boy's a real Genius—made Chunin at six, same as me. Guess last year's incident hit him too hard."
Yuuwa nodded. "Yeah. A pity about Lord White Fang. I once served under him; he looked after us juniors and coached my swordsmanship—a Senior I truly respected."
Maybe the alcohol was getting to him; he slammed his cup on the table, voice rising. "Who knows what the higher-ups were thinking? A failed mission gets punished by the rules—fine—but letting those rumors run wild through the Village?"
"And that bastard who accused White Fang—saved his life by failing the mission, then bit the hand that fed him. Good thing he killed himself; if he hadn't, I'd never have let him off."
Sakura Uzuki frowned, glanced outside the booth, and glared at her husband. "Yuuwa, watch your tongue. This isn't something we should discuss."
Megumi chimed in: "Yuuwa, it's in the past. The Village issued a ban—don't bring trouble on yourselves. And the kids are here; no need for them to hear this so early."
The two men fell silent, clinked cups, and downed their drinks, dropping the subject.
Shin kept devouring grilled meat while keeping an ear on the adults' talk.
He knew Kakashi's ordeal: the rumors had flared the previous August and set the whole Village arguing.
What began as a failed mission that supposedly brought huge losses to the Land of Fire and Konoha turned into a debate over whether the mission or a comrade's life mattered more.
Both sides had supporters; the quarrel grew fiercer by the day.
No one cared who started the rumors anymore, but letting the dispute drag on was clearly shaking the very Foundation of Konoha's creed.
After all, Konoha's core ideal is the will of fire—abandoning a comrade for a mission outright violates it.
Yet the belief that a Ninja exists for the mission runs deep.
The two ideas are in direct conflict.
Which matters more? Without changing the Ninja World's mindset, the question is unanswerable.
In the end, White Fang took his own life; the Village banned all discussion, and the matter was hastily buried.
Survivors could only bottle up their thoughts and keep living; only Kakashi changed completely—missions first, cold and ruthless, caring nothing for comrades, becoming the disagreeable loner everyone knew.
---
Once the alcohol dulled their anger, Yuuwa suddenly said, "Speaking of which, Shin and my Yūgao turn five next year—should we enroll them early, along with Hayate?"
Megumi and Sakura pondered; they had confidence in their kids' talent, so starting a year early wasn't out of the question.
But Jiro objected outright: "Brother Yuuwa, we just got back from the border. You know the situation—who can say when war will break out? Enrolling a year early means getting dragged in a year earlier. They're still too small; let them grow up in peace. We'll stand in front."
"True enough. Haha, the title of Genius carries too much weight; touching killing too early is no blessing. Drink, drink."
After that, the two men regaled everyone with funny border stories, steering clear of sensitive topics until the gathering ended.
At the crossroads they waved goodbye and headed home to sleep.
Yūgao Uzuki suddenly asked, "Big Brother Shin, where do you usually play?"
The little girl was born in November; Shin, seven months older, merited the title big brother.
"I train and study at home; I rarely go out."
"Then can Hayate and I come find you to play?"
Seeing his parents' hopeful faces, Shin nodded. "Sure."
Satisfied, the two families smiled and took their children home, clearly wishing the friendship between parents could carry on to the next generation.
On the way back, Shin asked, "Are Hayate's parents classmates of yours too?"
Jiro ruffled his son's hair. "No, just friends. Senior Kumomi was two years above us. But the Gekkō and Uzuki families are old friends, both expert in Konoha-style swordsmanship; they're very close, so the younger generation trains together."
"Oh… but Hayate doesn't look very healthy."
Megumi: "It's congenital—inherited from his late mother. A pity; they say his sword talent is excellent, but his body holds him back."
Jiro: "So remember, Shin: a strong body is the root of everything."
"Yes, Father."
He needed no reminder—after all, the body is a Ninja's capital.