[Time passed quickly. Summer came to an end.]
[On the day of the winter solstice, little Naruto was walking Ino home.]
["Don't you usually go home with Shikamaru and the others?"]
[Little Naruto was helpless about Ino occasionally asking him to walk her home.]
[There was no helping it—she gave too much.]
["What's the problem?"]
["Don't you often walk Sakura home too?"]
[As she spoke, Ino grabbed little Naruto's hand.]
["How about I bring you one more book tomorrow?"]
["I finally managed to buy it—it's about history!"]
["I never knew books with history in them were so expensive, and almost impossible to find!"]
Yamanaka Inoichi: "Uzumaki Naruto!!!"
The doting father instantly went red with anger.
Naruto shrank back. "Uncle, that's not me—I'm here."
Yamanaka Inoichi: "No explanations needed!"
Without another word, he shook off Akimichi Chōza and Nara Shikaku's hands, climbed onto the railing, and was about to jump down.
Only at the crucial moment did he remember he couldn't use chakra right now.
He immediately climbed back down and ran down the stairs instead.
"Dad… where are you going?" Ino asked, confused, watching him rush off.
"It's nothing. I'm just going to get some air," Inoichi said without looking back.
Ino and her mother exchanged a glance and laughed in unison.
Look how anxious he is.
That's the black-frame version of her, not this world's her.
If anyone should be anxious, it's that world's him.
Senju Tobirama: Are historical books banned?
Ōnoki: Isn't that normal?
Terumī Mei: No wonder the villagers seem to know nothing—so they're forbidden books.
Mabui: That makes sense. If the public knew what truly happened, Konoha's Third Hokage wouldn't be able to maintain internal stability.
Chiyo: Hmph! I say the White Fang incident was definitely hidden too!
Chiyo: Damn you, Sarutobi Hiruzen! If not for you, I'd have avenged my son and daughter-in-law!
Uzumaki Kushina: Naruto seems to have grown taller again. Lino, thank you.
Yamanaka Ino: "Mom says it's no trouble."
Yamanaka Lino wasn't in the chatroom, so Ino spoke on her behalf.
Uzumaki Kushina: "So it's little Ino~ I think your mom wouldn't reject this marriage."
Ino: "..."
Aunt Kushina, please stop this topic!
And how did it suddenly jump to marriage?!
Ino felt a chill down her spine.
No need to think—those were definitely Hinata's eyes.
The poor girl practically had resentment written on her face.
Yamanaka Ino: "Haha~ Aunt Kushina, Hinata definitely wouldn't refuse!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "Really? Hinata, are you there? You've been so quiet I thought you weren't in the chatroom."
Hyūga Hinata: "I-I'm here!"
Ino glanced back at Hinata's bright red face and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Her lips curved slightly. This girl was actually pretty fun to tease.
She leaned over and whispered a few words.
Hinata's head immediately started steaming.
["Hm?"]
[Little Naruto suddenly stopped walking.]
[These past few days, the sense of being watched hadn't been strong.]
[Sometimes, the sense of monitoring was absent for half a day.]
[And the atmosphere in the village felt… off.]
[Whenever he walked Sakura or Ino home, little Naruto paid close attention to his surroundings.]
[Tonight's atmosphere was especially strange.]
["Snow—it's snowing~!"]
["Naruto, it's snowing already~!"]
[Ino looked at the snowflakes drifting down from the sky,]
[excited like a little kid.]
[She tugged little Naruto along, her bell-like laughter ringing out.]
[Little Naruto raised his hand and caught a falling snowflake.]
[It melted almost instantly in his palm.]
['Snow… the first snow of winter.']
[After a brief silence, little Naruto looked up and said softly, "Hurry home. Remember to wear thicker clothes tomorrow."]
["Mm~" Ino turned back, smiling brightly at him.]
[But soon, she noticed the smile on his face slowly fading.]
["What are you looking at?"]
[She waved her hand in front of him.]
[When he didn't respond, she followed his gaze.]
["Ah—!!"]
[Ino screamed and immediately hid behind little Naruto.]
[Little Naruto frowned and shielded her.]
["Who's there?!"]
[He stared warily at a distant alley.]
[It was very dark.]
[But he could faintly make out a tall figure.]
[In the darkness, the person's eyes were locked onto them.]
[Cold light glinted within them.]
Not good!
Yamanaka Inoichi stopped in his tracks.
As a doting father, this sight made him panic instantly.
The viewers couldn't help worrying about black-frame Naruto and Ino.
In this environment, with this atmosphere, it suddenly felt like watching a horror film.
Yet what surprised everyone was—
["Ino, why are you still not home so late?"]
[As the figure drew closer,]
[little Naruto kept retreating with Ino behind him.]
[Until the person in the darkness finally spoke.]
[Ino froze, then peeked out from behind Naruto.]
["Dad?"]
Dad?
Little Naruto froze as well.
When the figure slowly stepped out of the alley and faint light fell upon him—
little Naruto confirmed that it really was Ino's father.
Hm… that gaze carries malice, but it feels different from all the malice I've sensed before. It doesn't feel suffocating.
It actually makes me feel a bit… awkward.
["Honestly!"]
["Dad, why were you hiding there without making a sound?!"]
[Ino glared at her father, annoyed but relieved.]
[Yamanaka Inoichi's eye twitched.]
[He hadn't planned to speak at first, but in the end, he couldn't help walking out and staring at the two of them.]
"It's your dad? You scared me to death," Yamanaka Lino said, patting her chest.
"Yeah, that was terrifying," Ino shot her father's back a glare.
Is it coming?
Hyūga Neji narrowed his eyes slightly.
That winter's first snowfall—
he still remembered every detail clearly.
["Go home quickly."]
[Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head helplessly, suppressing the urge to beat up the little blond.]
[He still had a mission to attend to.]
["I know!" Ino replied irritably.]
[She then pulled little Naruto and hurried through the dim street.]
[But little Naruto frowned.]
['Ino's dad, Shikamaru's dad, and Chōji's dad… those three families seem very close.']
['Chōji mentioned before that they're the famous Ino–Shika–Chō of Konoha.']
['Yamanaka Pig, Nara Deer, Akimichi Butterfly.']
['If that's the case, their identities and status in Konoha must be quite high…']
['And just now, Ino's dad's expression seemed off. Did something happen?']
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