"Alright, you two, it's such a lively festival, let's just enjoy it."
Sakumo spoke up.
This made Hakushi breathe a sigh of relief, looking gratefully at Sakumo.
Sakumo patted Hakushi on the shoulder, as if saying: I've helped as much as I can.
The affairs of young people are really complicated. With Sakumo's observation, it was natural for him to notice the ambiguous relationships among Hakushi's group of three, and he sighed helplessly in his heart.
The four of them then headed into a nearby barbecue restaurant.
This barbecue joint was the old hangout place where Sakumo's team celebrated when it was first established.
Sakumo had a strong impression of it.
Because one meal cost him the equivalent of an A-Class Mission's reward.
"Eat a little less, eating too much isn't good for your stomach."
Before ordering, Sakumo said seriously.
For the sake of the three's health, and definitely not out of concern for his own wallet.
He, the Konoha White Fang, was at least a renowned Jonin in the village.
A mere few hundred thousand ryo...
Being careful is still a good idea.
"But the three of us didn't eat a single grain of rice during the day just to make room for tonight's feast."
Ayane looked at Sakumo with innocent eyes.
"Is this the generosity of the Konoha White Fang (laugh)? It's truly disappointing."
Ruri's smile was very disdainful.
"No choice, after all, he's the Konoha White Fang (laugh)."
Hakushi also chimed in, fanning the flames.
Having been hungry all day, they definitely intended to feast tonight.
Sakumo was at a loss between laughter and tears, wondering why these guys, except for Hakushi, didn't mind the expense but still wanted to target his wallet?
He had thought he hadn't offended them in missions, rather, he had taken good care of them, right?
"Bring all of these out."
Once everyone selected what they wanted to eat, Hakushi called over a waiter to prepare it.
The waiter saw the selected ingredients and the quantity in the order and was very worried about whether they could finish everything at the table.
However, upon seeing the familiar little girl Ayane, he smiled knowingly.
Not only were the selected ingredients the most expensive and best, but the portions were also very large, making them their barbecue restaurant's big customers.
——Two hours later.
Everyone was full and when it came to paying, Sakumo looked at the huge amount on the bill, his eyes subtly going white, showing a look of despair.
Although it wouldn't bankrupt him, for just a barbecue meal, it still made him heartache.
If things happened a few more times each year, as their team leader he might soon be broke.
"Thank you for the treat, Mr. Sakumo."
Seeing the three of them with such satisfied expressions, especially Ayane, who was the happiest eater, Sakumo couldn't help but feel exasperated.
"Could you three please consider my wallet a bit too?"
"But among our team, only you, Mr. Sakumo, are a Jonin."
"After all, as the great Jonin with the biggest heart."
"That's right, being able to consider your teammates makes you a qualified Jonin. When you think about it, it's fitting for the Konoha White Fang."
Hearing the three praising him like this, Sakumo felt an even greater headache.
Just a while ago, they were calling him Konoha White Fang (laugh), narrow-minded.
Their turnaround speed was too fast.
After exchanging jokes for a bit, Sakumo took Kakashi to play elsewhere, without Hakushi and the others interrupting.
Around midnight, it was very late.
The snow had accumulated into a thick layer on the ground.
The festival had turned from bustling to quiet, with many shops starting to close.
"This year's festival was a bit more enjoyable than usual, after all, attending the festival with the clan always felt a bit constrained. It would be wonderful if it was like this every year from now on."
Ayane placed her hands behind her back, walking carefully on the snow with her head down, suddenly looked up, smiling at Hakushi and Ruri.
"Of course it can be like this every year, we're companions in the same team."
Hakushi replied this way.
"Yeah. Speaking of which, I really liked this year's gift, so I would like to thank you, Hakushi-kun..."
"Ah?"
Ayane, mentioning this suddenly, Hakushi knew things were becoming troublesome, and was about to use an excuse to shift the topic.
A soft touch landed on Hakushi's cheek, Ayane's fair and delicate profile in front of him, making him freeze in place.
Ruri also was stunned, forgetting to react.
"Although it wasn't my first kiss, it's a unique mark left on Hakushi-kun by me, quite memorable. Well then, goodbye."
Ayane giggled shyly and darted away through the falling snow with lightfooted steps.
While Hakushi was still dumbfounded, beside him, Ruri's face had already turned red with anger.
It was a mixture of the humiliation of having the 'toy' she cherished most dearly snatched away by someone without hesitation.
This sense of humiliation filled her mind with dark thoughts of wanting to destroy everything.
No other thoughts at all.
"This, this, this—Shameless! How shameless! Filthy! Debauched woman!"
As she spoke, Ruri formed a seal with her hands, gathering all her Chakra.
"Die! Fire Style·Great Fire—"
"Wait! Don't act recklessly in the village!"
Hakushi reacted immediately, rushing forward to stop Ruri, pushing her down into the snow to prevent the Fire Style Jutsu from being launched.
After all, causing the Anbu to appear at the door during the New Year was not an auspicious event.
Some distance away, Ayane naturally heard the commotion behind, but her thoughts were no longer on that.
She touched her lips with her fingers, where Hakushi's breath lingered.
This year would be a wonderful start.
◎
Mid-January.
Sakumo's team of four gathered at the entrance of Konoha Village.
"This mission is to eliminate an illegal organization within the Land of Fire, apparently involving a ninja, so it's a B-Class Mission, which could be upgraded to an A-Class Mission at any time. Not too difficult of a mission, but we can't be careless..."
While explaining the mission, Sakumo suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the team was somewhat odd.
Ayane had a gentle and innocent smile, seemingly unaware of the strange tension in the team.
Ruri's ferocious glare towards Ayane made Sakumo suspect she might tear Ayane apart.
"Hakushi, what's wrong with those two?"
Sakumo looked at the most ordinary, also the most normal-behaving, medical ninja, Hakushi, in the team.
"Nothing much, it's just that every month girls have a..."
Ruri abruptly stepped aside, crushing Hakushi's foot, making his face turn green, unable to speak.
"As Mr. Sakumo said, the mission is dangerous, so don't leave my sight, or I can't guarantee your safety."
Listening to Ruri's words laced with threat, Hakushi could only nod in agreement.
Ever since that day, Ruri's expression had been terrifying.
Reasoning with an extremely angry woman was impossible.
Sakumo scratched his head, not understanding why the team cohesion seemed to have become a challenge.