Naraku was already exasperated with his good-for-nothing System and asked for the one hundred and third time, "When will you finally upgrade so I can leave messages and post over there?"
"Transmigrator, please wait patiently for the System update."
"Don't your product managers ever get anxious?"
"We don't have product managers."
"No wonder."
Naraku checked his Popularity Points. He had plenty now, enough to give himself a major upgrade.
If he had another chance to show his face soon, it would probably be during the Chunin Exams. If he could pull off some impressive moves then, his Popularity Points would definitely skyrocket.
In the original timeline, Kakashi became a Chunin at a very young age, likely passing the exam within a year of graduating. Naraku couldn't afford to fall behind him.
"Sigh, being a close friend of a genius is a lot of pressure."
Naraku let out a long sigh. Even though Sakumo had assessed his and Kakashi's talents as basically equal, the thought of the later stages of the plot, with Kage-level Ninja being as common as dogs and countless Ninja surpassing Kage-level, still made him feel a touch of pressure.
Moreover, as an Uchiha, the road ahead would only get tougher: public opinion disadvantages, suppression from the higher-ups, and internal clan strife. Life wouldn't be easy.
He opened the store and bought several Ninjutsu he had seen before that weren't too conspicuous. Only then did he feel a bit more confident, and he slept soundly until dawn...
Autumn quickly passed, and the clear, cool weather was gradually replaced by winter's gloom. The cold wind was biting, flowers withered, and grasses and trees dried up, leaving only bare stems swaying in the frigid air.
Naraku and Kakashi remained busy with missions and training. Sakumo, as a Jonin, had even more demanding work, so the family of three was often separated, seeing each other only a few times in ten days or half a month.
Fortunately, whenever they did reunite, everyone was safe and sound, free from illness or disaster.
What pleased Sakumo was that each time he returned home to reunite with his son and apprentice, he would discover their progress in various aspects. Naraku's swordsmanship and taijutsu became more refined, and Kakashi's Ninjutsu also became more skilled. His throwing techniques even carried a hint of the Uchiha style, which made Sakumo feel a bit amused and helpless.
Time quickly arrived at the New Year. Even for Ninja, missions that could be paused were stopped, allowing them free time to accompany family and friends. The Ninja World experienced a rare moment of peace.
It was Naraku's first time celebrating the New Year here. Although it wasn't as lively as his hometown, the festive atmosphere was quite strong. The entire Konoha was filled with a warm and cozy everyday feel, as if it was no longer a village of Ninja but an ordinary small town from his previous life.
The Animator also didn't miss the good opportunity to stretch out the runtime, using two full episodes to describe the few beautiful moments in the Ninja World. The tone was light and humorous, from preparing New Year's goods to the end of the New Year. Most named characters made an appearance, and it was hailed by viewers as the most heartwarming New Year's special of the third season, even making it onto the trending topics list.
Especially the final fireworks scene, accompanied by soothing and tender background music, brought tears to the eyes of countless veteran viewers who had been following since the first season.
Colorful fireworks bloomed in the night sky, like countless stars awakened and falling, their brilliant light illuminating the entire Konoha and reflecting in everyone's eyes.
Whether Ninja or civilian, friends and family clustered together, holding each other close, their faces showing expressions of peace and emotion, their eyes filled with anticipation for the new year, hoping that such tranquility could last forever.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura, for once, didn't bicker. They stood together on Hokage Rock, watching the fireworks with calm expressions, occasionally taking a puff from their pipes;
The Sannin were also gathered, sitting in a lively tavern, watching the sparks in the night sky through the window, clinking their cups together, spilling sake everywhere on their hands and the table;
Minato and Kushina were in the center of the crowd, their hands, hidden beneath their clothes, spontaneously clasped together. Feeling each other's touch, they silently revealed smiles that were a little shy yet open;
Sakumo sat in his own yard, one arm around Kakashi and the other around Naraku, listening to the two children compare which fireworks in the sky were the most beautiful, occasionally offering his own opinion, only to be dismissed by his own son for having outdated taste, and then rallying with the comfort of his obedient apprentice...
At least at this moment, everyone shared the same hope for happiness and peace...
Winter departed, and spring arrived, the cold and desolation fading from the world.
The earth began to awaken, tender green new leaves sprouted on tree branches, and sparse grass shoots pushed their way out of the thawed soil, growing more vigorously each day as the sun rose and set.
A pair of feet wearing Ninja shoes landed beside a thriving green-purple blade of grass, followed by a small trowel that dug it up by the roots.
"Kakashi, look, there are quite a few fiddlehead ferns here."
Naraku shook the wild vegetable in his hand, dusting off the clinging soil, and carefully placed it into the basket on Kakashi's back.
"I'll cook it for you and Master later."
Kakashi saw his basket was almost half full, but he still couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him for a while: "Is this really tasty?"
Although the Academy taught how to survive in the wild, identifying edible plants and animals and various herbs, he had yet to encounter a situation where he needed to use that knowledge. If he was thirsty or hungry, there were plenty of ways to solve it, and at worst, he had Food Pills and antidotes. Naturally, he hadn't really eaten wild vegetables or natural herbs.
"Don't worry, it's delicious. When I didn't have vegetables before, I would look for this outside and bring it home to make soup."
Naraku smiled brightly, speaking of past hardships as if he didn't care at all, but Kakashi couldn't help but imagine the difficulties he had endured back then. Wild vegetables might have been one of his few foods at the time.
Looking at Naraku digging up another one, the oddly shaped little plant became much more appealing.
The two searched on the mountain for a while longer, until their baskets were almost full and the sun was about to set, before heading home together to cook.
Hatake Household.
In the kitchen, steam billowed. Naraku was busy washing the wild vegetables, and Kakashi was setting up the pot to boil water. Everything was busy yet orderly.
"What's good to eat today?"
Sakumo poked his head in, saw the remaining wild vegetables in the basket, and smiled knowingly: "Eating fiddlehead ferns?"
Kakashi turned around and asked, "Father, you recognize them?"
"Don't underestimate a Ninja's experience," Sakumo explained with a smile. "Once, we were on a mission and had nothing to eat, so we split up and dug up a lot of wild vegetables. Someone was lucky enough to catch a wild boar, and putting it all together, we barely managed to get full."
"Luckily, Master is off these past few days; a bit later, and we wouldn't be able to eat them this tender."
Naraku poured the chopped fiddlehead ferns into the pot to stir-fry, adding seasonings at just the right moment. His movements showed no sign of the unfamiliarity from a year ago; they were skilled and swift.
"Yes, I'm truly blessed."
Sakumo smelled the fresh, savory vegetable aroma in the air and felt that such a life was truly wonderful. No need to lose important people, no need to live by the sword, constantly struggling on the edge of life and death.
For Ninja, safe and sound family members at home and steaming hot food on the table were the greatest luxuries in the world.
As for the Chunin Exams he had intended to bring up earlier, he would save that for later.
Sakumo smoothly pushed the matter to the back of his mind, intending to first enjoy a delicious dinner...
"Chunin Exams?"
Kakashi lifted his head, which was almost buried in his bowl, still chewing the food he hadn't had time to swallow, speaking indistinctly.
Naraku put down his chopsticks and pointed to himself: "Us?"
"Yes, given your skill levels, you can participate in this summer's Chunin Selection Exam," Sakumo said, picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks and placing it in his bowl, speaking with the authority of a Jonin captain. "Go try it. I'll write the recommendation letter."
Kakashi swallowed the food in his mouth with a gulp and said, "If we become Chunin, we can take B-rank missions, right?"
"Impatience."
Sakumo, exasperated, tapped Kakashi's head and admonished him, "The Chunin Exams have a mortality rate; they're not as easy to pass as the graduation exam. Sometimes, even the strongest Genin might be eliminated due to bad luck. You cannot treat it lightly."
"Yes, Master, we understand."
Naraku nodded, and Kakashi also seriously grunted in agreement.