"Bonk!"
Izumi Uchiha, finding the conversation increasingly absurd, interrupted Aoi with a sharp flick to the forehead. Her eyes were wide, as if she were meeting her sister for the first time.
"What kind of nonsense is filling that head of yours?"
Aoi Uchiha pouted aggrievedly. "Why did you hit me? That hurt."
"Big Sister, I'm on your side here."
"The Uchiha clan has no cowards. Big Sister, you need to set an example for us."
'An example of swapping out someone else's bride!?'
Izumi gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
Seeing the situation turn south, Aoi hurriedly made a break for it, running over to Karin Uzumaki to get far away from her sister, who was on the verge of exploding.
"How did it go? Did you convince her?" Karin asked.
Aoi, firmly on her sister's "side," replied, "Nope."
Karin sighed. "That's a real pity."
Then, she looked at the couple at the wedding.
'If only I were a bit older.' x2.
As the wedding proceeded, the two little ones stopped plotting their mischievous schemes.
They watched the ceremony quietly.
Infected by the romantic atmosphere, they began to imagine what it would be like if they held their own weddings one day...
They weren't the only ones caught up in the romance.
In a corner, Daiki Nojiri, who had cleaned himself up specifically for the occasion, watched the proceedings in a daze.
He couldn't help but feel a yearning in his heart.
In this moment, he forgot about his artistic creations.
NTR, Orcs, Mind Break, and whatever else—all thrown to the back of his mind.
All he could think about was what it would be like if he, too, had a beloved partner to walk down the aisle with.
Even if he didn't get married, finding a girlfriend seemed better than drawing mooing creatures in his books every day.
Thinking this, he shifted his gaze, locking onto a quiet and tranquil figure in the crowd.
A clear and beautiful face came into view, and Daiki Nojiri's heart heated up along with it.
---
Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was alone.
His Hokage hat was placed on the corner of the desk. With both hands supporting a crystal ball, he quietly watched the image projected on it.
Displayed on the surface was the scene of Musashi's wedding.
As the village's Hokage, his time was extremely precious. It was difficult to carve out time to attend a wedding, and his status as Hokage made it inconvenient.
He couldn't attend one Jonin's wedding and then say he didn't have time for another's.
So, when subordinates got married, he usually just asked someone to deliver a gift.
If he had a rare moment of free time, he would check in via the Telescope Technique—after all, they were his subordinates.
Watching the lively wedding, a faint smile hung on Hiruzen's lips.
"It's good to be young~"
Talented young ninjas forging deeper bonds within the village would eventually give birth to the next generation for the village.
This was the future of the Hidden Leaf!
Feeling the liveliness of the wedding and the happiness of the people, Hiruzen seemed to see a bright tomorrow for Konoha.
This vibrant scene was his greatest pride as Hokage.
Only a Hokage like him—diligent, visionary, and wholeheartedly dedicated to the public good—could create such a united and prosperous village.
A certain gloomy old friend would never understand.
He murmured with emotion, "Where the leaves dance, the fire is also continuousl—Wait!"
Hiruzen's expression suddenly changed.
His pride was instantly cut off.
He stared dead at the crystal ball in front of him.
On the screen, several familiar faces were sitting together, toasting, drinking, and acting completely unrestrained and happy.
"Yuichi, Yugao... and even Yamato!"
"Those guys! Isn't Squad Six supposed to be on duty at Anbu headquarters today!!?"
"Damn it!"
Bang! The pipe was slammed heavily onto the table.
Hiruzen's brows twisted into a knot.
"It was like this last time too!"
"I, the Hokage, am still in the office, and they've already clocked out!"
"Today is even more outrageous!"
"In broad daylight, they actually ran off to attend a banquet!!"
"Absolutely disgraceful!"
On the screen, the Anbu members were laughing happier and happier.
That kind of smile was a sight Hiruzen had never seen while they were working at Anbu.
Angrily waving his hand to cut off the image on the crystal ball, Hiruzen muttered to himself.
"It seems the Anbu's workload is still too light."
"It's time to give them more missions."
---
After the wedding ended, Daiki Nojiri hurriedly chased after a figure.
"Haku, wait a moment!"
Haku, who was planning to head back, stopped and looked unexpectedly at Daiki, whose breathing was a bit ragged.
"Daiki? Did you call me?"
"Yeah, Haku." Daiki nervously straightened his clothes, then looked at the person in front of him.
Refined and bright features, eyes gentle as water—he started getting nervous again.
After a good while, he composed himself and said, "Um... I wanted to ask if you're free the night after tomorrow."