At the stroke of midnight, vibrant fireworks lit up the night sky, heralding the arrival of a brand new year.
Even though it was already late, the entirety of Konohagakure remained brightly illuminated.
Crowds of people strolled the streets, admiring the once-a-year celebration.
Inside a two-story house, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki gently draped a blanket over their sleeping granddaughter on the couch.
Nearby, Boruto took a huge bite out of his burger while watching the New Year's special on TV.
"Grandpa, Grandma," he said with his mouth half full, "why don't you take Himawari to bed? I'll wait for Dad here on my own."
Minato chuckled. "We're not tired either. But Boruto, you're still growing—staying up late isn't a great idea."
Boruto waved him off dismissively.
"Come on, Grandpa, I'm not a little kid anymore. It's just this one night a year—what harm could it do?"
He paused, then muttered, "Besides, it's not like Dad ever comes home on New Year's Eve anyway. Who knows where he goes off to every year."
A gentle voice chimed in nearby. A soft-spoken girl gently scolded him,
"Boruto, you shouldn't talk bad about your dad behind his back."
Kushina smiled warmly.
"Your father spends New Year's Eve with his friends, not just wandering around aimlessly."
"You'll understand when you're older."
Boruto grumbled,
"I don't want to grow up. Just being able to live every day with Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and my sister... that's all I need to be happy."
Hearing that, both Minato and Kushina reached out to fondly ruffle Boruto's hair.
This child was nothing like Naruto at that age. He was so much more endearing.
"By the way," Boruto suddenly asked, "you two are adults... Did you ever have a best friend?"
Minato and Kushina exchanged a knowing smile.
"If you're talking about best friends," Minato said, "there's one person who truly fits that title."
"If it weren't for him, this cruel shinobi world wouldn't be the peaceful place it is now."
"And if not for him... your grandma might not have survived giving birth to your dad."
Boruto's eyes widened with curiosity.
"Grandpa, who was that friend? Can you tell me more about the past?"
Minato smiled, his tone gentle. "Alright then. Tonight, Grandpa will tell you the story of that dear friend of ours."
...
Yakiniku Restaurant.
In a private room packed with over a dozen people, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha sat side by side, downing their drinks in one gulp.
"Sasuke," Naruto grinned, "I'm honestly shocked that a doting dad like you actually came out tonight. Aren't you worried your daughter will get mad?"
"It's a shadow clone at home," Sasuke replied. "Sarada can't tell the difference for now. But you... I bet Boruto's been talking behind your back all night."
Naruto chuckled. "He better not!"
Then, his smile faded as he grew serious.
"In a few days, we're heading out into deep space to explore a new planet. For now, make sure to spend time with Sarada while you can."
"You don't need to remind me," Sasuke said. "Just take care of your own business."
Sitting nearby, Kiba Inuzuka sighed wistfully.
"Man, Naruto, Sasuke... Your lives sound so exciting. Me? I'm stuck in the clan compound with my dogs all day. It's boring as hell."
Naruto laughed. "Come on, Kiba. You're the head of your clan—don't talk like that. Instead of being jealous, why not find a woman and settle down already? You're not getting any younger. You planning on being single forever?"
Kiba groaned. "You sound just like my sister..."
"We're outta meat! Hey waiter, bring some more!"
Neji Hyūga glanced at the new order and smirked.
"Kiba, you're ordering enough meat for a small army. Even Chōji might get upset."
"Upset? Him?"
"His family's barbecue chain is everywhere now. They're even looking to expand to other planets. What's a few extra plates?"
"Right, Chōji?"
The chubby Akimichi Chōji grinned and nodded.
"That's right. Everyone eat up! Tonight's bill is on me!"
"Woof!"
Amid the laughter, Shikamaru frowned slightly, as if something was nagging at him.
"Hey... Are we forgetting someone?"
The others paused, expressions turning thoughtful.
"Are you talking about Lee?" Naruto asked.
"We invited him," someone answered. "He said he'd be celebrating with Guy-sensei tonight."
Shikamaru shook his head. "No, not him. It just feels like... someone else is missing."
"Besides the ones who moved to other villages, the only ones not here tonight are the girls, right?"
"Shikamaru, you're overthinking it again," someone teased. "You need to give that brain a break."
Shrugging off their jokes, Shikamaru exhaled and cleared his thoughts.
Forget it. It's a rare day off—no point stressing over this.
He stood, raising his cup with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
"To a brighter tomorrow for all of us—cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
...
Elsewhere, high above the village, Shino Aburame sat alone on a rooftop. Cloaked in a hood and sunglasses, he sipped quietly from a bottle.
"I wonder... are the others spending their New Year's Eve as lonely as I am?"
"Being an adult... really sucks sometimes."
...
Uchiha Compound.
Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha sat in a garden, sipping tea beneath the cold winter sky.
"Itachi," Shisui said gently, "you really don't want to take up the clan leader's role? If not that, the head of the police force would suit you well."
Itachi responded calmly, "I'm the child of a criminal. I'm only alive to atone. Someone like me doesn't deserve a position like that."
"As long as I can keep an eye on Sasuke and complete a few missions to redeem Father's sins... that's enough for me."
Shisui let out a long sigh.
He knew Itachi well. There was no point in pushing further.
"Then what about you, Shisui? Now that you're stepping down, what'll you do next?"
"Travel, maybe. Clear my head. It's been ages since I left the village."
"Really? I never pegged you as the traveling type."
"Who said that's my favorite thing to do?"
"Huh? Isn't that what people do when they finally have time to themselves—go off and enjoy what they love?"
Shisui burst into laughter at Itachi's confusion.
"Oh, Itachi... My favorite thing is sneaking near Mirai's place and catching the smell of food from his kitchen. That's when I'd walk in and beg for a meal."
Even Itachi cracked a rare smile. "Mirai-sama is a great cook. No wonder you still remember those meals so fondly."
Shisui shook his head, his expression softening.
"Honestly, what I miss most is the time we all spent fighting for the future of the Uchiha clan, following Mirai-sama."
"You were still young then. Maybe you didn't fully grasp how tense things were between the village and our clan."
"If it weren't for Mirai-sama, the Uchiha might have been wiped out."
Itachi nodded solemnly. "Mirai-sama is truly remarkable."
Shisui placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke with quiet intensity.
"That's why you don't need to keep living under Fugaku's shadow. Stop placing the weight of the world on your shoulders. Try facing life with a smile, little brother. That's all I ask."
"If the sky falls, I'll hold it up. If I can't, Mirai-sama will."
"Now come on, give me a smile."
"Ha... ha... haha..."
"No, that's too soft! Think wild! Think of the proud Uchiha spirit! Think of how Mirai-sama laughs!"
"HA! HA! HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"There we go!"
Shisui gazed at the fireworks bursting overhead and sighed wistfully.
"Life's gotten better... but I still wish I could sneak into Mirai-sama's place for another meal..."
"Sigh... With all those wives at his house now, I probably don't need to show up with a mop and bucket anymore, huh?"
"Damn it... I was there first..."