In the evening, with heavy snow blanketing the village outside, everyone gathered around the steaming hot pot, chatting and laughing as they ate.
Chiga had specially prepared a large plate of cherry pork for Kaguya. She, who favored sour flavors, instantly adored the taste, and her gaze toward Chiga was full of admiration.
Watching Kaguya enjoy her meal so heartily, Kushina could not resist taking a piece for herself. She set down her chopsticks and addressed Minato with a playful tone,
"Look at Chiga, learn from him properly. I want to enjoy food like this from now on too!"
Minato, mid-slurp of the hot pot, froze in surprise. Kushina wiped her mouth elegantly and asked calmly,
"What? Is it very difficult?"
"No! Not at all! Chiga, please teach me this dish. I must learn it properly!"
Chiga had no time to entertain Minato. While attending to Kaguya, he said thoughtfully,
"Eat slowly. If you like it, I'll make it again anytime."
Kaguya nodded eagerly, experiencing the comforting care of Chiga's attention for the first time while pregnant. It was a feeling far removed from the situation of Hamura and Hagoromo's. One thing was certain: the child about to arrive would be deeply cherished.
As they ate, Hoshina suddenly moved closer and sat next to Chiga, her voice clear and cheerful,
"Uncle Chiga!"
Chiga reached out and gently stroked her hair, smiling warmly,
"Hello, little Hoshina."
Hoshina opened her arms eagerly,
"Uncle Chiga, can you hug me?"
"Of course!"
Chiga lifted Hoshina onto his lap. She giggled delightedly. Naruto, already smitten with his sister, was utterly dumbfounded. Every time he tried to hug Hoshina, she rejected him, claiming his whiskers were ugly. The Nine-Tails within him even protested—whiskers, in its opinion, were magnificent!
Thanks to Minato and Kushina's guidance, Naruto's relationship with the Nine-Tails had improved remarkably. The beast even occasionally lent him chakra in battles against Sasuke.
Kushina, smiling softly from the side, reminisced,
"When Hoshina was just born, she would always seek Chiga to hold her. It feels like it was just yesterday."
Kaguya gazed at Hoshina in Chiga's arms, but her thoughts drifted to the child in her own belly. Chiga noticed and gently held her hand, whispering,
"Soon, I'll be by your side every day."
Kaguya leaned her head against his chest, softly humming in agreement.
Obito stole a glance at Rin, only to be caught. Rin placed her hand on his forehead and asked with concern,
"Obito, why is your face so red? Are you unwell?"
Feeling her warmth, Obito's body felt like it was melting. He slumped slightly, stammering,
"N-no, I'm fine, Rin… you're so kind…"
Rin blushed fiercely, withdrawing her hand and lowering her head,
"Stop it. Everyone's here. What nonsense are you talking about?"
Kakashi cleared his throat twice, having removed his mask. The expression on his face alone exuded restrained amusement. Picking up a slice of meat, he chewed and commented,
"Still too tender. It needed a bit more cooking."
Obito, sensing Kakashi's sarcasm, straightened and retorted,
"Yeah, but it's still not as good as more spiritual food. That stuff packs a punch, doesn't it, Kakashi?"
Rin interjected,
"I don't know what you're talking about, Obito. He seems really sick; go take care of him!"
Obito activated his Sharingan and glared at Kakashi. His Genjutsu was formidable, instantly freezing Kakashi in place.
Whoosh!
While Kakashi was immobilized, Obito's hand moved in a blur, retrieving a copy of Make-Out Paradise from Kakashi's belongings. The book looked worn from frequent use.
Kakashi regained his senses and shivered upon seeing it in Obito's hand. He reached for it, but Obito tossed it to Rin before he could react.
Curious, Rin opened the book, her face quickly turning bright red as she skimmed a few pages.
Slap!
She slammed the book shut and glared at Kakashi, scolding,
"Kakashi! You always seem so serious, but I didn't expect you to enjoy this kind of book!"
Kushina, intrigued, asked to see the book. She knew the author was Jiraiya but had never read it herself. Minato tried to stop her,
"You better not. This book—"
But it was too late. Kushina opened the book and read with calm concentration. Every second felt excruciating to Kakashi. He cast a pleading look at Minato, who shrugged helplessly.
Kushina, unfazed by the content, finished reading, sighed lightly, and tossed the book to Minato with a casual, disdainful remark,
"That's it?"
Minato stuffed the book into his pocket, replying,
"There's nothing worth seeing, but Kakashi is part of the Dark Ops. Always carrying books like this does affect the image. I'll keep it for him."
Kushina rolled her eyes and returned to chatting with Kaguya about children, as the two still shared much in common.
Kakashi's heart ached as Minato took the book. He knew that edition of Make-Out Paradise was a collector's copy with illustrations, no longer available in stores. Obito smiled privately, though feigning indignation,
"Rin, I'm responsible for Kakashi ending up like this. I'll supervise him properly from now on!"
Kakashi muttered under his breath,
"Damn Uchiha…"
"Hmm?"
Madara and the others set down their chopsticks, focusing on Kakashi. Chiga glanced at him with a faint smile. Kakashi chuckled awkwardly a few times, quickly pulled up his mask, and fell silent.
______
Happy New Year!
The number of power stones I get is pretty low lately, which is kind of funny in its own way.
If you'd like to read ahead (about 60 to 90 chapters in advance) you can find early access on my Patreon.
Patreon.com/Zphyr_