The few of them turned back and smiled at Torifu, then each displayed their unique abilities and left the entrance of Konohagakure.
After a flurry of flying sand, swirling stones, and sudden gusts, only the group from the Land of Iron remained at the entrance of Konohagakure.
Watching the Kage who had already vanished from their surroundings, Ichiryu felt a bit bewildered for a moment.
Isn't this just pure bullying of an honest samurai!
A somewhat awkward Ichiryu could only straighten his back and walk towards the main road.
Seeing this, Torifu also smiled and shook his head, then turned and returned to the village.
Among these individuals, Ichiryu was the oldest; whether they would meet again was truly uncertain.
The average lifespan in this world was only sixty to seventy years.
Ichiryu was already considered a person nearing the end of his life.
Once the Kage from other nations had left, Konohagakure completely settled down, returning to its normal way of life.
The villagers all lived their lives in an orderly fashion, and from time to time, Torifu would organize small events to entertain them.
Life passed by, uneventful yet fulfilling.
.....
Five years later, Konoha Year 43, winter.
The entire Konohagakure was covered in a blanket of white.
Villagers who had risen in the early morning were clearing the accumulated snow from the streets, chatting with their neighbors from time to time.
Although the blizzard had caused considerable inconvenience for the villagers, smiles still bloomed on everyone's faces.
"I say, Shimada, do you know anything about what the Hokage said about organizing this 'Spring Festival' event?"
The man sweeping the ground looked up at his neighbor, saying, "I'm just a factory worker; how could I possibly know what the Hokage-sama is planning? But it's true there's been talk of it recently."
Recently, a rumor had been circulating in Konohagakure: with the old year drawing to a close, the Hokage apparently intended to host an event called the Spring Festival.
No one knew who started it, but it spread from one to ten, then from ten to a hundred, and soon all the villagers were discussing it.
The villagers were highly anticipating the unknown festival event that the Hokage was planning, as the annual Carnival always made the village especially lively.
Moreover, it would attract people from other countries to visit Konohagakure.
Furthermore, the Hokage would occasionally come up with new gadgets and novelties, broadening the villagers' horizons, which was why Konohagakure's residents had a relatively high acceptance rate for new things.
Upon learning that Shimada, even a small leader at the factory, didn't know the specifics, the man couldn't help but shake his head.
This topic was currently the hottest in Konohagakure; everyone wanted to know what this Spring Festival was actually about.
And it absolutely had to be held at the end of the year.
At this moment, the Hokage, whom the villagers were discussing, had just opened his eyes.
Gazing at the vast whiteness outside the window, Torifu's thoughts gradually cleared. "It's snowing again, huh? Hōgen-kun will have plenty to play with."
The fireplace in the room had already gone out, but fortunately, the continuous operation of the air conditioner kept the room from getting too cold.
Torifu turned his head, glanced at Naori who was still sound asleep, and shook his head with a smile.
Then, he carefully got up to wash.
Through the bathroom's double-paned window, a thick layer of white snow accumulated in the yard could be clearly seen.
Just as Torifu was diligently brushing his teeth and admiring the snowscape, he suddenly felt his calf being hugged.
Without even looking, he reached out a hand and stroked the head. "Akihara, Papa is brushing his teeth. I'll play with you in a bit."
The child named Akihara obediently released his grip. "Then Papa will play in the snow with me in a bit!"
This was a delicate little doll-like child, and judging by his clothes, he was a small boy.
His full head of white hair inherited Torifu's genes, his face was quite similar to Torifu's, and his eyes were exactly like Naori's.
After letting go, Akihara didn't run around but obediently stood by Torifu's side, waiting for his father to finish brushing his teeth and take him out to play.
So small, he looked incredibly adorable.
Torifu couldn't bear to make his son wait too long. After quickly finishing brushing his teeth, he scooped Akihara up.
This made the child laugh heartily.
"Shhh, Mama is still sleeping. Be quiet, we'll sneak out."
Little Akihara also mimicked Torifu, making a shushing gesture.
His expression was very serious.
Torifu couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out and felt the thickness of Akihara's clothes, deciding they were adequate, then took out a cotton hat from his ring and placed it on Akihara's head.
Afterward, the father and son quietly went out the door.
The snow outside was higher than their ankles. Torifu set Akihara down in the snow, and nearly half of the child disappeared into it.
He wasn't afraid or noisy. He pulled his small mittens from his pocket, put them on, and began to
play in the snow by himself.
Torifu watched from the side.
After he tired himself out, Torifu would clear the snow from the yard.
Despite Akihara's small stature, he was quite strong. Before long, he had pushed out a large snowball all by himself.
He looked at Torifu as if showing off.
And Torifu also extended his hand, giving him a thumbs-up.
This made Akihara burst into laughter.
Although it was a heavy snowfall, the winter temperatures in the Land of Fire weren't very low. This heavy snow wouldn't last long before partially melting, leaving the entire yard messy with water.
However, letting his son play for a while was fine for now. It was a clear day, so Torifu could sit on a chair and bask in the sun for a bit.
This had already become a habit; if his son hadn't wanted to play in the snow, how could Konohagakure have experienced such heavy snowfall?
Torifu would have long since waved his hand and dispersed the clouds.
After about ten minutes, Minato emerged from the house. He didn't seem to have noticed that it had snowed outside.
As soon as he pushed open the door, he felt like he had stepped into another world.
Then, seeing Akihara diligently pushing a snowball and Torifu sitting by the door, he understood.
Minato, now fifteen, was already a jonin of Konohagakure. He was very handsome and already possessed some of the demeanor of the Fourth Hokage from the anime.
This was also the result of Torifu consistently teaching him and letting him grasp the Will of Fire on his own. Torifu had long wanted to hand over the position of Hokage to Minato.
However, Minato was still too young, so Torifu would have to strive for a while longer.
"Uncle Minato! I cleared out the open space for your morning training!"
Minato walked over to Akihara and patted his head. "Good boy, you've helped me a lot. Akihara, go play with your papa for now, so I don't accidentally hurt you."
Akihara, this child, was primarily characterized by his obedience. Although he was in a clingy phase, he never excessively relied on his age to act spoiled.
No one had specifically taught him this; it was his own inherent trait.
Perhaps it was also inherited from Torifu or Naori's genes, as both of them had been relatively mature even as children.
Minato walked to the open space Akihara had cleared for him, took a kunai from his pocket, and several large characters were clearly visible on the kunai's handle.
'Blade of Ninja Love.'