Shin followed the two children into a private booth at Yakiniku Q and immediately spotted his parents.
Seated with them was another couple, a man and a woman roughly the same age as Jiro and Megumi. The four adults were happily chatting and clinking cups. The main dishes had yet to arrive; only a few appetizers were arranged on the table.
The moment Jiro noticed the flushed faces of the two children, he raised an eyebrow. "Shin, did you bully them?"
"You worry too much, Father," Shin replied calmly. "I'd never do anything so rude."
Gekkō Hayate and Yūgao Uzuki kept their heads lowered, not daring to look at the adults—exactly the guilty posture of children who had just been teased.
The grown-ups didn't take it seriously. Children squabbling among themselves was perfectly normal.
"Good. If that's the case, let me introduce everyone," Jiro said cheerfully.
"These are Uncle Yuwa Uzuki and Aunt Sakura Uzuki—old classmates of your mother and me. Yuwa and I were teammates as well. We only recently reunited."
So it's a Sakura, Shin thought. Just with violet hair. Judging by the surname, these had to be Yūgao's parents.
Shin straightened and bowed properly. "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Aunt. My name is Shin Higashino. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."
Sakura Uzuki smiled warmly. "What a polite and handsome child, Megumi. He really looks like you."
Megumi laughed lightly. "He does take after me."
Yuwa's hair was a deep brown, similar to Shin's—fairly common in Konoha. Black hair dominated the village; vivid colors were the minority.
He waved the children to sit and looked Shin over with interest. "Jiro, so this is your son? He looks steady. Dependable."
"Steady, yes," Jiro replied dryly. "But not cute at all."
Yuwa burst out laughing. "What's wrong with steady? It saves you a lot of trouble. Wait until you raise one who runs wild all day—then you'll know what real worry is."
"That part does save us a lot of effort," Jiro admitted. "Shin never causes trouble and hardly goes out. That's why I asked you to bring Yūgao and Hayate today—so he can meet kids his own age."
Just then, the servers arrived with the dishes, and the grill in the center of the table roared to life.
The food at Yakiniku Q truly lived up to its reputation. Shin ate nonstop. The adults mostly drank and chatted, barely touching their food, leaving plate after plate to be cleared by him alone.
Hayate watched with obvious envy. Because of his weak constitution, his appetite had never been strong.
In his previous life, Shin's diet had been balanced. Now, however, he was a complete carnivore. If one wanted a strong body, meat, eggs, and milk were indispensable.
After a few drinks, Yuwa glanced at Shin again. "That calm, detached air of his… it reminds me of a senior's child. A shame that boy turned out so disagreeable."
Megumi nodded. "You mean KakashiHatake. He pushes himself too hard—comes back injured from missions all the time. I've seen him in the hospital several times this year. Too cold."
Jiro sighed. "That boy's a real genius. Became a Chūnin at six—same as me. I guess last year's incident hit him hard."
Yuuwa nodded grimly. "Yeah. A real pity about Sakumo-san. I once served under him. He took care of us juniors and personally coached my swordsmanship. A senior I truly respected."
Perhaps the alcohol was getting to him. Yuwa slammed his cup down, voice rising.
"Who knows what the higher-ups were thinking? Fine—punish a failed mission by the rules. But letting rumors spread unchecked throughout the village?"
"And that bastard who accused White Fang—saved his own life because the mission failed, then turned around and bit the hand that fed him. Good thing he killed himself. If he hadn't, I'd never have let him off."
Sakura Uzuki frowned, glanced toward the booth entrance, and shot her husband a sharp look. "Yuwa, watch your words. This isn't something we should be discussing."
Megumi followed up gently. "It's in the past. The village issued a ban—don't invite trouble. And the children are here. There's no need for them to hear this now."
The two men fell silent. They clinked cups and drained them, tacitly dropping the subject.
Shin continued eating his grilled meat, listening quietly. He knew the story well.
What had begun as rumors about a failed mission—one said to have caused massive losses to the Land of Fire—had turned into a fierce ideological clash. Was a mission more important than a comrade's life?
Both sides had supporters. The argument had spread like wildfire, shaking the foundation of Konoha's beliefs.
The Will of Fire taught that comrades came first. Yet the doctrine that a ninja existed for the mission ran just as deep.
The two ideals directly contradicted each other.
Without changing the very mindset of the Ninja World, the question had no answer.
In the end, Sakumo took his own life. The village banned all discussion, and the matter was hastily buried.
Most people simply moved on. Only Kakashi changed completely cold, mission-first, and utterly detached from his comrades.
Once the alcohol dulled the tension, Yuwa suddenly spoke again. "By the way—Shin and my Yūgao turn five next year. Should we enroll them early? Along with Hayate?"
Megumi and Sakura exchanged thoughtful looks. They both had confidence in their children's talent. Starting a year early wasn't impossible.
But Jiro shook his head immediately. "Brother Yuwa, we've just come back from the border. You know how things are—who can say when war will break out?
Enrolling early means being dragged in early. They're still too small. Let them grow up peacefully. We'll stand in front."
"…You're right." Yuwa laughed and raised his cup. "The title of genius is too heavy. Touching killing too early is no blessing. Drink, drink."
After that, the two men shared amusing stories from border duty, carefully avoiding sensitive topics until the gathering came to an end.
At the crossroads, the two families waved goodbye and headed home.
As they walked, Yūgao suddenly asked, "Big Brother Shin, where do you usually play?"
She had been born in November. Shin, seven months older, naturally earned the title.
"I train and study at home," Shin replied. "I don't go out much."
"Then… can Hayate and I come find you to play?"
Seeing the hopeful looks on his parents' faces, Shin nodded. "Sure."
Satisfied, both families smiled. It was clear they hoped the friendship between parents would carry on into the next generation.
On the way home, Shin asked quietly, "Are Hayate's parents' classmates of yours too?"
Jiro ruffled his son's hair.
"No. Just friends. Yukai-senpai was two years ahead of us. But the Gekkō and Uzuki families have been close for generations—both specialize in Konoha-style swordsmanship. The younger ones train together."
"Oh… but Hayate doesn't look very healthy."
Megumi's expression softened. "It's congenital. He inherited it from his late mother. It's a pity—his sword talent is excellent, but his body holds him back."
Jiro nodded seriously. "So remember this, Shin. A strong body is the foundation of everything."
"Yes, Father."
He needed no reminder. After all, a ninja's body was their greatest capital.