Konoha.
The Uchiha clan district.
Hearing the sounds of roughhousing outside the door, Yuzuru quickly pulled his hand back.
Tsunade rolled her eyes and briskly walked back toward the rear courtyard.
A moment later, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara appeared with their schoolbags on their backs.
"Father!"
The three of them called out to Yuzuru and eagerly ran over.
Seeing that, Yuzuru asked, "Why are you three back so early today?"
Naruto replied excitedly, "Dad, the Ninja Academy starts break tomorrow. We've got half a month off!"
"Oh?" Yuzuru raised a brow, a little surprised. "Why such a long break? If I remember right, it's not time for the academy to close yet."
Sasuke gave a soft snort, his tone carrying a trace of pride. "Because the three of us already passed the final evaluations ahead of schedule, both in academics and practical training."
"In other words, our winter break starts now."
Gaara nodded in agreement and even stepped forward to massage Yuzuru's leg. "Dad, this is the school's policy. It's not like we forced them into it."
At that, Yuzuru nodded. He wasn't especially concerned about something like this.
An early break was fine. As long as they were healthy in body and mind, that mattered more than anything else.
When they saw that Yuzuru didn't seem particularly moved, Naruto asked, "Dad, I heard from Brother Shisui that back when he hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet, you already took him out on missions?"
Yuzuru stroked his chin for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, something like that happened. Why?"
Naruto immediately said, "Well, the three of us happen to be free right now, so can you take us out on a mission too?"
Sasuke and Gaara also crowded closer at once. All three stared at him with wide dark eyes full of expectation.
Seeing that, Yuzuru could only show a helpless smile. "You three really are impossible…"
"I happen to be leaving the village in three days. You can come along with me."
The moment he said that, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara all jumped up in excitement.
"Yesss! Then we'll go get ready right now!"
One after another, the three of them enthusiastically hugged Yuzuru before bouncing off toward their rooms.
Watching how happy they were, Yuzuru couldn't help feeling pleased himself.
A loving wife, children, and a warm home.
That really was the life men dreamed of.
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Three days later.
Sandayu Asama and Koyuki Kazahana had been waiting at Konoha's entrance since early morning, stretching their necks from time to time to look into the village.
Sandayu asked, "Princess Koyuki, did Lord Yuzuru really say he'd help us kill Dotou Kazahana?"
Koyuki looked at him helplessly. "Sandayu, that's the fifty-third time you've asked me!"
Sandayu scratched his head awkwardly. "I can't help it. It's just too unbelievable…"
Seeing that, a trace of amusement appeared in Koyuki's eyes. "Sandayu, Lord Yuzuru is completely different from what we imagined."
"He's a man overflowing with responsibility, and he's also incredibly gentle."
"So just wait in peace. He'll definitely come."
Looking at Koyuki's expression, Sandayu seemed to realize something.
But before he could ask, Koyuki suddenly straightened up excitedly.
"Sandayu, Lord Yuzuru is here!"
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Yuzuru greeted them first. "You've been waiting a while, haven't you? We ended up arriving a little late."
Koyuki shook her head. "No, we just came too early. There are still ten minutes left before the meeting time."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted behind Yuzuru.
"And these three are…?"
"Big Sis, I'm Naruto, that's Sasuke, and this is Gaara. We're all Dad's sons."
Koyuki froze for a second, then couldn't help laughing.
Dad's sons?
What a uniquely direct self-introduction.
She stepped forward and said with a gentle smile, "Don't call me Big Sis. Call me Auntie."
Naruto adapted instantly. "Auntie."
"Such a good boy."
Hearing their exchange, Sandayu became even more certain of what he was thinking.
Princess Koyuki…
She had probably already fallen completely.
Since this was Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara's first time leaving the village, Yuzuru treated this outing more like a trip than a mission.
He didn't use Kamui or Magnet Release, and he didn't even intend to take any form of transportation.
Along the way, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara's eyes were full of wonder. Just like children on a spring outing, everything they saw felt fresh and interesting.
By the time night fell, Yuzuru found a suitable place to make camp.
He lit a bonfire and started roasting meat.
Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, Sandayu Asama, and Koyuki Kazahana sat around the fire, chatting casually.
Gaara asked curiously, "Dad, can you tell us about what it was like when you went on missions in your younger days?"
The moment he said that, everyone immediately quieted down and looked at Yuzuru with curiosity.
Yuzuru smiled and said, "Back then, when ninja went on missions, there weren't things like carriages, trains, or all sorts of transportation. If you wanted to reach the mission site, you had to rely on your own legs."
"The shinobi world wasn't exactly peaceful in those days. There were bandits, thieves, and rogue ninja everywhere. On the way to a mission, you often had to fight all kinds of enemies."
"So during the day, everyone would try to travel as far as possible. At night, when it was time to rest, traps had to be set around the campsite, and people had to take turns standing watch in case enemies tried to sneak up on you."
"As for food… most ninja would eat Soldier Pills they prepared in advance, while the clients would just chew on their own dry rations with water."
"For people like us to light a bonfire and roast meat like this… in that era, it was practically the same as asking to die."
After hearing Yuzuru's account, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara all looked even more excited.
It actually sounded like ninja missions back then were way more interesting.
Naruto immediately said, "Dad, do you have any Soldier Pills? I want to try one."
Sasuke and Gaara were also intrigued and held out their hands toward Yuzuru.
Yuzuru had clearly expected this, so he directly pulled out three Soldier Pills he had already prepared in advance.
"Go ahead."
"Awesome!"
The three of them took the Soldier Pills, but the moment they tossed them into their mouths, their brows instantly furrowed.
So disgusting!
"So this is a Soldier Pill? The taste is really weird."
"It feels like I didn't eat anything at all. Can this stuff really replace food?"
Hearing their complaints, Yuzuru laughed.
"If you want to pack the most energy into the smallest possible size, sacrificing taste is inevitable."
"And replenishing energy doesn't mean it'll fill your stomach. If you're hungry, you're still going to be hungry."
At that, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara couldn't help widening their eyes.
The lives ninja used to live…
Really were harsh.