"Auntie, the meat is about to—"
The girl carrying a plate stepped out of the room mid-sentence, then froze.
Her eyes locked onto the figure she had been thinking about day and night.
Her fingers loosened unconsciously.
The plate slipped.
Just before it hit the floor, it vanished.
Tōma appeared in front of her, both plates now in his hands. He looked at her in surprise."Ino? Why are you here?"
Ino didn't answer.
Fear flashed through her eyes, and she instinctively took a step back.
Tōma went quiet. The faint smile on his face faded.
"…Sorry," he said softly. "I scared you."
"No, I—!" Ino snapped out of it at once. Seeing the bitterness in his expression made her chest ache. What was she doing?
She practiced the Yamanaka clan's mental techniques. Her sensitivity to emotional pressure was no weaker than her father's. When Tōma appeared in front of her, that overwhelming, blood-soaked presence had crashed into her head head-on. Being startled was natural.
But guilt followed immediately.
That pressure didn't come from nowhere. It was proof of what he'd been through.
He hadn't stayed away on purpose.
For a while, Ino had even thought he'd found someone else and didn't want to see her anymore. She'd been miserable for days before deciding to come find him herself. If it was true, she'd force an ending and move on.
After asking around, she found Tōma's house and learned that he hadn't been home for a very long time.
That was when she realized she'd been wrong.
After that, she came by occasionally. Every time, he wasn't there.
And now, when she finally saw him again, she'd recoiled in fear.
Ino clenched her fists.
Then, before she could think twice, she stepped forward and hugged Tōma's arm tightly, smiling up at him."Of course not! Don't underestimate me, Tōma. I passed the Academy exams too. I'm a ninja now!"
Sana watched the scene and smiled."Ino comes by to look for you often. You just never happened to be home."
Looking at Ino's forced smile and the worry she was trying to hide, something warm spread through Tōma's chest."…I'm sorry. I was on a long-term mission. I couldn't come back."
"That's fine," Sana said gently. "As long as you came back safely. You kept sending things home, didn't you? I knew you were alive. That was enough."
She truly held no resentment. For her, a busy ninja was normal. As long as she didn't receive a death notice, everything else was acceptable.
"But," Sana added with a teasing smile, "you really owe Ino. She's been waiting for you for a long time. And she's helped me a lot, too."
"W–What are you saying, Auntie?!" Ino's face turned bright red.
"I know," Tōma said seriously. "I won't be going on missions for a long while. I'll stay. With Mom… and with Ino."
"I'm fine," Sana said cheerfully. "You should spend more time with Ino."
Ino's eyes lit up. The long separation was finally over. Though… she'd just become a ninja herself. Would they end up apart again?
"All right, enough hugging," Sana said. "Tōma, grab a new plate. Since Ino's here, I'm going all out today."
Flustered, Ino let go and hurried into the kitchen to fetch plates.
"Tōma," Sana added, glancing at the meat. "Can you go buy more? This isn't enough for all three of us."
"Sure," Tōma replied.
Only then did he understand why she'd been grilling meat in the first place.
After stepping outside, Tōma paused, sensed a familiar mark, and vanished.
Sana blinked, then laughed softly. He's grown even stronger.
Ino returned from the kitchen and looked around. "Auntie, where did Tōma go? Another mission?"
"He went to buy meat. He'll be right back," Sana said, then leaned closer and whispered playfully, "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't fool around outside."
Ino's face turned even redder as she nodded shyly.
A moment later, Tōma reappeared with a large stack of grilled meat."…Did I miss something?"
"N–Nothing!" Ino said quickly.
"Well, the meat's here," Tōma said, setting it down. "Mom."
"So fast," Sana muttered in amazement.
Tōma smiled. "Of course. Your son is a jōnin now."
"Jōnin?!" Sana and Ino exclaimed together.
"Twelve years old… I remember Hatake's genius became one too…" Sana said, dazed.
"I'm not lying," Tōma said calmly. "Here's the appointment notice. Special jōnin, but still jōnin."
They stared at the document in silence.
Sana was stunned. The goal her husband had chased his whole life… her son had reached at twelve.
Ino didn't even know how to react. She'd just become a genin. And Tōma was already a jōnin.
Soon, Sana recovered and smiled proudly."Even if you're a jōnin, you're still my son and Ino's boyfriend. Now come grill."
"…Me?" Tōma scratched his head. He'd actually been looking forward to her cooking.
"Of course," Sana said with a grin. "I want to taste jōnin-level barbecue."
Tōma laughed, fully relaxed for the first time in a long while. "Then let me show you the future of Konoha's grilling."
Before long, Sana and Ino were full.
Sana took over again and pulled Ino beside her. "Come help."
"I–I don't know how…" Ino protested.
"You can learn," Sana said. "Tōma will eat it anyway, right?"
"No problem," Tōma said easily. "Cook as much as you want."
Ino nodded shyly and started learning under Sana's guidance.
Tōma, meanwhile, ate with terrifying efficiency.
"Mmm… Mom's is the best. Ino's is really good too. You'll be amazing in the future."
"Then let Ino cook for you often," Sana said suddenly.
Tōma paused, then looked at Ino. "I'd like that."
"Ino?" Sana prompted.
Ino lowered her head, her voice barely audible."…I'd like that too."