The morning light was faint at MijinoTakumi in the west of the Village.
The shop owner, Fujiwara, was a capable middle-aged man. At this moment, his face was glowing with health as he stood at the shop entrance, directing several nimble employees as they busied themselves.
"Quick, quick, quick! Set the flagpole steady! A bit higher on the left! Yes, just like that!" He looked up, his voice exceptionally loud and clear.
Brand new celebratory banners were raised, lined up neatly along both sides of the shop entrance, red with white characters, fluttering in the wind. The foremost large banners read:
"Congratulations: Higashino Shinichi-kun — Winner of the Land of Fire's Number One Gourmet Competition!"
"Special Grade Chef Title — Commemorative Honor!"
"MijinoTakumi — Lifetime Honorary Culinary Master!"
At the end of the banner line was a string of smaller flags: "Gratitude: All items half price for three days."
"Not just our shop!" Owner Fujiwara waved his hand spiritedly, pointing at both sides of the street: "The neighboring shops I've spoken with, hang out the celebratory banners! And at the intersections at both ends of this street, put up flags for me! I want every person passing by to know that the champion came from our street, from our MijinoTakumi!"
Under his arrangements, the entire small commercial street was soon connected by banners. The shopfronts were like a forest of flags, making a rustling sound when the wind blew, overflowing with a festive and joyful atmosphere.
Passersby all stopped to watch and discuss. Many regular customers even smiled and offered their congratulations to Owner Fujiwara.
Team Ten had not yet completed their mission to return to the Village, but Higashino Shinichi's name had already swept through the streets and alleys of Konoha once again in another unexpected way.
That afternoon, Team Seven, having completed another D-rank mission, happened to pass through this street of fluttering banners and festive decorations on their way back to the Hokage Building to turn in their mission.
"Wow, so lively?" Uchiha Obito was the first to be attracted by the sea of banners and the bustling crowd. He looked around curiously, his gaze soon locking onto the tallest and largest celebratory banners at the entrance of MijinoTakumi.
He squinted and slowly read aloud: "Congratulations... Higashino Shinichi... Land of Fire's Number One Gourmet Competition... Win..."
Halfway through, he suddenly stopped, blinked, and a look of extreme confusion appeared on his face. He abruptly turned to look at the cold-faced Kakashi beside him: "Eh? Kakashi! Why is the name of this Culinary Master Higashino Shinichi, who won the cooking competition, exactly the same as that guy Shinichi?"
Kakashi didn't even bother to lift an eyelid. With his hands in his pockets, he spat out two words: "Idiot."
"What did you say?! You bastard Kakashi!" Obito's fur stood on end instantly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and he brandished his fist.
"It should be the same person, Obito." Rin Nohara's gentle voice rang out just in time to defuse the impending daily argument. She looked at Obito with a smile and reminded him: "Did you forget? When Shinichi-kun graduated early last year, didn't he hold a large thank-you banquet at this MijinoTakumi and invite many people? When we came together back then, Owner Fujiwara said very proudly in his speech that Shinichi was the best chef in their shop."
"Ah! That's right!" Reminded by Rin, Obito slapped his head in realization, but his face was immediately replaced by an even stronger sense of disbelief: "B-but that's cooking! A national gourmet competition! Isn't that guy Shinichi a Ninja? It's one thing for his strength to be so high, but he actually went to participate in a competition and even won the championship? A Special Grade Chef?"
He looked at the fluttering banner, then at the bustling scene inside and outside the shop. His mouth opened and closed, and finally, he squeezed out a sentence: "This is just too unfair!"
Beside them, Minato Namikaze listened to his Disciples' conversation, that signature warm smile always on his face. He looked at the eye-catching celebratory banners around them, then at his three students with their various expressions, and spoke with a smile:
"As expected of Shinichi! Not only has he made rapid progress in the Way of the Ninja, but he can even reach such a Realm in cooking and win the national championship."
Then he clapped his hands and suggested: "It just so happens that Team Seven hasn't had a proper meal together since its formation. Since we're about to turn in our mission and this is a rare opportunity, it's my treat. Let's have a good meal at MijinoTakumi. We can consider it a celebration for Shinichi."
"Wow! Great! Minato-sensei is the best!"
Uchiha Obito immediately raised both hands in agreement, his eyes sparkling as if he could already smell the aroma of delicious food.
"Is it really okay? Thank you, Minato-sensei!" Rin Nohara also showed a happy smile and thanked him politely.
Both their reactions were enthusiastic. However, amidst the cheerful atmosphere, Kakashi Hatake remained standing there silently, hands in his pockets, head slightly lowered, staring at the ground.
"Kakashi?" Minato Namikaze keenly noticed his Disciple's abnormality and asked warmly: "Will you come along?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment before slowly lifting his head. His gaze swept past the excited Obito and Rin, and finally met Minato's gentle blue eyes.
He quickly looked away and shook his head, his voice somewhat muffled:
"No, Minato-sensei. I still have some cultivation plans to finish. You guys go ahead."
"What's the matter, Kakashi!" Uchiha Obito immediately cried out in dissatisfaction and leaned in front of him: "Such a wet blanket! Why are you thinking about cultivation all day long? When can't you Cultivate? It's rare for Minato-sensei to treat us, and it's a good thing that guy Shinichi won the championship. Let's all have some fun together! Stop being so unsociable!"
Rin Nohara also gently pulled Obito's sleeve, signaling him not to get too excited, and then looked at Kakashi with concern: "Kakashi, are you really not going? You already work so hard on normal days. It's okay to relax once in a while."
Minato Namikaze watched Kakashi quietly, a trace of worry flashing deep in his eyes.
Cultivate, Cultivate, and Cultivate some more.
Ever since Kakashi suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Higashino Shinichi, and even the White Fang short sword, which symbolized his Family Legacy and his father's glory, was snapped, a significant change had occurred in this child.
Shinichi's words, sharp as blades and striking the core, might indeed have been like a potent medicine, piercing through the knots in Kakashi's heart that had long been numbed by the supremacy of rules and trapped in the shadow of his father's death, forcing him to face some issues he had been avoiding.
However, as the old obsession was forcibly pried loose, a new, more intense yet more singular obsession swept through his entire mind like a wildfire—become stronger!
Become stronger at any cost!
For the past month, as the Jonin Instructor of Team Seven, Minato had seen everything.
Kakashi was still efficient and Calm when performing missions, and no faults could be found. But if there was even a minute of free time between missions, he would immediately throw himself into various physical training, Chakra control, or Sword techniques, like a wound-up, tireless machine.
It was a near-obsessive, self-punishing, frantic pursuit.
As if wanting to use extreme physical exhaustion and the rapid improvement of skills to fill a huge void—named weakness and confusion—that had been carved out by Shinichi's words and the sound of the snapping blade.