83: Chapter 83 New Year FireworksInside a secret iron prison belonging to the Chamber of Commerce.
Qing sat on the clean bed, gazing at the small patch of sea view outside the iron window, her face grim.
Most of the bruises on his body had faded, but the dark purple ring around the whites of his eyes was still noticeable.
The wounds on my body were properly treated, three meals a day were provided on time, and there were also fruits and books to relieve boredom.
But the better the treatment he received, the more resentful he felt.
These aren't prisoners; they're clearly pig farms!
"Dinner is ready."
A chamber of commerce guard came in carrying a tray.His attitude wasn't exactly rude, but it was far from respectful."We have grilled fish today."
Qing glanced coldly at the delicious-looking food on the plate, snorted, and turned her head away.
"Not going to eat?Okay, I'll leave it here for you."
The guard didn't seem to mind, and left after putting down the tray.
A few days later, the Hidden Mist Village responded.
It was an extremely official diplomatic note, tinged with a sense of frustration, and.a staggering ransom.
In the note, Kirigakure "strongly denied" that the Ao Squad was officially dispatched, characterizing it as "an unauthorized individual action."
They expressed "regret" for the "troubles" caused to the Apocalypse Merchant Guild and offered to pay a ransom to "redeem the detained ninjas".
Mei Terumi looked at the copy that even she found disgusting, and was so angry that she almost smashed the newly replaced table with her elbow.
"Bastard!Shameless!Bandit!"
Her chest heaved, and she felt like her blood pressure had never come down.
"Just you wait.Naruto Uzumaki, you just wait!"
She'll remember this debt!
On New Year's Eve, Kabuto Yakushi also rushed back to the headquarters in the Land of Waves from the Land of Rice Fields branch to celebrate the New Year.
He still had that same gold-rimmed glasses and gentle smile, the air of an elite.
His arrival made the core members of the chamber of commerce more complete.
Everyone gathered on the top floor of the headquarters, where the fireplace burned brightly, dispelling the winter chill.
"Hey, Chairman Kabuto, how's it feeling to be a local tyrant in the Land of Rice Fields?"
Naruto sprawled on the sofa and tossed over a bag of his secret-recipe dried fish.
Dou reached out and grabbed the glasses, adjusting the frames on his nose.He said modestly, "President, you're joking.I'm just a cog in the machine of our chamber of commerce."
Everyone laughed.
Tiezhou and Yunque were playing chess, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle on the board.
Karin, meanwhile, sat quietly in a corner, clutching a thick medical notebook, occasionally stealing a glance at Naruto, who was surrounded by the others.
In the afternoon, preparations for the New Year's Eve dinner began early.
Even Deidara was forcibly dragged out of the research institute by Naruto, who shoved a broom at him: "Stop fiddling with your crappy bomb!Everyone has to participate in the big clean-up today!"
Deidara looked reluctant and muttered under his breath, but still clumsily began to clean the corner.
Shuiyue was in charge of cleaning the windows.He used his water-transformation technique to turn himself into a thin layer and stick it to the glass, wriggling back and forth.The effect was surprisingly good, but it looked a bit disgusting.
"Hey!Suigetsu!Can't you be normal for once!" Karin couldn't help but complain.
Tiezhou and Yunque were putting up Spring Festival couplets and the character "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) with meticulous movements, as if they were carrying out some precise task.
Dou then rolled up his sleeves, revealing his remarkably skillful cooking techniques.
His knife skills were superb, and he processed the ingredients quickly and well, which surprised everyone.
"Dou, I didn't know you had this skill?"
Naruto leaned over and casually picked up a slice of the braised meat.
Dou pushed up his glasses and smiled, "When I was in the orphanage, I often helped the director cook."
Naruto paused in his chewing, patted him on the shoulder, and said nothing more.
Amidst this chaos, Ah Fei, who had disappeared for several days, quietly returned.
He quietly joined in the preparations, helping to move tableware and tidy up tables and chairs.
However, he seemed to be shrouded in a subtle sense of detachment, which made him somewhat out of place with the lively atmosphere around him.
He rarely interrupted others when they were laughing and talking loudly; he simply did his own thing quietly, like an observer.
In the evening, a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner was laid out on the huge dining table.
Everyone sat together, and even Jingyin, who usually holds Tuntun, put Tuntun on a specially made baby chair and joined in.
"Come on!Fill it all up!We're not leaving until we're drunk!" Naruto raised his glass, full of high spirits.
"cheers!"
The clinking of wine glasses produced a crisp and pleasant sound.
After a few drinks, the atmosphere became even more lively.
Everyone clinked glasses, chatted, and shared various interesting stories from the past year.
Looking at the scene before him, Dou felt as if a cold corner in his heart had been melted by this warmth.
He smiled as he served food to everyone, his manners elegant.
After the meal, everyone went to the rooftop of the headquarters.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Suddenly someone shouted, "Fireworks are on!"
The crowd cheered and surged onto the rooftop.
The first firework exploded in the night sky, its brilliant golden light illuminating the night.
"Whoosh—Bang!"
Immediately afterwards, more fireworks shot into the sky, painting colorful patterns across the heavens.
Naruto stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking up at the dazzling sight.
A warm, soft hand gently grasped his hand.
Tsunade had appeared beside him at some point, her long hair flowing with beautiful colors under the glow of the fireworks.
She didn't look at Naruto; she kept gazing up at the sky.
Fireworks bloomed and faded continuously in her beautiful pupils.
Naruto was slightly taken aback, then grabbed her hand tightly, their fingers intertwined.
Neither of them spoke; they simply gazed at the sky, savoring the moment of peace.
Suigetsu, Deidara, and the others shouted excitedly, pointing at the different fireworks and commenting on them.
Karin tilted her head back, a faint smile on her lips.
Leaning against the railing, a gentle breeze ruffled the hem of his clothes, carrying a hint of loneliness and nostalgia.
Afei leaned back alone in the corner, his gaze sweeping over Naruto and Tsunade, who were clasping their hands together, and over everyone on the rooftop.
As for Suigetsu, Karin, Deidara, and Kumo.For ninjas like Sparrow and Iron Boat, who were once adrift and homeless, the life provided by the Apocalypse Merchant Guild over the past few years has been more than just a place to stay and a generous reward.
Here, they felt a long-lost, or rather, never-before-seen, sense of belonging.
In the night sky, the last huge firework exploded, turning into countless starlight that slowly fell.
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