novelraw Chapter 509 Family Banquet
Chapter 509 Family Banquet
Chapter 509 Family Banquet
The setting sun bathed the streets of the Star Kingdom in a warm orange-red hue.
After a day of training and missions, the ninjas walked home in twos and threes.
The shops on both sides of the street gradually lit up, and the aroma of food wafted out from the open doors, mingling with the cool evening breeze, making people unconsciously slow down their pace.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro walked side by side, their shadows stretched long.
Kankuro placed his hands behind his head, with the puppet scroll slung over his back.
He looked up at the sky; the sunset was transitioning from orange-red to dark purple, and a few early-blooming stars were already eagerly peeking out.
After a moment of silence, Kankuro spoke up: "The military has been making quite a few moves lately."
Temari nodded upon hearing this, her brows furrowing slightly as she keenly noticed some subtle changes in the Star City recently.
The frequency of patrol team handovers increased, some ninja tool shops saw a sudden surge in supply orders, and there were occasional, more frequent explosions coming from the training grounds than usual.
"I heard from some of my seniors in private," Temari said in a low voice, "that the last time the Land of Stars mobilized so frequently on such a large scale was five years ago when it went to war with the Land of Wind and Sunagakure."
The "Land of Winds" is already a somewhat distant concept.
Since the war ended five years ago, Sunagakure was defeated and annexed by the Land of Stars, and the territory of the Land of Wind was also incorporated into the Land of Stars.
That place is now the "Wind County," and many former Sunagakure ninjas have now become ninjas of the Star Country.
Kankuro stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face, which was perpetually covered by paint: "This afternoon's emergency assembly, the drills we practiced—rapid support to the front lines, clearing out infiltrated enemy squads, and urban warfare coordination. Although the military called it a 'routine exercise,' but—"
He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was already quite clear.
None of the three were recent graduates of the ninja academy.
Those drills were less about prevention and more about preparing for a real war.
Gaara did not speak.
He walked silently at the front, his short, reddish-brown hair fluttering gently in the evening breeze.
Those emerald green eyes gazed at the road ahead, but deep within their pupils, nothing was reflected, only a bottomless stillness.
The scene of Menma defeating the two Otsutsuki who broke into the venue during the Chunin Exams, floating in mid-air above the ruins of the venue that had been blown into a deep crater, and passionately declaring his "unification of the ninja world" to the ninjas from all the major ninja villages, is still vivid in my mind.
Those words were quickly relayed back by the participating ninjas from various ninja villages, causing a huge uproar, followed by the upcoming Four Kage Tournament.
Right now, it seems the major ninja villages are already arguing over command of the newly formed Allied Shinobi Forces.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Stars, military factories were rushing to produce ninja tools, the medical department was stockpiling various medicines, and the intelligence department was working overtime to analyze the movements of various countries.
Everyone knew that the powder keg had been filled.
All that's missing is a fuse.
"Let's go," Gaara finally spoke, his voice very soft.
"Aunt Mikoto must be getting impatient."
He quickened his pace.
Temari and Kankuro exchanged a glance, both seeing the same worry in each other's eyes.
But they didn't say anything more, they just followed silently.
Some things are better left unattended, no matter how much you worry.
What's meant to come will come.
After turning two street corners, a three-story building came into view.
The courtyard is surrounded by a low wall, which is covered with flowers, plants and vines that are clearly regularly maintained.
Warm yellow light shone through the kitchen window, the range hood hummed, and the sizzling sounds of cooking and faint laughter drifted out from inside.
A smile involuntarily appeared on Temari's face.
She quickened her pace into the yard, pushed open the door to the house, and called out, "We're back!"
"You're back!" Kankuro called out as well.
Gaara walked last into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the thriving succulents on the edge of the courtyard, a slight smile playing on his lips.
That's what Mikoto raised. She said this kind of plant is easy to care for and doesn't need to be watered often.
As you push open the door, warm air mixed with the aroma of food wafts out.
Welcome home!
Wearing an apron, Mikoto poked half her body out of the kitchen, holding a spatula in her hand. Her long black hair was loosely tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray hairs falling on her cheeks.
Immediately afterwards, another redhead popped out from next to Mikoto.
Kushina, holding a soup spoon in one hand and her other hand on her hip, spoke in a much louder voice than Mikoto: "Temari, come help! There are a lot of guests today! Gaara, Kankuro, you two go and tidy up the restaurant, wipe the tables, and set the chairs!"
"it is good"
Temari responded while bending down to change her shoes.
She leaned the Samsung fan against the wall in the entryway, took off her ninja tool bag and placed it on the shoe cabinet, then quickly walked towards the stairs: "I'll go put my things away first!"
The sound of footsteps going upstairs.
Kankuro and Gaara exchanged a glance and walked toward the restaurant without hesitation.
The dining room and living room are connected, separated by a low cabinet.
The family of four doesn't usually need such a large table for meals, so the extendable round table is usually folded up.
Now that we need to entertain guests, we have to install the extended section and bring out all the folding chairs that were hidden in the storage room.
A loud "bang" came from upstairs, and Temari quickly ran downstairs again.
She had taken off her off-shoulder ninja outfit and changed into a light blue T-shirt and trousers for home wear, and her hair was tied back into a neat ponytail.
She casually grabbed a light pink apron from the ones hanging behind the kitchen door, tied it up, and expertly made a bow.
"I'll chop the vegetables." Temari washed her hands and walked to the kitchen counter.
There was already a lot of prepared ingredients piled up there: washed greens, sliced meat, peeled shrimp, and several kinds of spices.
"Thank you for your help, Temari." Mikoto was busy in front of the wok, where ginger and garlic slices were sizzling and the aroma was already wafting out.
She spoke without turning her head, her voice tinged with laughter.
"What's the trouble?" Temari picked up the cleaver and skillfully sliced a carrot into even, thin slices.
Back in Sunagakure, she and Gaara and Kankuro lost their mother at a very young age, and their father, Rasa, was always busy with village affairs, so she, as the older sister, took on the responsibility of taking care of her younger brothers very early on.
Cooking is something she does every day.
There were more than just Mikoto and Kushina in the kitchen.
In front of the sink, a purple-haired girl was bending down, carefully washing a large basin of vegetables.
The water flowed gently as she carefully and softly washed each leaf, turning it over and over to clean it thoroughly before neatly arranging it in the drain basket beside her.
It is a hydrangea.
"Hydrangeas came to help too?" Temari greeted them with a smile.
Zihaihua looked up and smiled, "Well! I just happened to get out of class early today, so I came to see if there was anything I could do to help."
.
"Thank you so much for your help." Mikoto shook her head helplessly as she poured the sliced meat into the pot and stir-fried it, but the smile in her eyes was undeniable.
"I was originally planning on just the few of us having a simple meal, but as soon as I mentioned we were celebrating your promotions, everyone said they wanted to come—"
"No trouble at all!" Kushina looked up from the casserole dish, scooped up a small spoonful of soup, blew on it, carefully tasted it, nodded in satisfaction, and then looked at Mikoto with an air of complete entitlement.
"It's more lively with more people! Besides, how could you possibly manage all that by yourself, Mikoto? You'd be carrying several huge bags just from grocery shopping!"
"Count how many people there are today? Minato, me, Menma, Hikaru, Hydrangea, Naruto, Sasuke, Kimimaro,..."
White, vanilla, fragrance—plus the four of you, that's a dozen people! You couldn't finish even if you worked until midnight by yourself!
She paused, looked at Temari and Hydrangea, and smiled brightly.
Temari smiled slightly, said nothing, but her sword moved even faster.
After slicing the carrots, she picked up a white radish and chopped it into chunks.
The kitchen was steamy, filled with the sounds of pots and pans clattering, stir-frying, water gushing, and the occasional laughter of the women.
Gaara and Kankuro set up the table and chairs in the restaurant.
Eight folding chairs were arranged around the round table, with a few spares leaning against the wall.
The table was polished to a shine, and bowls, chopsticks, and cups were already set on it.
Gaara is adjusting the spacing between each set of bowls and chopsticks.
He has a bit of OCD and likes to arrange things neatly.
Kankuro then took out several bottles of drinks from the cabinet and placed them one by one in the center of the table.
He looked at the drinks and suddenly whispered, "Hey, Gaara."
"Um?
'
"Do you think—if a war really breaks out, we'll go to the front lines?"
Gaara paused in setting out the bowls and chopsticks.
He raised his head and looked at Kankuro.
A faint trace of worry appeared on Kankuro's face.
"Yes," Gaara answered simply and confidently.
As special Jonin, they cannot stay in the rear.
Once war breaks out, they will definitely be sent to the front line. Perhaps Gaara will be sent to command a certain battlefield, or perhaps he will be sent to form an elite squad with Temari and Kankuro for a surprise attack.
This is the fate of ninjas.
Kankuro was silent for a few seconds, then grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "That's not bad either. Let those guys who look down on us see that the ninjas from Sunagakure are no worse than anyone else."
He was referring to those people in the Land of Stars who occasionally cast strange glances at them, the "Former Sand Village Ninjas".
Although most people in the Land of Stars treat them equally, there are always some ninjas who harbor a subtle sense of superiority over these "former Sand Village ninjas".
Gaara didn't say anything, he just continued setting out the bowls and chopsticks.
But he knew in his heart that Kankuro was right.
Although the Land of Stars is developing rapidly and the various ninja clans live in harmony under Menma's absolute rule, there are actually various factions in private. For example, there are the earliest followers of Menma, and there are also the former Sand Village ninjas who are secretly led by Gaara.
Just as Gaara and Kankuro finished setting up the last chair, the doorbell rang.
"Coming, coming!" Kankuro jogged to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, the first thing to enter was Whirlpool Vanilla.
She was carrying a large fruit basket filled with apples, oranges, grapes, and on top of it was a golden cantaloupe.
Vanilla wore a light green kimono today, with her long, deep red hair loosely draped over her shoulders, looking gentle and domestic.
"Excuse me!" Vanilla said with a smile to Kankuro, then nodded to Gaara in the living room.
"Congratulations on your promotion to Special Jonin (highest level)."
"Thank you, Aunt Vanilla," Gaara replied politely.
Vanilla followed closely behind, and then Scented Vortex squeezed in.
The girl was wearing round-framed glasses and holding a paper bag in her arms, through which the packaging boxes of snacks could be vaguely seen.
As soon as she entered, she looked around, then her eyes lit up: "Hasn't Brother Mianma arrived yet?"
Before he could finish speaking, another figure appeared at the door.
Minato Namikaze was carrying a large insulated box, with a thin layer of water droplets on the lid, clearly indicating that it had just been taken out of the freezer.
He smiled at Kankuro and handed him the box: "With so many people, how can we not have drinks and cola? Come on, put it in the refrigerator to chill it."
"Oh right, there are also some puddings and ice cream cones for the girls."
"Thank you, Uncle Minato!" Kankuro took the box. It was heavy in his hand, and he could hear the soft clinking of the bottles and jars inside.
"Menma and the others should be a little late; I've already informed them." Minato also came in, closing the door behind him.
Vanilla had already placed the fruit basket on the dining table and turned to go into the kitchen to help.
Xiang followed her in, and soon her voice came from the kitchen: "Aunt Mikoto! I brought you the red bean daifuku you said you wanted to eat last time! I bought it from that new wagashi shop on the corner!"
"Oh dear, this is too expensive!"
"No expense needed!"
The doorbell rang again.
Before Kankuro could even open the door, Xiang had already come running out of the kitchen, opening the door first: "Menma-kun!"
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
There was indeed a man named Mianma standing outside the door, but he wasn't the only one.
Naruto was struggling to support Sasuke's shoulders. Both of them were covered in dirt, their clothes were torn in several places, and they had abrasions and bruises on their faces and arms.
Naruto's dazzling golden hair was now covered in dust and grass clippings, and there was a small bloodstain on his left cheek.
Sasuke was in even worse shape; his right eye socket was bruised and purple, and he was clearly hesitant to put weight on his left foot when walking, relying entirely on Naruto for support.
Behind the two, Menma and Uchiha Hikaru stood side by side.
"Naruto? Sasuke?" Kaori's eyes widened.
"What's wrong with you all?!"
"Haha—it's nothing, it's nothing—" Naruto forced a smile, but the movement aggravated his injuries, and he immediately winced and gasped.
"It's just that the special training was a little... a little too intense."
Sasuke didn't say anything, but gritted his teeth and tried to break free from Naruto's support and walk on his own.
But as soon as his left foot touched the ground, he winced in pain, swayed, and almost fell.
"Watch out!" Xiang rushed forward and supported Sasuke's other arm.
"Thank you, Xiang." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and helped Sasuke slowly move into the house.
"We just gave them some special training." Menma and Uchiha Hikaru also came in.
"They're all superficial injuries. They look scary, but they're not serious." Menma casually closed the door and glanced at the crowd in the living room who had come looking over after hearing the noise.
Sasuke finally broke free from Kaoru and Naruto's support, and, leaning against the wall, limped towards the stairs, his voice muffled: "I can manage on my own."
That's what he said, but with each step he took, his body would tremble slightly from the pain in his left foot, and fine beads of cold sweat would appear on his forehead.
He clearly couldn't put any weight on his injured leg, and his movements upstairs were as slow as an old man's.
Mikoto came out of the kitchen when she heard the noise, and when she saw Sasuke's state, she almost dropped the spatula in her hand.
She instinctively wanted to step forward, but Kushina gently pressed her shoulder down from behind.
Kushina shook her head slightly at Mikoto, gesturing for her to look at Sasuke's expression.
Mikoto paused for a moment, then looked more closely.
Although Sasuke walked with great difficulty, his expression contorted with pain, there was not a trace of retreat or grievance in his black eyes.
On the contrary, there burns an almost stubborn obstinacy within it.
Like a knife repeatedly hammered in a raging fire, although it is heated red-hot and sparks fly from the hammering, each hammering makes it tougher and sharper.
Mikoto swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She watched as Sasuke slowly and shakily made his way up the stairs and disappeared around the corner on the second floor.
But he didn't turn back, didn't ask for help, he just gritted his teeth and completed the process by himself.
"Children," Kushina whispered in Mikoto's ear, "always have to grow up."
Mikoto was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly and nodded with a smile.
The smile was tinged with helplessness and heartache, but mostly with relief.
If Fugaku were still alive, he would probably have let her encourage Sasuke in the same way.
She turned to look at Naruto, who was still standing in the entryway.
The child was in slightly better condition than Sasuke, but not much better. His tracksuit sleeve had a large tear, revealing bruises on his exposed arm, and small abrasions on his face and neck.
"Naruto," Kushina pointed to the bathroom on the first floor, "there's a bathroom downstairs, the hot water's already heated up, go take a bath, dinner's in half an hour."
"Yay!" Naruto cheered, and the bruises and scrapes on his body seemed to stop hurting instantly.
"I'm going to take a shower now!" he said, and jogged towards the bathroom on the first floor.
The Uzumaki clan's physique is indeed formidable. In just a short while, the small scratches on Naruto's body had begun to scab over, and the purplish bruises had faded somewhat.
Although he was still in a sorry state, at least he could move around freely.
After running a couple of steps, he remembered something, turned around and called out to Menma, "Menma-nii! My change of clothes is in my room at home!"
Could you please get this for me?
"Got it," Menma replied, and used Flying Thunder God Technique to go straight home.
Xiang watched Naruto rush into the bathroom and muttered to herself, "What exactly did they train me for?!"
Half an hour later, Naruto emerged from the bathroom looking refreshed. He had changed into a clean orange tracksuit, his hair was still wet, and the wounds on his face and hands had almost completely healed after being soaked in hot water.
Sasuke also changed into clean clothes and came down from the second floor.
The doorbell rang again.
This time, it was Kankuro who opened the door.
There were two people standing outside the door.
Kimimaro and Shiro.
Kimimaro remained aloof, with short, silver-white hair, pale skin, and calm, unwavering white eyes. The two cinnabar dots on his forehead stood out prominently under the light.
He was carrying an exquisite gift box tied with a light-colored ribbon.
White is much gentler.
He had a faint smile on his face, his long black hair was loosely tied at the back of his head, and a few strands fell down beside his cheeks.
He was also carrying something in his hand: a basket of fresh fruit and a small bouquet of flowers wrapped in paper.
"Congratulations." Kimimaro said succinctly, handing the gift box to Kankuro.
"Congratulations on your promotion to Special Jonin," Haku said gently, handing over the fruit basket and flowers with a smile.
"A small token of my appreciation."
"You're too kind, please come in." Kankuro quickly stepped aside to let the two into the house.
Mikoto came out of the kitchen, wiped her hands on her apron, and greeted them warmly, "Kimimaro, Shiro, you're here! Please have a seat, the food will be ready soon."
"Excuse me, Aunt Mikoto." Bai nodded politely and walked into the living room with Kimimaro.
Naruto happened to come out of the bathroom and saw Kimimaro. His eyes lit up: "Kimimaro, you're here too!"
On their way from Konoha to the Land of Stars, it was this white-haired boy who brought Neji and Toneri to meet them.
When Shikamaru led his men to pursue them at Fukuyama Castle, they were stopped by Kimimaro and his two companions. It was at that time that Kimimaro's strength left a deep impression on Naruto.
Kimimaro nodded to Naruto as a greeting.
Minato had already set out the drinks. He walked to the sofa and introduced them to Naruto: "Naruto, these are Kaguya Kimimaro and Mizuki Haku. Don't let their age fool you; they're about the same as you, but they're already elite Jonin, the top fighting force of the younger generation in the Land of Stars."
Bai smiled slightly at Naruto and Sasuke.
His smile was gentle, and paired with his delicate and beautiful features, he had a gentle, girlish beauty under the light.
"So beautiful—" Naruto stared in amazement for a moment, then his face flushed slightly.
Sasuke stood next to Naruto, glanced at him without saying a word, but his eyes clearly said "idiot".
At this moment, Xiang came out of the kitchen carrying two fruit platters.
The fruit platter contained sliced cantaloupe and watermelon, the bright red melons gleaming enticingly under the light.
She placed the fruit platter on the coffee table: "Menma-ge, Kimimaro-ge, Shiro-ge, try this. This year's Kaze no Gun cantaloupe is especially sweet."
"?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise, turning his head sharply to look at Haku, his eyes wide open.
"Brother, older brother?"
Bai tilted her head slightly, a hint of slyness in her gentle smile: "I'm a boy, Naruto-kun."
"!!!"
Naruto stared, his mouth agape, completely petrified.
"Idiot." Sasuke, standing next to him, turned his face away, unable to bear looking at him, and his shoulders trembled.
"Alright, stop teasing Naruto." Minato smiled and smoothed things over, ruffling Naruto's still-dripping blond hair.
"Go get a towel and dry your hair. It's time to eat."
"Oh, oh—" Naruto was still a little dazed, and mechanically turned around to get a towel.
Xiang watched Naruto's retreating figure, smiled slightly, and then secretly glanced at Uchiha Hikaru, who was sitting next to Menma and seemed to be suppressing a laugh as well.
Sasuke leaned back on the sofa, quietly watching the scene unfold before him.
The living room was bathed in warm yellow light, filled with the cheerful laughter of everyone. In the kitchen, the women busily worked with their spatulas, and the faint sounds of children playing in the yard could be heard from outside the window.
Everything was so peaceful and beautiful.
It reminded him of a long time ago, before the Uchiha clan's territory was stained with blood.
During holidays and festivals, the Uchiha clan occasionally holds large family gatherings for meals.
Father, Mother, Brother —
Many clansmen gathered in the courtyard of the clan chief's mansion, set up long tables, lit lanterns, and the adults drank and chatted while the children chased and played in the yard.
At that time, Sasuke's household was also filled with such a lively atmosphere.
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