"Those people who took over your village are dead now. All these minerals are my spoils. Any objections?"
"No, no... Not at all, sir. Would you like our help with anything?"
"No need. I’m in a hurry. Farewell!"
After sealing away the corpses of the Kurosuki clan – plus so minerals needed for puppet crafting – into two large storage scrolls, Izayoi rose into the air. Sotis flying, sotis using the Body Flicker Technique, he left the Land of Rivers at top speed.
By the following morning, Izayoi had returned to the Land of Fire. Without taking a single break, he hurried to the tailor shop he owned, produced a shadow clone with massive chakra, and handed the clone the scrolls containing minerals and bodies.
Izayoi’s real self didn’t rest even a quarter hour. First, he bought sothing at a certain shop, then carrying the gifts he’d prepared for Hinata and Hanabi, he rushed back to Konoha at full tilt.
He finally made it by six o’clock in the evening.
Taking advantage of the shift change among the watchers, Izayoi slipped into Konoha from a different entry point and arrived from the outskirts to the central district, reaching ho in no ti.
"I’m back!"
Fitting in with local customs, Izayoi announced his return loudly from the entryway while changing shoes. Then, carrying a gift box, he headed up to the second floor.
Sohow, there was now a curtain at the stairway. Izayoi drew it back to find the room dark, with blackout curtains pulled tight. Only the table in the living room was illuminated by twelve burning candles, with a five-layer cake underneath.
This very fancy cake had three little cartoon snown on each tier – clearly representing Izayoi and the two Hyūga sisters.
"Onii-chan, happy birthday!"
"Izayoi-kun, happy birthday."
Hinata and Hanabi had been waiting in the living room all this ti. As for the shadow clone, it had been rcilessly dispelled by the two sisters the day before.
Seeing Izayoi finally ho, Hinata and Hanabi both hurried over with their birthday wishes, one on each side, and led him to the cake.
Indeed, that day was June 16th – Izayoi’s birthday.
That was exactly why Izayoi had raced back so urgently. Ever since the trio started spending ti together, Hinata and Hanabi celebrated Izayoi’s birthday with him every year.
In particular, that intel about the clone getting destroyed by the two sisters told him they were likely planning a surprise. Izayoi certainly didn’t want to disappoint them.
Once they had Izayoi seated on the sofa, Hanabi knelt down by the table, propping her chin in her hands and smiling sweetly. "Onii-chan, make a wish!"
"Onii-chan’s wish is simple: that Hanabi grows tall fast, shines every day like a rainbow, twinkles like a star, and becos as beautiful as her sister," Izayoi said, bringing his hands together in a prayer gesture, closing his eyes – yet saying the wish out loud.
But at the very end, he added one more line in his mind: I hope things go smoothly so that we can all escape the limits of our lifespans.
Finished speaking, Izayoi blew out all the candles.
"Onii-chan, I love you so much! Mu~~a!"
Moved by his words, Hanabi pounced on him, planting a big kiss on his cheek. Izayoi simply chuckled, giving her a playful squeeze on her face. "Wish granted, so where’s my present?"
"My sister and I finished it ages ago," Hanabi chirped.
She hopped off the sofa and, along with Hinata, returned from the other room carrying three neatly wrapped boxes.
"Onii-chan, take a look!"
Hanabi set the gift boxes on the floor, addressing Izayoi. Hinata kept the curtains drawn, switching on the living room lamp instead. There were three packages, two large and one small.
Izayoi removed the bow, unwrapped the paper, and first opened the small box. Inside lay a red scarf. The instant Izayoi picked it up, he had a hunch. Glancing at the two sisters, he asked, "Did you two knit this?"
"As expected of you, Onii-chan – you guessed right in one go," Hanabi giggled. "So guess which one of us knit it?"
"You kinda gave it away," Izayoi said, flicking Hanabi on the forehead with a smile. "Obviously your sister pitched in; if it wasn’t entirely hers, then you two must have done it together."
"Hrmm..." Hanabi pouted. Hinata simply smiled softly; she was unsurprised that Izayoi figured it out.
"It’ll be autumn soon, and winter won’t be far behind – I really like it." Izayoi looped the scarf around his neck, then continued unwrapping. This ti, he opened both large boxes at once. Each was clothing: one a thick "snowman outfit," the other a more expensive white robe with fla patterns.
"Hey, Onii-chan: can you guess who gave you these two outfits?" Hanabi teased again.
"This one’s Hinata’s." Izayoi picked up the snowman ensemble and shared a smile with Hinata.
"And this one?"
Hanabi lifted the white robe. "Was that from ?"
"You two gave this one together," Izayoi said, flicking Hanabi’s forehead again. "Rember those fla motifs on your kimono? You love that design. Plus, you basically gave yourself away. If the snowman suit was from Hinata, then either you or both of you gave this robe."
"Hmph, no fun! Onii-chan, can you read minds or sothing?" Hanabi collapsed in a playful fit. "I wanted to outsmart you for once this year!"
"I told you, you can’t fool Izayoi-kun," Hinata said with a light laugh.
"Okay, calm down," Izayoi said, pulling Hanabi onto his lap and then picking up a gift box on the floor. He grinned, "I’ve also brought souvenirs for you two."
"Oh right, Onii-chan – where have you been lately?" Hanabi asked, letting her curiosity override her grumpiness. "Your clone said you had sothing big to do. What was it?"
"You’ll find out eventually. I can’t tell you right now," Izayoi replied, not wanting to tarnish his dear little sister’s innocent worldview.
"Hmph, Onii-chan is so an!"
Hanabi made a silly face at him, but still tore open the box he handed her. Like Izayoi, she eyed it with an appraising look: "It’s long and flat, and the box is huge – is it clothes?"
"Right on, Hanabi! Excellent deduction," said Izayoi, high on having "won" that round by guessing their gifts earlier, now returning the favor with cheerful praise.
"Ehehe..." Hanabi bead happily.
After appeasing his little sister, Izayoi then pulled Hinata over to sit on his other side, pushed a box into her arms, and whispered beside her ear with a laugh: "I love your gifts. This winter, let’s relive so childhood mories. Here’s my present for you – go ahead and open it."
"...All right."
Though she’d planned on waiting for Hanabi to finish before opening hers, Hinata couldn’t resist Izayoi’s expectant face. She quickly undid the packaging. The mont she looked inside, her soft eyes widened.
"This is...?"
The Hyūga sisters spoke at once, then turned to Izayoi, both asking, "Onii-chan/Izayoi-kun, what kind of outfit is this?"
"It’s called...a ’sailor uniform,’" Izayoi said, a hint of excitent in his tone. "I made it myself. Hurry and see if it fits."
"Sure!"
Originally still puzzled, the sisters—hearing that Izayoi made the clothes himself—both brightened and walked off to the other room, eyes shining with curiosity.
Izayoi, anwhile, activated his Tenseigan – not to spy, of course, but to confirm whether Sarutobi Hiruzen was around.
Seeing that Hiruzen had already clocked out for the day and was having dinner with his grandson Konohamaru, not using his crystal-ball jutsu to peep around, Izayoi relaxed and closed the Tenseigan. But before fully deactivating it, he glanced at so spot outside.
Simultaneously, Hanabi’s startled voice ca from the other room, giving Izayoi a cold sweat: "Wow, it’s such a perfect fit! Sis, how on earth did Onii-chan know your asurents?"
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 100 Chapters Ahead of Others!
Reviews
All reviews (0)