At Aoba Hayashi’s house.
The five of them were already seated around the dining table.
Aoba Hayashiand Uzuki Yugao sat together on one side, while the other three girls each took a seat around the table.
At that moment, all five of them performed the customary pre-meal ritual.
Aoba had been forced to join in as well.
“Let’s eat!”
It was the first time the five of them had ever shared a meal together, yet the atmosphere at the table was incredibly lively.
Everyone chatted over one another, completely forgetting the old rule about keeping quiet while eating.
The smile on Aoba’s face never faded.
It was also the first time Tenten, Ino, and Sakura had tasted food personally cooked by Aoba.
Every so often, one of them would let out a delighted gasp or shower the dishes with praise.
Smiles filled every face around the table.
By the time they had eaten their fill, night had completely fallen.
The dark clouds had long since dispersed, revealing a sky filled with countless stars.
Silvery starlight spilled across the snow-covered courtyard, making the winter scenery sparkle.
Now, the tiny kitchen somehow held all five of them.
Since Tenten, Ino, and Sakura hadn’t helped with the cooking at all, they voluntarily came over to help clean up afterward.
The result was five people squeezed together in one tiny kitchen.
Poor little plates—they really didn’t deserve to have five people cleaning them in an assembly line.
After washing the dishes, everyone flopped onto the sofa, wearing thoroughly content expressions.
“Aoba, why don’t you tell us another story?”
Ino suggested eagerly.
It felt like the perfect time for one.
Tenten and Sakura immediately chimed in with their agreement.
But Yugao refused before Aoba could answer.
“It’s getting late.
You girls should head home.”
“Just a little longer…”
Hope filled Tenten’s eyes as she spoke in a pleading voice.
“Big Sister Yugao…
we won’t be able to play together for a long time after this.
I don’t want to go home so soon.”
“Yeah, Big Sister Yugao.
Let us stay a little longer.”
Watching the three little girls crowd around Yugao and plead with her, Aoba couldn’t help feeling speechless.
This was his house, wasn’t it?
Shouldn’t they be asking him instead?
“So what, are you planning to stay the night?” Aoba couldn’t help teasing.
“…That doesn’t sound impossible.”
Ino’s eyes sparkled.
“I’ve never spent the night away from home before.”
“You’re right!
Me neither!” Tenten’s eyes lit up as well.
“M-Me too…”
Sakura timidly raised her hand.
The three of them then turned toward Aoba in perfect unison, their faces full of expectation.
Yugao frowned slightly.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with staying overnight here herself.
Back when Aoba still needed looking after, she had often stayed the night to take care of him.
Whether she stayed or not had never required Aoba’s permission.
The reason she frowned now was because these three girls seemed far too mature for their age.
They hadn’t even entered the Ninja Academy yet, and they were already thinking about spending the night at a boy’s house.
“Well…”
Aoba found himself at a loss.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked instead,
“I don’t mind if you stay.
The real problem is…
how are you going to explain it to your parents?”
“If you don’t go home tonight, you might end up grounded.”
“Ah!”
As expected, Tenten immediately cried out, her face falling.
“I told my dad I was coming out to practice throwing weapons…”
“Pfft!”
Ino would never miss an opportunity to laugh at Tenten.
After all, Tenten was always monopolizing Aoba.
Naturally, Tenten couldn’t stand being laughed at.
She pouted unhappily.
“Oh?
As if you can stay over.”
“Hmph!
I told my mom I was going to Sakura’s house.
As long as I tell her I’m sleeping over at Sakura’s tonight, it’ll be fine.”
There was obvious delight in Ino’s voice.
This was her victory.
“I’ll do the same.
I’ll just tell my mom I’m staying at Ino’s.”
The two best friends exchanged a glance, unable to hide their excitement.
“Y-You two…”
Tenten was so annoyed she nearly lost her words.
She knew she had to go home now, but seeing Ino’s smug expression made her unwilling to give up.
Watching from the sidelines, both Aoba and Yugao felt slightly numb.
They had come to realize that whenever Tenten, Ino, and Sakura got together, their collective intelligence seemed to drop by quite a bit.
The excuse was so obviously fake.
If Ino’s mother, Yamanaka Rino, and Sakura’s mother, Haruno Mebuki, compared notes even once, the lie would be exposed immediately.
As it turned out, they didn’t even have to wait that long.
“Ino!”
A furious shout suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard.
Ino, who had still been arguing with Tenten a moment ago, shivered violently and shot up from the sofa.
“Th-That sounded like my mom…”
Fear crept into her voice.
Her mother was usually quite strict.
In public, she always carried herself with elegance and grace, but at home she was notoriously fierce.
“Ino!
Do I have to come in there and drag you out myself?”
“M-Mom!
I’m coming!”
Ino hurriedly shouted back.
She cast Aoba one pitiful glance before grabbing Sakura by the hand and running outside.
Sakura: …
She had been speechless from being dragged along, but the moment she saw her own mother, Haruno Mebuki, standing at the courtyard entrance as well, she no longer dared complain.
“M-Mom…”
After stepping outside, both girls greeted their mothers in tiny voices.
Yamanaka Rino didn’t respond.
She first shot Aoba, who had also come outside, a fierce glare before turning her attention back to her daughter.
Ino instinctively shrank her neck.
The forehead flick she had expected never came.
Instead, Rino simply grabbed Ino’s hand and started walking away.
“I’ll let you save face out here.
Once we get home, we’ll see how I deal with you.”
She was genuinely angry.
The girl was still so young, yet she was already thinking about staying out all night.
On the other side, Sakura received much the same treatment.
The only difference was that Mebuki dragged her away by the ear.
Both girls could only look back at Aoba with reluctant eyes as their mothers hauled them off.
“Hmph!
Serves those two right.”
Standing in the courtyard with her hands on her hips, Tenten wore an expression of complete satisfaction.
Aoba couldn’t help chuckling as he rubbed his forehead.
“So, Tenten, shouldn’t you hurry home too?
Otherwise, your mom will probably be here in a minute.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!
Aoba, why don’t we go walk around the night market instead?
By the time we’re tired, it’ll be time to go home anyway.”
Now that nobody else was around to interrupt them, she naturally wanted to seize the opportunity.
“…Are you sure?
If you get home even later, aren’t you afraid you’ll be punished?”
Aoba couldn’t help worrying for her.
“It’s okay.
I’m not scared.”
Tenten proudly puffed out her little chest and patted it.
“Oh?
Really?
Then why aren’t you scared?”
“I’m not scared because I’m n—uh…”
She had been about to continue acting tough when she suddenly realized…
That voice hadn’t come from Aoba.
Her neck stiffly turned.
Standing behind her was her mother, smiling kindly.
I’m dead.
“Aoba, I’m leaving first!
After your training is over, you have to come find me!”
Tenten rattled off her farewell at lightning speed before making a dash for the gate.
She had barely taken a few steps before her mother caught her by the ear.
“You little brat.
Weren’t you saying you weren’t scared?
Since you’ve got so much free time, tomorrow you’re organizing every single shuriken in the warehouse.”
“Ah?!
Nooo, Mom!
There are so many…”
As the voices of Tenten and her mother gradually faded into the distance, Aoba could only smile bitterly.
At the same time, he silently counted himself lucky.
Thankfully, it had been their mothers who came looking for them.
If their fathers had shown up instead…
Those old men probably would’ve wanted to skin him alive.