Naruto: From Novice to Grave

Higashino Makoto followed the two children into a private room inside the barbecue restaurant Q and saw his parents.

Also present were a man and a woman, all four of them around the same age, chatting happily while holding their drinks. There were no main dishes yet on the table, only a few snacks to accompany the drinks.

Upon seeing Hayate and Yugao's bright red faces, Higashino Jiro asked, "Shin, did you bully them?"

"You're overthinking it, Father. How could I possibly do something so disrespectful?"

Hayate Gekko and Yugao Uzuki kept their heads down, not daring to look at the adults, making them look like they had been bullied.

The adults didn't mind; they thought it was normal for kids to fight and roughhouse.

"That's good. Come, let me introduce you. These two are your Uncle Yuuka and Aunt Sakura Uzuki. They are both old classmates of your mother and me. Your Uncle Yuuka and I are also teammates. We came back together this time."

It turned out to be a Sakura, but with purple hair.

Judging from this surname, they should be Uzuki Yugao's parents.

Higashino Makoto obediently saluted the two adults sitting on the other side: "Hello, Uncle and Aunt. My name is Higashino Makoto. It's nice to meet you. Please take care of me."

Uzuki Sakura: "What a polite and beautiful child, Megumi, she looks just like you."

Keigo Higashino: "It really does look like me."

Uzuki Yuwa's hair color is similar to Higashino Makoto's. There are quite a few people with dark brown hair in Konoha Village, and the most common hair color is black. People with all sorts of fancy hair colors are in the minority.

He smiled warmly, gesturing for the three children to sit down, while looking at Higashino Makoto with curiosity: "Jiro, is this your and Megumi's child? He seems quite mature and reliable."

"She's composed, but she's just not cute at all."

Uzuki Yuu laughed heartily: "Isn't being steady good? You don't have to worry so much. If you run into someone who's always causing trouble outside, you'll know what trouble is."

"This really makes things easier for his mother and me. He never causes trouble and rarely even goes out. That's why I asked you to bring Xiyan and Jifeng today, hoping he can make some friends his own age."

Just then, the waiter started serving the dishes, and the grill on the table also started working.

The grilled meat Q tasted really good, and Higashino couldn't stop eating it. The adults took a few bites and then started drinking, while he was showing off on the side.

This made Moonlight Gale, who was standing to the side, very envious. Due to his physical condition, his appetite had never been very strong.

In his previous life, Higashino Makoto was alright, but now he's a complete carnivore. After all, meat, eggs, and dairy are essential for a strong body.

Those who promote vegetarianism are either corrupt officials who have taken bribes or pure cultists.

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After a few drinks, Uzuki Yuwa glanced at Higashino Makoto again: "This calm and collected demeanor reminds me of a senior's child, but unfortunately that child has become quite unlikable."

Keigo Higashino: "You're talking about Kakashi, right? He's really hardworking and often gets injured on missions. I've seen him in the hospital several times this year; he has such a cold demeanor."

Higashino Jiro: "That child is a real genius. He became a Chunin at the age of 6, just like me. Maybe what happened last year was too much of a blow to him."

Uzuki Yuwa nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's a pity about Lord White Fang. I used to follow him on missions. He took good care of us juniors and even taught me swordsmanship. He was a respected senior."

At this point, perhaps a little tipsy, he slammed his glass down on the table, his voice rising a few decibels: "I don't know what the higher-ups are thinking. If the mission fails, they should just punish the person according to the rules. How can they let those rumors spread in the village?"

That bastard who accused Senior White Fang was the same. The mission failed to save his life, and he turned around and accused me. It's good he committed suicide; if he hadn't, I would never have let him get away with it.

Uzuki Sakura frowned slightly, glanced up at the outside of the cubicle, then glared at her husband and scolded, "Yuhe, be careful what you say, this is not something we can discuss."

Keiya Higashino advised, "Yuwa, this matter is over, and the village has issued a ban. Don't get yourself into trouble."

Besides, the children are still here; we shouldn't expose them to these things too early.

The two men suddenly fell silent, then each sighed, clinked glasses, downed their drinks in one gulp, and dropped the subject.

While eating his grilled meat, Higashino Makoto listened to the adults' conversation.

He knew about Kakashi's ordeal; it happened last August, a time when rumors were rampant in the village and caused a lot of controversy.

From the initial mission failure, which caused huge losses to the Land of Fire and Konoha, to the debate over whether completing the mission or the lives of comrades was more important.

Both sides had supporters, and the debate escalated rapidly.

No one cares who started the rumors anymore, but allowing the debate to continue is clearly shaking the very foundation of Konoha's existence.

It's important to understand that Konoha's core ideology is the Will of Fire. Sacrificing one's comrades' lives for a mission clearly violates the Will of Fire.

However, ninjas are born for missions, and the idea of ​​prioritizing missions is deeply ingrained in their minds.

The two are completely contradictory.

Which is more important? Without changing the overall mindset of the ninja world, this is an unsolvable question with no answer.

In the end, White Fang committed suicide, and the village issued a ban forbidding anyone from discussing the matter.

And that was the end of the matter.

The surviving ninjas kept their thoughts to themselves and went about their lives as usual. Only Kakashi seemed to have become a different person from then on. He prioritized missions above all else, became ruthless and indifferent to the lives of his comrades, and became an unlikable figure.

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After a few drinks, her anger subsided, and Uzuki Yuuka suddenly said, "Speaking of which, my Yugao and I will be 5 years old next year. Do you think we should enroll in school together with Hayate?"

Upon hearing this, Higashino Megumi and Uzuki Sakura pondered. They were confident in their child's talent, and starting school a year earlier wasn't out of the question.

But Jiro Higashino expressed his clear opposition: "Brother Yuwa, we just came back from the border. Don't you know what the situation is like now? Who knows when the war will break out?"

"Entering school a year earlier means getting involved a year earlier. They're all too young; let them grow up properly. We'll take the lead."

"That's true, haha. The reputation of genius is too great. Getting involved in killing too early isn't a good thing. Let's drink."

Next, the two began to tell everyone some interesting stories from the border, avoiding sensitive topics until the end of the dinner.

At the intersection, everyone waved goodbye and went home to sleep.

Suddenly, Uzuki Yugao asked, "Shin-nii, where do you usually go to play?"

The little girl was born in November. Higashino, who is the same age, is more than seven months older than her, so it's perfectly fine for her to call him "brother".

"I cultivate and study at home and rarely go out."

"Can my brother Jifeng and I come to visit you anytime?"

Looking at the expectant expressions on his parents' faces, Higashino Makoto nodded and said, "Okay."

After receiving a satisfactory answer, both families smiled and took their children home, indicating that they hoped the bond between their parents' generation could continue to be passed down to their children.

On the way back, Higashino asked, "Were you classmates with Hayate's parents?"

Higashino Jiro chuckled and patted his son's head. "No, it's just a friendship. Senior Yunjian is two years ahead of us, but the Gekko family and the Uzuki family are old friends. They are both skilled in Konoha-ryu swordsmanship and have a very good relationship. The younger generation of both families are trained and nurtured together."

"Oh, but Hayate doesn't seem to be in very good health."

Keigo Higashino: "It's congenital, inherited from his deceased mother. It's a pity. I heard that the child had a great talent for swordsmanship, but his physical condition held him back."

Higashino Jiro: "So, really, a strong body is the foundation of everything, you must always remember that."

"Yes, Father."

He knew this without being reminded.

A ninja's strength lies in their physical body.