Naruto: From Novice to Grave

In the evening in Konoha Village, the courtyard of the Uzuki family was brightly lit. Uzuki Sakura and Higashino Megumi were preparing dinner, chatting as they worked, occasionally letting out crisp laughter, clearly in a good mood.

Although their husbands are still on the northern front, at least the war with Kirigakure has been won, and the children have all returned safely.

The food was plentiful, including some common home-style dishes, as well as a special barbecue table with lots of fresh meat slices.

It was almost the end of August, and Higashino's squad finally finished their stationing mission and returned to the village today. Given the distance between the eastern front and Konoha, and the speed of a ninja, a day would be enough for them to get home without having to travel at full speed.

The two had originally planned to eat at a barbecue restaurant, but recently, with the return of many ninjas, the number of consumers in Konoha Village has rebounded rapidly, and all the restaurants are fully booked. After discussing it, they decided that it would be better to hold a dinner party at home, as the atmosphere would be better that way.

Unlike the Higashino family who live upstairs, the Uzuki family's house is a traditional building with a small courtyard, and next door is the house of Uzuki Yugao's uncle.

Her uncle's name is Uzuki Yumura, a registered Chunin in Konoha, who is currently also on the northern front. Her aunt died in the Iwagakure battlefield a month before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. Her cousin, Uzuki Shige, is only 6 years old and has just started his first year at the Ninja Academy. He is usually taken care of by Uzuki Sakura.

It's normal for people to die in war, and the Uzuki family was no exception. The Higashino family was just lucky in this war.

This is the entire Uzuki clan. The Gekko clan has more members, but the difference isn't significant. Most small ninja clans in Konoha are like this; they can't compare to the large and medium-sized clans, and it wouldn't be wrong to call them commoners.

If the Higashino family hadn't suffered consecutive population losses in the two previous Shinobi World Wars, its size would probably have been similar to that of the Uzuki family.

It is extremely difficult for ordinary ninja families in ninja villages to establish a clan. A single war can reduce their population or even wipe out the entire family, turning the efforts of several generations into nothing.

According to the general understanding of people in the ninja world, this is the fate of ninjas. If you can't accept it, then don't be a ninja.

Around 7:30, the four of them, including Higashino Makoto, arrived together.

Actually, they returned earlier, but after arriving in Konoha, they went to the Hokage Building to register and report for duty before coming here.

"Mom!" As soon as she entered the house, Uzuki Yugao rushed into her mother's arms. At home, she was not the girl ninja who could cut people with a knife on the battlefield without blinking, but a little girl who needed her mother's love.

It's a stark contrast, but ninjas have to get used to this kind of separation. Those who can't get used to it are prone to mental problems.

"It's good that you're back!" Mao Ying stroked her daughter's head tenderly.

The ninja world is a rather contradictory world. The ninjas here are a different concept from the so-called ninjas of Japan in Higashino Makoto's previous life, since there was no such extraordinary power as chakra in his previous life.

Ninjas are taught from a young age to endure everything, to be indifferent to emotions, and to become obedient mission machines. However, chakra is composed of the fusion of physical and mental energy.

The richer one's emotions, the stronger one's spiritual energy, and the more possibilities one can unleash, creating miracles or becoming obsessive and out of control.

To cope with things getting out of control, we must emphasize the importance of family and friends, using the bonds of kinship and friendship to keep things in check.

Then another classic question arose: If your quest and your companion both fall into the water at the same time, who do you save first?

"Mom, I'm home!" Shinya Higashino greeted her.

Keigo Higashino's eyes welled up with tears: "You're back, Shin! You've grown taller and more beautiful!"

Uzuki Sakura laughed, "Isn't it the same as before? You're starting to look more and more like you!"

"It's good to be like me, it's good to be like me, it'll be easier to find a girlfriend in the future." Higashino Megumi said, then suddenly added, "But it might not be that troublesome. Our Shin is a Konoha hero now. There's a nurse in the hospital named Mai who, after finding out that I share your surname, often asks me about you."

Higashino asked curiously, "Is she a nurse at the hospital? I've never seen her there before."

"Because she only recently joined the team, I heard that her former teammates all died on the Eastern Front. After returning this time, she entered the hospital to prepare to become a medical ninja."

"So that's how it is!"

Uzuki Yugao puffed out her cheeks: "Hmph, she's clearly several years older than you, yet she's still asking about you and can't forget you. That's so unfair!"

"Oh dear, is Xiao Xiyan jealous?" The two mothers exchanged a glance, then burst into hearty auntie laughter.

The courtyard was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere, which made everyone feel much better.

But some people can't laugh.

"Hey, are you the legendary Higashino Makoto who saved his comrades and defeated the villains of Kirigakure with a wall hundreds of meters high? You don't seem that impressive."

Higashino Makoto looked down and saw it was Yugao's cousin, Uzuki Shige. The little brat looked unconvinced. Higashino Makoto laughed and said, "Yes, that's me. But the earthen wall isn't as exaggerated as a few hundred meters high. It's only thirty or forty thousand meters high."

"You're bragging, huh? Rumors are always unreliable. You're just a big talker. If I were on the battlefield, I might be the hero!"

"Yes, I believe you will do even better than me. Keep it up!"

Higashino smiled and didn't argue with him. This hot-blooded brat would behave himself after falling into the enemy's explosive tag traps a few times.

"Heavy, you're not allowed to be rude to the guests." After saying that, Uzuki Yugao punched her younger brother hard on the head, making the little guy crouch down and cover his head in defense.

"I understand, sister, please stop hitting me, please stop hitting me, you'll be beaten silly."

Oh? It seems that even without explosive tag traps, my sister's fists have the same effect.

I wonder if the Uzuki family has any ancestral necklaces; if they do, it's time to put one on him.

----------

After enjoying a joyful and sumptuous dinner with familiar friends and family, Higashino's mood brightened considerably, and the seriousness and gloom on his face brought on by the killing on the battlefield began to dissipate.

Indeed, a happy environment can resolve everything, while an unfortunate fate can make one want to destroy everything.

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere that once permeated Konoha, now, as Higashino Megumi walks home, they can hear hearty laughter coming from many places.

The sounds came from houses, izakayas, and various restaurants. The returning ninjas were either with their families or friends, celebrating that they were still alive and celebrating the victory of the war.

Scars are their medals, experiences are their talking points, and if they drink a few more glasses of wine, they will inevitably start to boast. Who knows what kind of weird image Higashino will become in the process?

Higashino Megumi sighed, "Now, all we have to do is wait for the war in the north to end. Then this war will truly be over, and I won't have to worry about you all all the time anymore!"

Higashino Makoto comforted her, "Don't worry, Mom, it will be over soon."

According to the normal timeline, this war will indeed come to a temporary end this year, but only temporarily.

"Seriously, maybe the three of you in your team will be promoted to Chunin soon. That's much faster than it was for us back then. But the Chunin record in the village is held by Kakashi, so you're not exactly outstanding."

"It should be fine, our squad has enough combat merits and mission workload, but everything depends on the village's arrangements."

When it comes to Chunin, no one can compare to Kakashi. The white-haired boy became a Chunin at the age of 6, which is unprecedented. Whether anyone will ever surpass him is unknown.

In reality, as long as one's strength is sufficient, promotion to Chunin is quite easy. Although the Eastern Front Command does not have the authority to directly promote, it has the responsibility to observe and recommend candidates.

Their performance during the war is recorded and compiled, including evaluations of the Jonin who led the team. Theoretically, they can become Chunin directly without passing the Chunin Exams.

Promotion to Jonin is something that needs careful consideration. Kakashi was able to become a full Jonin at the age of 12, which, in addition to his hard skills, was more likely a way of compensating for Sakumo Hatake's unexpected suicide.

Higashino Makoto didn't have any particular expectations for promotion; he was just going to be a ninja.

His purpose in becoming a ninja was not to advance in rank, but simply to experience the life of this extraordinary profession.

Relatively speaking, in his mind, the title of Genin sounded more devastating, and it would be a pity to lose it. As for Chunin? Aren't they just commonplace?