Escape from Konoha.

Shuo Mao put the child down from his arms.

The child was already capable of walking independently. After being placed on the snow by Sakumo, he stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.

Ayane went up and hugged him. He didn't cry or make a fuss, but he squinted at the corners of his eyes and showed a very arrogant expression that was extremely annoying.

Although his eyes are very energetic, that expression... it would definitely feel better to beat him up.

Shiraishi didn't find anything cute about this brat.

"This child is very energetic."

Ayane said with a smile.

"That's true. He's always been very healthy and will become an excellent ninja in the future."

"Sakumo-sensei, today is a rare celebration, can you not say such discouraging things? We finally managed to escape from our busy schedules."

"Sorry, it's just a professional habit."

Because he possessed a discerning eye that could see through the essence of things, Sakumo subconsciously uttered those words.

"Liuli, do you want a hug?"

Ayane looked at Ruri.

"No, this brat's eyes are too arrogant. I really want to beat him up."

Seeing Kakashi's slanted eyes, Ruri felt a little displeased.

Shiraishi nodded in agreement; he thought so too.

This kid will definitely grow up to be a delinquent.

"No, I think Kakashi's eyes are proof that he's very energetic."

"Where's your energy coming from?"

"Oh dear, it seems that Liuli doesn't have the potential to be a good wife and mother."

Ayane seemed to laugh in a proud tone.

Liuli snorted and said in a disdainful tone, "Excessive compassion will only harm others and oneself."

As she spoke, she looked at Shiraishi with a sharp gaze, as if demanding a fair assessment from him.

"Alright, you two, this is such a lively festival, you should just enjoy it."

Sakumo spoke up.

Shiraishi breathed a sigh of relief and gave Sakumo a grateful look.

Sakumo patted Shiraishi on the shoulder, as if to say: This is all I can do to help.

Things among young people are truly complicated. With Sakumo's keen eye, he could naturally see the ambiguous relationship between Shiraishi and the other two, and he sighed helplessly in his heart.

The four of them then went into a barbecue restaurant not far away.

This barbecue restaurant is the old place where the Sakumo Squad celebrated its founding.

Sakumo was deeply impressed by this.

He received the reward for an A-level mission because of a meal.

"Eat less, eating too much is bad for your stomach."

Before ordering, Sakumo said in a serious tone.

The concern was for the health of the three people, not for their own wallets.

He was Konoha's White Fang, a renowned Jonin in the village.

A mere few hundred thousand taels...

It's better to be cautious.

"But the three of us haven't eaten a single grain of rice during the day in order to prepare for tonight's feast."

Ayane looked at Sakumo with innocent eyes.

"Is this the magnanimity of Konoha's White Fang (laughs)? How disappointing."

Liuli's smile was full of disdain.

"There's nothing I can do about it, he's the White Fang of Konoha after all (laughs)."

Shiraishi also joined in, fanning the flames.

I've been starving all day, I'm going to have a big feast tonight.

Sakumo was both amused and exasperated. These guys, apart from Shiraishi, the other two weren't short of money, so why did they have to go against his wallet?

I don't think I've ever offended them during my missions; on the contrary, I've taken good care of them, haven't I?

"Bring all of these up."

After everyone had chosen what they wanted to eat, Shiraishi called over a waiter and asked him to prepare it.

The waiter saw the ingredients checked on the order and the quantities... and was worried that the table might not be able to finish the food.

However, upon seeing Ayane, a girl he knew very well, he smiled knowingly.

Not only did they choose the most expensive and best ingredients, but the portions were also very large, making them big customers of this barbecue restaurant.

—Two hours later.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, when it came time to pay the bill, Sakumo looked at the enormous number on the bill, his eyes rolled back slightly, and he looked utterly dejected.

Although it wouldn't bankrupt him, it was just a barbecue, but it still hurt him deeply.

However, if this kind of thing happens several times a year, it's only a matter of time before he, the team leader, goes bankrupt.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Professor Sakumo."

Looking at the three of them, who all looked completely satisfied, especially Ayane, who was the one who ate the most heartily.

"You three should at least consider my wallet."

"But in our team, only you, Sakumo-sensei, are a Jonin."

"After all, he is the most magnanimous Jonin."

"That's right. A qualified Jonin is one who can consider the needs of his teammates. Thinking about it this way, he truly lives up to his reputation as the White Fang of Konoha."

Seeing the three of them praising him one after another, Sakumo had an even bigger headache.

He used to call him Konoha's White Fang (laughs), how petty.

That's an incredibly fast change of expression.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Sakumo took Kakashi to play elsewhere, and Shiraishi and the other two did not disturb them.

It was around midnight, very late.

A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the road.

The festival went from being lively to quiet, and many shops began to close.

"I was happier at this year's festival than usual. I always felt a little restrained when I participated in the festival with my clansmen. I wish it could be like this every year."

Ayane put her hands behind her back, lowered her head, and carefully stepped through the snow. Suddenly, she looked up and smiled at Shiraishi and Ruri.

"Of course we can do this every year; we're teammates in the same team."

This is how Shiraishi answered.

"Yes. Speaking of which, I really liked this year's gift, so I came to thank you as well, Shiraishi-kun..."

"what?"

When Ayane suddenly brought up this matter, Shiraishi knew things were getting complicated and was about to use an excuse to change the subject.

A soft touch brushed against Shiraishi's cheek, revealing Ayane's fair and delicate profile, instantly freezing him in place.

Liuli was stunned and forgot what to do.

"Although it wasn't my first kiss, it's a unique mark I left on Shiraishi-kun, and it's very meaningful. Well then, goodbye."

Ayane smiled shyly and ran off lightly through the falling snow.

While Shiroishi was still in a daze, Ruri next to him had already turned red with anger.

It was the humiliation of having one's most cherished 'toy' snatched away by someone else without hesitation.

This sense of humiliation filled her mind with dark thoughts of wanting to destroy everything.

I have no other thoughts.

"This, this, this—shameless! How utterly shameless! Filthy! A lewd woman!"

As she spoke, Ruri formed hand seals, gathering all the chakra in her body.

"Die! Fire Release: Great Fire!"

"Wait! Don't cause trouble in the village!"

Shiraishi reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to stop Ruri, tackling her to the ground in the snow to prevent her from using Fire Release: Technique.

After all, it's not a good omen for the secret service to come knocking on your door during the Lunar New Year.

Ayane, who was some distance away, naturally heard the commotion behind her, but her mind was no longer on it.

She touched her lips with her fingers, where she could smell Shiraishi.

This year will be a great start.

◎

mid-December.

The four members of Sakumo's team gathered at the entrance of Konoha Village.

"This mission is to wipe out a criminal organization within the Land of Fire. It seems there are ninjas in it, so it's a B-rank mission, but it can be upgraded to A-rank at any time. It's not a particularly difficult mission, but we can't be careless..."

While explaining the mission, Sakumo suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the team was a bit strange.

Ayane wore a gentle, innocent smile, seemingly unaware of the strange atmosphere within the group.

Ruri's incredibly fierce gaze towards Ayane made Sakumo suspect that she would tear Ayane to pieces.