Time slowly passed.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Summer Festival.
Naruto had arranged to meet them at a small shop at the foot of the temple mountain.
"Old man wants to go too."
When Kurama learned that Naruto and the others were going to watch the fireworks, he naturally did not want to stay home alone and clamored to come along.
"Hasn't your cookbook revision been finished yet?" Naruto asked.
Hearing that, the Nine-Tails immediately stood upright, planted both hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and loudly declared to Naruto, "The cookbook can be put aside for now. Summer Festival, fireworks—old man is going."
Hmph, old man was smart. He had to wash clothes and cook all year long, and now that there were finally employee benefits, how could he not join in?
Naruto brat was too crafty.
If old man hadn't been fox-clever, he would have fallen for his trap!
"Fine, go then." Naruto did not mind. It was just a matter of bringing one more pet.
That afternoon, the sun had yet to set, but dusk was not far away. The older generation always said that once the sun reached the west, it was as though someone had tied a rope to it—it would drop below the mountain in the blink of an eye.
Naruto began getting ready to pick Hinata up from her home.
"Sasuke, hurry up and change."
Naruto saw Sasuke sitting calmly on the living room sofa, still wearing his blue high-collared short-sleeved shirt. On its back was the Uchiha clan crest—a "ping-pong paddle" with red on top and white below. He wore a pair of white arm warmers, white shorts, and, most terrifyingly, the same open-toed sandals he had worn for a hundred years.
"Yeah!"