"I'm back."
With a creak, the door to the Japanese-style wooden house slowly slid open, followed by Chiba's slightly weary voice from outside.
Luckily, I made it one minute before the ninja tool shop closed. Otherwise, who knew how long I'd have had to wait?
I hadn't expected even the ninja tool shop to be torn down and rebuilt. The Fourth Hokage was really making sweeping reforms.
As his voice rang out, Chiba, seated on the corridor outside the door, took off his shoes and socks, then stepped into the Japanese-style wooden house with heavy thudding footsteps.
"Welcome back."
At that moment, Yukina's warm voice drifted out from the living room.
It was accompanied by the enticing scent of food cooked with Kushina's skill.
Sure enough, eating at home was better.
The thought suddenly popped into Chiba's mind when he heard her.
Although Biwako Sarutobi's cooking was also delicious, he had been a guest in someone else's home. Even if he had wolfed it down, nothing compared to the atmosphere of home.
"Where's Teacher Kushina?"
Walking into the living room, Chiba glanced toward the kitchen. Seeing no one inside, with the table and rug unchanged and the house so quiet he could clearly hear the ticking pendulum, he instinctively realized that Kushina was not home.
"She went to get something. What about you? Did you buy the weighted training gear?"
Hearing Chiba's words, Yukina gently set the book in her hands on the table and turned toward him, a long-missing smile at the corners of her lips.
"Yeah... I nearly didn't get it. If I hadn't bought it this time, I don't know when I'd have been able to. The ninja tool shop is being torn down and rebuilt."
Chiba nodded at her words and instinctively looked in Yukina's direction