Near eight o'clock, to the right of the First Hokage Rock Statue, in the primeval forest outside the Hokage Building toward Konoha's western outer wall.
"Uenokawa, report in."
A young voice suddenly rang out from deep within the primeval forest.
"Ah, got it."
At that moment, on the thick branch of a giant ancient tree, a middle-aged ninja was holding a palm-sized bamboo slip in one hand and a cone-shaped kunai in the other, carving something. Hearing the words of the upright young man behind him, who looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, he casually replied.
"Hmm?"
But before the young man could speak again, the middle-aged ninja's brow furrowed slightly, as if he had suddenly remembered something. He turned back with a surprised look and gazed at the rather handsome young ninja behind him. "Aren't you supposed to be preparing for your wedding? Why are you still coming to stand watch? The village was already short on manpower, so it took up the time you needed to prepare for the wedding. You shouldn't have to take part in this mission."
There was not only confusion in his words, but also a trace of surprise.
"It's fine. This mission is important, and manpower is so tight that Captain Watanabe nearly had to come stand guard himself. How could I stay home with peace of mind?"
The young man answered with a bright smile.
"But..."
The middle-aged ninja frowned upon hearing that, seeming somewhat troubled. "Yuriko has waited for you for so long. Are you not even planning to give her a proper wedding? Didn't you transfer from the Anbu to the Defense Force and make such a huge sacrifice precisely because of this?"
"It's fine. After all, this request came from our little princess for her boyfriend. No matter