"Come out. I saw you. Sneaking around like that... Let me tell you, I'm going to get a good night's sleep for the remaining time. Tomorrow is the final test."
With a thud, after the children's noisy chatter by his ears gradually faded into silence, Chiba gently set down his teacup and spoke.
Yet his tone seemed full of helplessness.
"Cough! How did you know we weren't going to let you get a good night's sleep today?"
As soon as he said that, an awkward voice came from behind him.
Then, four shinobi from Konoha slowly emerged from the house behind him.
"When did you get here?"
Chiba did not even turn around. It was as though he knew without looking that the visitors were Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kurenai Yuhi. He merely asked.
"We've been here since just now."
In response to Chiba's question without turning around, Kakashi, Asuma, and Might Guy naturally divided up the tea prepared beside the fruit platter, then sat down beside Chiba and answered in unison.
"Not long."
Unlike the three of them, Kurenai Yuhi was much more reserved and less casually familiar. She simply silently brought out a platter of snacks and spoke.
After setting down the platter, she sat at the outermost edge. Taking the tea Asuma handed her, she watched the sunset together with the four men.
"What exactly are you all doing here...?"
Seeing that they seemed intent on staying for a while, Chiba slowly narrowed his eyes. He looked somewhat impatient, and a hint of annoyance entered his voice.
"Come to think of it, we're getting old. Who knows when we'll become part of that sunset."
However, the others ignored his impatience. Kakashi in particular even sighed sentimentally.
"It feels like we could retire already."
At