New Year Festival, Something Good Was Bound to Happen

"Why go home if there's nothing wrong?" Naruto leaned back in his chair, picked up his juice, and glanced at him slowly. "After today, it will be difficult for you to see me."

"There's still a mission at this time?" Choji was somewhat taken aback, his small eyes narrowing to just slits.

"No missions, I'll just stay home," he said shamelessly. "I'll be sixteen after the New Year, and if I don't want to be conscripted, I might as well stay home."

"What kind of excuse is that?" Choji was speechless. "You're not talking about Lord Tsunade, are you?"

"Who else could it be but her?" Naruto said nonchalantly, reaching for the grilled meat, only to have his hand slapped away by Ino.

"Not cooked yet," she said, then turned to look at him seriously, frowning. "You can't really not participate in any missions, can you?"

"If you continue like this, forget about Jonin, you'll lose your Chunin rank too."

"No." Naruto lay back down, looking completely unyielding. "Nobody's going to offend me right now, at least not me."

"Ah!!! Ino, what are you doing!"

Ino tugged at him and glared at him, "Didn't you say no one can offend you?"

The Crown Prince of Konoha lost his power on the spot and immediately deflated.

"I'll report to the Hokage Building after the New Year Festival, is that alright?"

"Snort."

Choji, wondering what was going on between the two of them, and decided not to think about it anymore. Seeing that the grilled meat on the table was already cooked, he started eating with chopsticks in both hands.

We'll bankrupt those two big spenders!

Three wealthy, well-off men sat in Barbecue restaurant, feasting from afternoon until night. Naruto and Ino sat openly together, bathed in the soft glow of the overhead lights.

The two watched with utter boredom as Choji devoured plate after plate of grilled meat, displaying his exceptional skill. Finally, Choji looked at the mountain of plates and patted his belly in satisfaction.

"Burp, I'm full," he said.

Naruto was about to get up to pay when Ino pulled him back. He turned around and saw Ino looking at him with concern.

"I'll pay," she said.

"Okay." Naruto sat down and made way for Ino to get up and pay the bill.

"Naruto." Choji stared straight at him, practically biting his handkerchief in grievance, "So I ate all afternoon and didn't get a single penny from you?"

"What? You want to eat me into bankruptcy?" Naruto leaned back lazily in his chair as if his bones had turned to dust, his voice was a little hoarse, but his smile was very smug.

"You... you want Ino to pay? Damn it, isn't that against the rules?" Choji said, squinting.

"I didn't say I was paying. Besides, Ino said she was treating us to barbecue." Naruto smiled smugly, but remained unhurried and unimpressed.

"Next time, I'll pay next time."

"I give up." Choji raised a chubby middle finger.

Ino has already paid and arrived; the little rich girl is almost an adult and has no shortage of money. Inoichi Yamanaka only has this one daughter, and he dotes on her.

"Let's go." She stood confidently in the corridor, raised her index finger, and pointed towards the door.

Snow was falling outside the Barbecue restaurant.

The Konohagakure Street were dimly lit, with only a few lights twinkling in the darkness. It was just getting dark, and the streets were packed with customers. The group had gotten a 20% discount during their meal, which allowed them to avoid the crowds and long queues.

Choji was full, but went home feeling a bit sour. He planned to ask Shikamaru in a few days what it was like to have two best friends who were even closer than him.

Shikamaru would probably complain while telling him that life is short and he should eat on time.

The New Year Festival has arrived as scheduled.

Naruto had more money than he could spend, so he bought a bunch of gifts. Since he'd asked Ino to pay last time, he had an excuse to ask her out again, so he chose a bracelet.

The price wasn't too expensive; it was just right for someone in a relationship who was more than friends but less than lovers to accept.

To avoid being accused of favoritism, he bought gifts for everyone he could give them to. He bought everything from the most expensive to the cheapest, even if he didn't necessarily give them all, just in case.

Sending people around indiscriminately would be too conspicuous, so he's just keeping it as a backup plan, currently only intending to send two people quietly. The rest will depend on the situation, especially if it Choji and his group.

Tsk, the thought of giving gifts was too much trouble; he'd never done anything like that before. He tossed and turned all night the night before the New Year Festival, and ended up oversleeping the next day.

I woke up when it was almost dark, and with a loud bang, dazzling fireworks rose in the distance outside the window.

The room was dark, and he was still feeling a bit dizzy.

As the fireworks flashed across his face, Naruto realized it was already the New Year Festival. The fact that he hadn't been able to give out the gifts during the day was also due to his own subconscious turmoil.

"Heavenly Transfer." He slumped back down with a thud.

A moment later, the door was pushed open, and beams of bright light from the living room streamed into the room. Nine-Tails- Tailed Fox strode in with the arrogant gait of Tom Cat, saying something that sounded particularly irritating.

"Buy Takoyaki."

Naruto gave it a light kick. "Wait outside."

After tidying up, he squatted in the entryway to change his shoes. Nine-Tails had already opened the door and stood excitedly at the entrance. The dazzling fireworks in the night sky shone brightly on the entryway, where a man was tying his shoelaces and a dog stood in front of the door.

The scene looked strange no matter how you looked at it; the door slammed shut, locking all the desolation inside.

A man and his dog slowly descended the stairs, their stomachs rumbling as they headed towards the bustling Konohagakure Street. The shops lining the street were teeming with people, and the sounds of shouting and clinking bottles filled the air.

Naruto and Nine-Tails wandered around eating and buying Takoyaki and a large quantity of Nine-Tails- exclusive sake. A large group of people in Yukata walked by, and they stood on the periphery of the crowd, craning their necks to look inside.

After eating and drinking their fill, the man and his dog strolled leisurely back. Their shadows stretched long under the lamplight, seemingly out of place amidst the bustling world.

"What are we going to do tonight?" Nine-Tails suddenly asked.

"Sleeping? What else can we do?" Naruto glanced at Nine-Tails and asked casually, "Do you Tailed Beast also New Year Festival?"

"However, I don't even know what that thing is." Seeing that no one was around, Nine-Tails simply stood up and started walking on two legs. "But it seems like you humans know how to cross it. Don't you?"

"We're just the two of us, one human and one dog, nothing's wrong with us." Naruto glanced at Nine-Tails with a nonchalant look. "How about you kowtow to me on New Year's Day?"

"Damn it!" Nine-Tails gave a middle finger.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering Choji's middle finger gesture at the Barbecue restaurant. It was a trend, and it spread quickly.

They dragged themselves upstairs, Nine-Tails immediately shut up, Naruto didn't seem to mind. He assumed Kurama had lost the argument, since Kurama had suffered plenty of losses at his hands before.

Standing in front of the door, he slowly pulled out his keys from his pocket, shook them for a while, and finally found the front door key. He aimed it at the keyhole and pushed it in forcefully.

The door opened, and light from the living room spilled out like a spiderweb.

He paused for a moment, then looked down and asked Nine-Tails, "Did I turn off the lights before I left?"

"How should I know?" Nine-Tails muttered softly, stepping inside first. But before she could even relax for a few seconds, she noticed a figure in the living room and was instantly startled.

"Meow?"

Naruto stood outside the door and saw Ino standing there wearing a sweater with light purple fuzz. The fireworks in the sky seemed to have entered her eyes, so bright.

"What are you standing there for?" she asked, frowning.