Amado, who was playing on his phone nearby, suddenly heard his own name. "What does this have to do with me?"
"It has nothing to do with you. Go play on your phone, or go help cook."
Amado shook his head repeatedly. "I just got back from the Lab. You won't even let me rest during the New Year? This is blatant exploitation!"
Torikaze and Minato burst out laughing. The guy had finally realized he was being exploited.
Several brilliant fireworks streaked across the sky, blossoming like dazzling flowers beneath the night curtain.
Then more fireworks bloomed in the night sky. It was as though all of Konoha had flipped a switch, with fireworks rising from launch sites throughout the village.
Torikaze watched the fireworks overhead, a smile appearing on his face. "Another year has passed just like that. Time really does fly."
Minato nodded. "Isn't that the truth? In the blink of an eye, Naruto is already over a year old. Time passes so quickly."
As time passed, the aroma of food gradually drifted out from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready! Everyone, come eat!"
At the call, everyone gathered around in the dining room. Two tables had been filled with all kinds of delicious food.
"Huh? Where did Ran go?"
Torikaze waved a hand. "I gave him a task. We probably don't need to wait for him."
Since that was the case, everyone began eating. With so many people, it was inconvenient to wait for just one person.
This was the first time the Windcloud Clan had ever been this lively.
As Yahiko and Konan ate, they sighed faintly. "It's a shame Nagato and the others couldn't come. We haven't seen them in quite a while."
Konan nodded. "Yeah. He's busy managing the village and can't get away at all.