Keeping Something in Reserve

What?

Yoshino Nara looked at the foil wrapper in Choji's hand.

"Um, I think Sasuke-kun brought that. Why don't you ask him?"

Choji turned back to see Sasuke looking utterly calm, while Naruto snickered beside him.

"Sasuke, you actually kept something this good hidden and never brought it out before! Naruto, your secrecy work has been pretty impressive too!"

Naruto explained with a grin, "Sasuke only made them a couple of days ago. He wouldn't even let me taste one, saying I'd find out today. Are they really that good?"

When it came to his area of expertise, Choji adopted a rare serious expression.

"Although I prefer crunchy snacks like potato chips and grilled meat, that doesn't mean I know nothing about other snacks. This melt-in-your-mouth feeling is something I've never had in anything sold on the market! Just based on that unique texture, a confectionery shop selling these could rival Amaguriama!"

Naruto cautiously tried to draw him out. "So, how do today's potato chips taste?"

Since Naruto had asked, Choji picked up two more chips of different flavors and tasted them. "They're sliced a little too thick, so they end up too hard. The plain and spicy flavors are common enough. The plain ones are alright, but the spicy ones aren't bold enough. And the smell of this oil... Did Sasuke make these potato chips too?"

Having received a less-than-perfect evaluation, Naruto cheered in delight. "I made those potato chips! I grew the potatoes too."

His face practically screamed, Praise me.

Choji naturally did not hold back on praise and encouragement. "You don't usually cook, so this is already very good. When I don't have any pocket money to buy snacks in the future, I'll be counting on you!"

Naruto flexed his arm. "Hah, leave it to me!"

He had fallen for it so easily that, thinking of Choji's appetite, the others could hardly bear to watch.

The air was filled with joy.

With Choji's endorsement, everyone reached out to take one and try it.

Light snow was falling outside in the winter night. Sweets with a sip of hot tea really were quite nice. Everyone obligingly gave them good reviews.

The three housewives got up and left. Before long, everyone was called over for dinner.

Several large tables had been pushed together into one long row. Down the middle sat a line of exquisite lacquered food boxes, each containing four dishes. The portions did not seem large, but the variety was plentiful. Everyone also received a serving of chilled soba noodles.

Cups were raised and exchanged, preserving the festive atmosphere. With children present, the adults did not drink themselves into a disgraceful state.

Sasuke found an opportunity to ask Yoshino about something that had been bothering him. "Aunt Yoshino, Uncle Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen told me it wasn't convenient to buy seafood in Konoha. There's so much seafood today, and it's all quite fresh. Where did it come from?"

Yoshino explained the reason in detail. "You wouldn't know since you hadn't encountered it before. During holidays, Konoha issues missions to specially transport batches of seafood from the east and south. The temperatures are low during the New Year, so the seafood naturally stays much fresher. It only happens once a year, after all."

Konoha's rumored holiday television special was really just a singing show lasting less than half an hour, followed by New Year's greetings from the Hokage.

Entertainment was scarce, but it was not as though that was all there was.

After dinner, regardless of whether they did so willingly or what they thought of it, the three parents handed New Year's money to the five children present. Each gave one thousand ryo per child, leaving everyone with three thousand ryo in hand.

What the others considered an ordinary occurrence made Naruto so happy that he jumped up and down. His bright, innocent appearance made the parents smile unconsciously.

Then the children were sent off to visit the Annual Festival.

From the main gate on Konoha's southern side all the way to a point several hundred meters from the Hokage's Office, there were Snack Stalls, little games, toys, and the like, much like a night market. Sasuke found it nothing special, but for the people of the ninja world, it felt as though they had truly done their utmost.

Since such large-scale street vending only appeared occasionally, quite a few stalls were run by novices who had jumped in on a whim just to make up the numbers. After trying two or three stalls, Sasuke chose to spend his money cautiously. It was not that he begrudged the cost; many people took one bite and refused a second, leaving them with nothing but an extra burden in their hands.

Flavorless, solid Dango came in different yet largely identical colors, occupying three to five out of every ten stalls. The competition among them rivaled that of milk tea shops, but their taste was nowhere close to comparable.

Ramen, grilled flatbread, little cakes—any business involving even a little meat or eggs was thriving.

There were few stalls selling nothing but grilled meat skewers. After all, having a supply channel for meat was already beyond what Ordinary People could manage, so those businesses naturally did even better.

Several grilled little fish stalls had already packed up early by the time Sasuke saw them, having failed to stock enough supplies.

Naruto seemed long accustomed to how to have fun with his friends amid such a noisy crowd without letting foul-mouthed people ruin his mood—he put on a mask.

Naruto liked things like masks. They were inexpensive, and other children's parents would generally buy one when asked. But that did not mean he liked keeping his entire face hidden behind one all the time.

After dinner, once the villagers had free time, most of them came out to stroll through the streets.

Before long, the five-person shopping group was forced to expand. Akamaru was the first to follow the scent over, along with his owner Kiba. Then came the other girls in their class, then other girls their age... Especially after they saw Ino sticking close to Sasuke's side, they all declared that they wanted a share too.

Sasuke could handle one Ino, because she was pretty. That did not mean he could accept every strange-looking one who came along.

Boys played with boys, and girls played with girls. That was the common understanding among most children. Clearly, Sasuke's ability to attract swarms of girls was seriously affecting the boys' happy playtime.

"Anyway, you guys have fun. I'm going to get some air." Looking utterly dead inside, Sasuke called out to the others, then turned into a puff of white smoke.

"Sasuke ran off because of you!"

"It was you!"

"He only ran after you showed up!"

"Ahhh!"

After a round of shrieking and hair-pulling, the boys' group finally returned to its original harmony.

Naruto seemed to have been reminded of something unpleasant. "Even though I hate how showy Sasuke is, girls are terrifying."

Shikamaru said, "Women are super troublesome. The younger ones are even scarier than my mom."

Choji said, "Let's go. I smell squid tentacles. If we get there too late, they'll be sold out again."

"Woof, woof."

Kiba said, "You've already eaten enough today. You won't be able to sleep tonight."

Naruto looked a little disappointed. "This is Sasuke's first time shopping around with us. He won't get lost, will he?"

Shikamaru comforted him without concern. "Relax. Even if you got lost, he wouldn't. Once the girls scatter, he'll probably come back."

Beneath a tree away from the stalls stood two mysterious men in high collars and hooded cloaks.

Shino Aburame looked at the person who was identical to him. "Tell me, why is there someone who looks exactly like me...?"

Sasuke Aburame said, "Thanks, Shino. Let me borrow your appearance for a bit. Having such a low presence is really nice. Do your insects eat candy apples?"

Shino accepted the apple. "Sasuke, Happy New Year. As for whether insects eat sugar, not all insects like sugar. Some insects eat meat and Chakra."