In the morning, before the dew from the morning mist had even evaporated, warm sunlight was already streaming through the emerald-green tree shadows onto the increasingly lively streets.
The morning light was like a thin veil soaked in honey, gently draped over Konoha's stone-paved main street. The copper bell beneath the eaves of the Three-Color Dango shop chimed softly in the morning breeze, shaking loose a few cherry blossoms still beaded with dew. The four round cherrywood tables outside were still damp with night dew, and a few pink petals blown down by last night's spring rain lay scattered across the woven bamboo stools.
A jōnin in a dark blue ninja uniform hurried past, snatching up a paper-wrapped bundle of dango with one hand as he strode away. The kunai pouch on his back glinted with a cold metallic sheen in the morning light.
Beyond the noren, the wooden lattice windows divided the morning light into diamond-shaped patches that slanted across the blue-gray floor. Against the wall stood a long elm cabinet, holding seven or eight red-glazed ceramic jars filled with red bean paste, cherry blossom jam, and mugwort paste.
Three layers of maplewood steamers were stacked beside the stove. The bamboo lid of the top one had just been lifted, and jade-green mugwort dango wrapped around cherry blossom petals trembled gently in the steam. Freshly cooked dango rested on cypress skewers, their glutinous-rice skins gilded by the morning light. Syrup seeping from the red bean filling had gathered into little amber pools on a celadon plate.
The Academy children poured noisily into the shop, chattering all at once with the energy and youthful exuberance of the rising sun. A boy wearing an orange forehead protector stretched up on tiptoe toward the display case. A few miniature three-color dango samples still sat on a bamboo tray, their jade green, moon white, and sandalwood hues shimmering in the morning light.
He pressed the tip of his nose against the glass, leaving a round mark, and pointed at one tray with a goofy grin. "I want the one with the salted plum inside!"
Just then, a low rush of wind sounded from the street corner. Three masked Anbu shinobi swept silently past the shop. One of them suddenly stopped, placed three bills on the counter, and continued on his way.
Nawaki held a tray and watched them disappear with a quiet sigh. Then he took a bamboo container of chilled dango from beneath the counter and tied it with a cord used for ninja tools.
"Oh my, business is booming here!"
"Right? Right?"
A loud, carefree voice came from outside the shop.
"What would you like? Welco—"
Nawaki turned around with a smile, but it froze on his face.
Three figures of different heights pulled aside the noren and entered. The tiny figure at the front was carrying all sorts of snacks and greeted the white-haired man at the table in the back as if they were old friends.
"Yo! Kakashi, skipping work again?"
Now there were two people with headaches.
Kakashi was at a loss. He didn't know why he'd suddenly wanted to come here, but perhaps seeing that figure in the street earlier had given him a sudden premonition.
"Lord Tsunade, you're here too."
Kakashi scratched his head and stood up. His gaze swept over Qing Xuan, then stopped on the person behind him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
The girl who seemed to radiate an unmistakable "keep your distance" aura always made Kakashi feel a little awkward around her.
Just then, a little hand, covered in grease, darted into Kakashi's view and grabbed the girl's pale hand.
"Hey, Ling, that creepy slacker's checking you out!"
"N-no, I wasn't..."
Kakashi immediately panicked.
But the girl didn't pay him any attention. She crouched down, took out a tissue, and carefully wiped Qing Xuan's little hand clean before ruffling his hair.
"It's all right. Just ignore him."
When she was with Qing Xuan, the girl showed a completely different side of herself.
Were cute little boys really that irresistible?
Kakashi grumbled inwardly, helplessly.
Just who was this girl?
Meanwhile, Qing Xuan was even more confused than Kakashi as the young woman wiped his hands.
Wasn't Shizune supposed to be Tsunade's companion? Where had this Ling come from?
On his way out of the Uchiha Compound that morning, he'd asked around. All he'd learned was that Ling was a follower and disciple Tsunade had recruited while traveling outside the village years ago. Tsunade hadn't said a word about anything else.
It was all very puzzling...
"Kakashi."
Tsunade nodded at Kakashi as if they were quite familiar. "I hear you've been slacking off lately. It's not wise to waste your talent for nothing."
She scolded him with the sternness of an elder. "And sneaking off work to eat dango isn't a good habit either."
Kakashi was speechless. I'm on leave today, all right? You really believe Qing Xuan's nonsense just like that?
Tsunade didn't give him a chance to explain. She turned toward Nawaki, who stood by the counter with a stiff expression, and frowned. "What's with that look? Your beloved big sister's come home, and you can't even be bothered to greet her? Where did the upbringing of the Senju Clan go?"
Didn't you gamble away all the Senju Clan's upbringing? Nawaki thought. My sister...
Looking at the sister who always seemed to show up before her creditors, Nawaki truly wished they could never meet again.
Sure enough, today really wasn't a good day to open for business.
Had this mother and child come together to ruin him completely?
Nawaki resisted. He didn't want to humor her, but his sister's two fists soon brought out his warm side.
"Of course I'm happy!"
Nawaki forced a smile, and even remembered to bring Qing Xuan a plate of his favorite dango. The child came by to freeload so often that Nawaki had gotten a good idea of his tastes.
After their familiar, everyday bickering, the little shop finally settled down again.
Qing Xuan casually led Ling and Haku, who had come in behind them, over to Kakashi's table.
Kakashi was such a slacker. Qing Xuan ran into him here every time he came to eat dango, no matter what he did all day.
Wasn't Ichiraku Ramen his favorite? What was with coming here to eat dango every day?
Meanwhile, Tsunade and Nawaki stood by the counter, a little farther away, and started chatting as siblings.
"Looks like you're getting along pretty well with Qing Xuan."
Tsunade turned to look at the little figure wolfing down dango and couldn't help complaining. "I don't know how those Uchiha raised him, but the way this child eats is truly awful..."
Despite her complaints, a faint smile and tenderness were clear in Tsunade's eyes.
The maternal affection overflowing from her finally cleared away the last of Nawaki's doubts.
He rested one hand on the counter. A faint breeze seemed to match the smile on his face as his gaze also settled on Qing Xuan. "I like the kid. He just has no manners..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Tsunade was instantly displeased. She glared at her younger brother, feeling as if he were hinting at something.
"Want me to throw you into the Land of Wind and see whether you've got any manners?"
At that, even Nawaki grew curious. Seeing that Tsunade was in a good mood, he cautiously asked, "What exactly happened that day?"
The smile on Tsunade's face immediately faded, as if she'd remembered something unpleasant.
"Nothing happened."
"Then why did you go outside the village to have a child?"
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