After seeing Obito off at the Ninja Academy, Chiyo finally turned and left.
Cherry blossoms drifted through the school grounds, while newly enrolled children played in small groups. The air was filled with the feeling of youth.
As he stepped out of the school gates, his peripheral vision caught sight of a tiny figure standing alone beneath the cherry blossom tree outside, completely out of place amid the surrounding bustle.
She was a little girl of about four or five, dressed in an exquisite kimono. Her long black hair fell over her slender shoulders, adorned with several tiny cherry blossom hairpins.
Her skin was fair, her cheeks still plump with baby fat, and her large red eyes resembled clear, dazzling rubies. At the moment, however, they brimmed with unease and grievance.
She kept rising onto her tiptoes to look around, her little hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes as if she were waiting for someone.
Kurenai Yuhi (just graduated from the Ninja Academy)
Chiyo frowned slightly, then walked over and asked gently.
"Little sister, why are you here alone?"
Hearing his voice, the girl timidly raised her head.
She froze for a moment when she saw Chiyo.
The man before her was tall and slender, with handsome features. His black hair swayed lightly over his forehead, and a warm smile rested in his deep eyes.
She instinctively took half a step back, but still answered quietly.
"I... I'm waiting for my dad."
"Did your father tell you to wait for him here?"
Chiyo crouched down until his eyes were level with hers, lowering his voice even further.
The girl nodded, her eyes reddening slightly.
"After Dad brought me here, he said he had a mission come up and told me to wait here. He said he would be