Matching Outfits Wasn't the Problem

"I never would've guessed that Grandpa's Hokage robes were made by this old lady..." Nawaki murmured in shock.

He hadn't expected that an ordinary-looking old woman like her had made the Hokage robes.

"Nawaki, don't be rude!"

Tsunade patted Nawaki on the head. "How can you call her an old lady?"

"Haha... I am an old lady, after all. Time really flies. When I first made a haori for the First, I was still a young girl."

The shopkeeper chuckled behind her hand and waved, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

"Back then, I had the best sewing skills in the village. The Second Hokage personally commissioned me, and later he had another one made here, too. By the time the Third Hokage came along, it had become a tradition."

"Thanks to the Hokages of every generation, my reputation grew. Plenty of wealthy families and nobles came to me for custom-made clothes."

"You're kidding..."

Nawaki didn't quite believe her. "But this place is so rundown."

"Hahaha, every shop needs a signboard."

The shopkeeper laughed. "This place started out as a tailor's shop. It was later turned into a clothing store, and my son and daughter-in-law look after it. They went to visit relatives yesterday, so I'm only here to help out now and then."

"I had no idea there was such a story behind it," Tsunade said in surprise.

"Even you didn't know, Tsunade-sensei?" Minato asked.

Tsunade shook her head. "I only knew it was an old shop with a wide selection of styles and reasonable prices."

"I designed them all myself. I even opened a clothing factory."

The shopkeeper smiled proudly and pointed to the haori Minato was wearing. "The one you have on was adapted from the Hokage robes."

"Huh? Really?"

Nawaki looked envious.

"That's right. It all started because of the Third Hokage."

The shopkeeper explained with a smile, "The Third was rather slight, so the Hokage robes made him look a little hunched over. That was when I realized that although the haori worn by the Hokages of every generation were dignified, they weren't convenient for battle."

"Though the Hokage holds a distinguished position, at heart he's still a ninja. That gave me the idea for the God Robe. I raised the collar to make it look more dignified, and I designed several other styles of haori, too."

"The one you're wearing is a children's style I designed especially. With its short hem and high collar, doesn't it look cool?"

"Yeah, I love it!"

Minato smiled and nodded. In his eyes, Yondaime's Hokage robes were indeed the coolest of them all.

"So there are other styles, too? I want one!"

Nawaki turned to Tsunade with a pleading look. "Sis—"

"Sigh..."

Tsunade pointed at Nawaki. "Pick something out for him, too."

The shopkeeper looked Nawaki over, nodded without a word, and quietly took out one in his size.

Nawaki hurriedly changed into it and stood in front of the full-length mirror.

He glanced at Minato's reflection, then at his own, and suddenly fell silent.

For some reason, the same clothes made Minato look incredibly handsome.

But on Nawaki, they made him look a little silly, like he was trying too hard to act cool.

As the saying went, matching outfits weren't the problem; it was being the uglier one that was embarrassing.

For a moment, the shop fell silent.

The shopkeeper studied the scene. "As I thought, high collars don't suit round faces..."

"I can see that!"

Nawaki's face darkened. "I'm never wearing matching clothes with Minato again."

Minato looked a little awkward. "Sorry..."

Nawaki pursed his lips. "It's not your fault..."

Children were especially sensitive. Just now, he'd sensed that the shopkeeper looked at Minato with a sort of fateful recognition, as though she were looking at the future Hokage.

That left him feeling a little down, and his thoughts began to wander.

For instance, the outfit had been inspired by the Hokage robes, and it suited Minato so well. Did that mean something? Was Minato destined to become Hokage?

Thinking of Minato's strength and his terrifying talent for possessing two kekkei genkai made Nawaki feel even more defeated.

As if sensing Nawaki's disappointment, Tsunade ruffled his hair.

She didn't try to comfort him with words or tell him that he would definitely become Hokage.

If Minato hadn't come along, she might have.

But from the day Minato appeared, there had been no doubt about who would inherit the Hokage Position.

Minato would definitely become Hokage!

If Minato grew as strong as her grandfather, then even if he didn't want the job, a crowd of people would push him into that position.

After all, the Hokage didn't necessarily have to be the strongest person in the village, but he couldn't be too far behind the strongest.

Compared to that, qualities like personal integrity and the villagers' approval were secondary.

If Minato weren't made Hokage, then if the Hokage's orders ever conflicted with Minato's wishes, who could command the village's strongest fighter?

As an adult, Tsunade knew all too well that the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. That was why she didn't comfort Nawaki.

Rather than let him lose himself in a dream only to watch it shatter one day, she wanted him to recognize reality sooner, then pull himself together and keep striving toward his dream. She believed her little brother could do it.

Just as she expected, after a brief moment of disappointment, Nawaki perked up again.

"One day, I'll have Hokage robes that suit me perfectly, too!"

Nawaki stared intently at Minato. "You win this time, Minato!"

"Huh?"

Minato looked confused, with no idea what had gotten into him.

Tsunade smiled, and the shopkeeper watched them with an amused expression.

"Is that all the clothing we need?"

"Let's get a few more pairs of pants."

Before long, the morning had passed, and the three of them had bought plenty of things.

They'd gotten clothes, pants, ninja shoes, a brand-new ninja tool pouch, a Kunai and Shuriken set, and everything they needed for the start of school.

Minato also bought plenty of plant seeds, planning to try growing some vegetables and fruit later.

After dropping everything off at home, they went to the sukiyaki restaurant Tsunade had said was delicious.

Just as Tsunade had promised, the sukiyaki there was delicious. The restaurant also served sushi and sashimi, but the prices were steep. The three of them spent a full six thousand ryo on one meal.

Fortunately, ninjas were well-paid. The money was nothing to Tsunade, who had plenty for household expenses despite her love of gambling. She wouldn't be running all over the Shinobi World with creditors after her like she would in the future.

After lunch, the three of them strolled around the streets for a while, then went home to grab their toiletries before heading to the hot spring district.

As they passed an alley, they happened upon a white-haired man crouched outside the women's bath, peeking through its wooden fence...