At dawn, the aroma of rice porridge mingled with a hint of meat and drifted through the Uzumaki family courtyard.
In the dining room, Uzumaki Jiuming sat cross-legged at the table, pouring milk into his cup.
An elderly woman with graying hair sat at the head of the table. Beside Jiuming, Kushina stared absently at the porridge in front of her, lost in thought. Across from the siblings, Nawaki sat upright, watching Jiuming with a curious expression.
"It's rare for the whole family to sit down and have breakfast together."
"Though Tsunade isn't here, this is still the fullest gathering we've had in years."
"Jiuming, you're going on a mission this afternoon. When you're away from home, make sure you eat on time. You're still growing, so you absolutely mustn't neglect that."
"Have you finished getting everything ready?"
Uzumaki Mito sat at the head of the table and asked Jiuming. She hadn't touched the food in front of her. It was hard to tell whether it wasn't to her taste or she simply had no appetite.
"Grandma, I've got everything ready."
"Food, water, and ninja tools. I've already packed them all away."
As he spoke, Jiuming finished pouring his milk and immediately gulped down several mouthfuls. He let out a breath, then started on his porridge. Watching him eat with such gusto, Mito smiled.
"Take your time. There's more if you need it."
That kid told me he didn't want to go to the battlefield, but he's already been assigned a mission by the Hokage. What a sly one!
Watching Jiuming eat across the table, Senju Nawaki felt a little disgruntled. He'd only found out that morning that Uzumaki Jiuming was going on a mission to the battlefield, and hearing the news had put him in a bad mood for