"Kakashi, over here! Over here!"
Guy, waving his arms, finally spotted the white-haired boy walking over and shouted excitedly.
That green outfit was incredibly conspicuous.
Though it was a sleeveless summer outfit, squeezed among a crowd of lightly dressed girls, it looked extremely out of place.
Guy did not complain about Kakashi being late. His tone was full of concern.
"Where did you go? You missed the opening."
"Ah, I ran into someone I knew," Kakashi said casually.
"I see." Guy did not mind. Instead, he raised a thumb with a grin. "Hehe, while you were gone, I made a wish upon the fireworks. Once I become a jonin, I'll definitely surpass you!"
"Idiot, how could wishing on fireworks possibly work?"
Kakashi retorted, "You've still got a long way to go before you can surpass me."
But Guy seemed not to have heard him at all. Still grinning broadly, he flashed a mouthful of white teeth. "Thanks for the support!"
On the other side, Akashi returned to his spot.
The brilliant light illuminated the side of his face, while Shingetsu continued gazing at the night sky.
She neither turned her head nor asked where he had gone.
It seemed a strange sort of trust had already formed between them.
"Fireworks get pretty boring after watching them for too long. How about we go sit on Kage Rock?" Shingetsu suddenly suggested.
"Sure."
Akashi had not wanted to join in the bustle here anyway.
If Fugaku or someone else happened to see him, he would have to exchange pleasantries. What a hassle.
The two crossed the square and ran up to Kage Rock.
The cliff face bore lifelike carvings of the past Hokage's faces. Akashi wondered whether Kakashi's habit of carving four dog heads into his Earth-Style Wall had been inspired by