In Konoha, playful children chased each other as they roughhoused. Winter had arrived, and biting cold winds had long since filled the world.
Even so, nothing could change children's nature to play. In this peaceful era, they had no need to worry or question anything. They only needed to play to their hearts' content and grow up, until the day they graduated from the Ninja Academy.
White breath escaped their mouths, unusually conspicuous in the freezing temperatures. One child in the midst of playing looked up as tiny snowflakes landed on his face, cool against his skin.
"It's snowing... It's snowing..." The children were the first to react, crying out excitedly as they ran off into the distance.
Snow meant they could have snowball fights and build snowmen. To these children, that was what mattered most.
And snow had another meaning as well... the year was drawing to a close.
This was Konoha's sixty-first year. In this chaotic ninja world, Konoha had endured for sixty-one years. That was no easy feat.
Even Senju Hashirama, who had founded the village, probably never expected it.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
A few days later, the New Year arrived. Today, the entire world would fall into a brief lull. The major ninja villages would each be immersed in their celebrations, and most covert activities would be suspended for the night.
Even those who held themselves to the harshest standards would give themselves half a day off to reunite with their families.
Of course... except for a certain madman named Might Guy.
At Naruto's home, Kushina held up the new clothes she had just tailored and made Naruto try on one outfit after another.
Naruto could only accept it with a miserable expression. Any words of protest died quietly in