Breakfast

And so Uzumaki Chenhao lay on his bed, thinking for several dozen minutes, before slowly drifting off to sleep.

He really was a bit tired these days—he'd been busy with his training for so long, barely getting any sleep. Still, he felt pretty happy now, especially since he'd had dinner with his parents tonight.

In the dead of night, Konoha was very quiet. At this hour, most people had returned home to rest. Some ninjas coming back from missions would gather in twos or threes at the taverns for a drink, chatting and laughing together after a long day's work—it was a pleasant way to unwind.

No matter the time, Konoha was always a place of comfort. Everyone had their own life, their own joys, and their own worries. But when they sat down to eat and talk with family and friends, they set their troubles aside.

And so, the night passed quickly.

The next morning, Uzumaki Chenhao woke up early. He noticed that his aunt and uncle weren't up yet.

"I wonder... if Aunt Kushina weren't pregnant, things would be different now. They're still not up this late—something must have happened last night that can't be described. After all, I'm a guy with the mental age of someone in his twenties or thirties!" Chenhao glanced at the tightly shut door and thought to himself.

"Since I'm up early with nothing to do, I might as well make breakfast. Once they get up, they can eat and head straight to the hospital," he mused.

Chenhao was a man of his word. Without wasting a minute, he walked into the kitchen, looked at the ingredients left over, and started bustling about.

He used to live alone, so cooking was no big deal for him.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with the rhythmic sound of knife and cutting board.

The morning in Konoha was a beautiful sight. Little birds chirped in the trees, sunlight bathed every corner of the village, and everything was still very quiet.

At this hour, very few people in Konoha were up—mostly the elderly, who had formed decades-long habits of rising early to take a walk or buy some breakfast.

Time ticked by, and soon Chenhao had finished making breakfast. He kept it simple today—some rice porridge and a few side dishes.

His cooking skills were actually pretty decent. The fragrant meal was set out in the kitchen, and then Chenhao went to sit on the sofa.

"Right, I know what I want to do after the hospital today. I haven't seen Chun Muzi in days—wonder what she's been up to. I'll go find her and hang out later. It's been a while, and I kind of miss her," Chenhao said softly to himself with a smile.

Chun Muzi was Chenhao's childhood friend in Konoha. She had always been really good to him. Back when he got bullied, she was always the first to come and comfort him. And she never distanced herself from him just because he was weak.