The End

"Keiko, it's been a long time."

"Yes, Gardenia, it's been two or three years, right? This must be your daughter, Hikari?"

"Yes, it's a pity that although this child is very talented, he's a bit introverted."

"It's alright, then it's good that Shiro spends more time with her in the future, they should get along well."

"After all, they're all geniuses. Come here, Hikari, this is your Shiro brother, Si Lang."

"Brother Shiro, we meet again."

"Ha, ah, we meet again. I never knew we had this kind of connection."

"What? Do you know each other?" Keiko asked curiously, seeing that Shiro others seemed quite familiar with each other. Gardenia, who was standing next to them, also looked at them.

"Ah, I encountered it during a mission a while ago."

"Oh, okay? You kids can play then, I'm going to chat with your Aunt Gardenia."

"That's right, Hikari, you should show Shiro around properly."

"Hey Mom, is it gone?"

"Come on, I'll show you that skincare product, it's amazing!"

"Really? I wonder how it differs from what I use."

"."

Shiro stared dumbfounded as his mother and the others gradually walked away.

"Hehe, let's go, Shiro Brother, I'll show you around."

"Sigh, that's all we can do. Let's go."

"Um."

"Speaking of which, Hikari, you're actually surnamed Minamoto?"

"What's wrong? What did you originally think my last name was?"

"Your surname is Yuan? I knew someone with that surname before, so I assumed you were surnamed Yuan from the start. Who knew your surname was actually Minamoto!"

"Hmm, the surname Minamoto is quite rare."

"The most surprising thing is that my mom actually knows your mom, tsk tsk."

"Yes, I didn't know that Mom and Shiro's mother were so close. It's quite a surprise."

"Yeah, my mom kept saying she came here to show off, what a load of nonsense."

"So, Shiro Brother, do you know why we came?"

Shiro looked at Hikari, who was blushing and lowering her head, and felt helpless. Shouldn't Hokage be full of tomboyish women?

"Alright, that's what Mom and the others think, it has nothing to do with us. We're still young, instead of thinking about these things, we should focus on improving our strength."

"As for Mom and the others, just give them a perfunctory answer, don't worry about it too much. Let's go, can you take me to the training ground now?"

"Hiss~ Phew~ That's enough." Hikari took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Okay, let's go, Shiro Lang."

"By the way, Shiro Brother, has anyone told you about this?"

"What?"

"You'll stay single forever if you keep going like this!"

"..." Shiro looked at Hikari speechlessly, "Sigh, how come another one has gone astray? Am I really toxic?"

"Hmph, it must be Shiro Brother's fault."

"Alright, we've arrived."

"Arrived? Where are we?"

Shiro looked around and, apart from a larger house, didn't see any training equipment, so he asked in confusion.

Hikari walked up to the room, pushed open the door, and said, "This is it."

"..." Shiro was taken aback for a moment, then said, "No, such a big family like yours only has this little training ground? Is it enough?"

"That's enough. Our family mainly practices swordsmanship, so we don't need much space. This place is sufficient. You can use the communal training grounds for Ninjutsu."

"There's no need to take up everyone's space. After all, some sword techniques require a quiet environment to practice, and this will also save some expenses."

"Oh right, Blade Zen needs a quiet environment."

"Yes, but in recent years there have been very few people in the clan who practice swordsmanship. Most of the time I'm the only one practicing here."

"How about I practice with you today?"

"Haha, then thank you in advance, Brother Shiro." Hikari chuckled and said, "But, Brother Shiro, do you also know swordsmanship?"

"Of course! Lord White Fang is my master, how could I not know him!"

So, for the rest of the time, Shiro stayed here with Hikari during training, though he did go back to change his clothes in between.

The two were actually quite complementary; Hikari could correct Shiro's fundamentals, while Shiro could guide her in her techniques. As the two were immersed in their training, time flew by.

While the two were resting, Hikari suddenly asked, "Brother Shiro, are you Mizuki... this?" As he spoke, he touched his little finger together.

"..." Shiro looked speechlessly at Hikari, whose face was full of gossip.

"No, I've only run into her twice before. Besides, she's only a few years old. Why are you thinking about these things? What are you thinking about all Tenten?"

"Wait, you don't already have someone you like, do you? And that's why you're asking me?"

"No way! Don't talk nonsense!"

"..." Shiro looked at Hikari, whose face was flushed, and said speechlessly, "But your expression has already betrayed you."

"Ah!" Upon hearing Shiro's words, Hikari immediately shrank back, curling up into a ball.

"..." Shiro sighed helplessly and said, "Get up. There's no one else here. You won't be able to hide it from Auntie when she comes."

After seeing her get up, Shiro asked curiously, "Who is he?"

"Yes, he's Mizuki's older brother, Uchiha Yue."

"Tsk tsk, another Uchiha. Looks like you're out of luck, Hikari."

"Why?" Hikari asked anxiously upon hearing this.

"Don't get excited yet. Let me explain why. As far as I know, Uchiha people either like their younger brothers or their male teammates. In short, very few of them like girls. So, you have a long way to go."

After saying that, Shiro patted Hikari on the shoulder.

"Phew~ That scared me to death! I thought he had a girlfriend. I'm not giving up!"

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Sigh, good luck then. You're so thoughtful for such a young age."

Afterwards, Shiro spent some more time training with Hikari, and then went home with his mother.

The mother and son walked and chatted.

"How was it? Isn't Hikari a good guy?"

"Sigh, Mom, please stop playing matchmaker. I have my own plans, it's too early now."

"Sigh, what do you mean by matchmaking? Hikari isn't bad at all."

"But what if she already has someone she likes? Wouldn't that be holding her back? Anyway, let nature take its course."

"Sigh, you're right. Why can't you be more ambitious?"

"Isn't that enough? There aren't many people my age who are better than me!"

"You know that's not what I meant."

"I know, I know, but I'm still a child, aren't I? I promise, I'll make sure you can hold your grandson on time!"

"Hmph, dream on. You'll have to raise them yourself; don't expect us to bother you."

"Yes, yes, we'll raise them ourselves."

And so, ever since Shiro returned home that day, he has been focusing on training and completing quests. However, because the rewards for low-level quests are not high, Shiro can barely make ends meet for his training expenses.

However, they did save a lot of money. This continued until Shiro and his Shiro received a message from the Anbu saying they were going to carry out a joint mission.

The day before the mission, Shiro stopped his afternoon duties to quickly check and replenish his supplies, preparing to be in the best possible condition for the mission.