At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the thin mist and fell across the quiet road, Hayato began his morning training. Sweat slid down his determined face, every drop a testament to his relentless pursuit of Taijutsu.
He didn't finish that day's training until nearly noon.
He stepped into the bathroom and savored the comfort of warm water enveloping him.
Afterward, he stood by the window with a soft bath towel in hand, gently drying his damp black hair. Droplets shimmered in the sunlight like tiny stars.
Seeing Misaki busy in the kitchen, Hayato spoke up.
"Mom, what are you making?"
"Oh, lunch for your outing," Misaki replied without looking up, her knife keeping a cheerful rhythm against the chopping board. "By the way, will you be back for dinner tonight?"
He thought back to the arrangement he'd made with Kurenai the day before. They'd agreed to have an outdoor cookout together that evening.
"I won't be back for dinner. We're planning to grill outdoors and enjoy what nature has to offer."
"A cookout? Should I pack some ingredients for you?" Misaki asked at once.
"No need. We'll gather what we need there." Hayato draped the towel over his shoulder and turned toward the wardrobe.
He started picking out his clothes. First, he put on a comfortable undershirt, then pulled on a stylish black turtleneck sweatshirt, a look that was casual yet lively.
He also remembered to bring his ninja pouch, which held several sharp Kunai and finely crafted shuriken, just in case—especially since they might come in handy while hunting.
Seeing this, Misaki said no more. She simply packed the lunch she'd carefully prepared into a lunch box and handed it to Hayato, her eyes full of concern.
"Be sure to stay safe, okay?"
Hayato smiled as he took it, his eyes shining with confidence. "Don't worry, Mom. I'm your son. What do you have to worry about?"
Seeing how unconcerned he looked, Misaki pretended to be annoyed and tapped him on the forehead, though she couldn't quite hide her smile. "Still, it's always best to be careful."
"Yeah. I'm off, then. Bye!" Hayato waved and set out on his spring outing, carrying his mother's concern and blessings with him.
Not long afterward, Shota came out of the bedroom, looking tired but unable to hide his joy at being home.
He asked where Hayato had gone. When he learned Hayato had gone out with friends, he smiled and remarked, "Young people should have that kind of energy."
"So Hayato won't be home today?" Shota asked as he came over to Misaki.
"Mm, probably not until tonight," Misaki replied casually.
At that, Shota stepped up behind Misaki and wrapped his arms around her, grinning as he said, "It's not often we get the place to ourselves. How about we..."
Misaki's ears reddened. She glanced back at Shota, a little embarrassed. "Didn't you just get back from a mission? And it's the middle of the day... isn't this a bit much?"
"I've had time to rest. I'm full of energy now."
Meanwhile, Hayato made his way toward the stream west of the village.
The streamside was lush and vibrant in the spring sunshine. Several familiar figures had already been waiting for some time. Ebisu, Kotetsu Hagane, and Genma were sitting or standing about, each immersed in the calm of the spring day.
"Am I late?" Hayato asked softly, a hint of apology in his voice.
"No, we just got here early." Ebisu glanced at his watch and answered with a smile, his eyes gleaming with wisdom behind his sunglasses.
As Hayato looked around for Kurenai, a clear, pleasant voice broke the quiet.
"Hayato!"
Kurenai was wearing a crimson floral dress, looking like the most dazzling flower of spring as she ran toward him, her face lit with uncontainable joy.
"Hayato, you really came! I'm so glad." Kurenai was practically beaming.
She'd been looking forward to today's get-together ever since yesterday.
"Didn't I promise I'd come?" Hayato said fondly, ruffling Kurenai's hair. They exchanged smiles, as if the whole world had stopped around them.
The other three felt a little out of place.
Noticing their awkwardness, Hayato steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Is anyone else still coming?"
"Ah, Kakashi and the others haven't arrived yet." Kurenai glanced around and answered softly.
"I've been here for ages." A slightly lazy voice came from nearby.
The five of them turned toward the sound and saw Kakashi rise from behind a boulder.
"I got here too early and was bored, so I took a nap." Kakashi puckered his lips and let out a Yawn.
"You sure did get here early," Hayato said with an easy laugh.
Then he looked at Kurenai again, silently asking who else hadn't arrived.
Kurenai immediately understood. "Oh, Guy, Obito, and Rin are still coming."
Hayato nodded, then chatted casually with everyone.
Before long, Guy, Obito, and Rin all arrived. And they had an unexpected guest, too.
"Asuma, what are you doing here?" Kurenai asked in surprise, then glanced at Hayato.
She looked a little anxious; she hadn't invited Asuma herself.
Ebisu stepped forward and pushed up his sunglasses, speaking calmly. "I invited Asuma. We're all classmates, after all."
Asuma haughtily turned his head away, ignoring Kurenai and Hayato as he walked straight over to Ebisu.
Seeing this, Kurenai said nothing more. She hadn't been the only one organizing the gathering, and they'd agreed that everyone could invite their own friends.
"All right, everyone's here, so let's get started," Obito said, trying to ease the awkwardness.
Hayato didn't mind. Whatever had happened between him and Asuma before wasn't a big deal.
He hadn't taken it to heart. At most, it had been a farce.
As long as Asuma didn't cause trouble again, Hayato couldn't be bothered to hold a grudge.
"Sure. In that case, let's get started."
"Since we're having an outdoor cookout, we should figure out the food," Rin suggested.
Obito bent down and peered into the clear stream, where many fish swam.
"Why don't we go fishing? Does anyone know how?"
After a long pause, Kakashi raised his hand. "I can handle fishing."
Hayato was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Kakashi to be so enthusiastic. Then again, later on, after experiencing so many terrible things, he'd struggled to get past them.
"I'm not good at fishing, but if we're just catching fish, I can manage," Guy said. He then started to dive into the water to catch them by hand.
Hayato laughed and grabbed him. "Guy, we're here for a spring outing, not to survive in the wilderness. There's no need."
"I have a suggestion. Let's split up the work. Kakashi can handle fishing, and everyone else can look for other ingredients and firewood. How does that sound?" After speaking, Hayato looked around at everyone.
Apart from Asuma, who seemed utterly uninterested, everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Sounds good to me."
"I'm fine with that."
"All right, let's figure out what everyone can do based on their strengths." Hayato thought to himself, Teamwork is part of training, too.
Kurenai gazed at Hayato admiringly from the side. At that moment, he seemed to shine in her eyes.
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