It's What You've Always Been Looking Forward To

Kurenai smiled sweetly, locking eyes with Hayato, their gazes filled with an endless, unspoken tenderness and mutual understanding.

The laughter and chatter of the birthday party gradually faded away.

As night fell, the children bid their farewells after the brief gathering and set off on their separate ways home.

Hayato insisted on staying until the very end; he was in no hurry to leave, choosing instead to wait quietly until the last guest had departed.

When the final echoes of the commotion vanished into the night sky, he spoke softly, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible gentleness.

"Would you like to go for a walk and enjoy this peaceful night together?"

Kurenai nodded slightly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I'd love to. I was just thinking I wanted to clear my head."

The two politely bid Shinku goodnight before stepping together into the night.

The moonlight tonight was exceptionally enchanting, casting a silver glow over the earth and draping the world in a mysterious, romantic veil.

Hayato walked in front, his silhouette appearing remarkably tall and straight under the moonlight, while Kurenai followed close behind with steps as light as the breeze.

Their shadows intertwined on the ground, as if foreshadowing some indescribable destiny.

Hayato began to share his recent experiences with Kurenai.

From the nerves and excitement of his first mission to the bits and pieces of his rigorous training under Sakumo's guidance.

His voice was calm and warm, every word brushing against Kurenai's heart like a spring breeze.

Kurenai listened quietly, her eyes filled with focus and admiration, as if she could feel everything Hayato had gone through.

"I've been working hard on my training lately, too," Kurenai said suddenly, her tone earnest and firm. "I'm planning to apply for graduation soon and become a real ninja."

Her gaze remained locked on Hayato, her eyes shimmering with infinite longing for the future.

Hearing this, Hayato gently patted Kurenai on the shoulder, a smile of encouragement tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I believe you'll definitely succeed. Maybe by then, we can go on missions together."

However, this time alone was always fleeting.

Before long, Hayato escorted Kurenai to her doorstep.

Under the moonlight, Hayato waved his hand to bid her farewell. "Well, see you later, Kurenai."

Kurenai stood at the entrance, her smile blooming like a flower. "Mm, see you next time."

She watched Hayato's retreating figure until it vanished into the night before turning to push open the door and return to her warm home.

Back in her room, Kurenai couldn't wait to pull open her drawer and take out the scroll Hayato had given her earlier.

Her heart raced, as if it were about to leap out of her chest. What secret could this scroll possibly hold?

What exactly is inside this?

Even while they were walking earlier, her mind had been preoccupied with the contents of the scroll.

With a mix of trepidation and anticipation, she slowly untied the cord and spread the scroll out before her.

At first, Kurenai couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she saw what was inside.

It wasn't the love letter the others had teased her about, but a manual for taijutsu.

This was a taijutsu scroll Hayato had customized specifically for Kurenai, based on his experiences from his past life.

"Wing Chun?" Kurenai murmured.

However, as she read through it carefully, she discovered that this style of taijutsu was exceptionally well-suited for women, and it contained detailed records of Wing Chun's training methods and techniques.

More importantly, at the end of the scroll, Hayato had written a line in a warm, firm hand: "I hope this taijutsu helps you. Graduate soon; I'll be waiting for you up ahead."

Seeing these words, a happy smile blossomed on Kurenai's face.

She hugged the scroll tightly, as if she had obtained the most precious treasure in the world.

"I will definitely not let you down, Hayato," she silently vowed to herself.

For Kurenai, close-quarters combat had always been her weak point.

With the help of this taijutsu manual, she believed her strength would surely see a significant improvement.

As for the quality of this technique, she trusted Hayato.

With that, she immediately ran out of her room to find Shinku and ask for his help in preparing the equipment needed for her training.

Meanwhile, Hayato returned home.

After a brief chat with his parents, he went back to his room to continue his training in the Flying Thunder God.

Hayato's home was spacious and cozy, consisting of five rooms.

He had a room all to himself.

This was a request he had made to his parents, and they had readily agreed.

They knew that Hayato had always been a sensible and independent child.

Setting aside his thoughts, Hayato resumed his practice of the Flying Thunder God.

He had a premonition that he was only one final step away from fully grasping it.

He was determined to master it tonight.

After two hours of unremitting effort, he finally succeeded in breaking through the bottleneck!

"Success!"

His face was brimming with irrepressible joy, as if the entire world were cheering for him.

Over the course of more than two months, he had finally mastered this powerful space-time ninjutsu to perfection.

Although it had taken quite a long time, that was only because he had been juggling many other projects simultaneously and had not devoted all his energy to the training of the Flying Thunder God.

Even so, he had achieved success through his own perseverance and intelligence.

Exhausted in both body and mind, Uchiha Hayato collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep, a satisfied and happy smile on his face.

He knew that the hard work of this night had not been in vain; he was one step closer to his goal.

The next day.

Hayato and Sakumo Hatake headed toward the Hokage Building together.

"Teacher, is there something important today?" Hayato asked, his face full of curiosity.

Early in the morning, Sakumo had come to his house, woken him up, and told him to accompany him to the Hokage Building.

"It is something you have been looking forward to," Sakumo said.

Something I've been looking forward to?

Sakumo did not explain to Hayato immediately, but instead led him toward the Hokage's office.

When they arrived at the Hokage's office, they found that besides Hiruzen, the Hokage, there was also a stranger dressed in high-tech gear.

The man was waiting for their arrival with an anxious expression.

"The people you were waiting for have arrived," Hiruzen said.

The man looked toward the door with joy, but when he saw Sakumo and Hayato, his face darkened.

"Hokage, what is the meaning of this?"

"These two are the elite squad responsible for this mission," Hiruzen said slowly after taking a few puffs of his pipe.

Hearing this, the man looked indignant. "A child? Hokage, are you joking with us?"

"Let me introduce them first. This is Sakumo Hatake, a very outstanding jonin of our Konoha, and his subordinate, Uchiha Hayato, who is also an excellent ninja."

"It is precisely because I take this commission very seriously that I have arranged for these two to go," Hiruzen explained slowly.

Upon hearing the name Sakumo Hatake, the man's expression shifted instantly.

They had heard of the reputation of the White Fang of Konoha, and as for the other one, being an Uchiha from a prestigious clan, perhaps he was just there to gain some experience.

This should be secure now.

"Thank you for your consideration, Lord Hokage."

For Hayato, he had been a bit confused at first.

But when he saw the meaningful look in Sakumo's eyes, he suddenly understood—the "thing I've been looking forward to" that Sakumo had mentioned earlier referred to carrying out a higher-level mission!

"Then, Lord Hokage, we will go and prepare. Thank you."

After saying this, the man nodded at Sakumo with a smile and left the Hokage's office.

A moment later, Hiruzen handed a scroll to Sakumo.

"The specific details of the mission are all in the scroll. The situation is urgent, so pack up and set off," Hiruzen said softly.

Sakumo nodded, put away the mission scroll, and looked at Hayato.

"I have nothing to pack; I am always ready," Hayato said softly.