Then he saw a blonde man whose face, which shared a seven or eight-part resemblance with his own, was filled with shock.
Finally he saw a red-haired woman covering her mouth, her eyes brimming with light.
Himawari poked her head out from Kushina's arms, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the few of them, then broke free from Kushina's embrace and trotted over to throw herself at the Seventh Hokage and Hinata.
"Daddy, Mommy, big brother!"
She threw her arms around the Seventh Hokage's legs, tilting her little face up with bright, sparkling eyes.
The Seventh Hokage looked down at Himawari, smiled slightly, and squatted down to pick her up.
Himawari wrapped her arms around the Seventh Hokage's neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder as she said in a childish, spoiled voice:
"Daddy, you're here!"
"Yeah!"
The Seventh Hokage gave a soft response, his voice trembling slightly.
His gaze crossed over Himawari's shoulder and landed on that familiar white-haired man.
A sourness welled up in the Seventh Hokage's nose.
He had walked through too many places and seen too many people in this life of his.
Yet the Pervy Sage remained the greatest regret of his entire life.
Back then, the Pervy Sage's receding back had ultimately ended up sinking into the depths of the sea.
In the end, he had not even gotten to see the Pervy Sage's remains.
Later on, when he became Hokage, he would go stand before the memorial stone for a while every year, looking at the Pervy Sage's name, unable to speak the words he wanted to say.
Yet right now, the Pervy Sage was standing right in front of him.
"Pervy Sage."
The Seventh Hokage's voice was very soft, so soft it was almost inaudible.
Jiraiya started.