"Here you go, Qingyue. This is a gift from Obito Uchiha, the future First Uchiha Hokage to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes, end the war single-handedly, and bring peace to Konoha!"
Wow, that was a long introduction. No wonder he got along so well with Minato.
If he had not gone dark, his future Kamui techniques might have had names like "A Glare from a Hundred Meters Away That Takes 3,000 Lives" or "Invincible Intangibility Technique That You Cannot React To."
Hmm, not impossible.
I took the gift box Obito handed over and opened it. As expected, it was a pair of goggles matching his—his were orange, while mine were white.
They were not exactly ugly, but they definitely could not be called good-looking. At the very least, my aesthetic sense did not support wearing them.
Still, there might actually be situations where goggles would come in handy, so I would keep them on me for now.
"Thanks, Obito. Since it is a gift from the future Hokage, I will definitely treasure it."
The moment I finished speaking, Obito suddenly burst into tears? No, I was the one receiving the gift, right?
"Waaah, Qingyue! You are the first person who has really called me the future Hokage! Waaah..."
Watching Obito charge at me with tears and snot all over his face, I really wanted to refuse. But the mood had reached this point—could I really just kick him away?
In the end, my rationality decided to dodge Obito's "loving hug," and I turned to Kakashi.
"Did you prepare a gift for me too, you dead-fish-eyed handsome bastard?"
"Do not call me that. Also, it feels like you call me something different every time, does it not?"
Knowing he was a tsundere and teasing him without restraint felt just as satisfying as using my reincarnation to crush kids my own age.
"As long as my inspiration does not run dry, you will have countless names, Kaka. Cool. Shi!" I gave Kakashi the same thumbs-up as the Might father-and-son duo.
Ignoring what I had called him, Kakashi rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a simply wrapped rectangular package.
"Pfft, hahahaha, Kakashi! Your wrapping is way too shabby! Hahahaha..."
Before I could say anything, Obito beside me burst out laughing.
Compared to the others, Kakashi's packaging was indeed rather plain.
But what mattered most about a gift was what was inside. Pretty wrapping certainly raised expectations, but simple wrapping had its own charm too.
"Shut up. Who wraps a gift like you just for it to be a pair of goggles?"
"Huh? What did you just say, bastard? What is wrong with goggles? Goggles are great! They are cool! You philistine, just wait until I become Hokage—everyone in the Shinobi World will wear goggles because they admire me!"
"Then it will be ugly... And you becoming Hokage? That is just a pipe dream."
"You bastard!"
While the two argued, I took the gift and unwrapped it. It was a short sword. The hilt and sheath were very simple, made from ordinary wood.
When I drew the blade, there was none of the expected bright silver gleam. The blade reflected no light at all. It appeared to be a matte short sword made specifically for ninja, suited for assassinations and surprise attacks.
Kakashi had actually put this much thought into my gift? This short sword did not look high-end, but for someone our age, it was already extremely valuable.
Just as I was about to thank Kakashi, he kept arguing with Obito in an unusually persistent manner.
Normally, Kakashi would barely even bother with him.
Hoho, he was probably afraid of hearing my thanks and getting embarrassed, was he? This brooding, tsundere, handsome guy had such a cute side too.
The other children's gifts were much more reasonable—rare snacks, toys, manga, novels, and shuriken.
The only regret was that I had not met the other little powerhouses before entering the Ninja Academy, like Might Guy and the others. Around this time, he was probably still doing laps while standing on his hands, right?
After everyone left following the meal, my heart suddenly felt empty. But Dad and Mom were both home today, and Rin had stayed behind to help clean up.
"Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, Qingyue is already five and about to enter the Ninja Academy."
"Yeah. But our Qingyue seems unexpectedly popular, so it looks like we do not have to worry at all."
"Qingyue is talented too. His swordsmanship improves every day, and his chakra control is quite outstanding. There probably will not be much for him to learn at school."
"Little Rin, just leave the washed dishes there. Auntie can handle the rest."
"Okay, Auntie. Then I will go keep Qingyue company."
"Thank you, Little Rin. We even had to trouble you to help us clean up. Please take good care of Qingyue from now on. That child is actually very lonely inside, so make sure you always stay by his side!"
"I will! Qingyue and I made a promise. I will protect him, and he will protect Konoha."
"Is that so? That is wonderful! Come visit often whenever Uncle and Auntie are home. You are always welcome here."
"Okay!"
It seemed Dad and Mom thought very highly of Rin. Good, that was great. But this girl actually said that embarrassing promise out loud?
So embarrassing. I wanted to find a hole and crawl into it immediately, but for children, it was probably pretty normal, right?
After I walked Rin home, Dad awkwardly called me over to the dining table. Mom was also sitting there, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
Judging by this, they were probably going to give me a gift. They likely felt awkward because they had been too busy to pay much attention to me.
I understood, I understood. If I had to put it bluntly, Dad and I were not actually that far apart in age.
But Dad was much more successful than I had been. At the same age, I had been an ordinary worker, useless and timid in the workplace.
Dad, on the other hand, was a swordsmanship expert and a Jonin—a Jonin the village could rely on.
And Dad had married such a beautiful wife as Mom and had such a handsome son as me. In my previous life, I had only dated once, and I had even been toyed with...
No, no. I could not think about my previous life anymore!
I was a handsome guy with a cheat ability now. Rin was by my side, my family was happy, I had plenty of companions, and my future was bright!
"Ahem, Qingyue, I am sorry!" Dad suddenly spoke, even lowering his head to me. "We have been so busy that we could not keep you company properly. We do not even know what you like. Whenever we have free time, we do not know how to talk to you. All we know is how to teach you the skills to become a ninja..."
Oh? I had not expected Dad to be so direct. Wait, no—why did the corners of my eyes feel uncomfortable? My eyes felt itchy.
"But Qingyue, your mother and I love you. At the same time, we also love the village, so we are always busy. We hope you can become an outstanding ninja and protect the village with us. But if possible, I do not want you to become a nin—"
Ah, yes.
This was difficult. They were ninja, and children in this era had practically no choice. There was only the Ninja Academy; otherwise, they could only help their families with work.
So if my parents were ninja, then I could only become a ninja too. But this was a ninja world to begin with, so I did not mind at all.
But when I wanted to tell them that, it felt as if something had lodged in my throat. I only wanted to tell them I loved them, yet it was as though my vocal cords had suddenly failed and I could not speak no matter what.
"Alright, it is your birthday today, so let us be happy! Honey, hurry and bring out the gift!"
In the end, Dad's forced cheerful smile broke the somewhat sorrowful mood, and he brought out his gift.
It was a ninja sword that I might not be able to wield properly until my teens. The sheath was made of excellent wood, while the patterns on the blade were as beautiful as ghostly blue flames burning across it.
It must have cost quite a lot.
Mom, meanwhile, brought out several scrolls. They contained all the ninja techniques she knew. Judging from the number, she had probably written down every technique she possessed.
What reckless parents.
"Qingyue, your parents are ninja. We are clumsy and do not know what to give a child. These two gifts—the scrolls contain the methods for learning ninja techniques your mother wrote down with all her energy outside of missions, while I had the ninja sword made for you through my connections. Sorry we could not give you something you might have liked."
At that moment, I could no longer hold back my tears. Seriously, I had been an old corporate slave who had struggled in society for years in my previous life, yet now I was crying uncontrollably as I looked at the gifts my parents had given me...
"Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom."
And so, the birthday celebration came to an end. I gained a ninja sword that would accompany me for a long time, along with ninja techniques I could use for a lifetime.
For the first time, my parents in this world and I cried together and embraced one another.
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