Chapter 224: Tsunade's arrival
Elsewhere, Ye Tong sat beside Karin, her usually aloof expression relaxed for once.
Half a glass of Lightning Release-distilled liquor sat before her, and her dark brown ponytail swayed gently behind her head.
Karin was telling her something in a low voice. As Ye Tong listened, an almost imperceptible smile curved her lips.
Karin wore Hidden Mist's deep blue formal attire that evening. For once, her long red hair was loose, falling over her shoulders with a slight curl at the ends.
The rotating balls of warm light overhead reflected in her glasses, her crimson eyes sparkling behind the lenses.
Muku sat opposite her, the warm lantern light lending a rare flush to his deathly pale skin. Cradling hot tea in both hands, he listened intently as Utakata described Saiken and Isobu's bickering at the Waterfall of Truth.
"Saiken said Isobu was too slow. He had to think for three minutes before even rolling over."
"Isobu is just more composed," Karin argued on behalf of her Tailed Beast.
"Saiken said that wasn't composure. That was old-age reflexes."
"Isobu isn't old!"
Beside them, Utakata blew a bubble without joining in, his amber eyes curving slightly.
After the trial at the Waterfall of Truth and several months of systematic training, much of his aloofness had faded.
Though he still spoke little, he was no longer the lonely Jinchūriki who had shut himself away on Mount Katsuragi's summit.
As midnight approached, the snowfall eased.
Beyond the canopy, the sky shifted from pitch-black to dark gray. The great flakes became fine, dense grains of snow, like countless floating fragments of stars in the chakra lanterns' glow.
Between the alcohol, grilled meat, and warm-air balloons, the atmosphere at the gathering had reached its peak.
Guy and Killer B were having some