Kiba and Kohan were immersed in warm memories of that "cat-and-dog romance" twenty years ago. Their fingers intertwined, they gazed softly at the little flower bed that held the marks of their youth, as though all the noise around them had faded away.
However, that peaceful nostalgia did not last long.
"Uncle Kiba, Aunt Kohan, good evening!"
An energetic figure burst out of a side street with a bright, ringing greeting and nearly crashed headfirst into the flower bed!
It was a boy of about ten with dazzling blond hair and vivid blue eyes. He was holding a box of tempura, a radiant grin on his face as though he had just pulled off a prank. It was Pinzhu Uzumaki.
Almost at the same moment, another boy charged out of the side street right behind him. Slightly leaner but extremely nimble, he had short black hair and a Sharingan, and was shouting, "Pinzhu! Get back here! Give me back my tempura!"
Like twin whirlwinds, the boys instantly shattered the peace beside the flower bed.
Kiba and Kohan were startled by this sudden "attack" and nearly pulled out their kunai to strike.
But once they recognized the newcomers, their faces immediately took on expressions of amused exasperation.
Kiba instinctively drew Kohan closer to shield her, then called out in a booming voice to the two boys barreling around:
"Hey, Taichi, Pinzhu, slow down! This is a flower bed, not a training ground!"
Kohan hurriedly warned them as well. "Be careful not to run into anyone or trample the flowers!"
Pinzhu slammed on the brakes, barely stopping at the edge of the flower bed. He looked back at Kiba and Kohan with a toothy grin and made a face. "We know, Uncle Kiba! We're being really careful."
Despite claiming to be careful,