Morning sunlight streamed through the window lattice in Konoha Ninja Village, spilling over Uchiha Hikari's long hair and bathing it in a soft halo.
Naruto stood behind her, holding a hair tie adorned with a few plum blossoms, smiling as he gathered her hair.
He looked especially fresh that day, wearing a white shirt with a pale blue jacket and blue casual trousers edged with thin white piping. He looked both lively and gentle.
"Hold still."
Naruto spoke softly, his fingers slipping through her silky hair.
He leaned down and whispered a few words into her ear, his voice as light as wind brushing past plum branches.
The tips of Hikari's ears instantly flushed red, and she muttered, "Shameless."
Seeing her bashful reflection in the mirror, Naruto couldn't help laughing. "We've been married for so long. Haven't you gotten used to it yet?"
Hikari shot him a reproachful look. "You're always saying such sappy things."
"So do you like them?"
"Hmph. No."
"Then I won't say those sappy things to you anymore."
"Don't you dare."
Only after the words left her mouth did Hikari realize he had tricked her again.
She puffed out her cheeks, stood up, and tossed her long hair, ready to leave.
Naruto reacted quickly and caught her slender wrist.
"Wait. The children are still outside. Let me finish getting you ready before you go out."
"Kazahana Koyuki would do a better job than you. All you ever do is put in a hair tie and stick in a hairpin."
"Koyuki's getting ready too. She said she wanted to look pretty for today's family portrait and leave her future self some lovely memories."
As he spoke, Naruto slowly gathered up Hikari's long hair.
The Uchiha Clan's spiky hair wasn't nearly as stiff as he had imagined. Hikari's,