It was the end of the year, and the warmth of the festivities drove away winter's bitter chill.
After several days of heavy snow, Konoha seemed to have donned a new coat of silvery white. Thick, untouched snow covered the eaves, treetops, and training grounds, glittering in tiny flecks beneath the sun.
Contrasting beautifully with that pristine white were the strings and rows of bright red lanterns the village had hung up well in advance.
They dotted the streets like plump, warm rubies.
When night fell and the lanterns lit up together, their soft red glow spilled out and mingled with the white snow, creating a breathtaking tableau of silver snow and red lanterns, rich with classical Eastern beauty and tranquility.
All of Konoha was immersed in the busy, joyful atmosphere of the New Year.
The tempting aromas of New Year's feasts being prepared drifted through the air. Children in new clothes chased one another through the snow and set off little fireworks, their bright laughter echoing through the streets and alleys.
The ninja, too, had temporarily put aside their demanding missions, relaxed smiles on their faces.
Even the faces of the past Hokage carved into Kage Rock seemed much gentler, framed by the snow and the warm glow of the village below.
With the New Year approaching and festive cheer filling the village, Naruto felt a rare desire to join in the bustle.
He made a point of sprucing himself up in his little home, making sure he was neat and clean.
There was one distinguishing feature, however, that he simply could not get rid of.
The six whisker-like marks on his face.
He had been born with them, and ordinary methods could not remove them. Naruto had tried shaving off those six whiskers before, but they would not come off at all.
If they would not come off, so be it. Surely Naruto could not shave off the skin of his face just because he could not shave away those six whiskers?
He cultivated chakra, not the Great Thousand Record.
In the past, those whiskers had brought him countless strange looks and pointing fingers.
To blend into the crowds as discreetly as possible on this festive occasion and avoid unnecessary trouble, Naruto came up with an idea.
He secretly bought some concealer and foundation, then stood before the mirror and carefully covered the six whisker-like lines, little by little.
The face in the mirror became "clean," no different from any ordinary child's.
Going out like this should mean less trouble, right?
He thought to himself.
After all, in Konoha, having six such obvious "whiskers" on his face at such a young age was far too distinctive. They practically identified him outright as the "demon fox."
He did not want those indelible marks to spoil his rare good mood.
Sure enough, no one bothered him along the way.
Naruto gently pushed open the flower shop's wooden door, which bore a small "Open" sign.
The wind chime above the door rang with a clear, pleasant tinkle.
With the New Year drawing near, the shop had actually become much quieter.
The person tending the counter today was not Rino Yamanaka, as usual, but her husband, Inoichi Yamanaka.
Taking advantage of a rare day off, he had come specifically to watch the shop in his wife's place so Rino could rest at home without worry.
Their daughter, Ino Yamanaka, was also there beside the flower stands, which were filled with a dazzling array of blooms.
Her parents had not dragged her in to help. She simply loved these beautiful flowers and was enthusiastically holding a little watering can, carefully watering each pot, her rosy little face lit with an innocent smile.
"Welcome."
Hearing the familiar wind chime, Inoichi Yamanaka smiled toward the entrance.
But the moment his gaze fell on the visitor, before the last syllable of his greeting had even faded, he froze as though someone had cast a paralysis jutsu on him.
The boy standing in the doorway had medium-length, sun-gold hair and blue eyes as clear as a lake.
More importantly, Naruto had taken special care to conceal his distinctive whisker marks with makeup today, leaving his face fully and clearly revealed.
Those features, that hair color, those eyes... put together, he was the spitting image of Minato Namikaze as a child!
As a ninja of Minato Namikaze's generation, Inoichi Yamanaka had naturally seen what the future Fourth Hokage looked like in his youth.
Now, looking at the child in the doorway with that sunny smile, Inoichi's thoughts blurred for an instant. Time seemed to turn back, and he almost saw that gentle, brilliant young prodigy once more.
He looks so much like him!
A surge of shock, nostalgia, and heartache suddenly gripped his heart.
But the illusion lasted only an instant before cold reality pulled his thoughts back.
The astonishingly gifted Fourth Hokage who had saved the village had long since sacrificed his life to protect Konoha.
The Fourth Hokage is already gone...
That silent sigh weighed heavily on his heart, and a barely perceptible trace of conflicted pity crept into his gaze as he looked at Naruto.
"Welcome. What kind of flowers would you like?"
Inoichi Yamanaka quickly composed himself and put his gentle smile back on, though the complicated emotions deep in his eyes did not entirely fade.
Looks like those forum rumors I saw in my previous life about Konoha being full of people with failing eyesight were true!
Naruto silently quipped to himself.
He had been watching closely and clearly caught Inoichi Yamanaka's momentary daze, along with the nostalgia and sorrow that flashed through his eyes.
He immediately understood that the man must have seen a resemblance to his father, Minato Namikaze, in him.
"I don't really know much about flowers."
Naruto stepped forward, his tone carrying just the right amount of a child's shyness and sincerity.
"But tomorrow is the birthday of the teacher who's always been so patient with me. Could you recommend something and put together a suitable bouquet for me?"
"Of course."
Inoichi Yamanaka answered quickly, his tone a little gentler than before.
Looking at the polite child before him, he could not help sighing inwardly again.
What a good child!
He's practically a miniature Minato.
While Inoichi considered which bouquet to recommend, Naruto looked around the flower shop curiously.
The interior was arranged with exquisite elegance, with a wide variety of flowers vying for attention.
Apart from a few of the most common varieties, Naruto could hardly recognize any of them, but the fragrance filling the air and the orderly displays spoke silently of the owner's care and love for the place.
His gaze happened to sweep past the flower stands and met that of Ino Yamanaka, who was carefully watering a pot of pale purple flowers.
Ino had clearly noticed this somewhat familiar-looking blond boy as well.
She raised her head, her large eyes full of surprise and curiosity, seemingly not having expected to meet someone her own age here, much less... such a handsome boy.
How strange. Was there really a boy this handsome among the kids my age?
As for blond hair, she remembered a boy named Naruto Uzumaki. Her mother had told her not to approach him, but not to join the others in insulting him either.
Seeing Ino Yamanaka standing there in a daze, Naruto gave her a small, gentle, friendly smile.
"Judging by your reaction, Ino, is this your family's shop?"
"Huh?"