Dinner

When they entered the living room, Lin had already stood up happily, smiling as she greeted Koki's return.

"Koki, you're finally back!"

Lin has always liked the adorable child, Koki.

She harbored a beautiful dream—to learn Medical Ninjutsu and become an outstanding medical-nin.

Three years ago, it was Koki who helped her meet Lady Tsunade had returned to the village.

Now, Rin has become Tsunade's prized disciple, diligently studying Medical Ninjutsu under her guidance.

Over the course of those three years, she gradually became familiar with Koki and would often visit Koki's home.

Mikoto was also very happy; she had been worried because the house was full of boys and she didn't have a daughter.

She was always very happy when Lin came, and she would busy herself preparing all kinds of delicious food, treating Lin like her own daughter.

Ordinary days always exude warmth and the warmth of everyday life.

Mikoto had already prepared the meal, and when she heard the lively sounds coming from the living room, she knew that Koki had returned.

Then, she smiled and poked her head out of the kitchen, saying gently, "Children, dinner is ready."

"Coming!" Upon hearing Mikoto's call, everyone rushed to the kitchen to help. They busily served and plated the dishes, creating a lively scene.

Because of the large number of people, Mikoto prepared a very sumptuous feast, and it took several trips to bring all the dishes to the table.

When Mikoto came out of the kitchen, her gaze was immediately drawn to a little boy who was exchanging "friendly" glances with her youngest son.

A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes as she turned to look at Koki, as if asking what was going on.

Koki quickly recounted the entire incident to Mikoto in detail. "... That's how it is, Mom. I was thinking of taking him home first, and then sending him back to the orphanage after this week."

Upon hearing this, the light in Little Kabuto's eyes gradually dimmed, and the expectant look in his eyes vanished instantly, as if the whole world had lost its luster.

He slowly lowered his head, biting his lip tightly, trying his best not to let his vulnerability and disappointment show.

Meanwhile, Mikoto, with her kind heart, looked at the poor child with heartache and murmured softly, "Look at this child, even his clothes don't fit. I wonder if Itachi's clothes would fit him? I think they're about the same size."

As she spoke, Mikoto gently took Little Kabuto's hand and led him to Koki's room, hoping to find him a suitable outfit.

Little Kabuto obediently followed Mikoto, his little hand tightly enveloped in Mikoto's warm palm, making him feel unprecedented care.

After hearing his mother's words, Itachi was somewhat unwilling, but ultimately chose to remain silent and did not utter any words of rebuttal.

Mikoto diligently rummaged through Itachi's wardrobe, muttering to herself, "This one's too big, this color isn't quite right..."

Finally, Mikoto found a suitable outfit, handed it to Little Kabuto, and smiled, saying, "Kuro, try this on and see if it fits."

Little Kabuto nodded obediently, then took the clothes and went into the room to change. After a while, when he came out, he looked much more energetic.

"Good boy." Mikoto nodded with satisfaction, gently took his hand, and they went back to the living room together.

Over the years, as the number of people eating at home gradually increased, Mikoto simply replaced the table with a larger one. This way, whenever it's mealtime, the whole family can sit around the table, having a lively and cheerful time, without feeling crowded at all.

"Let's start eating, everyone." Mikoto said softly as she gently picked up her chopsticks after returning to her seat with Kabuto.

Seeing the three-person team, Koki's curiosity was piqued, and she couldn't help but ask Rin, "Rin-nee, how was the mission this time? Was it dangerous?"

Before Rin could answer, Kakashi and Obito blurted out simultaneously, "Not dangerous at all."

Instantly, the atmosphere at the table froze, and Lin herself was somewhat surprised.

Not dangerous? In fact, this mission was fraught with danger and peril.

Because Minato-sensei had other missions to attend to, he did not travel with them. During the mission, they fell into a trap carefully laid by the enemy.

Finally, Kakashi and Obito went berserk, killing enemies relentlessly and without fatigue.

Both of them were injured, their wounds bleeding profusely, a truly frightening sight. Fortunately, Lin was skilled in Medical Ninjutsu and treated their wounds in time.

But Lin understood immediately that they were saying that to avoid worrying their family.

So she smiled and said, "That's right, it's really not dangerous. You know Kakashi and Obito are incredibly strong; this kind of mission is a piece of cake for us."

Indeed, Koki nodded, having no doubt about their strength. In his mind, Kakashi and Obito were powerful and trustworthy individuals.

"Mom, I Koki to participate in the Mikoto too." He was already prepared to be rejected, as this wasn't the first time he'd made such a request to his mother.

However, to his surprise, Mikoto did not reject him directly as usual, but instead gazed at him quietly, her eyes full of understanding.

After a while, Mikoto said gently, "Okay."

Upon Koki's eyes widened in surprise, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Then, a bright, joyful smile immediately spread across his face, and he excitedly exclaimed, "That's great!"

At that moment, he felt as if he were floating on clouds; happiness came so suddenly that he was at a loss for words.

He felt like he couldn't go on studying any longer, yay!! He's going to apply for early graduation next week!

Kakashi and Obito, watching the excited Koki, ultimately chose to remain silent and offered no comment.

Seeing Koki's genuine joy, Shisui couldn't help but feel truly happy for him; he was the one who understood Koki's feelings best.

Looking at her excited son, Mikoto felt a pang of emotion. She realized that her children had grown up and were beginning to have their own dreams and aspirations.

Despite some lingering concerns, she decided to trust Koki and believe he was capable of handling future challenges.

Itachi sat to the side, watching his brother's excited expression, and his heart was filled with joy as well. He gently picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and carefully placed it in Koki's bowl. Koki smiled at him.

Seeing this, Rin seemed thoughtful. She secretly glanced at Kakashi, then carefully picked up a slice of beef and gently placed it on Kakashi's plate.

"Kakashi..." Rin said softly, her voice tinged with shyness.

Kakashi was surprised by Rin's actions and his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help but look at Koki.

Koki looked at Obito with concern, afraid that Obito be hurt, because he knew that Obito had deep feelings for Rin.

Since the incident three years ago when he made Obito confess his feelings, he decided to stop interfering in their relationship.

After all, only the people involved truly understand matters of the heart, and such things are extremely complex and delicate, not something outsiders can arbitrarily interfere with.

Judging from the current situation, Rin clearly has feelings for Kakashi, and he only hopes that Obito won't be hurt too much because of this.

Obito, however, remained expressionless and indifferent, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him.

This scene was actually quite funny: Rin was looking at Kakashi, Kakashi was looking at Koki, and Koki was looking at Obito.

But no one could laugh. An awkward silence filled the air, so heavy that time seemed to stand still, and the only sound was the echo of heartbeats.