Koki's Birthday

As everyone eagerly awaited the weekend, it finally arrived quietly, accompanied by the chill of winter. December 5th was destined to be a special day, as it was Koki's birthday.

Before the first rays of dawn had fully broken through the clouds, Fugaku's house was already filled with laughter and blessings, a lively and joyful scene.

The cold north wind swept through the streets and alleys, trying to extinguish people's enthusiasm with its biting chill, but how could such severe cold cool the warmth burning deep in people's hearts?

Stepping into the Fugaku's courtyard, the sight before one's eyes is breathtaking.

The banquet was like a colorful dragon, densely covering the entire courtyard and even extending seamlessly to the outside of the door.

A variety of delicious dishes exuded an enticing aroma, steaming hot, rising gently in the cold air, as if turning into a warm veil that enveloped everyone.

The clansmen arrived one after another, carrying carefully selected gifts, their faces adorned with the most sincere smiles, the gifts in their hands carrying their deepest blessings for Koki.

The gifts were varied: some carried exquisite handicrafts, some carried rare and precious medicinal herbs, and others held colorful silks...

Even the extremely busy Konoha Military Police Force took time out of their busy schedules to come, dressed in their uniform Military Police Force vests, looking very smart and capable.

Fugaku was as busy as a spinning top, sometimes warmly greeting guests at the door, sometimes moving between banquets, chatting amiably with his clansmen, and inquiring about their living conditions.

Despite his forehead being covered in sweat, he still wore a smile, a smile that came from the bottom of his heart.

The children in the courtyard were playing and laughing among the crowd, their silvery laughter ringing out. They looked around curiously, their eyes often drawn to new and interesting things.

The adults, on the other hand, gathered in small groups, some discussing recent interesting stories and rumors, while others discussed the future direction of the family.

Suddenly, a shout broke the commotion, "Chieftain!"

Everyone turned to look, and saw Yashiro walking slowly with steady steps.

Dressed in a magnificent kimono, Fugaku turned his gaze to him, a hint of concern in his eyes. "Have the patrol arrangements of the Military Police Force been properly made?"

Yashiro nodded solemnly. "Everything is ready."

Upon hearing this, a Taiseki was lifted from Fugaku's heart.

After all, what he was most worried about was that on Koki's birthday, the Military Police Force's work in the village would go wrong, affecting the villagers' daily lives.

In fact, for Yashiro, this personnel arrangement was indeed a very tricky matter.

On Koki's birthday, everyone in the Military Police Force was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to personally offer Koki blessings; no one wanted to miss it.

Therefore, how to allocate manpower reasonably so that everyone can participate without interfering with daily work has become a considerable challenge.

This plunged Yashiro into deep thought, with various plans flashing through his mind, only to be rejected one by one.

After much deliberation, Yashiro finally came up with a win-win solution – a shift system.

This arrangement not only ensured the orderly conduct of patrol tasks but also allowed everyone to take turns gathering together.

The decision was met with great joy by everyone.

"I am deeply grateful, Brother Yashiro." Mikoto looked at the person beside her with gratitude.

Yashiro hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "It's nothing, Madam, you don't need to be so polite."

Mikoto nodded slightly to him, her gentle smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Then, her gaze turned to the three boys greeting guests at the door. Kakashi, Shisui, Obito were all wearing the same kimono, and the exquisite fabric made them look very handsome.

Kakashi's silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, while Shisui had a gentle expression and a smile as bright as the warm sun, making people want to get closer. Obito's lively appearance seemed to be full of energy forever.

Whether they were clansmen or ninjas passing by, they couldn't help but secretly glance at the three handsome young men.

Kakashi and Obito have shone brightly in the village over the past few years, and their heroic deeds have spread like wildfire to every corner of the village. Shisui is also a genius in the Ninja Academy, and his talent is astonishing.

People initially assumed that such gifted individuals would be somewhat arrogant, but when they saw them standing at the door greeting guests, they realized they were completely wrong.

Despite it being a simple greeting task, the three of them did it very seriously, all with smiling eyes. The joy radiating from them made them seem to be in an extremely good mood.

Mikoto watched them from afar, her heart filled with pride, as if she had been showered with honey.

Just then, she suddenly felt her clothes being gently tugged. Mikoto looked down and saw that it was Little Kabuto.

After spending the night together, Kabuto and Mikoto had become close, and Mikoto liked the child very much.

He was dressed in a small, elegant outfit, an extra one that Mikoto had specially made for the children. The extra one that Itachi had made happened to be Kabuto's backup choice, and surprisingly, it fit Kabuto quite well.

The saying "clothes make the man" is perfectly illustrated here.

As if tailor-made, the exquisite fabric exuded a soft, moonlight-like luster, and the ruffled lace at the neckline resembled dreamy clouds, perfectly complementing his exquisitely sculpted face.

His neatly combed hair, with slightly curled bangs, resembled a playful little comma.

Mikoto asked gently, "What's wrong?"

Kabuto spoke slowly, his voice soft and sweet. "Auntie, Koki..."

His longing for Koki was written all over his face.

Kabuto took a deep breath and mustered his courage to say, "Auntie, I miss Koki."

Upon hearing Little Kabuto's words, Fugaku quickly raised his wrist to check the time, only to see that the hour hand was almost pointing to eight o'clock.

Although the birthday party wouldn't officially start until noon and would continue until evening, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious seeing people arriving so early.

Besides, he specifically told Koki to get up early last night, and he wondered if the kid had stayed up late again.

Fugaku frowned and complained, "That brat, all he does is sleep in all day!"

After saying that, he prepared to storm into the house.

Mikoto quickly reached out to stop him, saying coquettishly, "Alright, darling, today is Koki's birthday, don't be angry."

Then she turned to Shisui and called out, "Shisui, go wake up Koki. He needs to get ready after he gets up."

"Okay." Shisui obediently agreed and walked briskly into the house.

Mikoto's gaze followed Shisui's figure, and she smiled at Kabuto beside her, saying, "You should go too." She had already sensed Little Kabuto's feelings.

Kabuto looked up at Mikoto and nodded gratefully.