Chapter Ten
Summary: A birthday at the end of winter
As winter draws to a close, the snow begins to melt.
Konoha Ninja School, during break time.
"Hey, is Nawaki-kun getting engaged to Uzumaki-senpai?"
Yuki was very surprised when she heard the news. If Kushina and Nawaki got married, how would Naruto be born?
However, if Minato-senpai had been with him, Naruto wouldn't have been born.
Xue paused for a moment, but if Rope Tree Brother survives, many things will probably change, right?
Nara Shikara looked at Yuki with a bewildered expression, so he explained, "This is definitely a done deal. Nawaki is the grandson of the First Hokage, and Uzumaki-senpai is the next Jinchuriki. In the end, it would be strange if the two of them didn't get married. After all, the First Hokage and the First Jinchuriki are like that, aren't they?"
Xue frowned, thinking it made sense, but couldn't help but wonder: maybe Naruto would have to change his name to Senju Naruto?
However, is the child born to Kushina and Nawaki still Naruto? Is this the butterfly effect that allowed Nawaki to survive?
She felt strangely uneasy. Theoretically, Minato-senpai and Uzumaki-senpai should have been acquainted by now, but so far, she hadn't heard Minato-senpai mention Uzumaki-senpai at all.
"Xue, are you very concerned about these things?" Hyuga Toku asked, sitting in the back row organizing his class notes. "After all, the war is almost over, and there will probably be many weddings in the village, and there will definitely be many engagement ceremonies as well. For example, the engagement between Nawaki-nii and Uzumaki-senpai will definitely invite a lot of people. Large clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga will definitely be invited. We're just waiting for Nawaki-nii to come back from the front lines."
Yuki silently rubbed her forehead, inwardly grumbling: This arranged marriage is really... But, does Senju Nawaki herself know about this? As for Uzumaki-senpai, I heard she hasn't left the village for any missions since graduation. Yuki lowered her eyes; as the next Jinchūriki, her freedom was severely restricted; it seemed she couldn't even leave the village...
Sitting next to her, Genma Shiranui had a thin twig between his teeth. Looking at the girl whose brows were almost furrowed like mosquito coils, he couldn't help but reach out and poke her face, interrupting her thoughts.
"Genma?" Yuki snapped out of her daze and looked at him in confusion.
Genma Shiranui, still chewing on the thin twig, had a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth: "Want to spar a bit near my house after school?"
Behind them, Tokuma Hyuga and Shikara Nara had expressions that said, "How come this guy beat me to it again?"
Xue nodded. Having just received guidance from Lord Orochimaru, she wanted to test how much she had improved.
Genma Shiranui's house was located in a relatively remote part of the village, surrounded by a few trees with a few patches of snow. A small cabin stood quietly in the woods. Only Genma's elderly grandmother, who had difficulty moving around, lived there. Yuki and Genma took off their shoes at the entrance and went inside.
The firewood burning in the closet inside the house was warm and cozy, dispelling the chill of late winter.
"Grandma, I'm home." Genji returned home and poured a glass of water for Yuki, who was sitting in the living room.
They planned to rest for a while before going to a nearby training ground to practice.
"Is that Xiaoxue?" Grandma came out of the room, holding a handful of the village's popular pastries.
Xue was somewhat flattered as she accepted the pastry box, saying sweetly, "It's me, Grandma."
"Thanks to you for taking care of Xuanjian. I was worried that he would be bullied at school." Grandma stroked Xue's head, her smile loving and kind.
Xue looked at the box of pastries in her arms, thinking that these must be expensive. As far as she knew, Genma's parents had both died in the war, and their allowance, after deducting food, couldn't even afford to rent a decent house in the village center. They had been living in a remote wooded hut outside the village center ever since. Genma's clothes were even made a size too big and never fit properly.
"No, Genji takes good care of me at school. Grandma, don't worry." Xue Yang gave her the same sweet smile she always gave to her elders.
Grandma looked at the well-behaved child and said with a smile, "Oh my, if you can marry our Genma in the future, Grandma will die without regrets!"
"Grandma, what nonsense are you talking about!" Genji's face instantly turned bright red. He grabbed Xue's hand and left without looking back. Xue hadn't even had time to put down the pastry box in her hand.
A clearing surrounded by trees was where she and Genma often sparred.
The heat on Genma's face hadn't faded yet. Just now, after he took off his ninja hat inside the house, his brown hair fell down, and the wisps of hair on his forehead would occasionally cover his handsome eyes when he looked down.
Genma has delicate features, but he doesn't appear effeminate.
"Don't take Grandma's words to heart..." His gaze fell on the box in Xue's hand, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "Grandma went to the village early this morning to queue up to buy it... Please accept it, or Grandma will be very sad."
"What is Genma thinking? This is Grandma and Genma's gift, I will definitely eat it properly!" Xue picked up a piece of red bean cake, put it to her mouth, and took a small bite.
"Mmm, it's very sweet!"
For some unknown reason, Genma Shiranui's cheeks, which had just lost their blush, turned even redder.
-
At midday, the sun was high in the sky.
Not long after the New Year, the school was on holiday. Outside the window, the snow had not yet melted, and thin icicles hung from the eaves, reflecting a cold light in the morning. Xue rubbed her eyes and looked at her parents busy in the kitchen—the steam rising from the stove, carrying the aroma of scallions, drifted across the frosted windowpane, melting the chill of late winter into a warm mist.
“Mom and Dad, why are you back? Isn’t it…” Xue’s words were gently interrupted by Uchiha Hakuro. Hakuro pushed her into the washroom, her fingertips still covered in flour: “You child, today is Obito’s third birthday! You’ve forgotten?” Shizuru poked her head out from the kitchen, her apron damp with water: “Obito’s parents had something come up and couldn’t come back, so they asked us to celebrate for Obito. We even took time off work! You child, aren’t you Obito’s best friend? You even insisted on bringing Obito to school with you before.”
Xue blushed, wanting to say something, her mouth full of toothpaste bubbles.
She thought to herself: It's obvious my aunt and uncle aren't home. I couldn't possibly leave a child like Obito alone, and besides, it happened so long ago! ...Besides, you didn't even bother to come back for my birthday. Yuki felt a surge of resentment—last year on her birthday, her parents only sent her some local specialties from the Land of Snow, saying they were "too busy to come." Humph!
She ran to Obito's room. Since Obito's parents finished their parental leave and had been away on missions for extended periods, Obito was left alone at his home in Konoha. Shiratsuyu and Shimoko, worried he was lonely, had cleared out a room on the second floor for him to stay in. Obito usually spent most of his time at Yuki's house, only occasionally returning to his own. Yuki pushed open the door and turned on the light. Obito, lying on the bed, squinted and mumbled, "Sister, turn off the light...it's so bright...boohoo."
Xue lay down by his bedside and without hesitation reached out to pinch his chubby cheek: "Get up! Mom and Dad made you something delicious. It's almost noon, why aren't you up!"
Obito suddenly woke up with a start: "Uncle and Aunt are back?! Where are Mom and Dad?"
Xue's expression finally showed a bit of childishness befitting her age. She snorted, "Your aunt and uncle are too busy, so they specially asked my parents to come home to celebrate your birthday—even I don't get this kind of treatment."
Obito grunted and covered his face with the blanket again: "No... it's so cold, sister!"
"Get up now, you idiot Obito!"
"You got up already... Sister, you're so mean!"
After all that fuss, Obito finally finished washing up and sat obediently at the dining table. On the table sat a six-inch cake, seemingly just bought from the village's popular dessert shop—fine water droplets still clung to the cake box, like lingering snow from late winter. Obito's eyes sparkled, but Xue poked his face with a finger, turning his head away: "Don't keep staring at the cake, that's for last!"
Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang watched the two's amusing interaction. Bai Lu nudged Shuang Jiang and whispered, "These two are just like real siblings. Ever since Obito was born, Xiao Xue isn't as quiet as she was before she was four or five years old." Shuang Jiang smiled and nodded.
Obito shoveled rice into his mouth, looking a little sullen: "What's wrong with me? Today's supposed to be my birthday. Can't things just go according to my wishes...?"
A furious "well" symbol appeared above Xue's head, but she looked at him with a smile: "You little rascal, you better savor every bite of the food your parents made with love."
Obito flinched and could only eat slowly, one bite at a time.
Xue glanced at her parents and said somewhat unhappily, "It's all Dad and Mom's fault for spoiling Obito."
The parents, glared at by their daughter, immediately ate their food obediently, saying, "We definitely won't do that again next time."
After the meal, the lights were turned off, leaving only three candles on the cake in front of Obito, their flames flickering in the dim light. Obito sat in the center, with Yuki beside him. Shiratsuyu and Shimo sat on either side of them. The wind outside the window carried lingering snowflakes, gently tapping against the glass with a soft, rustling sound. Yuki felt a vague unease for some reason and turned to look at her parents—but they remained composed.
"After this birthday, Obito will be three years old."
"Obito, make a wish quickly."
The candlelight flickered as Obito closed his eyes and earnestly made a wish. Yuki whispered in his ear, "Aren't we allowed to make three wishes on our birthdays? Obito, give me one."
Obito opened one eye, nodded with a puzzled look.
She hopes... that her parents can always be there for her as she grows up.
The candle went out, and Bailu got up to turn on the light. Shuangjiang watched as Xue, holding Obito's hand, cut the cake. The two looked at each other and gave each other a slightly bitter smile.
After finishing the cake, Xue looked at her parents, who were dressed in their ninja uniforms.
"Didn't you just get back? Why are you leaving so soon, Mom and Dad?" Xue asked three times in a row, her voice trembling with tears.
Bai Lu bent down, looking very apologetic: "Mom and Dad will be back as soon as possible, they won't keep Xiaoxue waiting too long. Okay?"
Xue held Shuangjiang's hand, frowned, and looked aggrieved: "Then...you have to come back quickly."
"Oh right, I almost forgot something important!" Bai Lu suddenly slapped her forehead, turned around and took out a camera from her bag by the door. The lens was still covered with the warm, cozy moisture from inside the room. "Before we leave, let's take a group photo together! Obito is the little birthday boy today."
Bai Lu formed hand seals and used a clone technique to have another version of herself hold up the camera.
Upon hearing this, Obito immediately jumped up and stood in front of the camera, his golden paper crown crookedly on his head, cream smeared on his lips, yet he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and made a big "V" sign. Yuki stood beside him, quietly tugging at the hem of his shirt at the back, and whispered, "Stand up straight, you idiot!" Obito just giggled and snuggled against her shoulder.
Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang stood on either side of them behind them. Shuang Jiang's hand gently rested on Xue's shoulder, while Bai Lu leaned slightly forward, supporting Otto's shoulder. The light inside the room melted the shadows of the four of them into a warm mass, reflected on the frosted glass, like a painting that would never fade.
"Three, two, one!"
"Crack—"
The instant the shutter clicked.
There are no ninjas or missions in the photo.
Only the most ordinary yet most precious image of a family of three.
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