Dai treated his two sons to an incredible challenge—completing 5,000 backward handstands around Konoha—before heading over to the Hatake residence for drinks.
When their family of four entered the courtyard of the Hatake household, they realized many people had already arrived.
Fugaku's family of three had come much earlier than he did.
Itachi was playfully messing around with Hanami, who were about the same age. Nearby, Misaki and Mikoto were engaged in friendly conversation, exchanging parenting tips.
Although Kushina couldn't join the discussion, her expression clearly showed she was listening intently.
If she had a notebook in hand, she'd probably be jotting down notes non-stop.
Kakashi and Ginji, as the young hosts of the Hatake family, were doing their best to entertain their guests.
Kawaki and Sakumo were chatting casually with old friends; even Orochimaru had been dragged out of his lab by his daughter.
Though he initially wore an unhappy expression, he gradually began to smile more while chatting.
Nawaki and Minato were also deep in cheerful conversation—they were no longer the immature boys they once were.
However, if one had to say which group was the noisiest, it would definitely be the women led by Tsunade and Natsuki—laughing the hardest.
No one knew what topic they were discussing, but someone always seemed deeply embarrassed.
Ghost Mastiff and Little White joyfully wagged their tails as they weaved through the crowd.
"Kakashi."
"Ginji."
Gai and Kinoto, though completely exhausted, eagerly waved greetings and rushed toward their friends.
"Five thousand backward handstands."
"You guys broke the record today, didn't you?"
Kakashi slapped Gai on the shoulder playfully. Kinoto winced at the sight, secretly hoping Ginji wouldn't do the same to him.
Right now, he could barely feel his own hands—his older brother was only slightly stronger, though not by much.
Five thousand rounds? He still didn't get why he and his brother had gone along with it.
"Ow~"
Even someone as tough as Gai almost stumbled from Kakashi's slap.
"I could've done without this kind of record."
"Ever felt that?"
"Right after finishing, I thought I'd lost my hands completely."
Gai tried hard to lift his arm, only managing a slight twitch. Eating later might prove difficult at this rate.
"You're kidding, right?"
Seeing how much pain Gai was in, Kakashi finally realized how serious it was.
In the past, even after getting punched a few times by Kakashi, Gai would just say, "It doesn't hurt—it's nothing."
He rarely saw Gai look so fragile.
"Bro, seriously,"
"I still can't feel anything in my arms."
Kinoto groaned, his face mournful, secretly wishing all their friends could try doing 5,000 backward handstands around Konoha.
"Who told you two hotheads to go along with it?"
"We couldn't even stop you."
"Didn't Aoi and I warn you?"
"Serves you right."
Kurenai was sharp-tongued but had a heart of gold. As she spoke, she nudged Rin forward gently.
"Let me check on you two."
Hearing Rin's gentle voice, Gai and Kinoto hurriedly thanked her—but found themselves unable to lift their arms.
"Muscle damage from overexertion."
"For the next few days, take it easy and don't push yourselves too hard."
After easing their discomfort, Rin gave them careful instructions.
Obito watched from the side, chuckling happily, a warm satisfaction blooming in his chest.
"That's my Rin for ya."
"A miracle worker."
"Thank you so much!"
Gai and Kinoto swung their arms, now fully recovered, praising Rin enthusiastically.
As for Rin's advice, whether the two brothers would remember her words was anyone's guess.
"You've learned your lesson now, haven't you?"
"Not every commotion is worth getting mixed up in."
Ginji smirked smugly, clearly amused by Gai and Kinoto's misfortune.
"You think dogs can stop eating shit?"
Aoi Tsukigami delivered the harshest criticism. She wasn't happy at all about how the two had ignored her warnings.
But she wasn't wrong—if given another chance, Gai and Kinoto would still charge in headfirst.
Some things are just in their nature; they can't be changed.
"Hehe~"
The two boys in green spandex suits with bowl cuts just chuckled awkwardly, at a loss for words.
Naruto and Shisui had been watching the whole scene unfold, barely holding back their grins.
Meanwhile, Asuma, visiting the Hatake household for the first time, looked a bit uncomfortable.
But he was overthinking—adult grudges wouldn't drag him into anything.
Besides, even the current Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Sarutobi clan weren't much of a threat to Kawaki.
Seeing his son fitting in with his companions, Dai and his wife joined different conversation circles after being greeted by Kawaki and Tsunade.
In the courtyard of the Hatake estate, laughter and chatting filled the air, filling it with warmth and harmony.
It wasn't until the butler announced dinner that everyone slowly made their way toward the dining room.
Once everyone was seated, Sakumo took on the demeanor of the family head.
Outside, he was merely the Anbu leader, but within the house, at the very least, he was nominally the top authority.
He raised his cup first, kicking off tonight's drinking session.
With Sakumo leading the charge, the heavy drinkers eagerly passed around sake cups.
After a few rounds and slight intoxication, the conversations grew livelier.
Since none of them were outsiders, they spoke more casually and freely.
No one could remember who started it, but soon enough, they drifted into discussion about the state of the Ninja World.
"The Land of Earth has already fallen."
"And with Akatsuki's territory too, most of the ninja world is now under Konoha's control."
"Sometimes I feel like I'm dreaming."
Shinryu Yūhi spoke with a sense of nostalgia, perhaps truly surprised this day had come.
The memories of the Second Great Ninja War were still fresh, yet the developments of the Third Great Ninja War exceeded even his wildest expectations.
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"Tell me about it!"
Jiraiya jumped in, also feeling sentimental.
"When it comes to Akatsuki, gotta say you really hit the jackpot."
"Picked up a couple of apprentices from the Land of Rain and pulled off such a massive feat."
"At first, we three didn't even agree with you taking Yahiko and the others back."
"But looking back now, your vision was spot on."
Kawaki gave Naruto a thumbs-up—Jiraiya genuinely admired him.
But he had no idea that Kawaki had the advantage of being a reincarnator, recruiting disciples directly from Jiraiya's legacy.
"Aww, nothing special, nothing special."
"Just a couple of ordinary disciples."
Shinryu took the flattery with a thick-skinned attitude, waving his hands and playing it cool.
Tsunade sat beside him, her Byakugan nearly rolled into her skull.
Everyone was familiar with Kawaki's antics. To stop him from gloating, no one picked up the thread.
"The unification of the Ninja World is right before our eyes."
"Shouldn't we seize the moment?"
Shinryu, although already stepping back from frontline duties, still spoke with a tone that sounded like he was plotting the course of nations.
Now that things had reached this point, of course, he wished to see Konoha lead the way toward uniting the entire Ninja World.
"Just relax and keep your heart at ease; you can just sit back and enjoy the spectacle."
"I've already arranged everything."
"The next move will be spectacular."
"I'm afraid the Raikage might blow a gasket back home."
Kawaki's meaning was crystal clear—he was about to set his sights on the Land of Lightning next.
"Even better if he actually explodes."
"He's always been the most hotheaded anyway."
Tsunade wasn't even slightly fazed that Kawaki had stolen the spotlight as Hokage, throwing in a sarcastic jab of her own.
"That old man isn't having an easy time himself either."
"He wasted so much manpower and resources in the Land of Earth."
"After returning to Kumogakure, he got scolded mercilessly by the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning."
Jiraiya relayed intel from Kumogakure, trying not to burst out laughing.
The Third Raikage sure had rotten luck—throughout everything, he'd merely served as a pawn within Konoha's schemes.
But what was truly terrifying wasn't his misfortune—it was the fact he remained unaware.
He had no clue what kind of fate awaited the Land of Lightning.
"If you look at it that way, he should thank us instead."
"It won't be long before the Lightning Daimyō relies on him again; probably won't dare scold him anymore."
Orochimaru's voice dripped with sarcasm. Calmly pouring himself another cup of sake with a serene expression, Orochimaru seemed utterly indifferent.
Didn't he have a point, though?
Once Konoha's forces reached Lightning's borders, who else could the Daimyō rely upon besides the Raikage?
At that point, not only would he avoid harsh words, he'd probably be afraid to speak above a whisper.
What if the Raikage decided to throw in the towel? Would the Daimyō even keep his throne then?
"Hahaha! You really are ruthless."
"More like he'll thank us with a blade at our throats."
Kawaki laughed, momentarily forgetting that the Raikage would want his head above all others.
Every bit of this chaos had been set in motion by him alone.
"How exactly do you plan to handle Akatsuki?"
Sakumo understood that the relationship between Akatsuki and Konoha would eventually be exposed—it was just a matter of how Kawaki intended to manage it.
Still, thinking about how Yahiko and the others would finally return to Konoha made him smile uncontrollably.
Nothing mattered more than bringing the family back together.
"I've already taken care of it."
"As for whether others believe me or not—that's none of my concern."
Kawaki spread his arms wide, putting on a helpless act.
In truth, "reckless" would've been a better word.
While they discussed these sensitive topics, the women and children stayed silent, listening attentively.
Only Tsunade occasionally voiced an opinion, though most of the time, she drank sake.
When the conversation wrapped up, so did their drinking.
A bunch of staggering men walked out of the Hatake household, leaning on their wives and kids.
Bathed in the silver glow of the moonlight, everything felt serene and beautiful.
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