Chapter 178: The Birthday Feast
Having finished his bath, Sasuke walked out dressed in loose casual clothes.
With practiced ease, he extended one hand to press against Karin's face – only then noticing two unexpected guests.
"Lord Fourth, Aunt Kushina, hello," he said.
Carrying a small gift bag, Minato smiled. "Happy birthday, Sasuke."
Receiving the gift, Sasuke politely bowed his head in thanks. "It's nothing special, really. You didn't have to trouble yourselves."
"My, what a polite young man you are, Sasuke!" Kushina teased. "And you're so sturdy. That brat Naruto is so skinny all because he never eats his vegetables!"
From the couch, Naruto turned around irritably. "Mom, what are you talking about?! I do eat veggies! I'm already pretty buff, okay? Sasuke's the one who's turned into some muscle-bound maniac!"
"Shut it! Call me 'my dear mother,' and don't you go spoiling little Karin!"
Little Karin paid no mind to the squabbling between mother and son. Her eyes were instead filled with the sight of Sasuke's freshly bathed figure, hair still slightly damp at the tips.
So handsome…so cool…so stylish…
Minato, noticing how intently his daughter was staring, picked her up with a chuckle. "You really like Sasuke-nii, hmm? Want him to hold you?"
Karin was just about to nod when everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of a door opening.
Squeak—
Uchiha Kagami stepped into the entryway, changing shoes as he looked up at the group.
"Is today something special? Why're you all here?"
"Huh?"
Leaning against the sofa back, Naruto said, "Master, I only came 'cause Shisui-nii told me there was going to be a birthday party for Sasuke. Otherwise I wouldn't bother celebrating that stuck-up guy!"
Kagami shifted his gaze toward Shisui.
Scratching his head sheepishly, Shisui said, "I thought you already knew it was Sasuke's birthday, and that's why you arranged to meet me today."
Slipping on a pair of fuzzy cat-face slippers, Kagami said blandly, "I only wanted to talk to you and Sasuke about something. If it's his birthday, we can leave it 'til tomorrow."
"And don't make it sound like I'm some missing person returning from the dead. I come back every month, don't I?"
"Hmm?"
Kagami's senses were sharp. From the moment he entered, one particular pair of eyes had fixated on him.
He turned, meeting those starry eyes.
"Hey, you little girl—who are you?"
"That's Karin!" boomed Kushina at her usual volume. "You saw her back when she was born!"
Kagami glanced at Karin, then at Chisui in the kitchen helping Mikoto. "She was bald when I first saw her. Sensing this kind of chakra, I figured maybe Chisui gave birth to another one."
He couldn't help noticing how strong the child's bloodline was—almost a "reversion to ancestral traits." Kagami basically foresaw that she would awaken abilities on par with Karin (the older).
"You brat, you implying I can't give birth to a lovely red-haired daughter?!"
Kagami dug a pinky into his ear. "Minato, how've you not gone deaf after all these years?"
Minato gave a resigned smile. "Actually…Kushina's grown pretty mild. Kagami, did you ever consider that you might be too good at provoking people?"
All this time, folks had changed a great deal, yet Kagami's sharp tongue remained the same.
"Comparing her to you, Kushina is the gentler one here, I think."
Kagami picked up a cup of tea, meeting Karin's stare. "Still staring? What's so interesting?"
…
"You look nice," Karin blurted out.
Then, flushed red, she buried her face into Minato's chest.
…
"Setting your strength aside, you're just a foul-tempered pretty boy," Kakashi quipped, peeling an orange as he skillfully lifted his mask to eat before letting it drop back down.
"You actually remember my strength?"
The moment Kagami finished speaking, Kakashi felt his arms go limp, mask half-lowered. Everyone stared in curiosity. Even Minato had only glimpsed Kakashi's full face once during boyhood.
It was a handsome visage, complete with a perfectly placed beauty mark.
"Ah! Kakashi-senpai's face is actually like this?"
"I always assumed you had sausage lips or buckteeth or something."
"Right? Though personally, I still think Sasuke's cuter, but you're quite the heartthrob too—why the mask?"
Kagami crossed one leg, sneering, "Probably thinks looking mysterious with a mask is cooler. Before reading Jiraiya's Icha Icha series, that guy was into 'how ninjas ought to die'—some super chūnibyō nonsense."
"Hey now, cut that out—I am the Mizukage, you know!"
Kakashi had specially returned from the Land of Water, bringing along a bodyguard. Unspoken tradition made the bodyguard a top candidate for the next Kage.
Terumi Mei, that bodyguard, had barely dared to breathe since Kagami stepped in. Now, seeing Kakashi's face, she stood dazed.
Truthfully, Kagami was probably more handsome than Kakashi, but she didn't even dare meet Kagami's gaze. Only little Karin, clueless of the world, stared openly at him.
Kagami snorted. "Haven't you realized why I made you Mizukage?"
"Because you're…a cheap knockoff."
…
"Kagami, I challenge you to a duel!"
"Forget it. Sakumo's still alive, and I don't want him burying his own son."
…
The birthday party was indeed lively.
Except for Terumi Mei's quiet reserve, nobody else was inhibited by Kagami's presence. To them, Kagami was a friend, a brother, a severe but caring teacher—a person, not the divine entity outsiders saw.
"I didn't prepare anything, but here's at least a keepsake." Kagami drew a worn scroll from his robe, handing it to Sasuke.
Minato recognized it instantly. "Kagami, is that…"
"Mm. That pervy old man's gift to me on my tenth birthday."
Sasuke accepted it reverently with both hands. "I'll treasure it. Thank you, Master!"
For Kagami to keep something safe since he was ten years old, everyone realized its extraordinary significance.
Sasuke didn't feign reluctance but resolved wholeheartedly to protect this precious item.
Naruto looked on with envy—though outwardly bold, he was sensitive inside. From Kagami's usual behavior and his actions now…
Perhaps Sasuke was the teacher's most beloved disciple…
He said nothing, only feeling a bit down.
Smack—
A large hand pressed on Naruto's head.
"What're you sulking for, brat?"
Kagami chuckled. "When you turn ten, assuming I'm still here, I'll have a gift for you too."
"Huh?!"
Naruto's pupils trembled. The gift didn't matter—his focus lay on Kagami's words: if I'm still here.
Tears pooled in his eyes. "Teacher, why wouldn't you be? Are you gonna die?"
Kagami gently tousled Naruto's hair.
"Relax. I won't die."
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