Chapter 351: Chapter 352: The Summer Festival Begins
Chapter 352: The Summer Festival Begins
The grand night of the Summer Festival finally descended upon Hidden Leaf Village.
The entire Village seemed to be set ablaze, brightly lit and bustling with the noise of the crowd.
The main roads and various commercial streets were decorated like flowing rivers of stars. All sorts of stalls were lined up in rows, and the aroma of food, cheerful music, children’s laughter, and the sound of fireworks blooming in the night sky intertwined into a lively festival symphony.
The current fireworks were just a trial; a massive display would be set off all at once at ten o’clock.
The atmosphere of the festival was pushed to a complete climax after Jiraiya stepped onto the temporary central stage and officially announced several major pieces of news to all the villagers!
Jiraiya had temporarily taken the First Hokage’s hokage robe and taped a paper with the character for ’Five’ on it to serve as the Fifth Hokage’s robe. There was no other choice; he was over 1.9 meters tall, and the robes of the other Hokage were too small for him.
Standing on the central stage, he announced in a loud and passionate voice:
"Everyone of Hidden Leaf Village, on this night worth celebrating, I announce several pieces of good news to you all."
"Through the heroic fighting of the frontline Ninjas."
"Hidden Stone Village of the Land of Earth and Hidden Sand Village of the Land of Wind have officially returned to our Konoha Ninja Village of the Land of Fire."
"From now on, they will become our most steadfast partners, jointly maintaining the peace and prosperity of the Ninja World!"
"Furthermore! Just a short while ago, Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning attempted to take advantage of the chaos and launched a surprise attack under the leadership of their Raikage. They were also successfully repelled by me, Sakumo Hatake, and a group of Konoha Ninjas."
"This means we have taken another solid and great step toward true peace and unification of the Ninja World!"
"Long live Hidden Leaf Village! Long live Hokage-sama! Long live peace!"
"Ohhhhhhhh—!!!"
The villagers and Ninjas gathered below the stage erupted in deafening cheers and applause.
Hidden Stone Village and Hidden Sand Village surrendering, and the Hidden Cloud Village invasion being thwarted.
This succession of victory reports was like the most potent stimulant, injected into everyone’s hearts.
The anxiety about the war and the uncertainty about the future that had persisted for this period were replaced at this moment by a huge sense of pride and a strong longing for peace.
The mood of the Hidden Leaf Village residents reached an unprecedented high.
The joy of celebrating victory perfectly merged with the happiness of the festival itself, making this night livelier and more boiling than ever before!
In this ocean of jubilation, the Sixth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, was leading several girls, weaving through the festival crowds leisurely like ordinary young men and women.
Beside him, Hinata Hyuga wore an exquisite light purple yukata, a shy and happy blush on her face as she followed closely by Naruto’s side;
Ino Yamanaka wore a goose-yellow yukata, simple and elegant;
Karin, wearing a red yukata, pushed up her glasses, looking very interested in a nearby dessert stall;
Uchiha Hikari was still in a simple dark-colored yukata, her expression cool, but her gaze never left Naruto’s side;
Hanabi Hyuga was like a happy little bird, wearing a cute pink rabbit-patterned yukata. One hand was held by Naruto, while the other held a pinwheel, excitedly waving it back and forth to make it spin.
Naruto had a relaxed smile on his face, occasionally responding to the girls’ words, buying a small snack for Hanabi, or stopping to watch a roadside performance, completely immersed in this rare festival happiness belonging to ordinary people.
Before the festival started, he had even been ’requested’ by Hinata and Hanabi to personally tie the complex obi on the backs of their yukatas.
In sharp contrast to the clamor on the main road and the warm liveliness around Naruto was a relatively quiet public seating area at the edge of the festival grounds.
Hiashi Hyuga, the Clan Chief of the Hyuga Clan, was currently sitting morosely on a long bench.
In front of him were several snacks bought from the stalls and a few bottles of sake, but he clearly had no appetite. He just drank his troubles away cup after cup, his face looking exceptionally gloomy under the glow of the lanterns.
Sitting next to him was Inoichi Yamanaka.
Inoichi, on the other hand, was eating with great relish, holding a skewer.
"I say, Hiashi."
Inoichi swallowed the food in his mouth and looked helplessly at his old friend, who was radiating a low-pressure aura, and advised,
"Come on, stop with the long face. Today is a festival, be a little happier."
He lightly nudged Hiashi with his elbow:
"Besides, you know in your heart that this was bound to happen sooner or later."
"That kid Naruto... no, it’s Hokage-sama. His feelings for Hinata and Hanabi, as well as his character, ability, status..."
"What else are you worried about?"
Inoichi paused, a mischievous smile appearing on his face as he lowered his voice:
"Look at my Ino, isn’t she also... sigh!"
"Everyone understands in their hearts."
"The children have their own destiny and choices. As fathers, we should let go when it’s time to let go, and give our blessings when it’s time to bless."
He picked up a skewer of dango and made a gesture to hand it to Hiashi:
"Come, eat something, don’t just drink. Today is a rare holiday. Ino is still waiting for me to go shopping with her, I can’t stay here and drink with you all night."
However, Inoichi’s persuasion not only failed to improve Hiashi’s mood but instead made his expression even worse.
He put down his sake cup heavily, letting out a dull thud.
"Sooner or later... of course I know that."
Hiashi said in a muffled voice, his tone carrying suppressed irritability and bitterness,
"From the moment I saw Hinata and Hanabi eating at Naruto’s house, I knew this day would come."
"He is one of Hinata’s few friends."
"And that girl Hanabi has been clinging to him since she was little."
He tilted his head back and drained another cup of sake. The spicy liquid slid down his throat but couldn’t wash away the knot in his heart.
"But... knowing is one thing, seeing it with my own eyes... is another."
He recalled the scene he saw earlier when he was looking for his daughters.
Naruto was slightly bent over, with a somewhat clumsy but very gentle expression on his face, carefully tying the complex obi on the back of his eldest daughter Hinata’s yukata.
Hinata had her head lowered, the tips of her ears bright red, but the happy smile at the corners of her mouth couldn’t be hidden no matter what.
And his younger daughter, Hanabi, was standing aside giggling, waiting for Naruto to help her tie hers too...
That image was so beautiful it was blinding.
It announced with absolute clarity that the two daughters he had painstakingly taught, strictly protected, and cherished like treasures since they were small had truly grown up. Their hearts were already filled with the figure of another man.
That man was powerful, reliable, and cared for the world, and he was about to completely steal their hearts away.
"I... I don’t have any dissatisfaction with Naruto... with Hokage-sama."
Hiashi’s voice grew low, carrying a complex emotion mixed with pride, reluctance, and loss,
"On the contrary, I know his excellence better than anyone, and I am grateful for his care for Hidden Leaf Village and the Hyuga family. I also know that Hinata and Hanabi will never be mistreated following him."
He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white:
"But... I just... it hurts my heart!"
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