Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Dinner
It was a Saturday morning.
When Kitahara Kaede pushed open the door to his apartment, his clothes were still stained with the grime of his recent mission. He shut the door behind him and set his ninja tool pouch on the floor. Only then did the lingering tension in his body finally begin to unravel.
Kaede walked into the living room, untied his forehead protector, and headed into the bathroom. After drawing a hot bath, he sank into the tub, resting his arms along the edges.
The past few months had flown by. Thanks to his stunning achievements during the battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and passing the subsequent evaluations, he had been officially promoted to Jonin.
Lately, the Kumogakure front had been under intense pressure. While Minato was holding back A’s combined forces, the frontal advance of the Kumogakure shinobi remained relentless, and Konoha’s casualties refused to drop. Kaede had been temporarily deployed to support them several times.
Every time, he was simply used to fill the gaps. Wherever the pressure was highest or where the casualties were becoming unsustainable, that was where he was shoved.
There were benefits, of course; his military merit grew rapidly. But the downside was obvious. He hadn’t found a single opportunity to make contact with Orochimaru. Orochimaru himself was unstable, often stationed near the Iwa border. Whenever Orochimaru was in the village, Kaede was away. Their paths had consistently missed one another.
Kaede pressed his fingers against his brow. For now, he could only wait for the right opportunity.
After bathing, Kaede changed into loose loungewear and sat at his table. He hadn’t yet put away his mission scrolls. As he casually organized two intelligence reports, his eyes swept over the calendar beside him, and his movements stopped.
Konoha Year 49.
Kaede stared at the calendar for a moment, his gaze sharpening. The time was drawing closer.
The Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
The upcoming large-scale raid by Iwa would push Konoha’s defenses to their absolute limit. With Minato handling the main battlefield, that side of things—while difficult—wasn’t the most troublesome part. The real problems were Obito, and the figures looming behind him: Madara and Black Zetsu.
Kaede tapped his fingers twice on the table.
As his own "butterfly" continued to flap its wings, the number of uncontrollable variables was increasing. He knew he couldn’t rely entirely on his foresight; the further he progressed toward the major events of the future, the more he would have to improvise.
As these thoughts lingered, drowsiness began to wash over him. He didn’t expect anything else to happen today. He pulled the curtains shut, plunging the room into darkness, and lay down on the bed, quickly falling asleep.
***
Today, Tsunade woke up unusually early.
Standing before her table, her eyes fell on the calendar. Today’s date had been heavily circled in red ink, with a small, smiling face drawn beside it.
It was Kitahara Kaede’s birthday.
She had remembered it from the last time she looked through his files. A few days ago, she had tried to probe him about it, but based on Kaede’s reaction, it was clear the guy had completely forgotten his own birthday.
Tsunade reached up to touch the Blue Fluorite necklace against her chest, then turned to change her clothes. She picked out a set of light, casual wear and spent a moment adjusting her hair in the mirror.
After staring for a while, she frowned. "Tsk."
Too deliberate.
Tsunade loosened her cuffs slightly and straightened her necklace. That looked more natural. As she closed the door, her steps were significantly lighter than usual.
She made her way to Kushina’s house and knocked. There was a commotion inside, and the door was soon pulled open. Kushina stood there with her red hair in a messy tangle, her eyes not yet fully open. Upon seeing Tsunade, she woke up a bit.
"Lady Tsunade? Why are you here so early?"
Tsunade walked inside without waiting for an invite. "Let’s talk inside."
Kushina yawned and turned to pour some water. "Something happened at the hospital again, didn’t it?"
"No." Tsunade sat in the living room and took the cup Kushina handed her. "I checked Kaede’s files a while ago. Today is his birthday."
Kushina paused, blinking.
Tsunade looked down at her tea, her voice softening. "He’s an orphan. He’s probably spent every year alone. I want to help him celebrate."
The last remnants of sleep vanished from Kushina’s face. She sat opposite Tsunade, her brow furrowing. "How come I haven’t heard Kaede mention this?"
Tsunade gave a small snort. "With his personality, it would be a miracle if he brought it up."
Kushina slapped the table. "True! Then we absolutely have to do it!"
Tsunade looked up at her. Kushina was now fully energized, her voice brightening. "We’ll do it here; it’s easier since I can’t really go out. I’ll handle the cooking, and you handle bringing him here."
The corner of Tsunade’s mouth twitched. "That’s exactly what I was thinking."
The two of them quickly settled on a menu. Halfway through writing the list, Kushina suddenly looked up. "What about a gift? What are you giving him?"
The teacup in Tsunade’s hand stopped. This was the part that actually gave her a headache.
Over the last few months, whenever Kitahara Kaede was in the village, he always made a detour to the hospital. Sometimes it was a bowl of hot porridge, sometimes a few pieces of candy... he took great care of her. Because of that, she wanted to give him something meaningful.
But he could pick out his own ninja tools, and he wasn’t lacking money. If the gift was too expensive, he’d likely start calculating whether it was "worth" the value.
Tsunade tapped the rim of her cup. "What do you think would be appropriate?"
Kushina tilted her head, thinking. "Give him something he can carry with him. Ideally, something you made yourself."
Tsunade fell silent. A memory flashed through her mind. Once, she had given Hagoromo Kaede an Omamori. For many years after, he had always kept it on him.
But Tsunade didn’t want to simply repeat those memories. Those were things from a dream.
Seeing that Tsunade hadn’t spoken for a long while, Kushina lowered her voice. "Did you think of something, Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade snapped back to reality and looked at her. "A bracelet."
Kushina’s eyes lit up. "That’s perfect!"
Tsunade added, "I’ll weave it myself."
Kushina immediately jumped up to search for materials. "What color?"
Tsunade looked down at the Blue Fluorite necklace on her chest. "Blue."
The two of them barely stopped for the entire day. Kushina was busy prepping ingredients in the kitchen, while Tsunade sat in the living room weaving the bracelet. Occasionally, Kushina would bring out a dish and glance toward the living room.
Tsunade had set aside her usual laziness, meticulously measuring every length of the thread.
As the sky gradually darkened, the dishes were laid out on the table. The house was filled with warmth, the aroma of food, and Kushina’s irrepressible excitement.
Tsunade finally finished the bracelet. The thin cord, woven in blue and black, lay in her palm, centered with a tiny fluorite bead. She stared at it for a long time, a smile lingering in her eyes.
She wondered what expression that guy would make when he received it. He’d probably freeze for a second, then pretend to be calm and say it was "quite nice."
At the thought, the corners of Tsunade’s mouth curled up further.
Kushina leaned in to look. "It’s really pretty! He’ll definitely love it."
Tsunade tucked the bracelet into her clothes, though her voice remained stubborn. "If he dares say it’s ugly, he’ll have a hard time."
Kushina burst out laughing. "Fine, fine. Now go get him!"
Outside Kitahara Kaede’s apartment, the hallway was quiet. Tsunade knocked on the door. After a moment, footsteps sounded from within.
The door opened. Kitahara Kaede stood there, his eyes still heavy with the lethargy of someone who had just woken up. Seeing Tsunade, he visibly froze.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade shifted her gaze, trying her best to make her tone sound casual. "Wake up already."
Kaede blinked. "What’s wrong? Is there a mission?"
Tsunade crossed her arms and let out a huff.
"No missions."
Looking at Kitahara Kaede—who clearly hadn’t the slightest clue what today was—she felt a surge of bitterness and irritation.
’I knew it. This guy really doesn’t take birthdays seriously.’
Tsunade suppressed her emotions and turned to walk out.
"Kushina prepared a feast tonight. She told me to tell you to come over for dinner."
Kitahara Kaede stared at her retreating back, hesitating for a moment.
"Now?"
Tsunade glanced back at him.
"What? Don’t want to go?"
Kitahara Kaede immediately closed the door and hurried after her.
"I’m going."
Comments