Naruto: I, who didn't want to be hacked to pieces, saved the ninja world.

White clouds and green leaves.

The five people were already seated around the dining table, with Shirokumo Aoba and Uzuki Yugao sitting on one side and the other three on the other side.

At this moment, the five of them were performing a strange pre-meal ritual.

Shirokumo Aoba was also forced to join in.

"I'm starting!"

This was the first time the five of them had sat down to eat together, but the atmosphere at the table was very lively. They chatted away, completely forgetting the good habit of not talking while eating.

Baiyun Qingye's smile never stopped.

This was the first time the three girls had ever tasted food cooked by Baiyun Qingye herself. They would occasionally exclaim in surprise or offer a word of praise, and each of them had a smile on their face.

After a satisfying meal, the sky had completely darkened. After the clouds dispersed, the sky was filled with stars, their silvery light reflecting off the snow-covered courtyard.

Now, five people are crammed into this tiny kitchen.

Tenten, Ino, and Sakura, who hadn't helped with cooking before, volunteered to help.

Then they squeezed together.

How could such a small plate be cleaned by five people like an assembly line?

After washing the dishes, the group lay down on the sofa, each looking completely relaxed.

"Qingye, why don't you tell another story?"

Ino couldn't help but suggest that this was the perfect time to listen to a story.

Tenten and Sakura also chimed in to agree.

However, she was rejected by Uzuki Yugao.

"It's getting late, you should go home..."

"Let's stay a little longer."

With hope in her eyes, Tian Tian lowered her voice as if pleading, "Sister Xi Yan, we won't be able to play together for a long time, and I don't want to go back so soon."

"Yes, Sister Xiyan, please let us stay a little longer."

Seeing the three little girls begging Uzuki Yugao, Shirokumo Aoba couldn't help but feel speechless.

This is his home, shouldn't we ask him that?

"Aren't you going to go back? Are you going to stay overnight?" Bai Yunqingye couldn't help but complain.

"It seems... it's not entirely impossible."

Ino's eyes sparkled. "I've never spent the night outside before in my entire life."

“Yeah, I haven’t done it either.” Tian Tian’s eyes lit up.

"Me too."

Sakura also timidly raised her hand.

Then all three of them turned to look at Bai Yun Qingye, eagerly awaiting her reply.

Even Uzuki Yugao's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly; this wasn't the first time she'd done this.

In the past, because she needed to take care of Bai Yun Qingye, she often stayed overnight. Whether she stayed overnight or not, she naturally did not need Bai Yun Qingye's consent.

She frowned, thinking that these three little girls were far too precocious. They weren't even in ninja school yet, and they were already thinking about spending the night at boys' houses.

"This……"

This left Baiyun Qingye speechless.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked in return.

"I have no problem letting you stay overnight, but the problem is with your parents. How are you going to explain that?"

"If I don't come home at night, I might get grounded."

"ah!"

As expected, Tian Tian immediately exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this, then her expression turned somewhat disappointed.

"I told my dad I came out to practice throwing techniques..."

"Pfft!"

Ino would never miss an opportunity to mock Tenten, since the other girl always monopolizes Aoba.

Tenten, naturally, couldn't stand Ino's mockery. She pouted and said somewhat unhappily, "Does that mean you can stay overnight?"

"Hmph, I'll tell my mom I went to play with Sakura. As long as I tell my mom I'm staying overnight at Sakura's house, it'll be fine."

Ino's voice was filled with a hint of joy; this was her victory.

"Me too, I just said I stayed overnight at Ino's house."

The two best friends exchanged a glance, their joy evident in their eyes.

"You, you all..."

Tian Tian was so angry that she couldn't speak. She realized that she should go home now, but looking at Ino's smug face, she couldn't help but feel angry.

As bystanders, Shirakumo Aoba and Uzuki Yugao felt a bit numb. They noticed that whenever Tenten, Ino, and Sakura got together, their IQ seemed to drop significantly.

This seemingly false excuse would be easily exposed if Ino's mother, Rino Yamanaka, and Sakura's mother, Mebuki Haruno, simply compared notes with each other.

However, there's no need to wait for a future standoff.

"Ino!"

A roar suddenly rang out from outside the yard. Ino, who was arguing with Tenten, shuddered and stood up abruptly from the sofa.

"Yes, that sounds like my mother's voice..."

Ino's voice carried a hint of fear. Her mother was usually quite strict; although she always appeared dignified in public, she was quite fierce at home.

"Ino, do you want me to go in and drag you out?"

"Mom, I'm coming out right away!"

Ino shouted urgently.

She gave Baiyun Qingye a pitiful look, then pulled Xiaoying along and ran out.

Sakura: ……

Sakura was initially speechless, but after Ino pulled her out, she saw Haruno Mebuki standing at the gate of the yard and stopped being speechless.

"mom……"

After Ino and Sakura came out, they both greeted their mother quietly.

Rino Yamanaka didn't respond. She first glared fiercely at Aoba Shirakumo, who had also come out, before turning her attention to her daughter.

Ino instinctively shrank her neck, but the expected flick on the head did not occur. Rino Yamanaka simply grabbed Ino's hand and led her away.

"I'm giving you face in public now, but wait till we get back and see how I deal with you!" Rino Yamanaka said angrily.

This girl is so young, and she's already staying out all night.

Sakura received the same treatment on the other side, except that Haruno Meibuki dragged Sakura away by the ear.

Both of them could only look at Bai Yunqingye with reluctant eyes as their respective mothers pulled them away.

"Hmph, those two, what a disgrace to their arrogance just now."

In the courtyard, Tian Tian stood with his hands on his hips, a look of pure bliss on his face.

Baiyun Qingye couldn't help but smile and rub his forehead.

"Why aren't you going back home soon? Otherwise, Auntie will probably be here soon too."

"It's okay, it's okay, Aoba. How about we go out and stroll around the night market some more? We can go straight back when we're tired of playing."

Now that no one was causing trouble, she naturally wanted to seize the opportunity.

"What if you get back late? Aren't you afraid of being punished?"

Baiyun Qingye couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Tiantian.

"It's okay, I'm not afraid."

Tian Tian patted her little chest with a hint of pride.

"Really? Then why aren't you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid, I just won't... uh..."

Tian Tian wanted to be more assertive, but then she suddenly realized that the voice didn't seem to be Qingye's.

She stiffly turned her head and saw her mother looking at her with a kind expression.

Spicy!

"Qingye, I'm leaving now. Be sure to come find me after you finish your training."

Tian Tian said goodbye to Bai Yun and Qing Ye in a very fast voice, and ran out the door, only to be grabbed by the ear by Tian Tian's mother.

"You brat, aren't you fearless? You're always so idle. Tomorrow, all the shuriken in the warehouse will be your responsibility to organize them..."

"Oh? No, Mom, there are so many..."

As the sounds of Tian Tian talking to her mother faded into the distance, Bai Yun Qingye couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

At the same time, I felt a little relieved that it wasn't their elderly father who came, otherwise...

The old guys are probably going to eat people alive.