Bab 14: Chapter 14: Birthday
In the Yamanaka flower shop, Mrs. Yamanaka was still seated outside, glancing at the sky. It seemed like it was getting late; why hadn't they returned yet?
She felt a pang of worry, but soon spotted her daughter's figure. Ino was being carried on the back of that boy named Natsuro. Mrs. Yamanaka was taken aback. Had Ino hurt her leg or something?
With that thought, Mrs. Yamanaka hurried out of the flower shop to meet them.
"Mom, I'm back!" Ino called out with a bright smile when she saw her mother, and Natsuro gently set her down.
Mrs. Yamanaka inspected Ino and, seeing that she wasn't injured, breathed a sigh of relief. She scolded lightly, "You shouldn't let others carry you."
"Uh, well, I couldn't walk anymore~" Ino pouted as she playfully complained.
"Couldn't walk? You must have been playing around too much" Mrs. Yamanaka guessed.
Ino fell silent, her face flushing as she turned away, clearly embarrassed by the accurate deduction.
"Sorry for the trouble" Mrs. Yamanaka said, slightly surprised to see Natsuro looking so composed and not out of breath. His stamina was impressive.
"It's no trouble at all. I should thank Yamanaka-san for guiding me" he replied.
"That's right, Mom, look, Natsuro says it's fine" Ino chimed in, looking at him with newfound appreciation.
Mrs. Yamanaka shot a disapproving glance at Ino but then said, "Let's not be so formal. Just call her Ino. By the way, wait a moment while I get something to decorate. Don't refuse."
He hesitated but eventually nodded. Since she insisted, he agreed.
Soon, Mrs. Yamanaka emerged with a bouquet of carnations.
Natsuro was taken aback; he had only bought one flower himself.
"Here you go" Mrs. Yamanaka said upon seeing his hesitation. "The rest of these are for your mother's birthday from me and Ino."
"Thanks, Natsuro" Ino added.
"Thank you" he accepted the flowers and said, "I'll be going now."
"See you tomorrow at school, Natsuro!" Ino waved goodbye.
"Yeah, see you at school."
Mrs. Yamanaka watched his retreating figure and sighed, reflecting on how nice he was. But then she frowned slightly, finding it odd to think of him as anything other than a child.
The next moment, Mrs. Yamanaka chuckled at her own thoughts. Wasn't it normal for Ino's friend to be a child?
With that, Mrs. Yamanaka and Ino returned to the flower shop. Even though Ino didn't mind, it was still important to teach her some manners—after all, it wasn't polite to waste others' time and trouble them.
That evening, Mrs. Yamanaka shared the day's events with her husband, Yamanaka Inoichi, who had just returned from a long day.
Inoichi pondered for a moment and said, "I think I know him. He should be the son of one of my classmates."
Mrs. Yamanaka was intrigued and asked for more details.
After a moment of thought, Inoichi explained, "His father and mother were both my classmates. However, his father passed away before he was born. His mother works at the Akimichi family's barbecue shop. I know her, and if I can help out, I should. I've heard she has a good work ethic and hasn't caused any trouble for the Akimichi family."
"I see" Mrs. Yamanaka reflected. "No wonder he's so considerate."
"It seems like you really like that kid" Inoichi remarked, noting Mrs. Yamanaka's evident fondness.
"Of course, who doesn't like a thoughtful child?" Mrs. Yamanaka replied.
...
At Natsuro's home, he had already set up the cake, and the room was tidied up, waiting for his mother to return.
Thinking about it, he performed the hand seals again.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
The shadow clone exchanged glances with him and then went outside to keep watch for his mother's arrival. Natsuro, receiving the signal, lit the candles.
Waiting until midnight wasn't really necessary, he decided.
After some time, his mind suddenly received an update from the shadow clone, signaling that his mother had arrived and the clone had dispersed.
He opened the box, revealing the untouched cake, and lit the candles.
He then looked around the still-bright room and decided to draw the curtains to set the mood. Now, the room was illuminated only by the flickering candlelight.
Shinai was heading home as usual, thinking about what to make for dinner. She had no idea today was special; after all, it had been so long since she celebrated her birthday.
Considering that Natsuro was now in ninja school and his energy consumption was likely higher, she decided to make a special meal for him.
Arriving at the front door, Shinai saw it was closed. She thought he might still be out playing.
So she skillfully took out the key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.
The next moment, Shinai froze. The dim room was illuminated by the soft glow of candles, and there was the birthday cake she hadn't seen in years. It seemed like only one person could have arranged this...
"Mom, happy birthday" Natsuro said with a smile, handing her the flowers.
She took the flowers, stunned, and stood there dazed.
"Mom, you can make a wish and blow out the candles now" he said, looking at the still-burning candles.
Immediately, he felt himself being embraced tightly. He noticed his shoulder was getting wet, and he was taken aback.
Even though he had lived over twenty years in his past life, he didn't quite understand why tears would come at this moment. While it was clear it was from overwhelming joy, was a birthday really this emotional?
Regardless of his confusion, he understood one thing clearly: he should just remain quiet and wait, letting his mother's emotions run their course.
Seeing her like this, Natsuro resolved to be there for her every year on this day.
Shinai tears were not just because of the cake but were a release of years of accumulated stress and a realization of the meaning behind her efforts. The birthday wish, the flowers, and his gesture answered years of hardship and perseverance.
Her dedication and hard work had been worth it. She was grateful she hadn't given up and had stayed with Natsuro. If he had been a troublesome child, she might have truly broken down.
These tears were a release of years of pent-up emotions and the joy of finally understanding the purpose of her persistence.
The past was behind her; now, she wanted to see her child grow up well.
After a long while, he remained still, waiting patiently for her to finish. He glanced at the candles and softly said, "Mom, the candles are almost burnt out."
"Mm, I've made my wish, and it's already come true" finally releasing Natsuro; speaking gently.
"Then… should I make another wish that hasn't come true yet?" he suggested after a moment's thought.
She smiled and said, "Sure."
She walked to the cake, closed her eyes, and after a while, blew out the nearly burned-out candles.
She wished for Natsuro to live a safe and happy life, find a kind and beautiful girlfriend, and hopefully, have a big, healthy grandchild before she passed away!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone