"Done," Ren said, placing the last dish down and looking at the four dishes and one soup on the table, a satisfied expression on his face.
"Dinner's ready, Aunt Maiko!"
Ren called out towards the door as he untied his apron. Soon after, Kana Maiko, dressed in home clothes and holding a cup, appeared at the dining table, looking with interest at the steaming hot dishes before her.
"The presentation isn't bad. I hope the taste won't disappoint me."
As Kana Maiko spoke, she took the chopsticks handed to her, picked up a piece of fish, and put it into her mouth. After chewing for a moment, her eyes lit up. She looked up at Ren, who was serving her rice from across the table, and said excitedly, "You little rascal, not bad! Why didn't I know you could cook before?"
"Oh, you're always so busy, like a big shot. I don't even see you during holidays, so even if I wanted to cook, I never had the chance," Ren said, resting his chin on his hand on the table, a bit helplessly.
As the Vice President of Konoha Hospital, she was busy all day, barely touching the ground, with little time off even throughout the year. Plus, most of their meetings were on the street, and it was too much trouble to go back and cook, so they just ate out.
Maiko raised her soup bowl, took a sip, and then set it down, her gaze on Ren opposite her, saying teasingly, "So, Ren, isn't holding a girlfriend's hand very comfortable?"
Earlier, in the welcoming crowd, she had spotted Ren on the vehicle and Kurenai holding his hand, which instantly ignited her gossip soul.
After picking up Ren, she had intended to invite Kurenai to be a guest, but before she could speak, Shinku Yuhi arrived with the Instantaneous Body Technique, his face dark. After greeting Maiko, he pulled Kurenai away without saying a word to Ren.
But the gloomy aura he exuded made everyone within a few meters instinctively move away from him. The look he gave Ren before leaving sent shivers down his spine.
"Eat your food," Ren said grumpily, then picked up a piece of spare rib and bit into it, along with a mouthful of rice, a look of satisfaction spreading across his face.
After a year of plain meals, his taste buds were almost gone. After so many days, he finally ate fresh and delicious food again. It was simply too good!
After a whirlwind of eating, the four dishes and one soup were completely devoured. Ren was washing dishes in the kitchen, while Kana Maiko leaned back on a stool, reading a book nearby.
"Hey, Ren."
Maiko put down her book, turned to look at Ren in the kitchen, and asked curiously, "You're back in the Village. Do you have any plans next?"
"Huh?"
Ren was startled for a moment, then placed the washed dish next to him and said, a bit speechlessly, "Auntie, don't forget, I'm a Jonin, and I have my own squad. If I have any plans, besides performing missions, it's just to keep getting stronger."
"Oh, you still have a squad?"
Maiko was a bit surprised. She knew Ren was a Jonin now, but she didn't expect him to still be leading a team.
This was not an easy job, especially during wartime. Jonin could barely protect themselves during missions, let alone bringing three Genin along. Wasn't he just asking for trouble?
So, after the war began, the Village generally stopped assigning squads to Jonin who hadn't led one yet. Someone like Ren, who actively applied, was simply too unusual.
When it came to his subordinates, Ren immediately perked up, raising his head and saying proudly, "Of course! Three super geniuses, the future pillars of Konoha, the next generation of the Sannin, that's them!"
"...Alright, I'm going to wash up and rest. Tomorrow is Monday, and I have to work..."
Maiko stood up with a resentful expression and walked towards the bathroom, her hands wildly scratching her head. It seemed she was very displeased with how quickly the holiday had ended.
"If you ask me, you could probably retire in about ten more years," Ren said with a light chuckle, pushing his chair back and looking at Maiko brushing her teeth not far away.
"Don't even mention it," Maiko spat out the white foam from her mouth, looking at Ren, and said indistinctly, "Even Lord Third Hokage only retired two days ago. I'm only thirty-five now, so it's hard to say if I'll be able to retire in ten years."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Hearing this, Ren, who was drinking water, suddenly choked. He lowered his head and coughed a few times before recovering. Ignoring the water stains on the table, he said in astonishment, "Lord Third Hokage retired? Then the Fourth Hokage..."
Ren didn't say any more, and Maiko understood his meaning. After rinsing all the white foam from her mouth, she said unhurriedly, "As for the Fourth Hokage, Lord Third Hokage and the two Advisors already set off yesterday to meet the Daimyo in the Land of Fire Capital. As for the candidates, everyone thinks it will be Orochimaru and Minato."
"They've already gone..." Ren murmured, wiping the table.
Looking at the situation, it was highly probable that Lord Third Hokage had already spoken with Minato these past two days. Was it finally time for the Fourth Hokage's era?
This time, without Danzo causing trouble, Orochimaru probably wouldn't even have a chance to run.
As for Orochimaru, others might not know, but Ren knew that while he was interested in the Hokage position, it was something he could take or leave.
In his heart, science and immortality always came first; other things like fame, fortune, and status were merely incidental.
And as he was pondering, Kana Maiko had finished washing up. As she passed him, she patted his head and chuckled, "What are you thinking about?"
Ren immediately snapped back to reality, looking at the grinning person standing in front of him, and said, "I say, at this hour, if you don't go to rest, do you plan to be the first to be late tomorrow?"
"Uh..." Kana Maiko looked up at the outside, then quickly turned and rushed back into her room, closing the door. Her voice came from inside, "Well, that's it then. Good night, Ren!"
"...Honestly."
Despite what he said, Ren also felt a bit sleepy. Although he had slept on the vehicle, the bumpy ride wasn't particularly comfortable.
Seeing that everything was done, Ren yawned and went up to his room on the second floor, pulling back the covers and lying down.
He had originally planned to go home, but Kana Maiko had already tidied up the bed while he was cooking, so he gratefully accepted.
"Hmph," Ren covered himself with the blanket, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
At this moment, Konoha Village was peaceful, with laughter echoing from every brightly lit home.
The first night after returning to the Village...