Return to the world

The sound of knocking on the door startled Mami, who was half asleep.

She was wearing a summer short-sleeved top and a pair of cheap slippers, rubbing her eyes while pushing the door open.When the handle of the old metal door was turned open, it made a disobedient creaking sound.This temporary one-story house is located in the corner of the campus, facing the shade, and rarely sees light. Although it is not convenient to dry clothes, it looks cooler in summer.

"Good afternoon, Mami."

The young man standing at the door greeted her a little shyly.

Takahashi Temple was wearing a brand-new Jonin vest, with no scratches, cuts, or dirty dirt and dust on it, and the swirl armbands on his arms were bright in color.His slightly curly black hair is also very smooth and clean, not at all greasy as it used to be.

"A Temple." Mami groped to put the glasses on the bridge of her nose, and asked, "What's the matter? Hey."

"Today is the fourth Hokage's inauguration ceremony. Aren't you going to watch the ceremony?" Takahashi Temple asked, lowering his head to watch his toes uneasily.

"That's right." Mami suddenly remembered that such a thing happened today.

Just as they guessed during the war years, the famous Namikaze Minato really became the next Hokage.A young and outstanding leader can bring new vitality to the village.

"It seems a little far away." Mami raised her head, squinted her eyes, and through the lens and the undulating roofs of several buildings, she could barely see the red outer wall of Hokage Building.She closed the door behind her back, stepped on plastic slippers and walked out: "Come with me."

Takahashi Temple followed Mami to the rooftop of a school building.Although the sun was scorching, they could see the Hokage Building where the succession ceremony was being held without hindrance.The upstairs and downstairs were full of people, the ninjas downstairs looked up at the new Hokage, and the people upstairs looked at their new leader approvingly.

Takahashi Temple tried to reach out to touch the railing of the roof, but quickly withdrew his hand because of the scalding heat.While looking in the direction of Hokage Tower, he said tentatively, "...the war is over, and many people have put the long-delayed wedding date on the agenda."

"Ai."

"I thought we were going to die in the war."

"Ai."

"Don't you want to get married, Mami?" Takahashi Temple summoned up his courage and asked.

"...how should I put it?" Mami wiped her sweaty forehead and said, "Humans will die one day, and I will die one day too. Marriage means that my death will make another people suffer."

Takahashi Temple was silent for a while, and said, "Mami, you can't always be so pessimistic. It's true that human beings will die—but it's an era of peace now. I mean, there is at least a long time before death Can……"

"No, I will die." She interrupted Takahashi Temple succinctly.

She must die.

"Ah?" Takahashi Temple was surprised and sighed again.He said in a low voice: "...you are too pessimistic. Moreover, you always inexplicably resist the approach of others. Obviously we are all companions who managed to survive the war together."

"Probably because I'm just an ordinary person." Mami said, "An ordinary person with an ordinary name and identity doesn't deserve more attention from others. Seriously, Ah Si, don't pay too much attention to my friend. Perhaps one day, I will completely disappear from everyone's lives... Of course, the disappearance of an ordinary person will not attract the attention of others."

"No, you are not ordinary at all, remember..." Takahashi Temple still wanted to argue, but a steady call came from the stairs leading to the rooftop, which made him stop his words.

"Miss Erchuan."

Asami and Takahashi Temple turned their heads together, only to find that it was a man wearing the uniform of the security forces.He stood in the shadow of the stairwell, and he didn't intend to step into the sunlight. He was obviously a leader who was used to being greeted by others.

After confirming his identity, Mami took a few steps towards the stairs.She put one hand on her forehead to shield from the scorching sun, and walked in front of the man within a few steps.Mami lowered her head and said hello: "Mr. Fuyue."

"I thought you would attend the fourth generation's inauguration ceremony." Uchiha Fugaku coughed, pushed the child behind him out, and said, "I haven't thanked you formally yet, I heard that you were transferred to the ninja school, so I took the liberty of coming to disturb you."

At some point, Hokage's inauguration ceremony has ended.

"...I never thought of appearing in this manner." Mami spread her hands.

A little embarrassing.

Fu Yue is neatly dressed, from the team badge to the family emblem.And she was wearing short-sleeved shorts and a pair of plastic slippers on her feet.Long red hair was tied up in a messy ponytail.

"This child..." Mami's eyes fell on the boy under Fu Yue.

He lowered his eyes, did not scan around curiously and restlessly like other children, and looked polite and docile.The palms and small arms are clean, and the clothes on the body are also neat.Unlike the mischievous kids Mami was used to, he seemed rather quiet.

"He is my eldest son, his name is Itachi." Fu Yue patted Itachi on the shoulder and said, "He will also enroll this year, and if he is lucky, he may become your student. Thank you for your care during the war." .Itachi—"

The black-haired boy bowed very standardly, and put his hands on his legs.When he lowered his head, he revealed a white and clean neck, and his short black hair rubbed against the neckline.

"Thank you very much for your help, Miss Erchuan."

It was obviously an immature voice, but it used the same tone as an adult, which made Mami laugh a little.

What a precocious child.

"You don't have to do that." Mami hurriedly said, "Itachi is also very brave, and wants to rescue a child who may be heavier than himself in the fire scene. This child will definitely become an excellent ninja in the future."

"An excellent ninja like Ms. Erchuan." Fu Yue replied politely.

"No——I'm just an ordinary person, eh." Mami laughed, helping her glasses that had slipped down the bridge of her nose with one hand.

Itachi Uchiha straightened his waist and followed Fu Yue quietly.He finally couldn't bear the child's nature, and began to look at Mami curiously, as if he had some questions to ask, but he couldn't say them because his father was by his side.When the adults were polite enough, he followed his father and left.

Looking at the back of the head of the Uchiha clan leaving with his eldest son, Takahashi Temple secretly said: "Mami, the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village center is not very good. You look like this..."

"It's okay." Mami said, "It's just saving a child."

Hokage's inauguration ceremony is over, so there is no need to stay on the rooftop to accept the scorching heat.The two walked down the stairs one after another to the roof, chatting about some old things from the war years while walking, the sound of tapping footsteps and small conversation echoed in the corridor.

"Where did Junko go?"

"Still in the captain's team, maybe he will continue to serve as an ordinary jonin."

"Have you been to the new Heroes' Cemetery?"

"...I've been there. There are too many tombstones, and it's hard to find the person I want to see."

"Are you really going to stay in the ninja school and be a teacher with a meager salary who plays with the children? Asami."

"Ah... yes. It's a good job. It's simple and simple. It sounds good."

×

It's a good job, plain and simple, and sounds good.

If she had known that things would turn out like this, Mami would never set up a flag and wait to slap herself in the face.

"Mami! Mami! Have you got a copy of the freshmen's list? I don't have it...can you give me another copy?"

"Mami, I can't move...I'm about to be crushed by this stack of papers."

"Mami... How should this student's name be pronounced? Is there really such a katakana name?"

Well, it's not simple at all, it's not ordinary at all.

Noisy shouts, crowding into ears, accompanied by residual heat in the air, made Mami drowsy.The pen in his hand fell on the table with a thud, and a diagonal line of ink was drawn on the list of freshmen.She didn't wake up again until she accidentally knocked her head on the desk.

The door of the office was wide open, and ninjas and the parents of the students hurried to and fro in the corridor outside the door.As the start time approached, the originally empty ninja school gradually became busy.As the first new term after the war, there was suddenly a large number of children from four to seven years old who needed to be arranged to enter the school this year.

Asami sorted out the list in her hand, wiped her glasses clean with the glasses cloth folded beside the table, and then walked out of the office with her own list.She was dressed in neat ninja attire—long sleeves and a waistcoat in summer, leggings and ninja shoes, which was a little uncomfortable.

"Mami, why are you still here?" A passing colleague stood at the top of the stairs and urged her, "Your Excellency Hokage is here, go downstairs soon."

In the open space behind the gate of the ninja school, a large group of people stood in a dark mass.A banner that had been prepared long ago was hung on the gate of the teaching building, and the big characters of "School Opening Ceremony" were correct and bright.An empty swing hangs from a branch beside it.

First, there was a group of children of different heights in the open space. They turned their heads restlessly, searching for their relatives, or looking around curiously.Then came the parents who came to watch the ceremony, standing there in a little commotion at a distance not too far away.The sound of Mami's footsteps as she descended the stairs did not attract the attention of any of them.