The night had grown deep.
Shin stepped out of the Hokage Building, the copied scroll from the sealed archive held tightly against his chest.
The cool night breeze brushed against his face, but it did nothing to extinguish the heat burning inside him.
When he pushed open the front door, the lights in the living room were still on, and the rich aroma of stewed meat drifted toward him.
"Yo! Our great hero is finally back!"
Kagutsuchi Hiroshi sprang up from the sofa with an exaggerated grin. In just a few quick strides, he reached the entryway and slapped Shin hard on the shoulder.
"You brat, coming home this late on your very first mission? What happened? Did your teacher keep you behind for special training because you performed too well?"
He leaned closer, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Come on, tell me already. What incredible thing did you pull off today?"
In the kitchen, Morisaki Aoi poked her head out while still holding a spatula, smiling helplessly.
"Hiroshi, stop pestering him the moment he gets home. At least let Shin breathe first."
As she spoke, she looked toward her son, confusion faintly visible in her gentle eyes. "Shin, why are you so late today? The food's almost gone cold already. I'll heat it up again."
Standing quietly in the entryway, Shin looked at his father's excessive enthusiasm and listened to Aoi's soft nagging. In that instant, he understood everything.
The incident from this afternoon had clearly been completely suppressed.
Most likely… they knew absolutely nothing about it. And honestly, that was for the best.
If Morisaki Aoi were still an active Special Jonin, perhaps things would have been manageable. But now…
"It's nothing," Shin replied calmly. "After the mission ended, I stayed behind and talked with Yumi and Ken for a while."
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the entryway froze slightly.
The smile on Kagutsuchi Hiroshi's face stiffened for a brief moment, and the arm around Shin's shoulder unconsciously tightened.
Morisaki Aoi, who had just turned toward the kitchen, stopped in place and slowly looked back.
"Yumi and Ken… you mean Sato Yumi and Kobayashi Ken from your team?" Her voice was soft.
Kagutsuchi Shin nodded.
Kagutsuchi Hiroshi suddenly snapped out of his daze, and an even brighter grin spread across his face.
"Good! That's great! Really great!"
He burst into loud laughter, unable to hide his happiness. "That's exactly how teammates should be! Talking after missions, getting closer, building trust! Hahaha!"
The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened from smiling so hard, and the look he gave his son was filled with relief and pride.
This had always been one of their biggest concerns.
Ever since he was young, neither Kagutsuchi Hiroshi nor Morisaki Aoi had ever seen Shin willingly spend time talking with children his own age, let alone stay behind after a mission just to interact with his teammates.
To them, hearing that Kagutsuchi Shin had voluntarily spent time with his team was even more surprising than hearing he had ranked first in the Academy.
Morisaki Aoi was far less expressive than her husband, but the light in her eyes noticeably brightened.
She quickly turned back toward the kitchen, her tone much lighter than before.
"I'll reheat everything right away. Shin, go sit down and rest first."
Watching the two of them become so openly happy over something so simple, Shin showed a speechless expression and quietly walked toward the dining table.
He understood exactly why they were so happy.
To them, it simply meant that he was finally beginning to act like a normal child and slowly opening himself to others.
But what they did not understand was how difficult that kind of "normalcy" truly was for him.
He understood their hopes, but… he simply could not become like everyone else.
He could never be like those children at the Ninja Academy who spent their days chatting endlessly about trivial things or arguing passionately over childish matters.
That was never who he was.
Soon, Aoi returned with the reheated dishes, the aroma once again filling the room.
She deliberately placed the large bowl of stewed beef directly in front of her son and spoke warmly:
"Eat plenty. I especially made your favorite Gyudon. It simmered for a very long time, so it should be extra tender."
As she spoke, she used the serving chopsticks to place a large piece of richly flavored beef into Shin's bowl.
Kagutsuchi Hiroshi also picked up his chopsticks and laughed heartily.
"That's right! Eat more! A Ninja needs a strong body! Your mother's cooking is top-class!"
Shin lowered his gaze toward the especially noticeable piece of beef resting atop the white rice.
Morisaki Aoi and Kagutsuchi Hiroshi both watched him expectantly, waiting for him to start eating like usual.
But seeing him lost in thought, Aoi and Hiroshi looked at each other in confusion.
"What's wrong, Shin?" Morisaki Aoi asked curiously. "Why are you lost in thought?"
Shin lifted his head and said, "No. It's nothing. I just thought of something."
"Something?" Kagutsuchi Hiroshi scratched his head in confusion. "What is it?"
Shin shook his head slightly. "Today… I finally felt like I'd taken another step closer to the level I want to reach."
As those words left his mouth, a faint ripple stirred within his heart. The words "Wood Release Ninjutsu" from the sealed scroll surfaced in his mind once again.
He needed those Wood Release Ninjutsu records to further develop and learn his own Magma Release.
Even though he had already awakened the power of magma, he still lacked the proper jutsu to fully unleash its true potential.
His instincts were telling him the same thing. Only after obtaining that Wood Release scroll would he truly step onto the path toward becoming a top-tier Ninja.
Hiroshi did not fully understand what Shin meant, but seeing that his son appeared to be in a good mood, he simply laughed and chose not to ask further questions.
Aoi also relaxed and smiled gently. "That's good. Now eat while it's hot."
Kagutsuchi Shin silently picked up his chopsticks, lifted the piece of beef, and placed it into his mouth.
The tender, richly flavored meat melted instantly on his tongue, while the warmth of the meal and the warmth of his family quietly intertwined together.