Chapter 40: Farewell, Little Pig
When Izayoi came home, he did not bathe or cook beforehand.
He went inside and came out with a locked box in his hand.
By the look on Izayoi's face, it was clear that the box contains very valuable items.
Even the key to the lock is hidden in a secret compartment of the living room.
When the box was opened, it contained no scrolls or weapons, but a red ceramic. piggy bank.
"Little pig... goodbye."
Izayoi extracted the piggy bank, his hands and voice slightly trembling, his expression sorrowful.
Having spoken, he turned his face away, closed his eyes, and ground the piggy bank to the ground.
The ceramic piggy bank shattered into pieces, and coins poured everywhere on the floor.
Izayoi knelt down and picked up the coins and bills separately, just as he used to do when he was putting them away in the piggy bank during his childhood.
All this cash Izayoi had accumulated from his monthly pension allowance and bonuses he earned for taking D-rank missions within this period of time.
When it came to his parents' inheritance, that had been depleted long ago.
After all, not only did he have to take care of himself, but also a big appetite.
If the village had not provided him with a monthly allowance until he was appointed as a Genin, Izayoi would have long since been living on tree bark and wild grass.
After stuffing the money into a bag, Izayoi threw the 230,000 ryo which he had just received into it.
Then, he went outside with the bag and came up to a store.
With a thud, Izayoi let the bag fall heavily onto the counter, waved towards something and said, "Boss, there are 388,300 ryo inside. I'd like to buy a film camera. Please change the rest into film and photography developing materials."
"Alright, thanks for shopping with us."
The boss's enthusiastic voice came out almost immediately.
Before long, Izayoi walked out of the shop with a camera.
"I finally bought it. It's not too late now."
Izayoi played with the camera fondly and smiled to himself, "Although I cannot take photos of the childhood memories between me and Hinata, I can take photos of Hanabi's growth. It's worth it!"
"I'm penniless. I probably can't even eat the contents of the fridge. Let's hunt and grill tonight."
....
"Onii-chan, wake up. The sun is shining on your butt."
The next morning, Izayoi, who had bed-warming disease, still enjoyed the wake-up service of the princess.
But this time it was not the eldest princess who woke him up, but the little princess.
His nose was a little tickly. Izayoi opened his eyes and in his hazy vision, a small and cute little face came into view little by little.
I watched Hanabi, wearing a yellow-brown kimono, sitting on top of Izayoi's body, leaning forward and holding her bangs braid, using her hair to sweep Izayoi's nose and face.
"Naughty, next time when you sleep, Onii-chan will do the same to you." Izayoi smiled and stroked Hanabi's little face.
"Hehe. Nee-chan was the one who woke me up Onii-chan. Onii-chan, if you please, blame Nee-chan." Hanabi hastily rubbed Izayoi's palm and started denying responsibility.
"...Onii-chan goes first, Onii-chan needs to wash up."
"Okay."
Izayoi slapped Hanabi's tiny butt, instructing her to get out of bed after teasing her for a bit.
Hanabi, socks covered in white, jumped from the bed and ran outside, no wonder one couldn't hear anything.
Upon just washing, Izayoi opened the drawer of his study desk and drew out the camera inside.
Just as he was leaving the room, Izayoi saw Hinata busy in the kitchen upon first sight.
Hinata was not wearing her white windbreaker and black pants now, but a white kimono, with purple and white petal patterns on the belt, cuffs and skirt.
Her black hair was pulled behind her head, forming a bun.
Around her waist was an apron, tied there, and she held a frying pan, skillfully flipping the pan.
Hanabi was rolling rice balls into seaweed on the dining table.
At catching this scene, Izayoi couldn't help but hold his breath, snatched the camera and crept along tiptoes, seeking the most beautiful angle of taking with the light.
By clicking, a moment of two sisters, back to back, one standing and one kneeling, both wearing kimonos and each having their own business to attend to, was immortalized.
When they turned around and heard the camera shutter sound, Hinata and Hanabi turned around.
"Camera!"
Hanabi's beautiful eyes twinkled when she caught sight of the camera in Izayoi's hand. She took off her gloves and rushed up, surprised, "Onii-chan, when did you buy this camera?"
"I bought it yesterday."
"Let me see, Onii-chan, Onii-chan!"
"Be careful, Onii-chan paid 300,000 ryo to buy this. All his savings and mission points are gone." Izayoi handed over the camera and reminded.
When she heard this, Hanabi scraped her hands ferociously on her expensive kimono, which can even buy a number of cameras, and then grabbed the camera.
"Ani oneechan, are you able to see the pictures?"
"You have to develop them. Onii-chan will explain how to develop pictures after breakfast."
"Yes, yes! Ani oneechan, take our photo too."
"Don't worry, I will take a photo with you after your sister has prepared food. That will be nicer."
"Yes, yes."
Observing Izayoi and Hanabi playing, there was a smile on Hinata's mouth.
After Hinata had finished preparing breakfast, Izayoi and Hanabi had finished the rice balls together, and the three of them sat down at the dining table with seaweed rice balls in their hands and took the first group photo with wide smiles.
Izayoi sat in the middle with the sisters to the left and right.
The person who had taken the picture was Izayoi's shadow clone.
A shadow clone is more convenient than a selfie stick.
The three of them stayed in Izayoi's room after breakfast, drew the light-proof curtains, and started to develop photos.
"It's so beautiful."
Looking at the very artistic picture of the sisters, Hanabi, who couldn't think of an adjective, could only say like this.
Hinata looked at the three of them on the group photo, her beautiful eyes twinkling.
The girl's thoughts were as sorry as Izayoi's at this moment.
It would have been great to have a camera when she was a child, so she could take pictures of the progress of her and Izayoi's growth.
But. it is not too late now.
So on the next day, Izayoi and Hyuga sisters started taking pictures everywhere.
First at various spots in the house, such as the living room, balcony, dojo, backyard.
Then they went out, went to the old familiar empty training ground and some beautiful waterfall locations, and took single, double and triple photos.
When walking alongside a large tree, Hinata never took the lead and pinched the loose sleeve cuffs of the long robes which Izayoi had altered to his personal order, and questioned with his cheeks blushing red, "Izayoi-kun, can I use the Transformation Technique?"
Hearing this, Izayoi was a little stunned.
And he glanced toward the large tree where Hinata had looked, and Izayoi understood and smiled, nodded with his head, "All right, I'll go too."
"Alright."
Hinata smiled. When Izayoi performed the Shadow Clone Technique, the two stood facing each other and sealed at the same time, "Transformation Technique!"
The white smoke dissipated, and two children in simple clothes with baby round faces stood under the huge tree, smiling at one another.
Then the two smiled at Izayoi's shadow clone.
With a click, the photo was forever locked.
(End of this chapter)
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