Torifu patted Naori's hand, signaling that she could stop massaging him, then pulled up a chair beside himself.
"Sit down and rest for a bit. You've been busy all morning; you must be exhausted."
Naori didn't refuse. With so many clan heads visiting, it was only natural for Naori to entertain them. She cut a lot of fruit and snacks for them to eat, and the tea, it flowed almost continuously. Her morning was hardly any less strenuous than Torifu's.
Now it was Torifu's turn to massage her shoulders. The scene vividly resembled an old married couple supporting and caring for each other. It brought tears to one's eyes for a moment.
The past two days passed quite quickly and leisurely. Aside from Kaito coming daily to train with Yahiko and the others, no one else came to visit the Kumotsuru Clan. After all, the bicycle matter had already been explained clearly to the clan heads and the Kage, and each of them had also been given a bicycle to take home and try out. Over the past two days, villagers often saw young masters or ladies riding bicycles in the streets. After inquiring around, they learned that this was a batch specially produced by the Hokage-sama to test for any issues, to ensure that the final production version would be free of any flaws or defects. The villagers no longer felt any unfairness.
Since the Spring Festival was tomorrow, the villagers were all exceptionally busy today. Some rushed to buy fireworks and food, while others cleaned their own courtyards. Since the couplets expressed hopes for the New Year, the courtyard naturally had to be renewed. Therefore, almost every family was lively, and the streets were bustling with people. All the major shops were also filled with villagers buying goods.
The Kumotsuru Clan had already finished their shopping yesterday, so they naturally didn't need to compete with the villagers. At this moment, Torifu and others were leisurely drinking tea in the courtyard. Kaito seemed to have been pulled away by Mifune to grab New Year's goods, as it was almost ten o'clock and he still hadn't come for training. This left Yahiko and Konan quite bored all morning, unsure of what to do.
Ever since Yahiko lost to Konan, just as Torifu had expected, he became extremely dedicated to training. If he previously put seven-tenths of his effort into training, now it was nine-tenths. His diligence was comparable to Minato's in his youth. For the past two days, he had also been sparring with Kaito using swords, gaining some experience. Torifu also taught Yahiko how to use swordsmanship every morning. He made excellent use of his time each day.
"The New Year is tomorrow. See if we're missing anything at home," Naori asked with a smile. Originally, there weren't so many things to do for the New Year in Konoha Village. Although it was a special day, there wasn't much to celebrate. It was usually just a family meal, and then it passed. But this year, Torifu had introduced something called the Spring Festival. Regardless of anything else, it had certainly made these last few days of the year lively. The villagers also seemed more spirited than during New Year's past. Naori thought it was a wonderful festival and was very happy to be busy with it. She imagined the people of Konoha Village felt the same way; otherwise, they wouldn't be queuing up in long lines at shops to buy goods for the Spring Festival. The villagers were all eagerly anticipating what tomorrow's Spring Festival would be like.
"There's nothing else we need. We've pretty much bought everything. After we get back from the Spring Festival activities tomorrow, we'll make a New Year's Eve dinner, and then this year will have passed." Torifu replied, taking a sip of tea. He did recall one thing he had forgotten to make: firecrackers. Besides fireworks, firecrackers could be said to be standard for New Year's. He had intended to make them a while ago, but got busy and simply forgot. The Spring Festival was tomorrow, and there wasn't enough time now, unless firecrackers could be found in the system shop. Otherwise, he would have to give up on that item. Although it felt a bit regrettable, many aspects of this first Spring Festival were still imperfect. It was already good enough that it could be held successfully, and Torifu wasn't going to be picky. He didn't intend to make everything perfect all at once; he could only continuously refine it. After all, the traditions passed down through countless years in his previous life couldn't be fully replicated in just a few months.
As it was, Torifu was already quite satisfied. Since Torifu, the overall planner of this Spring Festival, felt there were no problems, Naori was also reassured. The fireworks were ready, just waiting to be set off tomorrow evening.
Speaking of this, Naori suddenly remembered something, and it was quite important: "By the way, Torifu, no matter how beautiful fireworks are, they are still fire. Won't setting too many off pose a safety hazard?" Naori's reminder was spot on, and Torifu also realized the importance of the matter. The houses in Konoha Village were densely arranged, and most were wooden structures, making them very prone to catching fire. In Konoha Village now, if not every family had bought firecrackers, at least two-thirds of households had. If they were all set off at once, there was no telling what accidents might happen.
"You're right. I'll have Anka come up with a reasonable solution right away. It's still early; the official display won't be until tomorrow night, so there's plenty of time." Naori felt relieved after hearing this, but then wondered if it was a bit unkind for the Hokage to relax at home while his secretary did the work. Was it not a bit unfair?
Soon, Torifu dialed Anka's phone number and explained the safety concerns Naori had raised. Anka, on the other end of the line, took the matter very seriously. If Konoha Village really caught fire, although there wouldn't be any danger with the Hokage present, it would reflect poorly. Especially with Kage from other villages still around, it would make a bad impression.
"Understood, Hokage-sama. I will come up with a solution immediately. I'll notify Dan-sama and have him dispatch Anbu members to quickly distribute the announcement to the villagers."
Torifu nodded. "I trust you with this. Sorry for the trouble."
"Hokage-sama, you exaggerate. It's no trouble at all; this is all for the village and its people."
Afterward, the two hung up the phone. Although Anka was a young woman, her love for the village was no less than Torifu's. That's why Torifu trusted her so much.
"Indeed, I can always rely on Anka to get things done. I don't need to rack my own brain at all!"
Naori playfully tapped Torifu's head. "Go on, be lazy. If this keeps up, you might as well just hand the Hokage position over to Anka." Naori had intended to tease Torifu, but to her surprise, Torifu's eyes widened.
"How did you know I had that thought?"
Naori paused, "I didn't know?"
Torifu shook his head, saying with a hint of regret, "Anka's work ethic is serious, and she handles various affairs with great skill. It's just that her strength is too weak; she can't protect Konoha Village well."
"Otherwise, I truly would have intended for her to be Hokage," Torifu said seriously.