(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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When Colt returned to the village with the Konoha army, he was greeted by cheers from countless people.
"Woah!!"
"It's Colt-sama!!!"
The villagers desperately needed a big win to lift their spirits.
"Well done, you rascal!" Tsunade exclaimed, hugging Colt tightly and showering him with two big rewards.
"Oof! Tsunade-sama, I can't breathe!" Colt mumbled; his voice muffled against her.
In the distance, Hinata, Ino, and Kurenai looked at Colt proudly.
This was their boyfriend, the hero of Konoha!
After making a public appearance, Colt, Shikaku, and the others were called to the Hokage's office.
"You've done an excellent job this time. The 100 million ryo compensation is enough to hurt the Cloud Village" Tsunade said to Shikaku with a smile.
However, he shook his head.
"This is all thanks to Colt. If he hadn't controlled the Two-Tails Jinchūriki so well, we wouldn't have had the upper hand."
He wasn't just complimenting Colt; it was the truth.
It wasn't so much a battle as it was Colt's one-man show.
Hearing his praise, Tsunade's smile grew even wider as she turned to look at Colt.
She was completely satisfied with him now.
The only downside was that he was too young to expand their Senju family just yet…
Still, she had a question to ask.
"Did you really return the Two-Tails Jinchūriki so easily?"
Tsunade felt that with Colt's cunning, things were definitely not that simple.
"It's only the Two-Tails, of course I'll return it, but my [Summoning Technique] hasn't been removed just yet. If we need it in the future, I can summon it at any time," Colt explained.
After Colt finished speaking, Tsunade's expression changed to one of disbelief.
She knew things weren't so simple indeed.
Why was this kid so devious?
The Fourth Raikage already spent 100 million to redeem the tailed beast, and Colt still had it at his beck and call.
It's almost too cunning to believe.
After asking for more details, Tsunade let everyone return to rest.
Before leaving, Colt requested another reward from Tsunade.
He had been doing frequent missions outside the village and was feeling a bit bored. Now that Colt had no shortage of prestige and status, he was ready to take a break.
Tsunade pondered for a moment before agreeing to Colt's request. Although Konoha had many tasks at hand, it wouldn't hurt for Colt to have some time alone.
Moreover, he had also handed over his pet at home to help in missions.
Tsunade had heard Asuma mention it, and even he could only barely fight against the dog.
If Ichibi was here, he'd definitely howl at them in anger, his face full of indignation.
'How could that monkey-like guy be a match for me as an adult?'
After leaving the Hokage building, Colt saw Ino and Hinata waiting outside.
As for Kurenai? The adult communication time was, of course, in the evening.
The two girls ignored their fathers completely, rushing into Colt's arms as if returning home.
Crack! Crack!
At that moment, the hearts of the two old fathers broke simultaneously.
"Come on, let's go home," Colt said with a smile, holding their hands.
"Mm!" The two women nodded in unison, forgetting to look at their fathers from start to finish.
Hiashi Hyūga and Inoichi Yamanaka glanced at each other, both feeling depressed.
"Want to grab a drink?" Inoichi sighed, extending an invitation.
How could they solve their worries? Only with sake.
"Let's go," Hiashi, who was usually so traditional, now wore a lonely expression.
To be honest, he felt that he was even worse off than Inoichi because while his eldest daughter was already gone, his younger daughter seemed to be following suit quickly.
"Woof! Woof!"
Before opening the door, Colt heard the sound of excited barking from inside. He smiled and pushed open the door.
A mighty and majestic... well, as mighty and majestic as a dog could be, rushed towards him.
The dog, often exercising by Guy's side, seemed full of energy.
Hinata and Ino went into the kitchen to prepare dinner for Colt who had just returned from a war, while he fulfilled his duty as a master and went out for a few laps with Ichibi.
Seeing his dog so active, he couldn't help but want to prank him.
"Ichibi, after all these years, you're already a mature dog..."
"Woof?"
Master, what does this mean?
"Your master is spending a lot of money now, especially with Hinata who's a big eater, so you have to be sensible."
"Woof?"
I still don't understand.
Colt squatted down, rubbed Ichibi's head affectionately, and looked very serious.
"From today onwards, you are an official ninja of Konoha. So, you have to work hard. The quality of your life in the future will depend on how much you can earn for yourself."
Ichibi looked bewildered.
What? In such a big home, even a small dog can't be accommodated?
Not only that, Colt continued:
"I have spent a lot of effort training you. From now on, I won't take a lot of money from your tasks, just half. The rest will buy you high-quality dog food, which is definitely better than Kakashi's summons."
"Awoooo!"
The surrounding residents were startled by the sudden wolf-like pained howl, but when they saw it was Ichibi, they smiled and paid it no mind.
The dog, known for training with Guy in the village, was quite famous, and his wolf-like barking was one of his characteristics.
Colt patted the lovable Ichibi and returned home happily.
'It's so fun pranking him'
(E/N: I made it all a prank, because it seemed that Colt was serious here and not just joking with the dog, but that's just too cold-blooded for me)
By this time, Ino and Hinata had prepared a sumptuous dinner.
The three of them already felt at home together, and Ino and Hinata had been like sisters for many years. There were no strict rules about eating or talking at the dinner table.
Ino and Hinata shared interesting stories about their missions, and Colt also picked out some less bloody ones from the battlefield to tell the two girls. His drive to become stronger was to protect the people he loved. There was no need to let them know the cruel side of the world because he would block any storm for them.
As night fell, Colt escorted Hinata and Ino home as usual. It was a bit strange that Inoichi wasn't standing at the door this time, watching him bring Ino back with a disapproving look. Today, only Mrs. Yamanaka greeted Colt with a smile.
What Colt didn't know was that in a luxurious izakaya, the two middle-aged fathers were already linking their shoulders in their drunken state.
"Brother Hiashi, my heart is bitter! Colt stole my little princess when she was just six years old!" Inoichi wailed.
"I... I haven't even had the chance to be her hero yet!"
"Brother Inoichi! No matter how hard it is for you, it's not as hard as it is for me! You only have one daughter, but I have two!" Hiashi retorted with great pain.
"No matter how you count it, my pain is far above yours!"
The two paused at that for a second. And then resumed crying.
"Waaah, my daughter! (x2)" they sobbed in unison.