Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

This brotherly love for his sister continued to this day. Unfortunately, a few years ago, Uchiha Shuichi and Uchiha Anna moved to the capital of the Land of Fire due to family obligations.

As a result, the opportunity for the siblings to meet was reduced to just once a year.

Chiba was also happy about the news. His uncle and aunt had always treated him kindly, even better than they treated their biological daughter, Uchiha Mikoto.

He guessed that their affection stemmed from the fact that his uncle and aunt had taken care of him long before he was even born, and without any direct ties to his father at that time.

Seeing that neither his daughter nor grandson had any objections, Uchiha Inada immediately said, "Alright then, I'll head back now. Remember to come over for dinner the day after tomorrow."

With that, Uchiha Inada stood up, using one hand to support himself on the table.

Uchiha Genka quickly stood up as well. "Dad, let me see you off."

Uchiha Chiba followed his mother's example and silently helped Uchiha Inada out of the house.

Two days later, Uchiha Genka and Uchiha Chiba visited Uchiha Shuichi's home for dinner with the family.

After the meal and some family bonding, they returned home.

From then on, Chiba settled into a routine—delivering lunches to Uchiha Genka and Tsunade during the day and practicing at night.

This continued uninterrupted until the hospital began its holiday break.

In his free time, he occasionally went fishing with his friends Senju Nawaki and Nara Shikaku.

Time passed, and soon it was January 1, Konoha Year 34.

Since it was New Year's Day, Uchiha Genka called out early in the morning, "Chiba, wake up! Go clear the snow outside the door!"

Uchiha Chiba sighed helplessly. He missed the days when his mother would leave for work after making breakfast and let him sleep in.

Reluctantly, he got dressed, grabbed a shovel, and stepped outside.

When he reached the front yard, he noticed the neighbors were also busy clearing snow. Seeing this, he resigned himself to the task and began shoveling at full speed.

After breakfast, Uchiha Genka and Chiba took prepared gifts to Uchiha Shuichi's house to exchange New Year's greetings.

However, they didn't stay long and returned home shortly after.

Once home, Uchiha Chiba turned to his mother. "Mom, I'm heading out."

"Alright," Genka replied. But as Chiba approached the door, she called out again, "Chiba, will you be back for lunch?"

The boy waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about me. I'll eat outside."

After stepping out, Uchiha Chiba made his way to the school gate, where he had agreed to meet his friends Nara Shikaku, Senju Nawaki, Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Aburame Shibi.

When he arrived, five familiar faces were already waiting.

Choza, who was snacking, spotted him first. "Chiba, over here!" he called, waving.

Shikaku turned around and teased, "Chiba, why are you always the last one to show up? Do you know how long we've been waiting?"

Nawaki, clueless, chimed in, "We just got here too, didn't we?"

Shikaku smacked his forehead in frustration. His attempt to guilt Chiba into cooking for them had been foiled by Nawaki's honesty.

As Chiba approached, he greeted them all, "Happy New Year, Choza, Shibi, Nawaki, and Inoichi."

Then he turned to Shikaku with a smirk. "Shikaku, you'd better explain yourself. Otherwise, I'll make sure you leave looking like a panda today."

Shikaku, far from intimidated, chuckled. He knew Chiba was only joking. Still, to play along, he feigned fear.

"Well, I thought it was New Year's Day, and we ought to have something special to eat. Chiba, you're the best cook in Konoha, after all."

He glanced at the others, signaling them to back him up.

Catching the cue, they all nodded enthusiastically. It was true—they missed Chiba's cooking. Unlike Nawaki, the rest of them didn't have someone like Tsunade to cook delicious meals for them.

Understanding their sentiment, Chiba sighed. "I didn't bring anything today. It's hard to cook without ingredients, you know."

The group collectively drooped in disappointment. Then, a hand shot up.

"Wait! I might have a solution," Choza said hesitantly.

Everyone turned to him, eager for an answer.

"My family owns a barbecue restaurant," he explained. "There's a kitchen there with all the ingredients and seasonings we'll need."

Realization dawned on the group—of course! The Akimichi family ran most of the barbecue restaurants in Konoha.

Nawaki gave Choza a hearty pat on the back. "Choza, you're a lifesaver!"

With the problem solved, everyone turned to Chiba, their eyes full of hope.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Chiba relented with a shrug. "Fine, let's do it."

At the Akimichi barbecue restaurant, the group headed straight to the kitchen.

Since it was a self-service establishment, the kitchen wasn't bustling. Instead, it had a calm, organized vibe with just a few people chopping meat and washing vegetables.

Soon, a man entered the kitchen. Judging by his build, it was clear he belonged to the Akimichi clan.

"Happy New Year, Uncle," Choza greeted.

The man nodded warmly. "Happy New Year, Choza. Are you here with friends for a meal?"

Choza nodded and explained their plan.

Hearing the explanation, the man's gaze shifted to Uchiha Chiba with a hint of curiosity.