The Shadow of the Acorn

Zhang Miao discovered that ever since he had gained Kakashi's absolute trust, obtaining Ninja Fragments had become an easy thing.

Whether it was Kakashi's own Ninja Fragments or those of others, he didn't have to put much thought into it.

Especially after conning the cat-faced Anbu in the morning and then wrapping up Might Guy with a single sentence, Zhang Miao felt he had grasped the trick to collecting Ninja Fragments.

Lying on Kakashi's back, clutching the two skewers of meatballs Kakashi had bought him, Zhang Miao couldn't help but sigh.

"This is what life's all about!"

Soon, the two returned to Kakashi's home. After setting Zhang Miao down, Kakashi opened his front door.

"I'm home!"

Zhang Miao: "..."

There wasn't a single person in the house, so why bother yelling?

Zhang Miao had nothing but disdain for Kakashi's habit of shouting into an empty house, but to go along with local customs, he called out too.

"I'm home too!"

Hearing Zhang Miao's voice, Kakashi's steps paused for a moment. Then, with a mix of amusement and exasperation, he turned to look at him.

"Wait in the living room. I'll make lunch!"

"Oh!" Zhang Miao agreed, then found a spot to lie down and stretched. "Ha... awesome!"

Zhang Miao's life motto was: if you can sit, never stand; if you can lie down, never sit.

Watching Zhang Miao "play dead" on the floor, Kakashi shook his head helplessly and turned to head into the kitchen.

Lunch was boiled fish again. Knowing Zhang Miao had a big appetite, Kakashi had cooked a huge basinful.

Ever since meeting Zhang Miao, Kakashi had always wondered if being a bottomless pit was one of the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline abilities.

Whatever Kakashi thought, Zhang Miao didn't hold back. The two skewers of meatballs he'd eaten earlier were nowhere near enough to digest, and his stomach was already singing the song of emptiness.

"I'm digging in!"

Zhang Miao lightly pressed his palms together, then picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Watching him enjoy the meal so heartily, Kakashi smiled faintly.

"I'm digging in!"

Maybe it was Zhang Miao's influence, but Kakashi felt his appetite had improved lately, his mood had brightened, and he had more purpose in his daily life.

The only downside was that, since he spent his days with Zhang Miao, he had to move his training to the evenings—often training late into the night before he could rest. It was tough.

But for Kakashi, compared to the empty days before, life now felt much fuller. A little hardship like this was nothing.

Thinking this, Kakashi looked up at Zhang Miao again. He saw him biting into a fish head, then noisily sucking the juices out of it. At the sight, Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

So this was what having a little brother felt like?

Just then, Zhang Miao, busy gnawing on the fish head, noticed Kakashi staring at him. Sucking on his fingers, he looked up at Kakashi.

"Kakashi, wanna go fishing this afternoon?"

"Uh..."

Hearing Zhang Miao's words, Kakashi's face showed a hint of guilt.

"Sorry, Ryunosuke. I've got a mission this afternoon. Might take two or three days to get back."

"Oh, then that's how it is!" Zhang Miao looked seriously at Kakashi. "Be careful on your mission!"

Though it was just an ordinary sentence, the concern in it warmed Kakashi's heart. He nodded immediately.

"Yeah, I know. I'll come back."

The implication was clear: he'd come back alive. Zhang Miao understood, so he put down his chopsticks and smiled, holding out his fist to Kakashi.

"We'll go fishing together then. It's a promise!"

Seeing this, Kakashi smiled too and held out his fist, gently tapping it against Zhang Miao's small one.

"Yeah, it's a promise!"

After the meal, Kakashi walked Zhang Miao back. But after only a short distance, Kakashi seemed to remember something and looked at Zhang Miao.

"Ryunosuke, there's a chestnut shop down the street. Their chestnuts are really sweet. Want to try some?"

"Sweet chestnuts?" Hearing this, Zhang Miao thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure, let's give them a try!"

Seeing Zhang Miao agree, Kakashi led him toward the chestnut shop at the other end of the street.

But when they arrived, they ran into an unexpected acquaintance—Might Guy!

Might Guy seemed to have recovered from his earlier setback. He was sitting at the shop's entrance, sipping tea with a look of bliss, and beside him was a large paper bag full of chestnuts.

Seeing this, a mischievous grin spread across Zhang Miao's face, and he shouted loudly toward Might Guy.

"Hey! Acorn Brother sitting over there!"

"Pfft..."

Hearing that familiar voice and those words, Might Guy, who had been drinking tea, immediately spat out the tea in his mouth and turned to look in the direction of the voice.

And there he saw Kakashi, along with the small, red-haired figure beside him.

It's him again!

Seeing Might Guy staring at him in shock, Zhang Miao hopped over to his side, bit his own finger, and looked up at him with childish innocence.

"Acorn Brother, are you eating acorns?"

"No! What I'm eating is a chestnut, not an acorn!"

By now, Might Guy had developed a psychological shadow over acorns. Hearing Zhang Miao's words, he quickly explained himself—but as soon as he finished, he realized that wasn't the point at all.

So he shook his head like a rattle-drum again.

"No, no, no... I'm not eating acorns, and I'm not Acorn Brother. I'm a Leaf..."

Might Guy had intended to say he was the proud Azure Beast of the Leaf, but before he could finish, Zhang Miao clapped his hands and cut him off.

"Oh, I get it! You're the Leaf's tiny beast—Acorn Brother, right?"

Might Guy: "(°△°|||)"

Seeing Zhang Miao's look of sudden realization, Might Guy felt like he'd been struck by lightning!

At that moment, he felt an arrow—shwoosh—pierce straight through his chest and out his back!

And Zhang Miao, seemingly oblivious to Might Guy's expression, pressed on: "Acorn Brother, is there a girl in the village who likes you?"

Might Guy was about to say, "Of course there is," but before he could speak, Zhang Miao interrupted him with a disappointed look.

"So there isn't! Acorn Brother's ding-dong is only as big as an acorn—no wonder no girl likes him. Sigh, poor Acorn Brother!"

Might Guy: "(°△°|||)"

At that moment, Might Guy felt two arrows—shwoosh, shwoosh—pierce through his back and out his chest!

His eyes were now completely filled with tears. He kept encouraging himself in his heart.

"I won't cry... I'm a man... I won't cry..."

Just as he thought he could hold it in, he felt a pat on his shoulder. He turned his head and found the kid who kept calling him "Acorn Brother" looking at him with sympathy.

"Acorn Brother, don't worry. I won't look down on you. I'll tell all the kids in the village that even though your ding-dong is only as big as an acorn, you're still a real man—the Leaf's tiny beast! Keep it up, Acorn Brother!"

"Waaah..."

This time, Might Guy couldn't hold it in anymore. Wiping his tears, he ran off. Through the billowing dust, his voice echoed back from a distance.

"Kakashi, I hate you..."

Kakashi: "..."

What the hell does this have to do with me?!

At the same time, the system's notification rang out in Zhang Miao's mind.

"Ding—Congratulations, Host. You have left an absolute shadow in the heart of five-star Chunin Might Guy. From now on, each time you defeat Might Guy, you will receive a single-day maximum of 10 Ninja Fragments."

Hearing this notification, Zhang Miao grinned wide again.

That's exactly the effect I wanted!