Zhang Miao discovered that ever since he had gained Kakashi's absolute trust, obtaining Ninja Fragments seemed to have become an easy task.
Whether they were Kakashi's own Ninja Fragments or someone else's, he no longer needed to put much effort into getting them.
Especially after tricking the cat-masked Anbu that morning and then dealing with Might Guy in a single sentence, Zhang Miao felt as though he had grasped the secret to collecting Ninja Fragments.
Lying on Kakashi's back and clutching the two skewers of dango Kakashi had bought him, Zhang Miao could not help sighing.
"This is the life!"
Before long, the two returned to Kakashi's house. After setting Zhang Miao down, Kakashi opened his front door.
"I'm home!"
Zhang Miao: "..."
There was no one in the house, so what the hell was he shouting for?
Zhang Miao was utterly dismissive of Kakashi's habit of yelling when there was nobody home, but in the spirit of doing as the locals did, he called out as well.
"I'm home too!"
Hearing Zhang Miao's voice, Kakashi stopped short, then turned back to glance at him with an amused, helpless expression.
"Wait in the living room. I'll go make lunch!"
"Okay!" Zhang Miao answered, then immediately found a spot to lie down and stretched lazily. "Hah... That feels good!"
Zhang Miao's motto in life was: if he could sit, he would never stand; if he could lie down, he would never sit.
Watching Zhang Miao play dead on the floor, Kakashi shook his head helplessly before heading into the kitchen to cook.
Lunch was still boiled fish. Kakashi knew Zhang Miao had a huge appetite, so he cooked a whole big basin of it.
Ever since meeting Zhang Miao, Kakashi had suspected that being able to eat might be one of the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline abilities.
Whatever Kakashi thought, Zhang Miao did not hold back. The two skewers of dango from earlier had been nowhere near enough, and his stomach was already growling with hunger.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Zhang Miao pressed his palms together lightly, then started eating with his chopsticks. Seeing how happily he ate, Kakashi smiled slightly.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Perhaps influenced by Zhang Miao, Kakashi felt that his appetite had improved considerably lately. His mood had also brightened, and he had gained a few more goals in life.
The only downside was that since he spent his days accompanying Zhang Miao, he could only train at night. More often than not, he had to train until late into the night before resting, which was quite exhausting.
But compared to the empty days he had lived before, Kakashi's life was much more fulfilling now, so that little bit of hardship hardly mattered.
With that thought, Kakashi looked up at Zhang Miao again and saw him bite open a fish head, then slurp up the juices inside with loud sucking sounds. At the sight, Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
So this was what it felt like to have a little brother?
At that moment, Zhang Miao, who was gnawing on the fish head, noticed Kakashi looking at him. He sucked on his fingers as he looked up at Kakashi.
"Kakashi, want to go fishing this afternoon?"
"Uh..."
Hearing Zhang Miao's words, Kakashi immediately showed a guilty expression.
"Um... Sorry, Ryunosuke. I have a mission this afternoon. I might not be back for two or three days."
"Oh, then it can't be helped!" Zhang Miao said, then looked at Kakashi seriously. "Be careful when you're on your mission!"
Though it was only an ordinary sentence, the concern within it warmed Kakashi's heart. He immediately nodded.
"Mm, I know. I'll come back!"
In other words, he would come back alive. Zhang Miao understood, so he set down his chopsticks and held out his fist to Kakashi with a smile.
"Then we'll go fishing together when you get back. It's a promise!"
Seeing this, Kakashi smiled as well. He held out his fist and lightly bumped it against Zhang Miao's little one.
"Mm, it's a promise!"
After lunch, Kakashi took Zhang Miao home. But after they had only walked a short distance, Kakashi seemed to remember something and looked at Zhang Miao.
"Ryunosuke, there's a chestnut shop over by the street. Their chestnuts are very sweet. Want to try some?"
"Really sweet chestnuts?" Zhang Miao thought for a moment after hearing that, then nodded. "Mm, let's try them!"
Seeing Zhang Miao agree, Kakashi led him toward the chestnut shop at the other end of the street.
But when they arrived at the chestnut shop, they immediately spotted an unexpected acquaintance—Might Guy!
Might Guy seemed to have recovered from the earlier blow. He was sitting at the entrance of the chestnut shop, drinking tea with a contented look, while a large paper bag full of chestnuts sat beside him.
Seeing this, a mischievous smile immediately appeared on Zhang Miao's face, and he shouted loudly at Might Guy.
"Hey! Acorn Brother sitting over there!"
"Pfft—"
Hearing that familiar voice and term, Might Guy sprayed out all the tea in his mouth, then turned toward the source of the voice.
At a glance, he saw Kakashi, as well as the small red-haired figure standing beside him.
It was him again!
Seeing Might Guy stare at him in shock, Zhang Miao skipped over to him, bit his finger, and looked at him with an innocent expression.
"Acorn Brother, are you eating acorns?"
"No! These are chestnuts, not acorns!"
Might Guy had developed a psychological shadow over acorns by now, so he hurriedly explained. But after explaining, he realized that he had completely missed the point.
So he shook his head again like a rattle drum.
"No, no, no... I'm not eating acorns, and I'm not Acorn Brother. I'm Konoha's—"
Might Guy had originally intended to say that he was Konoha's proud Azure Beast, but before he could finish, Zhang Miao clapped his hands and interrupted him.
"Oh, I get it! You're Konoha's petite beast—Acorn Brother, right?"
Might Guy: "Σ(°△°|||)︴"
Seeing Zhang Miao's suddenly enlightened expression, Might Guy felt as though he had been struck by lightning!
At that moment, he felt an arrow shoot straight through his chest and out his back with a whoosh!
Yet Zhang Miao seemed completely unaware of Might Guy's expression and continued asking, "Acorn Brother, are there any girls in the village who like you?"
Might Guy had originally intended to say, "Of course there are," but before he could speak, Zhang Miao interrupted him with a disappointed look.
"So there aren't any! Acorn Brother's little thing is only as big as an acorn. No wonder no girls like Acorn Brother. Sigh, Acorn Brother is so pitiful!"
Might Guy: "Σ(°△°|||)︴"
At that moment, Might Guy felt two arrows shoot through his back and out his chest with two whooshes!
By now, Might Guy's eyes were brimming with tears. He kept encouraging himself inwardly.
I won't cry... I'm a man... I won't cry...
Just as he thought he could hold it in, he suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw the child who had been calling him Acorn Brother staring at him sympathetically.
"Don't worry, Acorn Brother. I won't look down on you. I'll tell all the kids in the village that even though Acorn Brother's little thing is only as big as an acorn, you're still a real man—the petite beast of Konoha! Keep it up, Acorn Brother!"
"Waaah..."
This time, Might Guy could not hold back any longer. Wiping away his tears, he ran off. Amid the billowing dust, his voice drifted back from afar.
"Kakashi, I hate you..."
Kakashi: "..."
What the hell did I do?
At the same time, a system notification sounded 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 may obtain up to 10 Ninja Fragments, the maximum daily amount."
Hearing the notification, Zhang Miao grinned again.
That was exactly the effect he wanted!
Before you continue