Encountering Kakashi

Being a baby was miserable—especially for someone like Zhang Miao, a grown adult. But faced with the situation before him, he was utterly helpless.

Even the system in his mind only told him that the greatest help it could currently provide was ensuring he wouldn't suffer indigestion, no matter how much milk he drank.

Objectively speaking, that was indeed a significant help, and Zhang Miao understood this. Since he didn't have to worry about digestion, he guzzled milk with all his might every day, usually downing an entire day's worth of a normal infant's ration in one go.

Of course, the benefits were obvious. With the system helping him absorb nutrients, Zhang Miao grew quickly and became much stronger than the average baby. By six months old, he could already stand up and wobble around.

At this point, Zhang Miao didn't look like a six-month-old infant at all, but more like a child around a year and a half old. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi found it remarkable.

But what surprised Hiruzen even more came next. When the Anbu assigned to care for Zhang Miao and Naruto reported back that Zhang Miao had thrown away his milk bottle and run out into the street, Hiruzen was so startled he nearly dropped his pipe.

Hadn't he just learned to stand and walk a few days ago? How could he suddenly run?

After the shock passed, Hiruzen quickly ordered the Anbu to retrieve Zhang Miao immediately.

At this point, Hiruzen was genuinely worried. Lately, the village had been unsettled, with children going missing. If anything happened to Zhang Miao, he felt he couldn't face the deceased Minato and his wife.

Under Hiruzen's orders, the Anbu under the Hokage's direct command sprang into action. Within five minutes, they found Zhang Miao loitering outside Q's BBQ.

The Anbu were dumbfounded.

Was this kid thinking of coming here for meat?

As it turned out, the Anbu guessed correctly. Zhang Miao was indeed planning to eat meat.

Even though he only had two bottom teeth at this point, with the system's help and no worry about indigestion, what was there to fear about eating meat?

After all, Zhang Miao was a true "carnivore." The past six months of nothing but milk had been unbearable.

I want salt! I want meat!

The Anbu couldn't hear Zhang Miao's inner shouts. Bound by the Hokage's orders, they unceremoniously sent him back to his residence and then reported to the Hokage.

The Anbu clearly underestimated Zhang Miao's determination to eat meat. No sooner had they left than he slipped out again, arriving outside Q's BBQ.

It was only then that Zhang Miao realized a critical problem—he had no money!

As one of Konoha's premier high-end establishments, Q's BBQ wasn't a charity. Its steep prices could make even many Jonin wince.

In the original story, according to Asuma Sarutobi's recollection, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio once ran out of money after eating BBQ, and Asuma ended up kneeling to the owner.

That showed just how expensive Q's BBQ was.

Zhang Miao stood outside the shop for a long time, thinking, but couldn't come up with a way to eat meat for free. He sighed helplessly to himself.

"Ah, forget it. I'll go back and drink milk. At least the milk the Anbu brings doesn't cost anything."

With that thought, Zhang Miao prepared to head home. But just as he turned around, a silver-haired youth caught his eye.

"That hairstyle and color, and that mask..."

In all of Konoha, only two people had white hair like that: Jiraiya and Kakashi Hatake. From the youth's attire and appearance, Zhang Miao instantly recognized him.

"Kakashi Hatake!"

Objectively speaking, running into Kakashi Hatake in Konoha wasn't anything surprising, and Zhang Miao certainly wasn't excited about seeing him.

What actually drew Zhang Miao's attention wasn't Kakashi himself, but the fish basket on his back and the live fish still flopping inside.

"Those look delicious!"

At that thought, Zhang Miao swallowed a mouthful of saliva and silently followed behind Kakashi.

"As the subordinate of my cheap father in this life, mooching a meal off him shouldn't be too much, right?" Zhang Miao thought as he trailed Kakashi.

Zhang Miao's movements naturally couldn't escape the notice of the so-called "genius ninja" Kakashi. In fact, Kakashi had spotted this "little tail" as soon as he came down the street.

After walking a bit further, Kakashi finally stopped, turned around, and looked at Zhang Miao with one half-lidded dead fish eye.

"Hey, brat, why are you following me?"

"..."

Damn it, calling me a brat—you're only thirteen yourself, aren't you?

Hearing this, Zhang Miao's mouth twitched involuntarily. But for the sake of the fish, he answered honestly.

"Fish!"

"Huh?"

The answer caught Kakashi off guard. But seeing Zhang Miao staring intently at the fish basket behind him, Kakashi frowned.

"Where are your parents?"

"Both dead!"

Zhang Miao answered casually, but Kakashi's frown deepened.

A child who looked barely over a year old, calmly stating the tragic fact that both his parents were dead—it defied all reason.

Kakashi was silent for several seconds before asking again, "Both your parents are dead? Who told you that?"

In his mind, Kakashi felt disgust toward whoever had been so "loose-lipped." Such a thing was too cruel for a child.

But to Kakashi's surprise, Zhang Miao shook his head calmly.

"No one told me. I saw it with my own eyes, on the day the Nine-Tails appeared."

This was the first time Zhang Miao had spoken to anyone in half a year. Because his body was still too small and his vocal cords hadn't fully developed, his voice came out a bit babyish, and his enunciation wasn't very clear either.

But Kakashi understood him anyway.

"Did they die when the Nine-Tails attacked the Leaf?"

Hearing Zhang Miao's answer, a look of emotion crossed Kakashi's face.

Half a year ago, when the Nine-Tails attacked the village, quite a few people had died. Kakashi's mentors, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, had also been lost in that catastrophe.

Looking at Zhang Miao's red hair, a hint of softness flickered in Kakashi's eyes. He raised an eyebrow, then turned around.

"You want to eat fish? Then follow me."