Oniichan

"Who are you, mister?"

Naruto held up a piece of grilled meat and glared at Asuma in irritation.

"Yeah, yeah! We're eating our meal—what's it got to do with an old man like you?"

"Woof!"

Kiba had the same temperament as Naruto, so naturally he refused to back down.

Besides, there were so many of them, while the other side only had three people. This round, we've got the advantage!

Old man???

A vein bulged on Asuma's forehead.

He was only twenty-five, damn it!

Even if he did look a little older than his age, calling him an old man was going too far!

"Eh?"

"Kakashi-senpai?"

Sakura immediately spotted Kakashi across from them, with one dead-fish eye open.

They knew each other... That made things easier...

Asuma's conflicted feelings instantly eased quite a bit.

"Hahaha, Sakura, I didn't expect to run into you here..."

If possible, Kakashi only wanted to stay far away from this Pinky.

He always felt that getting involved with this Pinky would lead to a lot of trouble.

Scratching his head, Kakashi gave Sakura an awkward laugh and greeted her.

"Naruto, apologize already. Honestly, can't you behave even while eating?"

Sakura's gaze drifted to Blondie.

"Tch... Fine, since that's the case, sorry."

Naruto glanced at Sakura, then grudgingly apologized to Asuma.

But no matter how one listened to it, the apology sounded perfunctory.

"It's fine, it's fine. They're just kids."

"But remember, I'm only twenty-five. I'm not an old man."

"You should call me big brother!"

Asuma said as he rubbed the head of Kiba, who was closest to him.

"Eh?"

"You really don't look it."

Ino stared at Asuma in astonishment.

"Yeah, you really don't. That older sister over there looks like she's only twenty."

Choji said through a mouthful of meat.

The moment those words came out, the corners of Yūhi Kurenai's lips curved upward slightly.

She was the same age as Kakashi and Asuma. What woman didn't like hearing others say she looked young?

This chubby kid looked very honest.

"Asuma, you're a grown man. Why are you squabbling with a bunch of children?"

Yūhi Kurenai felt it was necessary for her to speak up now.

Asuma gave Yūhi Kurenai a conflicted look, then gently persuaded Sakura and the others.

"...If you call me big brother, I can pay for your meal."

Yūhi Kurenai shot Asuma a dissatisfied glance.

How could he teach children to lie?

However, Sakura and the others exchanged looks. At this moment, their thoughts somehow resonated, and they shouted in unison:

"Oniichan!"

That cry of "big brother" made Asuma bloom with delight, the wrinkles on his face appearing from his smile.

This was Konoha's future. These were the precious gems he wanted to protect.

Asuma felt his heart melt at that moment.

However, Kiba excitedly pulled open the private room's door and shouted outside:

"Miss Waitress!"

"Another fifty plates of grilled meat!"

"Neighbor Big Brother, pick up the tab!"

After Asuma dejectedly emptied out his wallet, he couldn't help but turn a hopeful gaze toward Kakashi beside him.

Seeing this, Kakashi sighed and reluctantly took out a few bills from his wallet to cover the final shortfall for Asuma.

"These brats can really eat..."

With a sigh, Asuma left the Barbecue Shop with Kakashi. Yūhi Kurenai had left earlier because she had something else to do.

Now, only he and Kakashi remained.

The sun was gradually sinking westward.

Asuma pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips. With a click, a flame sprang from his lighter.

Watching the streets grow steadily darker, Asuma took a deep drag and exhaled a cloud of pale blue smoke.

The nicotine's numbing effect eased his gloomy mood considerably.

"That pink-haired girl from earlier."

Kakashi suddenly spoke.

"Hm? What about her?"

Asuma recalled that group of brats from earlier. There had indeed been a pink-haired girl among them.

She had been rather quiet.

"The changes in the village over the past two years could be said to have been largely led by that child."

Kakashi's words left Asuma rooted to the spot.

That child... wasn't she only around ten years old?

Kakashi glanced at Asuma and continued.

"That child is already a Chunin."

A ten-year-old Chunin?

A smile appeared at the corner of Asuma's lips.

"So that's how it is. A genius?"

"Strictly speaking, she's a hardworking genius."

Kakashi corrected him.

Though he didn't particularly want to interact with Sakura, he couldn't deny how hard she worked.

Over the past two years, because they needed to eliminate unscrupulous merchants trying to make massive profits off grain prices, he had often served as Sakura's bodyguard.

So he had witnessed Sakura's efforts firsthand.

Sometimes, he even had to serve as her sparring partner.

"I see..."

Asuma took a heavy drag from his cigarette and exhaled a breath of stale smoke.

"From what I saw today, that kid seemed to be the center of that whole group..."

Kakashi did not answer Asuma. He merely gazed wistfully at the last fading rays in the distance.

No one knew what he was thinking...

"Mom, I'm home!"

After saying goodbye to Naruto and Ino, Sakura returned home. The first thing she did was kick off her shoes, then call out to her mother as usual.

"Put your shoes away properly!"

Before Haruno Meiko even appeared, she already knew Sakura must have tossed her shoes aside carelessly.

"Okay~~"

Seeing her shoes lying crookedly about, Sakura picked them up and put them into the shoe cabinet.

"You don't need to make dinner for me tonight. I already ate outside!"

Sakura's words made a vein pop on Haruno Meiko's forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I already made you dinner."

Wearing an apron and holding a spatula, Haruno Meiko appeared before Sakura.

"Then save it, Mom. I'll have it as a late-night snack."

Sakura pursed her lips indifferently, then dashed back to her room like the wind.

"This child..."

Haruno Meiko looked at Sakura helplessly.

Could he really be entering a rebellious phase...?

He'd been so adorable when he was little...

Back in her bedroom, Sakura turned on the light and took a scroll on Medical Ninjutsu from the drawer.

By now, aside from the Yin Seal, she had absorbed almost all of Warring States Sakura's knowledge.

Basically, as long as she waited for her body to gradually mature and gained a certain amount of Chakra around the age of twelve, she would be able to fully master everything Warring States Sakura had.

And she was stronger than the original Warring States Sakura.

She had Enma, as well as Hiruzen Sarutobi's all-around training in every aspect.

The scroll in her hand contained a versatile technique needed for both surgery and combat among Medical Ninjutsu.

Chakra Scalpel.

But as she took out the medical scroll, Sakura raised an eyebrow at a yellowed Ramen Scroll in the drawer.

It was the first gift Naruto had given her four years ago.