Hyuga Trash Can

"Orochimaru, I'm really proud to have a friend like you!" Orochimaru had quite a headache as well.

"Will you cut it out already? You old geezer, people already didn't think highly of you, and now you actually got into a fight with a kindergarten kid. How are you supposed to get by in the village from now on?" Tsunade chimed in from the side.

Hyuga Matsuba curled his lips and raised an eyebrow at Jiraiya.

If Jiraiya really made a move and fought him now, Hyuga Matsuba would not be at a disadvantage. After all, Jiraiya was not very strong yet and had not reached Tsunade and Orochimaru's level.

If Tsunade could currently be called an Elite Jonin, then Orochimaru was at most a Quasi-Kage. As for Jiraiya, he was only at the level of a Jonin.

This was not deliberately looking down on Jiraiya. Given time, once Jiraiya gained a Sage Body as well, he might become the strongest of the three.

Jiraiya had not begun training yet, and his innate talent was not particularly outstanding either. Naturally, he could not be considered the best among the three.

Although Jiraiya currently possessed the strength of a Jonin, he had reached this point through his own hard work and training. Compared to the other two, he had to put in far more effort behind the scenes.

Jiraiya was one of the major characters in Naruto. His influence on Naruto later on was impossible to fully describe. He had single-handedly shaped the Naruto of the future.

Naruto's path of growth absolutely could not have been separated from Jiraiya and Iruka.

"Jokes aside, kid, you still haven't introduced yourself." Tsunade looked at Hyuga Matsuba and spoke slowly.

"Big sis, my name is Hyuga Matsuba!" Hyuga Matsuba broke into a wide smile.

Tsunade did not react right away. She was captivated by Hyuga Matsuba's eyes. Those large eyes seemed boundless and vast, as though the entire universe were hidden within them, endlessly revolving.

"Big Sister Tsunade, what's wrong?" Hyuga Matsuba tugged at the corner of Tsunade's clothes.

Only then did Tsunade come back to her senses. She said gently, "It's nothing. Big sister was charmed by this little brother's face. Your eyes are so pretty!"

"Little brother?" Hyuga Matsuba was very dissatisfied with that form of address. Before transmigrating, he had been a mature kid in his twenties!

Orochimaru stood to the side and watched it all unfold, silently observing Hyuga Matsuba's eyes. Just now, he had clearly caught a trace of danger in those seemingly innocent, childlike eyes.

However, Orochimaru did not want to comment on it at this moment. He remained silent, wanting to learn more about Hyuga Matsuba.

"You've introduced yourself, but big brother and big sister haven't told you who we are yet." Tsunade rubbed Hyuga Matsuba's little face.

"There's no need to go through that trouble. This kid probably knew our identities long ago." Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed on Hyuga Matsuba's face, never shifting away.

Hyuga Matsuba could tell that he had been found out. He did not want to make more excuses for himself, so he admitted it directly. "Of course I knew. You're all the Hokage's disciples, famous far and wide. Who in Konoha doesn't know you? Especially this big sister—she's so beautiful that there's no end to the talk about her."

"You little brat, so you knew who we were all along? You knew who I was, yet you still disrespected me like this. Are you tired of living?" Jiraiya was now fuming. This child knew he was somebody important and had still tricked him like that.

"Big Sister Tsunade, hurry and save me! This old geezer is bullying me!" Seeing that things were going badly, Hyuga Matsuba quickly ran behind Tsunade.

Tsunade's gaze swept toward Jiraiya in an instant, making cold sweat pour down Jiraiya's back. His soul nearly fled his body.

"You little brat are just lying! You say your surname is Hyuga, but where's your Byakugan? Could it be that you're that worthless trash everyone in the Hyuga Clan looks down on?" Jiraiya lashed out in embarrassment and anger, saying whatever came to mind without thinking.

"What are you saying?" Tsunade felt that Jiraiya had gone too far.

Jiraiya seemed to awaken from a dream, only then realizing how excessive his words had been toward a child. He had always spoken without thinking, but his heart was good. What he had said just now had been unintentional; he had not meant to mock the little guy.

"It's fine. I've heard that kind of evaluation since I was little, so I'm used to it. Whether I'm trash or not isn't for others to decide. Just wait and see." Hyuga Matsuba clearly had not taken those words to heart.

Hyuga Matsuba understood his own situation best. Through his efforts, he had already reached a decent level. Given time, he would surely make those who looked down on him see him in a new light.

"You're just a little brat, but you're surprisingly broad-minded. If it were me, that person would have been buried long ago." Tsunade praised Hyuga Matsuba while glaring viciously at Jiraiya.

"Broad-minded? Hmph."

He was not broad-minded at all. He simply could not be bothered to argue. Being overly fussy about such things would only make him more irritated. As long as they did not touch his interests, such trivial matters were not worth keeping in mind.

"Kid, where are you going? We were planning to get some meat and indulge ourselves. How about it? Want your big brother and sisters to treat you to a filling meal?" Tsunade extended the invitation at just the right moment.

After everything that had happened, Tsunade had developed a strong fondness for this cute and kind-hearted little brother. This little guy was truly lovable, like her own younger brother. If only the other children in her clan were as clever as him.

"Of course I do!" Hyuga Matsuba agreed without hesitation.

By a strange twist of fate, Hyuga Matsuba now had a chance to eat for free. It was like pie falling from the sky.

However, Hyuga Matsuba was not very wealthy anymore. Because of his high-intensity training, he needed to eat a great deal every day, and he did not have much spare money left.

Moreover, he could not be careless with what he ate. If he simply filled his stomach with whatever was available, his nutrition would not keep up during training, which would affect his future progress.

The moment Jiraiya heard that, his heart bled. Tsunade said she was treating the kid, but when it came time to pay, was it not always his job? Tsunade had sent all her money to the gambling halls. Where would she get money to treat anyone?

Orochimaru was even less reliable. During group meals like this, he did not want to spend even a single coin. So every time the three went out for a meal, Jiraiya's little savings took quite a hit.

Forget it, forget it. He's just a little brat. It's not like he can eat an entire cow. Jiraiya silently comforted his fragile heart.

The BBQ Restaurant was bustling with voices and full of life. Seeing three customers enter, the waiter promptly came over to greet them.

"Oh, aren't you the legendary Hokage's disciples? Quick, quick, you're all old friends. I'll give you a discount this time!" This waiter was truly skilled at sales.

"Thank you so much!" The moment he heard there was a discount, the pressure in Jiraiya's heart eased considerably. Perhaps he could even save some money this time.

"Why be so polite? We're old friends!" the waiter greeted them warmly.

But what followed left the owner of this restaurant unable to voice his bitterness.

The three found an empty table. Jiraiya slapped the table and shouted, "Little brat, hurry up and say what you want to eat. Don't worry about saving money for your big brother!"

"Then it's a deal! Hey, waiter, I want three plates of chicken wings, five plates of beef, and eight plates of bacon!"

"Kid, have you never eaten barbecue before? How could that possibly be enough for all of us?" Jiraiya looked disdainfully at Hyuga Matsuba.

"What are you talking about? When did I say that was for everyone? I only ordered my own portion. I don't know what you like to eat, so once you decide, just tell the waiter yourselves." Hyuga Matsuba opened his large, innocent eyes, which were filled with sympathy for Jiraiya.

"Are you crazy? You ordered so much. Can you even finish it?" Jiraiya could not believe his ears.

"Matsuba, you need to know what moderate spending means. We can't waste food either." Tsunade also felt that this child could not eat much.

"Big sis, just trust me. This might not even be enough to fill the gaps between my teeth!"

Hyuga Matsuba was brimming with confidence. Then he picked up the meat that had just arrived and prepared to start grilling it.

"Fine, you said it, so you'd better remember that!" The BBQ Restaurant's prices were quite high. Just looking at what this little guy had ordered, Jiraiya did not know whether his wallet could bear it.

"Don't worry. Don't underestimate me. We'll just see the final result." One side of Hyuga Matsuba's bacon was already cooked, sizzling with glistening oil.

The three looked at one another. In the end, they ordered roughly the same amount as Hyuga Matsuba's portion each and began enjoying a hearty meal as well.