Hyuga Trash Can

"Having a friend like you really makes me proud!" Orochimaru was also quite exasperated.

"Take it easy, will you! You old geezer, nobody thinks highly of you as it is, and now you're picking a fight with a kindergartner—how are you supposed to show your face in the village after this?" Tsunade chimed in from the sidelines.

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

If Jiraiya actually threw down with him right now, Hyuga Matsuba wouldn't come out on the losing end. After all, Jiraiya wasn't that strong yet—hadn't reached Tsunade or Orochimaru's level.

If Tsunade was an Elite Jonin right now, then Orochimaru was at best a Quasi-Kage, and Jiraiya was just a Jonin.

That wasn't deliberately underestimating Jiraiya. Give it time, once Jiraiya got a Sage Body, he might become the strongest of the three. But right now, he hadn't started that training, and his natural talent wasn't great to begin with—among the three, he was hardly the standout.

Jiraiya had Jonin-level strength now, but that was all from his own hard work. Compared to the other two, he'd put in way more effort behind the scenes.

Jiraiya was one of the main characters in Naruto. His influence on Naruto later on was impossible to overstate—he was the one who shaped Naruto into who he became.

Naruto's path to growth absolutely couldn't do without Jiraiya and Iruka.

"Enough talk, enough messing around, kid. You haven't introduced yourself yet." Tsunade looked at Hyuga Matsuba and spoke slowly.

"Big sis, my name is Hyuga Matsuba!" Hyuga Matsuba flashed a huge grin.

Tsunade froze for a second. She was captivated by Hyuga Matsuba's eyes—those big eyes were vast and boundless, as if the entire universe swirled within them.

"Sis Tsunade, what's wrong?" Hyuga Matsuba tugged at the hem of her shirt.

Tsunade snapped out of it and said gently, "Nothing, big sis was just mesmerized by your little face, little bro. Your eyes are so beautiful!"

"Little bro?" Hyuga Matsuba was seriously unhappy with that title. Before he'd crossed over, he was a mature twenty-something big kid!

Orochimaru stood to the side, watching it all unfold, silently observing Hyuga Matsuba's eyes. Just now, he'd caught a hint of danger in those seemingly innocent, pure eyes.

But Orochimaru didn't want to comment on it right now. He stayed quiet, wanting to learn more about Hyuga Matsuba.

"You've introduced yourself, but big sis and big bro haven't told you who we are yet." Tsunade patted Hyuga Matsuba's little cheek.

"No need for all that trouble. This little brat probably already knows who we are." Orochimaru's gaze stayed fixed on Hyuga Matsuba's face, never shifting away.

Hyuga Matsuba realized he'd been found out and didn't bother making excuses. He came right out with it: "Of course I do. You're all disciples of the Hokage, famous far and wide. Who in Konoha doesn't know you? Especially this big sis—so pretty, there's plenty of talk about her."

"You little punk already knew who we were, and you still disrespected me like that? You asking to die?" Jiraiya was fuming. This kid knew he was a big deal and still pulled that stunt on him.

"Sis Tsunade, save me! This old geezer's bullying me!" Seeing things going south, Hyuga Matsuba quickly ducked behind Tsunade.

Tsunade's gaze snapped over to Jiraiya, making him break out in a cold sweat, his soul nearly fleeing his body.

"You little liar! You say your name's Hyuga, but where's your Byakugan? Don't tell me you're that trash everyone looks down on in the Hyuga Clan?" Jiraiya was furious and said whatever came to mind without thinking.

"What are you saying!" Tsunade thought Jiraiya had gone too far.

Jiraiya snapped out of it like waking from a dream, realizing how harsh his words were to a child. He always spoke without thinking, but his heart was in the right place—it was just a slip, not meant to mock the kid.

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

He knew his own situation best. Through his own hard work, he'd already reached a decent level. Give it time, and he'd make those who looked down on him eat their words.

"You're just a little kid, but you've got a big heart. If it were me, that guy would've been buried long ago." Tsunade praised Hyuga Matsuba while glaring viciously at Jiraiya.

"Big heart? Hmph."

He wasn't big-hearted at all—he just couldn't be bothered. Dwelling on stuff like that only made you more annoyed. As long as it didn't touch his interests, little things like this weren't worth holding onto.

"Kid, where are you headed? We were thinking of grabbing some meat to eat. How about it? Want big sis and big bro to treat you to a feast?" Tsunade extended the invitation right on time.

After everything that happened, Tsunade had taken a real liking to this cute, kind-hearted little bro. This little guy was just adorable, like her own little brother. If only the other kids in her clan were this sharp.

"Of course I'm in!" Hyuga Matsuba agreed without hesitation.

By a twist of fate, Hyuga Matsuba now had a chance to eat for free—a real stroke of luck.

But he wasn't exactly rolling in cash right now. With his intense training, he needed to eat a lot every day, and he didn't have much spare money left.

And he couldn't skimp on food either. If he just filled his stomach with anything, his nutrition would fall short during training, and that would slow down his progress.

Hearing that, Jiraiya's heart was already bleeding. Tsunade said she'd treat the kid, but when the bill came, it'd be on him, wouldn't it? Tsunade's money all went to the gambling den—where would she get cash to pay?

And Orochimaru was even less reliable. During group meals like this, he wouldn't chip in a single coin. So every time the three of them ate out, Jiraiya's little savings took a big hit.

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

The BBQ Restaurant was bustling with noise and excitement. Seeing three customers walk in, the waiter promptly came over to greet them.

"Oh, if it isn't the legendary disciples of the Hokage! Come in, come in—old friends! I'll give you a discount this time!" The waiter's sales pitch was pretty slick.

"Much appreciated!" Hearing about a discount, Jiraiya felt a little less pressure. Maybe he'd save some money this time.

"No need to be so polite! We're old friends!" The waiter greeted them warmly.

But what happened next left the restaurant owner speechless with regret.

The three found an empty table. Jiraiya slapped the table and shouted, "Kid, tell me what you want to eat! Don't worry about saving your big bro any money!"

"Then it's a deal! Waiter, I'll take three plates of chicken wings, five plates of beef, and eight plates of bacon!"

"Kid, have you never had BBQ before? That's nowhere near enough for all of us." Jiraiya looked down at Hyuga Matsuba with disdain.

"What are you talking about? When did I say that was for everyone? I only ordered for myself. I don't know what you guys like—figure it out and tell the waiter yourselves." Hyuga Matsuba blinked his big, innocent eyes, full of sympathy for Jiraiya.

"Are you crazy? You ordered this much—can you even finish it?" Jiraiya couldn't believe his ears.

"Matsuba, you need to understand moderation in spending. We can't waste food either." Tsunade also thought this kid couldn't eat that much.

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

Hyuga Matsuba was brimming with confidence as he picked up the freshly served meat, ready to start grilling.

"Fine, you said it yourself. You'd better remember that!" The BBQ Restaurant's prices were steep, and just looking at what this little guy had ordered, Jiraiya's wallet might not be able to take the hit.

"Don't worry, don't underestimate me. Let's just see how it turns out in the end." One side of Hyuga Matsuba's bacon was already grilled, sizzling with glistening oil.

The three of them looked at each other, and in the end, they ordered about the same amount as Hyuga Matsuba's single portion, then dug in and enjoyed a hearty meal.