A Rare Barbecue Time

But... will it really cause a so-called butterfly effect?

Josuke didn't know. His appearance had clearly caused the original plot to deviate. After all, if he hadn't shown up, Sakura and Ino, those two plastic sisters.

They would have definitely broken up over a certain second pillar. But that didn't happen. Instead, one liked Sasuke, and the other liked... cough cough cough, it was obvious he was overthinking again.

However, Josuke cherished his time in Konoha. He didn't really know what his future held.

"Josuke-kun..."

Ino's voice brought Josuke back from his wandering thoughts.

He then looked at Ino. It felt like it had been over a month since he last saw her, due to the mission in the Land of Waves and the Genin's cat-and-dog-catching missions.

"What's wrong?"

Josuke asked softly.

Ino smiled, then grabbed Josuke's arm and pulled him close.

"Shall we go eat yakiniku?"

Ino didn't give Josuke a chance to explain, pulling him towards the yakiniku restaurant. Josuke couldn't stop her, but he also wouldn't. After all, who would refuse to eat with a beautiful girl?

Speaking of Konoha yakiniku, you had to go to Choji's usual spot.

So, as a member of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation, Ino naturally brought Josuke to Konoha's most famous yakiniku restaurant. As soon as they entered, they saw two familiar faces.

Shikamaru and Choji.

Ino looked at Shikamaru and Choji, appearing quite surprised.

At this moment, Josuke, enjoying the drama, chimed in:

"Hi, fancy meeting you two here."

Shikamaru and Choji also politely responded to Josuke. Shikamaru, with his IQ of 250, instantly understood what was going on and looked at Ino.

He saw Ino's flushed red face.

Ino glared fiercely at Shikamaru, as if saying, "What are you looking at? Believe it or not, I'll hit you."

She then immediately found a spot with Josuke where the two of them couldn't see her and sat down.

Seeing the two walk away, Shikamaru said to Choji, "Why do you think they came together?"

Choji, that little cutie (not a derogatory term, young Choji was truly adorable), didn't know much. He usually just followed Shikamaru and Naruto around, eating snacks.

Using his brain, he thought and said, "Did the boss give them a coupon?"

Shikamaru: ...Just as expected of Choji.

Alright, he shouldn't overthink it either.

A little distance away, Ino and Josuke felt a bit awkward and couldn't relax because of Shikamaru and Choji's presence.

Later, Ino spoke up:

"So... um, was the mission tough?"

Ino asked, showing concern.

Seeing Ino initiate the conversation, Josuke felt no more awkwardness.

He then recounted everything they encountered during their trip to the Land of Waves.

From receiving the B-rank mission, encountering ninja assassinations halfway there, then what happened after arriving in the Land of Waves, discovering the conspiracy, and finally fighting Zabuza and Haku.

He described it all, up to the point where the two of them died.

Ino transformed into an attentive listener, quietly absorbing Josuke's words. When he reached the tense parts, Ino's heart tightened as well.

When he finished, Ino let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's good that you weren't injured."

Josuke nodded.

Then he asked, "What about you, Ino?"

Ino thought for a moment.

"Me~"

Then, Ino listed out her missions one by one. They were mostly small tasks like catching chickens and ducks, or rescuing cats and dogs.

The only one that could be considered difficult was a C-rank mission escorting supplies. They encountered bandits on the way, and thankfully Teacher Asuma was there. Otherwise, the three of them wouldn't have been enough to even feed the enemy.

Josuke listened intently.

At this point, the yakiniku they ordered arrived. Ino enthusiastically took on the role of a little chef, responsible for grilling for Josuke, while Josuke just had to eat.

This was quite nice for Josuke. He enjoyed the delicious yakiniku grilled by Ino. The food sizzled on the grill, releasing a rich aroma.

Combined with Ino's cooking, the delicious yakiniku was fresh out of the pan. Josuke took a bite, and the exquisite flavor spread through his mouth. It was incredibly delicious.

I have to admit, Ino is already showing some signs of being a nag.

"How is it, is it delicious?"

Ino tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and asked nervously.

Josuke gave her a thumbs-up.

"It's incredibly delicious. First, the ingredients at this place are very fresh, and the marinating is also good. Furthermore, your grilling skills, Ino, are quite excellent. By the way, did you learn your cooking skills from your parents?"

Josuke asked, puzzled.

This made Ino a little embarrassed.

"Yes, my mom and dad taught me how to cook when I was very young. If you have time, why don't you come over to my house, classmate Josuke? I'll let you taste my cooking."

After saying that, Ino felt a bit shy.

Josuke chuckled and teased.

"Then, the men who marry you must be incredibly happy, coming home to delicious meals waiting for them every day."

Ino blushed and could only rub her hands together, utterly bashful.

The grilled meat was eaten quickly, and before long, they were both full. Seeing that it was getting late, Josuke reluctantly said goodbye to Ino and returned home alone. The day passed just like that.

This day could be said to be the happiest day Josuke had lived in many years.

There wasn't so much scheming and deception, nor so much of the law of the jungle, just him and Ino.

That night, Josuke gazed at the night sky. There were many stars, most of which he couldn't identify. The ones he could probably recognize were Polaris and the Big Dipper.

Thinking about the upcoming events, the tense and exciting Chunin Exams would be here before long, so he needed to make a plan as soon as possible. As for Jiraiya, he wouldn't be counting on him.

Orochimaru would definitely try to recruit him when the time came, but he had no ideas regarding Tsunade yet. However, Josuke was considering whether he should use a scheme.

When it came to Summoning Jutsu and Sage Mode, the first place Josuke ruled out was Ryūchi Cave. After all, who would want to turn into a snake when learning Sage Mode? That would be hideous.

The other two Sage Lands were different. They truly had both looks and strength, so when it came to learning Sage Mode, he really needed to consider it carefully.

However, whether he could achieve mastery in the end would depend on his own fortune.

He decided not to think about it anymore. Josuke got into bed, pulled the covers over himself, and quietly drifted off to sleep