Yakiniku Q Dinner

Higashino Makoto followed the Two Little Ones into a private room at Yakiniku Q, where he saw his parents.

There was also a man and a woman seated with them. All four adults were around the same age, chatting cheerfully over drinks. The main dishes hadn't been served yet; there were only a few snacks to go with the alcohol.

The moment Higashino Jiro saw Hayate and Yugao's flushed faces, he asked, "Makoto, did you bully them?"

"You're worrying too much, Father. How could I do something so rude?"

Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao kept their heads down, not daring to look at the adults. It made them look as if they'd been bullied.

The adults didn't mind. It was normal for children to play around with each other.

"Good. Come, let me introduce you. These two are your Uncle Yuwa and Aunt Sakura. They're old classmates of your mother and me. Uncle Yuwa and I were teammates, too. They just got back together this time."

So she's a Sakura, but with purple hair.

Judging by her surname, she was probably Uzuki Yugao's mother.

Higashino Makoto obediently bowed to the two adults seated across from him. "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie. My name is Higashino Makoto. It's nice to meet you. Please take good care of me."

Uzuki Sakura said, "What a polite and lovely child. Megumi, he really looks like you."

Higashino Megumi said, "He really does look like me."

Uzuki Yuwa's hair was about the same shade as Higashino Makoto's. Quite a few people in Konoha had dark brown hair, though black was the most common. The brightly colored hair was what you saw less often.

He smiled amiably and invited the three children to sit down, then looked Higashino Makoto over with curiosity. "Jiro, is this your and Megumi's child? He seems so mature and dependable."

"He's mature, all right. Just not very cute."

Uzuki Yuwa laughed heartily. "What's wrong with being mature? You don't need to worry so much. If you had a kid who was always getting into mischief outside, then you'd know what a headache that was."

"That's one thing he's made easy for his mother and me. Makoto never gets into trouble and hardly ever goes out. That's why I asked you to bring Yugao and Hayate along today. I hope he can meet some friends his own age."

Just then, the server began bringing out the food, and the grill on the table was fired up.

The food at Yakiniku Q really was delicious. Higashino Makoto couldn't stop eating. The adults had a few bites before settling in to drink, while he devoured the food beside them.

Gekko Hayate watched him enviously. Because of his health, Hayate's appetite was never very good.

In his previous life, Higashino Makoto had been all right about it, but now he was a complete carnivore. After all, meat, eggs, and milk were essential for building a strong body.

Anyone promoting vegetarianism was either paid off by vested interests or peddling pure heresy.

After a few drinks, Uzuki Yuwa glanced at Higashino Makoto again. "That calm, collected air of his reminds me of a senior's child. It's a shame that kid's become so unlikeable."

Higashino Megumi said, "You mean Kakashi, right? He works so hard, but he often gets hurt on missions. I've seen him at the hospital several times this past year. He's far too cold."

Higashino Jiro said, "That boy's a genius. He became a Chunin at six, just like me. Maybe last year's incident hit him too hard."

Uzuki Yuwa nodded in agreement. "That's right. It was a shame about White Fang. I went on missions with him before. He looked after us juniors and even taught me swordsmanship. He was a senior worthy of respect."

Perhaps the alcohol had gone to his head. He slammed his glass down on the table, his voice rising. "I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking. They could've just punished him according to the rules for failing the mission. Why let those rumors spread through the village?

"And that bastard who blamed White Fang, too. White Fang failed the mission to save his life, and he still turned around and blamed him. Good thing he killed himself. If he hadn't, I'd never have forgiven him."

Uzuki Sakura furrowed her brows, glanced outside the private room, then glared at her husband and scolded him. "Yuwa, watch what you say. This isn't something we should discuss."

Higashino Megumi also tried to calm him down. "Yuwa, it's in the past. The village has even issued a ban. Don't get yourself into trouble.

"Besides, the children are here. Don't expose them to this too early."

The two men fell silent. Then they each sighed, clinked their glasses together, and drained them without another word on the subject.

As he ate, Higashino Makoto kept an ear on the adults' conversation.

He knew what Kakashi had been through. It had happened in August of the previous year. Rumors had spread through the village during that time, sparking heated arguments.

The debate had started with the failure of the mission, which had caused great losses to the Land of Fire and Konoha. It had grown into an argument over what mattered more: completing the mission or the lives of one's comrades.

Both sides had their supporters, and the debate had raged on, growing more heated by the day.

No one cared anymore who had started the rumors. But if the argument continued, it would clearly shake the very foundations of Konoha's ideals.

After all, Konoha's core belief was the Will of Fire. Abandoning a comrade's life for the sake of a mission clearly went against it.

But Ninja lived for missions, and the idea that missions came first was deeply ingrained, too.

The two beliefs were fundamentally at odds.

Which mattered more? Without changing the prevailing mindset of the Shinobi World, it was an unanswerable question. There was no solution.

In the end, White Fang killed himself, and the village issued a ban forbidding anyone from discussing the matter.

And just like that, the whole affair was hastily put to rest.

The Ninja who were still alive could only keep their thoughts to themselves and carry on with their lives. Only Kakashi seemed to become a different person after that. He put missions above everything, coldly disregarded his comrades' lives, and became someone no one liked.

After a few drinks had eased his earlier anger, Uzuki Yuwa suddenly said, "Speaking of which, Makoto and my Yugao will both be five next year. Do you think they should enter the Academy with Hayate?"

Higashino Megumi and Uzuki Sakura fell into thought. They both had confidence in their children's talents. Starting a year early wasn't out of the question.

But Higashino Jiro clearly opposed the idea. "Yuwa, we've both just returned from the border. Don't you know what the situation is like? Who knows when war might break out?

"If they start a year early, they'll get dragged into it a year earlier, too. They're still so young. Let them grow up in peace. We can hold the line for them."

"You've got a point. Hahaha. Being called a genius is all well and good, but being exposed to killing too early isn't. Come on, let's drink."

After that, the two men told everyone amusing stories from the border instead of bringing up anything sensitive. The meal continued until it was over.

At the crossroads, everyone waved goodbye and headed home to sleep.

Uzuki Yugao suddenly asked, "Brother Makoto, where do you usually go to play?"

The little girl was born in November, and Higashino Makoto was more than seven months older than her. It was perfectly reasonable for her to call him big brother.

"I train and study at home. I rarely go out."

"Can Hayate and I come over to play with you?"

Higashino Makoto saw the hopeful looks on his parents' faces and nodded. "Sure."

The adults from both families got the answer they wanted. Smiling, they took their children home. It seemed they hoped the friendship between their generation would continue through their children.

On the way back, Higashino Makoto asked, "Were you and Hayate's parents classmates, too?"

Higashino Jiro smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "No, we're just friends. Senior Yun Jian was two years ahead of us. But the Hayate Clan and the Uzuki Clan have been close for generations, and both are skilled in Konoha Style Swordsmanship. The two families get along very well, and their younger generations train together."

"Oh. But Hayate doesn't look very healthy."

Higashino Megumi said, "It's congenital, inherited from his late mother. What a pity. I hear he has a real talent for swordsmanship, but his body holds him back."

Higashino Jiro said, "That's why a strong body is the foundation of everything, Makoto. Never forget that."

"Okay, Father."

He didn't need to be reminded.

A Ninja's body was his capital, after all.