Who Are You Implying?

The Akimichi Clan barbecue restaurant in Konoha always had a richer, more welcoming atmosphere than anywhere else.

The Akimichi Clan, known for their love of food, had mastered the art of barbecue. Whether it was beef tongue sliced thin as a cicada's wing, marbled short ribs, or pork belly with its layers of fat and meat clearly defined, once they prepared it and it was grilled with the Yamanaka Clan's seasonings, it became a delicacy beyond compare. Add a sip of the Nara Clan's medicinal liquor, and the day's fatigue vanished in an instant.

"Sizzle!"

A tantalizing sound rang out as the beef tongue in Senba's tongs touched the scorching grill. Its edges curled at once, and the pink meat quickly took on an enticing brown sheen. Tiny beads of fat dripped onto the coals, sending up wisps of fragrant white smoke.

Genma Shiranui, whose belly was already round with food, took a small sip of medicinal liquor. Watching Senba grill with intense concentration, he couldn't help smiling.

"The last time I saw someone treat food with such devotion, it was one of my Akimichi Clan teammates. Senba, you're not only good at grilling—you can eat as much as an Akimichi, too."

They had already gone through three rounds of barbecue. The youngest, Uchiha Izumi, was clutching her little belly and groaning, while Tsuki sat beside her, feeding her hawthorn drink to keep her from feeling sick and unable to sleep later.

Iruka had eaten his fill as well. Seeing that Teacher Genma didn't seem displeased by how much Senba had eaten, he immediately felt much warmer toward him.

"Teacher Genma, ever since Senba and I became teammates, he's always taken meals seriously. He normally won't waste even a single grain of rice, let alone barbecue this delicious."

Senba ignored the two of them discussing why he had such a huge appetite. He gently lifted a piece of grilled beef tongue, dipped it in the sweet-and-salty sauce, and savored it.

So this is the happiness of being full! The moment the juices burst across his palate, Senba's eyes lit up. Then he began eating with lightning speed. Seeing him from a distance, the Akimichi Clan members couldn't help grinning. His enthusiasm was surely the finest endorsement of their barbecue.

Before long, Senba had polished off all the meat. He greedily swallowed the last piece of pork belly, savoring its rich yet non-greasy texture.

"Sorry for the trouble, but could we have another serving of all this barbecue? And this time, could you grill it for us and bring it over? Thank you."

Genma's voice pulled Senba back from the bliss of barbecue. Seeing the cheerful smile on his face, Senba rubbed his six-tenths-full stomach. He'd meant to stop there, but now he felt a little embarrassed—he might be taking advantage of Genma's generosity.

Unlike Senba, Genma found his mood lifting as he watched the three adults and one child enjoying themselves. Perhaps this was what the Fourth Hokage had meant when he said that watching Konoha's young saplings grow was what made him happiest.

Only now, after being freed from his work as a Hokage Guard, did Genma understand the meaning behind those words. But the man who had said them was gone.

A faint sadness touched Genma's heart. As they waited for the next round of meat, he burped, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table, drawing the others' attention.

"Senba, Tsuki, Iruka, the day after tomorrow is when we'll head out on a mission together. Before then, there are a few things I want to tell you."

"The village has suffered a terrible disaster, and many Ninja have died. That means an opportunity has opened up. If you perform well on your missions, the village won't hold back on rewards. You'll be allowed to learn many secret techniques, so I hope you won't slack off."

Genma watched their expressions as he spoke, his gaze finally settling on Iruka, whose face showed the least excitement. Seeing the sadness in his expression, Genma realized that Iruka wasn't moved by this opportunity. He sighed inwardly and said nothing. Everyone had their own priorities.

"Teacher Genma," Senba said, swallowing a mouthful of hawthorn drink that cleared the grease from his mouth, "I heard the adults in my clan say that Konoha and the Cloud Ninja are on very tense terms. Do you think war might break out again?"

"It's hard to say."

Genma wasn't surprised by Senba's question. If someone trained by the Senju only knew how to study flashy techniques, that would be a serious problem. He drained the last of the liquor in his cup, his voice turning grave.

"You've all taken part in a war, so I'll be honest with you. The reason we managed to drive back the Cloud Ninja was our powerful logistical support and the Fourth Hokage's influence."

"Their logistics are nothing special. With Kumogakure's towering mountains, even if its territory were twice as large, its supplies wouldn't amount to half of Konoha's."

"On the front lines, we fought the four Ninja villages one after another. We suffered heavy losses, and everyone was sick of fighting. In the end, it was the Fourth Hokage, known as the Yellow Flash, who managed to hold the Cloud Ninja's A and B combination in check."

As he spoke, Genma's eyes grew distant for a moment. He seemed to see the Fourth Hokage's heroic figure again, along with the unwilling look in the eyes of the Fourth Raikage.

Uchiha Yue had just settled her drowsy younger sister. She offered Senba a piece of grilled venison and received a huge smile in return. Blushing slightly, she turned to the somewhat tipsy Genma and asked, "Teacher Genma, I once heard the elders in my clan say that, though the Fourth Hokage has passed away, Kumogakure and Iwagakure have a deep-seated feud. They might not dare to start a war against us first."

Genma was about to answer, but glanced at Iruka, who was listening intently across the table, and Senba, whose attention was on the venison. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Senba, what do you think?"

"Enough profit." Senba chewed the tender venison carefully before swallowing. Yue and Iruka looked confused, so he explained, "Enough profit is what would make the Raikage start a war. If a village leader were the kind of person who'd throw caution to the wind just to avenge a personal grudge, he wouldn't have brought Kumogakure's strength to second only to Konoha's."

"Many people think the Raikage is a brute. Maybe that's just a facade. If enough profit presented itself, he might join forces with the Tsuchikage and attack Konoha."

"Someone who doesn't let personal matters affect the village, and always puts the village's interests first, is the most frightening kind. He might never have a particularly glorious moment, but he also won't be ruled by his emotions."

"He won't fly into a rage and go looking for death."

"So what we need to do is prevent the Cloud Ninja and Stone Ninja from joining forces. If neither side can feel safe with the other watching their back, the chances of war breaking out will be lower."

After sharing his opinion, Senba lowered his head and resumed his battle with the venison. This half a deer was delicious. He couldn't let it go untasted.

Across from him, Genma marveled at Senba's insight, yet felt a little puzzled. He'd clearly sensed a trace of displeasure in Senba's words about the Raikage, but it didn't seem directed at the Raikage himself. Then who was it about? What a difficult riddle!

What a precocious boy.