"Who do you think I could be, if I can sleep in your sister's bed?"
Shangguan Yue grinned mischievously at Nawaki. The look in Shangguan Yue's eyes made Nawaki feel like his whole world had fallen apart.
"R-really?"
Nawaki's eyes filled with hope, as if Shangguan Yue were his last lifeline. He desperately wanted to hear it from Shangguan Yue's own lips.
"You already guessed it, so why ask? My name is Shangguan Yue."
Well, that was the last straw that broke the camel's back. "No~!"
Watching Nawaki's despairing cry, Shangguan Yue could almost hear the A Plum Blossom soundtrack playing around him.
"How could this happen? My brother-in-law is so young? He's the same age as me!!!
"Heavens, how am I supposed to show my face after this? People are going to laugh at me for the rest of my life.
"My sister won't agree to this, right?"
Seeing how pitiful Nawaki looked, Shangguan Yue couldn't bear it and decided to tell him the truth.
"Your sister... Well, I didn't agree to it, but your sister pinned me down and brought me back, so..."
"No~!"
"Snowflakes drift~ the north wind howls~ heaven and earth~ a vast, boundless~ expanse~..."
Nawaki hung his head and sat there, crestfallen, muttering something under his breath. His eyes were full of confusion, and he didn't even notice when the barbecue arrived.
Shangguan Yue didn't care in the least. He dug in with both hands and polished off more than half the food in no time. The kitchen couldn't keep up with his pace.
He sipped his tea and picked his teeth. "Sigh, this food doesn't have much energy. My Devour Evolution isn't getting the most out of it. Still, it's better than nothing."
Thinking back to when he'd first started eating this much barbecue, Tsunade had been worried and had specifically checked Shangguan Yue's body. That day...
"Huh? Your body's..." Tsunade eyed Shangguan Yue suspiciously, making him break out in goosebumps.
"What are you doing?"
"Can you still eat?"
"Of course. I'm only about half full. But since when did I have such a monstrous appetite?"
"Fine." Tsunade turned and called out, "Boss, another table!"
"Coming right up. Just a moment!"
Before long, another table was served. Tsunade gave Shangguan Yue a look, and he didn't hold back.
The movement of food through his stomach stimulated his appetite. He felt no fullness or discomfort at all. Instead, the more he ate, the better he felt, both physically and mentally.
"Burp. I'm done. That's enough for today. I think I've had about as much as I can."
Tsunade didn't say a word. She covered Shangguan Yue in chakra, and a moment later, she said, "Just as I thought... Come on, let's head back first."
At the training ground at Tsunade's home, Shangguan Yue looked at Tsunade, who was staring at him with a grave, incredulous, puzzled, and utterly complicated expression.
"What's wrong? Are you upset because I ate so much?"
"Sigh... After you eat a large amount, your body actually grows stronger, little by little. I've never seen an ability like this before.
"An ordinary person might not notice, but I'm different. Your body gets a little stronger after every meal. It goes against all reason."
"So what?"
Tsunade's face went dark. "This ability of yours is incredible, okay? Can't you at least show some reaction?" She picked Shangguan Yue up and shook him around in her arms.
The sudden impact of her chest left Shangguan Yue dizzy. "Okay, okay, okay~ Keep going."
"Forget it. Remember, this ability is a secret. Don't tell anyone, or you might get captured and used as a lab rat."
"Mm-hmm, I'll remember. How about putting me down? It's hard to breathe." Shangguan Yue wiggled around, finding himself thoroughly smothered. Saving himself had to come first.
Over the next two months, Shangguan Yue realized that the boost he got from eating came from the power of his Otsutsuki bloodline: he could Devour Evolution.
His progress was slow, but with his training and all that food, Shangguan Yue's body was now as strong as an Elite Genin's.
The only downside was that his methods were too limited. But Shangguan Yue took it in stride: one good move was all you needed.
Shangguan Yue stuffed down the last piece of meat. "Burp."
"The food was pretty good today. Nawaki, pay the bill."
"Huh? Pay the bill? What bill?"
Nawaki snapped out of his daze and turned around. "Holy crap, you ate all this?"
Nawaki looked at the piles of empty plates on the table. He felt like his whole world had fallen apart.
"Obviously. There are only two of us in this private room."
"So there's no barbecue left? I haven't eaten yet."
"Do you still want to eat? I'll wait."
"...Sigh, forget it. I've lost my appetite. Let's pay."
The doorman at the entrance heard them call for the bill and dashed off to fetch the owner. Before long, a fat member of the Akimichi Clan squeezed into the private room.
"Brother Shangguan, did you enjoy the meal? This is premium ninja beast meat, raised on our own farms."
Feeling how much stronger his body had grown this time, Shangguan Yue nodded with satisfaction. "Mm, not bad. Keep it at this standard from now on. He's paying today."
"Sure thing, Young Master Nawaki. Here's the bill."
Putting on the airs of a wealthy young master, Nawaki took the bill—and gaped at it. "Holy crap, 500,000? Is this meat made of gold?"
"We never cheat our customers, Young Master Nawaki. Those are the standard prices."
Seeing Shangguan Yue staring at him, Nawaki reluctantly pulled out his purse. "Here. Take it."
The owner glanced at the stack of bills left in Nawaki's purse.
"Very good, Young Master. Your sister also has some charges on credit. How about settling those at the same time?"
"Huh? My sister... Forget it. How much?"
"Just five million in total."
"I... Here."
Grinding his teeth, Nawaki emptied his purse and pretended he didn't care.
"My savings... They're all gone now."
Before you continue