Yakiniku Q

With the village chief's token from Santa Village in hand, Genma Team returned to Konoha. Led by Genma Shiranui, they headed to the mission hall in the Hokage Building to turn in their A-rank mission.

After they'd turned in the mission, Sakura Mangetsu and Mai Shiranui started clamoring to go eat barbecue. They insisted on dragging Genma and Kamizuki along with them.

Being hauled through the streets by the two girls left the grown men, Genma and Kamizuki, feeling embarrassed. There was nothing they could do but give in.

The four of them went into Yakiniku Q, a barbecue restaurant that was well known in Konoha, and ordered two large platters of meat skewers. The girls wanted to order a few bottles of liquor too, but Genma gave them both a sharp rap on the head.

With an annoyed expression, Genma told them, "You're both only fifteen or sixteen. You're not even twenty yet, and you want to drink? Hmph!"

The girls rubbed the spots Genma had just smacked, looking like they'd been bullied by a bad guy.

Watching the two girls act so recklessly, Kamizuki could barely hold back his laughter.

The girls had just been bullied by Genma, but he was their elder and teacher. There wasn't anything they could do to him.

Still fuming, the girls wanted to find someone else to vent their frustration on. They turned and spotted Kamizuki, who was barely holding it in.

Like beasts that had been trapped for ages and finally found a way out, the two girls pounced on Kamizuki and began taking their revenge on him.

After that round of retaliation, Kamizuki was starting to get genuinely angry.

It wasn't that Kamizuki was a petty person. It was just that Mai Shiranui was dressed in very little, and her ample chest made him feel like he was about to get a nosebleed.

Just as Kamizuki was being mentally tormented by the two girls and starting to lose himself in it, Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi entered the restaurant with the members of their team.

Hinata, who had come in with Kurenai, saw her younger brother having fun with the two girls. A little embarrassed, she walked up behind Kamizuki and softly called, "Kamizuki." Maybe her voice was too quiet, or maybe the girls had his attention, because he didn't hear her.

Hinata called twice, but Kamizuki still didn't react and kept fooling around with the girls. Summoning her courage, she poked him in the back.

Only then did Kamizuki manage to free himself from the girls' clutches. He turned around and saw his own older sister, Hinata Hyuga, who was gentle and kind, and shy yet sweet.

Kamizuki slipped out from between Sakura Mangetsu and Mai Shiranui, then stood in front of Hinata. He looked around and noticed several familiar faces behind her.

After a brief moment's thought, Kamizuki suggested that since they'd all happened to meet, they might as well sit together and make things livelier.

Genma and Asuma were good friends, so they thought it was a great idea and had no objections.

Kurenai, of course, didn't need convincing. Not only was Kamizuki Hinata's younger brother, but with her and Asuma's little affair, she had no reason to object.

The six little brats who'd come in behind Kurenai and Asuma didn't need convincing either. As long as Akimichi Choji got to eat barbecue, he didn't care who he ate with!

Hinata was more than happy to eat barbecue with her younger brother.

As for Shikamaru Nara and Shino Aburame, one hated troublesome things and the other didn't mind either way, so neither objected.

As for Inuzuka Kiba, who had a little dog with him, Akamaru spotted Adou under a table, looking half-asleep, and immediately leaped out of Kiba's arms to go play with him. Seeing that, Kiba had no objections either.

Finally, seeing that everyone else agreed, Ino Yamanaka agreed too. She liked being around people, after all.

Once everyone had agreed to Kamizuki's suggestion, Genma called over the owner of the barbecue restaurant and asked him to move them to a place where they could all eat together.

The owner saw that there were more than a dozen of them and scratched his head, unsure what to do. After a moment's thought, he pushed three tables together so they could all sit around them.

Once everyone had agreed and taken their seats, the restaurant owner wiped the sweat from his brow. Inwardly, he gave himself a pat on the back for his cleverness.

Before long, the waiter brought out platter after platter of mouthwatering meat skewers, along with some drinks.

The little brats had been laughing and fooling around, but the moment they smelled the delicious skewers, they stopped and began fighting over them.

By the time the sky had grown dark, no one knew how long they'd been eating at the barbecue restaurant. At last, they all left, full of food and drink.

After this meal together, the members of the three teams grew much closer.

The three jōnin team leaders announced that they'd have three days off starting the next day, and the little ninja brats were overjoyed.

After hearing that they had a break, Mai Shiranui suggested that since everyone was off the next day, they should all go bathe in the hot springs at Hot Spring Mountain, not far outside Konoha.

Everyone raised their hands in agreement. After settling on a time and place to meet the next day, they all headed home.