Barbecue

"Lady Tsunade, I understand."

Uchiha rubbed the back of his head where she'd smacked him. It hurt a little, but he said no more.

Tsunade frowned again. "Kid, you don't have to call me that here. Just call me Sis, like Kushina does."

Plenty of people did call her that, but she hadn't come here in any of those capacities.

Right now, she was just a doctor and Kushina's big sister.

"Exactly!" Kushina chimed in.

"Then..." Uchiha Nagi hesitated. It didn't seem right for someone from the Uchiha Clan to call a princess of the Senju Clan that, did it?

Still, Tsunade didn't care about that. Why should he, when he didn't feel much attachment to the Uchiha Clan anyway?

"Then I'll call you Sis Tsunade. You can call me Nagi."

Uchiha Nagi didn't choose to call her "Big Sis Tsunade" like Kushina did. It sounded a little too intimate and cloying for his taste.

"Sounds good. Kushina, Nagi, just tell me what you want to eat." Tsunade waved her hand magnanimously.

Tsunade still had a gambling habit, but her grandmother was keeping an eye on her, so she had plenty of money to spend.

"Barbecue!"

Kushina answered right away.

"Tch, Kushina, you really don't know how to help me save money." Tsunade pinched Kushina's cheek, then turned to Uchiha Nagi.

"What about you?"

"Anything's fine." Uchiha Nagi wiped the sweat from his forehead. Good thing he wasn't paying. If he had to cover the bill, his family's finances would probably be ruined.

"Then barbecue it is. To the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant!"

The three of them had just ordered and sat down when the barbecue at the next table caught their eyes.

Thick slices of meat sizzled on the hot plate. The fat melted in the heat, forming golden droplets that ran off with an enticing crackle.

The edges curled up, crisp and browned, revealing tender insides. The pink fibers gleamed like amber in the firelight.

The rich aroma of meat filled the air, mingling with the smoky scent of charcoal and drifting straight into their noses.

The three of them twitched their noses and swallowed almost in unison. No wonder the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant was so popular. With cooking like this, it would do well anywhere.

"Look how hungry you are. Our barbecue will be here soon," Tsunade said, amused by Kushina's expression.

"Sis Tsunade, you're no better than me," Kushina retorted.

After Tsunade and Kushina had teased each other for a while, the barbecue finally arrived. It came very quickly, perhaps because the staff had recognized Tsunade.

"Here it is! Let's get grilling!" Tsunade's eyes lit up. She grabbed the tongs and took charge of cooking.

Before long, the three of them were staring at the meat on the grill, which somehow looked wrong. Why didn't it look anything like the meat at the next table?

The barbecue at the neighboring table looked delicious. Just seeing it was enough to make their mouths water.

The meat under Tsunade's tongs, however, was black where it had burned. And somehow, parts of it were still bloody and clearly undercooked.

How had she managed to burn some of it while leaving the rest raw, all on the same piece of meat?

"Sis Tsunade, do you actually know how to grill?" Kushina eyed the inedible-looking meat with suspicion.

"Brat, I used to be the one being served. You should be grateful you get to eat meat grilled by my own hands."

Tsunade blushed, feeling a little embarrassed as the big sister.

Grilling meat wasn't difficult, especially at the Akimichi Clan's restaurant, where they only served the finest cuts.

Uchiha Nagi silently grumbled to himself, then reached out. "Sis Tsunade, let me try."

"Nagi, do you know how to grill?" Tsunade handed him the tongs and asked.

"I've never grilled before, but I'm the cook at home, so I should be fine." As he spoke, Uchiha Nagi got to work with practiced ease.

Oil, meat, seasoning...

He went about it in an orderly fashion, and before long, the aroma of grilled meat began to fill the air.

"Wow, Sleepyhead, you're amazing! You're way better than Sis Tsunade!" Kushina's eyes lit up as she looked at the meat, which seemed even more delicious than the barbecue at the next table.

Tsunade watched, baffled. "It doesn't look difficult. Why can't I do it?"

Tsunade was a perfect example of someone who could understand something at a glance, only to mess it up the moment she tried.

"All right, it's ready to eat when it looks like this. If you want it a little crispier, you can wait a bit longer."

Uchiha Nagi spoke once every slice of meat had turned golden brown.

"Let's eat!"

Kushina and Tsunade seemed not to hear his last words at all. They immediately sprang into action.

They eagerly picked up a golden, glistening slice of meat, carefully blew on it, and took a bite!

Crack!

A faint crunch sounded as the perfectly crisp, fragrant crust broke between their teeth.

Then a rush of scalding, savory juices burst into their mouths, sweeping across their taste buds with an incredible flavor.

The meat inside was unbelievably tender, almost melting on their tongues. Its softness made a perfect contrast with the crisp exterior.

"Mmm!!!"

Kushina's eyes widened, her cheeks puffed out. She looked so happy she might burst.

"It's so, so good! Sis Tsunade! I've never had barbecue this delicious!"

"Definitely!"

After answering, Tsunade stopped holding back. Her hands moved fast, and the slices on the grill disappeared at a visible pace.

"Hey, Sis Tsunade, that's cheating!" Kushina's eyes widened at the sight.

"Kushina, let me teach you something. Hesitating in the face of delicious food is disrespectful to the food!"

Then Tsunade and Kushina started competing to clear the grill. The meat couldn't withstand their appetites and vanished in no time.

Uchiha Nagi watched them, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He'd thought he'd get a few pieces for himself, but before he could even put down his tongs, the two of them had already eaten all the cooked meat.

Have I really become their waiter?

Uchiha Nagi grumbled to himself, then got right back to work.

And so, every time he finished grilling a batch, the meat vanished into Tsunade and Kushina's stomachs in no time.

Afterward, they would both fix Uchiha Nagi with the same expectant look, leaving him no choice but to keep going.

After a few more rounds, Tsunade and Kushina looked at Uchiha Nagi again.

"Um, we're out of meat."

Uchiha Nagi was at a loss. He... hadn't eaten even a single piece of barbecue!