Comfort

"You are... Mizuki?"

"What? Is Shiro's memory that bad? We just saw each other at noon, didn't we?"

"Uh, sorry, I didn't recognize you at first because of your clothes. Also, just call me Shiro, no need to be so polite."

Actually, Shiro wasn't wrong. During the day, Mizuki wore ninja attire, which gave her a capable look, but now, wearing a kimono, she looks even cuter. Compared to during the day, she looks more like a child now.

Is the difference really that big?

"Yeah, it's big, but you look good in anything, so let's not talk about it. Don't you have an exam in a couple of days? Why don't you stay home and prepare?"

"Tch, what's there to prepare? It's all very simple stuff."

"So confident? Don't embarrass yourself by failing at the very first hurdle."

"Hmph, impossible!" Mizuki resolutely denied it in the face of Shiro's teasing.

"How about this, if you pass the exam, I'll give you something."

"What do you want to do?" Upon hearing Shiro's words, Mizuki's first reaction was to step back, while squinting her eyes and asking in return.

For some reason, seeing her like this, Shiro felt a strong urge to tease her, and without thinking, blurted out, "Yes."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shiro regretted it. He needed to change his foul mouth; it seemed he had gotten too arrogant.

While Shiro was still feeling annoyed, he heard Mizuki ask, "What did you say? What are you thinking?"

"Ah, thank goodness it's Japanese." Of course, this time Shiro only thought it to himself and didn't say it out loud.

"Ahem, it's nothing. Didn't I tell you? My teammates are also from your Uchiha Clan, so I don't have that much prejudice against you. Besides, I'm your senior, so isn't it normal for me to take care of a junior?"

"What?! How can you be my senior? We were clearly classmates!"

"Heh, there's no use in making excuses. I'm Chunin now, while you're not even Genin."

"Ugh, damn it! I'll definitely surpass you!" Mizuki shouted angrily in response to Shiro's taunts.

"Let's go, senior, I'll take you to get something to eat. It's on me. You can consider eating me out of house and home, okay?"

"Damn it! You're not some senior! I'll definitely surpass you!"

So you mean you don't want me to treat you?

"Yes! Why wouldn't I?! I'll definitely eat you out of house and home!"

"Alright, alright, lead the way."

"Snort!"

Shiro watched Mizuki lead the way, a slight smile playing on his lips. Of course, he wasn't that naive to argue with a little girl over these things. However, Shiro noticed that Mizuki's expression was a bit off; she seemed somewhat unhappy.

However, they had only just met, and it was impossible for them to open up to each other immediately. Therefore, Shiro could only try to distract her and make her relax a bit.

To put it bluntly, it's just about coaxing a child, maybe the child is a little more mature. And Shiro is very good at this. In his previous life, he was the one who took care of his cousin's unruly child every Spring Festival.

Their relationship was incredibly close. Even the child's own mother couldn't calm him down when he cried, only Shiro could. So, later on, all the relatives' children were given to Shiro by his mother, and then they went to play mahjong.

In short, persuading a naughty kid is something Shiro excels at!

"Hey, aren't you coming? Are you scared?"

"Ha, how could that be? I, Shiro, have never been afraid!"

An hour later, Shiro stared silently at the empty plates on the table.

"I'm afraid it's too late now."

Shiro regretted it deeply. Why did he have to boast about how amazing it was? He could have easily advised her to choose a cheaper method; why did he choose the most expensive one?

"The women in Hokage are terrifying." Shiro looked up, silently shedding tears.

"How about I pay?" Mizuki said, looking at the plates on the table, feeling a little embarrassed.

After all, this is a special item for ninjas, so the price is relatively high.

"Sigh, I promised I'd treat, so I will. Besides, how can I let a girl like you pay? It's a man's responsibility, and a poor person's nightmare."

Of course, Shiro didn't say the last sentence.

"Don't worry, I'm rich. I haven't even used much of my commission from the missions. Even if you eat another meal, I can afford it!"

"Really? Then boss, another table, please!"

"."

I'll die from this mouth of mine sooner or later.

What could Shiro do? He had to finish the act, even if he had to kneel down!

A short while later, the owner brought out a fresh set.

"Boss, you're really fast at serving food," Shiro remarked quietly from the side.

"Haha, we want to give our guests the best experience, please enjoy your meal."

"Alright, Shiro, eat up. I ate almost all of those two meals by myself, you didn't eat much. Eat up."

"This is... for me?"

"Mmm, eat up."

"Yes, thank you, Mizuki."

Wait a minute, something doesn't seem right. Wasn't I supposed to pay in the end? Why should I say thank you?

Although Shiro sensed something was wrong, he was so hungry that he had barely touched his food, having mostly just watched Mizuki eat.

Besides, as everyone knows, when you see someone enjoying a meal, you'll also want to eat something, even if you're already full.

Therefore, under this dual pressure, Shiro's appetite was very good. He didn't have time to pay attention to these things now, and his brain had lost control of his mouth.

In the end, this meal cost one-tenth of Shiro's funds, a full 3 million.

You should know that the last missions that Shiro and his Shiro had carried provided them with several Asuma. Even after the village took its cut, Shiro still received one Asuma.

Therefore, one can imagine how much this meal cost, but it was worth the price. After eating, Shiro felt that his hidden injuries seemed to have improved somewhat; the effect was very significant, but it was just too expensive.

This explains the high cost of living for ninjas.

After finishing their meal, Shiro and the others prepared to go back. There were no holidays now, so there was nothing to do.

However, Shiro still had to take Mizuki home first. It was the middle of the night, and letting a girl go home alone was simply inhuman!

Along the way, Shiro Mizuki didn't say much, since they weren't familiar with each other. In fact, they had only met today. Although they had studied together for a year, they had only seen each other a few times before.

Firstly, Shiro was just a commoner, with only a little talent, which wasn't enough to catch their eye. Secondly, Shiro rarely played with them.

Shiro spent most of his time causing trouble and training with Kushina.

Therefore, the two had nothing to say to each other, and this awkward atmosphere continued all the way to the Uchiha's territory.

"Alright, I can't go in anymore. You'll have to leave on your own from here on out."

"Yes, thank you."

"Ha, are you being so polite? It's only right to escort a girl home."

"I mean, thank you for your guidance today, thank you." After saying that, she bowed deeply to Shiro.

"Ha, I can tell. It's alright, relax. I'm heading back now. You can come to me if you have any trouble. Hmm, just a small problem." Shiro hesitated for a moment, deciding it wasn't best not to speak so confidently. The lessons of the past were still fresh in his mind, and he had to be careful.