The Two Women About to Meet

After resting for a while, Hinata went to a clothing store on the street to change out of her sweat-soaked clothes, then followed Uchiha Ao to a barbecue restaurant in Konoha Village.

This barbecue restaurant was operated by the Akimichi Clan.

He had been here a few times before with Sister Izumi and Izumi's Mother, and the food was quite good.

"Hinata, it's not easy to get out, so it's my treat today—eat whatever you want!" Uchiha Ao waved his hand grandly, making a bold declaration.

"Then thank you, Ao." Hinata's eyes curved into crescent moons, her fingers hidden in the sleeves of her kimono gently twisting the hem of her skirt.

In the warm atmosphere of the barbecue restaurant, the charcoal fire crackled and popped, casting a glow on her cheeks that made them look even more enticing than the freshly grilled pork belly.

A dark shadow loomed over them with a "whoosh."

The newcomer was a large man; his round, portly figure occupied nearly half the table, yet he moved with unexpected agility. His thick palms steadily held a ceramic bowl filled with dipping sauce, and the barbecue tongs hanging from his waist jingled with every step.

"Welcome!" The fat man grinned, revealing two rows of bright white teeth. The apron he wore, printed with the words "Akimichi BBQ," was stretched taut across his chest. "Are there two guests?"

Uchiha Ao nodded.

"Very well, guests." The fat man nodded and led the two to an empty table.

Before long, the marbled beef on the grill began to sizzle, amber grease dripping onto the charcoal and sending up a delicate, fragrant smoke.

Uchiha Ao flipped the meat with practiced ease, the edges of the slices gradually curling and charring. He used his tongs to pick up a piece, rolled it in the dipping sauce, and placed it into Hinata's bowl. "Try this; this secret sauce goes really well with beef tongue."

Hinata lowered her head, feeling a bit shy, and whispered a "thank you." She used her chopsticks to gently poke the beef in her bowl, took a small bite, and her eyes lit up at the tender, juicy texture.

"It's really delicious! You should eat too, Ao." As she spoke, she picked up a piece of golden-brown grilled beef tongue, hesitated for a moment, and quickly placed it into Uchiha Ao's bowl.

Not far away, two members of the Hyuga branch family were tailing Hinata.

"Ikki, should we go out and stop them?" one of the branch members poked his companion, who was busy eating barbecue.

Ikki Hyuga swallowed the meat in his mouth in a leisurely manner, raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, and stared through the restaurant window toward Uchiha Ao and Hinata. "Hayato, what's the rush? It's rare for the young mistress to get out; just consider it letting her blow off some steam."

Hayato Hyuga hesitated. "But the clan leader's orders..."

"Don't worry, I have it under control." Ikki Hyuga waved his hand and shoved another large piece of sizzling, greasy meat into his mouth, not even bothering to wipe the oil dripping down his chin. "Hayato, don't just watch; you eat too."

Hayato Hyuga was still hesitant, but seeing how much Ikki was enjoying the food, his own stomach began to growl in protest.

He pursed his lips and finally picked up his chopsticks to grab a piece of meat. The moment he put it in his mouth, the tender, juicy flavor bloomed on his tongue, making him involuntarily squint his eyes.

Seeing this, Ikki Hyuga let out a low chuckle.

The clan leader? If it weren't for the Caged Bird curse seal, who would want to be a puppet with no freedom?

Hizashi Hyuga was really something, too, actually willing to sacrifice himself for a child.

He had long been dissatisfied with Hinata.

If this Uchiha brat really did get together with their "young mistress," he would quite like to see what kind of expression Hiashi would have.

Uchiha Ao was focused on placing perfectly grilled beef ribs into Hinata's bowl when he caught a glimpse of the playful smile on Ikki Hyuga's face in the distance.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't pay it much mind.

Just then, the door of the barbecue restaurant was pushed open with a loud "bang," and a hearty laugh flooded in.

"Kakashi! Today we must decide who is the true barbecue champion!" Guy, who had rushed in with an exaggerated running posture, looked particularly striking in his green spandex under the warm yellow lights.

Kakashi, who followed closely behind, had one hand in his pocket while the other held Icha Icha Paradise. His voice from behind his mask carried its usual laziness: "Let's skip such a boring contest... though I don't mind joining you for some barbecue."

Kakashi?

Hearing the name, Uchiha Ao's hand holding the tongs paused slightly.

He looked up toward the entrance.

"Ao, what's wrong?" Hinata noticed Uchiha Ao's gaze fixed behind her and turned around in confusion, coming face-to-face with Guy's enthusiastic, beaming smile.

Kakashi was still flipping through Icha Icha Paradise. Perhaps sensing their gazes, he closed the book and looked up slowly.

Oh?

Isn't that the young mistress of the Hyuga Clan?

She's actually eating barbecue with a brat from the Uchiha Clan?

"Ao, what kind of book is that Icha Icha Paradise the uncle is holding? He's reading it so intently." Hinata turned back and asked Uchiha Ao, blinking her large, curious eyes.

Uchiha Ao was about to speak, but saw Kakashi casually tuck the book into his pocket and stroll over, his metal forehead protector glinting coldly in the charcoal light.

"It's a book not suitable for children," Kakashi said with a hint of a smile, though his Sharingan lingered for a moment on the overlapping bowls and chopsticks of Hinata and Uchiha Ao.

Guy leaned in close, his beady eyes suddenly widening. "Ao!" He rushed over in two or three strides and threw an arm around Uchiha Ao's shoulder with enough force to make him stumble. "I didn't expect to run into you here!"

Uchiha Ao steadied himself and smiled helplessly. "Guy-sensei is as energetic as ever."

The reason he knew Guy was due to the system's daily tasks.

During that period, the system had gone haywire and kept issuing tasks like "run ten laps around Konoha Village."

And it was during one of those runs that he had met Guy.

"Kakashi, why don't we share a table with them? We can pay for them when we're done," Guy suggested enthusiastically.

Without a word, he dragged Kakashi toward the table where Uchiha Ao and Hinata were sitting, his green spandex suit shimmering dazzlingly under the warm lights.

Kakashi stumbled as he was pulled along, pressing a hand to his forehead and sighing helplessly, "Guy, you really are as headstrong as ever..." Despite his words, his feet followed Guy's lead.

For two children, how much could they possibly eat?

Guy had already brazenly tossed several slices of meat onto the grill, the fat dripping onto the charcoal with a sizzling pop: "Ao, why haven't you come to sweat out your youth lately?"

As he flipped the meat, he cast a sidelong glance at Hinata, suddenly wearing an expression of realization, "Oh—I get it now! So you've found a pretty companion and left your teacher behind!"

Hinata's face turned beet red at Guy's words, and she hurriedly waved her hands: "No, that's not it..." Her voice grew quieter with every word, eventually fading into a mosquito-like hum.

Uchiha Ao remained calm, picking up a perfectly grilled piece of meat and placing it into Hinata's bowl before looking up at Guy: "Teacher Guy, my sister has been teaching me ninjutsu lately, so I really haven't been able to spare any time."

"So that's how it is!" Guy nodded vigorously, as if enlightened.

Kakashi stood to the side, feeling rather helpless.

Guy, how could you believe that so easily? Can't you see that the Uchiha kid is just brushing you off?

"Ao, you have a sister?" Hinata's focus was somewhat strange; she set down her chopsticks and asked.

"Uh... yes." Uchiha Ao had a bad premonition.

"Then, could you take me to meet your sister?"

Sure enough, Hinata's next sentence made Uchiha Ao's fingers tighten slightly around the meat tongs, and the flames on the grill suddenly flared up, casting flickering shadows across his stiffened expression.

Hinata, do you have any idea what you're saying?