By the time everyone had eaten their fill, the owner came over with the bill, smiling from ear to ear.
Guy reached for it with confidence, but when he saw the amount, his smile froze.
He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, checking the figure over and over. "Boss, are you sure this bill is right?!"
Guy admitted that he and Kakashi had eaten a lot while competing over the barbecue, but this bill was enough to cover an ordinary A-rank mission.
Kakashi leaned over to look, too. After seeing the bill, the corner of his mouth twitched beneath his mask, and he silently felt for his wallet.
Had those two kids really eaten that much?
"Guy-sensei, Kakashi-senpai, how about I pay for this meal?" Uchiha Ao leaned over to look at the bill, too.
Good grief. Hinata really lived up to her reputation as a big eater. She'd put away a hundred thousand ryo in one meal.
Barbecue was indeed expensive in Konoha, but an average meal for four usually cost only a few thousand ryo.
Guy's face flushed red. He clenched his fists and raised them toward the sky. "No! A man has to keep his word! Kakashi, come with me to pay!"
At that, Kakashi sighed helplessly and slowly got to his feet, casually stuffing Icha Icha Paradise into his vest. "You really are impossible."
The two headed to the register one after the other, their backs radiating a sense of tragic resolve.
The owner rubbed his hands together with a broad grin. "That'll be 102,300 ryo altogether. Let's call it an even 100,000!"
Guy's Adam's apple bobbed as he shakily pulled out his wallet. The few scattered bills inside added up to less than ten thousand ryo.
Kakashi silently took out his own wallet and counted the money. His expression darkened further; he only had fifty thousand ryo in all.
"Um... Boss, could we pay you back later?" Guy asked with an awkward laugh, scratching his head. His beady eyes looked rather guilty in the warm yellow light.
Before the owner could answer, Uchiha Ao came over with Hinata.
"Guy-sensei, Kakashi-senpai, let me pay for this one." Uchiha Ao kept Hinata behind him and took a heavy money pouch from his vest. The banknotes made a crisp sound as he laid them out in his palm. "I haven't touched my regular allowance, so I've managed to save quite a bit over the past few years."
Guy's forehead bulged with veins. His green jumpsuit creased as he moved furiously. "Ao-kun!"
He spread his arms to block the register, looking just like a puffed-up peacock. "Even if they have to take me as collateral, I won't let you pay!"
Kakashi rested a hand against his forehead, his Sharingan flashing with helplessness.
He discreetly tugged Guy aside and lowered his voice. "Guy, don't embarrass yourself in front of the kids."
He glanced at Uchiha Ao again.
That Uchiha kid is a lot like Obito. He doesn't have that same arrogance and conceit as the other Uchiha. Kakashi watched Uchiha Ao discreetly.
He sighed softly, then turned to the owner. "Let's do as Ao-kun suggested."
Guy tried to protest, but Kakashi struck him on the back of the head with a chopping hand. Guy immediately wilted, muttering, "I'll find a chance to pay him back..."
The owner happily accepted the banknotes, then sent them off with a beaming smile. "Come again!"
By the time they left the barbecue restaurant, night had fallen, and scattered lights illuminated Konoha's streets.
Guy and Kakashi had already left.
Hinata walked beside Uchiha Ao, her head bowed as she twisted the hem of her clothes. Her voice was faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Ao-kun... When I become a ninja, I'll work hard on missions and earn money to pay you back."
She knew she ate far too much.
Uchiha Ao looked at Hinata's lowered eyes. The streetlight cast delicate shadows beneath her lashes, and he suddenly remembered how timid she'd been when they first met.
He gently took her cool hand, his smile blooming in the night. "Silly, isn't this what I've been saving up for? If you really feel bad about it..." He paused deliberately, watching Hinata jerk her head up, her pure Byakugan clouded with panic. "You can support me once you become a ninja."
Uchiha Ao looked down at little Hinata with a half-joking smile.
Hinata jerked her head up, panic clouding her pure Byakugan. Her cheeks instantly burned red, even the tips of her ears turning pink.
She parted her lips, but the words turned into a stammer. "I... I..."
Before she could finish, Uchiha Ao's eyes curved into crescents as he gently squeezed her palm. "I'm kidding. But..."
He suddenly leaned close, his warm breath brushing her burning earlobe. "If Hinata's willing, I'd love to try a lunch box you made yourself."
Hinata felt as though the heat would set her whole body ablaze. Her ears rang, and even the stone path beneath her feet seemed to sway.
Ao-kun, honestly.
Uchiha Ao smiled faintly and started walking away.
"Hinata, see you tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night, see you tomorrow, Ao-kun." Hinata didn't know if Ao-kun had heard her, but she still said it as loudly as she could.
Even at night, Konoha was still bustling with people.
At the street food stalls, a drunken man had an arm around his companion as he sang a badly off-key tune. Groups of ninja walked with their arms slung around each other, arguing over who had performed best on that day's mission. A woman carrying a basket of vegetables hurried by, startling the sparrows asleep beneath the eaves.
Hinata stood where she was, watching Uchiha Ao's retreating figure gradually disappear into Konoha's colorful lights. A faint smile rose to her lips.
The night breeze gently brushed her flushed cheeks, carrying the aromas of food from the street stalls and the lingering scent of smoke from the barbecue restaurant. It made her happiness in that moment feel all the more vivid.
She slowly turned and headed toward the Hyuga Clan compound.
Ao-kun, I'll work hard!
[Name: Uchiha Ao] [Age: 9] [Total Chakra: 12 cards] [Chakra Nature: All] [Skill: Shadow Clone Technique] [Items: None] [Main Quest: Caged Bird Longing for Freedom (50/100)] [Bloodline: Otsutsuki Bloodline (5/100)]
"Has the quest progress already reached halfway?"
Uchiha Ao walked toward the Uchiha Clan Compound beneath the moonlight. The stone path through Konoha wound beneath his feet, and the street lanterns stretched his shadow into long and short shapes.
"Where could my little brother be going?" A woman's amused voice came from behind him before he'd gone very far.
Uchiha Ao stiffened and slowly turned around. Uchiha Izumi was leaning against a wall, with his Shadow Clone beside her.
"Izumi... Sis." Uchiha Ao looked at Sister Izumi leaning against the wall, then at the Shadow Clone tied up beside her. His Adam's apple bobbed.
"My little brother's learned to use Shadow Clones to fool his big sister now. You've really grown up." Uchiha Izumi wound a lock of hair around her finger, her eyes fixed on the Shadow Clone tied up like a dumpling. "You said you'd stay home to study ninjutsu, but instead you went on a date with a girl from the Hyuga Clan and casually paid a hundred thousand ryo."
Oh boy, I'd really gone too far.
Uchiha Ao's throat tightened. He gave an awkward laugh and backed up half a step, only to bump into the cold wall.
Uchiha Izumi walked closer, her long hair swaying gently with her steps. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Uchiha Ao. She planted one hand against the wall, trapping him in the narrow space. "Little brother, tell me. How should I punish you this time?"
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