.
"What's so surprising about bugs?"
Sage Shima looked at Naruto's overblown reaction with complete composure.
Seeing how worked up Naruto was, she seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
The others also got up to prepare for their meal, but when they saw this scene, they halted, unsure whether to step forward or continue training.
In the bowls,
the densely packed, wriggling bugs made everyone present frown instinctively.
It was rather terrifying.
"We're guests, and this is what you're serving us?!" Naruto stared wide-eyed, pointing at the bowl of bugs in utter dissatisfaction, even getting a little agitated.
He had never eaten anything like that before.
"Bugs are the highest form of hospitality we can offer. They're delicious!" Sage Shima did not waste any more words on Naruto. She lifted the lid off a bowl and curled her tongue around a bug trying to crawl out, swallowing it in one bite.
She licked her lips with relish, then continued, "If you're not eating, then I'll have it first!"
With that,
she stopped waiting for Naruto and began eating by herself.
The sight of her eating made Hua Yu and the others frown repeatedly. It was far too horrifying. Yet they were also speechless; she was a toad, so eating bugs was perfectly normal.
But
asking them to eat bugs too was something they could not accept.
"No, it's one thing to make us eat bugs, but are you going to make Xuanyu eat bugs too?" Naruto was at a loss for words, but then his eyes lit up as he pointed directly at Xuanyu in the back.
However,
the moment he turned around, he saw Xuanyu holding a bowl of ramen and eating it. There was another bowl beside him as Xuanyu looked at Hua Yu. "Hua Yu, come eat with me."
"Okay."