Drool at the Corner of Her Mouth

"Hey, hey! Damn it, we're still right here!"

Jealousy had twisted Kiba Inuzuka's face beyond recognition.

Akamaru also poked his head out from Kiba Inuzuka's arms and barked, "Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!"

Kurenai Yuhi wore an auntie-like smile as she watched Kanami and Hinata.

Coming to her senses, Hinata hurried behind Kurenai Yuhi and hid behind her.

Kanami glanced at Kiba Inuzuka and silently formed hand seals.

Seeing the familiar hand movements, Kiba Inuzuka immediately thought of that terrifying giant fireball.

He hurriedly hid behind a house and shouted at Kurenai Yuhi, "Kurenai-sensei, he's trying to kill me!"

Kurenai Yuhi raised an eyebrow, growing rather interested in Kanami.

"Is he skilled in Fire Release?"

Because his hand seals were so slow, she could tell at a glance that they were the seals for Fire Release: Fire Ball Jutsu. Yet there was no chakra flowing through Kanami's body, so naturally, she had no need to stop him.

Seeing Kiba Inuzuka hurriedly hide, Kanami's lips curled slightly.

He had only meant to scare him. Otherwise, a single Tiger Seal would have taken him out instantly.

"The mission is complete. Let's head back."

Kanami said, "Wait, Kurenai-sensei. Kiba, come help me too."

Kiba Inuzuka peeked over a few times and realized Kanami had only been scaring him. He ran over with an embarrassed grin.

"What is it?"

"Of course we need to bring these spoils back," Kanami said, lifting a wild boar nearly as tall as himself and tossing it to Kiba Inuzuka.

"Catch."

The two of them each grabbed a pig leg in one hand. With four legs between them, their hands were full, but several more boars still lay on the ground.

Seeing that Kanami and Kiba Inuzuka did not know what to do, Hinata volunteered, "I'll help too."

Kanami quickly shook his head. "No need. We can't even finish four of them."

"Besides, even if we were taking more, Kurenai-sensei is still here. How could she have the nerve to let you carry them?"

Hinata nodded. "I understand."

Kurenai Yuhi crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at him.

That little brat sure knew how to make snide remarks. Who had taught him that?

"Let's get going. The sun's almost down," Kurenai Yuhi said.

Kanami and Kiba Inuzuka each carried two wild boars on their backs and hurried toward the village.

By nightfall, Kanami and the others had turned in their mission and arrived at the training ground.

After they put down the boars, Kanami counted them and found that the number was off.

"Kiba, did you bring back three?"

"No. I wanted to carry another one back, but I didn't have a free hand."

Kiba Inuzuka was in the nearby woods, bending down to gather firewood.

Huh. That was strange.

"I brought it back," an emotionless voice said beside Kanami's ear.

Kanami jumped, then looked sideways. "Oh, it's Shino. That makes sense. Your invisibility is incredible—you don't make a sound at all."

Shino Aburame: "..."

Kanami then found a suitable spot nearby and set up a fire pit.

Before long, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata returned with a huge pile of branches.

Everything was ready.

Kanami rapidly formed hand seals.

Puff!

A fireball a meter in diameter instantly shot from his mouth.

Fortunately, Kurenai Yuhi was there this time. She swiftly scooped up Hinata and leaped backward.

Kanami noticed right away that he had accidentally used too much chakra again and had already dodged aside.

Only Kiba Inuzuka failed to evade in time and got his butt scorched. Akamaru hurriedly peed on him, helping put out the flames.

Kurenai Yuhi demanded, "What were you trying to do with that much power?"

Kanami said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to. I was already holding back, but I didn't expect it to still be that powerful."

The flames on Kiba Inuzuka had already gone out. He climbed to his feet with a miserable expression.

"You did that on purpose! Earlier, I interrupted you and Hinata being all lovey-dovey, so you took the chance to get revenge. Kurenai-sensei, you have to stand up for me!"

As he spoke, Kiba Inuzuka ran toward Kurenai Yuhi.

Behind him, Hinata fidgeted with her small hands in front of herself and said shyly, "We weren't being lovey-dovey..."

What was that smell?!

Kurenai Yuhi frowned and sniffed, only to discover that it was coming from Kiba Inuzuka.

"Don't come any closer. Go beat up Kanami for revenge. I allow it."

She pinched her nose with one hand and pressed the other against Kiba Inuzuka's face, refusing to let him approach.

"How am I supposed to fight him? I'm a close-combat fighter. You want me to chase after someone who can casually spit out a five-meter fireball?"

Kiba Inuzuka looked like he was about to cry. It was not that he did not want to fight Kanami—he simply could not. Fire Release was all about wide-area coverage. Only an idiot would charge in.

"Ahem."

Kanami scratched his head and coughed twice. "Although there was a minor accident, look—the branches are burning."

Everyone: "..."

Before long, they had finished off several wild boars, leaving only half a roasted pig. They were already full.

Only Hinata stared straight at the remaining half-roasted pig. But seeing that everyone else seemed full, she swallowed her saliva and did not bring up the idea of roasting the rest to eat.

But how could Kanami not understand her little thoughts?

She was a girl capable of setting the Ichiraku Ramen big-eater record.

No wonder she had not grown much. She must not have been eating properly, stunting her growth.

But with so many people here, saying that a girl had eaten four pigs and was still not full was unacceptable.

Dangerous.

Kanami had nearly asked Hinata whether she was still hungry without thinking.

"Kurenai-sensei, shall we roast and eat this half too?"

Kurenai Yuhi wiped the grease from her mouth and waved her hand. "Sensei can't eat another bite."

Kanami turned to Kiba Inuzuka. "Kiba?"

Kiba Inuzuka did not answer immediately. He first asked Akamaru, who was lying in his arms, "Akamaru, can you still eat?"

"Woof woof." Akamaru shook his head.

Kiba Inuzuka flopped backward into a spread-eagle position and said, "I can't eat anymore. You can still eat?"

"Yeah, I'm not full yet." Kanami lied without so much as a blush.

Kiba Inuzuka looked at Kanami's bulging stomach.

Are you sure you're not joking?

Kanami turned his head. "Hinata?"

"I..." Hinata hesitated for a long while before saying, "I'm not hungry. You eat it."

Kanami nodded and said to everyone, "Then I'll roast it and eat it myself. You all can head back first. It's getting late."

"Don't eat yourself to death."

Kiba Inuzuka stood up, stared at Kanami's bulging belly, and rolled his eyes at him.

It was already very late. Everyone had wanted to leave for a while, but no one had brought it up first.

Kurenai Yuhi patted the dirt off herself as well. "Then we're really leaving. Do you need us to keep you company for a while?"

Kanami blinked and looked Kurenai Yuhi over. "If Sensei wants to stay and keep me company, that's fine too."

Feeling his heated gaze, Kurenai Yuhi glared at him. "You can stay here and feed the wolves."

With that, she leaped away.

Seeing that Kanami had actually started roasting more meat, Kiba Inuzuka did not linger any longer.

"Kanami, I'm leaving first."

"Hinata, don't stay with him either. By the time he finishes eating, it'll probably be a long while."

Hinata nodded, but her body showed no intention of leaving. She merely stood up and paced back and forth in place.

Once everyone else had left, Kanami's lips curved upward. "It'll be ready soon, Hinata. Come over."

He then threw several more armfuls of firewood onto the fire, making the flames burn even stronger.

He just said he was very hungry. If I eat with him, he definitely won't have enough...

Hinata reluctantly tore her gaze away from the roasted pig. "I'm not hungry. I'll stay with you for a little while, then go home."

"But Hinata, the drool at the corner of your mouth..."