Thinking of his friends, Shinji immediately got up, found a communication scroll, and wrote several brief messages, sending them through Konoha's internal communication channels.
The message was simple: if they were in the village, dinner at Yakiniku Q that evening was on him.
To his delight, replies trickled in before dusk.
Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka were all in the village! That was certainly good news.
Shinji promptly invited his two teammates from the Hatake Squad as well-Hizashi Hyuga and Miwa Kato.
Hizashi was steady and dependable, while Miwako was cheerful and outgoing. Introducing them to the close friends he had made at the Ninja Academy would expand everyone's circle and give Miwako and Hizashi a little more warmth and companionship amid the strain of war.
Evening fell, and the lights came on.
Yakiniku Q's main branch was as lively as ever, the mouthwatering aroma of meat drifting far down the street.
Shinji arrived first with Hizashi and Miwako. Torifu Akimichi beamed when he saw them, especially Shinji, and personally led them to a quieter private room that had been reserved.
"Shinji, my boy! Brought some friends to support the place today? Don't worry, we'll have our finest meat out for you in no time!"
Torifu patted his chest in assurance, then gave Hizashi and Miwako a friendly nod.
He could tell that Shinji's two companions were no ordinary youngsters. In particular, the Hyuga Clan boy with the Byakugan had a calm gaze that clearly marked him as an elite.
Soon, someone lifted the curtain over the doorway.
"Shinji!"
An energetic voice rang out, warm as sunshine.
Minato Namikaze came in first, still wearing his simple ninja outfit. His short blond hair shone brilliantly under the lights, and his usual gentle smile was as