The Fish That Defeated a Jinchuriki

The place Hinata had mentioned was not far away. Tahm led Hinata from the Hyuga Compound, and they arrived after only a short walk.

The scenery was indeed as beautiful as Hinata had described. Towering trees stretched endlessly beneath their dense canopies, while a clear stream wound its way through the forest. Even more remarkably, all kinds of flowers bloomed beneath the trees, filling the air with their fragrance. No wonder Hinata had said she came here for Flower Arrangement Class.

Tahm had never been particularly fond of natural scenery. After spending more than a year on Mount Myoboku, he had seen more than enough extraordinary sights. But this outing put him in a different mood from usual, and he was especially cheerful.

It was still too early for lunch, so they could not have their picnic just yet. But strolling through the woods with Hinata, admiring the beautiful flowers, and watching her show off the flower arrangements she had learned to make made the time pass quickly. It was not boring or monotonous in the slightest.

Before they knew it, noon had arrived.

Hinata obediently took out the large picnic cloth she had prepared for Tahm and carefully spread it flat on the ground. She then opened the enormous lunchbox they had brought and took out one steaming bento dish after another, arranging them neatly.

Once everything was ready, Hinata looked at Tahm expectantly and said, "Tahm, I made this bento for you myself."

"Did you really make all of this yourself this morning?" Tahm asked, somewhat surprised.

"Mhm. Because you eat so much, Tahm."

Tahm was touched. Preparing such a large amount of food, with every dish made so delicately and beautifully, must have taken Hinata a great deal of effort. Without saying anything else, he picked up one of Hinata's specially made giant sushi rolls. Instead of swallowing it whole as he usually did, he put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully. The taste was unexpectedly good... It was nothing like something a six-year-old could make.

"Hinata, this bento is delicious!" Tahm praised her sincerely. "I didn't know you were so good at cooking."

"Father enrolled me in a training class before. He said cooking was also a compulsory skill for kunoichi..."

"Flower arrangement, cooking... Why does it feel like they're not training a ninja but raising a good wife?" Tahm could not help teasing her. His words immediately made Hinata's little face turn bright red, as if steam were about to come out of it.

After eating for a while, Tahm thought it over and said, "Hinata, wait here. I'll go catch a fish. Since we came all the way here, I should let you see my skills too."

"Huh? Tahm, you can cook too?" Hinata asked in surprise. With Tahm's appearance, he did not look like the sort of character who could cook at all.

"Of course. I didn't come empty-handed today." As he spoke, Tahm somehow produced several small bottles. They were seasonings he had prepared for grilled fish. Tahm really did possess excellent culinary skills. In his previous life, he had been good at cooking, and after transmigrating into Tahm, it seemed he had inherited the Gourmet's special trait, making his understanding of food preparation even more effortless. On Mount Myoboku, although he could never refuse Sage Fukasaku's "If you don't eat this, you must look down on me" Full Bug Feast, Tahm often caught fish in private to improve his own meals.

A relatively wide stream flowed nearby. Tahm stepped into the water and immediately felt an intimate familiarity, like a fish returning to water. After all, his true form was the River King. As a mutated frog who wandered through every waterway, Tahm possessed unique advantages when it came to catching fish. Simply by sensing the fluctuations in the current, he discovered several plump, lively fish nearby.

"Hinata, catch!" Tahm called to Hinata on the bank. He immediately flicked out his long tongue, swept it nimbly through the water, and sent several fish flying toward her.

Hmm? This current!

Tahm keenly sensed a very large fish swimming rapidly downstream with its back toward him.

To make waves this big, it must be nice and fat. What a rare ingredient!

Feeling the big fish draw closer and closer, Tahm abruptly turned around and lashed out with his tongue, wrapping up the thrashing fish in the water. He then flung it into the air and sent it toward the bank.

A fish as large as an adult traced an arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the riverbank.

Huh!? What was that huge mass of orange-yellow stuff on the fish? Tahm had just been about to inspect his catch when the scene before him left him stunned.

Hinata, on the other hand, cautiously moved closer for a look and said, "Tahm, this is a person!"

Tahm: "..."

Taking a closer look, he saw that the unidentified object hanging onto the fish really was a person.

He walked closer and examined it carefully. Wasn't this none other than Young Master Naruto Uzumaki? The little blond had actually been hugging a giant fish, unconscious, and had floated down the river right to him and Hinata!

With a dark line across his forehead, Tahm silently used Starcall on him to restore his strength. Naruto suddenly sat up and vomited a large mouthful of water, then gasped for breath as he shouted dramatically, "Where am I? Am I dead?"

"You're not dead." Tahm's leisurely voice came from beside him. "Though I am curious how you ended up in the river hugging a fish."

"Huh?" Only then did Naruto notice the enormous figure beside him. "It's Big Brother Tahm! Did you save me?"

"No. I just caught a fish."

"Uh..." Naruto smiled sheepishly. "I was going to catch a fish for dinner, but this one was too strong and knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I was here."

It sounded rather comical. He was probably the first Jinchuriki in history who had nearly died at the hands of a fish. But when Tahm heard this, his heart softened. He knew about Naruto's living conditions. Catching fish to eat at just over six years old was not a carefree picnic like Tahm's. It was something necessity had forced him to do.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? There's still some sushi left here. Eat this first." As he spoke, Tahm handed him a giant rice ball.

It was only ordinary kindness, but to Naruto it was a kind of emotion he had never experienced before. He held the rice ball in both hands without moving for a long time. "Big Brother Tahm, whether it was the first time we met or when you saved me this time, why are you so good to me? Everyone knows I'm the Demon Fox..." As he spoke, tears welled up in his azure eyes.

Tahm smacked Naruto on the head irritably. "Blond brat, men shouldn't cry at the drop of a hat." After a pause, he added, "You're a Demon Fox, and I'm a toad. Aren't we a perfect match together?"

Naruto said nothing. He wolfed down the rice ball, but the tears in his eyes did not fade for a long time.

"Blond brat!" This time, Tahm truly began treating him as a friend. After all, he had always been unable to resist children troubled by a lack of love.

"Hm?"

Tahm pointed toward Hinata. "Her name is Hinata Hyuga." Hinata immediately gave him a polite smile.

"My name is Tahm, as you already know. What's yours?" Tahm asked despite already knowing, since Naruto had not introduced himself before.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto adjusted his emotions and flashed a hearty smile.

"From today onward, the three of us are friends! I'll protect you from now on!" Tahm declared, thumping his chest.

Naruto's eyes grew moist once again.