Dinner Gathering

Dinner Gathering

Tsunade looked disdainfully at the shameless guy who had followed them over. "Why did you come along?"

"That's too much. I was clearly here first, okay?" Jiraiya said indignantly. "You're the one who came later."

He was referring to becoming friends with Aokiji.

"Feeling itchy for a beating?"

Tsunade shot him a fierce glare.

Already somewhat afraid of getting beaten by Tsunade, Jiraiya timidly hid behind Aokiji.

Aokiji shook his head at Jiraiya's inability to learn. As long as he softened up a little, Tsunade would not start throwing punches. No wonder this guy had failed to win Tsunade over in the original story.

"Wait here. I'll go cook."

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were settled in the living room while he went into the kitchen. Chopping the ingredients, heating the wok, pouring in oil—every movement flowed smoothly. As a foodie and a bachelor, he had long become adept at this sort of thing.

After all, when no one loved you, you could only love yourself.

While Aokiji bustled about cooking, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya stared at one another. They suddenly realized things were a little awkward.

Although all three were in the same class, they had not interacted much normally. The only reason they had gathered together now was because Aokiji served as the link between them.

Fortunately, Aokiji returned before long and broke the awkwardness.

Tsunade was surprised to see him back. "Are the dishes done already?"

"How could they be done that fast? This dish needs to simmer over high heat for fifteen minutes." Aokiji replied, "I'm taking a short break while I wait."

Tsunade asked, "Do you usually cook for yourself?"

Aokiji shrugged. "What else would I do? I'm all alone, so I can only do it myself. Eating out is expensive."

Grandma Mito had left him a substantial inheritance after she passed away. Aokiji planned to use that money to start a business after graduation, so naturally, he had to live frugally.

Being a ninja was like joining a criminal organization in his previous life. Once you got in, it was hard to get out.

As long as the organization needed you, you had to answer the call at any time.

Otherwise, they would slap you with the charge of disobeying orders. In serious cases, you might even be treated as a Rogue Ninja.

Aokiji was not exaggerating. After becoming a ninja, especially a powerful one, they would inevitably come into contact with secrets related to the village during missions.

For the sake of easier management, Konoha would certainly not allow its ninjas to do whatever they pleased.

Before he turned sixteen or so, Aokiji's strategy was to lie low, disguise himself as an Ordinary Person, and then emerge once he was old enough, building prestige for his future campaign to become Hokage.

As for why sixteen rather than earlier or later—

It was because by then, his body's physical development would basically be complete, and he would not be disadvantaged by his age.

Chakra was formed from Yang and Yin, with Yang representing physical energy.

Taking the original trio as examples and comparing the three stages of the Book of Lin, Book of Dou, and Book of Sha: Naruto's Chakra was 8/8/10, Sasuke's was 4/6/7, and Sakura's was 2/3/5. There had been obvious increases between the Book of Lin and Book of Dou, which covered close periods of time. But three years later, by the Book of Sha, their Chakra had improved much more slowly.

Chakra was like height. Training had some effect in the later stages, but talent mattered more.

Based on all that, Aokiji concluded that by sixteen, his physical development would basically be complete. Beyond that, unless he got some kind of cheat, there would not be much further improvement.

That was why Aokiji planned to emerge at sixteen rather than become a ninja right after graduation. Ninja was a high-risk profession. Going out to take risks before he had fully developed was no different from courting death in his eyes.

Becoming a ninja early would let him accumulate experience and level up sooner, but that assumed he survived.

Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Aokiji placed the steaming Pickled Cabbage Fish before the three of them.

The three examined the dish called Pickled Cabbage Fish. Just from its appearance alone, it looked incredibly appetizing.

"Let's eat."

Jiraiya eagerly picked up a piece of fish, put it into his mouth, and ate it with rice. After chewing, a blissful expression appeared on his face. "Wow, this Pickled Cabbage Fish is way too delicious!"

Hearing that, Tsunade and Orochimaru each picked up a piece of fish and tasted it. Sure enough, it was just as Jiraiya said—extremely delicious, perfect in color, aroma, and flavor.

Before long, the four of them had devoured the entire large fish. Tsunade, despite being a girl, had contributed greatly. She could really eat.

There was a reason why she would undergo the ultimate evolution from a Flat Chest at eleven or twelve into a woman who could not see her toes when she looked down just a few years later.

Jiraiya rubbed his belly and let out a satisfied burp. He did not hesitate to praise him. "Aokiji, you're a genius. With skills like yours, you could open a restaurant."

Following Jiraiya's words, Aokiji smiled. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. After I graduate, I plan to open a restaurant of my own."

"You're not joking, are you?"

Tsunade put down her chopsticks and stared at him in astonishment. She found it hard to agree with Aokiji's dream.

Ninja was a respected profession. Becoming a ninja was absolutely something to be proud of.

Many children in the village wanted to become ninjas but did not even get the chance.

Admission to the Ninja Academy was very strict. Every year, quite a few children were rejected in tears.

On top of that, Aokiji came from the Uchiha Clan, one of Konoha's foremost clans. He had a good background and outstanding talent. In Tsunade's eyes, not becoming a ninja would be a terrible waste.

Even Tsunade, only five years old, understood such a simple truth. She did not believe Aokiji failed to understand it.

As if he had seen through Tsunade's thoughts, Aokiji organized his words. "I'm not interested in being a ninja. If my clan had not forced me, I would never have entered this school. And saying that opening a restaurant is my dream is not entirely right either. My ultimate goal is this."

As he spoke, he rubbed his fingers together in a gesture for counting money.

Tsunade understood. "Money?"

"That's right. Money is the only thing I truly pursue."

"How shallow." Tsunade mercilessly sneered at Aokiji's greed. "A ninja's honor cannot be measured with mere money."

Aokiji saw that Tsunade had been thoroughly brainwashed. Shaking his head, he asked, "Then tell me, what can a ninja's honor be measured by?"

Tsunade argued, "A ninja's honor is priceless."

"Priceless means worthless, then~" Aokiji sneered. Then he looked into her eyes and said in an extremely serious tone, "Do you know what the most tragic thing in this world is?"

Tsunade froze. "What?"

"You earn money, but then you die, and your wife runs off with another man carrying your money."

"My future goal is to marry two wives and live with one in each arm. Ninja income is pretty good, enough to support two wives and let me live a decent life.

"But the prerequisite is that I have to stay alive long enough to spend it. Ninja is a high-risk profession. I might die young one day. Then my wives would take the money I worked so hard to earn and go be lovey-dovey with other men. If I knew about it in the afterlife, I definitely would not rest in peace."

As he spoke, Aokiji suddenly became emotional. He raised an index finger and declared righteously, "Screw being a ninja. Whoever wants to be one can go be one. I'm not doing it even if it kills me."

Tsunade stared at Aokiji with twitching lips, as if she were meeting him for the first time. She could understand being afraid of death, but Aokiji was just too... He had actually been fantasizing about marrying two wives since childhood. She had not wronged him back then—he really was a huge pervert.

"Pervert."

Aokiji had predicted Tsunade's prediction. Since he was already a pervert in Tsunade's eyes anyway, he might as well come clean and play the role to the fullest. It would also reinforce his lazy good-for-nothing image.

Besides, this persona had another benefit: it would make it easier for him to get close to Tsunade.

If he deliberately approached Tsunade from time to time, it might seem like he was trying to hide something. Being open about it instead would make people less suspicious.

To this, Jiraiya unexpectedly nodded in agreement. "How can a man marry only two wives? That's far too improper."

Those words gave Tsunade a little comfort. Although Jiraiya was usually lecherous, unreliable, and even deserved a beating, he still had some basic moral standards. It seemed she had misunderstood him somewhat in the past.

"A great man born between heaven and earth, how can he be satisfied with merely holding one woman in each arm? He should have at least seven wives. Seven days in a week, one different wife every day."

Jiraiya declared with heroic grandeur.

The favor Tsunade had just begun to feel for him instantly vanished. Along with all the frustration that had built up earlier, she could not help punching Jiraiya.

Jiraiya covered his face, looking deeply wronged. "Aokiji said it first! Why are you hitting me?"

"Shut up." Tsunade glared at him as if she wanted to eat him alive.

Jiraiya still wanted to argue, but Tsunade cut him off. "Men are all pigs."

Cursing under her breath, she gave a huff and stormed out through the door.

Aokiji continued, "So-called ninja are just a profession for making money. I'm sure the money I make in business in the future will not be any less than what I'd make as a ninja. So why should I risk my life?"

Orochimaru leaned closer and smiled. "Lord Aokiji, your way of thinking is quite interesting..."

He could not help agreeing with Aokiji. After all, his parents had died as ninjas. In the end, ninja was simply a job for supporting one's family. Honor and such seemed pointless to Orochimaru now. If someone was dead, what use was that optional honor?

"Hey."

At that moment, Tsunade suddenly came back, startling Aokiji. "Why are you back again?"

"I owe you for this meal. I'll repay you."

Before Aokiji could react, Tsunade turned and left.

It did not take long. Soon, Tsunade invited Aokiji to her home and personally made him a dish. To do so, she had carefully asked Grandma Mito for advice on cooking and preparing food.

"You should feel deeply grateful to me. I made this dish especially for you."

Standing before the table in an apron, Tsunade put her hands on her hips. Her raised little head made her look like a proud little rooster.

Aokiji silently lowered his head and looked at the dark substance on the table radiating an ominous aura. The corners of his mouth twitched. "What did I ever do to make you want to kill me..."