Cooking horrors

By then, the two of them had run a long way and finally stopped.

Qianye Lan glanced back, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming that Tsunade had not chased after them.

Kushina patted her little chest, still shaken. "That was terrifying. We almost ended up eating Big Sister Tsunade's cooking."

Remembering Big Sister Tsunade's cooking horrors, they exchanged a look and could not help shuddering.

They remembered a dark, windy night.

Tsunade had enthusiastically brought a plate of stew out of the kitchen, trailing purple smoke and wriggling slightly.

She seemed to call that stuff nutritious stew?

In the end, if Mito Uzumaki had not stepped in to stop Tsunade's deranged act...

While the two were congratulating themselves on their escape, they had no idea they had fallen into someone else's trap.

Kushina spoke up. "Lan, what are we eating tonight, then?"

Hearing Kushina's question, Qianye Lan lowered his head and thought for a moment. "How about Ichiraku Ramen?"

Kushina's eyes lit up. "Sure!"

But as soon as she said it, she seemed to remember something. She reached out and felt her pockets, and her eyes dimmed.

Seeing Kushina looking a little down, Qianye Lan asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Kushina lowered her head and said, a little embarrassed, "I didn't bring any money."

Qianye Lan immediately laughed when he heard that.

Hearing his laughter, Kushina looked up and stared at him unhappily. "What are you laughing at?"

Qianye Lan stroked her long red hair. "I can just treat you, can't I? One meal is no big deal."

Only then did Kushina catch on, instantly regaining her energy.

She grabbed Qianye Lan's wrist and said impatiently, "You said it yourself. Let's go."

The two walked into Ichiraku Ramen.

Qianye Lan said, "Boss, give us two servings of... actually, make that six servings of ramen."

"Six servings?" The young Teuchi doubted his own ears and glanced at Qianye Lan and Kushina.

Finally, when he saw the forehead protectors on their foreheads, he seemed to understand.

Ninja, huh? It was normal for them to eat a little more.

Still, just to be safe, he asked again.

"Are you two sure you want six servings of ramen?"

Qianye Lan and Kushina nodded at the same time and answered in unison, "Yes."

After confirming that the customers before him had not misspoken, Teuchi brought out steaming servings of ramen, one after another.

Qianye Lan and Kushina picked up their chopsticks and each polished off three servings of ramen in no time.

Teuchi's expression was still a little stiff as he looked at the tall stack of ramen bowls.

But once Qianye Lan paid the bill, a smile quickly appeared on his face.

Watching the two leave, he said, "Take care. Come again."

The Uchiha Clan compound.

Uchiha Fugaku, who had wandered around outside all day, glanced at the darkening sky and sighed softly.

He braced himself and returned home, gently pushing open the courtyard gate. Seeing the pitch-black house, he could not help breathing a sigh of relief.

He gently pushed open the door, but the sight before him made him stiffen slightly.

A tall, dark figure sat silently on the sofa, exuding an oppressive air, his eyes fixed on Fugaku without a word.

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku, the dark figure sneered. "Useless brat, get on your knees."

Uchiha Fugaku did not dare resist at all and obediently knelt down.

The dark figure before him was none other than his father, Uchiha Shigure.

As the living room light came on, Uchiha Shigure looked at Uchiha Fugaku with disgust. "I knew you were useless, but I never imagined you were this useless. You couldn't even beat someone several years younger than you. What good are you?"

Uchiha Fugaku looked unwilling to accept it. "But I..."

"No buts." Uchiha Shigure cut him off.

He looked at Uchiha Fugaku coldly. "A loss is a loss. Don't make excuses."

Uchiha Fugaku lowered his head in humiliation. "Understood, Father."

Uchiha Shigure crossed his legs. "Forget about Uchiha Mikoto from now on. Elder Sosuke just made a point of telling me that. I've found someone else for you."

Hearing his father's words, Uchiha Fugaku jerked his head up and was about to speak, only to be interrupted again.

"Enough. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already? Pretending to faint because you couldn't win-did you think everyone there was an idiot? Uchiha Fugaku, you've completely disgraced me!"

Uchiha Shigure practically roared that last sentence.

He had placed such high hopes on this son of his and worked frantically to build up his reputation, only for it all to vanish in an instant.

With this incident, his branch of the family would probably become a laughingstock.

Now that things had come to this, Uchiha Shigure sighed helplessly again.

He looked at Uchiha Fugaku, his tone softening a little. "The father of the girl I've arranged for you this time holds no less standing in the Uchiha Clan than Uchiha Sosuke. Make sure you seize this opportunity."

Kneeling on the floor, Uchiha Fugaku nodded emphatically. He knew this was probably his last chance, and he had to seize it.

"All right, get up."

Uchiha Shigure glanced at him. Although he sometimes resented Fugaku's failure to live up to expectations, Fugaku was still his son, after all. He would smooth the road for him wherever he could.

Uchiha Sosuke looked at Uchiha Shizuka. "I've already made things clear to Shigure about Mikoto. Don't worry."

Hearing his words, Uchiha Shizuka turned toward the person in the bedroom. "Mikoto, you heard that too, didn't you? Bring him over to our house sometime when you're free."

Uchiha Mikoto grew flustered at that. She pushed open her bedroom door. "Mom, he... he's still young."

Uchiha Shizuka's eyes immediately lit up. "So you're the older woman in the relationship? Our Mikoto has really come into her own."

While Uchiha Mikoto was fending off her gossip-loving parents...

Qianye Lan and Kushina were strolling down the street toward home.

Kushina said a little worriedly, "Will Big Sister Tsunade hold a grudge over what we did this afternoon?"

Looking at the worry filling Kushina's little face, Qianye Lan could not resist reaching out and gently pinching her cheek. "Don't worry, she won't. Big Sister Tsunade isn't that petty."

Kushina looked at Qianye Lan and nodded, only half convinced.

The two returned home and pushed open the courtyard gate, looking at Tsunade standing in the middle of the courtyard.

(This humble author begs on his knees for some "Generate with Love" support.)