Smack!
A hand reached around the side of the screen.
Son Goten's chopsticks reached for the last piece of chashu on the plate opposite him, only to be intercepted midair by another pair.
"Don't even think about it."
Trunks stuffed the chashu into his mouth, chewed twice, and shot him a challenging look.
Ayame stood between the two tables with her hands on her hips, looking at the screen partition she had so carefully arranged, now tilted thirty degrees. A piece of chopped scallion that had just flown over was still stuck in her long brown hair.
"Listen, you two. I spent half an hour setting that screen up."
"Sis, that screen of yours can't stop us."
Goten drew his hand back as he spoke and nonchalantly shoveled a big mouthful of noodles into his mouth.
Teuchi leaned halfway out of the kitchen, glanced at the devastation on the table, and said nothing. He turned around and dropped another three handfuls of noodles into the pot.
This was already the seventh pot that morning.
Before they had finished breakfast, the entrance curtain lifted.
Naruto stood in the doorway in wrinkled training clothes, grass clippings and mud still clinging to his knees.
"Boss."
Goten didn't look up. His mouth full of noodles, he spoke indistinctly.
"What? Still haven't finished washing your bowls?"
"It's not about the bowls."
Naruto walked over and sat down at the table, wiping the sweat off his face. For once, he didn't look at the menu first.
"Jiraiya-sensei told me Akatsuki is collecting Tailed Beasts."
Goten set down his chopsticks, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a sip.
"Scared?"
"No way!"
Naruto slammed his fist onto the table, making a bowl jump.
"But... what I can do now isn't enough."
Goten looked at him for