The black eyeball swiveled in the crystal's image.
Tsunade's hand holding the crystal froze in midair, her knuckles whitening with the force of her grip, her breathing slowing for half a beat.
Bang.
Trunks slapped the table, sending the remaining noodle broth flying out of a bowl and splashing all over Shikaku's sleeve.
Shikaku tucked the files behind his back, the corners of his mouth twitching twice, and said nothing.
"Goten, something behind the door is peeking at us."
Everyone crowded over at once.
The image projected inside the crystal was perfectly clear. In the narrowest sliver of the doorway, a round eyeball was squeezed against the edge of the gap.
Its surface gleamed like an oil slick, its entire body composed of black liquid matter. It rolled around, and the angle and direction of its movement made it clear that it was looking through the crystal toward the Ramen Shop.
Under the table, Hinata tightened her grip on Goten's fingers, her nails digging into his palm.
Ino took a step back, her blond ponytail swinging in front of her, and unconsciously gripped its ends with both hands.
Sakura clenched her fists until her knuckles cracked, much of the color draining from her face.
Goten glanced down at the crystal.
"Oh, is this an incoming interdimensional video call?"
No one could laugh.
He casually picked up a pair of chopsticks from the bowl rack and tapped them twice directly above the crystal. The sound was light and crisp, but his swagger came from deep in his bones.
"What are you staring at? Never seen someone digesting a full meal?"
In the crystal's image, the black eyeball rapidly contracted, changing from a sphere into a vertical slit.
Immediately afterward, a series of piercing, ear-splitting chain rattles came from deep within the