"Why would I lie to you?"
Shihui Aburame walked past him and went to the riverbank.
Just like last time, he cleaned the fish everyone had caught.
Sasuke Uchiha stood there in a daze.
He thought of his older brother, Uchiha Itachi.
From the day he was born, the entire Forest of Death had whispered his name.
He was an unparalleled genius who had awakened his Sharingan at eight.
Sasuke Uchiha had always wanted to catch up to him, only for the gap to grow wider and wider.
Uchiha Itachi held a special place in his heart, so falling short of him was understandable.
But Shihui Aburame's sudden appearance had dealt him a heavy blow.
Sasuke Uchiha clenched his fists, his heart filled with defiance.
As an Uchiha, how could I lose to an outsider?
If Dad and my brother found out, how disappointed would they be?
"Sasuke."
Naruto Uzumaki had already come back to his senses.
Although he was a little unhappy that Sasuke Uchiha had run off halfway through, seeing how hard he had taken the blow made him put that aside.
"Losing to Shiki isn't that big a deal."
Naruto Uzumaki patted his shoulder and spoke casually.
"What do you know?"
Looking at his smiling face, Sasuke Uchiha felt indescribably irritated.
"If you lose, you just have to win next time, right?"
Naruto Uzumaki scratched his head, not understanding why he was so angry.
Sasuke Uchiha started to speak, then stopped.
Was winning really that easy?
But suddenly, he froze for a moment.
Why couldn't I win?
I'm an Uchiha!
The Uchiha Clan's greatest strength was the Sharingan. A single glance was all it took to win.
Once he awakened his Sharingan, Shihui Aburame was destined to lose to him.
As for now, he could let him act smug for a little while.
"You're right."
Sasuke Uchiha regained his confidence.
"How many fish did Shiki catch?"
Naruto Uzumaki asked curiously.
"..."
The corner of Sasuke Uchiha's mouth twitched. "Idiot."
"Hey!"
Looking thoroughly unhappy, Naruto Uzumaki asked, "What's that supposed to mean? Why are you calling me names again?"
He had kindly comforted him, only to receive not even a word of thanks.
Besides, how was he an idiot? He had been smart since he was little, okay?
Sasuke Uchiha couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore.
He was worried Naruto would drag him down to his level.
"You jerk!"
Naruto Uzumaki waved his fist and stopped paying attention to him, too.
He turned and went over to Shihui Aburame.
Choji Akimichi could set up the two grills by himself and had no need for his help.
"Why do you scrape off the scales and remove the guts?"
After watching for two minutes, Naruto Uzumaki asked.
"Because they're unhygienic."
Shihui Aburame answered offhandedly, "Eating them can cause problems, like diarrhea."
"Oh!"
Naruto Uzumaki suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "No wonder I get diarrhea after drinking milk."
"That's not the reason."
Shihui Aburame explained, "Milk expires and goes bad. You kept the milk you bought for too long."
"Huh? So that's why."
Naruto Uzumaki stared blankly for a moment. "You know so much."
Shihui Aburame glanced at him.
If anyone else had said that, he would definitely have thought they were being sarcastic.
"When will you teach me to cook?"
Naruto Uzumaki looked at him expectantly.
"Sunday."
Shihui Aburame thought for a moment before answering.
"Do I need to get anything ready?"
Naruto Uzumaki paused briefly, then said awkwardly, "But I can't really buy anything."
"You don't need to worry about that."
Shihui Aburame scraped off the fish scales, his expression unchanged.
Naruto Uzumaki let out a relieved breath, excitement spreading across his face.
"How's your taijutsu training been going lately?"
Shihui Aburame suddenly had an idea.
"I haven't started learning yet."
Naruto Uzumaki paused. "But Uncle Guy said I've been doing really well, and next week he'll teach me a taijutsu move called Konoha Whirlwind." His voice brimmed with anticipation.
Although he didn't know what kind of taijutsu it was, the name sounded impressive, and it was even related to Konoha.
"Once you've learned it, I'll have Sasuke spar with you."
Shihui Aburame said.
"Really?"
Naruto Uzumaki was instantly fired up. "I'll beat him!"
Shihui Aburame didn't dampen his enthusiasm.
Beating Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't be so easy.
But he could put some pressure on him and complete his achievement that way.
"Shiki-kun, do you need any help?"
Ino Yamanaka walked over, giving Naruto Uzumaki meaningful looks as she did.
You've monopolized him long enough. It's time to let me have Shiki-kun.
"Hello, Ino."
Naruto Uzumaki completely missed her meaning and thought she was greeting him.
There's nothing good about it!
Ino Yamanaka was speechless.
Shino Aburame was much more considerate.
Once she married Shiki-kun, their family would surely get along harmoniously.
At that moment, she had even decided what to name their children.
"Wash the fish I've cleaned."
Shihui Aburame didn't stand on ceremony.
Although Ino Yamanaka came from a ninja clan, she didn't act like a pampered young lady.
By comparison, Hinata Hyuga was more like one.
Of course, the main reason was the difference between the Hyuga Clan and the Yamanaka Clan.
"Okay."
A smile spread across Ino Yamanaka's face.
She stepped forward and sat down beside Shihui Aburame, then rolled up her sleeves, revealing a stretch of fair, soft arm.
"I'll help, too."
Seeing this, Naruto Uzumaki hurriedly spoke up.
"No, we don't need you."
Ino Yamanaka looked up and refused. "Go find Choji. He might need help."
"All right."
Naruto Uzumaki suspected nothing and turned to leave.
The corners of Ino Yamanaka's mouth immediately lifted, a hint of smugness on her face.
I'm so freaking clever.
"Shiki-kun."
Ino Yamanaka looked at Shihui Aburame.
But from this angle, she could only see his profile.
Still, even his profile is so handsome.
"What is it?"
Shihui Aburame mechanically slit open a fish's belly.
"The sunflower you gave me-if it wilts, can I turn it into a pressed flower?"
Ino Yamanaka asked softly.
Pressed flowers were dried flowers made through processes such as dehydration and drying.
"You really like sunflowers?"
Shihui Aburame turned his head and met her eyes.
"Because you gave it to me, Shiki-kun, I want to preserve it."
Ino Yamanaka's heart fluttered. She hurriedly lowered her head, clasping her hands together and swaying slightly as she spoke.
"It's already yours. You can do whatever you like with it."
Shihui Aburame looked away.
Ino Yamanaka let out a breath.
She glanced at Shihui Aburame, inwardly regretting it.
Why did I chicken out right at the crucial moment?
Fifteen minutes later, all the fish had been cleaned and washed.
Ino Yamanaka stood up, feeling her legs ache and tingle.
She involuntarily took a step back.
But the next second, Shihui Aburame caught her wrist.
"I'm fine."
Ino Yamanaka blinked. "Thank you."
Shihui Aburame released her wrist and pulled her sleeve down while he was at it.
He bent down, picked up the basin of fish, and walked toward the grills.
Ino Yamanaka clutched her sleeve, a silly smile appearing on her face.
Yay!
Today was Miss Ino's victory!
By the time they finished eating the grilled fish, it was dark.
Shihui Aburame and the others returned to Konoha together, then parted ways on the street.
As for Hinata Hyuga, he didn't take her to the wooden cabin for an extra meal.
But Shihui Aburame handed her a storage scroll.
The little feeding game was a must every time.
After all, the rewards he would receive in the future were substantial.
Another chapter in two minutes.
(End of chapter)