Obito's Hurt Feelings
"Hahaha, why aren't you laughing? Isn't it funny?" Koki's laughter faltered, and her questioning gaze shifted between Kakashi and Obito, only to find them both staring at her in a daze.
That's strange, is there something on my face?
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Koki asked curiously, gently touching her face.
"N-nothing!" Kakashi whirled around and fled, leaving behind the words, "The bathwater... it might be cold. I'll go refill it for you."
"No need to trouble you, I can run the bath myself!" Koki exclaimed, not even turning her head, seemingly unaware that Kakashi had heard her.
Actually, Mikoto had always been the one to prepare the bathwater, but after Shisui came to the house, he took over. Koki gradually got used to it from the initial awkwardness, but it was still quite embarrassing to have a senior like Kakashi prepare the bathwater for him.
Oh well, let it be.
"Obito-nii, let's go, let me see what you've done?"
"Okay, but you're not allowed to laugh at my cooking." Obito, unlike his usual carefree self, suddenly became shy and hesitant, saying this as if he were a little embarrassed.
"Absolutely not." Koki agreed and stepped into the kitchen.
As soon as you step into the kitchen, a faint aroma of fish fills the air.
Shisui stood in front of the table, his hands skillfully manipulating a spatula as he flipped a golden-brown grilled fish on the baking tray. The fish sizzled under the flames, releasing an enticing aroma.
The kitchen lights were soft and warm, illuminating Shisui's serious face and highlighting his determined gaze and slightly furrowed brows, as if he were pondering how to make the grilled fish even more delicious.
He would occasionally scoop up some seasoning with a spoon, sprinkle it gently on the fish, and then spread it evenly with a brush, allowing the seasoning to fully penetrate the fish meat.
"Wow, it smells so good!" Koki moved closer, the aroma of the fish became even stronger. Although he had just finished eating grilled meat not long ago, seeing the grilled fish made by Shisui made him a little hungry again.
"It's alright." Shisui smiled gently.
The kitchen had a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, with only the soft sound of Shisui turning the grilled fish and the aroma of the dishes wafting through the air, making it a truly enchanting place.
"Shisui, do you need my help?" Koki was eager to try.
"No need, I'm almost done."
Shortly after Shisui Uchiha was born, his parents and relatives all died on the battlefield. When he was young, the neighbors would occasionally take care of him, but as he grew up, he lived alone and became skilled at everything from washing clothes to cooking.
She manages her life very well on her own.
Cooking was already second nature to Shisui, so she didn't need Koki's help at all with such a small task.
"Okay..." Koki slightly disappointed; she had hoped to show off her skills.
"However," Shisui said, Shisui a sharp 180-degree turn upon hearing Koki's slightly disappointed tone, "I also made a soup, and I'm really too busy right now. There are some vegetables in the fridge, so could you please chop them up for me?"
"That's fantastic!" Koki's eyes lit up instantly, and a joyful exclamation escaped her lips.
"Hmm? But... isn't it already..." Obito's words were interrupted gently by Shisui.
"Obito-nii, I'm still missing a few ingredients." Shisui looked at Obito with a smile.
"Alright." Obito scratched his head slightly, puzzled by Shisui's words "almost there," after all, he had just told him that everything was ready.
Koki leaped to the refrigerator like the wind, and the refrigerator door opened with a click, revealing a variety of fresh vegetables neatly arranged inside. After hesitating for a moment, Koki took out only a cabbage from the refrigerator, washed it clean, and placed it on the cutting board.
He stood on a small stool, gripping the kitchen knife tightly in both hands, and took a deep breath.
A moment later, he slammed his hand on the cutting board, and a cabbage flew into the air as if by magic! Koki held the cleaver and drew graceful arcs in the air, so fast that it was almost impossible to catch.
"Swish, swish, swish." Neat cabbage leaves fell one after another onto the cutting board.
"Is this alright?" Koki put away the kitchen knife and turned to look expectantly at the two people beside her.
"You can do that?!" Obito stared in disbelief, speechless with shock.
"Excellent! Koki, you could be a chef!" Shisui clapped her hands with an expression of admiration.
"Hehe." Koki felt smug, enjoying Shisui's praise.
"Alright, why don't you try it first?" When the grilled fish was finally done, Shisui gently removed it from the grill pan and placed it on a plate. Then, he cut it into several pieces, arranged them on the plate, drizzled some broth and sauce over it, and finally sprinkled some chopped green onions on top as a garnish.
The grilled fish had an enticing golden-brown skin and emitted a mouthwatering aroma that tantalized their taste buds.
"Let me try it!" Before Koki finished speaking, she couldn't wait to pick up a piece of fish, dip it in the broth, and put it in her mouth.
The skin of the grilled fish was also very crispy, and when Koki bit into it, it made a "crunch" sound, as if the fish was dancing on her tongue.
The fish is also very tender, melting in your mouth, and has no fishy smell at all.
The crispy outer layer contrasted beautifully with the tender fish meat, making it an unforgettable experience. Koki's eyes lit up, and she gave Shisui a thumbs-up, mumbling, "It's so delicious!"
No wonder they can grill fish in the wild.
"I'm glad you like it." Koki 'Shisui praise.
"I'll have some too!"
"It smells amazing! Shisui, how come your cooking is so good?" Obito exclaimed in amazement as he looked at Shisui.
"Obito-nii, it's probably because I often cook at home." Shisui said calmly.
"Obito-nii, what did you make? Let me try it." Koki remembered that Obito also cooked at home, and wanted to try his cooking.
"Uh... maybe we shouldn't try it." Obito a little disappointed.
Faced with Shisui's delicious-looking grilled fish, Obito suddenly felt ashamed of his own rice balls.
He watched as Koki reveled in the deliciousness of the grilled fish, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings. He remembered that he had tried to cook before, but he could never do it well. Either the taste was bad or the shape was ugly.
His cooking skills were barely enough to fill an empty stomach.
Koki noticed the unusual dejection on Obito. He put down his chopsticks and went to Obito's side. "Obito-nii, what's wrong? It's okay, it doesn't matter what you do," Koki comforted him softly.
"Alright then." Obito turned around and took out the rice ball he had secretly hidden earlier.
"Pfft." Koki couldn't help but laugh out loud at the colorful things in front of him. He covered his mouth, trying to keep the sound down, but his eyes still sparkled with uncontrollable laughter.
Obito's rice ball did indeed look rather "disastrous," with an irregular shape and the filling seemingly about to spill out. Compared to the exquisite rice balls that Koki had eaten from her mother before, it was a world of difference.
The young and naive Uchiha had not learned to hide their true feelings. Obito witnessed Koki's expression, clutching the rice ball tightly, speechless, burying his grievances deep in his heart.
Obito gritted his teeth, almost bursting into tears, his eyes brimming with tears, as if they were about to spill over at any moment.