"Why me?" Minato fumbled to catch the bag.
"Well, do you want me to handle it while you cook?" Xin shot back with an irritated tone.
Alright, it's just a couple of kidneys-nothing too big a deal. Though, Kushina's clueless expression was amusing, it wasn't really that funny.
To be honest, Xin liked kidneys. They tasted good, though preparing them was a hassle. Perfect chance to give Minato some practice with a knife.
"I'll do it," Minato sighed, resigning himself to his fate as he headed toward the kitchen.
His cooking wasn't bad; at least it wasn't as horrifying as Kushina's, which no one dared touch. But it also wasn't anything extraordinary.
If they really wanted something delicious, Xin would have to take over.
While Xin went to freshen up, Minato started prepping the ingredients. Meanwhile, Kushina finally learned what had happened from Mikoto, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Her fists clenched as she imagined marching down to the market and punching the meat seller.
That old man! No wonder his expression was so weird when he took the money!
"Still, can you even eat that stuff?" She muttered.
"Yes, you can. It's pretty tasty actually, Xin loves it," Mikoto reassured her, pulling Kushina into a gentle hug. "It's just that some people like to joke about it. Don't take it too seriously."
Despite her initial reluctance, Kushina eventually fell to the power of "smells too good to resist."
After dinner, the four of them packed up and headed to the hospital to visit Nawaki.
"How's your sealing jutsu training going?" Xin asked casually on the way.
Minato puffed out his chest with pride. "I've made a lot of progress, even with the Flying Thunder God technique! Next time we train, you'll be blown away."
"..."
Xin sincerely hoped Minato's idea of "blown away" didn't involve crashing into a tree. He could already picture it: Minato throws a special kunai, teleports, and-bam!-smacks right into a tree trunk.
Yeah, that'd be something.
As they trudged through the thick snow, they reached the hospital. Inside, Nawaki was lying in bed, looking completely defeated.
He was on the verge of going crazy, stuck staring at the ceiling with nothing to do. A day or two of this was fine, but after a while, it was enough to drive anyone nuts.
"Finally! You guys have no idea how lonely I've been! Not one of you stayed to keep me company. It's cruel!" Nawaki complained as soon as they walked in.
"That's not true—we were out preparing you a special meal packed with nutrients!" Xin said, opening the food container. The delicious aroma filled the room, and Nawaki's eyes lit up with joy, practically drooling.
"Did Xin make this?" He asked eagerly. "It smells amazing! Way better than hospital food!"
As Nawaki dug into the tender, slow-cooked chicken, his eyes glistened with tears of gratitude. This was a true friend-a friend who brought him delicious food!
"Don't worry, if you like it, there's more. I made plenty. We've got pigeon soup for lunch, and tonight, pig's foot soup. Variety is key."
"That's fantastic!" Nawaki grinned from ear to ear.