Chapter 419: The Two Toads
In the central quadrangle of the Tobitake estate.
An open plaza—spanning a footprint as massive as two whole soccer fields combined—stretched across the grounds. At its center stood a towering main stage decorated with intricate wedding arrangements. Perched motionlessly atop the stage were two giant toads, both dressed up in formal groomsman attire.
"Gamariki-bro... err, Gamatatsu-bro, I never thought us toads would end up as groomsmen! Heheh!" Gamakichi let out a goofy giggle.
Gamatatsu declared in a domineering tone, "If it wasn't for the bugs, I'd never do something this embarrassing. This is way too humiliating! Groomsmen... only unpartnered toads end up having to play groomsmen. Damn it!"
"They're all so small down there. Why did they ask us to be groomsmen anyway?" Gamakichi stared blankly at the bustling crowds preparing for the ceremony, looking a little bewildered.
Gamatatsu snorted with pride. "Because our Mount Myoboku toads are far more grand and imposing, obviously! They need us here to hold down the prestige of the stage!"
"Whatever, I don't care! I heard Captain Tonbo invented a special 'Mount Myoboku Set Course' that's been drawing tons of toads through distant-water summoning portals all the way to Konoha just to try it!"
Slurp!
Gamakichi licked his lips greedily. He had heard about that set course ages ago, but had never gotten a chance to sample it himself. Word on the street was that every toad who tried it swore they were the most delicious insects in existence.
Gamatatsu's throat bobbed heavily at the thought. After all this time, Captain Tonbo had finally developed food tailored specifically for toads, and his mouth was watering too. All he wanted was for the ceremony to hurry up and end so he could dig into that legendary toad delicacy.
"Respected sirs, Lord Tonbo has instructed us to serve a pre-ceremony dessert for the two of you so you don't grow hungry waiting."
Just then, a small toad dressed in a cute maid outfit materialized before their eyes.
Eh?
Gamatatsu's eyes lit up instantly. What a gorgeous toad!
"Where are you from? How come I've never seen you before?" he asked, feeling a bit puzzled. He knew every toad in Mount Myoboku, so how had this one ended up working as a maid for Captain Tonbo?
Not that it mattered—he was already smitten. She was drop-dead gorgeous! Even if she was a bit on the small side, he could easily take her back to Mount Myoboku and wait a few years for her to grow up.
"Lord Gamatatsu, I am a ninjutsu-constructed toad. Once the wedding ends, the technique will unravel and I will disappear," the maid toad explained softly.
Even so, the sight of her sent a flutter of romantic yearning straight through Gamatatsu's chest. But upon hearing her words, his expression immediately turned sour. He stared down at her hands and grumbled, "Dammit, Captain Tonbo definitely created you just to mock me for being single! Where's the food?"
Gamakichi found the whole spectacle hilarious—Gamatatsu-bro had been aching for romance lately. But at the mention of food, Gamakichi perked up too, turning his wide eyes toward the maid toad.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
The maid toad slammed her palm onto the ground, causing massive serving platters loaded with food to pop into existence before them. Resting atop the platters was a magnificent spread of every toad's absolute favorite treat: juicy, delicious insects.
"Whoa~ Look how plump, giant, and juicy they are! And there are so many varieties! Fresh tender ones, crunchy hardshell ones, fuzzy ones... this is going to taste incredible!"
Seeing the vast assortment of bugs, Gamakichi reached out a massive webbed hand to grab a particularly appetizing specimen.
Slap!
"Big brother eats first!" Gamatatsu smacked Gamakichi's hand aside, snatched up a plump green insect, and stuffed it straight into his mouth. The bug was half the size of his palm, but he scooped it up in an instant.
Crunch!
Chew, chew!
The instant it hit his taste buds, Gamatatsu's grumpy face completely transformed into a picture of blissful euphoria.
"Gamatatsu-bro! How is it? Is it good?" Gamakichi asked eagerly.
"The moment this bug entered my mouth, I saw my entire past training alongside Naruto flash before my eyes! After one bite, I could envision an army of maid toads floating around me! And when I swallowed, every cell in my body felt like it was exploding with joy! This is exquisite... This isn't food from the mortal realm, this is food from heaven!"
Gamatatsu rambled out an endless stream of raving reviews, completely lost in culinary ecstasy.
Hearing this, Gamakichi grabbed a whole handful of insects and shoved them into his mouth.
"Heavens~ I don't think I can ever go back to eating Mount Myoboku's regular bugs again! How did he even pull this off? I have to learn this recipe!" Gamakichi thought, completely aligned with his brother's sentiment. He could tell these insects were raised using specialized techniques, packing them full of mind-blowing flavor and nutrition.
"Alright! As payment for acting as groomsmen today, we'll force Captain Tonbo to hand over the secret rearing method!" Gamatatsu declared.
With that, the two toads began shoveling bug after bug into their mouths without stopping.
"That won't do, Gamatatsu. Those insects happen to be one of our clan's primary economic revenue streams right now. Only by combining our clan's secret techniques with Tonbo's advanced technology can we breed insects this exceptional. We won't be handing that secret over to you," a voice called out.
A stylishly dressed man wearing a high-collared trench coat, standing hair, and a neatly trimmed mustache spoke up as he set up decorations for the stage.
"Shibi Aburame! So it's you! It's your clan breeding these bugs! I was wondering where else besides Mount Myoboku could raise insects this massive—turns out it was the Aburame clan all along."
Gamatatsu recognized him immediately: Shibi Aburame, head of the Aburame Clan. Because his son insisted on pursuing a teaching career at the Academy, Shibi was forced to delay his retirement and continue serving as clan head.
"I didn't expect Tonbo to invite the Mount Myoboku toads. What a grand celebration this is. Such a shame my son hasn't managed to find a wife yet..." Shibi let out a long sigh.
Gamatatsu burst out laughing. "Yo! Your son isn't married either? That's awesome!"
Shibi blinked, thoroughly confused. "Hmm? My son being unmarried is a good thing to you?"
Gamakichi snickered, "Because Gamatatsu-bro isn't married either! Hahaha!"
Gamatatsu flew into a rage, slapping Gamakichi hard over the head. "You're not married either! What the toad-hell are you laughing at?!"
"Mmm... all gone," Gamakichi mumbled around a full mouth just as Gamatatsu slapped him. While Gamatatsu was distracted, Gamakichi had inhaled the remaining bugs off the platters.
"What?! You bastard, how did you eat them so fast?!"
"They were delicious."
"If they're delicious, big brother eats first!"
"Nope! Delicious food belongs to whoever eats it first!"
"Damn it, do you want to fight?!"
"Even if we fight, I'm eating first!"
Watching the two giant toads squabble and make a scene, Shibi Aburame shook his head helplessly and quietly returned to his prep work. Swarms of tiny insects trickled out from his sleeves, concealing themselves inside the stage props for the upcoming performance.
Heheh... Once my bugs burst forth and dance across the sky, it's going to be an absolute spectacle.
Imagining the astonished gasps from the crowd the moment his insects took flight during the main event, Shibi let out a quiet, raspy chuckle. Nobody would ever suspect this side of him.
In truth, the stage preparations were nearly complete—after all, you couldn't wait for guests to arrive before setting up. But Shibi wanted to go the extra mile. His clan had always suffered from a lack of presence, so this time, he was determined to make a massive, unforgettable statement.
Tonbo really was a thoughtful lad, assigning so many important roles to them.
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