~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Read advanced chapters on my Patreon.
Here's my Patreon: https://patreon.com/Hussain678"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nara Qingshui walked up to Akimichi Xuanwu. Xuanwu looked as if he had nothing to do with the incident—he was sitting at the barbecue stand, pretending to grill seriously, though in reality he was doing his best to hold back his laughter.
"Did that guy crap his pants? I almost threw up just now."
At the time, Qingshui had also been quite close to Kato Dan, mainly because he had never seen Akimichi Xuanwu treat anyone with such enthusiasm. He knew that such abnormal behavior had to mean something was wrong, so he deliberately kept his distance from Kato Dan, wanting to see what was so special about him. However, after observing for a long time, he was still completely confused—and instead got hit head-on by a 'poison gas bomb.' Who was he supposed to complain to?
Who knows? But please have some sympathy. Maybe he had never eaten such delicious food before. Maybe he ate too much at once and his stomach couldn't handle it. Perhaps he just couldn't hold it in anymore.
Akimichi Xuanwu replied indifferently.
Nara Qingshui grabbed Xuanwu by the collar and said, "Xuanwu, you drugged him. Tell me—what exactly is so special about him that you're targeting him like this? I don't remember him ever provoking us."
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly do something so despicable?"
"Tsk, do you think I don't know you? Ever since he arrived, your attention never left him. You hid it well, but do you really think you could fool me?"
"And you were so enthusiastic toward him. You've never treated us this well, let alone a stranger. If it weren't for you drugging him, I'd actually want to reward you."
Xuanwu was helpless. Damn it—this was the downside of being too close to the Nara clan. There were no secrets between them. Even though he had deliberately hidden his identity and acted warmly, Nara Qingshui still saw through him.
"Fine, I did it," Xuanwu admitted. "Don't spread it around—it'll damage my upright image."
"Tsk, figures. Alright then, tell me why you're targeting him."
"There's no real reason. I just think he's tall, handsome, has nice hair, and acts like a gentleman. I don't like him. I want to beat him up."
"Guess whether I believe that."
"Really, what else could it be? There's no grudge between us. I just don't like him."
Akimichi Xuanwu decided to lie to the very end. Even if he were beaten to death, he would never reveal the real reason.
Nara Qingshui was about to continue questioning him when Yamanaka Yuu suddenly spoke up, "What are you two whispering about behind my back?"
"Nothing. I just successfully activated that eye. You two can come to my house tomorrow and study it together," Xuanwu said quickly, afraid that Qingshui would expose his little secret.
"Really?" As expected, their attention was immediately diverted. It was the Sharingan—no longer in its dormant state, but fully activated.
Seeing their focus shift, Akimichi Xuanwu fell silent and suppressed their excitement. "Shh, keep it low-key. Tomorrow. For now, just enjoy the moment."
…
This small incident didn't disturb anyone, and the gathering continued.
Tsunade and Hatake Sakumo were drinking while rolling dice. Xuanwu never expected that the future White Fang of Konoha—feared on the battlefield and elegant on the surface—was actually a heavy drinker in private.
However, judging from the situation, Tsunade wasn't just strong—her alcohol tolerance was terrifying. She had already drunk four cups, while Sakumo had only had one. If her tolerance were any worse, she would have been drunk long ago.
Even so, she refused to accept reality and kept betting and drinking with Sakumo. Standing beside her was a little gambler, Senju Nawaki, cheering for his sister.
Sigh… how am I supposed to save you, my beautiful girl?
Jiraiya secretly glanced at Tsunade while drinking—absolutely shameless.
Orochimaru sat calmly to the side, enjoying the food. Clearly, he loved the meal, especially the roasted whole lamb.
The parents of the Ino–Shika–Cho clans gathered together, eating meat, drinking wine, and chatting.
As for where Sarutobi Shinnosuke was—Xuanwu couldn't care less. He'd rather see him puke to death. Bringing Kato Dan here was an unforgivable crime!
At that moment, Akimichi Xuanwu seemed to sense something. He turned his head toward a tree beside the training field and saw a blond, blue-eyed, handsome young boy standing on a branch, holding onto the trunk and gazing longingly at the lively scene below.
My god… who am I seeing?
"Hey, kid, what are you looking at?"
The blond boy was so absorbed in the cheerful scene that he hadn't noticed his surroundings. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his hair and ruffled it hard, startling him.
But Akimichi Xuanwu was delighted. The hair was soft and smooth. A wish from both of his lifetimes had finally been fulfilled.
The blond boy tried to dodge, but Xuanwu was faster—one arm wrapped around his waist while the other continued messing up his hair.
The blond boy, barely a meter tall, was lifted up by the much taller Xuanwu. His face was full of helplessness, yet he still wore a bright smile."Uh… Lord Xuanwu, could you put me down? This isn't very appropriate."
"Huh? You actually know me? Have you seen me before? Why don't I recognize you?"
Xuanwu put him down. In truth, he had recognized him at first glance—the future Fourth Hokage, known as the "Yellow Flash" in other villages and the "Little Sun" in Konoha: Minato Namikaze. He was just pretending not to know.
Minato stood up again, scratching the back of his head with his trademark gentle smile."Well, because of your heroic performance in the Land of Rain, commendations and your photo were posted on the ninja bulletin board, so that's how I recognized you."
"Oh, I see. Then, shouldn't you introduce yourself, kid?"
"I'm a first-year student at the Konoha Ninja Academy. My name is Minato Namikaze. Sorry for disturbing your dinner—I'll take my leave now."
After all, it was someone else's gathering, and constantly bothering them would be rude. Little Minato was very well-mannered.
Seeing him about to leave, Akimichi Xuanwu immediately tried to stop him—this was his favorite character from his previous life.
Minato was kind, sunny, handsome, and gentle in manner. He was a bit shy, even slightly naive, and liked giving his techniques long, awkward names. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, even the usually serious Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was amused by Minato's technique names.
Yet beneath that adorable exterior was a firm and stubborn heart. As Hokage, he was devoted to his duty; as a husband, he was considerate and responsible; as a friend, he was sincere. In the end, for his wife to see Naruto grow up, and for the future of the village, he willingly sacrificed his life. Kushina Uzumaki may have left, but he would not live on alone.
His sacrifice was undoubtedly one of the greatest regrets in Naruto.
Since I've already seen him in person, I can't let him leave.
"Wait—do you want to eat barbecue?"
"Huh?"
"Do you want to eat with me? Want to try the roasted whole lamb and beef I made?"
"Uh… well…"
"How about it? Do you want to?"
"Yes," Minato answered honestly. He had been training nearby and was drawn over by the aroma. The unique scent of grilled meat filled the air, enough to make anyone dizzy.
"Oh, if you want to eat, then acknowledge me as your big brother."
At this moment, Akimichi Xuanwu looked exactly like a strange uncle trying to kidnap a child—very much like the strongest man in One Piece who treats everyone as his sons.
"…I'll need to think about that carefully."