In the end, she could only manage to squeeze out a voice as tiny as a mosquito's buzz: "Lord Hiruko..."
Kurenai Yuhi's face instantly flushed a deep crimson, tinged with the unmistakable shyness of a young girl.
Anko, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing, was fully immersed in the menu, "huffing and puffing" as she checked off items by the dozen. She knew perfectly well that this restaurant was under Hiruko's name. There was no way he'd let two young girls foot the bill, which meant she could treat herself to a massive feast.
Since Hiruko was likely the one paying, Anko ordered with even more gusto, intent on giving his wallet a workout. She knew him well—he definitely had a bit of a "chivalrous gentleman" streak in him.
"Thank you for the compliment," Kurenai managed to say, keeping her head lowered with a small smile. Inwardly, however, she couldn't stop thinking about Hiruko's eyes.
"I'm done ordering. Kurenai, see if there's anything you want to add," Anko finally chirped, handing over the menu that was already more than half-filled with checkmarks.
Kurenai took a quick glance and simply added a few vegetable dishes. Yakiniku was a bit too greasy for her palate, and she didn't eat much of it anyway. While she wasn't a picky eater, she always made sure to order greens to balance out the heavy, fatty meats.
"It's been so long since I've eaten at a high-end place like this. I might have ordered a bit much," Anko said expectantly.
"If you can't finish it, you can always pack it up and take it home," Hiruko interjected smoothly.
Just then, the desserts Anko ordered were served. Without a shred of hesitation, she grabbed a bowl of strawberry shaved ice, dug out a massive spoonful, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Hiruko maintained a gentle smile as he watched her. Her expression was like something out of a manga—radiating pure, unadulterated happiness. Anko truly was a cute girl; it was just a pity that in the future, she'd turn into a "Chubby-ko."
Sitting there, Hiruko picked up a skewer of Three-Color Dango and began to snack. The three of them started chatting about the current state of Konoha. Since both girls were top-tier talents and essentially descendants of the village elite, they were well-informed about the latest rumors and news.
Soon, plate after plate of BBQ was brought out. The meat was a brilliant, fresh red, and under Hiruko's masterful grilling technique, it truly began to shine. While researching various plants, Hiruko had discovered several unique spices. After some refinement, they had become his secret weapon, allowing his restaurants to dominate Konoha's BBQ scene.
As soon as Anko saw the delicious meat, she couldn't wait to pile it onto the grill, immediately seasoning it with Hiruko's special spice blend. Hiruko joined in, using his chopsticks to flip the slices.
The meat was laid out piece by piece until the large circular grill was completely covered. The tender slices sizzled, fat rendering under the high heat and releasing curls of white steam that drifted between the three of them.
Human DNA is practically hardwired to love the taste of fats. Any food prepared via BBQ generally makes people much happier. Hiruko himself enjoyed it, which was why he had bothered to open the shop in the first place.
His gentle, kind face and slightly reserved nature didn't leave a bad impression on Kurenai, nor did it leave a particularly glowing one. Hiruko's reputation was simply too loud. To a conservative woman like Kurenai, the "Twin Wolves of Konoha" (referring to the duo of Hiruko and Orochimaru) were still a bit off-putting.
This girl really is thick-skinned, Hiruko thought, looking at Anko. A total airhead who only thinks about eating.
"Lord Hiruko, your family's BBQ is seriously amazing!" Anko didn't forget her manners; she reached out with her chopsticks to place a piece of meat on Kurenai's plate, then one on Hiruko's.
Hiruko looked at the girl—who was eating even more than he was—and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid of getting fat if you eat like this?"
Anko proudly flexed her slender arm. "It's just my constitution! Can't help it. No matter how much I eat, nothing happens. You know, I eat ten skewers of dango every single day!"
Hiruko couldn't help but snark internally: Oh, just you wait until the future!
The three of them laughed and bantered, chatting freely. Hiruko felt the irritability of the lab fade away, his whole body relaxing. He was quite satisfied with making the acquaintance of Kurenai, a future top-tier kunoichi.
I can't let this girl end up with that kid Asuma, he mused. Considering Sarutobi Mirai ends up looking exactly like Uchiha Shisui... if there's some hidden drama there, wouldn't the Sarutobi line go extinct? I might as well take on this 'burden' myself.
Hiruko made a conscious effort to leave a lasting impression on Kurenai to facilitate future contact.
After a long, busy day, Hiruko felt the weight of exhaustion as midnight approached. He lay in bed organizing data, quietly reading through scrolls on Summoning Jutsu. The technical jargon made his head swim with fatigue.
Eventually, he set the scrolls aside and began to ponder the mechanics of the technique. There was a significant issue here. Most people's Summoning Jutsu—or more accurately, their contracts—were with famous and powerful clans, like the Sannin's Toads, Snakes, and Slugs.
Then there were those like the Third Hokage's Enma or Kakashi's Ninken, which were relatively less dominant. Of course, some people tamed wild animals and slowly raised them into ninja beasts; those didn't have ancestral homes like Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, or Shikkotsu Forest.
Then there was Hiruko's own method: he could summon his own clones at any time. Those clones were modified from his own somatic cells; they had extremely short lifespans and little value beyond temporary combat use.
Most people rarely paid special attention to the "Summoning" group as a species, viewing them merely as powerful combat partners. Hiruko didn't reject this concept. For example, Jiraiya had decent talent, but he wasn't exactly a once-in-a-century genius. Back when Jiraiya was still weak, it was the Great Toads who sought him out, helping him through his most difficult growth period. They even taught him Sage Mode—a technique even Orochimaru failed to master.
The reasons remained unknown, cited only as being related to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy about finding the Child of Prophecy. If even a transmigrator like Hiruko couldn't quite grasp the secret, it was unlikely anyone else in this world could.
In Hiruko's estimation, the Sage of Six Paths was lurking in the shadows, likely acting as the mastermind behind it all. However, even so, Hiruko spotted a flaw.
Setting aside the various forms of Summoning Jutsu and the myriad of secret techniques, everyone had overlooked the most critical point: The establishment of the Summoning Contract and the process of the Summoning call.
Since Hiruko had yet to see a contract for the powerful beast clans up close, he didn't know the specifics. But he was certain of one thing: there was a massive problem hidden within!
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