Three days had passed since the incident, and Naruto had finally managed to temporarily resolve the situation. He meets with Ino and Hinata separately every day, and made sure not to mix up the schedules.
But deep down, he knew that continuing like this would eventually lead to disaster. So on the third day, he decisively had Choji find an excuse to call him out, and the group gathered together.
On one hand, it was to thank his brothers for their efforts over the past few days, and on the other hand, it was to prepare for his departure from Konoha in a couple of days, avoiding any potential eruption of the Shuraba.
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision but a long-planned move. He had no idea what the situation was like in the Land of Lightning, and he still needed to deal with Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
After all, no one could stay out of this.
"Cheers!"
The sweltering night was punctuated by the glow of charcoal embers in the grill.
A chubby hand reached out with chopsticks, expertly picking up a piece of sizzling, greasy grilled meat. The surface was golden and glistening with oil, and the chopsticks slightly sank into the tender flesh.
"Hey… Choji, you've already eaten ten plates. Can you take a break?" Kiba said helplessly, "Stop eating and drink something."
Once you've seen the ocean, nothing else compares. Grilled meat, beer, and chicken legs.
Choji merely glanced at the group of guys, shoved a large piece of meat into his mouth, and fixed his gaze on Naruto, who was busy texting on his communicator.
These devices were now collectively referred to as 'phones'. In fact, only a small number of communicators have functions other than making calls and sending text messages. They were essentially beta versions, and is still in the testing phase.
Moreover, the phones within the village could only be used in the village. In order to ensure that the village's intelligence does not leak out, all communications and messages were monitored by the Intelligence Division.
The head of the Intelligence Division is still Inoichi, while the daily maintenance of the communication system was handled by Ino's team. However, the actual surveillance of communications fell to a group of seasoned Intelligence Division's Shinobi.
Choji had heard some rumors about it. These experienced Intelligence Division's Shinobi had even attended training sessions to keep up with the times. The trainer was naturally Ino, who also wrote the teaching materials.
If those sharp-eyed Intelligence Division's Shinobi looked closely, they might notice something unusual. For instance, the phone registered under Hyuga Hanabi frequently sent messages and made calls to Hyuga Hinata.
Would sisters living under the same roof really need to communicate so often via phone? The old foxes in the Intelligence Division couldn't say for sure, as they were also among the first users of this new technology.
It can also be said that they are the first group of people in the Hokage Tower to be directly affected by technology. Their current and future work was deeply intertwined with emerging technologies, so they are forced to constantly learn and adapt.
If they became proficient enough, they could easily dig out suspicious accounts from the ocean of data records, including a certain 'Makoto' Naruto's black hand account, but just catching him red-handed wouldn't be enough.
He had already bribed Hanabi a long time ago. The thoughtful sister-in-law not only 'lent' Naruto the phone she bought in her name, but would also cheerfully take the blame if the Intelligence Division ever came knocking.
This is the way of the world. Plant trees early, and you'll enjoy the shade later.
"You guys don't get it. Today, Naruto's treating!" Choji said fiercely, "It's so rare for him to pay the bill, so today, I have to go home leaning against the wall!"
After saying that, Choji raised his chubby hand and roared, "Boss, give us another twenty plates of grilled meat!"
Right away, sir!" The boss, whose ears seemed equipped with eavesdropping devices, responded energetically from afar. With service like that, no wonder he was making money within a ten-mile radius.
"He's paying?" Shikamaru looked at Naruto with some confusion, and guessed that Naruto's problem was probably resolved successfully.
"The slow ones are still asking questions, while the smart ones..." Kiba stood up and shouted in the direction of the boss, "Boss! Another twenty servings of grilled squid!"
Neji remained silent, and it is unknown what he was thinking. Lee looked around at the atmosphere, blinking his big round eyes, and immediately grabbed two pairs of chopsticks, one in each hand.
The boss quickly and cheerfully brought their orders over on a cart. Shikamaru glanced at them and suddenly couldn't look away, "Did we order thirty servings of beef?"
"I did." Neji unexpectedly spoke up.
Naruto treating everyone was practically one of Konoha's top ten miracles. Ever since he became broke overnight, he almost never paid for meals. He usually followed the principle of taking advantage of anyone he could find.
Especially Choji, a good foodie who had been fleeced so much he was practically bald. Whenever something happened, Choji was the one sent charging into battle, always under the threat of 'You wouldn't want to...'
He was the one taking the blame, the one living in constant fear. It was brutal.
Choji knew that Naruto's sudden generosity was likely due to his high spirits after resolving his romantic troubles. Seizing this rare opportunity, Choji was determined to get his money's worth.
Shikamaru's resentment was no less intense, and he had figured it out. Naruto was extremely shameless, and he had probably been planning to plot against these brothers for a long time.
If it weren't for the fact that Kiba only knew how to cause harm, Naruto would probably have dragged him into it too.
Neji's face was calm, but his eyes were slightly resentful. He'd been utterly screwed over by Naruto this time. Since he had called Hinata, he was forced to stay up late to do a lot of work to cover his tracks.
He stared at the expensive beef in front of him, silently placing them on the sizzling grill plate. He glanced at Naruto, and the knife and fork made a crackling sound when cutting the beef.
Naruto also noticed something unusual on the table when he looked up. But they still underestimated the moral limit of Naruto. He didn't care at all, and even smiled at them.
"Everyone, you've worked hard. Let me say a few words."
He stood up and, holding his glass, glanced at Choji, Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, and Lee.
There was no girl present. After all, out of the four girls he was involved with, three had connections to him. How could he invite them? Besides, the topic was too advanced, so it wasn't suitable to call the girls.
"Six years ago, we graduated from the Academy with a bright future ahead of us. All of us brothers were so ambitious, but who knew that a traitor like Sasuke would appear."
"The dream-predicting toad sage of Mount Myoboku said that I am not up to the task and will accomplish nothing. But I disagree. Since when must a Shinobi's life revolve around killing?"
"I never liked being a Shinobi. I just think this profession has no future. The end of a Shinobi's path is war. Life is short, like the withering of autumn leaves."
"I just want to hold the ones I love close, to grow old together in this lifetime."
"Hey, hey… what's with those looks?" Naruto said indignantly. He put down his glass and said confidently, "Does the Shinobi World even have laws?"
"Who stipulated that I can only love one person and have only one wife? While the risk is a little greater, I'm not greedy. Is it wrong to pursue love?"
Choji: "…"