Uchiha Sasuke's words sent a chill through the entire hall. Even the usually lazy Shikamaru looked at him in surprise.
Tonight's display made Shikamaru feel that his understanding of Sasuke over the years had been completely off the mark.
The last surviving heir of the Uchiha clan was far more terrifying in both intellect and execution than he had imagined. No—wait, something still didn't quite add up.
Shikamaru refused to believe he could have been so wrong. Yet Sasuke's performance tonight had genuinely shocked him. That left only one possibility.
Shikamaru's eyes gleamed slightly. Someone was helping him—yes, there was someone behind the scenes aiding Uchiha Sasuke. Someone who had orchestrated this gathering.
As the brains of the Konoha 12, Shikamaru saw things on a completely different level compared to the other kids.
From a political standpoint, tonight's banquet had gathered the most prominent noble clans of Konoha—Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Hyūga, Inuzuka, and more.
Not only that, but both he and Chōji were highly likely to succeed as clan heads in the future. Hinata was the Hyūga clan's little princess, attending with none other than the previous generation's top Hyūga, Neji, as her bodyguard.
And then there was that blond kid, Naruto. Others might not know, but Shikamaru was well aware—that boy was Konoha's Jinchūriki, the village's strategic weapon.
In other words, one could say that the future of Konoha was gathered in this very hall, revolving around the last Uchiha. Shikamaru could already imagine many in the village losing sleep over tonight's events.
Still, Shikamaru didn't quite understand why his father had sent him. According to family tradition, they were supposed to stand on the Hokage's side.
And the last Uchiha… theoretically, he was destined to never become Hokage. Unless…
Shikamaru shook his head, forcing those dangerous and complicated thoughts away. Too troublesome, too risky—just thinking about it was exhausting. Better to grab some food first. At the very least, Sasuke had spared no expense tonight.
He had ordered an extravagant feast from one of Konoha's finest restaurants. No wonder Naruto and Chōji were too busy stuffing their faces to even talk.
Meanwhile, Ino and Sakura were fighting over the spot next to Sasuke. Speaking of Sakura—she was the only true outlier here. The only pure civilian-born shinobi, without any bloodline or secret techniques.
But she wasn't ordinary either. Shikamaru knew full well that Sakura's academic scores were exceptional—so much so that even if he gave it his all, he might not surpass her.
In that sense, Sakura was also a rare talent—an administrative one.
No, no, he couldn't let his thoughts run wild. Shikamaru quickly stabbed a large piece of beef from Chōji's plate and stuffed it into his mouth, completely ignoring the murderous glare from his friend.At the banquet, the children were either eating or bickering, creating a lively atmosphere. However, Uchiha Sasuke seemed distracted.
He was wondering what kind of ninjutsu Kamikawa Aoba would teach him.
"Hey Sasuke, what are you thinking about? Eat up! This moonfish is absolutely delicious. If you don't hurry, I'll finish it all," Naruto's loud voice snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts.
Seeing the nearly depleted spread before him, Sasuke finally joined the scramble for food.
A group of half-grown boys were at the age where they could eat the most. Although Sasuke had prepared a considerable amount of food, it was completely devoured by these guys.
Fortunately, Shikamaru's family had instructed him to bring plenty of snacks. The group of boys and girls could continue chatting while munching on the snacks.
Sasuke also noticed that the petite princess of the Hyuga clan had an astonishing appetite. The large pile of food near her had quietly disappeared into her stomach.
Moreover, while the little girl was enthusiastically stuffing herself with delicious food, she kept stealing glances at Naruto.
"Tch, even someone like Naruto has girls who like him," Sasuke thought to himself, but he made a mental note of this detail.
Indeed, this was one of Aoba's conditions—to observe his classmates' preferences and their relationships with each other during the meal.
Oh, and there was also Nara Shikamaru. Jonin Aoba had specifically instructed Sasuke to consult Shikamaru if he had any questions.
The Nara clan had served as Konoha's advisors for generations, and the clan head usually also held the position of Jonin squad leader. They were undoubtedly influential and powerful.
But no matter how Sasuke looked at it, Shikamaru didn't seem like someone that impressive. He was just a lazy slacker with no motivation.
While internally complaining, Sasuke forced himself to memorize all these details.
As night fell, the group of kids eventually had to head home.
Sasuke saw each of his classmates to the door. However, when it was Hyuga Hinata's turn, he simply called out:
"Naruto, see Hinata home for me, then come back and help me clean up."
Then, addressing Hinata, whose face was so red she looked about to faint, he said:
"Apologies for the poor hospitality." Neji Hyuga gave Sasuke a surprised look. The latter had performed a very formal courtesy toward Hinata, almost as if it were an official exchange between two clans.
Unfortunately, Hinata-sama completely failed to notice. She just blushed and kept glancing at Naruto nearby.
'This young mistress is hopeless,' was Neji's most direct thought.
"Hey, Sasuke, I don't mind seeing Hinata home. But why should I help you clean up? Everyone else has already left."
"Because it determines whether I'll bring one lunchbox or two in the future."
"Um, Sasuke-kun, I could stay and help you clean up too..." Sakura timidly raised her hand. But Sasuke responded seriously:
"No, you should go home now. It's already very late, and your parents must be waiting for you. No offense, but you should cherish having people who wait for you."
"Ah..." Sakura didn't know how to feel about that.
"Sasuke is so gentle and kind. Why does fate have to be so cruel to him?" Watching Sakura sink into some special emotional state, Sasuke could only sigh helplessly.
He couldn't help but recall his conversation with Kamikawa Aoba that day.
"You're the last Uchiha. If you die, the Uchiha will have nothing left. Even if you become the strongest shinobi, one person alone can't sustain an entire clan."
So what did that mean? That he'd have to father many, many children in the future? With Sakura? But she didn't seem like she'd be very fertile...
Unaware that Sasuke's train of thought was about to launch into space, Haruno Sakura eventually left with a lovestruck expression.
Later, Naruto returned to Sasuke's living room, looking thoroughly unwilling."What the...? So much trash and so many dishes—how long are we going to be stuck cleaning this?"
Seeing Naruto already complaining before even starting, Sasuke could only sigh in resignation.
"Fine. If you help me clean all this up, you can take half of the leftover drinks and snacks."
"Ah!!! Sasuke, let's get started right away!!"