The extra-large Bento was indeed significantly larger than what others usually brought, and naturally, one person couldn't finish it.
Mikoto and Kushina Uzumaki both looked over, though Kushina still refused to turn her head.
Mikoto looked at the Bento and smiled. "Rakawa, this Bento is truly extravagant."
Rakawa smiled faintly and said, "Don't eat the one you brought. Eat something nutritious instead. At your age, you still need to consume sufficient nutrients."
Finally, he glanced at the Little Chili Pepper and added, "If you don't mind, Kushina, why don't you join us?"
Kushina's ears twitched. She scoffed, "I won't! People who offer kindness without reason are up to no good. I have my own food!"
With that, she took out her own Bento. It was the familiar ramen Bento, but to Rakawa, it looked no different from paste. After all this time, the noodles had naturally turned mushy.
Rakawa opened his Bento, and Mikoto's eyes immediately lit up. She had already seen how rich the Bento was through the lid, but now that it was open, it truly looked appealing in color, aroma, and taste.
His status in the Hyuga Clan was essentially equal to that of an Elder, so his meals were naturally prepared with great care.
"Mikoto, let's eat together. I brought extra chopsticks and a spoon."
He handed the utensils to Mikoto, who smiled brightly. "Thank you."
She quietly put her own Bento away. Compared to his, hers looked pitifully meager—little meat, few vegetables. Although the taste was good, the quantity was truly too small.
Mikoto began eating small bites, not standing on ceremony. Although she was gentle at this age, she was still a child at heart. With such delicious food in front of her, much of which she had never tasted before, she naturally set aside her reserved nature and began to eat.
Rakawa glanced at Kushina, who hadn't touched her food yet. Placing his chopsticks and spoon aside, he leisurely said, "If a certain someone doesn't eat, the leftovers will just have to be thrown away."
"Huh?"
Kushina's heart skipped a beat. She immediately recalled what happened that night.
She squinted at the Bento, which emitted an enticing sheen and aroma, then looked back at her own ramen, which resembled paste. A deep bitterness welled up inside her.
The fragrant smell made her nose twitch, and she hesitated.
Mikoto inadvertently noticed the indecision in Kushina's eyes. After a moment's thought, she picked up the extra chopsticks and handed them over. "Kushina, let's eat together."
Kushina stared at the Bento and the chopsticks. She couldn't help but lick her lips. After a long moment of awkward hesitation, she reluctantly took the chopsticks. She huffed, "I'm not eating your Bento! Mikoto invited me. If it weren't for Mikoto, I wouldn't touch your food."
Rakawa laughed dumbfounded. 'Is there really a difference?'
'Forget it. I won't expose the Little Chili Pepper's facade. Time to eat in peace.'
The three of them ate with great relish. Hiashi and Hizashi, the two signature hangers-on, were consciously squatting in the corner eating their Bento.
They looked in Rakawa's direction, then back at their own, feeling the injustice of life. Some people got to eat next to two beautiful women of different styles, while they only had each other, a pair of single dogs. Life was indeed full of schemes.
There was another person nearby, and the hatred in his heart was soaring. He desperately wanted to rush over and smash the slightly warm scene with a punch.
But he dared not, at least not now.
Strength was always the shackles that constrained a person's actions. Fugaku Uchiha wanted to disrupt the other party's leisurely life, but his power level prevented him.
When he recalled the ninjas the clan had dispatched, all of whom were now dead, his heart immediately sank.
'Damn it, there must be a Hyuga Clan expert protecting him, otherwise, he...'
He refused to believe Rakawa himself possessed such power. This was something he absolutely did not want to accept.
Based on the clan's deductions, since the dispatched ninjas had all died, there must be a master protecting him.
After all, if Elite Ninja-level experts were killed, it was absolutely impossible for a student to have done it alone.
Although news from the Hokage's Office claimed that Rakawa had killed those ninjas, how could anyone believe it?
Especially after Hyuga Senyo appeared at the Hokage's Office the last time, the Uchiha Clan high-ranking members were even more certain that someone from the Hyuga Clan was protecting Rakawa. Otherwise, the brat would have been dealt with long ago.
After losing several ninjas in succession, the Uchiha Clan could only swallow their bitterness.
Rakawa's explanation was that he had killed enemy spies. If they were to step forward now and claim those were their people, wouldn't they be asking for trouble?
Especially since they had provoked a fight and tried to assassinate a fellow villager, the Konoha high-ranking officials would never let such a matter go easily.
In that case, it would give the Konoha high-ranking officials an excuse to take action against the Uchiha Clan, and disaster would surely befall them.
The Uchiha Clan's leadership could only grit their teeth and swallow their anger, with no outlet for their frustration.
"Hyuga Rakawa, things will not go as you wish. Mikoto can only be mine!"
He roared silently in his heart. His gloomy expression made the girls who tried to approach him retreat three steps, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.
...
After the slightly warm lunch concluded, Mikoto naturally began cleaning up, while Kushina leaned back in her chair, rubbing her round, full belly.
"I'm so full, hic~ so full."
Having enjoyed a proper feast, Kushina had a bright smile on her face, and she viewed the person next to her much more favorably.
However, Rakawa's next sentence stunned her.
"Wipe your mouth. You're a mess. Also, girls shouldn't make that gesture; it makes you look like you're pregnant. Look at Mikoto; she's much better."
*Clang*—
Kushina's mind went blank. A mess? Pregnant?
The hand rubbing her stomach trembled, and veins bulged on her forehead.
Bang!
She slammed her fist hard onto the table. "Hyuga Rakawa, hic~ you are an hic~ idiot! Hic~"
Kushina hiccupped as she stormed straight out the door.
Rakawa was momentarily bewildered. 'Well, well, the Little Chili Pepper certainly isn't one to be silenced by a free meal. I was just making a joke to lighten the mood. Was that really necessary?'