Chapter 156: Shino? Since when was he here?
Despite the efforts of several people, there was still no progress.
It couldn't be helped; Naruto's maneuvers were too dependent on timing, Sasuke's playstyle relied too much on character models, and Shikamaru still had room for improvement in this area.
Yakiniku Q.
"You can't rush these things."
Naruto patted Kiba's shoulder to comfort him.
It couldn't be helped; a girl's thoughts were too difficult to understand.
Kiba looked at Naruto, who was sincerely comforting him, and suddenly asked a question in a low voice.
"Naruto, if... I'm saying if, Ino or Hinata made a meal for you and put celery in it, would you eat it?"
Hearing the word "celery," Naruto's brow instinctively furrowed.
Naruto didn't like eating celery or bitter melon; this was something the five-man group back in the academy all knew.
Because Naruto made lunch, the others would sometimes give him money or just provide the ingredients.
They later found out that Naruto would usually sneak in at night, take only the vegetables with price tags, leave the money, and take the goods.
Naruto glanced at Ino, who was eating at a nearby table with Sakura, Koko, and Hana Inuzuka, and then responded in a low voice.
"I'd have to eat some. You can't just leave it untouched after someone worked so hard to make it, right? Of course, I'm not sure about Ino, but I don't think Hinata would cook celery."
"Why?"
"Hanabi doesn't like celery either. Hinata dotes on Hanabi so much, she definitely wouldn't buy celery. But bitter melon is hard to say."
"Tch."
Shikamaru, who hadn't chimed in much, made a sound of disapproval. He leaned back lazily against his chair.
"I say... aren't you guys spoiling that kid a bit too much?"
He thought of his own mother's methods.
"I remember when I was little, I especially hated eating radishes. I'd hide as soon as I saw them.
But my mom didn't indulge me. Instead, she specifically went to learn several ways to cook radishes. Finally, she made a Radish Feast so delicious I couldn't tell left from right, and she forced me out of that habit.
Sometimes, blind accommodation isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Then what do you think celery and bitter melon taste good with?"
Kiba:... Shikamaru:... After a few seconds of silence, Kiba nodded heavily, his tone carrying a strange sense of resonance and resignation:
"That's true."
He seemed to understand that whether dealing with hated celery or facing the cats that might exist around the girl he liked, one at least needed the resolve to "brave it and try."
Sasuke frowned and pondered for a moment.
"How about juicing them?"
The three of them turned their heads in unison, looking at Sasuke, who had joined the ranks of the "thinkers" at some unknown point.
"Mix the celery and bitter melon, add a little water, and use a tool to extract the juice."
Sasuke's tone was calm.
"When the time comes, close your eyes, hold your breath, and gulp it down in one go.
The flavor will be concentrated, but the process is brief. It should be easier to accept than chewing and swallowing."
Wait, what?
You're actually thinking about this?
Naruto and the other two looked at Sasuke in surprise.
"In that case, it's no different from drinking Traditional Medicine, right?"
Sasuke shrugged.
He had already suggested a method. If those two things had to be eaten, a short pain was better than a long one.
Even if celery is stir-fried with meat, it's the meat that tastes good. The taste of the celery won't change much; at most, its own flavor becomes a bit milder.
As for bitter melon, even fresh ones need to have the white pith removed and then be pickled to suppress the bitterness.
Naruto didn't even want to imagine the taste of juicing those two things directly.
Naruto turned his head.
"Shino, what do you think? How can celery and bitter melon be prepared so they're edible?"
At another table, Shino, who was there eating yakiniku with his father, was using tweezers to flip the sizzling meat slices on the grill. Hearing the question, his movements didn't stop at all as he nodded.
His gaze behind the sunglasses fell calmly on the meat slices:
"Either is fine."
Shino? Since when was he here?
Kiba, Shikamaru, and even Sasuke, who had been "seriously" proposing the juicing plan, all froze at the same time. They turned their heads in unison toward Shino.
Only then did they notice that Shino had actually come, and he wasn't alone. Sitting across from him was a steady-looking middle-aged man wearing sunglasses.
It was Shino's father, Shibi Aburame.
Shibi Aburame also had a small grill in front of him, and his movements were equally composed. Hearing his son's answer and the commotion from over there, he only slightly turned his head, his sunglasses facing the four boys.
"Hello, Uncle."
The corner of Shibi Aburame's mouth seemed to twitch upward slightly.
He raised his hand and waved gently at the four boys, his voice deep and steady:
"Heh, hello. Continue your discussion, don't mind us."
As for Shibi Aburame, a trace of an imperceptible smile seemed to flash in his eyes behind the sunglasses.
It's good to be young, to be able to worry so much over these simple yet complex little matters.
He picked up a perfectly grilled piece of meat and placed it on his son's plate.
Shino pushed his glasses and said softly, "Thank you, Father."
Heh, this hairstyle, this appearance, and this personality... there's no doubt!
The blond boy who first noticed Shino and himself must be the Uzumaki Naruto that Shino often mentioned.
Truly worthy of being Minato's son.
In Shibi Aburame's mind, the figure of the Fourth Hokage from years ago—who also had warm blond hair, a bright smile, and speed unparalleled in the Ninja World—vaguely drifted by.
Although their temperaments were vastly different, that core light that shone on others seemed to be continuing in this boy in a new form.
He withdrew his gaze and refocused on the yakiniku in front of him, but the faint smile at the corner of his mouth did not completely vanish.
For his son to have such companions, it seems... not bad.
At least it's lively.
"Father, this piece is ready."
Shino placed a grilled piece of meat onto Shibi's plate, interrupting his father's thoughts.
"Good."
If this child can pass the Chunin Exams, then in a couple of years, once Naruto's strength reaches the mark, I'll find a few old friends to recommend him for Jonin together.
Shibi picked up the grilled meat his son handed him and put it in his mouth.
Lord Third, oh Lord Third.
You were unwilling to reveal Naruto's heritage, so why didn't you clarify it immediately after the Demon Fox rumors appeared? Why wait two days to clarify?
Once hearsay becomes a widespread rumor, stopping it won't prevent it from spreading in people's hearts.
What are the four high-ranking officials of Hidden Leaf Village thinking?
He understood the current Hidden Leaf Village less and less.
Shibi didn't understand the full picture of politics, nor did he rashly criticize the profound meaning of the highest decisions.
He just thought from the perspective of a father: If that were Shino... He put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
Even the warm tea couldn't dissolve the gloomy confusion in his heart.
Hidden Leaf Village's roots run deep. Behind the prosperity in the sunlight, the tangled shadows and choices are not something a Jonin focused on clan affairs and missions can fully perceive.
He just felt that some prices perhaps shouldn't have to be paid by a child.
But one good thing is.
Hidden Leaf Village's new sprouts always grow quietly, intertwining and lifting each other up when least expected.
I hope their generation can inject new vitality into Hidden Leaf Village.
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