"We've found that guy."
"Where? Is Shizune okay?"
"There's no danger to her life, and she doesn't seem injured..."
Bang!
"I'm going to bring Shizune back!"
Tsunade slammed the table, ready to stand up and storm out, her face full of anger!
After all, in her view, Shizune had been captured for so long, so if she wasn't tortured, her honor must have been tainted!
There might be other possibilities, but she couldn't think of any. What else could they want from Shizune?
It surely couldn't be because of Shizune's medical skills.
They don't even know Shizune!
Then, she was stopped by Jiraiya...
"Don't rush; they've sent you a message."
"Say it!"
Jiraiya hesitated momentarily, didn't dare to speak, and just handed the information to Tsunade.
Tsunade looked at it, and her left eyelid twitched upward. Her face showed a furious smile. "Very well, they dare to extort me?! Just a billion ryo, right? I'll give it; let him wait!"
Tsunade nearly tore the information apart with her grip, then turned and left.
"Where are you getting that much money?"
"I'll burn it for him!"
Bang!
Tsunade left in a huff, almost breaking the door!
Jiraiya wanted to follow, but since he was now the Hokage, he could only stay in Konoha, at most sending someone to assist Tsunade.
And Tsunade had said she was a bit negligent last time, which allowed the enemy to escape.
So, this time there should be no problems.
Somewhere deep down, Jiraiya felt that this matter was more complex.
........
Unbeknownst to them, night had fallen.
A fire rose, lighting up the surrounding scenery.
Kuroboshi, exhausted, lay on the ground with his tongue hanging out, while Shizune, tied up like a rice dumpling, was thrown to the side on the ground, surrounded by explosive tags...
If a spark happened to fly over, Aoba grilling rabbit meat would learn another way to ignite the explosive tags.
Seeing the fire was just right, Aoba took down a rabbit and threw it before the nearly exhausted Kuroboshi.
"Eat it. Your performance today wasn't bad; otherwise, you'd be one of those roasting over the fire." He said meaningfully, scaring Kuroboshi, who ferociously began tearing at the rabbit meat.
It was hot but delicious!
Most importantly, it wanted to avoid ending up like that!
Kuroboshi ate in pain and joy, his mouth dripping with oil.
"Akko, sorry! Although I, Kuroboshi, shouldn't be so evil, his roasted rabbit is just too delicious~"
"Woof!"
"Want more?"
After finishing one rabbit, Kuroboshi immediately wagged its tail, showing a pleasing expression, his eyes still fixed on the sizzling rabbit meat over the fire.
Aoba was amused, thinking that the Inuzuka clan's dog training skills weren't up to par if a rabbit could lead to treason.
So, he threw another one over.
Kuroboshi happily began to eat.
At this point, Inuzuka Akko was probably forgotten.
Seeing this, Aoba hoped the other side could be substantial because you need to wear some green on your head to get by in life.
Gulp~
Aoba turned his head and saw 'rice dumpling essence' staring straight at Kuroboshi, wolfing down the food and frequently swallowing saliva.
After using such bizarre methods to attract Leaf reinforcements, Aoba thought it was expected to be hungry.
Thinking this, his kind heart acted up again.
He sighed, "Ah, who made me always want to be a good person."
So he took out the remaining buns...
"Eat up, and you won't be hungry after this."
"No, I want some too...sob..."
She took out a sock and stuffed a bun into it.
Shizune was almost moved to tears again.
After all, which hostage could be as fortunate as her, having buns to eat when hungry?
Kuroboshi, who was eating grilled rabbit meat, looked up at Shizune without any envy and continued eating.
Meanwhile, he probably scorned Shizune in his heart, "An inexperienced human, moved to tears by a bun, clearly hasn't eaten anything good before."
During this, Kuroboshi gave Shizune another conflicted look, walked over to her side, spit some bones from his mouth, and pitifully indicated, "Eat, consider it a treat from Kuroboshi; don't be shy."
Shizune, who shared this 'delicacy' by Kuroboshi, was on the verge of breaking down.
At that moment, she was really 'moved'!
But she wanted to eat grilled rabbit meat, not bones gnawed by a dog!
Even a dog ate better than her, and she was about to burst into tears.
Kuroboshi, who had decided to share the bones with her, looked on with a pitying gaze, "See, just a few bones, and she's this move. She must have had a hard life before, so pitiful."
Pitied by a dog...
Shizune finally shed tears.
At this moment, Aoba patted Kuroboshi's head, "Such a loyal dog, but she only likes buns. Here, your reward."
Kuroboshi, happily wagging his tail with a roasted rabbit in his mouth, walked away.
As for those bones he was reluctant to part with... forget it, with meat to eat, who would willingly gnaw on bones?
Shizune... her spirit broke.
She spit out the bun in her mouth, then started crying and cursing, "You love buns, your whole family loves buns!"
At this, Aoba immediately widened his eyes at her, and even Kuroboshi opened his mouth wide, the rabbit falling to the ground.
"Eh, you don't like buns? Then why didn't you say so earlier? You always eat them so eagerly, so fiercely, as if afraid others would steal them?"
Shizune's grievances immediately erupted, "Did you give me a chance to speak? You stuff a bun or shove a sock whenever I open my mouth. I also want roasted chicken, pork feet, and grilled rabbit meat! Wah..."
Shizune, an ordinarily strong person who isn't even afraid of death, was driven mad in just a few days by someone who still looked innocent and clueless. It was really...
Aoba was embarrassed!
But the last piece of grilled rabbit meat, he had thrown it to Kuroboshi.
The man and the dog faced each other. Kuroboshi cautiously stepped back, then turned and ran with the rabbit that had fallen to the ground.
Were you thinking of snatching food from Kuroboshi?
Dream on!
"Damn, you dead dog, wait until tomorrow, I'll stew you!"
Aoba cursed under his breath, then reluctantly used the last half of a roasted rabbit to plug Shizune's mouth, impatiently saying, "Alright, stop crying. What's the big deal? Here, eat. Isn't this what you wanted?"
Strangely enough, Shizune, who had been in tears just moments ago, gradually quieted down, her mouth continuously moving.
These days of being tied up, she has already trained Shizune in the art of eating without using her hands, just her mouth!
As for the taste...
Of course, it was delicious!