Chapter 98 - Date
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Swish!
Haku and Naruto had arrived at the city where Jiraiya and him first arrived when they went to look for Tsunade to become a Hokage.
As they arrived, Haku looked around in anticipation before commenting in amazement "Woah… It's like a festival even though there's a war going on."
Just like how it was, stalls upon stalls were lined up in the pathway. It was natural as it was a tourist city.
Naruto chuckled and replied "Even though, it doesn't seem like it. Our villages are hidden after all. It's natural that ordinary people like them don't know about it. Plus… the war is far away from this place."
Haku also laughed before nodding "I guess you're right."
Tightening his hold on Haku's hand, he said with a smile "Let's go have fun, shall we? It's a date after all."
Haku smiled and nodded as well. "Um."
"So, where would you like to go first?"
"Hm… Let's look around first."
Naruto nodded at her request, slowly strolling along the way before Haku said in excitement "Let's go try that! I've always wanted to try it before!"
Naruto chuckled at Haku's excitement and nodded as he glanced at the stall, Haku pointed at. And muttered "Goldfish scooping huh?"
They walked their way over there before Naruto said "Occhan! How much to play?"
The old man in the stall excitedly said "Oh! Anchan! You wanna play? It's only 500 ryo for 3 scoops!"
Naruto nodded and replied "Sure! give us 3 each!"
Haku stared at the scoops the stall owner brought out in anticipation.
Naruto smiled seeing her excitement but let her hand go so that she could play.
Upon receiving the scoops the old man gave, they both crouched down to catch some fish.
Intense focus became visible in Haku's eyes as she raised her hand that held a scoop and in one fell swoop…
Swish!
The flimsy paper crumbled making the old man laugh out loud "Hahaha! Too bad Neechan! Judging by your movements, you must be a ninja but speed isn't all there is too goldfish scooping."
Haku pouted at the old man's comment but decided to give it another go.
Swish!
Failed!
Swish!
Failed!
"Hehe! Better luck next time!" The old man grinned in mockery.
Haku shaked her hands in frustration making Naruto who was on the side chuckle. He didn't know that Haku had such a childish side. Maybe it was because she was raised a spy ninja at a young age that she has never tried stuff like this before. Haku was more serious than she seems so she probably thought that it was better to dedicate the time to have fun in such things to train instead.
Naruto smiled and comforted "Don't worry, Haku. I'll get you some."
Haku nodded but teased "Can you even get some?"
Naruto bragged and grinned "Of course, I already found out the trick."
The old man laughed and provoked "I'd like to see you try, Anchan!"
Naruto smiled and replied "You'd regret those words, Occhan!"
Naruto simply raised his hand with a scoop in hand and…
Swish!
As he approached the water, he tilted it so that it would be the sides of the scoops that went against the water and it worked! Even if it didn't he would have cheated with [Wind Sage Chakra] or rotated the scoop in high speed so the fish would be trapped in the middle like inside an orb.
Morals? What's that? Can you eat that?
Naruto hurriedly put the goldfish onto the bowl, and smirked "See? Occhan! The paper isn't even torn up yet."
Haku's eyes glowed in amazement and thought 'so that was the trick!'
Meanwhile, the old man said in frustration "Kahhhh! I lost! Is this your first time playing? If that's the case, you're a genius in goldfish scooping."
Naruto raised his hand with the scoop again and said with a smile "Occhan, prepare to go bankrupt!"
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
One after another, Naruto scooped lots of goldfish into his bowl, and when it was full, he took another bowl at lightning speed and continued.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
The old man panicked and said "Anchan! Stop! I'll really go bankrupt at this rate!"
Naruto grinned evilly and said "No way, you teased my wife!"
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The old man kneeled on the ground in frustration but he couldn't do anything as he won the goldfish fair and square without using ninjutsu.
Haku laughed out loud at their interaction but said "Naruto, 2 goldfish are fine. Return the rest back to the water."
Naruto chuckled and said "I know, I was just teasing the old man."
After saying that, Naruto dumped all the gold fishes he scooped back to the water and said "Occhan. Pack up two goldfishes."
"Right Away!" The old man replied with a salute and immediately prepared to pack 2 gold fishes inside a plastic bag with water.
He was thankful that Naruto didn't ask to pack everything or he would have to close early and not earn enough.
Naruto asked Haku "You wanna play more?"
Haku nodded and crouched down beside Naruto. She raised her right hand and a bowl in her left to copy Naruto but…
Swish!
"Tsk! I failed again!" Haku pouted as the paper in the scoop was torn up but Naruto smiled and grabbed her arm with the scoop. "You have to do it like this."
Haku nodded and followed Naruto's movement.
Swish!
"I did it!" Haku successfully caught a goldfish.
She tried it again and was beginning to get the hang of it, and in a minute or two she could do it easily as she already got the motion down.
Naruto looked at the old man and said "Occhan, pack 2 of the goldfish from the one my wife caught."
"Yes, sir!" The old man immediately packed it up.
Haku happily carried 2 plastic bags with 2 goldfish each meanwhile, Naruto reached out to his pocket and used [Flying Thunder God Jutsu] to teleport 10,000 ryo to his hand. Of course, he erased the seals when he paid. It was no longer his. "Here's the pay for the scoops, Occhan. No need for change, I'm rich. Just let kids that don't have money play for free if you have conscience."
The old man's eyes glowed in thankfulness as 10,000 ryo was a lot so he nodded and replied with a smile "Got it! Anchan! I'll do just that!"
Naruto nodded and hugged Haku's waist as they walked away from the goldfish scoop stall.
As they strolled around, Haku wanted to try a variety of stalls. Ball throwing stalls, tie picking stalls and other playable stalls.
Naruto watched Haku have fun like some kind of kid but had fun as well as Haku was having fun.
After a while, Haku's stomach grumbled, making her blush in embarrassment. Naruto teased her because of this "Oh my, did you play so much that you forgot that you're hungry?"
Haku pinched his waist but nodded "I'm hungry."
Naruto laughed with a smile and said "Is that so? There's a good yakisoba, takoyaki, and skewer stall in that direction. You wanna go?"
Haku's eyes glowed in excitement and nodded.
As Naruto held the prizes Haku won with one hand, he held Haku's hand in the other.
As they reached the location, the stalls were still there, they didn't recognize him rightaway but when he overpaid they recognized him. He only smiled and said the usual…
"Keep the change, I'm rich."
Upon sitting down, Naruto made a clone to take the prizes they won home, he even instructed him to buy stuff for the goldfish.
Haku opened the yakisoba they bought and gulped as she looked at it.
Naruto didn't make her wait and said "Let's eat?"
Haku nodded and started eating. Naruto also ate Takoyaki.
Naruto stared at Haku who was eating Yakisoba with such a blissful smile on her face. Her lustrous lips caused by the oil from the Yakisoba made him gulp a bit. But when Haku stared at his Takoyaki, he couldn't help but laugh and ask "You want some?"
Haku nodded and Naruto gave it to her "Say ahhh…"
"Ahh…" Haku opened her mouth as Naruto fed her a takoyaki.
Eating the takoyaki, she commented blissfully, "It's indeed good."
After saying that, she saw Naruto staring at her with a smile on face, making her ask bashfully "What is it?"
Naruto leaned in and said "Nothing." but licked her lower lips and said "You have sauce on your lips."
Haku turned red and scolded "Naruto! We're outside!"
"Hm? What about it?" Naruto asked as he continued eating like she didn't understand Haku.
Haku pouted as she knew that Naruto understood her but kept her mouth shut so Naruto wouldn't tease her.
Naruto looking at Haku who was eating happily thought 'This is what I want… Peace… I have to get even more stronger so those Otsutsuki won't be able to disrupt this peace.'
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