At this moment, Uchiha Toshiro and his companions had safely returned to the canyon campsite.
Their main prey today, a wild boar weighing over 300 pounds, was placed on a rudimentary wooden sled, which the six of them were dragging together.
Their friends, who had rushed over after hearing the news, gathered around in groups of three or five, looking curiously and exclaiming in awe from time to time.
Usually, their prey would just be some wild chickens or rabbits. Or they might catch some fish from the small river in the valley. But today, the kids really got to see something spectacular.
Uchiha Ryuho, Yukito, Mori, and Kazan each carried themselves like victorious ninjas returning to the village to receive a hero's welcome. They strutted with swagger, not even looking at people directly, full of pride.
Some observant girls noticed the fatal wound on the wild boar. Their faces blushed, and they covered their eyes with their hands, although a few of them peeked discreetly through their fingers.
Uchiha Toshiro, finding it quite challenging, decided to let his companions take over dragging the wild boar's body. Given its size, boiling water wouldn't work to remove the hair; he would have to skin it directly.
Moving it was also difficult, and they didn't have any convenient tools or cutting boards at hand. He looked around and spotted a shallow, gravel-filled area by the river. He got an idea, but he would have to handle it himself; these kids couldn't be relied on.
"As I was saying, the wild boar was just a body-length away from me. I did a forward roll..."
"Ryuho, stop boasting. Take them and drag the wild boar to that shallow area over there. Be careful not to cut your feet on the river stones!"
Roasting the whole thing wasn't an option; they couldn't finish it all, and it wouldn't taste good without marination. Noticing some good stones around, Uchiha Toshiro decided to use another method. And he had prepared quite a few materials for grilling.
"Everyone, don't just stand around watching. Gather some firewood. Shufo, you always fish by the river. Are there any smooth, large stone slabs around? They need to be big but not too thick, and they have to be solid, not brittle."
Uchiha Ryuho was initially displeased at having his "moment of glory" interrupted. But upon seeing Uchiha Toshiro's threatening look, he blushed and quickly complied, looking like a bootlicker.
From his backpack, Uchiha Toshiro took out a large, heavy machete meant for chopping branches. He never thought he'd one day become a "butcher"...
Under the warm spring midday sun, by the Namihara River Gorge, the Uchiha kids were gathered in three groups, waiting quietly.
"Toshiro, are you sure this will work? I've never seen meat grilled on a stone slab →_→" Uchiha Ryuho spoke up first, as usual. He was good at nothing but finding trouble.
"You'll know if it's good when you try it. But Ryuho, you performed terribly today. So, your punishment will be to grill the meat for us later!" Giving this rash guy a sidelong glance, Uchiha Toshiro replied confidently.
In front of him was a makeshift grill. The base fire pit was made from stones gathered nearby, with river mud plastered on the inside and a vent left for wood. Then he placed the stone slab on top. Thus, a stone slab barbecue grill appeared in the ninja world.
Feeling the stone slab's temperature, it was already hot. Uchiha Toshiro poured some pre-prepared oil onto it, spreading it with a brush while explaining to the nearby kids.
With chopsticks, he took over 20 pieces of pork from a large leaf used as a plate and placed them on the stone slab. Once one side sizzled and emitted oil, he quickly applied sauce and flipped them.
A light breeze carried the mixed aroma of chili and cumin-grilled meat.
"Seriously? Akane, are you trying to fool us?" Uchiha Ryuho was skeptical. He had been tricked too many times while playing "Werewolf" with Akane and Kazan.
"Ah, you guys are too cunning!" Before he could react, most of the grilled meat on the stone slab was gone.
Though the cooking skills and sauce couldn't match professional barbecue, the freshly slaughtered wild boar's shoulder meat combined with this novel method made it irresistible.
Shouts of eager competition filled the air.
"You're just too slow! And Ryuho, hurry up and place more meat!" Ignoring Ryuho's tearful gaze, Akane grabbed the last piece of grilled meat and delivered one final blow.
"Shufo, don't put in so much firewood. It's smoking already! It's suffocating us!"
"Who collected this firewood? It's still wet!"
"Ryuho, you idiot, putting so much sauce. Do you want to burn our mouths so you can have all the meat?"
"Stop, stop! If you pour more oil, it's going to overflow!"
Though they'd successfully extracted chakra, these six- or seven-year-olds struggled with their DIY camping, full of stumbles and bickering.
The twenty-odd kids consumed eighty to ninety pounds of wild boar meat in one go. Even though extracting chakra significantly boosted their appetite and digestion, this quantity still exceeded their limits.
"I'm so full! My stomach feels like it can't hold any more!" Uchiha Toshiro sighed, lying on the grass with his hands behind his head, enjoying the leisurely, pleasant moment with everyone.
"Yeah, this is so happy! I really wish we could stay in moments like this forever..." someone sighed.
The wind gradually picked up, blowing from the distant ridges, over the slopes, across the hills, and sweeping through the lush valley.
The vibrant wildflowers on the hill swayed in the wind, rustling pleasantly.
Clouds drifted across the sky, with sunlight streaming through gaps, casting beams of light before the group. The lush, sprawling canopy swayed and rustled, with shadows dancing underneath. The sound of gentle flowing water nearby brought a sense of inner peace and tranquility.
Amidst this symphony of nature, Uchiha Toshiro's eyelids flickered, and he drifted into a deep sleep...