It was already 5:30 PM. After resting for an entire afternoon, Uchiha Tetsu, Homura, and Toshiro gathered at this barbecue restaurant, all full of energy. They showed no signs of having gone through a grueling battle.
Of course, their teacher Uchiha Shigemasa was also present. He was twitching at the corners of his eyes as he looked at the mountains of food on the table and couldn't help but complain, "Toshiro, did you really need to order this much? This is enough for six adults. If we don't finish it, Uncle Daikichi won't give us a refund!"
"Don't worry, Sensei Shigemasa. I have a big appetite. Instead of worrying about not finishing the food, you should be more concerned about whether your wallet is thick enough," Toshiro replied with his mouth full while picking a sizzling piece of grilled beef from the charcoal grill with his chopsticks and stuffing it into his mouth.
The taste of the food at this barbecue restaurant was quite good. Although its fame didn't match the renown of Barbecue Q, the taste wasn't far off. Moreover, this place was family-owned, so of course, they prioritized their own.
Most of the customers in the restaurant, besides a few ordinary villagers from Konoha, were members of the Uchiha clan.
"Uncle Daikichi, bring another dozen watermelon juices to wash away the greasiness, and a bottle of beer for our teacher to calm his nerves!" Toshiro added boldly, not showing the slightest caution a young person might have in front of adults.
Given the chance to treat the teacher to a feast, Toshiro showed no reservations, considering his wallet had been tight recently, and he had to budget carefully. Helplessly, he decided to make the teacher suffer a bit.
"Hey, you three brats, don't eat so fast! The barbecue is right here; no one is going to snatch it away from you!"
Before Shigemasa could refuse Toshiro's offer, he noticed that almost all the barbecue on the grill was being gobbled up by the three kids, leaving none for him.
He wasn't stingy about money; he just wanted to remind them for their own good, fearing they'd choke from eating too quickly.
"Sensei, you're too fussy. Instead of nagging, you might as well pick some meat and put it on the grill to cook. That way, you won't be left with none when you want to eat," Homura, being more attentive, reminded, though her hands were busy picking a piece of grilled meat and dipping it in sauce while glancing around, seemingly waiting for the drinks to arrive.
"Oh! Shigemasa! Haven't seen you come to the barbecue restaurant since you got married!" The owner, Daikichi, delivered a dozen watermelon juices and a bottle of beer while greeting Shigemasa and teased him a bit.
Owner Uchiha Daikichi had been running this barbecue restaurant for over 30 years. As business boomed in recent years, he had hired two helpers as servers. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the leisure to chat and joke with Shigemasa.
"Ah, Uncle Daikichi! After I got married... well... haha..." Shigemasa laughed awkwardly.
Watching his teacher's poor performance, Toshiro couldn't help but snicker. At the same time, he aimed his chopsticks at the last piece of grilled meat on the grill.
"That piece is mine!" x3
Before Toshiro could place the meat in his bowl, two other pairs of chopsticks reached out simultaneously, and the three of them locked eyes, sparks flying.
Ten-year-old kids don't know how to be polite!
"Enough, you three!" thud, thud, thud!
Three thuds echoed as their heads hit the hard surface.
"Ouch!" x3
Toshiro, Homura, and Tetsu held their heads in pain, no longer concerned about the barbecue on the grill.
"You're full of energy! Another dozen watermelon juices, as a greeting gift to these three young ninjas!" Daikichi laughed.
"By the way, Toshiro, during the fight this morning, did you use one-handed seals?" As the dinner was coming to an end, Shigemasa took a sip of his beer and casually inquired.
Even the nearly full Uchiha Homura and Tetsu slowed their movements, intently listening.
"Ah! Did you notice, Sensei? I can only do it with simple techniques like the Clone Technique and Body Flicker, nothing like the Great Fireball Technique yet," Toshiro openly admitted and detailed his current mastery of one-handed seals.
[Has Toshiro already reached this level?]
[You have to step up 'Homura,' you're the best.]
Listening to this, Uchiha Homura felt the barbecue had lost its flavor. She had been the top performer in the pre-academic training of their clan. She hadn't expected Toshiro to have mastered even the one-handed seal technique ahead of her.
Being the family favorite, she had access to her father's study, and the technique of one-handed seals, though only heard of in passing, was deeply etched in her mind.
"What are one-handed seals?" Unlike Homura and Toshiro, Tetsu's understanding was relatively basic. He had never heard of such an advanced technique requiring one-handed seals.
Homura rolled her eyes but explained, "When a ninja performs a technique, they initially form seals. The seals need to be performed accurately with a calm mind to convert chakra into the 'technique.' Most seal formations require both hands, but there are exceptions. Some ninjas, through rigorous training or exceptional talent, can perform these seals with one hand, executing techniques with just one hand."
After explaining, Homura glanced at Toshiro and took a gulp of watermelon juice to suppress her surprise.
"Incredible! Doesn't that mean you can use two techniques simultaneously? That's amazing! Toshiro, can you teach me?" Tetsu, ignorant of subtlety, immediately asked Toshiro to teach him this advanced sealing technique.
"Cough!" At this, Homura, who had just taken a sip of watermelon juice, couldn't hold it in. How could someone ask about one-handed seals so straightforwardly? Even within the same clan, some secrets are still kept.
Regardless of his ignorance, Tetsu's enthusiasm was boundless. Everyone enjoyed their meal as the night went on.