Chapter 279: Naruto Who Hates Raw Vegetables
"Let's say goodbye to Naruto before leaving," Kakashi suggested.
"Hold on, someone's here."
Haneda's sharp senses detected movement in the woods. He raised his head and saw Shisui, who wore an awkward smile.
"Sorry to disturb you, Lord Hokage, and you too, Kakashi-senpai."
Shisui leapt down from the tree. Seeing Haneda and Kakashi deep in conversation, he had hesitated to approach.
But as it turned out, Haneda and Kakashi had just finished their discussion.
"Ah, it's you, Shisui. I heard from Kakashi that your ocular power has been heavily drained. You really don't have to force yourself to change others' opinions about me because of their bias."
"Lord Hokage, I just don't want excessive bloodshed. Reducing some of their prejudice can help avoid a lot of trouble," Shisui replied, scratching the back of his head.
It had been nearly a year, yet he still wasn't used to the way Haneda showed concern for him like an elder looking after a junior.
There was a part of the truth Shisui hadn't revealed.
But his evasive gaze didn't escape Haneda's notice. Haneda pulled out a card he had confiscated from Tsunade and asked,
"Shisui, what number is on this card?"
Shisui blinked repeatedly, his blurry vision briefly sharpening in between blinks.
At that moment, Haneda withdrew the card.
"Your eyesight is already quite poor, Shisui."
"I originally thought your right eye would last much longer, but now it seems even your right eye's vision has deteriorated significantly—probably down to 4.5 or 4.6. Your left eye, however, is severely nearsighted."
When Haneda saw Shisui still trying to argue, he waved his hand dismissively and said,
"If your right eye's vision were good, your first instinct wouldn't be to blink. You'd have closed your left eye and used your better right eye to clearly see the card I was holding."
Kakashi chimed in, "Haneda, don't you have a way to transplant Shisui's eyes?"
"I do, but I think Shisui is too stubborn. He's overly concerned about my reputation outside the village and goes to great lengths to protect Konoha," Haneda replied.
"In many situations, this isn't necessary at all. He'd rather hurt himself than avoid helping others."
"But aren't you the same type of person?" Kakashi's pointed question rendered Haneda momentarily speechless.
He sighed quietly. The judgment of the Uchiha from his younger days struck a chord.
He was stubborn too—just not as extreme compared to other Uchiha.
"Alright, Haneda, let's go check on Naruto first."
"Whether we're entrusting Fugaku to look after him or someone else, we should at least inform Naruto beforehand."
As he spoke, Kakashi glanced at Shisui and instructed,
"Once you've handled the troublemakers over there, take a break. It's been half a month already—you should rest. Even Itachi is worried about your eyesight."
"When Haneda and I return, we'll help you resolve your eye problem."
"Understood. Thank you, Kakashi-senpai, Lord Hokage."
Shisui nodded, giving Haneda a meaningful look to see if he had any other orders. When Haneda said nothing, Shisui vanished from the spot.
Yet, just before he left, he couldn't help but turn back for a long, deep look at Haneda before disappearing completely.
Shisui still remembered what Haneda had said about the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular power.
If nothing unexpected happened, Haneda would likely seek someone capable of helping with Hashirama cell transplants on his behalf.
The thought that Haneda was taking action for him—even without his request—stirred complex emotions within Shisui, making him see Haneda as more than just a superior.
After Shisui returned to the Uchiha compound, Haneda brought Kakashi back home.
At that moment, Haku was setting two plates of vegetable salad on the table.
Haneda and Kakashi walked in just in time. Haneda smiled and asked,
"Are these for us?"
Haku shook his head awkwardly. "Naruto brought Sasuke over to play, so I made these for Sasuke."
"If you'd like, Haneda-san, I can prepare another plate. How about you, Kakashi-san?"
Haneda declined with a simple "No need," and Kakashi followed suit, saying he didn't really want any.
Just then, Naruto came bounding down the stairs. Haku, holding a plate of vegetable salad, asked gently,
"Did you get hungry after playing this afternoon? How about having some vegetable salad?"
"Vegetable salad?" Naruto leaned over, staring intently at the raw greens on the plate. "Raw? No way, I'm not eating that!"
Kakashi chuckled, "A ninja should eat more vegetables, Naruto."
"I don't care. I'm not eating it," Naruto retorted, turning his head away in defiance.
Noticing Haku's slightly disappointed expression, Haneda took the plate from him and placed it in front of Naruto, trying to persuade him,
"Eating vegetables provides vitamins and dietary fiber—it's good for your health."
"No way! I'm not eating it!"
"I'd rather not eat at all than eat raw vegetables!"
Kakashi sighed at Naruto's stubbornness. "This kid... Even Minato-sensei used to coax him to eat more vegetables."
Seeing Naruto's resolute stance, Haneda resorted to his trump card:
"If you don't eat it, I'll take you out for ramen at Ichiraku fewer times in the future—no more of your favorite miso char siu ramen!"
Naruto hesitated for a moment before dashing upstairs, shouting,
"Uncle Haneda, you can't threaten me like this! You're totally playing favorites with Brother Haku and Uncle Kakashi!"
Naruto had barely run a few steps when Sasuke blocked his way at the staircase.
"Naruto, what were you arguing about with Uncle Haneda just now?"
"Sasuke! I don't like raw vegetables, and Uncle Haneda's forcing me to eat them!"
Hearing this, Haneda was speechless, while Kakashi chuckled quietly on the side.
"And Uncle Kakashi too! Uncle Haneda's only siding with him, which is why this is happening!" Naruto added indignantly.
Hearing that last part, Kakashi stopped laughing, leaving Haneda amused instead.
Sasuke, noticing the neatly arranged vegetable salad in Haneda's hand, said,
"Naruto, my brother told me that eating vegetables provides vitamins and dietary fiber—it's good for your health."
"Uncle Haneda and the others are only doing this for your own good."
"Really, Sasuke?"
"Would I lie to you?"
Sasuke pulled Naruto along, bringing him back to Haneda. Taking the vegetable salad, Sasuke handed Naruto the chopsticks already set on the table.
"Here, chopsticks."
Naruto took the chopsticks and, mimicking Sasuke, said, "Let's eat."
Then, without any hesitation, he picked up the salad and began eating, even pretending to enjoy it.
He was eating with gusto!
Seeing this, Kakashi couldn't help but mutter,
"Didn't he say he hated raw vegetables?"
Haneda, standing nearby, added with a dry tone,
"I said almost the exact same thing as Sasuke. Somehow, this kid finds Sasuke's words more convincing than mine—even though I'm Hokage and the village leader."
Naruto, overhearing, shouted loudly,
"Brother Haku's cooking is just really good! I love eating it!"
Sasuke chimed in, "Haku's cooking is excellent. It's also very nutritious."
Haneda smiled. "Perfect. Kakashi and I are heading out tonight. We won't be back for a few days."
"In the meantime, you can enjoy the meals your favorite Brother Haku cooks."
Naruto's face immediately fell.
If he really had to eat raw vegetables every day, he'd be done for!