Takashi pushed away the magazine that Nawaki had handed him and turned to walk into the kitchen. He decided that he needed to have a serious conversation with Tsunade tomorrow. Better to discipline her brother sooner rather than later.
Seeing that Takashi ignored him and went straight into the kitchen, Nawaki got worried that he might tattle, so he quickly followed him.
"Takashi, I thought we were friends! You can't just run to my sister and snitch on me!"
Takashi rinsed the rice, added water, placed the pot on the stove, and turned to Nawaki. "So what you're saying is, I need to help you keep this a secret?"
"Of course! We're friends! Friends! How can you betray your friend?" Nawaki replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Takashi: "..."
Friend, my foot. You're reading a magazine like this, kid, and you don't even realize how serious this is?
Takashi pulled out two potatoes from the cupboard, peeling them as he asked, "Nawaki, do you really like reading these kinds of magazines?"
"Of course! What guy doesn't like this kind of thing?" Nawaki answered, sounding sure of himself.
"Don't tell me you don't like this stuff, Takashi. Or… is it that you don't like girls?"
Cough, cough!!
Takashi almost sliced his own hand as he peeled the potato. The kid's question had quite the sting.
Putting down the knife and potato, Takashi looked seriously at Nawaki and said, "Of course I like these things, but I'm not going to read them before I'm grown up. Also, my sexual orientation is perfectly normal—I like pretty and cute girls."
"But why wouldn't you read them before you're grown up?"
Since when does this kind of thing depend on age?
Nawaki looked puzzled. After all, Jiraiya had never put it to him that way.
In fact, he would just take him along with that sly grin.
Takashi shrugged. "Because if you're not grown up, reading it doesn't do you any good."
"Think about it carefully. Jiraiya can go out and have fun after reading these kinds of things, but can you?"
...
The smile froze on Nawaki's face as he processed Takashi's words.
He suddenly remembered that Jiraiya liked to visit certain places, places where he, as a kid, couldn't go. Even when he tried to tag along, Jiraiya would chase him away.
"So, pocket money isn't easy to save, especially with your sister watching you so closely. Don't waste it on pointless things like this. If you really like it, wait until you're older. There'll be plenty of time to enjoy it without anyone criticizing you or leaving you frustrated. Understand?"
Nawaki blinked in confusion at the advice.
"So, Takashi, what you mean is… I should save my money so that when I'm older, I can go out with Jiraiya to meet beautiful ladies?"
"Ugh…"
Takashi almost pulled a muscle from sheer exasperation.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Takashi replied, clearly exhausted.
Suit yourself. As long as you aren't afraid of getting beaten by your sister, then go ahead.
But why did Takashi's tone sound so dismissive?
Nawaki couldn't figure it out. Forget it, he thought, better to just read the book.
And so, from the kitchen, Takashi kept hearing Nawaki's sly giggles from the living room, and he could only sigh, "What a lost cause."
After dinner, Takashi wasted no time kicking the clingy Nawaki out.
This kid! Only interested in all the wrong things.
Takashi had no intention of being blamed for corrupting a child. That's Jiraiya's business. Nawaki's obsession with these things was entirely Jiraiya's doing.
Hopefully, Tsunade was working late today.
---
When Nawaki got home, he cautiously poked his head in, glancing around like a guilty thief, afraid someone might see him.
Thank goodness, no one was here.
The yard was quiet, and there were no sounds from inside the house. At this hour, Uzumaki Mito was likely teaching Kushina the unique sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan, and as for Tsunade, she was either working late or resting in her room.
Seeing that the coast was clear, Nawaki walked into the yard, relaxed.
"Stop right there!"
Oh no.
Hearing the voice behind him, the smile on Nawaki's face instantly froze. His body stiffened like he had been hit by a paralysis jutsu, not daring to move an inch.
"Why are you back so late? Where have you been running off to?"
Tsunade expertly twisted Nawaki's ear, her voice full of irritation.
"I warn you every morning—come straight home after school and spend time with Grandma. And what do you do?"
If Nawaki had just come home a little late, Tsunade would have let it slide. After all, he was just an eight- or nine-year-old kid, and kids that age loved to play. But sneaking in like a thief? That was suspicious.
After noticing that, Tsunade hid herself to see what her sneaky little brother was up to.
"Ah! Ow, ow, ow! Sis, my ear is going to come off!"
Nawaki cried out in pain, hoping his sister might show him some mercy.
"Spit it out. Where have you been?"
Tsunade wasn't having any of it. She knew exactly how much force she was using. This wouldn't do any real damage—Nawaki was just exaggerating.
There's a natural hierarchy when it comes to siblings, and Tsunade's authority was absolute. Nawaki gave in immediately: "I went to Takashi's place. I had dinner there and then came back. I didn't go anywhere else."
"Huh. Didn't expect that. You even know how to mooch a meal now."
Tsunade released his ear, trusting that her brother wouldn't lie to her.
Besides, it was just a late return. A light scolding would do. No need to make a big fuss.
How annoying—getting scolded again!
Nawaki covered his ear, looking frustrated but not daring to speak out.
Still glaring? Really?
Tsunade had planned to let him go, but seeing her brother giving her that look, she slapped him on the back, causing him to stumble. Something fell out of his clothes and landed on the ground.
Tsunade often checked Nawaki's school bag for his homework, so he had hidden the magazines inside his clothes. It was fine until that slap made it fall out.
"???"
What on earth?
Tsunade looked down, her eyes widening as she realized what it was.
Oh no, my magazine! My precious new magazine! Wait, no, forget the magazine. I'm doomed!
Someone, save me!
Picking up the magazine and flipping through it, Tsunade spat out in disgust and shot Nawaki a cold smile. "So, you want to confess on your own, or do I beat you up first and then you confess?"
"I used my pocket money to buy it. I just bought it today."
"So, you went to Takashi's place just to read this?"
"Wait… Did Hyuga Takashi read this too?"
Tsunade caught herself as soon as she said it.
Nawaki awkwardly scratched his head, laughing sheepishly. "He kicked me out and told me it's better for kids not to read this kind of thing—to wait until I'm older."
Impressive.
Now it was Tsunade's turn to be surprised.
Not only did Hyuga Takashi refuse to read it, but he also lectured Nawaki about it and even kicked him out?
In Tsunade's experience, only Orochimaru showed no interest in such things. The rest were all the same—from the Third Hokage to Jiraiya, and even many male ninjas she knew.
Almost none could resist.
And even those who could wouldn't sit a kid down and earnestly tell them not to read it.
"Tsunade, what's going on here?"
Although Tsunade often disciplined her brother, it was the first time Kushina saw Nawaki being punished by holding his school bag up.
How humiliating.
Nawaki's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and he lowered his head, obediently holding his school bag high.