With Nawaki and Namikaze Minato helping out, the barbecue grill was quickly set up.
Takashi lit the firewood, then poured a good amount of charcoal on top. Once the coals were burning, he placed the marinated meat onto the grill. Soon enough, the aroma of the marinated meat started wafting through the air, enticing everyone.
Standing in the yard, both Nawaki and Minato were already salivating.
"Smells amazing," the blond-haired boy praised earnestly.
He even looked up and gave Takashi a big, bright smile.
Takashi nodded in acknowledgment, then playfully knocked Nawaki on the head.
"Ow, what was that for?"
Nawaki clutched his head, loudly questioning why Takashi had hit him.
"Look at Minato, then look at yourself. No wonder your sister scolds you all the time. If you keep this up, you'll only have 'dirty thoughts' left in that brain of yours!"
"Dirty thoughts?"
What does that mean?
Minato was confused, not catching the drift.
Nawaki's face flushed red, and he jumped up immediately.
"No, don't say it! I'll call you big brother, okay? Just don't say it!"
With Kushina's friends visiting today, if people found out that Nawaki liked "dirty stuff," it would be beyond embarrassing.
Namikaze Minato and Hyuga Miho wouldn't be a big deal—he wasn't too concerned about them. But Uchiha Mikoto was different.
She was his first crush and a classmate to boot.
"Glad you understand the embarrassment. If you know it's humiliating, then stop doing it. Once you're older, do whatever you want—nobody will care."
Takashi had Nawaki figured out. He was the kind who would admit his mistakes after getting punished but would go right back to the same behavior afterward.
The only way to deal with a kid like Nawaki was to use special means.
Takashi leaned over and whispered, "You don't want Uchiha Mikoto to find out about your 'dirty stuff,' do you?"
"..."
Are you a devil?
Nawaki's eyes widened in horror.
What are you two even talking about?
It seemed so deep and mysterious, yet Minato couldn't quite understand.
With a bewildered expression, Minato scratched his head, his big eyes darting between Takashi and Nawaki.
He wanted to join the conversation, but had no idea what they were discussing.
It all sounded so cryptic.
"Alright, I get it. I won't do those things anymore, okay?"
Nawaki, his face flushed, promised through gritted teeth.
See? Finally got through to you.
"Don't just stand there. Go bring out the vegetables and the pickles from the cabinet."
"Okay..."
Shoulders slumped, Nawaki trudged back into the house, feeling like Takashi had his lifeline in a tight grip.
As much as he liked certain things, he feared social death even more.
If his antics with Jiraiya ever got out to the rest of the class, he might as well stop showing his face.
"Takashi, can we eat now?"
The tantalizing smell of barbecue filled the air as Kushina ran out, pulling Uchiha Mikoto and Hyuga Miho along with her.
Takashi smiled and said, "Just about. But you'll need to bring out the chairs and tables first; we'll be ready to eat soon."
"On it!"
As the seasoning hit the skewers, Kushina couldn't contain her excitement and dashed inside.
"This is so good!"
"Miho, this one is great too. Eat more!"
"Mikoto, here—Takashi said eating this will make your skin even fairer!"
"And you, little blondie, eat up too!"
"..."
Can you stop calling me "little blondie"?
Holding a skewer in one hand and a glass of juice in the other, Namikaze Minato smiled awkwardly.
He didn't really like being called "little blondie," but Kushina seemed to enjoy it. Eventually, he just let her be.
Besides the skewers, there were large cuts of roasted meat, as well as grilled fish.
Takashi sat next to Minato, smiling as he asked, "Kushina must cause quite a bit of trouble at school, doesn't she?"
"It's... not that bad." Minato's smile was a bit forced.
Because in his mind, he could already see the image of the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero beating up her classmates.
Kid, you really know how to lie with a straight face.
Takashi laughed and patted Minato on the shoulder.
Using delicious barbecue to entertain her friends, Kushina fluttered around like a joyful butterfly, running back and forth and chatting non-stop with her three companions.
"That kid actually managed to stay quiet for once."
Seeing Kushina so happy made Tsunade, her sister-figure, happy as well. She carried a bottle of sake and sat beside Takashi, glancing at Nawaki, who was quietly eating his skewers.
Given her understanding of her little brother, Nawaki shouldn't be this quiet in such a lively setting.
Takashi stifled a laugh and leaned close to Tsunade's ear, whispering, "I told him earlier that if he kept messing around with Jiraiya, I'd let Uchiha Mikoto know what he's been up to."
"???"
That's it?
Tsunade looked over at Uchiha Mikoto, who was chatting away with Kushina, and suddenly felt a headache coming on.
She was happy that her brother had someone he liked, but it being someone from the Uchiha clan—that was a bit of a problem.
After all, there was too much bloodshed between the Senju and Uchiha in the past.
"Do you think he has a chance?"
"Not really. It's just a simple crush."
Takashi shook his head.
"That kid's got it rough then," Tsunade said, her voice tinged with schadenfreude.
Is someone talking about me?
Nawaki, who was taking a big bite out of his skewer, suddenly looked up, feeling his ears burning.
Is it my sister?
Instinctively, Nawaki looked over to Tsunade, only to see her whispering with Takashi—not looking like they were talking about him.
Was it just my imagination?
Nawaki shook his head, deciding he was wrong. After all, Tsunade was his sister—she wouldn't talk about him behind his back.
Once the large chunks of roasted meat were done, Takashi carried them back into the living room along with Tsunade. The backyard was left to the kids.
With plenty of meat, vegetables, fruits, and drinks, they could enjoy themselves as much as they wanted.
And as expected, with Takashi and Tsunade gone, the atmosphere in the yard became much livelier.
"Have you decided about his teacher?"
"Might as well be Jiraiya."
Though not entirely happy about it, Tsunade had still chosen Jiraiya.
"Hahaha, don't worry. Besides being a pervert, Jiraiya doesn't really have any other flaws. And honestly, Nawaki is almost turning into a mini-Jiraiya himself. It might not be a bad thing for them to stick together."
"..."
Can you hear yourself? What do you mean, Nawaki is already turning into Jiraiya?
The more Tsunade listened, the more it didn't sit right with her.
She rolled her eyes at Takashi, grabbed her sake bottle, and took two big gulps before stretching lazily.
"Not having to work, lying around at home, with good food and drink—this is the life."
Is there still hope for you?
Takashi had pretty much given up on Tsunade. Getting her to change her habits would be harder than moving a mountain.
Whatever, let her be.
Takashi had pushed for Jiraiya to be Nawaki's teacher not because he had anything against Orochimaru.
Actually, Orochimaru had been good to Nawaki and would have made an excellent teacher. But Takashi wanted Nawaki to avoid the fate of being blown up by an explosive tag.
Throwing Nawaki to Jiraiya might just let him and little blondie become fellow disciples.
After eating and drinking their fill, Tsunade headed back to her room for an afternoon nap.