"What are you even talking about?" Shinki asked with a sigh, patting Torifu on the shoulder.
"First, you're praising someone for their 'potential' to be Hokage. Next, it's 'You should be Hokage.' Let me give you some advice—never, ever say that to Tsunade. If things go sideways, I'll make sure you're the one taking the blame."
"If you can't handle it, rope in your son. If he can't manage, drag in the Ino-Shika-Cho trio," Shinki quipped.
While most might see it as a compliment, Tsunade wouldn't. She still harbored strong opinions about the Hokage selection process. If she heard such words, she'd likely throw the responsibility right back at you, smiling sweetly as she did so.
"Fine, you want me to be Hokage? Here you go! It's all yours."
What if you refuse?
"Too bad. Figure it out yourself."
No one should doubt this. If Tsunade was pushed to her limits, she could absolutely pull something like this.
"… Is it really that extreme?" Torifu asked skeptically. "Little Tsunade isn't that unreliable. She wouldn't toss away the Hokage title like it's nothing."
Shinki rolled his eyes. "Keep thinking that if it helps you sleep better. Anyway, let's stop imagining Tsunade's potential antics. Aren't you supposed to be treating me to something new you've cooked up?"
Torifu grinned mischievously. "You'll see. You're going to love it."
Five minutes later, Shinki stormed out of Torifu's kitchen, his face contorted in frustration. "What is wrong with you, you old man?! Meatballs? Sweet meatballs?! Who thought that was a good idea?!"
He had expected barbecue—a specialty of the Akimichi clan, perfected with their secret sauce. Instead, Torifu had presented overly sweet meatballs. After just one bite, Shinki felt his stomach churn as though he'd swallowed a ball of pure sugar.
Torifu, on the other hand, was happily popping one meatball after another into his mouth, smiling like a kid with candy.
"Sweet? You call this sweet? It's perfect!" Torifu argued.
Shinki gagged. "Perfect? You mean perfectly awful!"
Back at home, Shinki found the table already set. Kushina, Nawaki, and the little yellow-haired boy hadn't started eating yet.
"Didn't the fat senior treat you to something delicious?" Kushina asked curiously, still looking a bit tired from training.
"Fat senior?" Shinki repeated, raising an eyebrow at the nickname. "If by 'delicious' you mean meatballs so sweet they could knock you out, then sure. Next time, I'll let you take my place."
He picked up his chopsticks and began eating to erase the lingering sweetness from his palate.
The little yellow-haired boy emerged from the kitchen carrying the final dish, his hands quick and confident. He had a knack for cooking, honed from helping Shinki during meal preparations.
"Teacher," the boy greeted politely.
"Don't be so formal," Shinki replied, waving him off. "Eat up—you look like you need it."
The three young shinobi were visibly exhausted, covered in dirt and dust from training. Nawaki and the yellow-haired boy even had footprints on their clothing, evidence of sparring practice. Shinki didn't bother asking about the results of their training—judging by their disheveled appearances, they had worked hard.
The three wolfed down their food, clearly famished. Shinki ate more leisurely, still recovering from the traumatic sweetness of Torifu's meatballs.
After dinner, Kushina excused herself first. "I'm going to wash up," she said, rushing off. Judging by her weariness, she feared falling asleep before she finished.
The yellow-haired boy followed shortly after. "Teacher, I'll head back now," he said politely.
That left Nawaki to handle the cleanup. He stared at the table full of dishes, groaning as he rubbed his sore shoulders.
"Don't look so pitiful," Shinki said, ruffling Nawaki's hair. "Finish up quickly so you can get some rest."
"Really?" Nawaki asked, his eyes lighting up.
"Yes," Shinki replied, amused by Nawaki's reaction. "Also, your teacher will be back soon—tomorrow or the day after."
Nawaki's brief moment of excitement vanished. "Oh… Jiraiya," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.
Shinki chuckled. Jiraiya's return wasn't exactly Nawaki's favorite news. Resolving that tension was going to require some effort.
Later, as Kushina emerged from the bathroom, Shinki casually asked, "So, how was training today? Did the Nine-Tails behave, or was it hiding something? You should stay vigilant—it's far more cunning than most realize. Tailed beasts have lived for ages; they're old monsters, after all."
Before Kushina could respond, a furious growl echoed in her mind.
"BASTARD! How dare you call me an old monster! Humans are the true treacherous ones!" the Nine-Tailed Fox roared within the sealed space.
It was rare for the Nine-Tails to lose its temper so completely, but Shinki's casual remarks had struck a nerve.
Kushina rolled her eyes. "The big fox isn't hiding anything, okay? And for the record, it's not as devious as you think!"
Shinki smirked, his teasing tone unwavering. "Sure, sure. Just remember the One-Tail from the Sand Village—always scheming to trick its Jinchūriki into releasing it. If a weak tailed beast like that can be so cunning, imagine what the Nine-Tails is capable of."
The mention of Shukaku, the One-Tail, hit a sore spot for the Nine-Tails. Despite its anger, it couldn't help feeling a sense of superiority. At least it wasn't as pathetic as Shukaku.
"Hmph, you have some sense, at least," the Nine-Tails grumbled, its pride slightly mollified.
Shinki leaned against the doorframe, watching Kushina as he continued, "Just keep in mind that tailed beasts are clever in their own way. Don't let your guard down."
Kushina, now accustomed to Shinki's teasing, simply sighed. Despite his mocking tone, his words seemed to have a strange effect: fostering a grudging rapport between her and the Nine-Tails. Whether the beast realized it or not, the relationship was improving with each passing day.
>>>>>
200 Chapters ahead available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
50% discount code (DDBFC)
Gimme power stonesssss
Also, leave a review please and check out my new story
[Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki]
A/N: Hey Guys,
I was going over the discount code and saw that it wasn't toggled on for all the tiers. I fixed it now, sorry about that. ;)