"Who are you, old man?"
Naruto, holding up a skewer of grilled meat, looked displeased as he glared at Asuma.
"Yeah, yeah, we're eating here, so what does it matter to you, old man?"
"Wooof!"
Kiba, just like Naruto, wasn't willing to back down.
Moreover, there were so many people on their side, while the other side had only three people. Clearly, they had the advantage in numbers!
"Old man???"
Asuma's forehead twitched with an exasperated vein.
He was only twenty-five years old, for heaven's sake!
Even if he looked a bit older, calling him 'old man' was a bit much!
"Huh?"
"Senior Kakashi?"
Sakura immediately noticed the one-eyed Kakashi, who was sitting across from them with his dead fish-eye gaze.
Oh, they knew him... this would be easier to handle...
Asuma's anxiety eased a little, and he relaxed.
"Ha ha ha, Sakura, I didn't expect to run into you here..." Kakashi said with a dry laugh, scratching his head.
Kakashi, if possible, would prefer to keep his distance from the pink-haired girl. He always felt like associating with her would lead to troublesome situations.
"Naruto, apologize! Seriously, can't you just sit still and eat for once?"
Sakura's gaze shifted to the blonde boy.
"Fine, fine, since you insist. I'm sorry," Naruto mumbled, looking at Sakura before reluctantly apologizing to Asuma.
But the apology felt half-hearted and insincere.
"It's alright, it's alright, you're just kids," Asuma said, smiling. "But remember, I'm only twenty-five, not an old man. Call me 'big brother!'"
Asuma rubbed Kiba's head, who was closest to him.
"Huh?"
"You don't look it at all," Ino said, surprised.
"Yeah, you don't look it at all. But that lady over there looks like she's only in her twenties," Choji mumbled while chewing.
His words immediately caused Kurenai Yuhi to smile slightly. She was of the same age as Kakashi and Asuma, and what woman didn't like hearing praise about how young she looked?
This little fatty was so honest.
"Asuma, how old are you? Still arguing with a bunch of kids," Kurenai finally spoke up.
Asuma glanced at her with a conflicted expression, then turned to the young ones and said in a calm tone:
"... If you call me 'big brother,' I'll cover the bill for you."
Kurenai shot him a disapproving look. How could he teach the kids to lie?
But Sakura and the others glanced at each other, and their brains all seemed to work in sync. They then shouted together:
"Onī-chan!" (Big brother!)
Asuma's heart soared as the kids' call of "big brother" made him beam with joy, wrinkles forming around his eyes.
This was the future of Konoha. This was what he wanted to protect.
Asuma felt like his heart was melting in that moment.
However, Kiba, excited, swung open the door to the room and yelled, "Waiter!"
"Bring us fifty more plates of grilled meat!"
"The big brother over there is paying!"
After Asuma emptied his wallet, he cast a hopeful glance at Kakashi, who sighed in response. With a look of pity, Kakashi pulled out a few bills from his wallet to cover the remaining amount.
"These kids really can eat..."
Asuma sighed as he and Kakashi left the grill, while Kurenai had to leave early due to other business.
Now it was just the two of them.
The sun was gradually setting.
Asuma took a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips. He flicked his lighter, and the flame sparked to life.
He inhaled deeply, watching the dimming streets, and then exhaled a cloud of light blue smoke. The nicotine's calming effect made his mood improve a little.
"The pink-haired girl from earlier..."
Suddenly, Kakashi spoke.
"Huh? What about her?"
Asuma recalled the kids, and there had indeed been a quiet, pink-haired girl among them.
"The changes in the country over the past two years... it's mostly been driven by that child," Kakashi said, making Asuma freeze in place.
That child... Wasn't she only about ten years old?
Kakashi glanced at Asuma before continuing:
"She's already a Chūnin."
A ten-year-old Chūnin?
Asuma smirked slightly.
"I see... a genius, huh?"
"Technically, she's a hardworking genius," Kakashi corrected Asuma.
Although he didn't want to get too involved with Sakura, he couldn't deny her efforts. In the past two years, Kakashi had often had to be her bodyguard, especially dealing with corrupt merchants who tried to profit from rising grain prices. He had witnessed Sakura's progress firsthand.
Sometimes, Kakashi even sparred with her during training.
"Interesting..." Asuma took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled deeply. "It seems like that kid is the center of the group of kids today..."
Kakashi didn't answer right away, just stared thoughtfully at the fading light in the distance. No one knew what he was thinking.
"Mom, I'm home!"
Sakura, after saying goodbye to Naruto and Ino, came back home and immediately kicked off her shoes, as usual, shouting to her mother.
"Put your shoes away!"
Sakura noticed her shoes were all over the place, so she picked them up and placed them neatly in the shoe rack.
"I ate outside, no need to cook for me tonight."
Sakura's words made her mother, Haruno Meiko, raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I already made dinner for you."
Haruno Meiko, wearing an apron, appeared in front of Sakura holding a spatula.
"Well, you can keep it for later. I'll have it as a late-night snack."
Sakura shrugged nonchalantly and dashed back to her room.
"This child..." Haruno Meiko sighed, glancing at her daughter.
Was this the rebellious phase?
She used to be so cute when she was younger...
In her room, Sakura lit a lamp and pulled out a medical ninjutsu scroll from her drawer.
Now, aside from the Yin Seal and the knowledge of the [Great Ninja War], Sakura had almost absorbed all the medical techniques.
Once she grew older, around twelve, and had enough chakra, she would be able to fully master all the medical ninjutsu she had learned. And she would be even stronger than the original Sakura.
She also had training from Monkey King Enma and Sarutobi Hiruzen, making her a more versatile ninja.
However, as she took out the medical scroll, a yellowed ramen coupon caught her attention from the drawer.
It was the first gift Naruto had ever given her, four years ago.