“A little chili oil.”
“A little mustard.”
“Hmm…
a little more chili oil.”
At dusk, Kaito prepared the soup base for the Malatang, lit the fire to bring it to a boil, scooped up a little broth with a spoon, and took a tiny sip.
“Hiss…” The spice made him stick his tongue out, and his hand trembled, spilling the broth back into the pot.
If the portion he delivered to Azuki at noon was normally spicy, this one was insanely spicy.
Perfect.
He would give Azuki a heavy dose and make her cry from the heat!
*Let’s see if you still like spicy food after this!*
He added the ingredients in order, cooked them, and transferred the food into a thermal lunchbox.
Kaito picked it up along with a mildly spicy portion he had made earlier.
“Uncle Takumi, Aunt Shu, I’m eating dinner with her tonight, so don’t wait up for me.”
Uncle Takumi and Aunt Shu panicked a little.
Little Kaito’s feelings for that five-year-old girl…
ran deep.
…
Going to Azuki’s house for the second time, he knew the way well.
The courtyard gate was open.
Kaito peeked inside and faintly heard several people talking from a central room.
He hesitated for a moment, decided not to interrupt, and walked straight to Azuki’s room, knocking gently twice.
“Azuki, I’m here.”
He waited for five or six seconds with no response.
Just as Kaito was about to knock on her uncle’s door to ask if she was home, Azuki’s door slowly opened.
It was already six o’clock, and the sky was growing dim.
There were no lights on in Azuki’s room, making it quite dark.
Her face was also gloomy.
“Were you…
sleeping?
What time is it?
Have you eaten dinner?” Kaito asked in surprise.
Azuki shook her head.
“Come in.
Why did you bring two portions?
I…
don’t have much of an appetite.”
“You ate too much at noon, didn’t you?
I figured.
The other portion is mine.
I haven’t had dinner yet, so let’s eat together.
These two aren’t as big as the one from noon.”
“Oh,” Azuki replied.
She took the lunchbox Kaito handed her, walked to her desk, and sat down.
Kaito frowned, sensing that the atmosphere was a bit off.
Was Azuki still half-asleep?
She spoke weakly and didn’t even turn on the lights.
He looked around.
“Where should I sit?”
*Slurp!*
Hearing the sound, Kaito turned his head in astonishment.
Azuki had already opened the lunchbox and started eating.
Didn’t she say she wasn’t hungry?
Why was she eating so eagerly?
“Slow down, this one is much spicier than the one at noon.
Also, make some room for me…”
*Plop.*
The sound of a water droplet falling.
Kaito paused and looked toward the sound.
*Plop.
Plop.* Bean-sized tears fell into the lunchbox containing the Malatang.
Azuki seemed oblivious, continuing to eat in large gulps.
*Is she…
really crying from the spice?*
“Azuki…
what’s wrong?”
Azuki turned her head, her face covered in tears, and choked out, “You jerk!
Are you trying to spice me to death?!”
“I…
what happened?”
This didn’t look like a reaction to spicy food.
Kaito refused to take the blame.
Recalling the scene he witnessed when leaving at noon, and connecting it to Azuki’s behavior, he had a few guesses.
Azuki didn’t answer him.
A knock came from the door, and then Azuki’s room door was pushed open.
Three people stood outside: a middle-aged man around forty, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, and finally, Azuki’s uncle, whom Kaito had met before.
At this moment, Azuki’s uncle looked even worse than he had at noon.
He glanced at Kaito and forced a smile.
“You’re here.
When did you arrive?
It’s getting late, you should head home first.
Tomorrow…
invite a few more classmates to come play with Azuki.”
“Whose child is this?” the middle-aged man interjected.
“Hello, sir.
I’m Kaito, a third-year student at the Ninja Academy, and Azuki’s friend.” Kaito put on his usual honest-kid smile.
“And you are?”
“He’s my eldest uncle,” Azuki wiped the tears from her face and answered first.
“Eldest Uncle, Uncle, are you…
done discussing?”
Her eldest uncle opened his mouth to speak but glanced at Kaito again.
“Kaito, was it?
Go home first.”
The atmosphere was completely wrong.
Kaito hesitated and tilted his head to look at Azuki.
“Then…
I’ll head home first?
Remember to eat the Malatang while it’s hot.”
Azuki bit her lip lightly and nodded.
“Goodbye, uncles.”
Kaito walked away briskly, slipping through the gap between the three people at the door.
His shoulder even bumped into the thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.
Both of them swayed slightly, and the boy’s expression instantly turned quite colorful.
Leaving the Mitarai clan’s courtyard, Kaito frowned and smoothed his hair.
*What was the meaning of bumping into me on purpose?
I’ve never seen that guy before.
He looks like the eldest uncle’s son, but where does his hostility toward me come from?
Do I look like someone who would just take that kind of disrespect?*
He stood in place and thought for a moment.
*I think I forgot to grab my dinner.
I need to go back and get it.*
Inside the courtyard.
Azuki’s eldest uncle spoke slowly, “Azuki, Yotsuba unfortunately sacrificed his life during a mission.
I know you’re very sad right now, and I am too.
But you are a child of our Mitarai clan.
You need to pull yourself together soon.
Don’t end up like that child from the Hatake clan!
“You’re still young and can’t be left without someone to look after you.
Move in with your third uncle; he and your aunt will take care of you.
“Also, with Yotsuba’s sacrifice, the Mitarai clan cannot be without a clan head.
After our discussion…”
“According to the clan rules, I should be the clan head now, shouldn’t I, Eldest Uncle?” Azuki interrupted.
“You are only five years old, after all.”
“I understand,” Azuki nodded, pursing her lips.
*What a melodramatic story.* Kaito happened to walk back and happened to overhear it.
It was just that coincidental.
Hearing his footsteps, Azuki’s eldest uncle frowned and turned around.
Kaito once again put on his honest-kid smile.
“Sorry, I forgot to grab my things.”
He quickly walked into Azuki’s room, picked up his dinner, and turned to leave, adding, “Azuki, I’ll come pick up your lunchbox tomorrow.
Do you want me to bring Malatang again tomorrow noon?”
“Um…
okay.”
The sudden interruption completely ruined the mood.
Azuki nodded blankly, while her eldest uncle instinctively wanted to stop Kaito but couldn’t think of a reason why.
He watched helplessly as Kaito smoothly slipped past them and quickly disappeared into the night.
“That kid…
was he eavesdropping on our conversation just now?” he asked blankly.
A flash of helplessness crossed Azuki’s uncle’s eyes.
If it weren’t for the fact that a five-year-old girl serving as the clan head was too absurd, if it weren’t for the fact that his eldest brother was the only Special Jonin left in the clan, and if it weren’t for the fact that his eldest nephew had successfully promoted to Chunin at the age of 14 in this April’s Chunin Exams…
He definitely wouldn’t have agreed to let his eldest brother, with whom he and his second brother had a strained relationship, become the clan head.
“He probably wasn’t eavesdropping.
That kid…”
“Azuki!” Suddenly, Kaito’s shout from dozens of meters away interrupted Azuki’s uncle’s words.
He turned his head in astonishment.
He saw Kaito clinging to the courtyard gate, poking his head out, and shouting, “Azuki, don’t be sad!
There are no hurdles in life that you can’t overcome.
Don’t let messy people and messy things ruin your mood!
I won’t bring you Malatang tomorrow.
You shouldn’t eat spicy food right now, eat some sweets instead.
The taste of sweets brings happiness.
If you don’t believe me, try it.
I never lie!”
Azuki was stunned for two seconds before the tears she had been fighting hard to hold back burst forth.
This was her most vulnerable moment, the time she was trying her hardest to be strong.
With Kaito causing such a scene, she could no longer control the emotions in her heart.
“Waaah—I’ll try it!
You jerk!
If you’re lying to me, I’ll, I’ll…” Azuki stuttered for a long time but couldn’t finish the sentence, leaving only sobs.
‘Azuki Correction Rate 2%’
‘Azuki Correction Rate 3%’
…
Through the barrage of system messages, Kaito saw the dark expression on Azuki’s eldest uncle’s face, as well as the teenage boy posturing to rush over and teach him a lesson.
He turned around and bolted.
However, just as he took a single step, his head crashed into someone’s chest.
It felt like hitting a solid wall, and Kaito fell to the ground with a thud.
His expression instantly changed.
*No way?
Is Azuki’s eldest uncle’s Body Flicker Jutsu this fast?
Could he be an Elite Jonin?
He doesn’t look like one, with that clumsy, foolish appearance…*
*I’m screwed.
I pushed it too far.
I’m going to get beaten up.*
He hastily squeezed out his usual honest-kid smile, looked up, and his smile instantly froze.
“Do sweets bring happiness?”
A hoarse voice reached his ears.
This voice was highly recognizable, giving Kaito goosebumps all over his body!
Before transmigrating, he had greatly admired certain voice actors in Naruto.
Many characters’ voices were designed to be incredibly evocative and distinct the moment you heard them.
For example, the highly unique Kisame Hoshigaki.
Or, for instance…
Orochimaru!