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.
Kushina was out shopping with her two friends, leaving Nawaki bored and without plans. He decided to hang out with Minato Namikaze. The two sat on the ground, whispering for a while before they sneaked away together.
Watching the two boys scurrying off like thieves, Takashi could only hope that Nawaki wasn't taking the blonde kid anywhere strange or buying any weird books.
No money on Nawaki?
Oh, well then, nothing to worry about!
After all, Minato was also broke, and he wasn't Nawaki—there was no way he'd spend his pocket money on erotic novels.
So, with that settled, Takashi let them be.
Not long after the group of troublemakers dispersed, a special guest arrived at the house.
"Takashi-kun, long time no see."
Seeing Orochimaru with a smile on his face, Takashi stepped aside to let him in. "It's been a while since I've seen you. I thought maybe you'd changed your mind."
"Do you think I would?"
Just thinking about the prospect of dismantling the puppets for research made Orochimaru's heart race with excitement—he wasn't about to miss out on such a fascinating study. The reason he hadn't appeared for so long was simply because he had been working hard to make money.
Now that his wallet was full, Orochimaru naturally had to pay a visit.
He pulled out a scroll and placed it on the table, his smile vanishing as he spoke seriously, "Takashi, ten million ryo. I need three puppets."
Classic Orochimaru.
Hearing the price, Takashi almost wanted to give Orochimaru a thumbs up—what generosity!
But he still shook his head. "No, I can only give you two."
"Three," Orochimaru insisted. Earning money was no easy task, and he didn't want to suffer any losses. Besides, he'd already waived a considerable debt for Takashi. Paying ten million for just two puppets was daylight robbery.
If the puppets weren't so fascinating to him, Orochimaru would never be willing to spend that much.
"Two," Takashi reiterated.
"Three!"
"Two!"
The two haggled back and forth until Orochimaru showed no signs of budging. Takashi eventually nodded in agreement.
"Alright, three then. But let me make it clear, whether you're researching or just playing around, if you break them, don't come running to me."
No returns allowed.
"If I break them, I'll just buy more," Orochimaru replied dismissively. He had figured it out—Takashi was after money right now. If money could solve the problem, then there was no need to worry. If they got damaged, he'd simply buy replacements.
Over the past half year, he'd made quite a bit of money, and with future profits from his other ventures, as well as mission rewards and new projects, money wouldn't be an issue.
In the future, it could be said that as long as the Sannin were willing to work hard, none of them would lack money.
On the surface, Jiraiya seemed to be the wealthiest. His novels were highly popular, and he earned the most income from them. On top of that, he completed more missions than Tsunade or Orochimaru.
But that didn't mean Orochimaru and Tsunade couldn't make as much.
If Orochimaru stopped his strange and extravagant research and experiments and simply focused on missions and research that paid well, his income would surpass Jiraiya's.
As for Tsunade, she just needed to announce her services, and people from all over the Fire Country—even beyond—would eagerly line up to pay for her medical expertise. Don't underestimate the money-making potential of a talented medical ninja—with skill and a bit of a ruthless streak, money would roll in quickly.
"Choose three, then," Takashi said, tossing a scroll towards Orochimaru, gesturing for him to pick.
Takashi's puppets came in three varieties: reconnaissance puppets, expendable puppets, and combat puppets.
Combat puppets were the most powerful and the most numerous, made from high-quality materials. There were fewer reconnaissance and expendable puppets—the latter being crafted from leftover scraps and thus of lesser value.
Orochimaru opened the scroll, glancing at the various puppets within, his smile turning a bit peculiar.
"Interesting. As expected, Takashi-kun is a fascinating person."
As long as you're happy. Pick three, and only three.
Takashi held up three fingers, signaling Orochimaru to hurry up and pick, not wanting to waste time.
A wolf, a small boar, and a crow—except for the crow, the wolf and boar appeared to be made from creatures Orochimaru had personally hunted.
Now, as puppets, they were being sold back to him at an exorbitant price.
When the three puppets emerged from the scroll, they immediately stood beside Takashi.
"Can I control them?" Orochimaru asked curiously.
"Sorry, no. Only I can control these puppets. But don't worry—they won't attack you and will even cooperate in your research. They won't resist, even if you dismantle them."
Since it was a sale, Takashi wanted to make sure the customer was satisfied. He was also upfront with Orochimaru: only he could control the puppets, so there was no point trying anything sneaky.
Of course, if Orochimaru managed to crack their secrets, Takashi would admit defeat.
Orochimaru smiled confidently and left with his new puppets, eager to start his research.
As for Takashi's claim that only he could control them, Orochimaru wasn't fully convinced. He had confidence in his own abilities to unlock their secrets.
Puppets with a semblance of life—researching these would be extremely exciting.
Watching Orochimaru rush off, full of confidence, Takashi could only hope he wouldn't get too obsessed and drive himself into a corner.
Obsession was one thing, but what if Orochimaru started down a darker path? That would be bad.
But with Danzo Shimura still locked in the Anbu prison, unable to interfere for the time being, there was a good chance Orochimaru wouldn't be lured into darkness.
Without Danzo's shady support, conducting human experiments in the village wouldn't be so simple.
"Senpai."
Seeing Takashi get up, Minato immediately stood and greeted him.
After their last group dinner, Minato and Nawaki had grown closer. They now spent a lot of time whispering, training, and working hard together.
Takashi wasn't sure if Nawaki had turned over a new leaf or was just trying to save face, but he seemed to be sticking close to Minato.
"No need for formalities. Come by often. Nawaki is fine, but Kushina doesn't have many friends and gets lonely."
"Yes, sir."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly, this habit of his was exactly like Jiraiya's—whenever Jiraiya felt awkward or embarrassed, he'd scratch his head. He also did it when he was lying.
By the time Takashi finished freshening up and stepped outside, he heard Nawaki shouting loudly in the courtyard.
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