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"Uh... never mind."
Jiraiya scratched his messy hair awkwardly under Tsunade's disdainful gaze. With an embarrassed chuckle, he quickly made his escape.
"Well then, Kazuki, I'm leaving Naruto in your hands. If the kid misbehaves, just deal with him as you see fit. I'm outta here! Take care of him for me!!!"
His voice still lingered in the Hokage's office, but he had already vanished.
Grandpa Jiraiya… just ran away?
And left me with this guy?!
Naruto could hardly believe his ears.
Had he just been abandoned?
What are you looking at me for? You got me into this mess!!
When Naruto glanced at him, Shikamaru puffed his cheeks in annoyance.
He decided he wouldn't hang out with Naruto for a while.
This idiot dragged me down with him. "I'm a bigmouth" a hundred thousand times—how the hell am I supposed to finish this?!
Oww, that hurts!!
Shikamaru had never imagined the day would come when his father would storm into the academy, drag him home, and give him a thorough beating.
Usually, it was his mom who did the spanking. Today, the roles were reversed.
But considering how brutal his mother's punishments could be, Shikamaru figured getting beaten by his dad wasn't so bad.
At least his mom didn't have to step in.
He knew which was worse.
"Kazuki, keep an eye on Shikamaru for me…"
After wrapping up his business, Shikaku also prepared to leave.
But his son was still in the Hokage's office—he couldn't just take him back!
Might as well dump him on Kazuki too. After all, Kazuki was already supervising Naruto.
"Go ahead, go ahead. Oh, and do me a favor—notify the barbecue place to deliver some ingredients and tools. I'm treating the Hokage to some grilled meat."
Kazuki waved dismissively.
Watching one kid or two made no difference. Might as well let these two troublemakers learn why chili oil burns the tongue.
"Now that's an idea."
Tsunade hadn't had barbecue in a while. Just hearing the word made her mouth water uncontrollably. She quickly called after Shikaku.
"And bring some booze while you're at it!"
Shikaku: "..."
I strongly suspect you two just want to torture these brats by eating barbecue in front of them, but I have no proof.
"Understood."
He shot his son and Naruto a sympathetic look before swiftly exiting, leaving a devastated Shikamaru behind, gnashing his teeth on the pen.
Father… you just abandoned me like that?
The barbecue supplies arrived quickly. Though delivering them was a hassle, Kazuki's generous payment smoothed things over.
Besides, this was the Hokage's office. Who would dare question the Hokage's barbecue cravings?
Consider it done!
"Mmm~~ Not bad, not bad."
Tsunade ate with relish, offering her compliments between bites.
Shizune, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, nodded vigorously in agreement.
Thanks to their debt, she and Tsunade had been living frugally. As for the meals provided at the Hokage's office… well, best not to mention those.
It had been so long since they'd had barbecue—they were practically drooling.
Sniff… Kazuki is the best. He always finds a way to treat us.
Shizune was moved to tears.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Shikamaru were on the verge of crying.
The two boys were practically drowning in their own saliva but didn't dare turn around to look.
They could only sniffle repeatedly, trying to soothe their growling stomachs.
Dammit! My lunchbox is still at school… I'm so hungry!
Shikamaru wailed internally.
This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess!
Unable to contain his frustration, he glared at Naruto again.
Guilty and ashamed, Naruto could only lower his head further, avoiding Shikamaru's gaze.
He just wanted to finish writing "I was wrong" a hundred thousand times, get out of here, and stay far, far away from the demon known as Uchiha Kazuki!
And at school, he'd avoid Hyūga Hinata—the Uchiha elder's wife—too!
If I can't win, I'll just stay out of the way!
Naruto wasn't afraid of scoldings or beatings, but Kazuki's punishments were downright terrifying.
A hundred thousand "I was wrongs" might actually kill me.
Wait… Shikamaru's punishment was "I'm a bigmouth" a hundred thousand times…
Doesn't that mean he has to write more characters?
Like… 200,000 more?!
Naruto counted on his fingers and suddenly perked up.
When you're at your lowest, don't despair.
Just remember—someone out there has it worse.
That was Naruto's mindset right now. Realizing Shikamaru's punishment was even more brutal, he couldn't help but grin.
What the hell are you smiling about?
We're being punished, and you're laughing?!
Shikamaru was baffled—until his eyes landed on their respective scrolls.
Then it hit him.
OH, COME ON!!!
"I was wrong" is three characters.
"I'm a bigmouth" is five!
That means I have to write nearly twice as much as him!!!
The realization made Shikamaru want to vomit blood.
AAAAAAAAAH!!!!
I'M LOSING IT!!!
All I did was say one stupid thing! Was this cruel punishment really necessary?!
Shikamaru's sanity was in shambles.
He swore he'd never speak out of turn again—and never, ever engage in stupid banter with Naruto!
That guy is nothing but trouble.
Meanwhile, Tsunade happily munched on barbecue and sipped sake, her cheeks flushed but her grip on the bottle unwavering. Today, even Shizune didn't nag her to drink less.
"Oh, right. Since I've decided to appoint you as Hokage Advisor. The official order and seal are on the desk—don't forget to take them when you leave." (T/N: I thought he already given this position? can someone remind me!)
If not for potential backlash, Tsunade would've forced Kazuki into the position long ago.
Now, with proper justification, even the Third Hokage couldn't object.
"I wonder if the other villages have made their moves yet. I'd love to see them clash with the Akatsuki."
"Instead of waiting for that, you should start preparing for war."
Kazuki set down his chopsticks after finishing a slice of meat and dropped the bombshell casually.
"What? War?"
Tsunade's drunken haze faded slightly.
"A war against the Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain Village."
Having eaten his fill, Kazuki elaborated.
"Of the five great villages, Suna and Kiri will likely stay silent if they suffer losses against the Akatsuki. If they can't retaliate directly, they'll swallow their pride—given their current situations and the personalities of Rasa and Yagura."
"But Iwa and Kumo are different. If they lose enough people, if Ōnoki and A feel provoked, if their villages suffer heavy losses… They'll solve the problem with war.
They might even rally the other villages. A five-nation assault on Amegakure isn't out of the question."
"So you'd better brace yourself."
The Fourth Raikage, A, had a short fuse and refused to tolerate losses. Ōnoki, though less explosive, was just as stubborn.
If their elite squads returned from Amegakure empty-handed, their pride would demand retribution.
War would be inevitable.
That was the privilege of the great villages—and the tragedy of the smaller ones.
*****
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