Chapter 98: The Heart of Gossip
Yakiniku Q was bustling with noise, and the sizzling sound of oil dripping onto the hot grill mixed with the aroma of roasted meat, permeating the air.
Kakashi and Karin were seated by the window, where the night outside was already deep.
The grill on the table was steaming. Karin elegantly used long chopsticks to flip the meat slices with practiced ease.
She picked up a perfectly grilled slice of pork belly, slightly charred at the edges, and gently placed it onto Kakashi's plate, which was nearly untouched.
The plate was already piled high with grilled meat.
Kakashi's attention was clearly not on the food.
He was slumped back in his chair, holding the book—which was covered with the ninja handbook jacket—in one hand, listlessly holding it in front of his eyes, while his other hand rested on the table, fingers tapping unconsciously.
His forehead protector was still worn askew, covering his left eye, while his exposed right eye seemed intently focused on the pages.
Karin's grilled meat seemed to land merely as background decoration on the plate.
"Where do you plan on having me stay tonight?"
Karin put down her chopsticks, folded her hands on her lap, and looked at Kakashi with a gentle smile.
Kakashi's gaze finally lifted for a moment from the book wrapped in the "ninja handbook" cover, and he glanced at Karin listlessly.
"If the Interrogation Team or the Analysis Team requests you..."
He paused deliberately, seemingly observing Karin's reaction, but her smile remained unchanged.
"Then you will go with them."
He returned his attention to the pages.
"If they don't request you... then come to my house. Monitoring you is my mission."
He enunciated the word "mission" clearly, as if deliberately drawing a line between them.
After speaking, he seemed to conclude the topic, sinking his thoughts entirely back into the book. He even irritably rubbed the silver hair at the back of his head with the book's spine, muttering internally.
'How annoying. That Comical Author of Lanling only released one extra chapter after Volume Six of the romantic ninjutsu tales of shimura. When is Volume Seven finally going to come out?!'
Karin acted as if she hadn't heard his latter half, nor did she seem bothered by his attitude. Instead, the smile on her face deepened, as if she had received some kind of permission. "In that case, I shall impose upon you."
"Don't be in such a hurry."
Kakashi didn't lift his head, his tone carrying a slight detachment and indifference.
"What if the Analysis Team or the Interrogation Team decides to take you away?"
The moment he finished speaking, his peripheral vision seemed to catch sight of two figures entering through the door.
He slightly raised his eyes, glancing over the top edge of the romantic ninjutsu tales of shimura toward the entrance of Yakiniku Q.
This sight immediately sharpened his lazy gaze, injecting a hint of confusion.
He saw Inoichi Yamanaka, the leader of the Intelligence Analysis Squad, pulling Uzumaki Naruto inside.
Inoichi's brow was slightly furrowed, seemingly pondering something serious, while Naruto looked utterly bewildered, clearly having been dragged along at the last minute.
'It's this late? Why is Inoichi-senpai with Naruto?'
Kakashi's single eye narrowed; he felt something unusual was happening.
After entering Yakiniku Q, Inoichi Yamanaka immediately spotted Kakashi and Karin, as well as Guy and Asuma, who were sharing a table with their subordinates.
'What is going on here?'
Inoichi felt the same question arise in his heart.
Former Anbu, a spy, the Taijutsu Fanatic Squad, and the Jonin Class... the composition of the people gathered in this barbecue restaurant was a little too complex.
However, Karin was still a spy that the Analysis Team needed to focus on.
With hardly any hesitation, Inoichi pulled Naruto and quietly walked toward an empty table slightly closer to Kakashi and Guy's group.
"Over here, Naruto."
As soon as the two sat down, a waiter came over with a menu.
Inoichi quickly ordered some grilled meat and side dishes, and specifically requested a large glass of juice for Naruto, before turning his gaze back to Naruto sitting across from him.
His expression returned to its usual composure, but his eyes held scrutiny and consideration.
"Naruto."
Inoichi lowered his voice, making sure the neighboring tables couldn't hear clearly.
"For the next couple of days... you will temporarily stay with me."
He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully.
"As for Hanabi and Hinata... let them stay at my house. It's ultimately inconvenient for a boy like you to have two young girls living in your home."
"Alright."
Naruto didn't object to this arrangement.
It was already inconvenient for the sisters to stay with him; his small apartment was too cramped. Even if he slept on the sofa, the two sisters would have to squeeze onto one bed.
It was just a pity that he was already full when Inoichi said he wanted to treat him to barbecue.
He probably wouldn't be able to eat much later.
Just then, Choji stuffed a slice of thick-cut beef tongue, grilled golden brown, crispy, and sizzling with oil, into his mouth, chewing contentedly.
He noticed Inoichi pulling Naruto to sit at a nearby empty table.
He gently nudged Shikamaru, who was lazily picking at the grilled meat beside him, and mumbled quietly, "Hey, Shikamaru... look over there..."
He nodded his oily chin toward Inoichi's table.
"Didn't Ino excitedly say she was going to find Naruto this afternoon, and that they were going to eat dinner together?
So why is Uncle Inoichi the one out with Naruto now? Where is Ino?"
"I have no idea."
Shikamaru shook his head.
Who knows why this is happening? It couldn't possibly be that Ino wanted to stay at Naruto's house tonight and was stopped by her protective father, and now Inoichi dragged Naruto out for a heart-to-heart talk, could it?
The atmosphere seems pretty good; it doesn't look like anything went wrong.
Thinking about it, that's impossible. If that were the case, Inoichi wouldn't have dragged Naruto out to eat barbecue.
"Looks like there's more drama to watch."
Asuma smiled and picked up a slice of grilled meat.
As Ino's supervising Jonin, he naturally knew about Ino's feelings for Naruto, and now Naruto had been called out late at night by Inoichi.
Truly enjoyable.
Today, he gets to enjoy two slices of gossip, eating barbecue while savoring the drama.
Across from Asuma, Might Guy wore a conflicted expression.
He had also heard things about Naruto.
Being called out this late by the father of a girl who likes him—could it be that Inoichi-senpai doesn't want Naruto and Ino together and is preparing to break up the couple?
"Hmm..."
Kakashi had almost finished his gossip, and Naruto and Inoichi-senpai arrived at the perfect time.
Wait, Naruto is my student... But, I really want to know what happened!
Guy's heart of gossip and his protective feelings for his student were warring.
After thinking for a moment, Guy flashed a youthful smile.
He must have faith in Naruto!
Inoichi-senpai is not a difficult person to deal with either.
Karin shifted her position, leaning slightly toward Kakashi, her shoulder almost touching his arm, instantly closing the distance to the point where she could feel his body heat.
Kakashi caught a whiff of a faint, subtle fragrance.
The woman slightly turned her head and asked in a soft voice audible only to the two of them:
"That's the Ninja who interrogated me before, right! Is that blond-haired child his son?"
"No."
Kakashi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a decisive coldness that instantly cut off Karin's attempt to extend the conversation.
"Then who are they?"
"That is none of your business, and I won't tell you."
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