Read advance chapters of all my works or want to support .
s/p.a.t.r.e.on/Adamo_At
Join us on discord:
sdi..scord.gg/h3kDw7ma
••••••••••••••••••
Chapter no.77 Friends?!
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Shikamaru and Choji hurried down the street, catching sight of Ino waiting at the corner, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.
"Took you two long enough."
Choji was halfway through a cheesecake slice, his cheeks puffed out with food. "Hey, I had to refuel."
"Whatever. We've got to find Naruto and fix this ss."
"Where do you think he'd go?"
"Ichiraku Ran, obviously," both Ino and Shikamaru said at the sa ti.
The trio quickly made their way to the small ran stand, the comforting scent of broth and noodles wafting toward them. Teuchi greeted them with a warm smile from behind the counter.
"Welco to my humble ran shop, kids. What can I get you three today?"
Naruto, who was sitting at the counter with a half-eaten bowl of miso ran, turned to face them. "What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be at Yakiniku Q?"
Choji didn't hesitate. He marched straight up to the counter, carefully placed the takeout boxes down, and gave a deep bow.
"I'm sorry."
Naruto blinked. "Sorry for what?"
"For being rude to you all day," Choji said, his voice sincere. "I was being a… vegetable."
Naruto, Teuchi, and Aya all tilted their heads in unison. "Vegetable?" they echoed, confused.
"Choji doesn't like vegetables," Ino clarified. "He ans he was being stubborn. And not just him. We're all here to apologize for the misunderstanding."
"Yeah, it was troubleso, but… we are sorry."
"It's nice that you kids made up, but what's with the boxes?" Teuchi asked.
Choji straightened up, smiling sheepishly as he opened one of the boxes.
"I thought if I was going to apologize, I'd do it right. So, let's eat and forgive, yeah?"
Teuchi let out an appreciative whistle. "Now that is so premium beef!"
"Well, there's plenty to go around," Ino said quickly, nudging Choji in the side before he could protest sharing.
"Aya, bring out my grill!"
"You got it, Dad!" Aya called, disappearing into the back.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The garden was a modest space, surrounded by a simple wooden fence that gave it a cozy, enclosed feel. A few lanterns hung from posts, casting warm light over the small stone path that led to a patch of neatly trimd grass. So potted herbs and vegetables lined the edges.
"It's not much," Teuchi said, carrying out a couple of folding chairs and placing them around the grill, "but it's perfect for nights like this." He returned to the kitchen, muttering sothing about grabbing plates and bowls.
anwhile, Aya was crouched near the grill, carefully arranging charcoal in a neat pile. She pulled out a lighter, trying to ignite the fla with short, precise clicks.
The group settled in as Aya worked.
Naruto opened his box, his eyes sparkling at the sight of the at. "This must've cost a fortune," he said, glancing at the others.
"Well," Ino said, "we taught that waitress and restaurant a lesson and worked so magic."
"Thanks… for sticking up for ."
"Do you know why the waitress was like that to you?"
"No."
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, reading between the lines. "No? Or you just don't want to say?"
"I don't want to say."
"Naruto," Aya interjected, her voice tinged with anger as she spun toward him. "What happened?!" Her eyes were sharp, protective, like an older sister ready to go to war on his behalf.
"Nothing happened, Aya Neechan."
"Nothing?!"
"Seriously, it's nothing. Let it go."
Teuchi, who had been arranging the plates and bringing out so side dishes, glanced at Aya and gave a subtle shake of his head. She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line, before turning back to the grill with a muttered, "Fine. But this isn't over."
Shikamaru's gaze lingered on Naruto. He could see the tension in the way Naruto's shoulders were stiff, the way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He sighed internally. If Naruto wasn't going to talk about sothing even Teuchi and Aya seed to know, then there was no way he'd open up about anything deeper—like the mysterious "Oscar" or that strange, shining armor.
Ino watched the interaction closely, filing it away. "You're lucky you've got Aya Neechan looking out for you," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. "I'd be more worried about her than ."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
Shikamaru said nothing, but his mind was still turning, piecing together the fragnts of information. Answers would co in ti, he figured. For now, he let it go.
Ino, however, wasn't so easily deterred. She leaned closer, her tone flirtatious. "Oh, co on, Naruto. You can tell . I'm good at keeping secrets."
Naruto gave her a flat look. "Didn't I just say no?"
Aya chuckled from the side, carefully tending to the grill as the charcoal finally started to catch. She used a small paper fan to coax the flas. "Oh, Naruto, looks like a pretty girl wants so answers from you."
Ino's face turned beet red as her composure shattered. "What?! I wasn't—! I an, I didn't—!" She stumbled over her words, flustered, while waving her hands defensively.
"Where? Who?"
Ino groaned loudly, burying her face in her hands. "You idiot!"
"So, is this the last ti you try playing matchmaker?"
"Shut up, Shika!"
Aya just waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, bla later. Seriously, the day this kid figures out when a girl's interested in him will be the day the sun rises in the west."
anwhile, Shikamaru and Choji exchanged a knowing look, both smirking slightly. Ino had clearly planned to tease Naruto, but now it had completely backfired, leaving her red-faced and flustered.
"This is taking too long," Choji muttered, eyeing the raw at hungrily.
"I've got a better idea."
He removed one of his gauntlets, revealing the faintly glowing red of his Pyromancy Fla. With a flick of his wrist, the fla burst to life in his palm, its warmth lighting up the small garden.
"Whoa!"
"Relax," Naruto said with a grin. "I've got this."
Choji, inspired, grabbed a piece of beef and held it over Naruto's flaming hand like a skewer. The two boys exchanged a mischievous look before Naruto turned his hand slightly, cooking the at evenly on all sides.
"Gross," Ino said, wrinkling her nose.
"Absolutely disgusting," Aya agreed, fanning the grill to speed up its ignition while glaring at the two.
"Hey, it works!" Naruto said, popping a perfectly cooked slice of beef into his mouth.
Choji nodded enthusiastically. "And it tastes amazing!"
"And I think this will taste amazing with so ran! Teuchi-ojisan!"
Teuchi, wiping his hands on a towel, gave him a raised eyebrow and a smile. "You want to put this on your free ran coupon?"
"Yup!"
"Wait," Choji interrupted. "You have a free ran coupon?"
"Yeah," Naruto replied nonchalantly. "I got it as a prize for becoming a ninja."
Choji's jaw practically hit the floor. His voice trembled with sincerity as he blurted out, "Wanna be friends?!"
Naruto's grin only grew wider. "Best friends."
Without missing a beat, the two clasped hands mid-air and transitioned into a perfectly choreographed dap up, their heads tilting down as their free arms extended dramatically. The movent was so in sync, it might as well have been rehearsed, and the small garden seed to freeze for a second in reverence of their newfound bond.
Ino groaned. "Boys are so stupid."
anwhile, Aya stood in stunned silence. "…Is this what friendship looks like now?"
Teuchi chuckled, shaking his head as he went to grab the ran bowls. "Let the kids have their mont."
Shikamaru gazed upon the night sky with a rare smile on his face. The food, the company—it had turned out to be a pretty good night. Still, there was this nagging feeling, like he was forgetting sothing important.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
anwhile, back at Yakiniku Q...
Asuma strolled back to the table, drying his hands on his pants. "Sorry I took so long—so kid clogged the toilet with napkins. Anyway, let's dig in!"
He looked up, expecting to see his team eagerly waiting for him. Instead, there was nothing. No Choji. No Ino. No Shikamaru. No Naruto. Just... an empty table.
He blinked, his hand pausing mid-dry.
"Where did everyone go? Hmm, I'm sure they'll be back any minute now…" Asuma muttered, leaning casually against the table as he glanced around the empty restaurant.
He waited. Five minutes turned into fifteen. Then thirty. Then an hour.
"Any minute now."
"Uh, sir… it's closing ti."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are aweso. Now, if you're interested in supporting on P@treon, let just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 36, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comnt! Honestly, your comnts make my day, and they let know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!
Reviews
All reviews (0)