Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 225

"We heard you were treating, so we came uninvited! Sasuke, that brat, is so inconsiderate. How can you invite your older brother and sister to dinner without bringing them along?"

As he spoke, he naturally found a seat and sat down, even pulling out a chair for Quan.

Izumi smiled gently and bowed slightly to Kakashi: "I'm sorry to bother you, Kakashi-senpai. Sasuke has caused you trouble."

Her gaze toward Sasuke was filled with the loving kindness of an older sister.

Sasuke: "..."

A vein seemed to throb on his forehead. He turned his face away and gave a cold snort, tacitly acknowledging the presence of these two "uninvited guests."

He originally only wanted to invite his parents and brother, but it turned out that only the two of them were at home, and they shamelessly came along to freeload.

Kakashi looked at the two Uchiha clan members who had joined last, especially Shisui, whose expression clearly showed he was looking forward to the food...

Shisui... Izumi... Uchiha Clan...

He silently and slowly rested his head against the cold wall.

The exposed eye had completely lost its luster, as if its soul had left its body.

It's over...it's all over...this isn't just a major hemorrhage...this is going to bankrupt us...

I bow deeply... It seems I really have no choice but to bow deeply and beg the boss to pay in installments...

And so, what was originally planned as a small gathering of four (Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura) turned into a super-sized dinner party:

Kakashi, the three members of Team 7 (Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura), the three members of Team 8 (Hinata, Shino, and Kiba), Neji from Team Guy, the three members of Team 10 (Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji), Iruka, plus Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Izumi who were freeloading... a total of fourteen people!

They crammed the huge cubicle full.

"Waiter! I'd like to order!"

"Ten servings of premium beef tongue, please!"

"Choji! Save some of that Wagyu beef platter for me!"

"Ya! Don't steal my pork belly!"

"Hinata, this is done baking, here you go!"

"Sakura! Try this, it's super tender!"

"Wild Boar! This piece is mine!"

"This is so troublesome..."

"Brother Zhishui, this sauce is pretty good."

"Sister Quan, be careful, it's hot."

"Naruto! Eat slowly! Nobody's going to take it from you!"

"Teacher Iruka, please eat more!"

The oil sizzled on the baking tray, and the aroma of meat filled the air.

The sounds of laughter and chatter almost lifted the roof off.

The atmosphere was extremely lively.

Naruto, Kiba, and Choji were like three hungry wolves, their chopsticks flying as they eagerly snatched the meat.

Sakura and Ino bickered while sharing delicious food with each other.

Hinata blushed as she ate the meat Naruto had given her in small bites.

Neji and Shino ate quietly, exchanging a few words occasionally.

Shikamaru lazily grilled the meat, precisely avoiding all areas of contention.

Although Sasuke still didn't talk much, he ate quietly.

Shisui and Izumi chatted gently while eating, taking care of Sasuke.

Iruka looked at the group of energetic young people in front of him and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Only one person...

Kakashi Hatake.

He sat quietly in the main seat, with a small plate of roasted meat in front of him.

Pick up the chopsticks, put them down, pick them up again, and put them down again.

He glanced to his left and saw Naruto stuffing a large, sizzling piece of beef tongue into his mouth, his eyes narrowed in satisfaction.

Look to the right, Choji's empty plates are already stacked three layers high, and his eyes are shining as he looks at the newly arrived "super deluxe meat mountain platter".

Looking across at the other side, Shisui was smiling as she placed a perfectly grilled piece of meat into Izumi's bowl...

Kakashi silently picked up the piece of meat that had gone a little cold from his plate, slowly put it in his mouth, and chewed mechanically.

A drop... glistening... I don't know if it's sweat or some other liquid...

It slid slowly down his face, which was covered by a mask, and dripped onto the table.

Is it tasty?

The meat is good meat... and the sauce tastes familiar too...

But why... does every bite of meat he eats feel like he's chewing his own banknotes?

No, it's more expensive than banknotes!

It's the reward for an S-rank mission that's burning!

He watched the plates being served like a flowing stream, only to disappear in an instant.

Listening to the waiter continuously announce the ever-increasing amount, which made his heart pound...

“Mr. Kakashi, these are five additional portions of premium beef tongue…”

"Mr. Kakashi, these are three extra super deluxe meat mountain platters..."

“Mr. Kakashi, this is an additional…”

Kakashi's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.

He swallowed the meat in his mouth with difficulty, feeling a tightness in his throat and a stinging sensation in his nose.

He silently picked up another piece of meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and found it tasteless.

Finally, as Choji patted his belly contentedly, Naruto let out a loud burp, and everyone put down their chopsticks with satisfaction, they began to drink tea and chat.

Kakashi took a deep breath, as if using up all the courage he had left, and slowly, tremblingly... raised his hand.

"Waiter...check...check out..."

When the ridiculously long bill with several zeros following the numbers was respectfully handed to Kakashi, the cubicle fell silent for a second.

Everyone turned to look at Kakashi.

Their instructor, Jonin Kakashi Hatake, was holding the bill with a slight tremor in his hand.

His one exposed, usually lazy or sharp, dead fish eye... was now... brimming with tears?!

Although most of her expression was hidden by a mask, her slightly reddened eyes and the suspiciously moist gleam at the corners of her eyes...

All of this reveals a cruel truth—

Kakashi-sensei... he...

"Pfft..." Someone couldn't help but burst out laughing first.

Then, it was as if a fuse had been lit.

The entire cubicle erupted in a deafening burst of laughter that nearly lifted the roof off!

"Hahahaha! Kakashi-sensei! Are you...are you crying?!"

"Oh my god! Kakashi-senpai's expression... Hahahaha!"

"Hey! Kakashi! Cheer up!"

"Looks like this meal really cost the teacher a lot of money..."

"Choji! It's all your fault for eating too much!"

"Huh?! How can you blame me! Naruto ate more than me!"

Amidst the gloating laughter of everyone (except Hinata and Iruka).

Kakashi held the heavy bill, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at the ceiling, only one thought flashing through his mind:

I hate barbecue Q... I hate gluttons... I hate all freeloaders... especially Uchiha Shisui! You're the one laughing the most!

Chapter 248 The Itchy Nine-Tailed Fox

The village of Konoha was dimly lit at night, thanks to the generous donations from everyone.

The bill for that barbecue that could bankrupt a Jonin was finally settled.

Kakashi looked at the wallet in his hand, which was noticeably thinner.

Then he glanced at the group of satisfied "creditors" who were leaving with their arms around each other.

My heart was filled with mixed feelings—I felt bad about the money, but also inexplicably felt a touch of...warmth?

Never mind, consider it a favor to invest in the future Hokage.

He sighed and disappeared into the night.

Naruto, his belly round from eating, hummed an off-key tune as he slowly strolled back to his small apartment.

Teacher Iruka had already left, but the room still retained the fresh scent of the clean room and a touch of warmth.

He was too lazy to even take a shower, so he just wiped his face haphazardly and collapsed onto the soft, clean bed.

Almost the instant my head hit the pillow, my heavy eyelids closed, and with a satisfied feeling of fullness and the comfort of being home, I drifted into a deep sleep.

However, he would regret going to bed without showering the next day.

As Naruto's consciousness sank completely into the depths of sleep.

Minato's phantom soul floated in front of the enormous Nine-Tailed Fox cage.