Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki

"Military ration pills, but there's something extra to enhance the flavor, and there's this aroma."

"A floral aroma?"

Kazuyama sniffed the air, his love for food drawing out his sharp senses. He detected a blend of subtle elements hidden in the fragrance.

"And these military ration pills are perfectly made. In my personal opinion, they should taste really good."

"Can I eat it?"

"I guess it's fine. After all, it's made of food. And, no kidding, it does smell pretty good."

Smelling the fragrance, Kazuyama almost wanted to take a bite. However, he hesitated, wary of something potentially being off with the bag of pills. Forcing himself to resist, he stayed cautious.

Meanwhile, Kushina had already run up to Minato, hugging the bag of military ration pills she'd crafted.

"Here, I made these military ration pills especially for you."

"I added three medicinal herbs to enhance their effectiveness." She hesitated, her cheeks flushing. "I hope you like it."

Minato's mouth curved into a soft smile as he accepted the pink bag. The fact that Kushina had gone out of her way to make something for him filled him with quiet joy.

"Of course I like it. It's from you, after all."

"A special military ration pill? Let me see."

For Minato, receiving a gift from someone he loved was one of life's happiest moments. With excitement, he opened the bag, revealing a row of exquisite black pills.

"Huh? Nicely done, Kushina." He looked at her curiously. "I don't remember you ever making military ration pills before."

Kushina nodded, a shy smile on her face. She then turned to Pakura with a look of gratitude.

"Sister Pakura taught me everything. It took me a few days to get it right."

"It's probably not very tasty since it's my first time, but it'll definitely work!" She leaned closer and whispered, "Oh, and I'll let you in on a secret: Sister Pakura made a bag too, but hers is for Kazuyama."

Pakura, who had been quietly observing, flushed at being dragged into the conversation.

"Kushina, don't talk nonsense! Who said it was for that idiot?"

"Hehe, Sister Pakura, don't pretend. You were so serious when you made the pills, and I even saw you add extra sweetener—his favorite. You think I didn't notice?"

Pakura's cheeks turned even redder as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Kazuyama, standing nearby, was stunned.

Sweetener? She remembered what he liked?

Kazuyama wasn't the type to rely on others for meals, often cooking for himself since typical dishes didn't really appeal to him. However, he did have a weakness for sweets, and the fact that Pakura had picked up on it left him speechless.

"Huh? Does Pakura have a thing for Kazuyama?"

"Isn't this one of those 'love born from conflict' situations? No, wait—'time heals all wounds'... No, no, I got it! 'From enemies to lovers'!"

Hearing the gossip, Minato's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Kazuyama: I knew that bastard wasn't as honest as he seemed! Of course he'd be like this—he probably learned from Jiraiya! How could he possibly be normal?

The gossip was too juicy to ignore. Minato grabbed a military ration pill, popped it into his mouth, and leaned closer, listening intently while chewing. He couldn't help but think, Too bad there's no stool. Sitting down while eating and listening would make this perfect.

The taste of the pill hit him immediately—strong, much stronger than he'd expected. But he shrugged it off. What does it matter? This was made by Kushina herself. Bitter? No, it's not bitter. It's sweet—just sweet!

"Don't be ridiculous! I don't!" Pakura snapped, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I only made it to teach Kushina! It's just sweet because it's my favorite flavor, and I got it for myself to eat!"

Pakura, utterly flustered, was at a loss for words.

Kazuyama, who had been watching closely, heard every word and nearly burst out laughing at Pakura's reaction. Picking up the black bag she had prepared, he silently took out one of the military ration pills and popped it into his mouth.

"Mmm, it tastes good."

"I want some too! Kazuyama, give me one!" someone called out.

"No way! This was made for me!" Kazuyama shot back, shielding the bag protectively. "How can you even think of taking it from me? I'll get you more insects to eat later, but you can't have these!"

Kazuyama's mood soared. He was positively glowing with happiness. The military ration pills were delicious—not even a hint of bitterness. Instead, they had a sweet, refreshing flavor that suited his palate perfectly.

His initial worries about there being something suspicious about the pills vanished entirely. After all, the sight of Pakura blushing, her back trembling with embarrassment, was enough to dissolve any doubt.

Sigh… so beautiful. Ha... let's have another one!

He popped another pill into his mouth. It was just as sweet, just as perfect.

Not bitter at all, unlike the ones Minato's always chewing on—those taste like pure medicinal herbs. Bitter enough to kill you!

But in the next second, something shifted.

Kazuyama froze, his good mood shattering. And then... he went completely, utterly crazy.

"Come on, Sister Pakura, if you were going to eat it yourself, would you really need to put a pound of medicinal herbs in it?"

"Do you take me for a fool?"

Bang!

A heavy thud echoed from inside the room, catching everyone's attention.

The three of them immediately turned toward the noise. They spotted a black bag on the ground, its contents—fragrant military ration pills—scattered everywhere.

"Huh? Aren't those the military ration pills you made, Sister Pakura? Why did they fall to the ground? I didn't touch them just now..." Kushina said, puzzled.

The confusion wasn't limited to her. Both Minato and Pakura were equally bewildered.

But in the next moment, the reason became clear.

Kazuyama, who had been using the Transparent Escape Technique, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. In a flash, she darted in front of Pakura, her trembling hands gripping Pakura's arms tightly as her voice shook.

"Pa... Pakura... tell me... the military ration pills... you made... you didn't... you didn't put any medicinal ingredients in them... right?"

The others, still reeling from the shock of Kazuyama sneaking around and using the Transparent Escape Technique, stood frozen, utterly confused.

Pakura, now face-to-face with Kazuyama, caught the familiar scent on her breath—the unmistakable aroma of the pills she had prepared.

"Pakura... answer me already!" Kazuyama begged, her voice frantic. "Tell me you didn't put any medicinal herbs in them! You said you were going to eat them yourself, so you wouldn't have added anything weird... right?"

Kazuyama was drenched in sweat, the panic in her tone growing more obvious by the second.

"Kazuyama, you idiot! What are you even doing here?!" Pakura snapped, her embarrassment quickly turning into frustration. "And did you seriously eat the ration pills I made? I told you not to touch them!"

"Yeah, so what if I did?!" Kazuyama fired back, desperation thick in her voice. "But you said they were for you! That means you wouldn't have added any medicinal herbs!"

"Well, I did! " Pakura shot back, her irritation boiling over. "I added a whole pound of them! The pharmacist said one pound was the recommended amount!"

Pakura was a little thrown off by Kazuyama's behavior. Already feeling embarrassed, she couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out, unleashing a tirade at him.

"I'll tell you! What's with you? Hey, hey!"

"Kazuyama… why are you crying?"

"Hey, seriously, you're a grown man! Why are you crying?"

"I made it for you! To mask the bitterness of the herbs, I added a ton of sweets—your favorites! That should've worked, right?"

But instead of responding, Kazuyama broke down, pouring out his emotions in tears.

Pakura froze, flinching slightly, while Kushina and Minato stood by, completely stunned.