The Shimura Actually Has Ice Release

"Man, the people from the Shimura clan are always so mysterious. Not something you see every day," Mitarashi Anko said while munching on dumplings, talking to Takeshi with her mouth half full.

Looking at the girl beside him, Takeshi couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

Sure, he didn't remember every little detail of the plot clearly, but her appearance during the Chūnin Exams was still etched into his memory.

Especially what she had under that mesh armor… that massive thun—

No, no! Takeshi, you're getting way too degenerate. Right now, your priority should be figuring out how to survive in this man-eating world by stepping over Danzō's corpse—not thinking about that "massive thing" or any other "massive things."

Shaking off those wicked thoughts, Takeshi turned his attention to the freshly served dumplings the shop owner had just placed in front of him.

Cough, proper dumplings, alright?

Three colored dumplings skewered on a bamboo stick, topped with a golden-glazed house-special sauce—that was Konohagakure's famous three-color dango.

"Come on, try it!" Anko scooted closer to him, nudging Takeshi with her elbow, urging him to eat already.

"You're the one who wants to eat it, aren't you?" Takeshi said, looking at her drooling face, his expression turning dark. He picked up a skewer and handed it to her first.

"Hey, you rascal, don't you know I'm already full?" Wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, Anko's eyes sparkled as she snatched the skewer and gobbled it up, slapping Takeshi on the shoulder while chewing:

"But I'll give it to you—you've got good taste. From now on, I've got your back in this area."

She grabbed it that fast after claiming to be full?

Watching the skewer vanish from his hand in a flash, Takeshi rolled his eyes internally and picked up one for himself.

So sweet.

The sauce was sweet. The dumplings were sweet. The two layers of sweetness tangled together—no wonder this girl got so chubby later on.

Not really a fan of sweets, Takeshi slowly chewed the soft and glutinous dango, sneaking a glance at Anko from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Anko! You little rascal, I was the one treating Takeshi!" Asuma, noticing the situation from nearby, frowned. Seeing Anko holding another skewer despite having claimed she was full, and knowing her personality, Asuma quickly figured out what was going on.

"Don't be so stingy, Asuma. You're the Hokage's son, after all. You should be generous like the Hokage himself!" Anko quickly swallowed what was in her mouth, made a silly face at him, and darted back over to Kurenai.

"You just had to bring up the old man again..." Asuma sighed and rubbed his forehead, then turned to the quietly eating Takeshi. "Want another skewer?"

Takeshi put down the bamboo stick and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm not really into sweets."

Before he could finish speaking, the shop owner arrived, placing a bowl of red bean soup in front of him.

"Here you go, piping hot and extra sweet red bean soup~!"

Takeshi: ...

Asuma: ...

Crap—does this shop only sell sweets?!

Takeshi looked at the red bean soup in front of him in disbelief.

Anyone who's seen Naruto knows—people who love sweets never seem to have a good ending.

"If you don't like sweet stuff, try the soy sauce flavor instead," Asuma offered helpfully.

"There's a soy sauce flavor?!" Takeshi's jaw dropped—he had no idea dango even came in that variety.

"Uh, pretty much everyone in the village knows about it, right?" Asuma scratched his head. Sure, the Shimura clan didn't interact much with others, but to not even know about dango flavors? That's a bit much.

Could they just be super poor?

Thinking of how Danzō wore the same outfit year-round, Asuma felt more certain about his theory.

Nearby, Anko and Kurenai started whispering to each other.

Only Kakashi, sitting with his back to everyone, quietly removed his mask and ate his dango without comment amid all the speculation.

...

Five days passed quietly.

After the chance encounter at the dango shop and spending more time together, Takeshi had gradually become part of their group.

And he also realized what a culinary wasteland this place was.

In five days, they'd either been eating at the dango shop or Ichiraku Ramen. Over and over—just those two choices.

What? Barbecue?

Sorry, not in the budget.

Most of the time, it was generous Asuma footing the bill. Occasionally, Kakashi paid. As for Takeshi? He was just freeloading.

To be fair, Takeshi had his reasons. Maybe it was because Danzō was a first-time dad, but even though he kept telling Takeshi to make more friends, the man hadn't given him a single coin of pocket money.

Takeshi didn't dare ask either. One wrong word and the old fossil might just send him off to Orochimaru for experiments.

But if this went on, he'd end up with the same reputation as Ebisu among his peers...

No way. That could not happen.

Returning home and—as usual—seeing Danzō sitting upright at the table, Takeshi made a decision: he was going to risk it and ask the old man for pocket money!

Looking at Danzō, who seemed to be in a good mood with a rare smile on his face, Takeshi narrowed his eyes and prepared to deliver the speech he'd rehearsed a dozen times.

"Sit down already." Danzō, seeing his son just standing there, finally broke the silence.

"Yes, Father." Forget that speech—doing what Dad says was priority number one.

Takeshi quickly sat down.

Mm, yeah, smelled it right as he walked in—the same old "three dishes and one soup" combo.

Seeing the same dishes served again, Takeshi couldn't help wondering if the cook only knew how to make these three things.

But then he remembered that it was most likely Danzō himself who had cooked them. So, he could only put on a look of fake enthusiasm and started eating.

Seeing Takeshi gobble down the food, Danzō silently nodded to himself.

Looks like my son really likes these dishes. Good. I'll cook them again tomorrow.

Though personally, the old man was already sick of them. He planned to sneak out for some late-night snacks to mix things up.

After they had mostly finished eating, Danzō put down his chopsticks.

"How are things going with that Asuma boy lately?"

"Pretty good. He's a generous guy," Takeshi replied without thinking, grabbing a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"Generous?" Danzō frowned slightly. Of all the words Takeshi could've chosen, that one didn't cross his mind.

"Yeah, he pays every time we go out!" Takeshi's eyes lit up as he spoke—perfect chance to ask for pocket money. Thank you, old man, for giving me the perfect opening.

"Hmph. Just like his soft-hearted father—always using these petty tricks to win people over." Danzō scoffed at Asuma's generosity.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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