It was nearly noon.
Renya checked the time, guessing that Tobirama Senju would be back soon.
He simply dragged a chair into the courtyard and sat down to wait for the other man's return.
Why wasn't Renya cooking?
Simple—there were no ingredients left at home.
Last night, Tobirama had said he would buy some today, but judging by the situation, it seemed he had forgotten.
"I don't even know what that old man is busy with all day… Always out early and back late..."
Renya propped his chin on both hands, muttering listlessly.
He'd been living here for three days now, and aside from mealtimes, he'd barely seen Tobirama. The man seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.
"Heh, as if I actually want to live with you," Renya mumbled under his breath.
Both the Uchiha elder and Hashirama had spoken up.
If he had any choice, how could he possibly be willing to live with Tobirama?
Not long after, Tobirama's figure appeared at the entrance.
Seeing Renya sitting in the courtyard, he paused slightly and asked,
"Brat, is lunch ready?"
Renya rolled his eyes and replied irritably,
"There's no food in the house. How am I supposed to cook?"
Only then did Tobirama remember that he was supposed to buy groceries.
He had spent the morning trying to persuade his brother and completely forgot.
Seeing Renya's resentful gaze, he cleared his throat and explained,
"I've been a bit busy lately. It slipped my mind."
"Heh, you're just the Hokage's little brother, not the Hokage himself. What's there to be so busy about...? Probably just crawled out of some kunoichi's bed, right?"
Renya pouted, clearly annoyed.
He had been training all morning and was already starving.
He'd planned to make himself a delicious meal as a reward, but when he got to the kitchen, he found there was nothing left to cook with.
He was just a little kid with no income, no money to buy ingredients. All he could do was sit tight and wait for Tobirama to come back.
Seeing Tobirama looking so nonchalant, Renya was naturally upset. Who knew where that old man had gone off to enjoy himself?
Tobirama's mouth twitched slightly. Suppressing his anger, he said,
"No cooking today. I'll take you out to eat."
There was no time to cook now anyway. And if he let this little brat make lunch, who knows what kind of outrageous things he'd say?
He, Tobirama Senju, had lived an upright and clean life for decades—now he was being slandered by this brat? Who could take that lying down?
Renya's eyes lit up, but he still pretended to stay composed.
"If that's the case, guess we have no choice... I want barbecue."
Tobirama: "…"
...
Konoha Village Commercial District
Before long, Tobirama brought Renya to a barbecue restaurant that was wafting with mouthwatering aromas.
The rich scent of grilled meat filled the shop, making Renya's eyes light up. He swallowed involuntarily.
Ever since transmigrating to the shinobi world months ago, his living expenses had only covered basic meals. He'd never had the spare cash to enjoy barbecue.
Truthfully, he'd been craving this for a long time.
Tobirama led Renya to a seat in the corner. The friendly owner quickly came over with a menu.
Tobirama tossed the menu to Renya and said,
"You order."
Renya took the menu and unhesitatingly ordered over a dozen plates of meat—signature beef, tender pork belly, pork kidneys... and even added a few plates of vegetables at the end.
Tobirama stared blankly at the scene, astonished.
"You ordered this much? Can you even finish it?"
"Don't worry. I can," Renya replied confidently.
What he had ordered could easily feed three adults.
He originally wanted to order a few more plates, but after thinking it over, he decided to wait. If he couldn't finish it, it'd just go to waste. He could always order more afterward.
Seeing Renya so certain, Tobirama didn't say anything more, though he was curious—do all Uchiha eat this much?
Before long, the sizzling hot grill was brought to the table. As the fresh red meat touched the heat, it curled and changed color instantly, oil splattering, the aroma growing stronger.
Tobirama picked up his chopsticks and began flipping the meat methodically.
Renya, arms crossed, watched with great interest, occasionally offering commentary.
Don't be fooled by his calm exterior—he was starving.
Watching the delicious meat roast before him, Renya discreetly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Even if he was dying of hunger, he couldn't let it show. That's what it meant to be a proper Uchiha!
"The doneness looks good," Tobirama said, transferring the cooked meat to Renya's plate.
"I can do it myself," Renya replied, picking up a slice and putting it in his mouth.
The moment the grilled meat entered his mouth, Renya's face lit up with satisfaction.
This was way too good!
In that instant, he completely forgot about Uchiha pride, tossing slice after slice into his mouth and occasionally letting out soft, pleased hums.
Tobirama quietly observed Renya's every move. When he saw the boy devour all the meat on the table at lightning speed, his expression turned to disbelief.
And it wasn't over—Renya still wasn't full. He waved his hand grandly and asked the owner for several more plates.
Tobirama: "???"
How had he never noticed this brat could eat so much?
"Burp~ I'm full," Renya patted his belly with a satisfied look.
That barbecue meal had truly hit the spot.
Meat really was the best.
Tobirama instinctively glanced at Renya's slightly rounded stomach.
This was insane.
How had that little belly managed to fit so much food?
Renya had just eaten enough for five full-grown adults.
And he was only six years old!
Tobirama was starting to question everything. Was this really just a kid?
Looks like tonight he'd need to run some proper tests to figure out how this brat could eat so much...
Renya, blissfully unaware of Tobirama's inner turmoil, was happily savoring the aftertaste of the barbecue.
If only he could eat like this more often.
"White-haired old man, you can pay now," Renya said when he noticed Tobirama still staring at him.
His words snapped Tobirama back to reality. He called over the owner and settled the bill.
Then the two of them left the barbecue place together.
Just as they stepped outside, Tobirama seemed to remember something. He took out a thick wad of cash and handed it to Renya, saying flatly,
"This is your living expenses. I've got things to do, I'm heading out."
With that, his figure flickered and vanished on the spot.
Renya was left holding the thick stack of bills in his hand, stunned into silence.
After a long moment, he slipped the money into his pocket, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he muttered,
"Heh… That old guy's not so bad after all."
He truly hadn't expected Tobirama to give him pocket money.
It really solved his urgent problem. From now on, he could eat whatever he wanted and wouldn't have to suffer through bitter days anymore.
"Alright, guess I'll use less chili when I cook next time."
With that, Renya toddled off on his short little legs.
Once Renya's figure had completely disappeared down the road, Tobirama stepped out from around the corner. Watching Renya's back, he said coldly,
"Don't get the wrong idea, brat. That's your experiment fee..."
He, Tobirama Senju, wasn't the type to freeload off an Uchiha brat.
That money was payment for Renya serving as a test subject.
Poor Renya had no idea. If he found out the truth one day… what kind of expression would he make?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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