After a long day of training, Yahiko and his teammates followed Jiraiya back to their small base.
Inside the base, in an effort to make up for some unknown past mistake, Team 11 had voluntarily taken on the role of the logistics team.
On a not-so-large dining table sat a roasted wild boar over five meters long.
The mere aroma of the roast was enough to make Yahiko and his teammates drool uncontrollably.
Beside the roasted boar, Shikaku Nara stood expressionless, meticulously applying fragrant spices with a brush.
Meanwhile, Choza Akimichi was struggling to suppress his drooling, with Inoichi Yamanaka doing his best to restrain him.
It was clear that Choza wasn't putting up much of a fight. He simply stretched his neck and flared his nostrils wide, resembling a vacuum cleaner as the visible waves of meaty aroma surged toward his nose.
The door creaked open.
Seeing this scene, Jiraiya twitched at the corners of his mouth.
This... this kid didn't used to be like this!
After everyone settled into their places around the massive roasted boar, anticipation filled the air. Jiraiya's team of four sat eagerly, their eyes glued to the feast before them.
Though Jiraiya was a great teacher and a decent cook, his long years of survival in the wild had made gourmet meals a rarity. Without proper spices, even a skilled chef couldn't work miracles.
But Team 11 was different. They didn't stay in one place but moved around the Land of Grass, eating whatever they hunted. As a result, their supplies were unusually abundant.
Before long, after several rounds of audible gulping, Shikaku finally set down his brush and nodded.
"It's ready. Let's eat."
At that signal, Yahiko and his teammates couldn't care less about the burning hot coals beneath the roasted boar. They eagerly reached out to grab the meat.
The taste was heavenly!
This guy's cooking was simply out of this world!
What they didn't know was that the seasoning for this roast was a secret spice blend passed down within the Akimichi clan for decades—a closely guarded family secret of the Akimichi lineage.
The saying "food brings people closer together" couldn't be more accurate. This one roasted boar significantly bridged the gap between Team 11 and Jiraiya's team.
Nearby, Konan, with no trace of her usual ladylike demeanor, was eating so enthusiastically that her adorable little face puffed up like two small dumplings.
This spiky-haired guy is incredible! Not only is he strong in battle, but his cooking skills are amazing too!
What Konan didn't know was that just two years ago, Shikaku had been a frail boy with weak chakra reserves. He could barely sustain himself in battle.
However, disciples of the Rinjin lineage shared a distinct trait: immense chakra reserves.
Through relentless, grueling training, their chakra levels would grow far beyond those of their peers, regardless of their proficiency in ninjutsu or taijutsu.
This was true for Fugaku Uchiha, Handa, and especially Rii. Their defining characteristics were simple: endurance and resilience.
The group devoured the meal ravenously. After half an hour, everyone except Choza was completely stuffed.
Lying on the floor with his stomach round and full, Yahiko gazed happily at the ceiling like a contented frog.
He was full!
It was absolutely delicious!
Damn it, this Shikaku guy is really something else!
As Jiraiya's team basked in the post-meal glow, Jiraiya turned his curious gaze toward Shikaku, who was tidying up.
"Shikaku, if you've got time, could you tell me about the missions Rinjin has had you guys do?"
Technically, asking about another team's mission details was inappropriate. But Jiraiya was so close to Rinjin that he trusted him completely, even with his life.
Hearing Jiraiya's question, Shikaku paused, his gaze subtly sweeping over everyone present.
He knew how familiar his teacher was with Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin. He also knew that their training methods wouldn't suit the three younger kids on the other team.
Why? Because he had personally endured those harsh methods and knew just how grueling they were.
Back then, the resentment he felt toward his teacher had been very real.
Most importantly, pure-hearted individuals weren't suited for such training.
Before they even began, their first mission had been to infiltrate the Hidden Mist Village. They had faced failure after failure, constant danger of exposure, and countless encounters with darkness. Only then had they barely met the standard.
To put it simply, only those who could clearly distinguish right from wrong deserved to experience such pain.
After all, no one wanted their painstaking efforts to end up creating a traitor.
With this in mind, Shikaku gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Lord Jiraiya, let's not go there. My teacher's training methods are far too extreme."
Then, leaning closer to Jiraiya, he whispered, "I... I'm afraid your disciples might turn against you."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's pupils widened in shock.
Turn against me?
His first thought was whether Shikaku and his teammates harbored resentment toward Rinjin.
After a moment of contemplation, Jiraiya pushed Yahiko, who had been eavesdropping, aside and lowered his voice.
"How can I avoid that?"
At this, Shikaku suddenly broke into a bright smile.
"Once I'm stronger, I'll go home and beat up my old man! That'll help me vent my frustrations!"
On the other side, Choza, his mouth still stuffed with food, suddenly turned his head and grinned widely.
"Mmph... mmph... I already... can... I'm super strong now!"
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a scarred but impressively muscular arm.
Seeing this, Jiraiya's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
These kids... tracing their grievances back to the source?
If they couldn't beat Rinjin, they'd just take it out on the father who pushed them into the firepit?
Such filial piety!
Jokes aside, Jiraiya didn't detect any genuine resentment from Shikaku and his teammates. On the contrary, their words were filled with playful banter.
Realizing this, Jiraiya understood.
These three weren't the bitter and vengeful type. They were the kind to joke their way through hardships.
With a tinge of envy, he murmured to himself, "Carefree and lighthearted... what a way to live."
As night fell, Shikaku and his teammates slipped out of the base again.
There was a girl in the house. Even if their own team and teacher didn't mind, Shikaku couldn't stay there comfortably.
Anyway, they were used to sleeping under the stars. It was autumn, and the air was still pleasant.
Lying on the grass, Shikaku gazed at the sky, the starry expanse reflected in his eyes.
"Inoichi, I want to go back."
"Why? Aren't you having a good time here?" Inoichi replied lazily from beside him.
"It's fine, pretty relaxing. But I don't like watching tragedies unfold."
"What tragedy?" Inoichi's curiosity was piqued.
Among the three of them, Shikaku had the deepest understanding of human nature. He excelled in the lessons Rinjin had taught about this subject, earning the highest marks.
So when it came to reading people, Inoichi trusted Shikaku completely.
After a long silence, Shikaku finally spoke, his voice low as he continued to gaze at the stars.
"The tragedy of corruption."
"Why?" Inoichi's eyes sparkled with gossip-fueled curiosity.
"Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan's team dynamics are completely off."
"Yahiko's talent isn't the strongest among the three. On the contrary, that quiet Nagato gives me an incredibly powerful impression.
"First, his observational skills and control over ninjutsu are exceptional. He used wind to guide shurikens and blocked mine with precision.
"Second, his chakra reserves feel... immense, almost like our teacher's—deep and boundless.
"He cast Gale Palm twice without showing the slightest sign of fatigue, as if it cost him no effort at all.
"And yet, among the three of them, Yahiko seems to be the leader. This distribution of authority doesn't make sense."
Hearing this, Inoichi's eyes darted around before he leaned closer to Shikaku and whispered, "Are you saying... they'll have internal conflict?"
Shikaku threw an arm around Inoichi's shoulder and sighed in exasperation.
"You should've paid attention in class! You always rely on your clan's secret techniques and never listen!"
"There won't be internal conflict. Didn't you see the way Konan and Nagato look at Yahiko? Their bond is deep."
"Besides, Lord Jiraiya won't take them back to the village. From the way he's teaching them outside, it's clear he doesn't intend to bring them to Konoha."
"With Yahiko's seemingly cunning but actually naïve personality, can he really protect his teammates?"
"I doubt it."
"It's like when I restrained Konan. If I were the enemy, what would've happened?"
Hearing this, Inoichi frowned, following Shikaku's train of thought.
"Yahiko clearly likes Konan. If we were the enemy, we could force him to kill Nagato."
"..."
Shikaku rolled his eyes.
"Brother, you've got it backward."
"Naive doesn't mean stupid.
"Some naive people are stubborn idealists. Asking them to kill their teammates? You'd have better luck convincing them to sacrifice themselves."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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