The night was like a curtain, with a bright moon hanging high.
As night fell, the streets of Konoha gradually filled with the warmth of life. Vendors hawked their wares on both sides of the street, and warm light spilled from the open doors and windows of various shops, bathing the streets.
The clamor of clinking glasses in the barbecue restaurant also infected Kakashi with its smoky warmth.
Thinking of the empty zeroes in his bank book, Kakashi couldn't help but sigh, dismissing the idea of entering the barbecue restaurant.
He had just had a huge sum of fifteen million ryo.
Forget it, I'll go back and make a bowl of noodles.
Then...
The thought that he had to wait three days to get his sword, and then undergo rehabilitation training, gave Kakashi a bit of a headache.
What was he going to eat these days...
He never thought that as a member of the great army of transmigrators, he would end up in such a state.
Truly, a single penny can stump a hero.
Shaking his head, Kakashi sighed and was about to leave.
However, before he had taken two steps, someone tapped him on the shoulder, accompanied by a silver-bell-like voice.
"Kakashi!"
Kakashi turned his head to see a smiling girl standing behind him.
The newcomer had long, slightly curly hair, flawless features, and a pair of gentle crimson eyes that reflected the streetlights like sparkling gems in the night. Perhaps she had run a little too fast to call out to him, as there was a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Kurenai?"
"What are you doing here?"
Seeing the familiar face, Kakashi asked casually.
"I was just passing by. I didn't feel like cooking, so I was looking for a place to eat."
"I saw you standing in front of the barbecue restaurant just now. Were you planning to have barbecue for dinner?"
Kurenai's gentle eyes looked at the boy before her with a smile.
"Ah, no."
"To be honest, I'm broke."
Kakashi spread his hands in a very straightforward manner, showing Kurenai his pockets, which were cleaner than his face.
"?"
Kurenai looked at the boy before her with a puzzled expression.
Kakashi, broke?
Famous at a young age, with a privileged background, he had a considerable reputation not just in Konoha, but throughout the shinobi world.
In Kurenai's eyes, the boy before her was by no means the type to be short on money.
Kakashi very frankly and simply told Kurenai about the matter of having the Ninja Cats forge his sword.
Only then did Kurenai understand.
She silently cursed the Uchiha clan's ninja cats for being so heartless. Could it be that Kakashi was set up by the Uchiha and the ninja cats working together?
But well...
[Kurenai Yuhi's Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
"Then, I can treat you to dinner, Kakashi~"
"I imagine you probably don't want to go back to plain boiled noodles or chew on soldier pills alone, right?"
It might have been an illusion, but the girl's face under the streetlight seemed to have turned a shade redder, and her sparkling eyes seemed to hold a hint of anticipation and nervousness.
"I would be extremely grateful."
Without a moment's hesitation, Kakashi put his hands together, his eyes curving into crescents as he thanked the girl before him.
The moment he saw this girl, Kakashi knew his dinner was settled.
Although letting a girl treat him had the suspicion of being a freeloader, it was... better than going hungry.
But Kakashi had no such awareness. At worst, he would save the old horse from Hidan's hands in the future, saving this girl from a life of widowhood.
For that favor alone, never mind one dinner, he would feel justified in eating ten, or even a hundred meals on her dime.
Besides, when barbecue was an option, who would eat plain boiled noodles and soldier pills?
"Let's go then."
Seeing the boy accept her invitation, Kurenai's tone held a hint of cheerfulness and secret delight.
Inside the barbecue restaurant, Kurenai specifically chose a less crowded corner, called over a waiter for the menu, and then very generously pushed it to Kakashi, telling him to order whatever he wanted, as she was paying.
While Kakashi was ordering, Kurenai ordered a bottle of sake from the waiter.
This made Kakashi pause for a moment.
Weren't the three prohibitions for ninja alcohol, women, and gambling?
But on second thought, ninja were already fighting for their lives with blades at the age of twelve. Prohibiting alcohol seemed a bit ridiculous, so he didn't say anything.
And Kurenai, who had been secretly observing Kakashi, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the boy's expression didn't change at all when she ordered alcohol.
Soon, the barbecue was served.
Kakashi skillfully grilled the meat while chatting casually with Kurenai Yuhi.
The two could be considered old acquaintances.
Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, and Kurenai's father, Yuhi Shinku, were old friends who often drank together, so Kakashi and Kurenai could be considered... childhood friends?
Kurenai raised her cup and downed the clear sake in one go. She stuck out her delicate tongue to lick the liquor from the corner of her lips, her eyes seeming to hold a faint haze as she looked at Kakashi and said:
"Why didn't you tell me when you were discharged from the hospital, Kakashi?"
"If you had, I could have gone to help you move some things."
Kakashi picked up a piece of grilled meat and placed it on the girl's plate. While grilling his own meat, he slowly replied to the girl's words.
"I didn't have much stuff to begin with. Everyone has their own things to do, there's no need to drop everything for me."
"It would just be a bother."
Glancing at Kurenai, who had poured herself another glass of sake, Kakashi kindly reminded her:
"Don't drink too much."
Kakashi wasn't interested in drinking, but he didn't dislike it either.
Whether in his past life or this one, drinking culture was indispensable.
So if necessary, Kakashi could have a few drinks.
"You drink too, Kakashi~~"
Resting her cheek on her hand, Kurenai Yuhi smiled and poured a glass of sake for Kakashi, pushing it towards him.
Looking at the glass of sake, Kakashi's initial intention was to refuse, but considering it was Kurenai's treat, he didn't want to spoil the mood and accepted it, downing it in one gulp.
Sake didn't have a high alcohol content. Although it had a bit of a kick, a glass or two wouldn't matter.
Seeing Kakashi drink it without hesitation, the smile on the girl's lips became even more radiant.
The meal ended amidst the on-and-off conversation between the two.
As a slightly dizzy Kurenai fumbled to pay the bill, the waiter in charge of the checkout looked at Kakashi with a teasing expression.
As expected of the famous Sharingan Kakashi, girls voluntarily pay the bill for him; he can even make a freeloader look good.
"Thank you for your patronage, please come again, Yu..."
The waiter enthusiastically called out to the departing pair, but before he could finish, Kurenai, who was a little dizzy and needed Kakashi's support to walk, inadvertently glanced back at him.
The waiter's words stopped abruptly.
After the two left, the waiter rubbed his chin and smiled wordlessly.
Well, it seems even the great Kakashi has his moments of being caught...