"Shikaku, you're too slow! Did you oversleep again?"
Yamanaka Inoichi, as sunny and cheerful as ever, immediately went up to meet Shikaku as he leisurely wandered over. He skillfully wrapped his arm around Shikaku's neck and ruffled his freshly tied pineapple ponytail.
"Hey, hey, Inoichi, my hair's gonna get messy. What a drag."
Shikaku struggled weakly, but his strength was as if he hadn't eaten.
"Hehe, Shikaku, morning."
Next to him, Akimichi Choza smiled honestly at him.
Having just finished the last rice ball in his hand, his unsatisfied look left no doubt that he could eat a hundred million more.
"Morning."
Shikaku glanced at Choza's round belly, then at Inoichi's energetic smile, and sighed inwardly again.
Ino-Shika-Cho, these three clans had been friends for generations and were the iron triangle with the most tacit cooperation on the battlefield.
But Shikaku felt that in daily life, the combination of the three of them was simply a disaster.
One was a hot-blooded fool with endless energy.
Another was a mobile granary who thought of nothing but eating.
And he himself just wanted to lie quietly and watch the clouds.
When these three got together, it was simply trouble squared.
"Come on, come on, let me tell you, I know a good place!"
Inoichi had no intention of letting go of Shikaku. Instead, he hugged him tighter and suggested enthusiastically, "Let's go have breakfast first, it won't be too late to go to the farm after!"
"But I just ate..."
Before Shikaku could finish, he was interrupted by Choza's instantly brightening eyes.
"Breakfast? Great, great! Where are we going to eat?"
Hearing the word "eat," Choza immediately became spirited.
"Just follow me!"
Inoichi didn't allow any objections. He half-dragged Shikaku and led Choza towards Hokage Avenue.
Shikaku gave up struggling, letting himself be dragged like a sack by Inoichi towards the unknown "land of trouble."
Soon, they arrived at the "good place" Inoichi mentioned.
It was a newly opened breakfast shop, located in the most prosperous section of Hokage Avenue, right next to the Akimichi family's main barbecue restaurant.
The shop front wasn't big, but it was decorated cleanly and tidily.
A wooden plaque hung at the entrance, with four large characters written in vigorous calligraphy—"Sarutobi Breakfast."
"Sarutobi? Is it a shop owned by Lord Hokage's family?"
Choza asked curiously.
"Of course!"
Inoichi said proudly, "I heard from my dad that this shop was opened at Lord Hokage's personal suggestion. It specializes in simple and quick breakfast to make it convenient for us ninja who have missions in the morning, and those students rushing to school."
Shikaku also looked up.
There were already quite a few people sitting in the shop.
There were Uchiha ninja in Military Police Force uniforms, workers in work clothes who looked like they belonged to Lord Danzo's construction team, and many villagers in ordinary clothes.
Everyone sat around simple wooden tables, eating steaming breakfast, chatting, and the atmosphere was lively and harmonious.
"Come on, let's go in!"
Inoichi pulled the two of them and found a seat by the window.
Soon, a young man wearing Sarutobi clan attire walked over enthusiastically with a menu.
"Three young brothers, what would you like to eat? Our shop's new soy sauce meat buns today have thin skin and big filling, they taste great!"
The menu was simple, just a few items.
Soy milk, fried dough sticks, buns, porridge.
Things Shikaku had never heard of, but sounded simple.
"Give me two bowls of soy milk, six fried dough sticks, and another hundred soy sauce meat buns!"
Choza looked at the menu and ordered without hesitation.
"..."
Inoichi and Shikaku looked at him as if he were a monster.
"Choza, we're just having breakfast, not eating at a buffet," Inoichi complained.
"But I'm hungry."
Choza touched his belly aggrievedly.
"Serve him."
Shikaku waved his hand lazily. "Anyway, if he can't finish, we can pack it up."
—However... Choza might not be able to finish the buns, but it's impossible for Choza not to finish the buns.
"Alright!"
Breakfast was served quickly.
The steaming soy milk emitted a rich bean aroma.
The fried dough sticks, fried golden and crispy, were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
And those soy sauce meat buns, just as the Sarutobi clansman said, had thin skin and big filling, and one bite filled the mouth with oil.
Choza alone finished four fried dough sticks and eighty buns, eating until he was sweating profusely and satisfied.
Inoichi, while drinking soy milk, listened enthusiastically to the discussions of the surrounding diners.
"Have you heard? Lord Danzo's reservoir dam completed the first phase of closure yesterday! It's said that a new material called 'Chakra Concrete' was used, harder than steel! The Hyuga family's quality inspection team stares at it with Byakugan every day, not even a pinhole-sized crack is allowed!"
A man who looked like a craftsman was bragging to his companion with a face full of pride.
"That's nothing! Let me tell you, Lord Sakumo's farm is amazing! Did you see that constant temperature barrier? It covers the entire farm! It's green inside, and we don't have to worry about running out of vegetables in winter."
Another diner lowered his voice, his tone full of amazement.
"Isn't that right! My kid clamors every day to become a ninja, saying he wants to become a hero like Lord Hokage who can protect everyone's smiles!"
"We still have to thank Lord Hokage! If not for Lord Hokage, how could we have such good days today!"
"That's right! Long live Lord Hokage!"
The surrounding diners chatted one after another.
Their faces were beaming with a heartfelt satisfaction with the current situation and longing for the future.
Shikaku listened silently, dipping the fried dough stick into the soy milk in his bowl, eating slowly.
Although he always said "what a drag," he knew better than anyone in his heart.
To let these ordinary villagers discuss what to eat today and what to play tomorrow without worry, just like now.
To let those ninja who once fought on the battlefield sweat for building a road, a reservoir, or planting a vegetable patch, just like now.
This in itself was an incredibly amazing and incredibly "troublesome" thing.
And the person who accomplished this troublesome thing was the Third Hokage, who always smiled, looked like a neighborly uncle, but possessed god-like wisdom.
"Hey, Shikaku, what are you daydreaming about? Eat quickly, or Choza will eat all the fried dough sticks!"
Inoichi's voice pulled him back from his thoughts.
Shikaku came back to his senses, glanced at Choza's empty plates that were about to pile up into a mountain, then at the remaining half of the fried dough stick in his own bowl, and silently sped up his eating.
After breakfast, the three of them finally set foot on the road to the Konoha Ecological Farm, satisfied.
Along the way, Inoichi still chattered excitedly, discussing whether they could see the legendary "pigs that grew up listening to genjutsu" today.
Choza began to seriously consider what kind of food the farm's canteen would provide at noon.
Only Shikaku remained lazy.
He walked at the back of the team with his hands behind his head, squinting his eyes.
He began to silently calculate which patch of grass to sleep on today would have the best angle, the warmest sunlight, and the most comfortable wind.
Mm, this was indeed a troublesome problem worth serious consideration.
Passing through the bustling village and walking past a newly reclaimed field, the outline of the Konoha Ecological Farm finally appeared before their eyes.
Even the knowledgeable Inoichi and the food-obsessed Choza were shocked by the scene before them.
A huge, semi-transparent dome barrier, like an inverted glazed bowl, covered the vast land. Red formula patterns flowed slowly on the inner wall of the barrier, emitting a soft light.
Inside the barrier was a green world full of life, forming a sharp contrast with the bleak autumn outside.
"My god..."
Inoichi's mouth opened wide. "Is this... the Constant Temperature Barrier Farm? It's too... too exaggerated, right?"
Choza was also dumbfounded, the snack bag in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. He sniffed hard, as if he could already smell the aroma of cucumbers and tomatoes in winter.
Even the laziest Nara Shikaku couldn't help but stop. Shock flashed in his always half-open eyes.
The trouble seemed to be getting bigger.
They felt that today's "sheep herding" mission seemed... not as simple as they had imagined.
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