Yakiniku Q was a restaurant with a long and storied history.
Well, by now, it had been open for a grand total of three whole days.
The shop was run by a member of the Akimichi clan and was still offering opening-day discounts, which was one of the main reasons why Yuki Seisui had chosen to come here.
He still needed to make good use of his money.
No room for careless spending.
"Uncle Yayo's grilling skills are amazing!" Akimichi Choza said enthusiastically as he plopped down in his seat. "If we're talking about the best BBQ in Konoha, Uncle Yayo is definitely in the top three!"
The "Uncle Yayo" he mentioned was Akimichi Yayo, the owner of Yakiniku Q.
"If I'd known Seisui was treating, I wouldn't have eaten lunch," Uzumaki Kushina muttered, rubbing her belly.
"I'm not holding back, Seisui!" Choza said with a grin, patting his stomach too.
"Eat as much as you want." Yuki Seisui didn't mind. After all, it was training money they'd been given.
Sure, he needed to be frugal, but he wasn't a miser. He'd eat and drink as needed, no need to deprive himself.
Soon enough, platters of grilled meat were brought to the table, and the mouthwatering aroma instantly whetted everyone's appetite.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the restaurant, Tsunade and Orochimaru sat watching them.
"Those are Jiraiya's idiotic students?" Tsunade asked.
"Mm, and my sister's there too," Orochimaru replied.
"The red-haired girl from the Uzumaki clan?"
Orochimaru licked his lips as he looked at Kushina fighting Minato over the grilled meat.
"She's lively."
Tsunade chuckled and looked over too.
"Kushina's always full of energy."
"By the way, you'll be taking care of Nawaki during his mission," Tsunade added suddenly. "Make sure nothing happens to him."
"It's still early," Orochimaru replied casually as he picked up a piece of meat.
"I warned you anyway." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.
"Let's wait until he graduates."
The conversation shifted away from Nawaki. Orochimaru looked thoughtful. "Those two of Jiraiya's… they're not simple."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "The old man says they're both highly talented and wants me to take one of them on."
"No way! Kids are such a hassle."
"He probably asked you too."
Orochimaru didn't say anything, which was answer enough.
"Still can't believe that fool Jiraiya took on students."
"He used to be dead last in class."
"Heh." Orochimaru shook his head. Despite being constantly annoyed by Jiraiya, he still offered a defense. "We're all Jonin now."
"Same difference," Tsunade said with a wave. Then her expression shifted, just a little awkward.
"Ahem…"
Before she could even speak, Orochimaru cut in. "How much?"
He'd known Tsunade since they were kids. She didn't even need to ask, her expression said it all.
When she looked uncomfortable, it meant she was about to borrow money.
"What the hell!" she blurted. "You think I'm that kind of person?"
"Forget it then, I won't borrow any."
Then she mumbled, "Fine, 500,000 ryo. I've got a feeling my luck's turning around today."
Orochimaru's smile was dry.
What he heard was: Lend me half a million, and I'll fart as a thank-you.
She always said this kind of thing when borrowing money, but never paid it back.
And he'd never seen her actually win anything.
Still, he didn't mind.
This version of Orochimaru, not yet a mad scientist, didn't even know what to do with all his money.
He wasn't yet the infamous "Auntie Snake" running around looking for research funds and experimental materials.
==========
On the other side of the restaurant, Yuki Seisui and the others were just finishing up their meal.
"I'm so full!" Choza moaned, lying back in his seat like he'd been wrecked.
The rest of the group looked similarly stuffed.
Might Duy was the exception. Years of self-discipline had taught him not to overeat. Most of the time, he just watched Minato and Choza eat.
When it came time to pay, Yuki Seisui let out a small sigh of relief.
He had braced for a hefty bill, but saving money was always a win.
He figured they'd all eaten so much that the cost would be sky-high.
In the end, it only came out to a few tens of thousands of ryo.
After exchanging a few parting words, everyone went their separate ways.
Minato lived fairly close to Seisui.
"So, how's it going between you two?" Seisui asked, wearing a mischievous grin.
"Going between who?" Minato was confused for a moment, then saw Seisui's grin and instantly knew what he meant.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"What do you mean 'don't know'? You two were sitting together all afternoon, and you were super close during dinner too!"
Minato's face turned bright red. "Then what about you and Haru?"
"Uh…"
Seisui choked a little, unsure how to respond.
"I've got stuff to do tonight, see ya!" he blurted and bolted in the direction of his house.
"Tch, coward," Minato muttered.
But Seisui hadn't lied, he did have things to do that night.
He hadn't drawn a single gacha in two months!
Twenty summons, surely there'd be something good in there.
As a seasoned gacha addict, Seisui had the patience of a saint for this stuff.
He once spent over half a year grinding nonstop just to unlock an S-rank ninja.
The man had stamina.
Back home, Seisui went through the same ritual as last time: a bath, incense, hand-washing, to drive away bad luck.
"Lord Kizaru, please bless me!"
"I'm your most loyal simp! Give me a full character drop!"
"Let me bring a tiny shock to this fragile ninja world!"
He chanted this over and over as the summon screen appeared.
Rubbing his hands, he started his first pull. It gave him a Seventh Hokage template and a Moonlight Gekko template.
The second pull gave him a summoning scroll from the Panda Clan.
He was hoping for Lord Kizaru or Lord Purpledog templates next.
"Please, my lords! I promise I'll never call you beasts again!"
"Let's see what you've got, Premium Summon!"
[Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo) Fragment x5, Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo) Fragment x1, Haruno Sakura (Byakugō) Fragment x1, Hyuga Neji (Fourth Great Ninja War) Fragment x1, Secret Scroll: Palm Sage Technique, Prismatic Stone x5]
[Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo): 8/100 Fragments]
"Whew, eight fragments already!"
"This must be karma coming back around!" Seisui said, thrilled. "I must've done something good to get five fragments in one go!"
"Just a few more pulls, and I can get 50 fragments for a trial card. Then it's time to shake up the ninja world!"
"Again! Who needs Kizaru or Purpledog, they're useless! This is all my own luck!"
[Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo) Fragment x1, Prismatic Stone x1, Prismatic Stone x1, Prismatic... Prismatic Stone x1]
Staring at the nine glowing Prismatic Stones in front of him, Seisui fell silent.
Deep, soul-crushing silence.
"…I really am an idiot."
=============
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