Chapter 17: Hinata Takes Action
Right now, just before mealtime, Yakiniku Q had few customers—only a scattered few tables of diners.
In the back kitchen, Kiyonari stood before the prep counter watching the staff process the wild boar meat he'd brought.
He'd kept the choicest, most succulent cut from the boar for himself. The rest he'd sold to Yakiniku Q—not only did they process it for free, they'd paid him a handsome sum. The Akimichi clan truly lived up to their reputation. When it came to food, they really spent freely.
Unexpectedly, Hyuga Hinata had actually found her way here.
She stood outside the kitchen and waved. "Kiyonari-kun, sorry to disturb you."
Hyuga Kiyonari left the back kitchen. "Hinata, what's going on?"
"I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Have you eaten yet?" Kiyonari suddenly asked, then added, "I got a wild boar from the Forest of Death and asked the staff to help process it. If you haven't eaten, you could join me."
Wild boar meat?
Hyuga Hinata's throat moved slightly in a swallow before she nodded in agreement.
The two found a quiet corner to sit. While waiting for the wild boar meat to arrive, she took the initiative to open the conversation. "Do you know about Lady Tsunade?"
Kiyonari nodded. "A bit. I actually saw her this afternoon at the village gates when I came back from the Forest of Death."
"I asked Father about Lady Tsunade."
"What did Lord Hiashi say?"
Hinata then carefully recounted everything Hiashi had told her—from Tsunade's brother dying in the Second Shinobi World War, to the proposal that still hadn't been implemented even now.
After listening, Kiyonari fell silent for a moment. With Hiashi's reaction as proof, it meant his past life's understanding of Tsunade's character was completely correct. I wrote the script right.
"Since Lord Hiashi already gave you a hint, shouldn't the rest be easy?"
Hinata clenched her fists, glanced around, and spoke quickly in a low voice. "Actually, I've mostly figured it out—I just don't dare believe it. After all these years with no progress, it can only mean the village doesn't want to do it, not that they lack the ability. I think... that's the reason Lady Tsunade left the village."
"Might not be enough." Kiyonari offered a different opinion.
"From what I know, Lady Tsunade left the village even before the Third Shinobi World War began. Perhaps she'd already foreseen that her proposal would never have a chance of passing. My guess is that's the real reason she left the village. To put it more directly—why could she foresee it? What made her able to foresee it?"
Just then, an elderly staff member approached carrying a platter of processed wild boar meat. The two naturally paused their discussion.
Suddenly, Shizune pushed open the shop door and walked in.
Kiyonari's eyes flickered. He quickly pointed her out to Hinata. "I saw her this afternoon at the village gates. She came back with Lady Tsunade."
A nearby yakiniku shop employee setting down meat dishes added, "Her name is Kato Shizune. She's the niece of Kato Dan, Lady Tsunade's former lover."
He was an old-timer in the Akimichi clan—he knew many people and many things.
"Lady Tsunade's lover?" Hinata was somewhat surprised, nearly failing to keep her voice down.
"That's right," the employee's voice carried regret. "Kato Dan also died in the war. Lady Tsunade left Konoha shortly after that. I remember back then, Shizune was just a little girl—not much older than you two. In the blink of an eye, when she returns, she's already a graceful young woman."
"Welcome! What can I get for you?" Another employee approached.
"Hello, I'd like to get some raw meat to take home and grill myself." Shizune's voice carried youthful energy. In the original story, when she'd returned to the village, she'd been over thirty—the best years of her life all spent wandering.
The employee's eyes lit up as he immediately recommended, "Perfect timing! We have a batch of fresh wild boar meat today—the texture is incredibly firm and flavorful. Haven't seen quality this good in years."
"You came back with Lady Tsunade, right? We haven't seen Lady Tsunade in so many years. Why not just eat here? Our chef can personally grill it for you. I guarantee Lady Tsunade will be satisfied!"
A troubled expression crossed Shizune's face. "No thank you, I appreciate the thought. Lady Tsunade just had a fight with the Hokage and is in a terrible mood. Maybe next time."
"Lady Tsunade and the Hokage are still the same as ever."
The employee didn't seem surprised—just nodded with some regret and began preparing Shizune's order.
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the relatively quiet shop, those words still clearly reached Hinata and Kiyonari. The two exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of surprise in the other's eyes.
Shizune stood at the counter waiting, looking somewhat weary, the corners of her eyes carrying faint worry. Clearly, Tsunade's argument with the Hokage troubled her as well.
That's how it was—when Tsunade was in a bad mood, she just needed to get blind drunk. But Shizune, who had to clean up the aftermath, had far more to consider.
A few minutes later, the employee handed the packaged meat to Shizune.
"Besides the wild boar, there's some wagyu too. Rounding down, that's six thousand ryo total."
Shizune paid and prepared to leave.
Just then, Hinata suddenly spoke up. "Kiyonari-kun... I want to follow her and meet Lady Tsunade."
"I'll come with you. Let's leave the meat here for now."
Kiyonari found the employee and made an excuse about having urgent business, asking him to wrap everything up so he could retrieve it later.
On Konoha's streets, Shizune carried her bag of meat along the main road toward the village's northwest district.
The good news was that the Hyuga compound lay in that direction too. The two maintained a distance of about twenty meters behind her without arousing any suspicion.
About ten minutes later, Shizune stopped before an aged estate and knocked. Before long, the gate opened, revealing Tsunade's figure.
"Shizune, you were followed and didn't even notice. How did you let your guard down the moment you returned to the village?"
Shizune froze, turning to look behind her. "I remembered the Hyuga clan compound is in this direction too. Thought these two children were just heading home."
Tsunade sighed, her gaze locking onto the two figures behind a tree trunk as she raised her voice. "Come out, you two brats."
Discovered instantly...
"Let's go. No point hiding if we're caught." Kiyonari spoke quietly to Hinata before stepping out from behind the tree trunk first.
Tsunade's amber eyes swept over the two children. Her gaze first landed on Hinata's smooth, clean forehead before shifting to Kiyonari—where a white cloth band wrapped around his.
"What are your names?"
Hinata's old nervous habit kicked in. Her index fingers circled each other as she answered softly, "I... I'm Hyuga Hinata."
Kiyonari responded relatively calmly. "I'm Hyuga Kiyonari."
So this is the kid.
Tsunade's interest sparked as her gaze lingered on Kiyonari for a few extra seconds.
***
20+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces