Gathering

"Shimizu."

Kakashi, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot Shimizu.

"Kakashi, you guys are here early."

Shimizu stepped forward and greeted him.

Nohara Rin, who had been talking to Obito, turned at the sound and also saw Shimizu.

"Huh? Rin, what's wrong?"

Obito noticed that Rin's expression stiffened for a brief moment before returning to normal. The change was so fleeting that he wasn't sure if he had imagined it.

"It's nothing, Obito. Hurry up and take a seat."

Rin shook her head.

Today, Sarutobi Asuma had reserved several private rooms, inviting close classmates to the gathering.

"Shimizu, you finally showed up!"

Just as Asuma stepped out of one of the rooms, he spotted Shimizu standing in the hallway.

"It's been a while. You seem taller than before."

Asuma gestured between himself and Shimizu, feeling that the latter had grown quite a bit since their last meeting.

He hadn't seen Shimizu since the Chunin Exams, and now that they finally met again, Shimizu seemed different.

"I guess I matured early."

Shimizu brushed off the topic and exchanged some casual conversation, asking Asuma about his recent experiences.

His growth rate was indeed faster than most, but in this world, cases of rapid development weren't uncommon, so he didn't stand out too much.

Asuma didn't dwell on the subject either and continued chatting about other things. Their conversation was rather pleasant.

Soon, Asuma led Shimizu to his seat.

The so-called "private rooms" were actually just spaces partitioned by half-height wooden dividers. If someone stood up, they could easily see the other guests nearby.

After guiding Shimizu to his spot, Asuma turned and saw another classmate from the Akimichi clan approaching. He quickly excused himself and went to greet them.

Since he had organized this gathering, it was naturally his responsibility to take care of everyone.

Shimizu's table still had open seats. Seeing him there, Kakashi took a seat beside him.

With Kakashi joining, Rin had no choice but to follow.

And since Rin was there, Obito thick-skinnedly squeezed himself in as well.

"Uchiha... Shimizu."

Suddenly, a woman's voice called his name.

Everyone instinctively turned to look.

A vibrant and youthful figure entered their sight.

Kurenai Yuhi, dressed in a ninja flak jacket and tight-fitting pants, walked toward them with a steady stride.

"Don't forget about our matter."

Her words carried a deeper meaning.

After saying that, she turned and sat in another booth.

Rin's eyes flickered slightly. If she remembered correctly, Shimizu's match against Kurenai during the Chunin Exams had been... strange.

She sneaked a glance at Shimizu out of the corner of her eye, wanting to see his reaction.

But Shimizu remained as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened.

"Could it be… that this beast did that to Kurenai too?"

Once bitten, twice shy. To Rin, any interaction Shimizu had with a woman now seemed suspect.

"Shimizu and Kurenai seem pretty close, huh?"

Obito didn't miss this chance to throw some shade.

To him, Shimizu was a major rival—he had taught Rin many medical ninjutsu and was part of her squad, which made their relationship undeniably close.

Any opportunity to undermine Shimizu's image in Rin's eyes, Obito was willing to take.

"Not really."

Shimizu responded indifferently.

Obito was like an annoying piece of gum—if he wasn't clinging to Kakashi, he was sticking to Rin.

Even though they hadn't been assigned to the same team as in the original timeline, he and Kakashi still got along surprisingly well. Some things, it seemed, were just destined.

"Oh? Shimizu's here too?"

A girl holding a snow-white puppy suddenly noticed him.

If Inuzuka Akizuki hadn't stood up to grab some condiments, she might not have realized he was there at all.

"What a coincidence, Akizuki."

Shimizu nodded.

He glanced briefly at the small dog in her arms. The Inuzuka clan had unique techniques for raising and training their ninja hounds.

If not for an incident where Snowmaru accidentally swallowed a plastic toy and suffered from indigestion, compounded by the fact that most of the clan's adults had been away on missions, they would have easily treated the pup themselves.

Bringing the dog into Yakiniku Q wasn't a problem either. Well-trained and intelligent, it wouldn't jump on tables for food or make a mess.

"Yeah, what a coincidence!"

Akizuki's tone was a mix of nervousness and excitement, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Shimizu.

She chatted with him for a while before reluctantly returning to her seat.

This made Obito even more restless. Seeing Kakashi and Shimizu effortlessly attract girls' attention while he had never once received a love letter in his entire life...

The contrast between people was just too cruel.

Meanwhile, Kakashi remained as uninterested as ever, lazily picking up his chopsticks and eating his grilled meat.

This was just a small interlude. The group continued barbecuing.

As everyone arrived, Asuma stood up to give a brief speech, and the atmosphere reached its peak.

War was approaching, and all the shinobi present knew their peaceful days wouldn't last much longer.

This gathering was a way for them to vent their emotions. Some secretly drank, while others indulged in food and laughter with friends.

Shimizu ate at a steady pace, uninterested in Asuma's little social circle or the fleeting camaraderie of others.

Most of the shinobi here would die.

War was always cruel.

Even in the original story, named side characters perished one after another. Countless nameless ones, who never had the chance to appear, died in silence, unnoticed.

So Shimizu had no interest in forming bonds with people who were doomed. He only accepted the invitation out of courtesy to Asuma.

Of course, a more important reason was that he wanted to observe Kurenai's reaction.

It saved him the trouble of seeking her out himself.

Time passed. The customers at Yakiniku Q came and went.

Amid the shifting figures, only a few remained.

Two men sat at one table. At another, a lone woman with curled black hair sat quietly.

Kakashi, Rin, Obito, and the others had all left.

Only Asuma, as the host, remained.

The delinquent that he was, he had naturally joined in on the secret drinking and was now completely wasted. When he got home, he would no doubt face a stern lecture from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Shimizu… why'd you stop drinking? Keep going…"

Drunkenly, Asuma slumped over the table, speaking in a slurred voice.

"Drink up."

Shimizu clinked his glass against Asuma's.

He was drinking orange juice. Asuma was drinking alcohol.

By the time Asuma finally collapsed, completely unconscious, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Shimizu's lips as he watched Kurenai rise from her seat and walk toward him.

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