Chapter 24 - Grabbing the Bill When Inviting Someone to Dinner
Konoha Village.
Inside the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.
A teenager sat in the ramen store huffing and puffing and drinking very freely.
A young man with glasses sat next to him, picking up ramen with his own chopsticks and biting into his mouth earnestly, even taking a paper towel to wipe the stains at the corners of his mouth after taking a bite.
This way of eating undoubtedly appeared much more svelte than the teenager next to him, inevitably making the people around him feel that the noodle-eating teenager's demeanor was a bit rude.
"So...so gentle!"
A girl looked at the refined young man with stars in her eyes.
The store manager of Ichiraku Ramen was a middle-aged man, the owner of the ramen shop, an older man known around Konoha as "Teuchi-ossan" or "Boss Teuchi," gently tapped his daughter Ayame on the shoulder.
"Ayame, don't stare at the customers like that, disturbing them from eating ramen..."
"I know, Oto-san!"
Ayame pouted in dissatisfaction, and peeked at the teenager who was eating a bit rudely, "Obviously he's quite good looking as well, why is he wolfing down his food?"
"Because your family's ramen tastes delicious!"
The teenager complimented with some sincerity, "I feel like I have stamina after eating a bowl of ramen, though it should be because I didn't eat breakfast!"
"Uh...thanks for the compliment."
The Handy Boss could only thank his guest for the compliment, as always.
"I've never seen you before!"
Ayame was somewhat curious about this teenager who was the same age as herself, "Are you a ninja from another village? Coming to Konoha to take the chunin exam?"
"I am a Anbu of the village."
The teenager blurted out his identity.
The teenager seemed to be afraid that Ayame would not understand, and earnestly explained to her, "The Anbu division, do you understand the Anbu division? It is the darkest department in the village! The kind of Anbu that appears at someone's house in the middle of the night and kills all the family there!"
"..."
Ayame' eyes widened.
"..."
Boss Teuchi struggled to open his own eyes, somewhat surprised that in all his years in Konoha, he had never heard of such a strange term for the Anbu...
Boss Teuchi had a vague feeling that something wasn't quite right somewhere.
It so happened that at this time, a white-haired Dark maske ninja walked over with his teammates and opened his mouth to correct him, "Hey, don't slander the reputation of the Anbu here, Akihara Kagura, I remember that you little guy aren't a Anbu ninja either, right?"
"Eh? I'm not a ninja of the Anbu Division?"
Kagura raised his head in some surprise, looking at the visitor as someone familiar, and suddenly narrowed his eyes and laughed softly, "Kakashi-senpai, are you saying that the Root Training Division isn't part of the Anbu operational roster?"
"..."
Kakashi was silent and unable to answer.
Although everyone thought that Root was not an official Anbu, Root's official name was the Anbu Training Division, and theoretically, Root ninjas were indeed within the Anbu Division establishment as well.
This little guy...
Seems to have become more polite than last time?
At least willing to address himself as a senpai...
"Long time no see!"
Kagura greeted enthusiastically towards Kakashi, and his gaze shifted to Tenzo next to him, "Yo, traitor, you're here too, it's been a long time... don't worry, Lord Danzo won't let me kill people indiscriminately inside the village... you're safe."
"..."
Kakashi retracted his comment he had just made.
"..."
Tenzo was a bit hesitant to say hello.
"Slurp... slurp..."
Kabuto was still sitting at the table, eating ramen in a svelte manner.
"Aren't you supposed to be taking the chunin exams today?"
Kakashi walked over and asked curiously, "Still have time to come here and eat ramen? The first written exam should be starting soon, right?"
"Never mind."
Kagura shook his head indifferently and said, "What does it matter if I enter early or late? I don't know anything on the test paper anyway."
"..."
Everyone in the room fell silent.
So why are you guys being so nice about it!
"That...the Chunin Exams..."
Tenzo stood by the side and hesitated for a moment, but opened his mouth to remind, "It seems that if you're late, you'll be ruled disqualified from the exam..."
"Oh."
Kagura nodded with a look of understanding, and his gaze went to Kabuto Doodle next to him, his expression still calm, "Kabuto, didn't you hear what the others said? Didn't you have breakfast? Have you never had ramen? Didn't you bring any money to settle the bill?"
"Character... a bit nasty!"
Ayame couldn't help but spit out a sentence, and when she saw the teenager's gaze slowly moving over, she was so frightened that she hurriedly bowed her head again and apologized, "I'm sorry!"
"It's okay."
Kagura shook his head and pointed to the empty bowl on his table, "Then, as a token of sincerity for apologizing, can you give me a free meal today? Otherwise I might have to go on credit first if I'm trying to catch up on my exams... just send the bill to the Anbu for me..."
"..."
Ayame was dumbfounded by what she heard.
"I'll pay it."
Three voices sounded at the same time.
One of the voices sounded a bit helpless, one sounded a bit restrained and uneasy, and the last one sounded a bit rippled.
Kakashi's palms dug into his pockets, glancing in surprise at Tenzo, who was also digging into his wallet next to him, and then at Kabuto, who was paying.
"Looks like you're not so bad with people..."
Ayame took the money and gave the teen a rare compliment.
"Perhaps."
The teenager, Akihara Kagura, seemed a bit pleased with himself, "Actually, these three people who tried to pay for me were the ones I wanted to kill..."
"..."
Everyone present fell silent.
This brat's mouth could really offend people!
"Hurry up and go to the exam!"
Kakashi frowned himself.
If there hadn't been the precedent of Tanzo before, and Kakashi wanted to pull Akihara Kagura out of that hellish place like the Root Organization, he wouldn't want to pay attention to this arrogant brat.
"Let's go."
Kagura waved towards Kabuto and glanced at Kakashi and Tenzo again, "Tch, it's a shame that you two were late in paying, in the future, if you want to do an errand and invite someone to dinner, you'd better pay the bill a little bit faster than the others..."
"..."
Kakashi and Tenzo looked at each other suspiciously.
This moment...
They didn't know what this brat meant either.
However, Kabuto, the one who paid first, quickly sensed what he could gain by paying first when he invited Kagura to dinner.
"Kabuto, I will still kill you and Dean Nono."
"But seeing as you treated me to a bowl of ramen today, it's possible to tell you a kinda useful piece of news first..."
Kagura's gaze shifted to Kabuto, whose expression was unperturbed, and slowly continued, "The Iwa Village that you're going to infiltrate into is where Dean Nono is as well..."
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hoo I will post a new chapter later bye bye