Treating someone to a meal has always been a necessary means of building relationships in any era. With the wealthy Kakashi footing the bill, everyone dug in heartily. Hinata, the timid girl, continued to eat her barbecue with her usual shy expression.
"Ino, I really can't eat anymore."
"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei, I'm really full."
"I'm really full... I really can't eat anymore."
Hinata maintained a steady pace while eating barbecue. If one wasn't paying attention, they wouldn't realize that she was actually the one who ate the most among everyone present.
Ino didn't miss this opportunity either. Asuma had been pushing her to train in Body Techniques whenever he had the time. After hearing that she had been repeatedly attacked by the Mist Ninja trio using Body Techniques, Inoichi also urged her to strengthen her training in this area. Her energy expenditure was high, and without eating meat, she simply wouldn't have the strength to train.
Sakura's mind, however, wasn't on the meal.
She chatted with Hanare about a lot of gossip. The girl with the wide forehead was clearly more interested in these topics. Hanare, as a spy who had traveled far and wide, had mastered the art of speaking differently to different people. Fooling a naive girl like Sakura was as easy as pie for her. While she seemed to talk endlessly, upon closer inspection, she actually didn't say much of substance.
Kurenai and Asuma were whispering quietly at another table.
On the main table, there were four girls in total. Hanare sat on the far left near the aisle, Sakura and Ino were in the middle, and Hinata sat at the very end to conceal her identity as a member of the Hyuga clan.
Sakura was chatting happily when she turned and noticed that both Hinata and Ino were eating voraciously.
Her thought process was always a bit different from others, often noticing things that others couldn't.
She nudged Ino with her elbow: "Ino-pig, look at Kakashi-sensei."
"What? What's wrong?" Ino looked up and glanced over: "Nothing seems off? What's the issue?"
Sakura lowered her voice: "Kakashi-sensei hasn't taken off his mask while eating. Do you think under his mask there might be..."
Her eyes wandered, and her expression turned strange: "Maybe buck teeth?! Or thick lips? Or perhaps..."
She guessed several possibilities in a row, making Ino shiver. Hanare, overhearing this, simply covered her mouth and chuckled. Naruto, on the other hand, was sneakily eyeing Kakashi, his movements slightly exaggerated, which made Sasuke follow his gaze.
When everyone looked over, they finally noticed the issue.
Kakashi usually didn't eat. Whenever the waiter brought food or someone blocked the view, he would swiftly devour an entire plate of barbecue in the blink of an eye! His cheeks would puff up as he chewed the meat slowly in his mouth.
Seemingly noticing their stares, Kakashi swallowed the meat in his mouth and explained with conviction: "It's a habit left over from the war days. I eat too fast and can't break the habit. Hey, boss, bring another plate of barbecue for Miss Hyuga!"
Such a cheap trick to divert attention was too obvious. They weren't kids anymore. Straightforward guys like Naruto and Sasuke didn't care how much Hinata ate; they were more curious about what Kakashi's face looked like under his mask.
"Speak your mind!" That was Naruto's Ninja Way.
He directly asked, wanting to know what Kakashi's true face looked like under the mask.
"You've been staring at me instead of eating just for this?" Kakashi's gaze swept over their faces before he asked. Everyone, including the usually low-profile Shino Aburame, nodded vigorously.
Asuma and Kurenai chuckled softly, choosing not to join in this "activity."
"You kids are really curious," Kakashi said as he grabbed his mask, pulling it down ever so slightly.
Even Ino, who had been five parts preoccupied with the Vapor Explosion and four parts scheming, turned her full attention to him.
Naruto was sweating, nervously swallowing a big gulp of saliva. Everyone stared intently at Kakashi's right hand, feeling that his movement to pull down the mask was agonizingly slow.
Just as they were about to protest, Kakashi swiftly yanked off the mask, only to reveal another blue mask underneath. "Pfft!" Naruto spat out the grilled meat in his mouth, coughing violently and bending over, unable to straighten up for a long time. Sasuke's expression darkened, feeling utterly fooled, while Sakura was deeply disappointed. "That's it?"
"Hahaha—" Asuma and Kurenai burst into laughter, clearly having been tricked by Kakashi before. They laughed so hard that tears streamed down their faces.
In the end, Kakashi did not reveal his true face.
The atmosphere at the gathering was good, so no one pressed the issue further. Jokes should be kept in moderation; going too far would be inappropriate.
Ino took the opportunity to liven up the mood, starting to pitch to Kakashi, "You have a girlfriend now, right? Shouldn't you buy some flowers? Or maybe some jewelry? Gold and silver accessories? I have it all, and I even offer free shipping."
"No, no, Hanare and I are just friends," Kakashi quickly waved his hands to explain.
Hanare smiled without saying a word, appearing very gentle and ladylike, completely unlike the master spy who had operated across numerous Ninja Villages.
"Kakashi-sensei, how did you and Miss Hanare meet?" Sakura, with her romantic mindset, eagerly asked the question.
Everyone around pricked up their ears to listen, even Asuma and Kurenai glanced over with the corners of their eyes.
Kakashi scratched his head, unsure of how to respond.
Hanare, however, was very open: "Let me tell it. I remember I was still young, about your age now. I was lost and the training was tough. I just wanted to find my way back to the village, but I got lost."
She glossed over the details about the village, then blushed slightly as she looked at Kakashi: "When I was at my most helpless, I met him. He encouraged me, saying that if I missed my family, I should look up at the white clouds in the sky and imagine them as my family."
Sakura kept stealing glances at Sasuke, never expecting Kakashi-sensei to say something so sweet. If only Sasuke would say something like that.
After the "Barbecue Q" gathering, Kakashi called Ino aside. Once everyone had left, he asked seriously, "Inoichi-senpai mentioned that you want to apprentice under Lady Tsunade. Can you tell me your reasons?"
Ino spoke with nine parts truth and one part fabrication, "Actually, earlier when Haku stabbed my palm and Chojuro's Hiramekarei struck my back heavily, it really hurt. I'm afraid of pain, and even more afraid of death. But what I fear most is seeing my comrades die in front of me while I can do nothing to help. I want to learn more advanced Medical Ninja Techniques so that I won't be helpless when regret strikes."
Kakashi responded, "Your ninja techniques are already quite formidable. I believe among your peers, there are few ninjas who can match you. Besides Water Release and Earth Release, learning Medical Ninja Techniques will significantly scatter your focus."
Ino shook her head, "But ninjas always get injured in battles. Once injured, their combat abilities greatly diminish. I believe healing methods are still very necessary."