Chapter 35: Eating Meat

Sakumo turned with a hint of surprise. "Hmm...? Kakashi, you haven't come home yet?"

Kakashi shook his head, his expression remaining flat and unreadable. "Not yet, Father."

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, as if time had stopped between them. There was something deep and unspoken between the father and son, something Aoki felt but could not fully understand.

Sakumo then looked towards Rin and Obito with curiosity. "Are they your friends from the Ninja Academy?" Sakumo asked Kakashi, looking at his son with hope.

Kakashi, with his expression still flat, simply nodded. "Yes."

Sakumo smiled gently. "Then how about I treat your friends to dinner? After all, you all haven't had dinner yet, right?"

Obito's eyes immediately lit up with enthusiasm. "Wow, really, Uncle? We're going to be treated to a meal?"

"Of course," Sakumo replied, nodding warmly. "Let's go to the barbecue restaurant. We were planning to eat there anyway."

Without waiting any longer, Sakumo invited Kakashi, Rin, and Obito to join them. Together, the group walked towards the bustling barbecue restaurant. The bright lights and the aroma of grilled meat added to the warm atmosphere of the night.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, they began to order food. Aoki and Obito quickly devoured their dishes, eagerly waiting for the next batch of meat to finish grilling.

However, their tranquility was soon disrupted when Aoki noticed Obito taking the meat that Aoki had just grilled. "Hey! Why are you taking the meat I grilled?" Aoki exclaimed, his face annoyed.

Obito just grinned, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "First come, first served!" Obito teased Aoki without a hint of guilt.

Aoki grew more irritated and leaned closer to Obito. "How dare you say that to someone who helped you!"

Obito huffed, unwilling to back down. "Why are you bringing that up while eating? If you didn't want to help, then don't help me."

"Heh, are you embarrassed? Just a little fall and a small injury, and you're already crying!" Aoki mocked, deliberately playing with Obito's emotions.

Obito narrowed his eyes, then raised his chopsticks in a threatening manner, pointing them at Aoki. "I told you, don't say that!"

Aoki just smiled smugly. "Why? Are you upset? What a loser!"

Obito's face turned red with anger. "What did you say! How dare you say that to me, Obito, the future Hokage!"

Aoki burst into loud laughter, slamming his hand on the table. "Future Hokage? You? No way! You're a loser, how could you ever become Hokage!"

Their argument drew the attention of the entire table, including Sakumo, Rin, and Kakashi. Kakashi merely sighed softly, while Sakumo smiled, watching the lively dynamics among the children.

There was something warm and hopeful in this moment—a glimpse of a future filled with laughter and friendship, even if sprinkled with little disputes.

"Enough, you two! Stop making such a fuss, it's embarrassing in front of others. You too, Obito, just eat!" Rin quickly interrupted the argument between Aoki and Obito, her voice firm yet gentle.

"But, Rin... this guy," Obito tried to defend himself, feeling that he wasn't entirely at fault.

"No 'buts'! You need to be quiet, Obito!" Rin glared at Obito, causing him to fall silent.

"Fine... alright," Obito said in a resigned tone, not daring to argue further.

The tension at the table began to ease, and they continued eating quietly. However, amidst the silence, Kakashi, who had mostly been quiet until now, finally spoke up, expressing the unease that had been bothering him for a long time.

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