"..."
In Kakashi's line of sight, Ye Wudi was calmly throwing the fish he had just bought yes, the ones he claimed he was going to release back into the wild straight into the deep fryer of the barbecue stall next door.
"In another life, we may never meet again. But I'll miss you... Don't look back. Go home now!"
"Oh my, little fishies, you've come back already? Ah well, boss, extra chili and cumin!"
Wait a minute why did they come back?
Didn't you yourself toss them into the fryer!?
At that realization, Kakashi was left utterly speechless.
Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received 99 points of negative emotion from Hatake Kakashi!
But in the very next second, Kakashi's gaze slowly shifted away from Ye Wudi... and landed on the fish sizzling away in the oil.
Golden, crispy skin. A glaze glistening with rich, savory sheen.
Grrrgle.
Mmm~
Big fish like that... must be incredibly tasty when grilled.
As Kakashi pondered that, the barbecue stall owner had also gotten fired up literally.
His eyes were practically glowing with passion.
After all, grilling such large fish was the perfect opportunity to show off his skills.
"You got it, little fella! Don't you worry!"
"I promise I'll make these fish delicious. Absolutely no need to worry, da ze!"
"Hahaha! It's time to bring the heat! Fire Style ho ho ho!"
"..."
Watching the stall owner unleash bursts of fire chakra to grill the fish, flames leaping higher and higher around him, Ye Wudi couldn't help but sigh and shake his head.
Sigh... Can the Boruto sequel stop disappointing for once?
Even watching this guy grill fish is more exciting than that show.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
With the stall owner going full throttle, it didn't take long for the fish Ye Wudi had tossed into the oil to come out sizzling.
Perfectly crisped on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. The aroma was rich, tangy, irresistible.
"Here you go, little fella, give it a try!"
With the roasted fish finally done, Ye Wudi didn't hesitate at all. He grabbed one and gave it a sniff.
"Oh my, no wonder these fish came back after I let them go. This is what it means to repay kindness with deliciousness!"
"The crispy crackle of the skin, the glossy sauce looks amazing!"
But instead of biting in immediately, Ye Wudi gently blew on the fish in his hand, his expression tender and attentive.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he leaned over and held the fish out to Hinata, who was still holding his hand.
He gently pressed his forehead against hers, and with a warm smile, whispered:
"Hinata, I cooled it for you. Try it, see if you like it?"
"Wudi-nii~ So... so close... mmm~"
Her cheeks already blushing, Hinata managed to hold on, opening her cherry-pink lips and taking a tiny bite from the roasted fish.
Crunch.
Splurt!
Juices burst from the crispy fish skin, splashing across Hinata's face and making a delightful mess.
"Wudi-nii~ mmmya…"
"Careful, my little glutton. It's hot."
Looking at the adorable mess Hinata had become, Ye Wudi felt a surge of hormones rising wildly within him.
He gently lifted her chin, gazing at her with heartfelt affection.
After all, who could possibly resist such a sight?
Hinata, flustered but soft-eyed, closed her left eye, left the right slightly open, and buried her face in her sleeves, whispering with shy indignation:
"Wudi-nii~ you're so mean. I'm not a cat, hmph~"
"Oh? Then what's this? Your face is covered in love the sauce of my affection."
"L-Love? Love~"
At his straightforward confession, Hinata's brain nearly short-circuited.
But just before she could faint, Ye Wudi's next move startled her wide awake.
"Ah Wudi-nii, not there! That tickles~"
"I am going there! If you say no, that only means yes!"
"Kyah hahaha! It tickles~"
"..."
Kakashi watched them wordlessly for a while, then glanced back at the grilled fish on the stall.
He was craving so bad it hurt.
But with Ye Wudi the one who paid for it not eating yet, he couldn't very well dig in first...
Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received 666 points of negative emotion from Hatake Kakashi!
Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received…
After the sweet little moment between Ye Wudi and Hinata wrapped up, and the negative emotions had been collected in a satisfying amount...
Ye Wudi finally picked up one of the grilled fish and took a big bite with a loud crunch.
"Oh my~ so good!"
"Here, Kakashi-sensei, you have some too! We're off to school, so we'll leave you to enjoy it slowly."
"All right, off you go."
Having waited so long, Kakashi didn't hold back anymore. He grabbed a fish and bit right in.
"As expected delicious! But... I feel like I forgot something..."
Chomp chomp chomp~
Halfway through his meal, Kakashi's eyes flew wide open.
Oh no, I forgot to ask that last question!
In that instant, Kakashi sprang up and zipped in front of Ye Wudi and Hinata.
"Huff... You two wait! Especially you, Ye Wudi!"
"There's still one last thing I need to ask you!"
"Huh? Kakashi-sensei, are you still hungry?"
Ye Wudi put on his brightest sunshine smile, clearly playing dumb, and began pulling Hinata away by the hand.
"The grilled fish filled me up."
"Good, then goodbye."
"Bye-b-wait, no! That's not the question I meant!"
Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received 666 points of negative emotion from Hatake Kakashi!
Realizing Kakashi actually had the awareness to react this fast, Ye Wudi wasn't surprised in the slightest but still pulled a mock-panicked face and hugged Hinata tightly.
"Kakashi-sensei, what do you want from me? You're not trying to steal Hinata's love-bento for me, are you?"
"Love bento? Kakashi-sensei! Hmph!"
Blushing as she was hugged tightly by Ye Wudi, Hinata instantly puffed up at the mention of her lovingly prepared bento being targeted.
Her eyes turned into adorable little fireballs as she glared at Kakashi, both hands clutching the lunchbox like her life depended on it.
It was meant to be a fierce, protective expression yet coming from Hinata, it was so cute that Ye Wudi couldn't help but pinch her cheeks.
"Ah-Wudi-nii, not now! Let me protect the bento first, then we can go to the woods~ Kyah, haha, ticklish!"
"Don't worry. I'll protect both you and the love bento you made for me!"
"Mhm! Hinata believes in Wudi-nii. Let's protect the bento together! Heeyah~"
"..."
Seeing Hinata's adorable pout and Ye Wudi's overflowing sense of justice and possessiveness...
Kakashi stood frozen for a moment, unsure how to even respond.
Because for some reason...
After getting dragged into whatever bizarre, cross-dimensional dialogue this was...
He had somehow gone from being their homeroom teacher to a villain trying to steal a kid's lunchbox.
Damn it! This was all Ye Wudi's fault. That brat was just too good at leading people in circles!
Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received 666 points of negative emotion from Hatake Kakashi!
Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received…