The sacred summoning land, Mount Myoboku,
At this moment, several strangely dressed "upright apes" had arrived.
"Ribbit, ribbit—look at these upright apes, they're so weird. Some wear hats, some have white eyes, some look completely wild, and one of them is actually blind."
"Ribbit, you don't get it. This is probably human fashion—something no creature can understand, so they just call it 'fashion.'"
The two little toads chatted carefree.
As for why this group came to Mount Myoboku first—
Because Minato was easy to fool.
Ahem.
Because Minato was kind.
The moment he heard that Mount Myoboku might have a way to treat Senju Hideki, he immediately brought everyone here.
"Minato, are you sure you've got strong connections here?"
Hyūga Hiyasu asked doubtfully.
They'd been standing here for quite a while now.
Why hadn't anyone—no, why hadn't any toads—come out to greet them?
"Maybe… they're all busy."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly, silently praying:
Fukasaku, Shima, Gamabunta, Gamaken, Gamahiro… please come out and greet me already…
It was his first time bringing guests home, and having no one show up to receive them was painfully awkward.
"Shiken, what are you doing?"
Inuzuka Ryoha asked, eyeing Aburame Shiken sneaking around suspiciously.
"We're here to ask for help, don't go causing trouble."
Then Aburame Shiken pulled out a huge banner:
"Aburame Brand Insect All-You-Can-Eat BBQ — Now Open!"
???
???
???
???
You came to Mount Myoboku… just to start a stunt like this?
But since they were all idle anyway—
Might as well join in.
As the saying goes, when a few idle people gather, an idea will naturally appear—and great things follow.
Hyūga Hiyasu: "I'll handle cutting and shelling."
Uchiha Kamito: "I'll handle the shouting."
Inuzuka Ryoha: "I'll handle the fire."
Namikaze Minato: "I'll serve the dishes."
Aburame Shiken: "I'll handle the cooking."
The only ones unhappy… were probably the insects making up Aburame Shiken's clone.
Insects: Are you even human?! You're making me cook my own united, loving insect brethren! Those are my brothers, my confidantes, my mentors—…add some cumin!!!
"Aburame Brand Grilled Insects—officially open for business!"
Uchiha Kamito took a deep breath and shouted:
"Come one, come all! Take a look! Delicious grilled insects! One skewer—no regrets! Two skewers—no scams! Eat three or five, and you're guaranteed a great night's sleep!"
"All you handsome and beautiful toads—don't miss out as you pass by!"
"Who knows when we'll open again next time!"
Truly professional.
After Uchiha Kamito's enthusiastic shouting, more and more toads gathered around their stall.
...
Inside Mount Myoboku,
Fukasaku and Shima respectfully awaited the Great Toad Sage's response.
The Great Toad Sage suddenly jolted awake:
"Go get me two deluxe supreme ultimate combo meals."
Fukasaku & Shima: ???
"Great Toad Sage, we don't understand what you mean."
The Great Toad Sage looked a bit embarrassed.
At such a serious moment, how could he only be thinking about food?
"Ahem."
"The future of the Hidden Leaf Village will become something the ninja world has never seen before. Those children outside will surely achieve their wishes. Fukasaku, Shima—you must help that blond-haired boy."
"Yes."
The two sages bowed in acknowledgment.
The blond-haired boy… that must be Minato.
They were just about to leave—
When the Great Toad Sage suddenly called them back again.
"That deluxe supreme ultimate combo… make it ten portions. No—one hundred."
After all, eating was more important.
Miss this chance, and it might never come again.
The two sages were puzzled again.
What exactly was this "deluxe supreme" thing?
"Dear, I'm hungry. And since new guests have arrived at Mount Myoboku, we should properly entertain them,"
Fukasaku said.
Jiraiya: No need—really, no need! Please just take care of yourselves! Those brats of mine absolutely don't need this!
"No problem, dear. Leave everything to me,"
Shima patted her chest.
It was time to show off her skills again.
After Shima left,
Fukasaku looked outside at the empty Mount Myoboku—
His head filled with question marks.
Where are all the toads? Why isn't a single one in sight?
Thinking this, he went to greet the guests.
Suddenly—
"Hm? What's that smell? So fragrant."
He quickened his pace.
...
At the entrance of Mount Myoboku,
Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken—
The three brothers raised massive wooden barrels.
"Cheers!"
Gulp, gulp—
They drained the sweet liquor in one go.
"Ahh, that hits the spot."
"Minato, another round!"
Minato, who had just delivered a plate of roasted silkworm pupae to a steel-armored toad:
"Please enjoy."
Hearing Gamabunta's request, he quickly replied:
"No problem, Gamabunta!"
With a flash of golden light,
Minato appeared beside the empty barrel—
In three swift moves—
The empty barrel was replaced with a full one.
Top-tier service speed.
If he hadn't become a ninja, Namikaze Minato would absolutely have been one of the most successful people in the ninja world.
A natural-born service prodigy—terrifying, truly.
As for who refilled the liquor—
That would naturally be Inuzuka Ryoha, who had earlier been in charge of lighting the fire.
Aburame Shiken, Hyūga Hiyasu, Uchiha Kamito: You think you can just light a fire and slack off? Dream on.
Senju Hideki: You guys are this fun? Why didn't you tell me earlier? If I'd known, I wouldn't have worked so hard—I missed out on so much…
Fukasaku arrived—
And saw a dense crowd of toads,
All lounging comfortably,
Bellies round and full—it was obvious they had eaten very well.
Fukasaku: Is this really Mount Myoboku?
"Oh, you're here! Perfect—this just came off the grill. Please enjoy."
Minato handed over a plate of grilled insects—
Then vanished in a flash.
"I'm not—"
Fukasaku had just started to say, I didn't come here for this—
But Minato was already gone.
Helpless, he looked at the grilled insects in his hand,
Rich aroma wafting from them.
"Well, since it's already given, it'd be wasteful not to eat. Let me have a taste."
"Ribbit—delicious! Crispy! Fragrant!"
"Minato, another plate!"
"Coming right up!"
Fukasaku ate with great enthusiasm—
But he seemed to have forgotten something.
...
Elsewhere in Mount Myoboku,
Shima was diligently selecting plump, juicy green caterpillars.
"Hm, this should be enough."
She looked at the pile, now like a small mountain, and smiled.
"I heard quite a few little ones have arrived—we must make them feel Mount Myoboku's hospitality."
"The finest ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods. Signature dish: cold mixed green caterpillars."
"Still wriggling—looks absolutely delicious."
Shima picked up her large gong and struck it loudly:
"Dear! Kids! Bring the guests over for dinner!"
But after the gong sounded—
Silence.
Not a single response.
Shima: "Huh?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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