Starting with the troublemakers of Konoha, the pressure extends throughout the entire ninja world.

Chapter Seventeen: You Are Not My Brother

The first day of summer vacation.

Qingyu, who was finally free from classes, got up very early.

It's definitely not because of a regular sleep schedule.

The main reason is that he doesn't know where the barbecue restaurant that Akimichi Choza mentioned is located.

After all, it's a newly opened store.

He hadn't seen it before when he was shopping in the commercial street.

We need to scout out the location beforehand, so we don't end up wandering around aimlessly on the street at noon.

When I opened the door, Nono was already busy in the Minato family's kitchen.

Miso soup was simmering in a pot, and several portions of rice ball ingredients were neatly arranged on the cutting board.

A faint aroma of rice wafted in the air.

Shuimen was doing push-ups in the yard.

"One hundred and one, one hundred and two..."

He was shirtless, sweat dripping down his back muscles, glistening in the morning light.

His blonde hair was wet and stuck to his forehead.

Strangely, his signature hedgehog-like hairstyle remained intact.

It is completely unaffected by sweat.

Even on their days off, they're still rolling around.

Qingyu mentally gave Minato a thumbs up.

No wonder he became Hokage.

"No wonder he's going to be Hokage, he's already training so early." Qingyu leaned against the door frame and yawned.

Minato looked up and gave him a bright smile: "Becoming Hokage is my dream! I have to keep working hard for my dream!"

Minato believed that his talent was inferior to Aoba's.

But he firmly believed that if he didn't have talent, he would try again!

"Blue Feather!"

Nono peeked out from the kitchen, holding a spoon she used to stir miso soup.

"I made breakfast, let's have some together."

Miso soup, and rice balls...

Qingyu was already squatting in the entryway putting on her shoes.

"Didn't we say we were going to Akimichi's all-you-can-eat yakiniku (grilled meat) today?"

"That's only for a limited time; afterwards, you'll only be able to order a la carte."

He tied a knot in his shoelaces, stood up, and patted his trouser legs.

Nonou stubbornly walked to the entrance: "But... breakfast is half of life."

"If you don't eat breakfast, you'll be listless all morning."

"And we only eat barbecue at noon, which is several hours in between."

"Everyone makes different choices."

"For example, my secret to eating at a buffet is to empty my stomach."

"If you give me a bowl of miso soup now, it's the same as making me skip three plates of grilled meat."

Nonou's hand, holding the miso soup, froze in mid-air, and she opened her mouth slightly.

Clearly, he was caught in a dilemma between "breakfast is important" and "not being able to stop Qingyu from eating barbecue".

Aoba noticed that Nonou looked somewhat disappointed.

"Never mind," Qingyu consoled herself.

It's the first day of summer vacation after all, so I shouldn't put pressure on others.

"Of course, you're not wrong."

Nono's expression relaxed slightly, but she still stood at the door with her bowl in hand, like a little guardian deity.

Qingyu decided to try a different approach.

He turned to Minato, who was still doing push-ups in the yard, and raised his voice, asking, "Minato, have you eaten?"

Minato lifted his head from his push-up position and answered honestly, "Not yet."

"When you guys were learning medical ninjutsu a while ago, you would occasionally give me roasted rabbit, and Nono would cook for me too."

"They've made me so fat, so I'm not planning on eating breakfast anymore."

"I haven't gained weight. I really can't stand it if you keep saying that."

When studying medical knowledge, pharmacist Nono often dissected some rabbits.

In order to recycle and reuse the rabbit meat, most of it was eaten by Qingyu Barbecue.

Aoba then turned to look at Nono, her expression serious.

"See that? That's my brother," he said, pointing to Minato.

"You are not our brother."

Nonou blinked: "But... Watashi... is a girl."

Qingyu remained silent for a moment.

A complex expression appeared on his face, as if he was trying to organize his thoughts but couldn't quite put them together.

Then he took a deep breath and spoke in a determined tone.

"No, no, no, you're just a passerby."

"A stranger is someone who is neither someone I know nor someone who knows me."

"We are not on the same path, nor are we family."

After saying that, he ran out without looking back.

The morning light shines on the streets of Konoha.

On the first day of summer vacation, there were many more pedestrians on the street than usual.

Qingyu quickened her pace and turned the corner, making sure she was completely out of the Minato family's sight before slowing down and letting out a long breath.

I almost lost my composure just now.

He knew himself; if he stayed any longer, the automatic enemy detection wouldn't turn off again.

The image shows Nono holding a bowl of miso soup in the entryway, while Minato is doing push-ups and counting in the yard.

These images inexplicably made him feel uncomfortable.

Qingyu shook her head, trying to banish those images from her mind.

In short, go and scout out the location first.

Konoha's commercial district is just beginning to awaken at this time of day.

Several breakfast stalls were steaming.

There were only a few customers queuing up in front of the steamed bun shop.

Vegetable vendors are stacking fresh vegetables on the shelves.

He could see the shop from a great distance.

Seven or eight obese members of the Akimichi clan were gathered in front of the store, unloading fresh meat from a cart full of ingredients.

Their physiques are very distinctive: round and sturdy, but their movements are so agile that they don't match their size at all.

Each face bears the distinctive markings of the Akimichi clan.

A huge wooden sign stood next to it, with the words written in bold characters.

[Endorsed by Akimichi, top-quality!]

[On opening day, 249 RMB per person, all-you-can-eat barbecue]

As Qingyu approached, she noticed that one of the figures carrying meat looked very familiar.

That chubby boy in the dark blue shirt, struggling to carry half a pig into the shop, isn't that Akimichi Choza?

"Hey! Dingza!" Qingyu waved and greeted him from afar.

Ding Zuo turned around and saw Qing Yu, a big smile spreading across his face.

He handed the half-pig to a fellow tribesman beside him, wiped the sweat from his brow, and greeted them, "That's great! I was worried you wouldn't be able to find it! This shop must be hard to find, right?"

"They went around twice." Qingyu's gaze passed over Dingza and went to the ingredients being moved at the shop entrance.

Various cuts of beef are neatly arranged on a wooden tray, their marbled patterns gleaming with a greasy sheen in the sunlight.

The bowl next to it was filled with marinated chicken drumsticks, coated evenly and glistening with sauce.

Several members of the Qiudao tribe were unloading vegetables and fruits from another vehicle; the variety was so great it resembled a small farmers' market.

Dingza said, "My uncle is a famous barbecue master in the Akimichi family."

"We used to supply internally within the clan's territory, but we decided to open a store for external customers this year."

He had been preparing for this shop for a long time; the walls were even made of special oil-absorbing bricks.

Qingyu pulled her gaze away from the pile of ingredients and asked, "Is this buffet available every day, or just for this limited time after opening?"

"Just for this short period after opening!" Ding patted his chest, his tone tinged with pride.

"This is a special event my uncle prepared for the opening. It'll probably switch to regular ordering later, so we're definitely going to eat our fill today!"

"Then let's set the time for noon, lunch will be served on time."

"No problem! By the way, I've already notified Shikaku and Inoichi. They know this area, so they won't have trouble finding it."

Qingyu nodded, now that everything was resolved.

He doesn't need to stay standing here any longer.

Ding Zuo still needed to help move the goods, so Qing Yu didn't want to bother him too much and waved goodbye.