Chapter 123 Stubborn Sasuke
"cheers!"
Haruko took a quick gulp of her drink in the morning.
After Kiba Inuzuka and Choji Akimichi were discharged from the hospital, they gathered together to go to a barbecue restaurant to celebrate. Coincidentally, Rock Lee's surgery went very smoothly under Tsunade's hands, which was a double celebration. So Haruko Hayama invited Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga, and Tenten from their team to join the celebration as well.
Of course, it was Kakashi Hatake who treated them.
Kakashi Hatake sat to Haruko's left, his deadpan eyes staring at her as he quietly protested, "Why did I have to be dragged here to treat everyone?"
Haruko Hayama replied without changing her expression, "Asuma-sensei treated me and Shikamaru to our Chunin promotions. Kakashi-sensei, you need to act like a teacher."
"Is taking responsibility just about paying for students' meals?"
Kakashi Hatake glanced around at the crowd gathered around the long table and silently wept for his empty wallet.
"Kakashi-sensei, why would you think that?" Haruko Hayama began her persuasive rhetoric. "By treating everyone, you'll connect them all. This way, they'll be grateful to you, won't question your previous feigned illness, and it will also elevate your status in my heart. It's practically all benefits and no drawbacks!"
"Even if I were to elevate her opinion, Haruko's opinion of me wouldn't be that much higher, would it?" Kakashi Hatake was quite self-aware.
Haruko looked away guiltily in the morning and picked up her water glass again, trying to cover up her insincerity.
"..." Kakashi Hatake remained silent.
So, is that really what she was thinking?!
Meanwhile, Naruto, who got to eat barbecue for free, chuckled and added insult to injury for Kakashi Hatake: "Kakashi-sensei, I didn't expect you to actually have a shred of humanity left! Thank you so much for the barbecue!"
"You pay for your own food," Kakashi Hatake decided.
"Huh?!" Naruto Uzumaki exclaimed in disbelief.
Sakura Haruno, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but laugh.
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha, sitting on the other side of Haruko, had a cold expression on his face ever since he entered the yakiniku restaurant. He didn't participate in the conversation and his whole demeanor conveyed that he was unhappy and needed someone to coax him.
Having known the temperament of a proud cat for many years, Haruko Hayama noticed his gloomy mood from the very beginning and guessed why he was unhappy.
But it's precisely because she's the culprit that she doesn't dare to speak up!
Arrogant cat Sasuke: ...Why hasn't she come to ask me yet?
Qingzi, the guilty owner: I can't see it, I can't see it.
Ever since she witnessed that scene on the hospital rooftop, Ino Yamanaka has been unable to figure out what exactly was going on with her emotions at the time, but she could vaguely sense that these emotions were definitely not good.
In order to show that she was no different from usual, Yamanaka Ino especially took the initiative to talk to Uchiha Sasuke, whom she liked.
"Sasuke, why aren't you chatting with everyone?" Yamanaka Ino asked, flashing her most beautiful smile.
Sasuke Uchiha glanced at her, then noticed out of the corner of his eye that Haruko Hayama hadn't noticed them at all, and gave a very displeased "humph".
Ino Yamanaka: (Smile stiffly)
Haruko Hayama: I can't hear you, I can't hear you.
"That's great! Everyone's alright, and Lee can continue his cultivation!" Tian Tian looked at the energetic Locke Lee beside her, and a huge weight was finally lifted off her shoulders.
Matt Kai flashed eight teeth and gave a thumbs up, "A youth that continues to burn brightly is the most precious thing!"
Lee Locke stood up excitedly, making a few meaningless gestures with his fists and feet, and declared, "From today onwards, I will cultivate without eating or drinking!"
“Idiot, don’t forget you’ve only just recovered.” Hyuga Neji frowned.
"That's right, Akamaru and I both need to rest for a few days before we can go for a walk." Kiba Inuzuka became depressed at this thought, and Akamaru on his head let out a low bark. "Ah—it's so painful not being able to unleash our full potential!"
Aburame Shino, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "It seems your mission this time was quite exciting."
Kiba Inuzuka recalled Akamaru's near-death state, his eyes hardening as he replied in a deep voice, "Yes, I will definitely train hard once I fully recover!"
“…Tell me more about it, after all, this is part of promoting teamwork,” Shino Aburame said calmly.
Noticing the unusual tone in Shino Aburame's voice, Haruko Hayama curiously interjected, "Is Shino sulking?"
Upon hearing her words, everyone at the table fell silent, turning to look at Shino Aburame, whose expression was hidden by her collar and sunglasses.
Kiba Inuzuka seemed to remember something, and said with a smirk, "You, you're not sulking because you didn't get to go, are you?"
Shino Aburame, exposed in public: ...
Sasuke Uchiha, whose secret was also revealed: ...
Haruko Hayama explained with a laugh, "We originally wanted to invite Shino, but Kiba said you went out on a mission with your father, so we didn't invite you."
Then, Haruko looked at Sasuke Uchiha next to her and said, "Sasuke, you've finally gotten to spend more time with Itachi, so you didn't want to bother us. Don't be angry, okay?"
Bearing everyone's snickers and Haruko Hayama trying her best not to get angry, Sasuke Uchiha gripped his chopsticks tightly, his face as red as if he had a fever.
"Shut up!" Sasuke Uchiha whispered to her.
Haruko suppressed a laugh and nodded to him to indicate that she understood.
Sarutobi Asuma, who was good at easing tensions, quickly smiled and urged everyone to eat meat.
Taking advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was not on them, Haruko placed her right hand under the table close to Sasuke Uchiha and gently poked his waist, as if hoping that he would stop being angry.
When her warm hand touched him, Sasuke Uchiha shuddered and almost cried out. Fortunately, he managed to suppress his impulse and quickly looked around with wide eyes.
You idiot!
Seeing that no one noticed their strange behavior and they were all drinking heartily, Uchiha Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. His face turned even redder, but the unpleasantness he had been feeling dissipated with each gentle poke from her.
Finally, Sasuke Uchiha opened his arms and grabbed her hand, slowly interlocking his fingers so that she couldn't pull her hand back.
Knowing he wasn't angry anymore, Haruko gave him a sly smile.
Sasuke Uchiha tightened his grip on the warmth in his palm, thinking to himself: Idiot...
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, they held hands, quietly savoring the subtle emotions that lingered between them.
“Sasuke,” Haruko Hayama suddenly called out.
"Hmm?" Uchiha Sasuke was still immersed in this unknown pleasure.
"If you hold my hand, I can't pick up the meat." Haruko's words shattered all his romantic fantasies.
Sasuke Uchiha's face fell, but he stubbornly said, "...I'll put some in your bowl."
******
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