Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 66: A Dispute Over Fish Cakes

"Fish cake skewers, fish cake skewers! Give me ten skewers!"

Feeling exceptionally hungry, Raido wandered around until he recalled that the Three-Color Dango shop had introduced a new product. So, he made his way there.

However, it seemed that the shop had changed. It was no longer called Three-Color Dango but Myōmiya.

But names didn't matter—what mattered was that he could eat. Right now, he felt like he could devour an entire cow.

The middle-aged shopkeeper, dressed in a white chef's uniform with a gray headband, glanced at Raido skeptically. With such a small frame, could this kid really eat that much?

"Kid, fish cake skewers aren't the same as dango. Each piece of fish cake is about the size of a sushi roll, and each skewer has six pieces—it's called a Six-Flavors Fish Cake Skewer. If you order ten skewers…"

Hearing this, Raido started picturing the fish cakes in his mind.

Hmm… about the size of sushi, six pieces per skewer… so that's sixty pieces of sushi?

Raido was stunned. Sixty pieces seemed like a lot.

But then he thought—if he couldn't finish them all, he could just share. Yuuji-sensei, Hanako, Genma, and Kurenai were all around; it shouldn't be a problem at all.

His eyes became more determined. He looked at the shopkeeper and confirmed, "I'll take ten skewers! Oh, but Uncle, are fish cake skewers tasty?"

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, slightly irritated, but considering that this kid was ordering a lot, he swallowed his frustration and replied, "It's not up to me to say whether it's good or not. How about this? While some flavors are still in preparation, we already have several varieties ready. You can try a sample for free."

"Oh, free food? Uncle!"

"Yeah, free. Consider it a perk for arriving early and buying in bulk."

"Whoa, nice! Okay then, Uncle, let me try a piece of each flavor!"

"Got it!"

The shopkeeper brought out a small plate with four different fish cakes, neatly arranged with three types of dipping sauces.

"These four are seaweed, shrimp, sausage, and bacon-stuffed fish cakes. The dipping sauces are seafood, tomato, and wasabi. Eat however you like."

Looking at the golden-fried exterior of the fish cakes and the visible spiral of stuffing inside, Raido already felt satisfied before even taking a bite.

He first picked out the seaweed-flavored one, dipped it in wasabi, and took a big bite. Instantly, his mouth was filled with the crispiness of the seaweed, the fragrant combination of radish and green onions, the chewy blend of fish and rice cake, and the sharp, sinus-clearing heat of wasabi.

After savoring the first bite, Raido formed his judgment:

Absolutely divine.

Yes, that was the only way to describe it.

Each sushi-sized fish cake filled his mouth completely. It was crispy, fragrant, and had a fantastic chewiness. Then, the wasabi spice surged through his nose, making him feel refreshed and invigorated.

Swallowing the fish cake whole, Raido eagerly turned to the bacon-stuffed one.

At that moment, Genma's group happened to walk past. And with his keen nose, Rō immediately picked up the scent of the fish cakes. When he turned to look, he saw Raido.

So far, Rō had only gotten to know Genma and Kurenai during their journey. He hadn't officially met the third ninja of the team, but Raido's eccentric outfit had left an impression.

"Hey, you! What are you eating?"

Drawn in by the food, Rō didn't even bother with introductions before speaking.

Hearing this, Raido's resentment only deepened. "You? You? I have a name. I don't talk to rude little kids."

His words carried an icy distance, causing Rō to freeze on the spot.

"Um… Brother Ninja, Lord Rō was just eager. Since you've already accepted his commission, could you introduce us to what you're eating?"

Chishima, the boy with the round buns, quickly tried to smooth things over.

Back then, food pamphlets didn't have pictures—only text. So neither Rō nor Chishima knew that this was the new specialty of Myōmiya.

Seeing the stark difference in their attitudes, Raido felt incredibly satisfied, as if he had just avenged himself. He picked up a bacon fish cake, dipped it generously in tomato sauce, and, under Rō's expectant gaze, stuffed it into his mouth.

"Oh wow, this one's fresh out of the fryer—crispy, fragrant, and absolutely delicious. I don't know how Uncle thought of this, but using radish, green onions, and flour mixed with fish paste as the base, wrapping it in bacon on the outside, stuffing rice cake inside, and then frying it—absolutely genius!"

Without even looking at Chishima or Rō, Raido turned to the shopkeeper and gave him a big thumbs up.

"Uncle, your fish cakes are amazing. When will my ten skewers be ready? I can't wait!"

"Oh, Lord Rō, so this is called fish cake? We should get some too! The aroma alone is irresistible!"

Chishima latched onto the key word and tried to persuade Rō. Just as he was about to pull him toward the counter, he found that Rō wasn't budging.

"Chishima, let's eat something else. There's no need to waste time on just one kind of food."

Rō's face was dark. Genma could tell that Raido had well and truly pissed him off.

Raido's ability to annoy people was just as impressive as his shamelessness. But then again, what goes around comes around.

If Rō hadn't ignored Raido earlier, Raido probably wouldn't have acted this way now.

However, while Rō wanted to leave, Genma did not. After all, what was some small-country prince compared to his wife?

Just as Chishima was still trying to convince Rō to stay, Genma casually approached the counter.

"Uncle Yamasaki, give me four skewers of fish cakes. I'm in a bit of a rush—hope that's okay."

"Genma, of course, no problem. But right now, we only have four flavors available. Will that be alright?"

Genma understood Yamasaki's meaning. Normally, the skewers contained six different flavors, but since he was in a hurry, they could either mix and match or settle for just four.

While eating repeated flavors wouldn't be a big deal, getting a skewer with entirely unique flavors sounded like an even better experience.

"Four flavors is fine. Give me six skewers, then. It's better to have extra."

"Ha, just like your dad—always calculating. No need to pay for these. Your family helped me start this business, so consider it a thank-you gift."

"Uh… Uncle, you don't have to be that generous."

Yamasaki ignored Genma's awkward response and went into the kitchen. A moment later, he came back with a bag of fish cakes in one hand and three small sauce packets in the other.

"The sauce selection is still limited, but I heard your mom's working on more flavors. No way I can charge you when she's contributing like that."

Yamasaki was one of Genma's clan members—another Shiranui. However, due to lacking talent in ninjutsu, he had decided to focus on other business ventures.

One day, during a visit to Genma's home, he had the chance to try one of Lilia's six-flavored fish cakes. Amazed by its taste, he asked for the recipe.

With the financial backing of Genma's father, Hideyoshi, Yamasaki took over Three-Color Dango and launched Myōmiya, hoping to establish a new brand with six-flavored fish cakes.

Genma quickly took the fish cakes and turned to leave, but Raido immediately jumped in front of him, looking betrayed.

"Wait, Genma! You're being so unfair!"

But was fairness more important than love? Without hesitation, Genma rejected Raido's argument. Then, using both reason and persuasion, he somehow managed to convince Raido that this was the best way to ease tensions with Rō.

Whether it actually would… remained to be seen.

End of Chapter 66