Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 67: Swing Away, Rō!

After being persuaded by Genma, Raido sat back down at the table in Myōmiya and continued tasting the fish cakes.

Meanwhile, Genma walked over to Kurenai, took out a skewer of fish cakes, and asked, "Which flavor would you like?"

Kurenai took it without hesitation and was about to take a bite when she suddenly realized she hadn't dipped it in any sauce. "Hmm~ I've had these a few times before, but I don't think there were this many sauces. Why don't you recommend one?"

"Heh, try the seafood sauce. Can't have you gaining weight~"

Kurenai did not appreciate that comment. As soon as Genma brushed the seafood sauce onto her fish cake, she defiantly bit into two pieces at once.

These weren't small dango balls—they were sushi-sized fish cakes! Stuffing two into her mouth at once made her cheeks puff up like a chipmunk.

Genma worried for a moment that she might actually hurt her mouth, but after a brief pause, she started chewing, as if silently refuting his concern about her gaining weight. Her cheeks gradually shrank as she chewed.

Her way of expressing displeasure made Genma chuckle helplessly. But he couldn't focus only on Kurenai—after all, they couldn't finish all this food on their own. So he walked over to Chishima.

"Chishima-san, could you pass these four skewers of fish cakes to Lord Rō for me? These might be the very first fish cakes in Konoha, so they hold a bit of special significance~"

Genma wasn't entirely sure how Rō would react, so he chose to use Chishima as a middleman, letting him figure it out.

This method also subtly elevated Rō's status—after all, even though they were standing so close, Genma was still using an intermediary to deliver the food. It made him seem extra respectful.

But ultimately, it all depended on how Rō chose to interpret it.

At that moment, Rō's expression was neither good nor bad, but his gaze was locked onto the bag of fish cakes. The tantalizing aroma teased his nose, weakening his resolve.

Seeing Rō's hesitation, Chishima took out a skewer, drizzled some seafood sauce on it, and handed it to him. "Lord Rō, just give it a try. Even if you dislike that guy, food itself has no faults, right?"

The rich scent of the seafood sauce blended with the fragrance of the fish cakes, and as Chishima brought the skewer closer, Rō's mental defenses crumbled.

So… fragrant…

Ignoring the gazes of those around him, Rō grabbed Chishima's hand and took a bite.

"Mm~ Delicious! Absolutely amazing!"

After just one bite, Rō's eyes sparkled, as if he had been completely won over.

Seeing Rō eat so happily, Chishima swallowed hard. But since Rō was the lord and he was merely a servant, he had to wait until Rō finished before he could eat.

"Oh, I almost forgot about you. Thanks, Chishima. If not for you—hey, let's eat together! I can't finish this all by myself anyway."

Given Rō's pace, he probably could finish them all. But Rō wasn't really a bad kid—just a little spoiled. He had always treated Chishima well since they had spent so much time together.

Rō picked up another skewer, carefully drizzled it with sauce, and handed it to Chishima. "Here. You always take care of me—let me do this myself from now on."

Rō smiled warmly, momentarily leaving Chishima in a daze. Once he snapped out of it, he accepted the fish cake. "Mm, thank you, Lord Rō."

"Hey, I told you to just call me Rō when we're in private. Why so formal?"

"Uh… it's just a habit. Hard to break."

Meanwhile, back at Genma's side, Kurenai had already finished her fish cake and was now licking the skewer, staring longingly at the last piece in Genma's hand.

Genma couldn't help but find her both adorable and exasperating. If she really wanted more, there was plenty to go around!

With a resigned smile, he handed her his last piece, which finally made her settle down.

"How about some three-color dango? I hear girls have a separate stomach for sweets—I think you can manage it~"

Kurenai, who had been beaming after getting Genma's last fish cake, immediately pouted again. This was obviously a roundabout way of telling her not to overeat.

Even though he was using food to subtly warn her, when Genma actually brought over a few skewers of three-color dango, she couldn't stay mad.

"Oh! Genma, are those dango really that good?"

Rō's sharp eyes immediately noticed the colorful skewers in Genma's hands. The scent alone was mouthwatering, and the vibrant colors made them even more enticing.

Before Genma could respond, Rō had already signaled Chishima to go buy some.

"They're delicious. Look how happy Kurenai is while eating—how could they not be?"

Hearing Genma mention her again, Kurenai unhappily shoved a dango into his mouth.

Taking one out of the three wasn't enough to stop Genma's teasing, so Kurenai could only glare and keep eating.

Genma was secretly delighted by her little outburst.

Once Chishima bought Rō some dango, Genma casually added, "By the way, Rō, how about we have hot pot for lunch? Hot pot is a Konoha specialty—you won't find it anywhere else."

"Hot pot?" Rō tried to picture what it might look like, and a ridiculous image popped into his head—a pot filled with actual fire. In his imagination, he tried to pick up a flame with chopsticks, only to have them burn to ashes. Frustrated, he leaned in and bit directly into the fire, which…

"Uh… can hot pot even be eaten?"

Rō's final question was filled with uncertainty, his mouth still stuffed with dango as he awaited Genma's response.

"Hot pot? Uh… are you picturing a pot filled with fire?"

Rō was shocked that Genma had guessed so accurately and nodded awkwardly. "Well, yeah. The name should match what it is, right?"

"Ahem… While fire and a pot are indeed involved, the fire is outside the pot, and the pot is filled with all kinds of delicious food." Genma tried to explain, but seeing that Rō still looked clueless, he sighed and reassured him, "Don't worry, Kurenai and I are also having hot pot for lunch. If it weren't good, why would we eat it or recommend it to you?"

"Mm-hmm, Genma is right. Lord Rō, let's go try hot pot~" Chishima, now happily eating dango, smiled and nudged Rō.

Since even Chishima was suggesting it, Rō hesitated no longer and nodded. "Alright, we'll have hot pot for lunch."

At that moment, Raido arrived, carrying two large paper bags and a small one. "Genma, I'm heading to find Yuuji-sensei. Don't forget about the afternoon meetup~"

Genma nodded in response, but before he could say more, Yamasaki appeared at the front of the shop, loudly announcing:

"Freshly made six-flavor fish cakes are ready! Come and get them, everyone! Better than three-color dango!"

"What? Something even better than three-color dango? I have to try it!"

"Six-flavor fish cakes? What's a fish cake? Who cares, I'll buy some and find out!"

"Whoa, the smell is incredible! Maybe it really is better than dango!"

Genma hadn't expected six-flavor fish cakes to cause such a stir, especially this early in the morning. But before long, the shop was bustling with customers, lining up both inside and out.

"Wow, it's really popular! But it is richer and tastier than dango," Kurenai remarked, watching the growing crowd.

"Let's get going—it's getting crowded, and we still need to buy souvenirs," Rō said, standing up and preparing to leave.

As for his wife, Genma naturally took care of her needs first. He smiled warmly at Kurenai, "Don't worry, we'll be eating lots of other food later. If you eat too much now, you won't have room for more."

"You're the one who should be worried," Kurenai shot back, blushing as she stood up. "I won't get fat. I refuse to eat any more!"

And with that, the group set off, swinging their way toward the hot pot restaurant.

End of Chapter 67