"Cheers!"
Inside the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant in Konoha.
The Konoha Twelve, along with Takemi and Karin, were gathered together.
Even Sakura, who had fallen behind, and Neji, who was usually reserved, were present.
"It's rare for everyone to gather like this, so let's all be happy." Takemi said with a smile after putting down his cup.
"Mmm-hmm!"
Choji was the happiest. He immediately began stuffing meat into his mouth without a word.
"Slow down, no one's fighting you for it, what a pain." Shikamaru's brow twitched at the sight.
Meanwhile Kiba couldn't hold back and said, "Hey, slow down, or what will I eat?!"
"Takemi, it's rare to be together."
Lee didn't focus on grabbing meat. He refilled a glass of juice and looked at Takemi earnestly.
"I toast you!"
"No need for that." Takemi quickly shook his head, then teased, "Guy-sensei wouldn't do that, and besides, he is my teacher too. You just need to work hard."
"We won't disappoint you, Takemi." Neji nodded seriously, making Tenten blink.
She remembered Neji wasn't like this…
Over the past three years, Neji had changed quite a bit.
This might be due to the Hyuga clan's influence, such as his father's will…
Of course, it also couldn't be separated from seeing Naruto's rise, and more importantly, Takemi's story.
Naruto goes without saying, but Takemi was just too absurd.
As a civilian Ninja without an innate Kekkei Genkai, he wasn't even among the top students in the academy. But when he 'struck his teammates' and successfully graduated, everything began to change.
His extraordinary deeds were told throughout Konoha, as he was the 'exemplary representative of a civilian Ninja's rise to success'.
Especially since he was already destined to be the 'future Hokage', the Konoha higher-ups adopted the method of 'increasing efforts'.
It was hard for Neji not to be influenced, after all, Takemi was the 'person who changed his own destiny'.
"Takemi, I heard you completed another big mission?" Hinata was still a bit soft-spoken, but she looked at Takemi curiously and asked.
Shino, who hadn't said much and whose presence wasn't very strong, also nodded.
"I heard Sasuke also did something big."
"Tch, why is it always about him?" Naruto grumbled unhappily.
"I did a lot too, damn it…"
"Tch." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, intending to scoff, but then he remembered this guy might be his 'brother'.
For a moment, he couldn't speak, his mind filled with conflict.
"Although I wasn't on your side, how do I remember you being chased and beaten by those guys?" Takemi didn't care at all, he raised an eyebrow and looked at Naruto.
"I encountered all those guys, and I won every time."
"Hey, your battle was a one-on-one, I was facing a group alone, okay?!" Naruto was a bit flustered.
Sasuke spoke up at this moment, "The commotion Takemi caused outside was enough to cover everything on your side."
"Damn it…"
Naruto wanted to retort, but when he thought about everything that had happened outside, he was speechless.
It seemed he really couldn't compare…
"Indeed, a big mission was executed, and quite a few things were done." Shikamaru said languidly, grilling meat, at this moment.
"That's right."
Ino also glanced at Takemi, then smiled and said, "Takemi told me that Sasuke dealt with a major Konoha rogue Ninja."
"Huh?"
"What happened?"
"Quick, tell us!"
Ino's words immediately piqued everyone's curiosity. Sakura, while glancing at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye, asked curiously.
The others were much the same. Since Shikamaru and Ino had spoken, it was clear these topics could be discussed.
And with someone drawing the fire, it made Takemi's side much quieter.
"Takemi, she's been looking at you." Naruto suddenly chuckled mischievously at this moment.
"Is she…?"
"What's so strange about that?" Takemi rolled his eyes, taking a sip of juice while glancing at Sasuke.
"Sakura has been looking at Sasuke all this time. There's nothing to be done, after all, he's handsome and strong. Didn't I teach you guys three years ago?"
"…"
Sasuke's face darkened. The icha icha paradise from three years ago was a pain in his heart.
Naruto's face fell even further. Putting aside Sakura's issue, due to that damned book, he was lectured by his parents who knows how many times.
Recalling these three years, Naruto felt he was filled with betrayal, pain, and sweetness.
Two of those were brought by Takemi!
Takemi, seemingly not wanting to discuss these messy things, stroked his chin and said, "But speaking of which, I think Sasuke needs to work hard."
"I will work hard! I will definitely resolve the threat of Itachi's Edo Tensei!" Sasuke nodded seriously.
Takemi smiled and shook his head. "I'm not talking about that. Itachi is nothing to fear. I'm talking about other aspects."
"Uh, what aspects?"
"Aren't you going to restore the Uchiha clan? How can you restore it with just yourself?"
"…"
"You need to have more children now. Only then will you have a chance to restore the Uchiha clan." Takemi said earnestly, but these words made the sixteen or seventeen-year-old Sasuke a bit flustered.
Have more children?
He somewhat wanted to curse…
But he didn't dare, and upon closer thought, it seemed to make sense?
Without enough clan members, how can the Uchiha clan flourish and return to its former glory?
At this moment, Sasuke felt his pressure increase infinitely…
"Hehe…"
Naruto also wore a mischievous smile, looking at Sasuke with a face full of mischief.
"You need to work hard, Sasuke. It's all up to you now."
"Shut up, idiot!"
Takemi's words were fine, but once Naruto spoke, Sasuke couldn't hold back.
"You'd better take care of yourself, damn it."
"Hehe…"
Naruto didn't care at all, still grinning, but Takemi suddenly started laughing.
"Speaking of which, Sakura really likes Sasuke, so it seems…"
"Hey, don't talk nonsense!"
With just one sentence, Naruto stopped grinning, and even his fists clenched.
Unfortunately, Takemi ignored Naruto and turned to look at Sasuke. "Work hard, I believe in you. If it really doesn't work, use your dōjutsu."
"?"
"Doesn't one of your eyes target the body?"
"…"
"Work hard! Restoring the Uchiha clan's glory is your duty."
"…"
Sasuke's face had completely darkened at this moment.
While Takemi's main body and his friends were happily gathered, his clone quietly arrived at the Senju clan's compound.
Looking at the courtyard, which was already full of pits and holes, the corner of his lips twitched.
"Are they planning to fight to the death for their ancestor's honor?"
He hadn't expected them to actually start searching, and at such a frantic pace.
But he found it even stranger, this didn't seem like Tobirama's style, did it?
"If it were Tobirama, he should have directly modified history and performed some historical revision operation, right?"
Takemi felt he was quite familiar with this 'evil old ghost of the Senju Clan', he would do anything.
And normally, he should have done so, after all, it was impossible for them to dig up anything.
Only…
"Black Zetsu most likely faked it, right?" Takemi stroked his chin.
For three years, he had been guiding him, he must have had a purpose.
And by guiding him to the Uchiha clan's stone tablet, it inevitably made him suspect that he was likely trying to cause trouble through the Senju clan.
"Suspecting I'm a descendant of the Senju clan, making me fight myself?"
He had probably guessed Black Zetsu's scheme, though everything needed to be properly verified.
Black Zetsu had already left, and Hashirama and Tsunade also seemed tired from digging, which gave him an opportunity.
"I want to see what kind of trick Black Zetsu pulled!"
Thinking this, Takemi quietly unfolded his sensory abilities.
In his perception, everything became different, and faintly, he seemed to sense something.
"There's a skeleton buried deep underground, and it's holding something in its arms. Could it be…?"