Naruto hodgepodge

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight quietly penetrated the quaint Baibaozhai, Ayako and Sakura were already standing at the threshold of the store in neat clothes. On the lintel, the carefully designed recruitment notice was still hanging prominently, with clear handwriting and sincere words, attracting the attention of passers-by.

As the sun gradually rose higher, the hustle and bustle of the street gradually spread, and groups of curious customers gradually gathered in front of Baibaozhai. Some of them were interested in the novel toys in the store, but more were attracted by Xiaoying's special desserts, milk tea and ice cream that were about to be launched. Xiaoying stood at the tea table with a warm smile on her face, patiently answering every question, and at the same time carefully preparing the desserts that were about to be unveiled.

In the afternoon, the sunlight shines through the window lattice into the busy and orderly kitchen. Sakura and Ayako are busy working nervously. The air is filled with tempting sweet fragrance. Many people on the street are drinking milk tea or eating ice cream. They are not only an enjoyment for the taste buds, but also a feast for the eyes and the soul.

In the evening, when the last rays of sunset shone on the street, Naruto finally finished training and dragged his slightly tired but full of a sense of accomplishment back to Hyakuhosai. Because in these last three days, Naruto planned to take advantage of Shisui and empty the stock in Shisui's brain.

Naruto wanted to have a cup of iced milk tea or ice cream by himself. Sakura smiled helplessly at Naruto and pointed at the empty refrigerator. The two smiled at each other and went to the market despite their fatigue. On the way, they carefully selected reliable suppliers for the long-term development of the store and signed a long-term distribution agreement to ensure the quality and stable supply of desserts in the future.

After returning to the store, Sakura was busy selecting some fresh ingredients, intending to let Naruto show off his cooking skills. After all, the store was not small and there was a kitchen at the back. After looking at the sky, Naruto asked Ayako to close the door and help make accessories, while Sakura made some frozen milk tea. In the kitchen, Naruto used his cooking skills to make a big meal. When Naruto finished the big meal, he called the two to eat together. Ayako, who had just started working, was added to the work of making accessories and was fooled by Naruto to sign a contract for several years, so she was considered one of his own. The three of them talked about the future plans of the store while eating, from how to attract more customers to how to improve service quality.

However, when it comes to recruiting, Naruto and Sakura both showed a trace of worry on their faces. Although the recruitment notice has been posted for several days, they still haven't found the ideal candidate who can work with the team. Sakura sighed softly, her words full of expectation: "I really hope to find a new partner who can work with us as soon as possible."

At this time, Ayako quietly suggested: "I do have a candidate to recommend. She is my cousin, Izumi, she is one year older than me, and she has an almost obsessive love for desserts. Although she is still a Genin, her mission burden is not heavy, so it should not be a problem for her to join us."

"Ninja?" Sakura asked with a little curiosity.

Naruto seemed quite open-minded: "As long as she is willing to sign the contract, there will be no problem. Moreover, her love for desserts can help our dessert business. Besides, Sakura, you will also be enrolled in school in half a year, and we really need more manpower to cope with future expansion."

Ayako then raised a question: "But our desserts should be difficult to make, right?"

Naruto smiled and shook his head: "It's not difficult. I have already prepared the proportions of the ingredients for milk tea. The hot milk tea needs to be brewed directly, and the iced milk tea can be cooled and placed directly in the refrigerator. The ice cream is also prepared and just needs to be blended through the machine."

Sakura turned her attention to Naruto's studies: "Naruto, you will start school the day after tomorrow, you will definitely be very busy then. I will go at the end of the year, and then I may have to call you senior."

When Bie Tianying heard this, she recalled: Speaking of which, Naruto did go to school earlier than his peers, but he failed a grade twice before graduating with everyone else. Now that she thinks about it, it seems that he went to school a little later than she remembered.

Naruto proudly performed a shadow clone technique, and the appearance of the clone instantly amazed the two people present. Naruto smiled and explained, "The reason why I have been so busy these days is that Brother Shisui will soon stop directly guiding me, and I want to take advantage of this time to learn more from him. However, after school starts, I will have more time. I have learned that the first to third years of the ninja school are mainly cultural courses, basic physical fitness and chakra training. Fortunately, I have mastered the clone technique, and I will use it more skillfully in the future. I can even use the shadow clone to replace me in class. Speaking of which, there was a genius student who graduated early before, and the school also changed the rules. Otherwise, with my ability, I might be able to graduate early."

---

In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the mist and gently brushed over the eaves of Konoha Village, Uchiha Itachi had quietly got up. He was thinking about today's schedule. He originally planned to go to the task issuing office to receive a C-level task in order to hone his combat skills and strategic layout.

Then, while stopping in front of the task board to take a closer look, Itachi's eyes were attracted by an inconspicuous D-level task - driving away the wild boars that invaded the farmland on the edge of the village. Although this task was not of high level, it unexpectedly touched a certain chord in his heart. He recalled the conversation with Sasuke last night, and the boy's eyes full of desire and curiosity seemed to be right in front of him, flashing with infinite yearning for adventure and challenge. Sasuke often asked him to play ninja games, and many times during his own tasks, he showed his desire to participate in actual combat and prove his strength. This innocence and persistence, Itachi saw in his eyes, warmed his heart.

Then, an idea quietly took root in Itachi's mind. He decided to use this seemingly simple task to give Sasuke a chance to exercise and grow. Back home, Itachi deliberately mentioned this task to Sasuke in a casual tone. There was a huge wild boar destroying the farmland and he had to get rid of it. This attitude could best arouse Sasuke's curiosity and desire to explore.

After hearing this, Sasuke's eyes lit up with a light of unyielding determination, as if even the dust in the air was shaken by his determination. He turned around quickly and almost ran back to his room. A moment later, he appeared in front of Itachi again wearing a child's version of combat clothing. Although the equipment was small, it made him look particularly energetic. Sasuke carefully took down the bow and arrow that had accompanied him for countless days and nights and had long become his loyal partner from the wall. The arrow flashed coldly in the sun, ready to meet the upcoming challenge.

He rushed out of the room and went straight to Itachi, his tone full of determination and confidence: "Brother, take me with you! I promise to complete the task successfully! Let me prove my strength with you!" Itachi looked at Sasuke's eager look, his heart full of relief and pride. The task was very simple, as long as Sasuke was obedient, the so-called potential danger would not be a big deal, so he still maintained a cold look on the surface, deliberately ignored Sasuke's request and set off alone.

When setting off, Itachi deliberately slowed down his pace, seemingly admiring the scenery along the way, but in fact he was waiting for the slightly immature but determined figure. Sasuke, carrying a bow and arrow, followed closely behind Itachi, his little face filled with excitement and anticipation. The two walked one after the other on the forest path leading to the mission location. Itachi looked back at Sasuke from time to time, with both encouragement and expectation in his eyes, and said to himself: "Sasuke, this is the first step on your road to growth, take it bravely."

Sasuke who was following behind kept saying, "Brother, you are going to carry out the mission of driving away a wild boar, and it's a monster-like huge wild boar, because it is a bad guy who destroys farmland, so brother, you received the mission to kill him, right? But brother, you are alone. But it doesn't matter, I will go with you. Brother, you also know that my bow and arrow are very accurate, after all, we have gone hunting together many times."

Itachi listened to Sasuke's words quietly. Suddenly, Itachi stopped and everything returned to silence. Sasuke also stopped and looked at Itachi curiously. Itachi raised his arm slightly, motioning Sasuke to come closer. Sasuke obediently walked closer. Itachi flicked his fingertips, leaving a gentle touch on Sasuke's forehead, and smiled: "Sorry, Sasuke, let's do it together next time."

Sasuke looked confused: "Brother, what did you say?"

Before he could finish his words, Itachi used his superb body skills and disappeared in a flash, leaving Sasuke standing there in a daze. Then he reacted and chased after him, calling "Brother" continuously.

Itachi stood leisurely on the roof of the cabin, looking down at Sasuke who was panting and following closely behind him, with a smile on his face: "Not bad, Sasuke, you can catch up so quickly."

Sasuke's face was filled with satisfaction and pride: "Because I am also working hard to practice, brother."

Itachi held out his hand and said gently, "Come on, stand next to me."

Sasuke readily agreed, jumped onto the roof, and stood side by side with Itachi. They both looked at the huge wild boar not far away, and Sasuke asked excitedly, "Is that it?"

Itachi nodded, his eyes revealing a gentle but firm strength: "Yes, but don't hurt it. We just need to give it a proper lesson and let it know that this is not its territory, and it will return to the mountains and forests on its own."

The battle was about to start. Itachi was agile and threw a kunai with an explosive tag in an instant. A roar broke out all around, scaring the wild boar into panic. Sasuke calmly drew his bow and shot arrows, accurately blocking the wild boar's escape route. One of the arrows cleverly fixed the wild boar's tail, but the wild boar swung it violently in pain and accidentally threw Sasuke's arrow into the air. Sasuke saw the flying arrow and quickly adjusted his posture, but accidentally sprained his ankle.

Seeing this, Itachi rushed forward without hesitation and hit the wild boar's head with a precise side kick, making it dizzy and unable to fight back. Then, Itachi stretched his body, jumped into the air, formed seals with his hands, and instantly released a fiery fire ninjutsu. The raging flames were like an angry dragon out of the sea, completely forcing the wild boar back until it fled back to the depths of the forest in embarrassment.

After successfully completing the mission, Sasuke, despite his foot injury, could not hide his excitement, and limped to Itachi's side, his face filled with pride and satisfaction. Seeing this, Itachi gently stroked Sasuke's head, his eyes full of praise and love, then he squatted down and motioned Sasuke to lie on his back.

On the way back, Sasuke opened up his chatterbox, chattering about every little detail of the battle and the joy in his heart. Itachi, on the other hand, remained calm and gentle, listening quietly, occasionally responding, and both of them had faint but warm smiles on their faces.

When they strolled to a busy area, a new store called "Baobaozhai" caught their attention. The store's exterior was decorated in a unique way, and the windows were filled with a variety of goods. The most eye-catching thing was the milk tea and ice cream machines in the corner that were flashing with alluring light. It turned out that this Baibaozhai not only sold all kinds of rare treasures, but also hid a sweet secret - it actually also operated a dessert business.

"Brother, look! There's a new store over there that even sells ice cream!" Sasuke pointed at "Hyakuhozhai" excitedly, his eyes flashing with anticipation.

Itachi heard this and looked in the direction Sasuke pointed, with a hint of curiosity and surprise in his eyes: "Oh? Looks like we're lucky today, let's go and try it."

Itachi steadily carried Sasuke on his back and walked towards "Hyakuhosai", and found that many customers had gathered in front of this newly opened store, queuing in an orderly manner. During the waiting time, the air was filled with the sweet aroma of ice cream, and the occasional discussions made the two of them look forward to the delicious food they were about to taste.

When it was finally their turn, a familiar and clear voice rang out warmly from the store: "Welcome, what can I order?" Looking up, they saw that the little girl who used to set up a stall on the street had now changed into a neat uniform and was standing next to the ice cream machine with a smile on her face, as if she had turned into an elf in a dessert house.

Sasuke felt familiar with her: "Oh, I remember, it's the crying little girl that day." Itachi maintained a gentle smile and nodded to Sakura: "Hello, long time no see. Please give us two servings of natto flavored ice cream and two cups of natto fruit tea."

Sakura recognized the two kind people who had helped her at a glance, especially when she saw Sasuke on Itachi's back, her eyes were filled with love. She said excitedly, "Okay, please wait, it will be ready soon."

Itachi knew Sakura's intention very well, but didn't want to embarrass her, so he whispered, "Sakura, your ice cream and fruit tea are delicious, and we should pay for them. There are customers waiting behind, so don't make them wait anxiously." After that, he quickly took out the prepared change from his pocket, took the ice cream, put the milk tea and money on the counter together, then smiled and nodded to Sakura, and left with Sasuke.

Sakura looked at the backs of the two people leaving. Although she originally wanted to express her gratitude, Itachi's persistence made her feel the respect and boundaries between people. She could only stamp her feet weakly and continue to serve the next customer.