"Grandma, does this count as cheating Kushina?"

Being in a bad mood after being taught a lesson or not being able to fulfill the agreement are all excuses—they're just part of the plan! A plan that allowed Kushina to take the initiative and complete the task herself.

Tsunade felt it was a bit unethical to go about it this way, especially since Kushina was still a child.

"Then do you have a better way to help Kushina let go of her grief, lower her guard against the village, and integrate into it?" Mito Uzumaki glared at her granddaughter angrily. "If you could, would I, an old woman, still need to trouble myself?"

"Uh..." What she said made sense.

Tsunade shrank back, shutting up decisively. She didn't dare to argue with Uzumaki Mito.

"But aren't you afraid of what might happen? What if Kushina gets hurt?" Tsunade asked cautiously.

"Do you think Hyuga Shigeru is unreliable?" Uzumaki Mito leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

When I didn't say anything. Tsunade resisted the urge to roll her eyes but held back, knowing her grandma would scold her for being improper. She was terrified of her grandma's nagging. As for whether Shigeru could be trusted…

Are you kidding? He's someone I personally vouched for! Who am I?

Tsunade-hime! The eldest granddaughter of the First Hokage, Konoha's Princess! Could my judgment be wrong? Absolutely not!

"Dong dong dong!"

"The door is open, come in."

Shigeru, who had been resting on the sofa, heard a knock.

The door creaked open, and Kushina walked in, struggling to carry a heavy bag. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, and she looked exhausted.

"Shigeru-kun, Sister Tsunade had something to do today, so I helped her buy some things for you. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I bought a bit of everything."

Placing the bag on the ground, Kushina proudly displayed her purchases.

"..." Shigeru stood up from the sofa, silent for a moment.

Although he couldn't see with his eyes, his other senses told him how much Kushina had bought.

The bag was large and bulging. Even someone as strong as Kushina had struggled to carry it, showing how heavy it was.

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Shigeru felt he shouldn't waste her kindness, so he smiled and asked, "Thank you for your hard work, Kushina. What did you buy?"

"Hehe, you're welcome! It wasn't hard at all. Actually, I had fun."

Kushina wiped the sweat from her forehead, clearly in a good mood. Although it was her first time shopping at the market, she'd had a great time despite making some blunders along the way.

"Potatoes... and beef. The uncle selling beef said it's cheaper if you buy in bulk."

Kushina beamed, thinking she'd made a smart decision by buying a lot of beef at a discount.

"..."

Well, the more you buy, the cheaper it gets—especially for groceries, not luxury items. People are usually happy to have you take everything off their hands.

Shigeru opened his mouth but decided not to point this out. After all, Kushina meant well.

"How about we make barbecue?"

"Okay!"

Kushina clapped her hands excitedly but quickly grew concerned about Shigeru's blindness.

"Are you sure? Grandma Mito said this isn't right. You can't see, and it's not convenient for you to move."

"Then how about this: I'll handle it, and you help?"

At Shigeru's invitation, Kushina hesitated but obediently agreed. She didn't want to let him down, and besides, she was eager to try cooking.

The food they made themselves had to taste great, right?

"First, cut the beef into large pieces. Yes, that's about the right size. Now, mix in the chopped ingredients and seasonings, then let the beef marinate."

After the beef was marinated, Kushina ran into the yard to dig up some mud with a small hoe.

She couldn't understand why roast beef required mud.

Her little brain was on overdrive.

They wrapped the marinated beef in lotus leaves, coated it with thick mud, and then tossed it into the fire.

Watching Shigeru's confident and serene expression, Kushina doubted herself. Can food cooked this way really be edible?

But when the beggar's beef was finally done, Kushina was blown away.

So cooking could be this fun? Mud, lotus leaves, and all?

Though the method was odd, the taste was amazing. The marinated beef was soft and bursting with flavor.

Kushina ate happily, enjoying not only the delicious beef but also the sense of accomplishment from making it herself.

Even though her clothes got dirty, Kushina didn't care. Her smile never left her face.

"So, the Hyuga clan's rules are that strict? That's scary," Kushina said, shocked by what Shigeru had told her about the clan.

Compared to the Hyuga, the Uzumaki clan seemed to have no rules at all. The branch house in the Hyuga clan existed solely to serve the main family.

To put it nicely, they were one family; to put it bluntly, the branch house were servants, even slaves.

Fortunately, the village's oversight prevented the main family from going too far, and they couldn't punish or kill branch members at will anymore.

Shigeru smiled faintly. "Scary? It's not so bad. With the village overseeing things, the main family can't punish the branch members without cause, much less kill them as they used to."

Even though the leadership had their reasons for doing so, these policies did improve life for the branch members.

Kushina fumed, "Those main family members are just awful. They're a bunch of villains!"

The more she learned, the more she felt she and Shigeru were kindred spirits. Though Shigeru still had family, his situation was tougher than hers.

And with the Caged Bird Seal, the branch members had no way to resist.

"Shigeru-kun..."

Kushina worried that the main family might target him.

Shigeru smiled easily, patting her head. "Don't worry about me. I've passed the medical ninja exam and started working at Konoha Hospital. With Tsunade around, the main family won't mess with me."

"That makes me feel better."

Kushina was afraid the Hyuga clan might try to control Shigeru at any time.

But Shigeru wasn't concerned. He wasn't a part of the Hyuga's rigid, dark system. To him, all that clan honor nonsense was meaningless, especially when it came to such a corrupt family.

After hearing Shigeru's story, Kushina shared her own experiences.

As it got late, Kushina knew she had to leave. Although she had some freedom, she couldn't be too willful yet.

"Shigeru, I'm heading home. I'll visit again soon!"

Even though she was reluctant, Kushina obeyed and returned to the Senju residence.

Uzumaki Mito had given her some freedom, but she had to follow the rules, come home on time, and not stay out too long.

"This kid..." Shigeru thought, smiling.

Though Shigeru was only thirteen, Kushina seemed even younger in his eyes. Not to mention the difference in life experiences, the age gap was a full seven years.

Kushina had bought so much at once. How long would it last before spoiling? Especially the meat.

Since household appliances like refrigerators weren't common in the ninja world yet, Shigeru decided to marinate and turn the meat into beef jerky to preserve it.

"At least she bought beef. Pork would have been more difficult."

Shigeru busied himself with the task.

Meanwhile, Kushina happily returned to the Senju residence.

"Grandma Mito, Sister Tsunade, Brother Nawaki, I brought some beef back for you. It's delicious—I made it myself!"

Kushina proudly presented the beef she had cooked.