Chizhao led Gaara, walking confidently towards a stall. The owner's initially enthusiastic face stiffened slightly the moment he saw Gaara.
"Ah, you're Gaara! Big brother, come quickly!"
Suddenly, a familiar girl popped out from behind the owner, waving excitedly at Gaara.
Chizhao recognized her immediately; it was the younger sister she had scared into crying earlier today.
Looking at her innocent face, Chizhao's guilt grew stronger.
"Haruko, didn't I tell you not to go near him?" The owner crouched down, gripping the girl's shoulders, his tone laced with admonishment.
Seeing this, the look of disgust reappeared in Gaara's mind, and all he wanted was to escape quickly.
He pulled Chizhao's hand, ready to leave, but she grabbed him back with her other hand.
This time, Gaara was a little angry. He didn't understand why she was making him embarrassed here, making her see how disliked he was. He didn't want this.
"But Gaara saved us today, and big brother was there too..."
No sooner had she spoken than the boy also came out, first greeting Gaara warmly, then recounting everything that had happened that day to their father.
The stall owner was first confused, then shocked, and then his expression became complex. The look in his eyes towards Gaara was noticeably gentler than before.
"Owner, I want these! How much?" Chizhao held the potatoes in her hand, asking loudly.
The owner hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand: "No charge, consider it a thank-you gift."
"How can that be? Grandma said we can't take things for free, Gaara, pay him quickly."
"....Huh? ...Oh..." The sudden call-out caught Gaara off guard. He pulled a few coins from his pocket and obediently placed them on the table.
This gesture softened the owner's expression.
No matter how he looked at him, he was just an ordinary child, but unfortunately...
"Let's go."
Chizhao turned and left with the potatoes. Gaara waved goodbye to the two children, then followed Chizhao's steps.
The owner watched Gaara's retreating back and sighed softly.
"We're back! Grandma!"
Chizhao pushed open the door, shouting into the house with full vigor. Gaara gave an awkward smile.
He knew Chizhao had a bold personality, but he hadn't expected her to be so uninhibited even at home, without any of a girl's usual demureness.
Keiko poked her head out from behind the kitchen, saw a somewhat reserved Gaara at the door, and quickly walked over: "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Chizhao's Grandma, just call me Grandma Huizi. Come in and sit down."
Gaara politely bowed, cautiously saying: "Hello Grandma Huizi, nice to meet you. My name is Gaara. I'm truly sorry for the intrusion today."
"Chizhao often talks about you, she even says you're her good friend, and..."
Chizhao, as if her secrets had been exposed, blushed and interrupted Keiko's next words, pushing Keiko towards the kitchen: "Grandma, I'm hungry! Please go make dinner..."
Keiko looked at her granddaughter's flushed face and nodded with a chuckle: "All right, all right, you two play for a bit, dinner will be ready soon." She then turned and entered the kitchen, humming a cheerful tune as she busied herself.
When Chizhao turned to look at Gaara, her eyes were a little evasive and embarrassed.
Gaara's small face was also red, his lips pursed, his expression unnatural. There was an oddly ambiguous feeling between the two children.
What's with this atmosphere? They're just two little kids! Isn't this a bit much?
Chizhao roared internally, dispelling the pink bubbles that had appeared from who-knows-where, patted her cheeks, and led Gaara into the house.
Passing the living room table, Gaara stopped. He looked at the photo frame on the table and observed it carefully.
In the photo, a couple leaned against each other. The man had sharp, heroic features, short dark hair, looked very spirited, and wore a bright smile.
The woman he had his arm around also had long, light-colored hair, and her firefly green eyes seemed somewhat familiar, with a faint smile on her lips.
"What are you looking at?"
Chizhao noticed Gaara hadn't followed and curiously went over. It was a photo of her parents.
"Are these Chizhao's mom and dad?" Gaara asked softly.
"Mm." After a brief hum, Chizhao quietly added: "But they're both dead."
Gaara's pupils contracted. He looked with a bit of disbelief at the girl, who appeared completely calm.
He had thought such an optimistic and cheerful girl would surely have a happy family, but he hadn't expected their experiences to be so similar.
But why could she be so unfazed?
Chizhao looked at Gaara's sad expression, unsure what to say.
She picked up the photo frame and wiped the dust off it. Her memories of her parents were few and far between, almost non-existent, so Gaara didn't need to feel sad for her.
As for family, Grandma Huizi was enough.
"The curry rice is ready, time to eat, Chizhao, Gaara!" Grandma Huizi's voice came from the dining room. Chizhao responded, gently placed the photo frame back on the table, and led Gaara towards the dining table.
"It smells so good." Gaara closed his eyes and exclaimed.
This enticing aroma seemed to possess some kind of magic, erasing all unpleasant emotions, leaving only the desire to quickly taste this delicious dish.
Aihara Keiko placed two exquisitely arranged plates of curry rice and fried meatballs in front of them. Chizhao was already eager to take a bite.
Given that a guest was still present, Chizhao maintained a bit of reserve. After Aihara Keiko sat down, she exchanged a look with Gaara, and they said in unison: "Let's eat!" Then they began to feast.
When the curry entered his mouth, Gaara's eyes lit up. It was his first time eating such delicious curry rice, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "Delicious!"
Chizhao, looking up from her rice bowl, beamed with pride: "My Grandma's cooking is the best in the world! When I have money, I'll definitely open a restaurant for her!"
Aihara Keiko laughed: "A restaurant won't be necessary, Grandma can't cook for that many people."
Chizhao seriously put down her spoon: "Well, of course, we can't make Grandma tired. What I mean is for Grandma to be the head chef, and then hire people to learn from her. That way, Grandma will be relaxed, and everyone can still eat delicious food!"
"Then I'll definitely go, definitely go to the restaurant to eat Grandma Huizi's cooking!"
Gaara also excitedly agreed, his mouth continuously stuffing food.
"Then you can help us promote it, using the Kazekage's... uh... son's name..."
Chizhao, who almost let it slip, slammed on the brakes, thankfully salvaging her words, and quickly stuffed another meatball into her mouth.
Gaara, with puffed cheeks, thought for a moment, then nodded heavily: "I'll listen to Chizhao, as long as I can help."
Watching everything before her, Keiko gently pushed the food closer to them:
"That sounds pretty good. Before that, you two can be my guinea pigs and try out new dishes."
The two children nodded vigorously, their mouths stained with a few grains of rice.
They looked up, their eyes met, and they playfully teased each other, looking both adorable and comical.
However, a figure behind the window silently watched everything happening inside. He frowned slightly, then turned and merged into the night.
Rasa looked at the bright moon outside the window, listening to the Ninja kneeling on one knee behind him, respectfully reporting everything he had just seen, his expression calm.
"Understood. You may go."
His words were cold and hard, devoid of any warmth. His eyes, fixed on the bright moon, were as still as the water in a deep cave.