Chapter 797: NASM - 797

"Hiroshi, we really did something silly today. We jumped straight to the conclusion that there were enemies around without even looking carefully at those tracks. It’s so funny when I think about it! We really need to train ourselves to be more observant from now on and stop acting so rashly," Harumiko said with a smile.

Hiroshi nodded in agreement. He also felt their behaviour had been quite ridiculous — deciding there were enemies nearby without properly examining the footprints, only to later find not a single trace of anyone. They still had a lot to learn, and they had clearly been getting too relaxed lately.

"You’re right. Next time something like this happens, we have to investigate properly before making assumptions. No more rushing into things," he replied softly, smiling.

Harumiko nodded, then stood up slowly and walked over to the roasting meat.

"Looking good. I think we only need about ten more minutes. The outside is already cooked through, but the inside is still raw. It needs a bit longer — it’s quite thick meat, so it takes time," she said, checking the pieces on the rack.

Hiroshi stood up too and walked over. The rich, savoury aroma was already drifting through the air — it smelled absolutely delicious and made his appetite kick in instantly.

"It smells amazing! Just the scent alone makes me want to eat right now. I’m definitely going to eat a lot later — dragging that bear all the way here really drained my energy," he said, staring hungrily at the roasting meat.

Harumiko smiled and nodded. She knew how hard it must have been to haul such a heavy load so far.

"Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty. There’s way too much here for just one meal. We’ll figure out how to preserve the rest and take it with us — it’ll be our food for tomorrow and the day after," she said, glancing at the uncooked portions set aside.

Hiroshi nodded — he had been thinking the same thing. There was no way they could finish it all tonight, so saving the rest for later made perfect sense.

"Honestly, catching this bear was pure luck. Now we don’t have to worry about food for the next couple of days. We can eat as much as we want, and it tastes great too!" he said happily.

Harumiko nodded and turned the meat on the rack so it would cook evenly and not burn on one side.

"About ten more minutes and we’re done. I’m absolutely starving myself — I need to eat soon or I might actually faint from hunger," she said softly, smiling at the food.

Hiroshi nodded and walked back to sit down nearby.

"Whatever happens, I’m going to eat well tonight. It’s been such a tiring day, though we made great time and covered a huge distance. My legs feel ready to cramp up! Tonight we’ll rest properly, and tomorrow we’ll walk all day again," he said once he was seated.

Harumiko joined him and sat down. She felt exhausted too, weak all over — they hadn’t eaten anything all day, yet kept moving non?stop. It had been tough going.

"Just hold on ten more minutes, and we’ll be eating. Tomorrow we’ll push even further. I reckon we’ve only about a day and a half left before we reach Konoha. Then we’ll be home, eating proper meals and sleeping in real beds again," she said reassuringly.

Hiroshi nodded. His stomach was already rumbling loudly; if they didn’t eat soon he’d feel terrible — his stomach acid was starting to rise and make him feel nauseous.

"I’m alright, I can hang on a bit longer. I’ll make it ten more minutes, and then we’ll finally eat," he said, turning to her with a smile.

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