In front of Naruto, Kisame behaved meekly and was easy to talk to, but this attitude was reserved exclusively for Naruto. Toward anyone or anything else, Kisame was still the same ruthless, cold-blooded individual as always.
In his eyes, the python he had caught was nothing more than a trophy.
He coiled the snake tightly and stuffed it into a sack. The originally flat, empty sack was now so full it looked ready to burst.
"Guess it's about time to head back."
Kisame wasn't overly greedy. If he didn't return soon and ended up missing the deadline, he'd be in serious trouble.
Besides, he wasn't sure if he could find another catch as massive as this one even if he continued.
However, upon returning to the villa, he found that Naruto had already arrived.
"As expected of Naruto-kun, you're back so quickly."
Kisame's words weren't mere flattery but came from the bottom of his heart.
Indeed, for Naruto to be able to come back so quickly, although there was an element of cheating, was a testament to his skills.
"I just got back. I didn't expect you to return so soon, though. You're the first one back after me."
Naruto looked at the large sack that Kisame was carrying and immediately became interested, "What kind of prey did you catch?"
"Three rabbits, five pheasants, and a python."
Kisame reported truthfully, feeling a bit uneasy.
He knew his results were already set in stone, but with the other two competitors still out hunting, there was always the chance they'd bring back even better catches. If that happened, being the first to return wouldn't count for much.
"Really? You managed to catch all that? Impressive." Naruto said, opening the sack to inspect its contents. He nodded in satisfaction, "It's been a while since I've had roasted chicken wings and grilled rabbit… both of which are my favorite foods. You did well this time."
"I'm glad Naruto-kun likes it."
Hearing Naruto's praise, Kisame felt a little relieved.
Accidentally bringing back Naruto's favorite foods was, without a doubt, a lucky bonus point. Now, he could only hope the remaining two wouldn't bring back pheasants or rabbits.
…
Meanwhile, Itachi was setting off smoke in a cave.
Unlike Kisame, Itachi's physical stamina wasn't his strong suit, so he had to rely on strategy for this game.
He moved slowly, carefully observing the terrain.
The Land of Grass lived up to its name, with vast grasslands stretching across the landscape.
Some animals burrowed underground to protect themselves from nighttime predators.
From the start, Itachi's target had been the hidden caves beneath the grasslands.
He focused on detecting airflow in caves, which indicated the possibility of animals hiding inside.
By smoking them out, Itachi could easily capture them without much effort, and the method was highly efficient.
Behind him were two large sacks stuffed full… not with large prey but with countless smaller animals.
After all, smoking out burrows allowed him to capture entire families of animals at once, resulting in an impressive quantity.
'This is the best I can do.' Itachi thought.
If given more time, Itachi could have caught even more small animals, but with only an hour to work with, he reluctantly began his journey back.
On his way back to the villa, he coincidentally ran into Kakuzu.
"Impossible... you've filled three sacks?"
Looking at the massive sacks, which were even larger than Kakuzu himself, Itachi was stunned.
For this assessment, Itachi's strategy had been to win through sheer numbers.
But now, even his numbers couldn't compete with Kakuzu's.
Did this mean he was destined to lose?
Unfortunately, the two of them were already just one kilometer away from the villa. And with the grassland environment, they could see the villa in the distance.
If Itachi were to try and snatch Kakuzu's sacks here, it would undoubtedly draw Naruto's ire… an outcome that would likely end even worse for him.
With no other options, Itachi could only grit his teeth and continue toward the villa.
Upon seeing Itachi's two sacks and Kakuzu's three, Kisame's heart sank.
Compared to his lone sack, the gap was glaringly obvious.
"Itachi, what did you catch?" Naruto asked with interest.
Itachi untied his sacks to reveal edible rodents and rabbits.
"Earlier, I was worried there wouldn't be enough grilled rabbits to go around, but now there's definitely more than enough." Naruto nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing this, Kisame's expression darkened further.
His advantage lay in catching larger prey and securing Naruto's favorite foods, but now it seemed that Itachi had also brought back rabbits… and in significant numbers.
Even comparing himself to Itachi made Kisame feel his chances of winning were slim, let alone against Kakuzu with his three sacks.
Naruto turned his attention to Kakuzu and asked, "You've caught the most this time. Let's see what kind of prey you've got."
Kakuzu gave a deep bow before explaining, "Apologies, Naruto-kun. I understand the goal of the game was to catch prey, but I thought that if everyone focused solely on meat, the variety would be too monotonous. To ensure a balanced feast, I also gathered various edible fruits, aromatic leaves for seasoning, and, most importantly, a sheep for roasting."
Opening the first sack, Kakuzu revealed an assortment of fruits… some ready to eat, others suitable for grilling as side dishes.
In the second sack was a fully grown ram.
In the third sack were various aromatic leaves for spices, a freshly harvested honeycomb, and several water pouches.
Seeing Kakuzu's thorough preparations, Naruto, Kisame, and Itachi were all left dumbfounded.
After a long silence, Naruto gave him a thumbs-up and said, "Sure enough, the older you are, the wiser you becomes!"
Naruto had only thought of grilling meat, so the game was all about catching prey. He had completely overlooked the essentials.
The essence of delicious barbecue lies in the seasoning. Without spices, the flavor is lacking… and brushing on some honey is absolutely divine.
Moreover, balancing meat with fruits and vegetables not only ensured nutrition but also relieve the greasiness of the meat.
Kakuzu's age and experience clearly gave him an edge over the younger participants.
"Alright, Kakuzu takes first place. No objections, right?" Naruto asked.
Kisame and Itachi didn't say anything, which was considered as their agreement.
This time, they lost because of experience, but they lost convincingly.
Many of the leaves and fruits Kakuzu brought back were things they had never even seen before, so Kakuzu deserved the win.
However, Kakuzu didn't bask in his victory. Instead, he waved his hands humbly and said, "Naruto-kun, you overpraise me. I simply thought a bit more practically, but honestly, without me, I believe Naruto-kun would have prepared just as thoroughly. After all, Naruto-kun even made sure the villa was fully equipped."
"Haha, I didn't expect you to find out, but this first place is well-deserved!"
Naruto laughed heartily, though internally, he was incredibly nervous.
The truth was that the barbecue idea had only struck him two hours ago. How could he possibly have prepared seasoning in advance?
But Kakuzu's tactfulness, both giving him face and elevating him, made it impossible not to award him the first place.
'As expected of an old-timer, Kakuzu was in a league of his own when it came to diplomacy and handling situations.'
'It was clear that in the Akatsuki, there wasn't a single weak link. Everyone had their own strengths.'
"Thank you for your recognition, Naruto-kun. But we're also curious about your own hunting results. Please, let us witness what true prowess looks like." Kakuzu said, continuing his flattery.
Naruto didn't decline, after all, he had been itching to show off.
"Watch closely!"
He began pulling out the prey he had caught from his system inventory.
At first, Kisame, Itachi, and Kakuzu nodded slightly, thinking it was natural for Naruto to have caught a lot, especially since he had used some tricks.
But as Naruto continued to take out more and more, their expressions shifted… from approval, to surprise, to outright shock.
The longer it went on, the more absurd their reactions became.
By the end, the three of them could only think one thing: Naruto was the most ridiculous one of all.
'How could anyone possibly catch that much prey…?'