"Hinata, Hanabi, what do you want to eat?" Naruto looked between the two sisters.
"I'm fine with anything, Naruto-kun." Hinata's voice was soft, barely audible over the sizzle of cooking ramen behind the counter.
"Naruto-niisan, I want beef ramen!" Hanabi had no such reservations. She leaned forward eagerly. "With big chunks of beef! Not those tiny slivers like some cheap places use!"
"You got it." Naruto adjusted Kurama in his arms, stroking the fox's soft fur. "Uncle Teuchi, did you hear that?"
Teuchi glanced again at the small fox cradled in Naruto's arms, then nodded with his characteristic warm smile. "I heard. Don't worry, my ramen always has plenty of beef."
He turned back to his cooking station, humming contentedly.
The chef had noticed something unusual about the little fox, a faint trace of extraordinary chakra that felt oddly familiar. But it didn't matter to him. No matter what disasters struck the world, his ramen shop would open for business the next day, same as always.
That was Teuchi's way. Feed people. Make them happy. Everything else was secondary.
"Naruto, here are your noodles!" Teuchi arrived with a large tray balanced expertly on one hand. Ten steaming bowls of ramen sat arranged on its surface. He placed them in front of Naruto with practiced efficiency.
Whenever Naruto visited, Teuchi only needed to focus on one customer. Because that one customer was worth an entire day's business by himself.
What Teuchi discovered over the course of lunch, however, caught even him by surprise. The shy girl who could barely speak above a whisper proceeded to eat fifty bowls of ramen in a row before finally declaring herself satisfied.
Fifty bowls.
Teuchi watched the delicate young lady consume enough food to feed a small platoon, her refined manners never wavering despite the sheer volume.
Looking at how comfortable she and Naruto seemed together, how naturally they shared this extraordinary appetite, Teuchi found himself smiling. The girl and Naruto were clearly very close.
Life comes down to one thing, Teuchi thought philosophically. Eating. You need someone who can eat together with you, share that fundamental joy. That's what makes life complete.
He decided the two were a perfect match. If they ever got married, he wouldn't mind giving Naruto a lifetime free ramen pass as a wedding gift.
After finishing their meal, Naruto paid the substantial bill without flinching and said goodbye to Teuchi.
He gathered up all the shopping bags purchased by the Hyūga sisters and escorted them home.
"Hinata, are you taking the Chūnin Exam?" Naruto asked as they walked through Konoha's streets.
"Yes, Naruto-kun. Our entire graduation class are participating." Hinata nodded, her voice soft.
"Are you worried about it?" Naruto glanced at the shy girl beside him.
"No." Hinata shook her head, her pale eyes meeting his briefly before looking away. "I'm not afraid, because Naruto-kun is also participating."
Hearing her words, Naruto smiled warmly. "Then let's both do our best together."
In truth, he didn't particularly care about Konoha's Chūnin Exam itself. He was participating mainly to meet more friends from other villages. But if his presence could encourage Hinata, that was reason enough.
They reached the gates of the Hyūga compound. Both sisters stood in the entranceway, arms full of shopping bags, waving goodbye.
"Naruto-kun, goodbye!"
"Naruto-niisan, goodbye!"
"See you later." Naruto waved back, then vanished in a blur of Instantaneous Movement.
High in the Hyūga compound's main building, Hiashi Hyūga stood in a corridor overlooking the entrance. He watched the scene below and sighed helplessly.
Then his expression brightened slightly. At least I had another daughter. Hiyori is still safe.
The thought brought him genuine relief. At least Naruto hadn't managed to win over all three of his daughters. Yet.
That afternoon, Naruto met Rock Lee for their scheduled sparring session.
"Did Lee and his team sign up for the Chūnin Exam?" On the grass nearby, Kakashi and Guy sat together, watching their respective students. In the distance, Naruto was thoroughly dominating Lee in their match, yet Lee's face showed nothing but pure joy.
"Yes, we're all participating. Did Naruto sign up too?" Guy glanced at Kakashi, then back at the battlefield. Naruto was overwhelming Lee with a continuous barrage of strikes, but the boy kept getting up with that same enthusiastic grin.
Seeing this, Guy's mouth twitched. Lee, you're exactly like I was at the beginning. Happy now, but you'll be crying later.
"Team Seven is participating. I think both Naruto and Sasuke have the ability to pass." Kakashi's tone was serious.
Hearing this, Guy's expression grew pained. "Naruto taking the Chūnin Exam isn't just participating. It's bullying."
"What do you mean, bullying? Naruto only became a genin this year." Kakashi's protest was automatic.
Guy didn't want to continue this conversation. Since he wasn't taking the exam himself, he wasn't the one who'd be unlucky. Still, when his three students inevitably encountered Naruto during the exam, it would be a massacre.
Guy silently mourned for his team. It's so tragic to be a genius in the same era as an even greater genius.
"By the way, I asked you to give Naruto some guidance on taijutsu. Why haven't you? I heard from Naruto that you've been avoiding him." Kakashi looked at Guy expectantly, waiting for an explanation.
Guy laughed awkwardly. "Naruto's taijutsu skills are already beyond mine. He doesn't need my guidance."
Going there would just mean getting beaten up. Who would dare try to 'guide' Naruto?
Guy thought bitterly.
Half an hour later, the sparring session between Naruto and Lee concluded. Naruto helped Lee to his feet and guided him to sit down and recover his strength.
Then Naruto's gaze shifted toward Guy.
Something in Guy's gut immediately screamed danger. He turned his head, met Naruto's eyes, and spoke rapidly. "Kakashi, I just remembered something urgent I need to handle. See you later!"
Guy vanished in a burst of speed, leaving behind a few swirling leaves.
He was terrified that if he stayed even a moment longer, Naruto would challenge him to spar.
Naruto jogged over to Kakashi, his expression confused. "Kakashi-sensei, why did Guy-sensei leave so fast? I wanted to have a friendly discussion with him."
It's because he sensed that you wanted to spar that he ran so fast, Kakashi thought. Out loud, he said, "Naruto, I heard that many of your friends have invested in your farm?"
"Yeah." Naruto nodded, counting off on his fingers. "Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino... they've all invested."
"Then I'd like to invest too." Kakashi's tone was casual, but his visible eye was serious.
Originally, he'd wanted to just give Naruto money directly. But knowing Naruto's personality, the boy probably wouldn't accept outright charity. Investment, however, was different. And Naruto could use the invested money however he wanted anyway.
"Really? Kakashi-sensei wants to invest too?" Naruto's face lit up with excitement. "Let me tell you, investing in my farm is definitely a smart decision! How much are you planning to put in?"
"Ten million ryō." Kakashi stated the figure calmly.
It was everything he had. Every last ryō saved from mission after mission, minus only what he needed for daily living expenses and training supplies.
"That much?" Naruto blinked in surprise, then his expression turned concerned. "Sensei, shouldn't you keep some money for... personal necessities?"
He knew that single men like Kakashi had certain expenses. Tissues, for instance. And replacement copies of Icha Icha Paradise when the old ones wore out from excessive reading.
Hearing this implication, Kakashi's visible eye twitched. His face darkened.
Seeing his sensei's expression turn black as coal, Naruto decided to stop teasing. Instead, they chatted casually about their respective pasts, sharing stories, deepening their bond.
After Lee recovered enough to continue, Naruto made another "promise of youth" with him and they resumed sparring.
The day passed quickly. As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and red, Naruto decided it was time to head home for dinner. He said goodbye to Lee.
Kakashi had left much earlier, having noticed Naruto eyeing him with that particular look that meant "let's spar."
But Naruto felt satisfied after an afternoon of friendly discussions with Lee. He walked along the mountain path back to his farm, humming softly to himself as he recalled the day's events.
Morning shopping with the Hyūga sisters. Afternoon sparring with Lee. It had been a full, productive day.
As Naruto approached the farmhouse, he spotted Sasuke still training in the open area outside the yard. The moment Sasuke saw him, his friend shot forward like an arrow.
"Naruto!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand urgently, his usual composure completely gone. "Please, you have to help me!"
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