Shino had arrived early. When he saw Natsuki, the reflection on his sunglasses was practically gleaming.
In a low voice, he said, "Natsuki, I've already mastered it."
Natsuki wasn't surprised. "It's only been a few days, and you've already learned it. As expected, you've got real talent."
"It's because you taught me the trick."
Shino replied humbly, "It helped me a lot. I feel like my chakra control has become more refined, and my strength has improved too. Thank you, Natsuki."
Natsuki waved him off. "No need to thank me. You paid for it. Besides, the stronger you are, the safer I feel. If we end up in the same team someday, I'll definitely trust you to watch my back. Of course, I'll train hard too, so you can trust me to guard yours."
...Uh, yeah, sounds kinda bromantic, but don't get the wrong idea.
This is a promise between comrades to protect each other. It's touching and passionate, got it?
Shino didn't say anything more, but nodded seriously. For a ninja, being able to entrust someone with their back meant being partners through life and death—the most trustworthy kind of friend.
He, Aburame Shino, would not betray that trust!
Today's lesson was chakra extraction and hand seals.
Though many had already learned it, some students had never even been exposed to this before. Over the past few days, they had only just learned to read and picked up a bit of history. Chakra extraction and hand seals, though, were absolutely essential lessons.
Iruka stood seriously at the podium, afraid his students wouldn't understand. He truly worked hard to be a good teacher.
But while the students who had already learned could afford to slack off a bit, those who hadn't mastered it were also goofing around—and that pushed Iruka over the edge.
He grabbed the chalkboard eraser and hurled it with precision, hitting a certain spiky blond right on the head.
Then came the roar: "Naruto! You think you can slack off just because you've learned hand seals? You dare say you want to be Hokage like this?! Get up here and show me your seals!"
The blond immediately wilted and trudged up to the front, dragging his feet through a slow, clumsy performance of the hand signs.
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig—these are the twelve basic seals. They're not hard per se. The key is proficiency. Especially in battle, you can't afford to fumble the signs. One wrong move, and it could cost your life.
But Naruto... was a dunce. Worse yet, he didn't take learning seriously. Mistake after mistake—it was a mess.
Natsuki watched Naruto's miserable attempts and couldn't help but cover his face.
That kid had really been kind of dumb when he was younger. And despite constantly shouting about wanting to be Hokage, he never put in the work. It just came across as empty bragging. Without a teacher's guidance, it was no surprise he was always dead last.
If Jiraiya hadn't taken him in later on, forget becoming Hokage—he'd probably be stuck as a genin forever and end up as a joke.
Passion and hot-bloodedness are fine if you're the protagonist. If you're not, those lines are just empty talk.
Always yelling "Hokage this, Hokage that"—how about you actually study first?
It's fine not to know things at the start. But listen in class! Ask the teacher for help after school!
Iruka was fuming too. He roared, "Naruto! Don't even think about going home after class! Come to my office—I'll give you one-on-one tutoring! You're not allowed to leave until you get it right!"
Naruto was dumbfounded. "Huh? Iruka-sensei, you can't be serious! I was gonna ask Sakura to hang out after class!"
"You? Ask a girl out? Dream on!"
"But..."
"No buts! Come to my office after class. Got it?!"
"...Okay, jeez."
Naruto ultimately gave in. He probably knew Iruka was doing it for his sake. But still... he really liked Sakura. He genuinely wanted to hang out with her.
But just as Naruto returned to his seat, Sakura's cold voice cut through the air: "Naruto, don't flatter yourself. I'd never agree to go out with you."
Smack! Naruto's heart shattered on the spot.
Of course. Sakura had always had a thing for that aloof Sasuke guy. She'd never looked at Naruto kindly. No matter how many sweet words he spoke, no matter how hard he tried to win her over, he only got scolded or even beaten up. Still, he liked her. What could he do?
Natsuki watched Naruto's dejected figure walk back and sighed. Like Hinata, he rolled his eyes.
This guy. Always shouting about becoming Hokage, but he's constantly chasing girls? Is this how you achieve your dreams?
And he's only six years old! Isn't this way too early to be chasing romance? Also, if you're going to chase someone, at least pick a better girl! Hinata is so sweet, and she only has eyes for you. How are you this blind?
Seriously, I can't bear to watch.
Thankfully, Natsuki only grumbled to himself. He wasn't going to get involved in the main characters' drama.
After class, Naruto was dragged away by Iruka.
Natsuki, of course, was planning to bring Shino home—to see if he really had mastered one-handed seals. Also, to treat him to a meal and strengthen their bond.
Since they were building friendships, he figured he might as well invite two more friends too.
He turned to the two who were about to head home. "Shikamaru, Chōji, want to come over for dinner? The veggies in my garden are at the end of the season. Planning to cook them all and plant a new batch. Shino and I probably can't finish it all. Want to join?"
Hearing the word "food," Chōji agreed without hesitation. "I'm in!"
Shikamaru scratched his head. "How troublesome... Tell me where your house is first. I'll go home and grab some deer meat. There's been a surplus lately—too much to eat at home. You guys can help out."
See? He grumbles about trouble, but he still agrees—and even brings meat. Who wouldn't like a friend like that?
Shino chimed in, "Natsuki, your garden doesn't have many vegetable varieties. I'll grab some from my house—let you all taste the fresh vegetables grown by the Aburame clan."
Chōji munched on chips and added casually, "Then I'll go grab some snacks."
"You guys..."
Natsuki rubbed his forehead. "Do whatever you want. But you don't have to be so formal when coming over. We're friends. I just wanted to have a nice meal together."
They just smiled. But there was no way they'd show up empty-handed.
Natsuki let them be. After giving his address, they split up. He went straight to the market, bought some pork and pig's feet, grabbed some tomatoes and eggs, and even picked up two chickens.
He didn't know that many home-style recipes, but since he was hosting friends today, he was giving it his all.
He didn't know how to cook deer meat, so Shikamaru would have to handle that.
When he got home, he immediately started cooking a big pot of rice. After all, Chōji's appetite was huge. He had to prepare plenty. And the variety of dishes couldn't be too few either. Though his family wasn't wealthy, he refused to be stingy when hosting guests.
Just as Natsuki was prepping the pig's feet, Shino showed up with two large baskets of vegetables.
Natsuki looked at him, speechless. "Shino, are you setting up a market stall or something?"
Shino responded matter-of-factly, "We grow a lot of vegetables at home. Might as well bring more since we can't finish them. Oh, right. Let me show you my one-handed seals. Tell me if there's anything wrong."
This guy… knows how to change the subject now!
Fortunately, Natsuki didn't press him. He watched as Shino performed the Henge no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, and Bunshin no Jutsu using one-handed seals—and nodded in approval.
(End of Chapter)
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