Konoha: Gu Master

"Shinho-kun, didn't you bring a bento today?" Ino Yamanaka asked, her face slightly flushed as she pushed her bento box toward him. "If you don't mind, we could share."

Although Ino was usually bold, this kind of gesture felt a little too intimate, almost like an indirect kiss.

"No need, thank you," Shinho Aburame replied, standing up. "I plan to eat out."

Ino's face tightened with disappointment. She wanted to join him, but it would be wasteful to let the bento her mother prepared go uneaten.

Shinho casually walked toward the front of the classroom.

As he passed by Hinata Hyuga, he paused.

"Come with me," he said softly.

Hinata hesitated for a few seconds before gathering the courage to pick up her bento box and follow him out of the classroom.

"What's going on?" Ino's expression stiffened immediately.

I was here first!

Shino Aburame watched the scene unfold, his bento suddenly tasting bland. His mouth twitched.

'What about me?'

'I'm your real brother, you know.'

'Maybe I should just let someone else beat him to death already...'

"Where... where are we going?" Hinata finally gathered enough courage to ask as they walked farther away, heading toward a secluded part of the school.

"Ichiraku Ramen," Shinho said, stopping.

"Eh?"

Hinata blinked in confusion, completely taken by surprise.

"Can you climb over?" Shinho pointed at the wall.

Hinata glanced at the wall and instinctively shook her head.

The rules of the Hyuga clan forbade her from doing something so undignified—climbing walls was considered rude.

Without another word, Shinho placed a hand on her shoulder.

Using his primeval essence, he effortlessly leapt over the wall with Hinata in tow, landing smoothly on the other side.

"Are you alright?" Shinho asked, letting go of the dazed Hinata.

She glanced at the wall behind them, then back at him, her mouth opening slightly in surprise.

'If Father finds out about this, I'll definitely be scolded.'

Shinho could see the conflict in her expression.

Of course, this had been intentional.

He was exploiting Hinata's personality, her sense of duty and guilt, in a small but clever way.

This was what modern strategists might call a transparent scheme.

"Hinata," Shinho said, extending his hand, "give me your bento box."

Hinata hesitated for a moment, then handed it over.

"In return, I'll treat you to ramen," Shinho said with a faint smile.

Hinata followed him in a daze, her face gradually turning redder and redder.

She finally realized what had happened.

Looking at the bento box in Shinho's hand, she bit her lip, feeling as if she might faint.

She had already eaten from that bento box—it wasn't exactly... sanitary.

"Uncle Teuchi!" Shinho called as they entered the ramen shop. "Nine bowls of ramen, please."

"Nine bowls?" Teuchi raised an eyebrow, looking at the two small children standing before him. "Are you sure?"

"Start with a bowl of char siu ramen," Shinho nodded, not bothering to explain.

Teuchi wouldn't believe him anyway.

After all, Shinho wasn't from the Otsutsuki clan.

Hinata kept her head down, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Here you go!" Teuchi soon placed a bowl of char siu ramen in front of Hinata.

As he turned to ask Shinho what he wanted, he saw the boy opening Hinata's bento box.

Teuchi blinked in disbelief.

This was the first time someone had ever brought their own bento to his shop.

Was Shinho implying that his ramen wasn't good enough?

Was this some kind of deliberate insult?

But, since Shinho was just a kid, Teuchi held back from saying anything.

Moments later, however, he realized just how wrong his assumptions were.

The entire nine bowls of ramen were consumed by the unassuming little girl sitting before him.

Teuchi had only ever seen someone from the Akimichi clan eat that much.

But a Hyuga? This was unexpected.

Feeling Teuchi's gaze, Hinata's toes curled in embarrassment.

This is too humiliating!

She instinctively looked toward Shinho.

He had just finished her bento, having cleaned it out completely, leaving not a single scrap behind.

Hinata's face turned bright red, as if she were about to bleed from sheer embarrassment.

He... actually ate it?

Shinho said nothing, only keeping an eye on her, worried she might pass out.

If that happened, he wouldn't be able to explain himself.

When they finally returned to school, Hinata had regained her composure.

Shinho handed her bento box back to her.

Inside the classroom, most students were taking their afternoon nap.

But some were diligently studying—Sakura Haruno, for instance, was flipping through a textbook at her desk.

When she noticed Shinho and Hinata enter together, curiosity filled her eyes.

She had thought Ino had already beaten her to the prize, but it seemed neither of them had secured their "target."

No—her situation was even worse.

Sakura clenched her fists, recalling how Sasuke Uchiha had coldly ignored her earlier.

I have to win!

"Wait for me after class," Shinho whispered to Hinata before returning to his seat.

Wasn't lunch enough? Hinata wondered, lowering her head again.

After lunch break, the students gathered at the training grounds for class.

"Taijutsu can be divided into two categories: Gentle Fist and Iron Fist," Iruka Umino explained.

Gentle Fist was the signature fighting style of the Hyuga clan, used in conjunction with the Byakugan, making them nearly unbeatable in close combat.

Iron Fist, on the other hand, encompassed a wider variety of techniques. Apart from Gentle Fist, almost all other styles fell under this category.

The most famous example was Might Guy's Konoha Strong Fist and the Eight Gates.

What Iruka was teaching today was the Konoha Strong Fist.

It was the most widely practiced style in Konoha, and all Konoha ninjas learned it at some point.

Shinho glanced over at Naruto Uzumaki.

Is this the legendary "random punches"?

Naruto's foundation was shockingly poor.

In contrast, Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga were models of precision.

This was the advantage of being born into a major ninja clan.

They had access to training in both taijutsu and ninjutsu early on, with expert guidance from experienced teachers.

Sasuke turned and met Shinho's gaze.

For a brief moment, it felt as if sparks flew between them.

Sasuke had already assessed the abilities of most of the class.

Hinata's Gentle Fist was impressive, but her timid personality made it hard for him to take her seriously as a rival.

Beyond her, the only other student who stood out was Shino.

His movements were unnervingly precise.

On top of that, his composed and confident demeanor back in the classroom had made Sasuke feel a sense of kinship.

After all, prodigies tend to recognize each other.

"Make sure to practice well. Next time, we'll have sparring matches," Iruka said, clapping his hands. "Class dismissed!"

The students quickly scattered, each going their own way.

"Shi..." Ino froze in place, her body stiffening.

She watched as Shinho approached Hinata once again.

Naruto scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward.

He had wanted to walk home with his newly made friend.

"NARUTO!"

Kiba Inuzuka called from a distance, standing next to Shino Aburame.

"Coming!"

Naruto grinned and ran over to them.

________________________________________

[Achievement unlocked: Blonde Loser]

[Reward: White Boar Gu]

White Boar Gu: A first-rank Gu that enhances the Gu Master's physical strength, similar to the Black Boar Gu, but with a different color.

Shinho stopped in his tracks for a moment.

The White Boar Gu had the same effect as the Black Boar Gu, and both were rare and valuable—only the color was different.

But...

Who exactly is the blonde loser?