"Why would I lie to you?"
Shinho Aburame walked past Sasuke and headed back to the riverside.
As before, he began processing the fish everyone had caught.
Sasuke Uchiha stood there dazed.
He thought of his brother, Itachi Uchiha.
From the day he was born, the entire Forest of Death whispered his name.
He was an unparalleled genius, awakening his Sharingan at the age of eight.
Sasuke had always wanted to catch up to him, but the gap had only widened.
In Sasuke's heart, Itachi held a special place; it was understandable if he couldn't measure up.
But Shinho's sudden appearance dealt him a heavy blow.
Sasuke clenched his fists, his heart filled with unwillingness.
As an Uchiha, how could he lose to an outsider?
If his father and brother knew, how disappointed would they be.
"Sasuke."
Naruto had already snapped out of his own thoughts.
Although he was a bit upset that Sasuke had walked away earlier, seeing him so dejected, he decided to let it go.
"Losing to Shinho isn't a big deal," Naruto said nonchalantly, patting Sasuke on the shoulder.
"What do you know?" Sasuke looked at Naruto's cheerful face, feeling inexplicably irritated.
"Just win next time after losing; that's all there is to it," Naruto scratched his head, not understanding why Sasuke was so upset.
Sasuke wanted to retort but held back.
Is it really that easy to win?
But suddenly, he paused.
Why can't he win?
He is an Uchiha!
The Uchiha clan's greatest strength is the Sharingan; with just one look, he could claim victory.
Once he awakens his Sharingan, Shinho is destined to be defeated.
As for now, he'll let Shinho bask in his momentary glory.
"You're right," Sasuke regained his confidence.
"How many fish did Shinho catch?" Naruto asked curiously.
"..." Sasuke's mouth twitched. He didn't ask.
"Idiot."
"Hey!" Naruto protested, looking displeased. "What's that supposed to mean? Why are you calling me an idiot again?"
He had tried to comfort Sasuke, yet didn't even get a word of thanks.
And how was he an idiot? He's been smart since he was a kid!
Sasuke didn't want to engage any further.
He was worried that talking to Naruto would bring him down to the same level.
"Annoying guy!" Naruto waved his fist and decided to ignore him.
He turned and approached Shinho.
With two barbecue grills set up, Choji could handle them alone; there was no need for Naruto's help.
"Why are you removing the fish scales and gutting them?" Naruto watched for a couple of minutes before asking.
"Because it's unhygienic otherwise," Shinho replied casually. "Eating them could cause problems, like diarrhea."
"Oh!" Naruto suddenly had a flash of realization. "No wonder I get diarrhea after drinking milk."
"That's not the reason," Shinho explained. "Milk can expire and spoil; the milk you've been drinking has probably gone bad from sitting too long."
"Really? I see," Naruto was momentarily stunned. "You sure know a lot."
Shinho couldn't help but glance at Naruto.
If it were someone else, he might've thought they were being sarcastic.
"When will you teach me how to cook?" Naruto asked eagerly, his eyes full of anticipation.
"On Sunday," Shinho thought for a moment before replying.
"Do I need to prepare anything?" Naruto hesitated briefly before admitting, "But I can't really buy much."
"You don't need to worry about that," Shinho said expressionlessly as he continued to scale the fish.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, excitement returning to his face.
"How's your taijutsu training going lately?" Shinho suddenly had an idea.
"I haven't started learning much yet," Naruto paused. "But Uncle Guy said I'm doing great and that he'll teach me a taijutsu called 'Leaf Whirlwind' next week."
His tone was filled with anticipation.
He didn't know what kind of technique it was, but just the name sounded impressive, and it was associated with Konoha.
"Once you learn it, I'll have Sasuke spar with you," Shinho suggested.
"Really?" Naruto instantly became energized. "I'll definitely beat him!"
Shinho didn't dampen his enthusiasm.
Defeating Sasuke wouldn't be that easy.
But perhaps putting some pressure on him might help Naruto achieve his goals.
"Shinho-kun, need any help?" Ino Yamanaka approached, subtly winking at Naruto.
You've monopolized Shinho-kun long enough; it's time to let me have some time with him.
"Hello, Ino-san," Naruto completely missed her hint, thinking she was just greeting him.
I'm not fine at all!
Ino was at a loss for words.
At least Shino is more understanding.
If I marry Shinho-kun in the future, our family will surely be harmonious.
At that moment, she even started thinking about what to name their future children.
"Could you wash the cleaned fish please?" Shinho asked without hesitation.
Although Ino came from a ninja clan, she didn't have the demeanor of a pampered princess.
In contrast, Hinata was more like that.
Of course, the main reason was the difference between the Hyuga and Yamanaka clans.
"Sure thing," Ino's face lit up with a smile.
She stepped forward, sitting close beside Shinho, and rolled up her sleeves to reveal her fair arms.
"I'll help too," Naruto offered quickly upon seeing this.
"No need for you," Ino looked up and refused politely. "Why don't you check if Choji needs any help?"
"Alright then," Naruto didn't suspect anything and turned to leave.
A slight smirk appeared on Ino's lips, a hint of triumph in her expression.
I'm so clever.
"Shinho-kun," Ino glanced over at Shinho.
But from this angle, she could only see his side profile.
Even his side profile is so handsome.
"What's up?" Shinho continued gutting the fish methodically.
"The sunflower you gave me—if it withers, can I turn it into a pressed flower?" Ino asked softly.
Pressed flowers are made by dehydrating and drying plants to preserve them.
"Do you like sunflowers a lot?" Shinho turned to meet her gaze.
"Because you gave it to me, I want to keep it forever," Ino's heart skipped a beat. She quickly lowered her head, clasping her hands together as she swayed slightly.
"It's yours; you can do with it as you like," Shinho looked away.
Ino exhaled softly.
She glanced at Shinho and felt a pang of regret.
Why did I chicken out at the crucial moment?
Fifteen minutes later, all the fish were prepared and cleaned.
Ino stood up, only to find her legs had gone numb.
She instinctively stepped back.
But in the next moment, Shinho reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"I'm okay," Ino was momentarily stunned. "Thank you."
Shinho released her wrist and casually pulled her sleeve back down.
He bent over, picked up the basin of fish, and headed toward the grill.
Ino held onto her sleeve, a silly grin spreading across her face.
Yes!
Today is Lady Ino's victory!
After enjoying the grilled fish, dusk had settled in.
Shinho and the others returned to Konoha Village together, parting ways on the street.
As for Hinata, he didn't take her to his cabin for extra food this time.
But Shinho handed her a sealing scroll.
The little feeding game was indispensable each time.
After all, the future returns would be significant.
Author's Note:
The bonds between the characters are deepening, and each small interaction is shaping their relationships. Stay tuned to see how these connections influence their futures!
for advanced chapters, join my pateron: patreon.com/HyppoTL
at the time I scheduled this chapter, we still haven't achieved the goal of 100 power stones for 2 bonus chapters.
but since we were so close to getting a hundred, I'll be uploading one more chapter in one hour after this.
I apologize if my words feel a bit choppy, It's been a long day, and I'm simply exhausted to stay up till webnovel resets.
have a nice day( ﾉ ﾟｰﾟ)ﾉ