Naruto's expression changed from initial surprise, to shock, to fear, and finally to pure, unadulterated admiration!
"I didn't expect Hinata to be such a big eater! You're completely different from how you look!"
Naruto's strange desire to win erupted, and not willing to be outdone, he followed Hinata's lead and ate bowl after bowl. This was his favorite Ichiraku Ramen! If he lost even at this, where would he put his face?! Naruto summoned the ultimate willpower he had cultivated over the past few days, risking his very life to keep up, and forced himself to swallow bowl after bowl.
However…
[It has been detected that the host is full and has reached the nutritional standard. Continuing to eat will be harmful to your health. Please stop immediately, otherwise you will be baptized by the system's lightning release!]
[Warning, countdown 5...]
Naruto could only grit his teeth and reluctantly put down his chopsticks.
"Ahhh, I get it! Hateful… But I'm really full from eating so much. I've never felt this full before…"
But he turned his head and looked… Hinata continued to eat gracefully, the empty bowls in front of her already piled up like a tall, impressive tower.
"Hina… Hinata?!" It was as if Naruto was truly meeting Hinata for the first time, and his entire worldview was shattered!
Hinata just then reacted and said with a blushing face, "Ah, I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun… Because you said that I have to eat it all to accept your gratitude, so I…"
Naruto was stunned, then scratched his head awkwardly and laughed dryly. "Ahaha, ahaha… That's true! It's okay, Hinata, the most important thing is that you enjoyed your meal!"
Ayame whispered to her father, "That Naruto seems to have been hit pretty hard…"
Teuchi crossed his arms and nodded. "After all, it's his favorite Ichiraku Ramen. If Naruto loses to someone else in a ramen eating contest, especially to such a cute girl, he will definitely not be willing to accept it. But it's really unexpected that such a small body can eat so many bowls of ramen…"
Ayame also nodded and said, "Yes, it's incredible…"
Hinata finished the last bowl as well, blushing as she said, "Um, Naruto-kun, I'm full…"
Although Naruto was a little surprised at first, he later became completely and utterly impressed. "Hinata, you're amazing! I'm completely defeated by you!"
Hinata asked, "I am…?"
"Of course! This is the first time I've ever lost to someone at eating ramen! However, seeing that you like eating my favorite Ichiraku Ramen so much, I'm very happy that you love it as much as me. This is what they call having similar interests!"
Hinata felt a sudden surge of warmth in her heart. "I… I'm happy too, Naruto-kun… Thank you."
Naruto laughed out loud. "What are you talking about? I should be the one thanking you! Uncle Ichiraku, how much is it?"
Teuchi smiled slightly. "2,000 ryo."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "…Huh?!"
Teuchi said calmly, "A large bowl of pork miso chashu ramen is 80 ryo. Naruto, you ate 8 bowls, and Hinata ate 17 bowls, a total of 25 bowls, which is exactly 2,000 ryo!"
Hinata said embarrassedly, "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry I ate so much. Why don't you let me pay the bill myself…"
Naruto waved his hand and said, "No way! It's my treat!" He took out his little frog wallet and acted cheerful and generous in front of Hinata, but when he turned around to pay, his tears and snot were already streaming down his face.
"Here… here you go, Uncle Ichiraku."
Teuchi took the money but returned half of it to Naruto. "Come on, Naruto. You and Hinata ate so many bowls, so they must be discounted. Besides, this is your first time inviting a girl to dinner… 1,000 ryo is fine!"
Naruto was surprised, happy, and so moved that tears almost fell from his eyes. "Ichiraku… Uncle…"
Teuchi laughed heartily and said, "Okay, now that you've finished your meal, you must continue to work hard on your cultivation! I heard that you've been working much harder than before recently…"
Naruto clenched his fists. "I get it, Uncle Ichiraku! I will definitely continue to work hard!"
"Okay!"
Naruto and Hinata waved to the father and daughter and said goodbye to Ichiraku Ramen. Teuchi was one of the rare people who had never discriminated against or treated Naruto coldly. This may also have been one of the reasons why Naruto loved Ichiraku Ramen the most.
Hinata also noticed Teuchi's kindness towards Naruto and felt happy for him. "Naruto-kun, that Uncle Ichiraku is such a good man…"
Naruto put his hands behind his head and chuckled as well. "Yeah, that's why I love Ichiraku's ramen the most. Hinata, you like it too, right?"
Hinata nodded softly and rubbed her belly. *'I love to eat, but it seems I'm still not completely full…'* Of course, she would never tell Naruto the truth.
[Detecting that the host has eaten their fill, please immediately leap home and continue your training today!]
Naruto still wanted to talk with Hinata while they walked, but the System's warning sounded again.
"Ah… Hinata, I need to go home and continue my training!"
Hinata smiled softly and nodded slightly. "B-bye, Naruto-kun."
"Oh, see you tomorrow, Hinata!" Naruto squatted down again and leaped towards his home. The shadows of the two people were stretched together in the evening sunset.
Hinata looked at Naruto's back, feeling very sweet in her heart. She waited until she could no longer see him before turning around and walking towards her home. She blinked her eyes and jumped up with a happy little step. "See you tomorrow, Naruto-kun…"
…
Naruto returned home and let out a loud burp. He touched his stomach and realized he had eaten a little too much, but… he had still lost to Hinata. Naruto let out a dry laugh. "I didn't expect Hinata to be able to eat ramen so much… She's much more interesting than I thought…"
But Naruto didn't have much time to sigh. Under the pressure of the System, he didn't even have a chance to digest his food and immediately entered cultivation mode. This practice lasted until late at night once again. Even though it was painful, but…
[Host has completed today's practice of the Clone Technique. Proficiency +1, current Clone Technique proficiency has increased to 60 points!]
When Naruto heard the prompt, he was truly happy. The Clone Technique! He had actually managed to master the ninjutsu that he was least good at and had achieved a passing score of 60 points! In this way, even if he were randomly tested on the Clone Technique, at least he wouldn't be a complete drag. Naruto's current level was that he could now create a complete, realistic-looking clone. For him, it was indeed a huge improvement.
He glanced at the clock and saw it was almost eleven. Naruto stretched and prepared to go to bed early. But where in the world could such a good thing happen?
[The host's weakest skill, the Clone Technique, has improved significantly. However, if he wants to achieve his goal and get into the top ten in the assessment, in addition to overcoming his weaknesses, strengthening his strengths is also an essential practice!]
[Host, please start practicing the Transformation Technique immediately!]
"…Ha?!"
Naruto's Transformation Technique was indeed his strongest, relatively speaking. Even now, his proficiency level was 61 points. Moreover, in the original story, he had also deceived many enemies with transformation techniques in various battles. This could be seen from the way he transformed into a shuriken in the battle against Zabuza, to the way he transformed into gravel and pebbles in the battle against Pain. Not to mention, he also had the ultimate killer weapon…
Naruto was reluctant but pouted as he prepared to start his training. Suddenly, he came up with a good idea, and a bright, mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Um, hey… The Transformation Technique doesn't limit what I can transform into, right?"