After successfully sending Satsuki to train with Kakashi, Naruto didn't immediately begin his own training. Instead, he first went to Konoha Hospital, intending to visit his classmates who were injured in the preliminaries.
He carried several carefully prepared lunchboxes, which naturally contained delicious bento he had made himself, still maintaining an appropriate temperature.
Of course, Satsuki's portion had already been given to her before she went to see Kakashi, and she had also taken Kakashi-sensei's portion with her.
The air in the hospital was filled with a faint scent of disinfectant. Naruto arrived at the two boys' ward. Kiba, lying in bed, seemed to be in good spirits. According to him, he was actually fine, but following the doctor's advice, he decided to rest and observe a bit longer.
On the bed not far from Kiba was Akimichi Choji. He seemed to need more rest than Kiba and would have to stay in the hospital for a few more days.
However, this clearly didn't affect his appetite; even though he could only lean against the headboard, he was still holding a bag of potato chips, crunching away happily.
By Choji's bed, Ino Yamanaka, who was looking after her teammate, and Sakura Haruno, who came to help, were huddled together, whispering about something. Seeing that their relationship was still as close and harmonious as ever, Naruto felt a slight sense of relief.
As soon as Sakura saw Naruto walk in, a smile immediately appeared on her face, and she waved hello. Ino, standing beside her, however, averted her gaze uncomfortably the moment it met Naruto's, instinctively shifting half a step behind Sakura.
"Is she still a little afraid of me?" Naruto's helpless question resurfaced in his mind. "What exactly is going on?"
The most enthusiastic reaction to Naruto's arrival came from Choji. His eyes practically glowed as he stared at the lunchboxes in Naruto's hands, especially after confirming that it was Naruto's special cooking. He was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he eagerly took the boxes, not even bothering with pleasantries, immediately opening the lids and burying his face in the food.
He mumbled satisfied praises with his mouth full. Naruto was long used to his friend's foodie nature, how he could instantly cheer up from good food no matter the situation. Although Choji had lost the match and was injured, it was good to see him so happy.
In contrast, Kiba seemed a bit downcast, his eyes unfocused. He was clearly still bothered by being defeated by Rock Lee in such an overwhelming manner, his confidence taking a significant hit.
Akamaru, lying by his pillow, was also in low spirits, with drooping ears, gently nudging Naruto's hand with his wet nose, letting out whimpering cries of distress.
Naruto reached out and gently stroked Akamaru's small head, feeling the warm, soft fur. Just then, a somewhat sudden and strange thought unexpectedly popped into his mind.
"Speaking of which… Kakashi's summoned Ninja dogs all seem to be able to speak human language, and they speak it better than many people… But why can't Akamaru? He's a Ninja dog too, isn't he?"
After a few more brief chats in the ward and checking on everyone's recovery, Naruto estimated it was time to leave and stood up to say goodbye.
He had only walked a few steps out of the ward when a commotion and exclamations erupted from behind the closed door.
"Wah! What's going on?! My body! Why are strange things constantly falling off of it?!" This was Kiba's panicked voice.
"Choji! Stop eating! Haven't you noticed?! Things are falling off your body too!"
"Sorry! But I don't know why, the more I eat, the hungrier I get! I can't stop!"
Then came the somewhat flustered sounds of Sakura and Ino trying to find a medical Ninja. But their footsteps quickly stopped, replaced by Choji's incredulous murmur.
"Huh? Strange… my body… it doesn't hurt at all anymore? My wounds… my wounds seem to have all healed?!"
"What?! How is that possible… Wait, I, I feel… what's going on? My body feels so light!"
After confirming that the power of Pearl Jam had completely taken effect and his two friends' injuries were fully recovered, Naruto truly turned and left the hospital.
At the same time, a different scene was unfolding during lunchtime on Kakashi's side.
Satsuki watched Might Guy and Rock Lee not far away with a hint of helplessness. The green-clad teacher and student clearly had their eyes practically glued to Kakashi's and her own bento boxes, drool almost hitting the floor, yet they were still stubbornly putting on a brave face.
"Hmph… Kakashi, I see. This enticing aroma… it must be that child Naruto's cooking, right?" Might Guy forced a look of indifference, but his Adam's apple unconsciously bobbed.
Naruto truly didn't know that Might Guy and Lee were also training there, so he hadn't prepared portions for them.
Might Guy immediately turned to Lee, who was also uncontrollably swallowing, and spoke loudly in his characteristic passionate tone.
"Lee! Did you see that? This… this is a sudden trial of 'temptation' on our path of youth!"
"A true Ninja must not only endure physical pain and fatigue but also confront the abyss of desire deep within their heart! This pervasive delicious aroma is precisely a 'genjutsu' testing whether our willpower is as firm as a Rock!"
"Remember, Lee! When the primal desires of the body roar wildly, it is the perfect opportunity for us to hone our indomitable spirit and display our youthful essence! Let us use our fervent youth to suppress this tide of instinct! This is our unique Ninja Way!"
"Oh, oh, oh! No… as expected of Teacher Guy! Truly amazing! I understand!" Lee was immediately infected, the flames of fighting spirit reigniting in his eyes, and he responded loudly, trying to ignore the enticing aroma constantly wafting into his nostrils.
Kakashi paused his movement of bringing food under his mask, lazily glancing at the teacher and student who were clearly dying of hunger but still pretending to be unfazed. He deliberately spoke in a slow, leisurely tone.
"You're really hopeless, Might Guy. If that's the case…" He paused, looking at Might Guy, whose neck was stiff but whose eyes betrayed his inner craving, and then deliberately changed the subject, "…this crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside fried chicken, I'll just…"
"Dig in without hesitation!"
With that, he deliberately dangled a golden-fried chicken piece in front of Might Guy before stuffing it under his mask, making satisfied noises as he chewed. "Oh~ this juice, this rich aroma, and this perfectly balanced texture… As expected of Naruto, it's simply delicious beyond words."
Satsuki watched Kakashi openly tease Might Guy with a strange expression. And when Might Guy realized he was being played, he immediately turned his face away, pouting, his shoulders trembling slightly from suppressing his craving and "anger."
For some reason, seeing Might Guy's deflated expression, the nameless anger in Satsuki's heart actually dissipated somewhat.
"Haha, don't overreact, it was just a joke." Kakashi knew when to stop, laughing as he smoothed things over, "Don't worry, I'll ask that child Naruto to prepare lunch for you two tomorrow as well."
"Of course, I remember… on your side, don't you also have a good jutsu that you've long intended to teach Naruto as a thank you gift, right?"
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