This was the first time Fugaku had ever heard someone praise him in such a way.
Not mentioning strength, not mentioning talent, but instead saying his name had depth and predicted a great future for him.
This unique perspective left him momentarily unsure of how to respond, and he could only shake his head helplessly.
"Alright, go home as soon as you finish eating."
Fugaku collected his thoughts, returning to his usual steady demeanor as he reminded, "It's getting late. Wild beasts occasionally appear around here; it's not exactly safe for a child."
Hearing this, Ryoko nodded quite nonchalantly.
Wild beasts?
To him, those were more like late-night snacks delivering themselves to his door.
He stuffed the last bit of fish into his mouth, smacking his lips with lingering desire, then nimbly put on his outer garment—which had been dried halfway by the residual heat of the Fire Release—and waved vigorously at Fugaku.
"Got it, Big Brother Fugaku! Bye! Next time I'm free, I'll find you to grill fish together again!"
With that, he ran off with light steps toward the Akimichi Clan compound.
Watching that round back disappear into the forest path, Fugaku muttered to himself.
"That little fatty from the Akimichi Clan is actually quite interesting."
Ryoko returned to his slightly empty small house and lay down comfortably on the tatami mats.
Although those few fish hadn't completely filled his stomach, he could clearly feel that the energy and nutrients provided by the fish meat were exceptionally abundant, far beyond what rice balls of the same volume could compare to.
"It seems I'll have to eat more protein-rich meat in the future," he thought, rubbing his stomach which still showed no bulge. "This stuff keeps me full, and the conversion efficiency is high."
He secretly resolved to prioritize his pocket money for buying meat and to try his luck at the Naka River during his spare time to catch some fish for extra meals.
With such careful planning, although he couldn't eat his fill every meal like he did in Root, maintaining his daily consumption shouldn't be a problem.
With his future 'dietary planning' in mind, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the window paper, dappling across Ryoko's face and waking him from his dreams.
He stretched, washed up briefly, and then ambled toward the Ninja Academy.
Just as he walked into the classroom, he found it much noisier than usual.
Students were gathered in small groups, chattering away with expressions of excitement and nervousness intermingled on their faces.
Ryoko listened in and realized it was the day of the end-of-month practical combat assessment.
According to custom, the Teacher would test what they had learned over the past month and conduct combat simulations.
Sure as enough, after the school bell rang, Teacher Ishikawa announced, "Everyone, take your ninja tool pouches and gather at Training Ground Three!"
The classroom was instantly filled with the rustling sounds of packing and excited discussions; the atmosphere became tense in an instant.
Ryoko followed the crowd, walking toward the training ground at a leisurely pace.
On the training ground, Teacher Ishikawa began to arrange for the students to demonstrate their learning results from the past month one by one.
From the most basic Three Basic Jutsu to shuriken throwing, every item needed to be practiced in front of everyone.
Because Ryoko was a transfer student who had just enrolled, these routine assessments naturally didn't include him.
He was happy to be idle, standing aside with his arms crossed, leisurely watching his classmates perform.
The scene on the field could be described as full of mishaps and varied blunders.
Someone used the Clone Jutsu but only manifested half a body suspended in the air; someone produced a clone three sizes fatter or half as short as themselves; and even worse, some clones were so distorted they couldn't even maintain a human shape, drawing bursts of snickering from the watching students.
The various bizarre mistakes were a dazzling sight.
Of course, there were also those with brilliant performances.
For instance, Minato Namikaze—whether it was hand seal speed, clone stability, or shuriken accuracy—was precise and standard, like a textbook demonstration, causing the Teacher to nod frequently.
The children from the Hyuga Clan, Uchiha Clan, Nara Clan, and other Ninja Clans performed equally well and were very proficient.
Once all the basic items were assessed, the Teacher clapped his hands and moved to the next phase.
One-on-one practical sparring.
The list was announced; Ryoko looked down at the number in his hand, then looked up at the old acquaintance across from him whose face had instantly turned deathly pale.
It was precisely the Hedgehog-haired Boy who had led the trouble-making yesterday and ended up 'contributing' his bento.
Seeing that his opponent was Ryoko, the Hedgehog-haired Boy's entire face collapsed, and he groaned inwardly.
He knew deep down that he was no match for this monstrously strong fatty; he only hoped the other would go easy on him so he wouldn't lose too embarrassingly in front of the whole class.
Seeing it was him, Ryoko's small eyes darted around, and a plan immediately came to mind.
He leaned over and said with a grin, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Hey, what a coincidence to be matched with you again. So, do you want to win a match and regain some face?"
The Hedgehog-haired Boy froze for a moment, looking at him in confusion.
Ryoko continued to entice him, "It's simple. Give me all your bentos for this week, and during the match later, I'll pretend to lose to you, letting you look impressive. How about it? Quite a bargain, right?"
Trading a few bentos for a chance to defeat a strong enemy in front of the whole class?
The Hedgehog-haired Boy's face showed struggle and hesitation.
But at the thought of the shame of being easily crushed yesterday and the face he might regain, he finally couldn't resist the temptation. Gritting his teeth, he nodded with shame but determination, accepting the proposal.
"Haha, great! I get to score more free meals!"
Seeing the other party agree, Ryoko felt smug inside, his mental abacus clicking away.
He even cast his gaze toward other classmates, wondering if he could develop a few more 'potential clients' to trade for more bentos.
Unfortunately, this was a one-on-one competition; he couldn't find any other opportunities for the moment, so he stood aside dejectedly to observe the others' battles first.
At this age, unless they were a super genius like Minato Namikaze, most of their fighting levels were like chicks pecking at each other—weak in strength and far below even the most basic Genin level.
Only those children born into Ninja Clans, relying on their family's bloodline advantages and secret technique inheritance, could occasionally show maneuvers that caught the eye.
After watching these battles that were like cubs playing for a while, Ryoko soon lost interest and began to let his mind wander, thinking about what to eat for dinner.
"Next group, Akimichi Ryoko versus Ueno Mori!"
Hearing the Teacher call his name, Ryoko immediately withdrew his thoughts and walked to the center of the training ground with a slightly heavy gait that matched his physique.
His opponent, the Hedgehog-haired Boy Ueno Mori, stood opposite him with a face full of'soaring fighting spirit.'
After the two symbolically formed the Seal of Confrontation, the match officially began.
Calling it a battle was an overstatement; it was actually a performance understood by both parties.
Facing the aggressively charging Ueno Mori, Ryoko abandoned yesterday's swiftness. His movements became slow and soft, only symbolically trading a few blows with exaggerated motions as if he were performing some strange dance.
Finally, when one of Ueno Mori's seemingly forceful but actually light side-kicks hit his belly, Ryoko immediately cooperated by letting out an exaggerated groan. He staggered back several steps, then lost his balance and fell to the ground quite dramatically, even intentionally kicking up a cloud of dust.
This sudden scene caused the classmates who were originally waiting to watch the excitement to freeze instantly.
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