Not That I Dislike Him

The next day, Seventh Training Ground.

"Boss, why is that Demon Fox here again?"

Yuan Wei spoke quietly. He was someone who neither discriminated against the Demon Fox nor particularly cared about him.

Konoha was huge. Death Forest, Training Ground 44 within the village alone, had a diameter of twenty kilometers. Most students who could enter the Ninja Academy kept their distance from the Demon Fox out of wary respect.

Quite a few people mocked the Demon Fox for being dead last, but there was not much outright discrimination or isolation in the practical sense.

"If he likes following us, let him." Lin Ke sighed like a little adult.

He truly had not intended to get involved with the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, but why had he not firmly refused or driven him away?

Aside from worrying that the guy would grow even clingier, the real reason was that he could not bring himself to dislike Uzumaki Naruto.

In his previous life, he had read the entire manga. It had been part of his youth during his school days. Back then, he had loved manga and novels, flipping through comic books alone and watching the mischievous, troublemaking, dead-last protagonist take shape through one storyline after another.

That guy who risked his life to earn others' acknowledgment; that dead last who never gave up no matter how dire his circumstances, who was steadfast, brave, passionate, and gentle...

Perhaps Naruto had this problem and that problem that people criticized, but Uzumaki Naruto, as a classic shonen manga protagonist, had genuinely moved Lin Ke, at least in the early parts of the story.

That was why he had once loved that manga and Uzumaki Naruto so much.

Now that he had truly transmigrated into the Naruto World, Lin Ke was not naive enough to think manga was reality. Yet he found it difficult to feel any dislike toward Uzumaki Naruto.

Precisely because he knew what a good kid Naruto was, he put on a cold face and refused to interact with him.

He was afraid that one day, he would somehow be corroded by emotions, form some bond, and inexplicably die like Hyuga Neji.

From the very beginning, his goal had been to live well and keep his fate in his own hands.

"Boss." Xia suddenly spoke. "You—"

"You smiled."

Lin Ke raised his head and looked at the deep blue sky. Did I smile? Hmph. He returned to his calm expression, lowered his head, and said, "All right, enough nonsense. Xia, you're first. Demonstrate everything I taught you yesterday."

"Boss~" Xia's voice was noticeably more relaxed. She was no longer as stifled as before under his leadership. As she walked toward an open patch of ground, she said, "I'm a girl, you know."

"Ladies first. Isn't that perfect?" Lin Ke definitely did not have any intention of taking revenge.

Xia helplessly began her routine.

Yuan Wei snickered quietly beside them.

Fifth Squad trained for nearly two hours before Lin Ke let them rest and practice freely. He went to a nearby vending machine by the roadside and bought two cans of Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi. Finding a nearby seat, he sat down, opened one can and took a sip, then placed the other on the far end of the bench.

Canned Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi—the drink Naruto had shared with Konohamaru while chatting in the woods after graduating. Incidentally, Mitarashi Anko was a devoted fan of it.

"Come out." He took another sip, soothing the discomfort in his throat.

"Rustle, rustle."

Uzumaki Naruto jumped down from a tree branch and asked in surprise, "How did you find me?"

"You've been following me ever since you left Ichiraku Ramen yesterday, okay?" Lin Ke complained.

Uzumaki Naruto was a little unconvinced, but he did not argue. Instead, he prepared hand seals and readied himself to fight. He still had a finishing move he had not used!

"Your tracking skills are terrible." Lin Ke remained seated without moving, gesturing with his chin for Naruto to sit down and drink. He spoke calmly. "It's for you."

Strangely, Uzumaki Naruto had no other reaction. He froze for a moment, then, after a brief hesitation, sat down, picked up the Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi, and said softly, "Thanks."

It was the first time someone his age had spoken to him peacefully. The first time someone his age had given him a drink. The first time...

Oh, no. He was just a little brat shorter than him by a whole head.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lin Ke narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling this guy was thinking about something he should not be thinking about—something worthy of having his head chopped off.

"Nothing." Uzumaki Naruto lowered his head and stared at the ground, clutching the Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi without opening it. It was not that he was not thirsty or anything; he was simply reluctant.

Reluctant to drink it.

Tch, brat.

Lin Ke curled his lip. He found it a little strange that the guy was being so quiet, but did not dwell on it. "Why have you been following me?"

Some things had to be talked out. Since he could not shake Naruto off, they might as well have an honest conversation. Maybe they could become friends like Naruto's other classmates—not too close, not too distant. That did not sound bad.

Come to think of it, if he could transmigrate back, would a lot of people envy him if he told them he had become Uzumaki Naruto's friend?

To suppress the corners of his mouth, he took another sip of his drink.

Only after finishing his sip did Lin Ke look over. What was with this guy? He had not made a sound for several seconds over a simple question. Lin Ke casually asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Uzumaki Naruto repeated his earlier answer, sounding a little dejected.

No way? Lin Ke felt something was off. Is this guy about to suddenly start crying? Is becoming a genin and earning the acknowledgment of those around him really that painful for someone younger than me?

Uzumaki Naruto raised his head, and a brilliant smile bloomed across his face. "Thank you."

"What the..."

Lin Ke muttered, taking another sip to steady himself. The plot had gotten a little strange, okay?

He was thanking him over a single drink. If it were Hinata giving him a few more gifts, she would probably be able to lure the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki straight home.

Things had suddenly gotten awkward. At a time like this, could he still tell Naruto to stop following him?

He scratched the back of his head, somewhat troubled. Could this be the legendary strategy of winning hearts? Thinking this, he said, "All right, let me tell you, um..."

What should he say? Even his thoughts had become a little disjointed.

"Forget it." Lin Ke spoke helplessly. He truly could not do anything about this guy. In any case, Naruto was not affecting his normal life at the moment. It was a little weird, but Lin Ke did not really dislike him.

Uzumaki Naruto calmed himself and asked curiously, "Were you... teaching them just now?"

"Yeah." Lin Ke returned to a normal conversational rhythm. He took another sip of his drink and said, "It's not so easy to become a qualified genin."

"Then could you—" Uzumaki Naruto hesitated briefly. Seeing that someone two years younger than him had already become a genin and could even teach classmates from his own class, a strange idea surfaced in his mind. But asking a little brat—

Lin Ke shot the guy a sidelong glance. Since earlier, Naruto had been glancing at the top of his head now and then. Did he think Lin Ke did not know exactly what he was thinking?

Still, as an adult, stay calm, stay calm...