"He won!!!"
"He actually won!!!"
"This is unbelievable! Uzumaki Naruto actually won!!!"
"..."
Many of the students on the training ground cried out in astonishment.
Uzumaki Naruto being able to use the Kunai Throwing Technique was already impressive enough.
Yet he had not only defeated Second Pillar.
He had even defeated Uchiha Itachi, the genius who had graduated from the Ninja Academy after only half a year.
Kunai filled the air, colliding again and again.
They had not even been able to see clearly and had never believed those kunai could hit the targets.
Yet the outcome was completely unexpected.
Not only had both of their kunai struck the targets, but Uzumaki Naruto had won every round.
"Unbelievable!"
Nara Shikamaru stared at Uzumaki Naruto in amazement.
"Uchiha Itachi is a genius of the Uchiha Clan. They say he already has the strength of a Special Jonin, yet Uzumaki Naruto's Kunai Throwing Technique actually surpassed his."
Inuzuka Kiba nodded. "Exactly. This is seriously unbelievable."
Akimichi Choji muttered while eating potato chips, "Naruto won so much money this time. That's amazing..."
Yamanaka Ino gazed at Uzumaki Naruto with starry-eyed admiration.
"So handsome!!!"
"Why did I never realize Uzumaki Naruto was this handsome before? He's strong and gentle too. He's practically the perfect man of my dreams..."
Haruno Sakura also stared at Uzumaki Naruto with a lovestruck expression.
"He really is... so handsome..."
Hyuga Hinata's little face was flushed red. With her hands clasped before her chest, she softly said, "Go, Naruto-kun..."
"..."
"Amazing!!!"
Even Iruka could not help but praise him.
He knew Uchiha Itachi better than these students did. According to rumors, Uchiha Itachi might join the Anbu next year.
What kind of place was the Anbu?
It was the force directly under the Hokage. Other than geniuses and powerful people, no one else was qualified to join.
Uzumaki Naruto had defeated Uchiha Itachi. Although it had only been a contest of Kunai Throwing Technique, it still showed that Uzumaki Naruto possessed exceptional talent in taijutsu.
"Naruto, when did you practice the Kunai Throwing Technique!?"
Iruka could not help asking.
Uzumaki Naruto smiled, pretended to think for a moment, and decided to add more time to his answer.
"Probably... a year ago?"
"My ninjutsu isn't very good, so I thought I'd start with taijutsu."
Iruka was deeply shocked after hearing that.
"One year? You reached this level in just one year?"
Uzumaki Naruto smiled helplessly. It seemed he had still said too little.
Iruka looked at Uzumaki Naruto with blazing eyes.
A genius!!!
He was absolutely a genius!!!
Iruka could say with certainty that even if Uzumaki Naruto could not learn ninjutsu, his powerful talent for taijutsu would still be enough to make him a formidable expert.
At noon.
Uzumaki Naruto leaned against a large tree, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he looked helplessly at the enormous lunch box before him.
"This... is nearly half a meter tall, isn't it?"
Little Hinata blushed as she opened the lunch box, revealing a dazzling array of food inside.
Fried tempura.
Sushi and rice balls.
Pan-fried dumplings, takoyaki, and miso soup.
Mochi dumplings, red bean dumplings, and tri-colored dango.
There were even four huge bowls of extra-large tonkotsu ramen.
The more Uzumaki Naruto looked, the more frightened he became. Not because he was hungry, but because he was scared. Was Little Hinata raising him like a pig?
"Little Hinata, these... are for two people, right?"
Little Hinata blushed and shook her head.
"No, they're all for Naruto-kun."
Uzumaki Naruto: "..."
Uzumaki Naruto swallowed and stiffly asked, "Little Hinata, um... do you eat this much every day?"
It was really hard to imagine that a person's appetite... could truly be this big.
Little Hinata shook her head and softly said, "I still need two more bowls of ramen."
Uzumaki Naruto: "..."
Little Hinata looked at the praying Uzumaki Naruto in confusion and softly asked, "Naruto-kun, are you saying a prayer before eating?"
Uzumaki Naruto nodded blankly.
"Yeah. I'm praying that King Yama doesn't take me away after this meal."
Half an hour later.
Uzumaki Naruto lay on Little Hinata's lap, staring lifelessly at the sky.
After this battle, Uzumaki Naruto clearly understood that human limits could be surpassed—for example, when it came to appetite...
"Buuurp~~"
Uzumaki Naruto let out a long, satisfied burp.
Little Hinata's face was crimson as she stroked Uzumaki Naruto's hair and softly asked, "Naruto-kun, you won so much money. Will that big brother from the Uchiha Clan really give it to you?"
Uzumaki Naruto looked lazy as he turned his head in another direction. "How could they?"
"That's over a hundred million Ryo. Even if they sold the Uchiha Clan, they might not be able to scrape together that much money."
Little Hinata gently turned Uzumaki Naruto's head back, her little face red as she asked, "Really!? Then why did Naruto-kun still bet with them!?"
Uzumaki Naruto gave Little Hinata a somewhat suspicious look.
Why did he feel like... Little Hinata was taking this rather seriously...
But Uzumaki Naruto did not think much of it and casually said, "If I hadn't won, they wouldn't have given me a single coin. This way, at least they'll give me some of it."
Little Hinata nodded somewhat disappointedly.
"I see..."
Uzumaki Naruto grew even more suspicious and could not help saying,
"Hey, Little Hinata, maybe it's just my imagination, but are you... a little disappointed!?"
Little Hinata blushed as she fiddled with her fingers, not daring to meet Uzumaki Naruto's eyes. In a soft voice, she said, "Didn't Naruto-kun say you wanted me to support you?"
"I'm working hard to save money too. Naruto-kun, I have more than a hundred thousand Ryo now. Can I support you?"
Uzumaki Naruto: "..."
Before you continue