I, the Nine-Tails Chef

"Coming right up!"

Teuchi drew out the words as he carried a tray to the counter, placing two bowls of Beef Ramen before Iruka and Naruto.

"Please enjoy!" Teuchi said sincerely before turning back to his work.

"Wow, there's really so much beef!"

Naruto cried out dramatically, then picked up a chopstick-thick slice of beef and put it in his mouth. Chewing, he said, "Iruka-sensei, hurry and eat. It won't taste as good once it gets cold!"

Watching Naruto lower his head and slurp down the ramen ravenously, Iruka could not help shaking his head. "You really are something."

With that, he happily began eating his ramen as well.

"Slurp, slurp~"

For a time, the only sounds in Ichiraku Ramen were the varying slurps of people eating noodles.

"Hah!" Naruto finished the ramen in his bowl and drank every last drop of the broth. He heavily set the bowl on the counter, threw back his head, and shouted, "Yah-ha... that hit the spot!"

Iruka had finished his own bowl by then and asked, "Naruto, you're only having one bowl?"

He remembered that Naruto could eat ten bowls.

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei. Because I'm paying for it myself..." Naruto turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and answered with a serious expression.

Idiot. Iruka's face darkened. So he only ate freely when someone else was treating him.

After letting out a calming breath, Iruka finally remembered why he had come looking for Naruto today. This kid had nearly made him forget. "Naruto, why didn't you go to class? Last time, you told me you were someone with dreams. If you don't go to class, how are you going to achieve them?"

"Yeah, I told Iruka-sensei that I have dreams. I haven't forgotten at all." Naruto nodded seriously, clasped his hands together, puffed out his chest, and said, "Iruka-sensei, come feel my pectoral muscles..."

"Idiot, I'm talking about you skipping class!" Iruka's face reddened as he snapped in embarrassment. "What does that have to do with your pectoral muscles?"

"Iruka-sensei, don't you think my Pectoralis Major is beautiful?" Naruto asked in confusion. He flexed slightly, and his clothes immediately made a ripping sound as his sharply defined Pectoralis Major swelled.

"..." This child did not seem very smart.

A few crows flew over Iruka's head, black lines running down his forehead. He said earnestly, "Naruto, if you keep skipping class, you won't be able to graduate..."

"Iruka-sensei, haven't you figured it out yet?" Naruto flexed all the muscles in his body again and winked at Iruka.

"Hm?"

Iruka became suspicious. He suddenly recalled that there was a Jonin instructor who was especially outstanding in Taijutsu. Could it be that Naruto had secretly been training in Taijutsu?

"Naruto, graduation isn't based on Taijutsu. The Substitute Technique, Clone Technique, Transformation Jutsu, kunai throwing, basic Ninja History—these are all tested. No matter what, remember to come to school and study."

Iruka patted Naruto on the head as he spoke.

Naruto naturally felt Iruka-sensei's kindness. Not wanting to disappoint him,

Naruto decided to try attending school for a few days. In any case, he could not practice the Indestructible Body continuously all day now. Every time his body could no longer bear the strain, he had to stop.

With that plan, he could train after school.

"Okay."

Having decided that, Naruto nodded.

Iruka finally revealed a relieved smile.

"Baa..."

A goat bleated once, then lowered its head and resumed eating grass. It did not know that someone had set his sights on it.

Naruto no longer needed to practice the Thousand Jin Embrace on stationary targets, so he chose the goat as a moving target. But with moving targets, he was training reaction speed rather than strength.

To keep himself from hugging the goat to death and suffering a loss, Naruto could only control his strength.

Having picked out a goat, Naruto bent low and stealthily approached it.

Thousand Jin Embrace!

With a low roar in his heart, Naruto lunged forward, wrapping his arms toward the goat.

"Smack~"

Two goat hooves kicked viciously backward, striking Naruto in the face.

Naruto was kicked to the ground. Thanks to the Indestructible Body, he was not injured—not even scratched. But what annoyed him was that after kicking him, the goat even turned back and gave him a contemptuous look before calmly continuing to eat grass.

Without feeling discouraged in the slightest, Naruto got to his feet, brushed the bits of grass from his body, and continued his sneak attacks.

Thousand Jin Embrace...

"Smack~"

Thousand Jin Embrace...

"Smack~"

Thousand Jin Embrace...

"Smack~"

Half an hour later, Naruto lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Damn it, this goat kept aiming for his face. After so many kicks, even thick-skinned Naruto had become bruised and swollen.

"I don't believe I can't hug you!"

With a breath stuck in his throat, Naruto became stubborn. Today, he was determined to hug it.

Thousand Jin Embrace...

"Smack~"

Thousand Jin Embrace...

"Smack~"

Thousand Jin Embrace...

"Smack~"

Another hour passed. The goat looked contemptuously at the human lying on the ground, inwardly despising him beyond measure.

Naruto lay on the ground, staring at the sky with a lifeless expression.

At the side, Kurama was flipping through a cookbook with a serious expression. He had not once looked up at Naruto's game with the goat.

"Kurama, what section are you reading now?" Naruto asked weakly.

"I've reached the goat section. It's wonderful. The ways to prepare goat are simply amazing..." Kurama did not take his eyes off the cookbook, but a string of admiring exclamations came from his mouth.

"No matter how many books you read, it's still just theory on paper. Practice is the only way to test the truth." Naruto glanced at the goat peacefully eating grass not far away, his gaze distant.

The moment Naruto finished speaking, the goat suddenly felt a chill run through its entire body. But when it turned around and saw the human whose face it had kicked black and blue, it lowered its head and continued eating grass.

"Oh!" Kurama's eyes lit up. He finally looked up and nodded. "You're right."

"Yeah, that goat has internal injuries. It probably won't live much longer, so I'll leave it to you." Naruto pointed at the goat.

Kurama followed Naruto's finger and looked over. The goat appeared quite healthy, not at all like it had internal injuries. "It looks healthy. It doesn't look like it has internal injuries."

"I told you, they're internal injuries. How could you tell from the outside?" Naruto said helplessly.

"That's true. Then I, Chef Nine, won't stand on ceremony." Kurama put down the cookbook, pulled a knife and a spoon from behind his back, and smiled at the goat.

"..." Sensing the malicious intent, the goat finally panicked and fled for its life.

Before long,

"Baa baa baa baa..."

A string of cute bleats rang out.

Naruto looked over and saw Kurama holding the goat up by its back with both forelegs as he excitedly ran toward the kitchen. The goat's four hooves flailed wildly in the air, and happy cries came from its mouth.

At the sight,

Naruto revealed a satisfied smile.