Naruto: Choosing from Birth — Part 4

A large number of students had brought their own lunches and planned to eat in the classroom, then enjoy a proper midday nap.

Mikoto was one of them. She took out two lunchboxes and shook Uchiha Cheng awake. "Cheng-nii, time for lunch! There's Steamed Cod and Three-Flavor Rice Balls."

"Stop shaking me. Food that smells this good could wake even a stone man."

"Grrr..." A stomach growled from the right of the two.

Kushina waved her hands with a bright red face. "You can bring lunch to school? Ahahaha, I'll go home to eat first, then."

"If you don't mind, little sister, eat with us. I'll give you half of mine. I made a little too much today, and my lunchbox has three tiers, so it's easy to separate." Mikoto spoke gently.

"R-Really?" Kushina did not want to trouble anyone, but it smelled far too good.

"Of course. Aren't we sisters?"

"Mm-hm..."

The soft, silky cod melted in her mouth. Combined with the freshly mixed Three-Flavor Rice Balls, the flavors exploded across her palate.

It stimulated her taste buds deeply, bringing an incomparably wonderful feast to the tip of her tongue!

Could there be some kind of Food Ninjutsu in this world?

Kushina shoveled food into her mouth as though she had not eaten in days.

"Eat slowly. Watch out for fish bones."

Even Uchiha Cheng, who never liked taking losses, could not help giving her half a fish. He would just treat it as feeding a kitten.

"Thank you."

Kushina looked at the fish Uchiha Cheng had given her. The lunchbox she had nearly wiped clean was filled up by another layer.

All she could feel was a fragrance called happiness, filling her heart.

Wasn't this the life I had always wanted? Peaceful and tranquil, far from death.

PS: Five updates on the first day. Hope everyone likes it.

I'm asking for flowers and ratings here.

If today's flowers reach 500, there'll be an extra update right away.

If ratings exceed 200, there'll be an extra update right away.

Even the minimum reward will earn an extra update right away.

Also, if there are any heroines you like, or characters you hate and want dealt with, say so—I'll put them straight into the plot and let them fight!

Preview: The next chapter begins the battle against the Hyuga Clan and Senju Clan.*

"How... how did little sister start crying? Did a fish bone really get stuck in your throat? But I remember removing all the bones." A gentle voice came from nearby.

"It's nothing. There's no fish bone. It's just that I haven't had food this delicious in a long time. Did you make it yourself, big sister?"

"Mm-hm. I started learning to cook when I was five. My mother is not only an outstanding ninja, but also a master chef."

"So happy... I'm so envious."

After lunch, the fourth-year students gradually returned to the classroom.

A while later, Nakai Ishibashi, the chunin instructor for practical combat, entered the classroom as well.

"What's going on? Aren't all the classes today supposed to be theory classes? Shouldn't it be Nomura-sensei's class?"

"Alright, students. During lunch, your Nomura-sensei sparred with me and lost his afternoon class time to me."

Nakai Ishibashi took out a list that had clearly been prepared in advance and said calmly,

"We'll combine this afternoon's classes and hold a practical combat assessment. It will also help our new student get to know all of you more quickly."

The students below immediately erupted into an uproar.

"Damn it, practical sparring again? Am I about to get beaten up again?"

"Shouldn't the strange thing be that class time can be used as a wager?"

"No, the strange thing is that Nomura-sensei was too irrational. Why would a theory teacher spar with a combat instructor?"

"Ah... There goes my afternoon nap!"

Nakai Ishibashi then led all the ninja academy students out of the classroom and onto the central field.

He took out the prepared list and began calling them up one by one.

They would engage in one-on-one practical combat matches.

The current number one in practical combat was Uchiha Cheng.

Second was Hyuga Hiashi.

Third was Minato Namikaze.

Other than Uchiha Cheng, Minato Namikaze was the most eye-catching.

With no family backing and the status of a commoner, he had only studied what the ninja academy taught.

Yet since first year, he had rapidly climbed from the middle-to-lower ranks of the class.

He had surpassed most of the children from powerful clans.

His Shuriken Throwing Technique was practically miraculous, and someone had recently discovered that he had even learned Wind Release Ninjutsu. No one knew who had secretly taught him.

"The first contestants: Uchiha Cheng and Nawaki Senju. Please enter the field."

Nakai Ishibashi raised the list and called out loudly.

"Huh? Didn't the first-place student usually fight the second-place student?"

"Yeah, why has it become the first-place student fighting a bottom-ranker?"

"Could it be that Nawaki Senju has improved all the way to second place after one semester apart? Hiss, is this the terror of the Senju Clan?"

The field was instantly filled with discussion.

"Don't overthink it, everyone. This time, changing the matchups is simply to give you different sparring opponents. By facing different opponents, you can better understand your own shortcomings." Ishibashi loudly cleared up the students' confusion.

"Please wait! Sensei, can I switch places with Nawaki? I want to challenge Uchiha Cheng. This time, I will definitely win."

Hyuga Hiashi stepped out from the crowd, overflowing with vigorous confidence.

"Ding. Faced with a challenge from an Experience Baby. Please choose!"

"1: Accept Hyuga Hiashi's challenge. Reward: Physical skills increased by 10%."

"2: Ignore Hyuga Hiashi and continue the match against Nawaki. Reward: Hand seal speed increased by 10%."

"3: Step forward, provoke them, and defeat both at once. Reward: Physical skills and hand seal speed each increased by 30%."

Interesting. Defeating two people at once gave two thirty-percent rewards. Then what if he swept through a whole group at once in the future?

Fine, it would be more interesting with both of them attacking together. Though with Uchiha Cheng's current strength, it was still a little like bullying them.

Uchiha Cheng ignored the first two options and chose 3!

"Don't waste time. The result will be the same anyway. You and Nawaki can come at me together."

Uchiha Cheng was the first to step into the marked fighting area. His cold voice rang across the entire field.

"Uchiha Cheng, don't be so arrogant. I alone am enough. And I would never gang up on someone with another person."

Hyuga Hiashi's gaze was sharp as a blade.

Nonsense. Even if we won two against one, everyone would think it was only natural.

But what if we lost?

Though that kind of thing won't happen...

No, with a bottom-ranker like Nawaki as a teammate, it actually might happen. No, that's not right. I alone am guaranteed to win!

The future head of the Hyuga Clan had countless thoughts flash through his mind in an instant.

"That's right, Hiashi. Don't interfere. Watch me beat that smug Uchiha Cheng black and blue."

At that moment, Nawaki Senju leaped into the field as well, his brownish-yellow hair fluttering in the wind.

"You're both too weak. I have no interest in either of you alone. Or are you afraid? That makes sense. I've held first place for four years without anyone shaking my position. It's only natural for you to be scared."

"I know I've surpassed you by far—far too much!"

"How about this? The two of you come together, and I'll even give you one hand." After saying that, Uchiha Cheng truly placed one hand behind his back and stood proudly in the field like a spear.

The entire field erupted in shock.

Ishibashi-sensei, who had originally intended to stop the Hyuga challenge, fell silent for the moment. Everyone had always known that the Uchiha Clan was famously proud and arrogant.