A Not-So-Bright Fat Guy

Aoba said nothing, merely crouching quietly on a treetop and observing.

This was the foundation of a ninja clan.

Even a fat guy who did not seem particularly bright could master a secret technique with such destructive power, while civilian ninja were still struggling to practice throwing kunai.

Judging from the plowed-up ground around him, this guy had been training here for quite some time. With both a background and diligence, even if his talent was somewhat lacking, he was already standing at the finish line for most people.

The fat guy apparently had not noticed the spectator in the tree. He patted the dirt off his backside, pulled out a handful of Military Ration Pills from his ninja pouch, and stuffed them into his mouth.

"Still not working... The chakra consumption is too fast." The fat guy muttered dejectedly. "At this rate, I'll definitely be eliminated."

Aoba narrowed his eyes.

Although the Akimichi Clan's secret techniques were powerful, they placed an enormous burden on the body and required a massive amount of calories to be converted into chakra. That was why members of this clan were constantly eating, storing energy in their fat.

Beyond that, they also had those three-colored pills meant for desperate situations.

The green Spinach Pill, the yellow Curry Pill, and the red Chili Pill.

The red one in particular could instantly burn all the fat in the body after being consumed, granting strength more than a hundred times greater than one's own. The price was a high chance of death.

"Pharmacology..."

A thought flashed through Aoba's mind.

If he could get his hands on the Akimichi Clan's secret medicine formula and combine it with the Chip's analytical ability, perhaps he could improve it into a drug with fewer side effects that could stimulate the body's potential. It could serve as an emergency measure when necessary. After all, the Shinobi World was simply too dangerous. An accident might arrive at any moment.

"Again! Multi-Size Technique!"

With a low shout, his body instantly swelled by a full circle. He curled himself into a ball once more and charged toward that battered tree.

"Human Bullet Tank!"

Aoba watched for a while, shook his head, then flashed away and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

He had no interest in watching someone else roll around in the dirt. Everyone else was working hard, so he needed to get himself together a little too.

Maybe he should solve the food problem first?

The afternoon arrived quickly.

A campfire had been lit beside a stream deep in the forest.

A huge wild boar lay on the ground. There was only a wound on its neck, its main artery directly severed, and its blood flowed away with the stream.

Killing without torture—Aoba had used genjutsu to bring down the wild boar, allowing it to go peacefully.

This wild boar was not one of those true ninja beasts. At most, it was a beast with chakra, possessing no intelligence.

Beasts like this were his targets.

Aoba used a kunai to cut off a hind leg, then skillfully skinned it, removed the bones, and sliced the meat.

He did not know the Chakra Scalpel, but brute force could work miracles. Using a kunai as a knife was no problem.

He set up the fire and threaded the meat onto skewers.

He did not even need to brush on oil. Before long, fat began to sizzle out. Aoba took out specially prepared seasonings from his pack and sprinkled them evenly over the chunks of meat. The rich aroma of roasted meat mixed with the distinctive fragrance of spices and drifted far away on the wind.

"It should be about done."

Aoba took out a kunai, cut off a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth for a taste.

Crisp on the outside and tender within, it practically melted in his mouth. There was none of the gamey smell he had expected. Instead, the meat was firm and satisfyingly chewy, with an endless aftertaste.

Logically speaking, wild boar was supposed to have a poorer texture, with coarse meat and a strong gamey odor, yet the result was completely different from what he had imagined.

No, it was not completely different. It was more accurate to say that miraculous chakra had changed the wild boar meat!

Just as he was about to dig in, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes nearby.

Soon, a plump figure emerged from the brush.

Heh, it was unexpectedly that same fat guy from the morning.

His clothes were already soaked through with sweat, and his face was bruised blue and purple. He had clearly suffered quite a bit during training.

"S-So fragrant!"

The fat guy sniffed, his Adam's apple bobbing as his eyes stared fixedly at the roasted meat on the fire rack, as though his soul had been hooked away.

Fortunately, he quickly realized how improper he was being. He hurriedly stopped in his tracks and rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Um... I was just passing by, really. I was only drawn here by the smell."

"Mm, it's fine. We're from the same village, and I can't finish all this wild boar meat by myself."

"Then... excuse me."

"Sit."

Aoba pointed to a rock across from him and casually handed over a freshly grilled skewer.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

The fat guy no longer had any concern for politeness. He took the skewer, ignored the heat, and bit down.

For the Akimichi Clan, food was not merely energy. It was faith.

"Mm!"

His eyes instantly widened.

The fat burst open in his mouth, while the kick of the spices blended perfectly with the meat's rich flavor. The satisfaction nearly made him swallow his own tongue.

"Th-This is so delicious! This flavor... Mm, it's my first time eating grilled meat this good!"

The fat guy looked utterly blissful, his eyes practically sparkling.

Aoba smiled without saying anything.

As a chef, it was still quite satisfying to receive someone's heartfelt praise for his food.

Though he also knew that his grilled meat really was delicious.

He had spent quite a bit of time finding spices such as magnolia bark, cinnamon twig, costus root, cumin, and more.

Along the way, he had chewed who knew how many plants raw and drunk quite a few doses of antidote.

In this Shinobi World where seasonings were scarce, these ingredients were practically a dimensionality-reduction strike.

Otherwise, why would the Hot Pot Restaurant be so popular? Was it not because of these soul-stirring seasonings?

"Mm."

Only after swallowing the final mouthful of meat did reason reclaim the high ground, and Kota finally found the time to observe who had made such delicious food.

The sky had grown somewhat dim. By the flickering campfire, Akimichi Kota was still able to make out the face across from him.

Huh?

So he was also just a kid like him.

Although the other party wore a pair of sunglasses, judging from his youthful face, he might even have been younger than Kota.

Yet despite being around the same age, the other boy exuded a composure that did not match his years.

The calm manner in which he shared food without hesitation reflected confidence in his own strength.

"Um... My name is Akimichi Kota." Kota wiped his mouth somewhat sheepishly and took the initiative to introduce himself.

"Yamashiro Aoba." Aoba responded casually, never stopping the movement of turning the skewers in his hand.

Kota thought Aoba might not know where he came from, so he added, "I'm from the Akimichi Clan."

"I know." Aoba's tone remained utterly calm. "There's an Akimichi student in our class."

"Mm, mm?"

"Ninja Academy? You're still a Ninja Academy student?" Kota's voice involuntarily rose several degrees.

Only then did he notice that Aoba was not wearing a Konohagakure ninja forehead protector. The discovery immediately filled him with shame. Fortunately, the other party did not seem to care, nor was he some suspicious enemy.

After reflecting on it came intense shock!

Kota stiffly turned his neck and looked at the massive creature lying nearby.

A student who had not even graduated from the Ninja Academy had actually taken down such a huge wild boar alone in the Forest of Death?

This wild boar was over three meters long. Its sharp tusks were like two curved blades, and traces of past battles still remained on its hide, all proving the wild boar's strength.

Even newly graduated genin teams would have to take a detour around a ferocious beast of this level, yet it had now become a pile of ingredients.

Then there was himself. Training the Multi-Size Technique alone could exhaust him to the point of collapse, and he still had to rely on Military Ration Pills to keep himself going.