Hinata's Appetite

The nine preliminary matches had ended. Excluding Neji and Hinata, who had both been eliminated after their draw, exactly eight contestants remained.

The Third Hokage then said a few things to the eight remaining contestants. To sum it all up in one sentence: the third exam would begin in a month, and like the preliminaries, it would consist of one-on-one fights, but the matches would follow an elimination format.

Finally, before dismissing everyone, they drew lots to determine the matchups for the third exam:

① Uchiha Sasuke

② Kabuto Yakushi

③ Shikamaru Nara

④ Temari

⑤ Shino Aburame

⑥ Sakura Haruno

⑦ Gaara

⑧ Uzumaki Naruto

They would be paired off in order according to the numbers.

Some people weren't happy with the results. Naruto, for example, complained, "Why am I in the last match again?"

Or Sakura: "Of all people, Shino... I hate bugs!"

Then there was Shikamaru: "That fan-wielding girl's really strong... What a drag. Maybe I should just forfeit when the time comes."

But some people were quite satisfied. Kabuto Yakushi, for instance, thought, I'm in luck. Now I can gather information on Uchiha Sasuke without raising suspicion. Looks like I'll be able to carry out Lord Orochimaru's orders properly this time, too.

Once he had finished saying everything he needed to, the Third Hokage concluded, "You've all worked hard today. Well, I'll see you again in a month. You're dismissed!"

The Chunin Ninja Exams were over for the time being. Those who had passed celebrated with their teammates. Those who had been eliminated also celebrated with their teammates, either to console themselves or to cheer up their comrades.

Team 7, led by Kakashi, was the only team among Konoha's many contestants whose members had all passed the exam. It had earned Kakashi plenty of face.

So, at Naruto's insistence, Kakashi had to splurge and take the three of them to the highest-class barbecue restaurant in the Hidden Leaf Village, where they got a private room.

Once the food had arrived, the four of them ate in silence for a while. When the other three gradually began to slow down, Kakashi finally asked, "What are your plans for the next month?"

Naruto replied, "I'll keep following my master's plan, training every day and getting stronger."

"Mm. I can't make heads or tails of what you're training now, so I can't offer you much advice. If you ever need my help, just ask."

After speaking to Naruto, Kakashi turned to Sakura. "Lady Tsunade's whereabouts are unknown right now, and I don't know where to look for her. Once she returns, I'll let you know as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura nodded. "But my master has actually taught me a lot, so there's no need to trouble Lady Tsunade."

"I see..."

Kakashi fell silent for a moment, then looked at Sasuke. "What about you?"

"My Sharingan should develop into the Three-Tomoe soon. So, for the first half of the month, I plan to stick to the training routine my master laid out for me and keep up my usual pace."

Sasuke spoke slowly. "My master will probably give me a new plan for the second half of the month. I'll see what it is then."

"You're already about to awaken the Three-Tomoe? That's much sooner than I expected..."

Kakashi pondered. "Back in the Forest of Death, when you encountered that person, did something happen that affected you?"

"I know that the Sharingan awakens and improves faster when it's triggered by intense emotions."

Sasuke thought for a moment. "But I think my recent progress is thanks to the medicinal meals my master provided."

Kakashi looked at Naruto.

"Mm... My master said the recipe could be handed over to the village, but the meals can only work if a person actually has a certain inheritable bloodline, and has enough of it."

Naruto relayed his words. "For example, I inherited some of my mother's Uzumaki Clan constitution, but I also inherited part of my father's constitution, though I don't know what it's called. The medicinal meals could only strengthen the part of me that came from the Uzumaki Clan."

"I see."

Kakashi felt a little disappointed, then thought of something. "Doesn't that little princess from the Hyuga Clan often eat the medicinal meals you make?"

"Naruto: Hinata?"

Kakashi said, "Right."

Naruto replied, "No."

"No?"

Kakashi was surprised. "Then why has she improved so much?"

Naruto scratched his head, not understanding why Kakashi would ask that. "Because Hinata already had the talent and potential."

"That doesn't seem right..."

Kakashi almost wanted to scratch his head, too. "The Hyuga Clan has never deliberately hidden it. Most of the village's jonin know that the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan has poor aptitude and little talent. Neji is the most talented member of the Hyuga Clan in recent years. If Hinata's aptitude hadn't improved, she couldn't have drawn with Neji."

"I don't really know much about Hinata's situation."

Naruto thought back. "The first time she approached me on her own was about three years ago. At the time, my master said Hinata had inherited a 'very pure' bloodline, and ordinary ingredients couldn't strengthen it any further, so he didn't have me make medicinal meals for her."

"Her bloodline is very pure?"

Kakashi was confused. "She is the eldest daughter of the Main Branch, but she doesn't seem any different from the others. And the medicinal meals clearly worked on Sasuke..."

"I don't really understand any of that."

Naruto gave up trying to figure it out. "But my master said so, so it must be right."

Kakashi felt a little uneasy about Naruto's blind faith in his "master." Still, so far, there had been no obvious negative effects from the master's influence on him. "Does your master have any thoughts on Hinata's strength?"

Naruto closed his eyes and spoke to his master in his mind. After quite a while, he opened them and said, "My master says Hinata's bloodline is pure, but she's a little lacking mentally. Still, the main reason she was weak in the past and couldn't show her talent was that she didn't eat enough."

"What?"

Kakashi was sure he'd heard correctly. But the Hyuga Clan was arguably the strongest and largest ninja clan in the Hidden Leaf Village right now. Hinata was the eldest daughter of its current clan head. How could she have been weak simply because she hadn't eaten enough?

"Don't let Hinata's small size fool you. She eats more than I do."

Naruto pointed to the barbecue on the table in front of them. "All the food the four of us have eaten wouldn't even fill Hinata up a third of the way—and that was how much she ate three years ago. Now, even if she ate everything on this table by herself, she probably wouldn't feel even a tenth full."

"Isn't that a little exaggerated?"

Kakashi looked slightly puzzled. "At that rate, could Hinata eat enough food for forty people all by herself?"

"Only enough for forty people? That wouldn't be enough."

Naruto looked serious. "Two years ago, I took Hinata out for a meal and told her she had to eat until she was full. She ate about a hundred pounds' worth of ingredients that day."

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke all stared at him, dumbfounded.

"And that was only because Hinata ate slowly and the guards who came looking for her took her home."

Naruto added, "If she'd kept eating, she definitely would've gone through even more ingredients."