It Was Me Who Came First

"Can I join too?" Yamanaka Ino popped out.

"Sure." As a member of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, he naturally wouldn't refuse her request to join the gathering.

After all, these would be his connections in the future.

"What a drag..." Nara Shikamaru knew he couldn't escape this, but he didn't really mind; after all, he had tasted the food Akimichi Denji made that day, and it was indeed quite delicious.

"Is Sasuke going?" Uzumaki Naruto asked boisterously.

Sasuke originally wanted to refuse, but thinking of Uchiha Itachi's advice to make more friends, he hesitated for a moment and nodded: "Since you've invited me so sincerely, I'll reluctantly go."

Walking behind them, Hyuga Hinata saw this scene and grew increasingly conflicted.

No, if this keeps up, there won't be a place for me.

"I can't," Hinata thought, struggling, "but Father is waiting for me to go home for dinner."

Going home to eat doesn't fill me up, but I can get a full meal at Denji's place.

Even the cold Sasuke joined. Hinata, oh Hinata, what are you waiting for! If you hesitate any longer, there really won't be a place for you.

If I could become someone like Denji, perhaps I wouldn't let Father down time and time again.

Noticing Hinata fiddling with the hem of her clothes, Akimichi Denji asked, "Would you like to join us, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata snapped back to reality, and without hesitation, she said firmly: "Yes!"

Startled by Hinata's sudden intensity, Akimichi Denji paused, then chuckled, "That's great."

Ding! Wish fulfilled [It Was Me Who Came First], Wish Points +1.

Akimichi Denji looked at the system prompt, not understanding what it meant, but since the wish was fulfilled, he didn't dwell on it.

The group headed toward the Akimichi Clan's estate.

Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes. He had originally wanted to find an opportunity to plant the Cursed Seal of the Individual Curse Tongue.

But with all the young Konoha prodigies gathered together, he was forced to abandon the idea.

There was no other reason; the factions these children were tied to were simply too vast.

The "Demon Fox," the Hyuga Clan, the Uchiha Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—unwittingly, the royalty and nobility of Konoha had all gathered around this Denji.

Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth, but he could only give up on Akimichi Denji for now and look for another opportunity.

Night fell, the lights of ten thousand homes flickered on one by one, the scent of cooking drifted through the air, window shadows swayed, and the light clinking of bowls and chopsticks echoed.

The students of Class 1-A gathered around the dining table. A dazzling array of dishes was brought out one after another. Because of Akimichi Denji's constitution, the chefs prepared an excess of food every day, which was more than enough to satisfy the appetites of a group of children.

Picking up a piece of food, Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed: "Delicious!"

He then began to wolf down his meal. Seeing Naruto like this, Akimichi Choji was terrified that the food would be eaten up.

Before they knew it, the two began to compete, starting a gluttony contest to see who could eat the most first.

Akimichi Denji, however, was in no rush, leisurely enjoying the gourmet food.

Since he had the Military Ration Pill, his need for regular food had decreased; eating was now just to satisfy his cravings.

Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru shook their heads speechlessly as they watched Naruto and Choji compete.

Yamanaka Ino, meanwhile, kept putting food into Denji's bowl, saying, "This is good. You eat too."

Haruno Sakura sat silently next to Sasuke, wanting to imitate Ino and put food in Sasuke's bowl, but after looking at his expressionless face, she dismissed the thought.

Hinata kept her head down, eating quietly, but remained very restrained with others around.

"No need to be so formal," Akimichi Denji said with a smile, "getting a full meal is what matters most."

Hyuga Hinata froze for a moment, then nodded, slowly letting her guard down.

Uzumaki Naruto chimed in: "That's right, hurry up and eat! No matter how much you eat, you won't eat as much as me. I'm going to be the one who eats the most."

Hearing this, Hyuga Hinata felt relieved.

If it doesn't count as eating too much, then I should be able to get full, right?

A while later, Uzumaki Naruto and Akimichi Choji stared at the stack of empty bowls in front of Hinata, dumbfounded, their mouths agape in shock.

"That's amazing," Uzumaki Naruto muttered.

Hyuga Hinata buried her head in shame, her cheeks bright red.

She was a genuine big eater, but she usually didn't dare to eat her fill because of her father's discipline, as he would scold her for lacking the upbringing of the main family whenever she ate too much.

Today, she discovered that her classmates didn't look at her appetite with strange eyes; while there was curiosity, it was mostly just surprise.

That look was different from the disappointment in her father's eyes...

"You eat as much as my brother," Akimichi Choji exclaimed, adding, "And you don't even gain weight despite eating so much."

Hinata lowered her head even further.

That phrase, "like my brother," caused ripples in her heart.

"If you like it, you can come eat here anytime," Akimichi Denji said. It was his father's money anyway.

"Really?" Uzumaki Naruto's eyes lit up, then he added, "I can pay for the meal."

Akimichi Denji chuckled, not minding his "meal money" at all.

In the original story, it wasn't that Uzumaki Naruto lacked the money to eat; he simply lacked parental guidance and basic life skills, and coupled with the bullying from the ignorant villagers of Konoha, he was constantly sold expired food.

This was the reason Naruto could only drink expired milk and gnaw on hard, cold rice balls all day.

A hint of envy flickered in Hyuga Hinata's eyes; she wanted to come too, but as the princess of the Hyuga main house, she couldn't be as carefree as Naruto, and she would likely be reprimanded just for coming to eat today.

"Ding! Completed Uzumaki Naruto's wish [Captive of Gourmet], Wish Points +1."

Akimichi Denji looked at the system panel notification and nodded with satisfaction.

The name of this wish was simple and straightforward: it was just about satisfying Naruto's need for a proper meal.

Inviting his little friends over to eat today had certainly been productive.

As everyone headed home one by one, Akimichi Choza pulled Akimichi Denji toward the outskirts of the village with a mysterious expression, claiming he had a surprise.

Akimichi Denji looked at Choza in surprise, wondering what this cheap father of his was up to.

The two walked at a leisurely pace, weaving through streets and alleys, though the direction was clearly leading toward the very heart of Konoha.

Choza led Denji, taking a turn onto the most prominent street in the center of the village.

A strange sight appeared before them: despite being in the core of Konoha, only a few low, old houses remained, cramped and squeezed between newly built high-rises.

The courtyard walls were mottled, weeds grew in the cracks of the stone steps, and the air was filled with the scent of old wood and dust; it was silent all around, and it was clear that not many people lived there.

This is...

Akimichi Denji had a vague answer in his heart, but he wasn't yet certain.

To occupy such a prime piece of land in the center of Konoha while having so few clansmen, he could only think of one answer.

Akimichi Choza, as the head of his clan, appeared respectful at this moment, leading Denji to knock on the door of a wooden house in the middle that had a light on.

"Please, come in!" a woman's voice called from inside.

Pushing the door open, a black-haired, flat-chested woman wearing a kimono smiled and said, "Lady Tsunade is already prepared."