It Was Me Who Came First

"Can I join too?" Yamanaka Ino piped up.

"Sure." As a member of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans' Choza Clan, he naturally wouldn't turn down her invitation to join them.

After all, they'd be part of his social circle in the future.

"What a drag..." Nara Shikamaru knew he wouldn't be able to get out of this now, but he didn't mind that much. He'd tried the food Akimichi Denji made the other day, and it had been delicious.

"Is Sasuke going?" Naruto Uzumaki asked noisily.

Sasuke had meant to refuse, but remembering Uchiha Itachi's advice to make more friends, he hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Since you're inviting me so warmly, I suppose I'll go, just this once."

Walking behind them, Hinata watched the scene and grew even more conflicted.

No, at this rate, there won't be any place for me.

Hinata thought uneasily. But Father is waiting for me to come home for dinner.

I never get full at home. I can eat my fill at Denji's.

Even aloof Sasuke joined. Hinata, what are you waiting for? If you hesitate any longer, there'll be no place for you at all.

If I could become someone like Denji, maybe I wouldn't disappoint Father again and again.

Noticing Hinata fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, Akimichi Denji asked, "Hinata, would you like to come too?"

Hinata snapped out of it. Without hesitation, she said firmly, "Yes!"

Akimichi Denji was taken aback by Hinata's sudden determination, then chuckled. "That's great."

"Ding! Hinata's wish [It Was Me Who Came First] has been fulfilled. Wish Point +1."

Akimichi Denji looked at the panel's notification, unsure what it meant, but since the wish had been fulfilled, he didn't dwell on it.

The group headed toward the Akimichi Clan's home.

Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes. He'd been looking for a chance to plant the Cursed Seal of the Individual Curse Tongue.

But with Konoha's young prodigies gathered together, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.

There was no other reason: these children were connected to far too many powerful forces.

The "Demon Fox," the Hyuga Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans—before anyone knew it, Konoha's royalty and nobility had all gathered around this Denji.

Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth, but could only put Akimichi Denji aside for now and wait for another opportunity.

Night fell, and the lights in countless homes flickered on one by one. The aroma of food drifted through the air as cooking smoke rose. Shadows swayed in the windows, and chopsticks and bowls clinked softly.

The students of Class A, Grade One gathered around the dining table. One dish after another was carried out, filling the table with a dazzling array of food. Because of Akimichi Denji's constitution, the chefs made far too much food every day; there was more than enough to satisfy a group of children.

Naruto Uzumaki picked up a piece of food and exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Then he began to wolf down the food. Seeing him like that, Akimichi Choji worried that he'd eat it all.

Before long, the two of them were competing to see who could eat the most, launching into an eating contest.

Akimichi Denji wasn't in a hurry. He savored the food at his own pace.

Now that he had Military Ration Pills, he needed less regular food. He ate for the simple pleasure of enjoying a meal.

Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru watched Naruto and Choji's eating contest and shook their heads speechlessly.

Yamanaka Ino kept putting food on Denji's plate. "This one's delicious. You should try some."

Haruno Sakura quietly sat down beside Sasuke. She wanted to imitate Ino and put food on Sasuke's plate, but after looking at his expressionless face, she gave up on the idea.

Hinata kept her head down and ate quietly, holding herself back because there were people around her.

"Don't be shy," Akimichi Denji said with a smile. "The most important thing is to eat your fill."

Hyuga Hinata paused, then nodded and slowly let down her guard.

Naruto Uzumaki chimed in, "Yeah, hurry up and eat! No matter how much you eat, you won't beat me. I'm going to eat the most!"

Hearing that, Hyuga Hinata relaxed.

If she wasn't eating that much, she should be able to get full, right?

After a while, Naruto Uzumaki and Akimichi Choji stared at the stack of empty bowls Hinata had piled up, their mouths hanging open in shock.

"That's incredible," Naruto Uzumaki murmured.

Hyuga Hinata bashfully lowered her head, her cheeks bright red.

She really was a big eater. Usually, she didn't dare eat her fill because of her father's strict rules. Whenever she ate too much, he scolded her for lacking the manners expected of someone from the Main House.

Today, she'd realized that her classmates didn't seem to look at her strangely because of how much she ate. They were curious, but only a little surprised.

Their gazes were nothing like the disappointment in her father's eyes...

"She can eat as much as my brother," Akimichi Choji exclaimed. "And she eats so much without gaining any weight."

Hinata lowered her head even further.

The words "as much as my brother" stirred something in her heart.

"If you like it, you can come eat here again," Akimichi Denji said. Besides, his cheap dad was footing the bill.

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

Akimichi Denji smiled, not taking his offer to pay for the food seriously.

In the original story, Naruto Uzumaki wasn't unable to afford meals. He simply lacked parental guidance and basic life skills. On top of that, the unscrupulous people of Konoha bullied him, selling him expired food all the time.

That was why Naruto could only drink expired milk and gnaw on hard rice balls every day.

A trace of envy appeared in Hyuga Hinata's eyes. She wanted to come too, but as the princess of the Hyuga Clan's Main House, she couldn't do as Naruto did. She'd probably be scolded just for coming to eat today.

"Ding! Naruto Uzumaki's wish [Captive of Gourmet] has been fulfilled. Wish Point +1."

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

The wish was straightforward: he'd solved Naruto's food problem.

Inviting his friends over for dinner had paid off.

One by one, the others went home. Akimichi Choza took Akimichi Denji by the hand with a mysterious look and led him outside the village, saying he had a surprise for him.

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

They walked at an unhurried pace through the streets and alleys. Their destination was indeed the heart of Konoha.

Choza led Denji to a turn on the most prominent street in the center of the village.

What lay before them was a strange sight. Though it was in the heart of Konoha, only a few low, old houses remained, squeezed into the narrow gaps between newly built high-rises.

The courtyard walls were mottled, weeds grew between the stone steps, and the air carried the scent of old wood and dust. The area was quiet, and it was clear that few people lived there.

This was...

Akimichi Denji had a vague idea, but he wasn't sure yet.

There was only one answer he could think of: a place like this, occupying such a large patch of land in the center of Konoha, yet with so few clan members.

As the head of his clan, Akimichi Choza also looked respectful as he led Denji to knock on the door of a lit wooden house in the middle.

"Come in!" a woman's voice called from inside.

When they opened the door, a black-haired, flat-chested woman in a kimono smiled and said, "Lady Tsunade is ready."