During the day, at the Ninja Academy, Yamanaka Ino stared absentmindedly at the empty seat beside Akimichi Denji, barely listening to Iruka's lesson at the front of the classroom.
"What is going on? He didn't say a word and didn't come to school today. Even Akimichi Choji is absent." She sighed. With Denji away, she could hardly focus on Iruka's theory lesson.
Everything had been fine before Denji came along.
It was easy to get used to luxury, but hard to go back to a frugal life!
"I asked Iruka-sensei, but he doesn't know either. He only said Akimichi Choji and Akimichi Denji had both taken the day off."
Hyuga Hinata's pale eyes couldn't help drifting toward the empty seat, and she was a little worried too.
After class, Konoha's Twelve gathered in Class A of the first grade. Yamanaka Ino greeted Hyuga Hinata and asked, "Do you know where Akimichi Denji went?"
"I... I don't know."
Hyuga Hinata replied shyly.
"I thought you might know." Yamanaka Ino slumped over her desk, looking as if she'd lost her soul without Denji.
"What's the deal? Aren't you the Yamanaka? If anything happens with Ino-Shika-Cho, shouldn't the Pig be the first to know?" Inuzuka Kiba chimed in. He loved getting involved in everything.
Nara Shikamaru replied, "I don't know. Choji didn't tell me anything either."
"It's obvious Akimichi Denji cares a lot about Hinata. I thought he'd tell her." Yamanaka Ino glanced at Hinata as she spoke.
Hinata blushed. Of all people, Ino had to be the one to say it.
Uzumaki Naruto said, "It's fine, right? We can visit the Akimichi house after school this afternoon and find out."
"Then I guess that's what we'll do."
Hyuga Hinata's gaze drifted toward Denji's empty seat. She wanted to go with them too, but her father had already grounded her yesterday.
But that afternoon, while they were taking a Transformation Technique class, Akimichi Denji returned to school.
Akimichi Denji had suggested it himself. He said he missed his classmates, and every day away meant he might miss out on earning Wish Points.
Tsunade didn't object. As she saw it, attending the Ninja Academy was necessary too. For one thing, it would give him a solid foundation in the Three Body Technique.
Although the Ninja Academy only taught the basics of the Three Body Technique and Ninja Tool Throwing, it was still important to master them.
She also agreed with Denji about cherishing his friends.
Friendships formed at the Ninja Academy were the most precious kind, often free of self-interest. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had all been classmates there. Apart from Tsunade, the other two had been civilian ninja, but they had still formed a deep bond.
Now, though, Jiraiya was wandering the world, searching for the destined child from the toads' prophecy. And Orochimaru was even...
"Denji!" The moment Yamanaka Ino saw him, she greeted Akimichi Denji enthusiastically.
Seeing Hinata hesitate, Ino was glad she'd gotten in first again.
Akimichi Choji followed behind. When everyone ignored him, he angrily popped a potato chip into his mouth.
Uzumaki Naruto said boisterously, "You're finally here. I thought I was so strong that I'd put pressure on you. Hahaha!"
Akimichi Denji smiled with narrowed eyes, not taking Naruto's joke to heart.
He knew Naruto was naturally oblivious; when he tried to show concern, it came out sounding like mockery.
Yamanaka Ino said unhappily, "How could Denji possibly feel pressured by you?"
Uchiha Sasuke nodded in agreement.
"Why not?" Naruto protested, puffing out his cheeks.
"What were you busy with, Denji?" Yamanaka Ino asked curiously.
"We had a teacher-acceptance ceremony at home this morning. That's why we weren't here," Akimichi Choji explained.
"A teacher-acceptance ceremony? For whom?" Yamanaka Ino asked.
"With Lady Tsunade," Akimichi Denji replied with a cheerful smile. He was in a great mood.
"Lady Tsunade?" Uzumaki Naruto asked. "Who's that?"
Nara Shikamaru hadn't been interested before, but at those words, he was startled and joined the conversation. "Lady Tsunade?"
Naruto didn't know who she was, but Shikamaru was the heir to the Nara Clan. There was no way he didn't know about Lady Tsunade.
Uchiha Sasuke's brows twitched.
Lady Tsunade? Who's that?
But he didn't say it aloud. His face remained cool, though he seemed just as surprised.
Nara Shikamaru rolled his eyes, thinking it over. "Choji, I never realized you were hiding your strength. No, wait, with your build, you don't need to pretend to be a pig.
"Actually, Ino's the Pig."
He instinctively assumed that Akimichi Choji was the one Tsunade had taken on as a student.
From Shikamaru's point of view, Denji had only just returned from outside the village and had only been learning ninjutsu for a few days. Lady Tsunade had no reason to take him on as her student. It had to be Choji.
Although this chubby kid seemed to do nothing but eat in Shikamaru's eyes, he never disappointed when it mattered.
Yamanaka Ino angrily punched Nara Shikamaru and yelled, "Who are you calling a pig?!"
She wasn't surprised that Choji had been taken on as a student.
It was a little surprising, but understandable upon reflection.
Even Yamanaka Ino instinctively assumed Lady Tsunade's student would be Akimichi Choji. By Konoha custom, members of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans formed a squad. She, Shikamaru, and Choji had known each other since childhood, and she knew Choji had some talent for Taijutsu.
Whatever else you could say, with a build like that, he was obviously a tank.
Shikamaru excitedly put an arm around Akimichi Choji. His friend from Ino-Shika-Cho had been taken on as Tsunade's student, and he felt proud by association.
Akimichi Choji waved his hands, clearing things up. "It wasn't me. It was my big brother! Lady Tsunade took him on as her student."
Everyone turned to Akimichi Denji with questioning looks.
Akimichi Denji nodded, confirming what Choji had said.
Uzumaki Naruto looked at Denji. "You're that amazing?"
He felt a little jealous. It was like when your roommate agreed to skip studying with you and stay up all night playing games, only to come out top of the class in the final exams. You weren't angry, exactly, but it still stung.
Akimichi Denji didn't bother being modest. He smiled. "I've always been this amazing."
A Wish appeared above Uzumaki Naruto's head: [We said we'd be dead last together, so why did you get ahead of me?]
Akimichi Denji smiled. He had a pretty good idea how to fulfill this Wish. "Why don't we have a match?"
Uzumaki Naruto said, "Sure, let's do it."
With Iruka's permission, the two began their match.
Iruka didn't object. A match between children could spur them on and bring out their competitive spirit.
Akimichi Denji looked at the panel. It had changed a lot since yesterday.
[Naruto Wish Achievement System] [Name: Akimichi Denji] [Wish Fulfilled: I Too Can Go] [Constitution: 7] [Spirit: 20] [Chakra: 0.6 cards] [Ninjutsu: Chakra Refinement Technique (Transcendent Mastery), Taotie Technique (Grandmaster), Strength of a Hundred (Grandmaster)] [Skills: Ninja Tool Throwing (Proficient)] [Energy: 75] (25 energy per day) [Wish Points: 3]
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