Treat Naruto to Ramen

Yet for the entire duration of the lesson, Naruto sat quietly in his seat, not committing a single act that violated classroom rules.

Instead, every time a question was asked, he was the first to raise his hand. Even though Iruka didn't call on him often, and most of his answers were incorrect, he didn't feel discouraged; he would simply scratch his head, offer a smile, and raise his hand again for the next question.

During the lesson, Iruka even secretly pinched himself; had he not felt the sting of pain, he would have thought he had fallen under a genjutsu.

He recalled the look in Naruto's eyes when he had walked into the classroom before the lesson—a look that seemed filled with anticipation, yet tinged with a hint of guilt.

Iruka withdrew his gaze and slowly walked down the stairs.

His feelings toward Naruto had always been complicated.

To say he loathed him would be inaccurate.

Rationally, he knew that Naruto himself was not at fault; the fault lay with the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him.

When that catastrophe occurred, Naruto was merely a newborn infant who understood nothing and had done nothing. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be blamed.

But every time he thought of the flames that night, the bodies of his parents, and the empty home he woke up to the next day, he couldn't view Naruto with a calm heart, yet he couldn't truly hate him either.

This contradiction was stuck in his heart, indescribable and unclear, like a tangled mess of thread that could not be unraveled.

Iruka sighed and quickened his pace toward the office.

Inside the classroom, the students were leaving one after another.

"Ugh, I feel like Iruka-sensei's lectures are so boring, they can't compare to Qiushui-sensei's at all." Ino Yamanaka slumped over her desk, complaining listlessly. She had been zoning out all day and had nearly fallen asleep several times. It wasn't that she didn't respect the teacher; it was just genuinely too dull.

"Yeah, I think so too. Qiushui-sensei's lectures are like listening to stories; the class just flies by. Iruka-sensei is too stiff, like a machine without any emotion." The girl beside her nodded, agreeing as she packed her bag.

On the other side of the classroom, a circle of girls had gathered around Uchiha Sasuke's desk, as was the norm.

"Sasuke-kun, why don't you come with us to the food street tomorrow night?" one girl asked, clasping her hands to her chest, blinking with eyes full of expectation.

"Sasuke-kun, let's walk home together!" another girl leaned in, a sweet smile on her face.

Uchiha Sasuke didn't even lift his head.

He methodically stuffed his last book into his bag, zipped it shut, then stood up and said coldly, "No. I won't waste my time on such meaningless things."

With that, he shouldered his bag and walked straight toward the classroom door, the girls automatically parting to make way for him.

However, the moment his back disappeared through the doorway:

"Wow, Sasuke-kun is so cool..."

"Exactly! That cold demeanor is just too cool!"

"It was worth it even just to be rejected!"

The girls clutched their flushed cheeks, stars in their eyes, not the least bit discouraged by the rejection.

Naruto watched Sasuke, who was pursued by everyone, with a face full of envy. If only he could live a life like that!

In the back row of the classroom, Shikamaru Nara looked at Choji Akimichi, who was sleeping soundly beside him, feeling somewhat helpless.

Choji was slumped over his desk, his face squashed out of shape by his arms, a small puddle of drool at the corner of his mouth. He was likely having a wonderful dream, occasionally smacking his lips.

"Choji," Shikamaru shook him gently.

No response.

"Choji, class is over."

Still no response.

Shikamaru sighed and deployed his trump card: "It's time to eat."

"Eat?" Choji Akimichi sat up abruptly, his eyes not yet fully open, already muttering, "What are we eating? What are we eating?"

Shikamaru covered his face with his hand.

A figure suddenly flashed past the window; Inuzuka Kiba vaulted out, letting out a dog-like bark as he landed: "Woof!"

The number of people in the classroom dwindled, and the sounds of chatter and laughter gradually faded into the distance.

Naruto didn't rush to leave. After everyone else had departed, he picked up a broom from the corner and began to clean.

After tidying up his equipment, Qiushui did not return to the office but instead headed straight upstairs toward the classroom of the first-year, class four.

He intended to check on Naruto and, incidentally, inform him about the training.

"Qiushui-sensei!"

A crisp voice rang out at the entrance of the teaching building.

Ino Yamanaka had been competing with Sakura Haruno to see who could exit the building first, but at this moment, she forgot all about the contest, her eyes lighting up as she hurried over.

Sakura Haruno followed, a look of pleasant surprise on her face as well.

"Ugh, Sensei, why didn't you come to teach us today?" Ino sighed, her tone carrying a hint of complaint. "The other teachers' lessons are so boring, I almost fell asleep."

As she spoke, she let out an exaggerated yawn.

Beside her, Sakura Haruno nodded vigorously, expressing her deep agreement.

Qiushui smiled gently and explained, "I can't help it. Although I am your homeroom teacher, I have classes to teach for other grades, and I have a pile of administrative chores to handle outside of teaching."

Disappointment was visibly etched onto the faces of Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno.

Both of them thought in unison: If only Teacher Qiushui could come to substitute at the school every day...

Qiushui: Listen to me, thank you.

"Then we're heading off now, Teacher!"

Ino and Sakura waved their hands, turned around, and ran toward the school gate.

Qiushui stood where he was, watching them leave, then turned and continued walking toward the fourth-grade classroom. When he reached the door, he saw Naruto and Hyuga Hinata cleaning the room at a glance.

It was just that Hinata was keeping her head down, staying far away from Naruto.

Naruto happened to look up and saw Qiushui standing at the door. His eyes lit up, and he trotted over to Qiushui, saying, "Teacher Qiushui, why are you here?"

Qiushui leaned against the doorframe and said, "I came to inform you of the location for tomorrow's training."

Naruto was just about to open his mouth to ask—

"Gurgle."

A loud sound emanated from his stomach.

Naruto's smiling face froze.

He scratched the back of his head, a look of embarrassment appearing on his face.

The lunch break was only one hour long, so there wasn't enough time to go home to eat; as for going to the shops to buy something, those owners would frown the moment they saw him, and some would even chase him away directly.

That carton of milk and that bowl of instant noodles from the morning had long since been completely digested, and he had spent the entire afternoon enduring the hunger.

As Qiushui looked at his awkward state, he was just about to say something when a message popped up in front of him.

[Daily Task: Treat the SSS-grade high-quality talent, Uzumaki Naruto, to a delicious meal of Ichiraku Ramen]

[Task Reward--Issued after a comprehensive evaluation based on task completion]

Qiushui was slightly stunned and said, "It just so happens that I'm going to eat in a bit. Let's talk while we eat."

Naruto abruptly raised his head, his eyes wide and round. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't say a word for a long time. After several seconds, he finally stammered, "Re... really?"