Naruto Becomes a Cow

Hinata was stunned for a moment, looking up at him. Although she was famished, the rules of the Hyuga Clan were etched into her very bones, and since she was not familiar with Qiushui, she felt too embarrassed to accept.

Qiushui had actually considered giving the final slot to either Hinata or Sakura Haruno.

But at this stage, Sakura's impression of Naruto Uzumaki was far from favorable. Even if he bound Sakura, it would be a challenge to get her to train alongside Naruto. After all, he was currently just an ordinary school teacher, not a graduation-level squad leader; he lacked the authority to dictate how students should behave.

Furthermore, Naruto was currently infatuated with Sakura. If he forced them to train together, it might distract Naruto. To make matters worse, Sakura was a lovesick girl whose mind was entirely occupied with how to win Sasuke's attention. As a girl, her willpower was not yet as firm as it would become later, making it difficult for her to adapt to the grueling training regimen Qiushui had planned.

Most importantly, Sakura was a commoner; binding her offered no guarantee of obtaining any high-quality rewards.

When he originally bound Naruto, he had obtained the Otsutsuki bloodline. Since members of the Hyuga Clan were descendants of the Otsutsuki, binding Hinata would likely yield rewards like the Byakugan.

That was a treasure. While it might not compare to the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, its strategic value was immense. Once possessed, as long as one remained cautious, there would be virtually no need to worry about enemy ambushes while out on missions.

Hadn't the elite Jonin of Kirigakure, Ao, thrived on the battlefield precisely because he had obtained the Byakugan of a Hyuga main branch member?

Every time he was on a mission, he would use the Byakugan to scout for ambushes ahead the moment he sensed danger; that was the primary reason he had managed to survive for so long.

Moreover, Sakura's talent was entirely focused on medical ninjutsu and the Strength of a Hundred Technique, subjects Qiushui knew nothing about. Even if he bound her, teaching her would be an uphill battle.

Hinata, however, was different. She had been systematically trained by the Hyuga Clan for nearly four or five years. The foundation was there, so even if Qiushui's own taijutsu was merely average, teaching her would not be too difficult.

Hinata was still hesitating; given her upbringing and personality, she still felt too shy to agree.

Qiushui knew what she was hesitating about and said, "I made a bit too much today. Naruto and I definitely can't finish it all. Just consider it a favor to help us clear it out; it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

He offered Hinata a way out, relieving her of the psychological burden.

Because her stomach had been protesting incessantly and she felt it would be too embarrassing to run home now, Hinata nodded gently and followed behind Qiushui toward the training grounds.

Naruto Uzumaki and his several shadow clones were reciting textbook knowledge with pained expressions, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Yet, every time their focus wavered, Qiushui's clones would immediately speak up to remind them.

Although Naruto's eyes were fixed on the book on the table, his mind was already wondering why Teacher Qiushui hadn't arrived yet; his stomach was practically growling in protest.

He looked up, and a smile immediately broke across his face as he stood up and shouted, "Teacher Qiushui!"

Qiushui raised his hand and dispelled the clones.

The clones vanished into white smoke. Simultaneously, a wave of memories flooded into Qiushui's mind. Everything the clones had perceived, seen, and said over the past two hours appeared clearly in his consciousness, accompanied by a faint sense of fatigue.

Qiushui stood in place for two seconds to digest the memories. He discovered that the effects of the Talent Aura skill could even be utilized by his clones, as Naruto had remained in his seat the entire time, diligently reading.

Naruto stood up and rushed over to Qiushui in a few strides, rubbing his hands together as he asked expectantly, "Teacher Qiushui, what delicious food did you make?"

After speaking, he noticed someone behind Qiushui and circled around. Because Hinata was keeping her head down, Naruto didn't recognize her, so he pointed at her and asked, "Teacher Qiushui, who is she?"

Qiushui replied, "You don't even recognize your classmate, Hinata?"

Naruto immediately leaned in toward Hinata, lowering his head to look at her from an upward angle, only to realize it really was the Hinata from his class—the one who often watched him or fell silent whenever he tried to speak to her.

Hinata felt the strength drain from her body instantly, her face turning bright red, and she looked as if she were about to collapse to the ground.

Qiushui was quick-witted and caught her, gently lifting her to a nearby chair to sit down.

He unscrewed a bottle of peach-flavored electrolyte water and handed it to her.

Hinata took a small sip, and her rapid breathing finally began to steady.

Naruto stood to the side, scratching his head, his face filled with awkward confusion.

I didn't even do anything, why did she faint?

Qiushui took a checkered picnic blanket from his bag, spread it flat on the ground, and began laying out the lunch boxes he had brought.

Naruto could no longer restrain himself and impatiently grabbed the nearest box.

He flipped open the lid.

In an instant, a brilliant, dazzling white light erupted from the lunch box, forcing him to close his eyes instinctively.

Following that, a rich, alluring aroma wafted out, drilling straight into his nostrils.

Naruto took a deep breath, an expression of intoxication appearing on his face involuntarily.

He couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks, pluck a piece of tender, juicy beef, and pop it into his mouth.

At that very moment, Naruto's mind went blank. The scene before him began to shift: the sky turned a clear, azure blue, and an endless grassland unfolded before his eyes. Green waves of grass rippled in the wind, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of fresh vegetation.

Naruto looked down and was shocked to discover that his feet had turned into hooves. He was terrified and wanted to cry out, but the sound that emerged was a low, "Moo."

Immediately after, he felt himself involuntarily galloping across the vast grassland on four legs.

"Huh?" After swallowing the meat in his mouth, Naruto snapped back to reality. He first looked down at his hands and feet, confirming they had returned to normal, and let out a sigh of relief.

"Teacher Qiushui!" He widened his eyes, his tone laced with lingering fear, "I just ate the beef and actually felt like I had turned into a cow!"

Although the food was truly delicious, Naruto was still a bit scared. What if he kept eating and actually turned into a cow for real?

Qiushui smiled at this and explained, "Naruto, relax. Good food often comes with such hallucinations; I experienced it myself just now."

He had thought Naruto might not be suited for such spicy food, but it seemed he was enjoying it quite a bit.

"Oh, is that so?" Naruto suddenly understood. The best thing he had ever eaten was the Ichiraku Ramen in the village; where would he have ever seen such a spectacle?

Since his teacher was so certain, there must be no problem. With that, he completely set his worries aside and buried his head in his food, eating mouthful after mouthful.