Don't Waste Food

Hinata buried her head even lower and whispered, "I... I am a little..."

"Why isn't the teacher here yet?" Naruto hadn't heard a word she said, burying his head back into his arms as he wailed with a drawn-out groan, "I'm going to starve to death—!"

Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the path.

Naruto's eyes lit up, and he was instantly revitalized. He sprang up from his chair, pushed off with his legs, and bolted forward.

"Qiushui-sensei—! You're finally here—!"

Watching Naruto charge toward him, Qiushui sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the potential collision.

Naruto slammed on the brakes and turned around with a grin.

"I made a bit extra, so I was delayed for a while," Qiushui said, his face showing no sign of a lie.

"Qiushui-sensei," a soft voice came from behind.

Hinata had also walked over, standing half a step behind Naruto. She kept her hands neatly folded in front of her, head slightly bowed, and spoke in a quiet voice.

Qiushui nodded, walked to the grass under the shade of a tree, spread out the picnic mat he had brought, and set the bento boxes down one by one.

Naruto crouched nearby, his eyes locked onto the boxes. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, and something glistening seemed to flicker at the corner of his mouth.

"You two, finish these off," Qiushui said, pointing to the bentos. "No leftovers."

To Naruto, the words "no leftovers" sounded like music to his ears.

He rubbed his hands together vigorously, staring at the tempting food with stars in his eyes. "Don't worry, Qiushui-sensei! We'll definitely eat every last bit."

No sooner had he spoken than he impatiently pried open the first bento box.

Extra-thick grilled beef rice bowl.

The pink cross-section of the beef, the golden garlic slices, and the rich, thick sauce shimmered with an alluring luster under the afternoon sun.

Naruto didn't hesitate, picking up his chopsticks and diving in.

Hinata also opened her bento box, whispered "I'm digging in," and began to eat in small, delicate bites.

When the first bite of tomato and scrambled eggs hit their tongues.

The world before them suddenly shifted.

Blue sky.

White clouds.

Golden feathers.

Chicken wings.

But the vision lasted only a fleeting moment before it dissipated.

Naruto blinked, finding himself still sitting in the shade, holding his bento box. He turned to look at Hinata and found her looking back at him. They locked eyes; although they had experienced the same thing yesterday, they could still see the same shock reflected in each other's gaze.

But soon, the shock was drowned out by the delicious flavor.

Naruto buried his face in his food, his chopsticks flying as he shoveled it into his mouth. He ate without a shred of decorum, but the expression on his face was one of pure, cloud-floating bliss.

Hinata was much more refined by comparison, though only by comparison. While her chopsticks didn't move as fast, the rhythm was incredibly steady. Bite after bite, she barely paused. Her fair hands cradled the bento box, her eyes focused and earnest, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.

Qiushui sat to the side, watching them eat.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Naruto's pace gradually slowed.

He picked up the last piece of beef, placed it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Then, Naruto set down his chopsticks.

He rubbed his stomach, a complex expression appearing on his face—a mix of satisfaction and reluctance. He scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Qiushui-sensei, um... I... I'm full."

Qiushui looked at the bento boxes in front of him: three boxes, all empty.

He then looked at Naruto's stomach; the once-flat belly was now slightly rounded, stretching his clothes tight.

Qiushui smiled, unbothered. "It's fine, just eat what you can." He turned to Hinata. "The rest is up to you, Hinata."

Hinata was holding the third bento box; hearing this, her movements faltered.

She looked up at Qiushui, a hint of hesitation on her face, and whispered, "Qiushui-sensei... aren't you going to eat?"

"I already ate at home," Qiushui said.

"But..." Hinata said, still hesitant, "there's still so much..."

Qiushui looked at her, his tone gentle but firm. "Hinata, we mustn't waste food. This is a meal I worked hard to prepare."

Since the system hadn't popped up with a mission completion notification, he knew for a fact that Hinata hadn't eaten her fill yet.

Hinata felt a slight tremor in her heart at those words.

A meal Qiushui-sensei worked hard to make.

It must not be wasted.

She looked down at the half-finished bento box in her hands, then glanced at the two unopened boxes beside her, a resolve she had never felt before rising in her heart: she absolutely could not let Qiushui's hard work go to waste.

"I... I will eat."

Naruto, sitting to the side, was left completely dumbfounded.

The Hyuga Hinata who usually spoke in a soft, timid voice and blushed at the slightest interaction with him had completely transformed into a super-powered eater.

She picked up the third bento box, her chopsticks flying as she shoveled food into her mouth with a steady, efficient rhythm; her chewing remained delicate, but the speed was entirely beyond Naruto's comprehension.

He looked down at his own bulging stomach, then back at Hinata's perfectly flat one.

He rubbed his eyes and looked again, only to find no change whatsoever.

Where did all that food go?

A series of giant question marks surfaced in Naruto's mind.

How could she eat so much?

And her stomach hadn't changed at all?

This wasn't scientific!

The final box was finished.

Hinata set down her chopsticks and let out a soft breath.

Five empty bento boxes were lined up neatly before her.

She looked up, meeting Naruto's eyes, which were widened like copper bells, and Qiushui's gaze, which held a hint of a smile. She froze for a moment, and then her face flushed bright red.

"I... did I eat too much?" she whispered, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

A notification popped up in front of Qiushui.

[Daily Task: Ensure high-quality talent Hyuga Hinata eats a full meal, completed.]

[Reward obtained: Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu (Advanced)]

The Great Fire Dragon Jutsu was a B-rank Fire Style ninjutsu. To perform it, one had to refine a massive amount of fire-natured chakra and compress it within the body, then violently exhale it from the mouth. The chakra would transform into several roaring fire dragons that flew at high speeds along a trajectory locked onto by the user, devouring the enemy with extreme heat and impact.

Qiushui's eyes lit up when he saw this ninjutsu.

Most of the ninjutsu he had mastered previously lacked sufficient explosive power. While this technique and the Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu both involved exhaling dragons, the hand seal sequence for this one was much more concise.

It only required six seals to cast, and what pleased Qiushui even more was that, thanks to the proficiency granted by the system, he only needed to perform two seals to unleash it.