Fivefold Critical Hit

In high spirits, Qiushui smiled and said to Hinata, "Being able to eat is a blessing. Don't deliberately suppress your appetite from now on; eat as much as you can."

The more Hinata and Naruto could eat, the happier he became. This not only meant they could withstand higher-intensity training, but the strength gains from that training would also be faster than for the average person.

In the world of ninjas, physical energy is the foundation for refining chakra. A large appetite means a higher intake of energy, which, through special metabolism—such as the secret techniques of the Akimichi clan—can be converted into more abundant stamina, and subsequently, more chakra.

Furthermore, frequent large-scale battles consume stamina and chakra rapidly. Ninjas with large appetites usually possess greater endurance, making them less likely to collapse in battle due to energy depletion.

Hinata had originally felt a bit embarrassed, but after hearing these words from Teacher Qiushui, her anxious heart finally settled.

Thinking that she wouldn't have to deliberately eat less due to household rules when dining with Teacher Qiushui in the future, a sense of happiness welled up in her heart.

[You gifted a high-quality talent with a level one relationship, Hyuga Hinata—a deluxe lunch (homemade version)]

[High-quality talent Hyuga Hinata is deeply moved, triggering a 5x critical hit]

[Reward obtained—Wind Style: Gale Palm (Max Level)]

Qiushui was slightly stunned.

He had indeed obtained the Wind Style: Gale Palm jutsu before, but that time it was only at a beginner level of proficiency, barely enough to be considered an entry-level skill.

This time, however, the system had granted him max-level proficiency.

The next instant, a massive amount of memory flooded his mind. Qiushui felt as if he had already fought with this jutsu thousands of times; different angles, different intensities, and different ways of outputting chakra—every variation appeared clearly in his mind.

With his hands pressed together, chakra condensed into a gale. It could be used as propulsion to assist in jumping, gathered into a shockwave to blast enemies, or even adjusted by the angle of his palms during release to turn the wind pressure from a linear impact into a fan-shaped sweep; he understood it all perfectly.

Over the next few days, training continued in this same pattern.

During this time, Qiushui utilized the talent gifting function to give both of them various items every day. Perhaps because he hadn't met their true needs, the returned rewards were basically small things like Kunai or 10 points of chakra. What left Qiushui even more speechless was that on the third day, he gave Naruto two sets of sportswear, and the system actually dropped a pair of black stockings and a pair of white stockings.

Ino Yamanaka hurried into the classroom.

She leaned against the doorframe to catch her breath, her gaze quickly sweeping across the room.

Great, Sakura Haruno hadn't arrived yet.

A sweet smile immediately replaced the look on her face, and she walked with a light step to the side of Uchiha Sasuke's desk.

She took a deep breath, leaned over slightly, and took the carefully wrapped rice ball out of her bag, handing it to Sasuke. Her voice was soft and gentle: "Sasuke-kun, this is a plum rice ball I made this morning. It's delicious; would you like to try it?"

Uchiha Sasuke maintained his signature pose—elbows on the desk, fingers interlaced against his chin, his gaze fixed out the window. He replied indifferently, "No need."

The smile on Ino's face stiffened for a moment, but she quickly recovered. She took back the rice ball and said, "Oh, alright then."

She didn't feel too sad in her heart.

It wasn't the first time, anyway.

Sasuke-kun had always been like this.

She was already used to it.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed at the classroom entrance.

Sakura Haruno rushed into the classroom, panting, with a fine layer of sweat on her forehead. Because her parents had kept urging her to eat more and more that morning—"Look how thin you are!"—she had been forced to sit at the dining table for an extra ten minutes, and as a result, she was late leaving the house.

Passing by Ino's house, she noticed Ino wasn't there.

A bad premonition immediately welled up in Sakura Haruno's heart.

Without a second thought, she bolted toward the school.

The moment she rushed into the classroom, she saw Ino sitting next to Sasuke, along with the plum rice ball she hadn't yet put away.

"Ino-pig." Sakura Haruno strode over, her voice laced with anger. "You actually dared to sneak things to Sasuke-kun while I wasn't here."

Ino looked up at the breathless Sakura Haruno, a triumphant smirk curling the corner of her mouth. She placed the rice ball on the desk in a leisurely manner, her tone full of provocation: "Big-forehead, what do you mean 'while you weren't here'? Who's to blame for you being late? Besides, Sasuke-kun isn't yours."

This sentence hit Sakura Haruno exactly where it hurt.

Sakura Haruno gritted her teeth, wanting to retort, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say because what Ino said was a fact—Sasuke indeed wasn't hers. But she couldn't just admit defeat like this.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her irritation, and took another rice ball out of her bag. It had a cherry blossom shape cut out of seaweed on top; this was the cherry blossom rice ball she had specially made that morning.

Sakura Haruno walked to Sasuke's desk, held the rice ball out to him, and made her voice as sweet and soft as possible: "Sasuke-kun, this is a cherry blossom rice ball I made this morning. Here, for you."

As she spoke, she glanced at Ino out of the corner of her eye, feeling secretly smug.

Sasuke hadn't taken Ino's rice ball. If he accepted hers...

Then she would win.

Uchiha Sasuke remained in that same pose, saying indifferently, "No need."

At this, the smile on Sakura Haruno's face froze.

She blankly took back the rice ball and whispered, "Oh, alright."

She put the rice ball back into her bag, not feeling too sad in her heart either.

It wasn't the first time, anyway.

Sasuke-kun had always been like this.

She was used to it by now.

Ino Yamanaka glanced at Sakura Haruno; although she hadn't succeeded herself, seeing that Sakura Haruno had also failed brought a happy smile to her face.

Sakura Haruno also glanced at Ino, and though she hadn't succeeded either, she inexplicably felt she had been outdone.

The two of them snorted in unison and turned their heads away.

"Class is about to start. What are you two doing standing there? Go back to your seats and sit down."

Qiushui's gentle voice reached their ears, and only then did they realize that class had already begun; they had been so busy competing with each other that they hadn't even noticed when he walked in.

Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno froze simultaneously, exchanged a look, and then scurried back to their respective seats, sitting down obediently.

Having missed two days of lessons, they actually found themselves missing Qiushui's class.

No, it wasn't just the two of them.

The entire class shared the same sentiment.

Qiushui stepped onto the podium and swept his gaze across the classroom; the students' eyes held anticipation, and he could tell that this expectation wasn't feigned—it was heartfelt.

He felt a sense of gratification; after all, being able to have every student approve of one's teaching style was the most satisfying and joyful thing for a teacher.

Qiushui took out the textbook and began the lesson.

He did not let the students' expectations go unfulfilled.