He took out some soybeans, used wind-nature chakra, added water, then added fire-nature chakra. In less than a minute, the soy milk was ready.
In less than three minutes, breakfast was ready.
"Uh, Naruto, is this how you usually cook?" Hinata was standing in the kitchen doorway at some point, staring at Naruto with a dazed, adorable look. He hadn't used any cooking utensils at all—he'd done everything with chakra.
Naruto's cooking was usually pretty magical, but still within the bounds of normal. This time, with no outsiders around, he'd really let loose, completely shattering Hinata's worldview. So you could cook like this?
Naruto carried breakfast out.
"Power is meant to protect your loved ones and make life easier. Don't let yourself get brainwashed by the ninja way of thinking." Naruto smiled and walked over to Hinata. He'd meant to flick her cute little nose, but his hands were full, so he gently bumped his forehead against hers instead. Hinata didn't react at first, but the moment she realized what had happened, her face turned bright red.
Ninjas generally had very little chakra. A single jutsu could use it all up, so they learned from childhood to conserve their chakra and avoid using jutsu unless absolutely necessary.
Gradually, conserving chakra became a habit. Naruto was different. He had plenty of chakra, and with the values he'd brought from his previous life, he figured that if you had power, why not use it? It didn't have any side effects.
This was the second time Hinata had heard Naruto say that, and it still warmed her heart. Power was meant to protect your loved ones. Hinata wasn't stupid. Naruto was an orphan, so she naturally understood who he meant when he talked about his loved ones.
Moved, she agreed with Naruto even more. She'd grown up alongside him and understood his circumstances well. Compared to herself, Naruto was the one who needed protecting.
I want to protect you too, Naruto. For the first time, Hinata wanted to surpass him. If she was stronger than Naruto, she could protect him.
Naruto had just turned around when he thought he saw a glimmer in Hinata's eyes.
He couldn't help scratching his head. Had he imagined it?
"Hinata, time to eat." Seeing her still lost in thought, Naruto called to her softly.
"Mm-hmm." Hinata came back to herself, her little face turning red. She knew how hard Naruto worked. It seemed she needed to work even harder.
The Hyuga Clan had plenty of rules, including no talking during meals. Naruto's father in his previous life had been old-fashioned too, with the same rule about not talking while eating or sleeping, so they ate in silence.
After breakfast, the two of them tidied up and got ready to go take the exam.
As soon as they went downstairs, they saw Uchiha Sasuke waiting there.
"Why didn't you come up?" Naruto asked in surprise.
Sasuke snorted and said nothing. What would he have gone up for?
Only then did Hinata remember Sasuke's presence. The three of them had agreed to go together. Hinata and Sasuke had arrived earlier that morning, and Hinata had gone upstairs to call Naruto while Sasuke waited below. But because of Naruto, she'd completely forgotten about Sasuke. They'd only come down after finishing breakfast.
Hinata blushed with embarrassment and lowered her head, not daring to look at Sasuke.
Fortunately, Sasuke had already eaten before coming over. He knew what Hinata was like, so he wouldn't blame her. But he wasn't going to be nice to Naruto.
Naruto didn't know what had gotten into Sasuke, but he knew Sasuke's personality, so he didn't mind.
The three of them soon arrived at the exam venue.
The atmosphere changed as soon as they stepped inside. Everyone here was a Genin, and becoming a Chunin was important. After all, you had to make a name for yourself while you were young. This was the Ninja World, where ninja generally had short lives. There was no such thing as taking your time to train.
As soon as Naruto entered, he spotted Neji and the others trying to hide their abilities.
Some people liked to play the fool and catch their enemies off guard; others preferred to force their way through. Naruto watched with a smile. If you pretended to be a fool for long enough, you'd really become one.
When Neji saw Naruto, his eyes narrowed at once.
"Naruto Uzumaki, I'll definitely beat you this time," Neji declared confidently.
"Mm-hmm. Good luck, Neji. In that case, leave Uchiha Sasuke to me." Before Neji could say anything, Rock Lee hurried over too.
Seeing the bowl-cut boy in front of him, Sasuke immediately felt insulted. He hadn't seen Rock Lee's strength, and believed that no one except Naruto could match him.
"Haha, I'm looking forward to it." Naruto smiled, though his eyes narrowed slightly. His brother-in-law was pretty annoying. It seemed like he'd found his chance.
"Naruto-kun, let's hurry into the classroom." Afraid that the three of them might start fighting there, Hinata quickly tried to calm things down.
Naruto nodded and led the others toward the exam room.
As for the genjutsu, he ignored it completely.
"Kids these days sure are cocky," one of Konoha's gate guards remarked helplessly.
"Haha, weren't we the same back then?" The Chunin with the scar across his nose smiled.
As soon as Naruto and the others stepped through the exam room's entrance, everyone looked over at them. Hinata and Sasuke immediately felt the pressure.
Naruto's senses were sharper. Everyone here was a Genin, and they were all on edge. Even an ordinary person could feel the tension in the air.
"Hi, everyone!" Naruto greeted them without a care.
Naruto's personality meant he could hide his strength, but he'd never pretend to be weak just to catch people off guard.
The Third Hokage didn't have many days left, and Naruto had completely absorbed half of the Nine-Tails. He no longer felt as cautious as before and had become much more laid-back.
"What a cocky brat!" Everyone's eyes narrowed. They were tense and itching for a fight, but because they were in Konoha, they held themselves back. That was what made the atmosphere so oppressive. To them, Naruto's words sounded like a provocation.
"Doesn't seem like everyone's very friendly," Naruto said, scratching his head as he looked at his friends. Shikamaru watched him standing in the doorway and felt speechless. He had a feeling Naruto was doing it on purpose.
"What a mischievous guy," Shikamaru muttered.
"Naruto, maybe we should leave. They seem..." Hinata trailed off. She didn't like getting into trouble.
"Fine, fine. Honestly, I was hoping they might do something interesting." Naruto led the way toward the seats.
He really had been hoping someone would make a move.
Sasuke walked beside him. Whenever someone glared at them, he glared right back with his Sharingan.
The Sharingan was still a powerful deterrent against Genin. Everyone immediately quieted down.
The three of them sat in a row.
"Honestly, are today's Genin always this fearless? I thought you were about to start fighting."
Just as Naruto sat down, a ninja wearing glasses walked over.