Akimichi Clan

"Of course. I'm just magnanimous enough not to hold it against those guys."

As the Third Hokage disappeared from sight, the classroom once again filled with noisy chatter.

Some of the kids couldn't help gathering around Shen Ye to apologize, saying they shouldn't have become hostile toward him over what had happened.

Shen Ye waved them off casually, then turned to look at Meishang.

"You're not a ninja from Konoha, are you? Could you tell me your story?"

From the Third Hokage's expression just now, Shen Ye was sure that he and the girl before him had some kind of connection—one they couldn't simply talk about.

"I really am not a ninja from Konoha. I come from an extremely small country. The war left me homeless and alone. I'm the only one left."

"Meishang, do you have a place to stay right now? Why not come live with me at the Hyuga Clan compound?"

Yue Xing's attitude had changed completely. She began warmly inviting Meishang, though there was nothing unusual about it.

Even Shen Ye had briefly considered inviting her to Tsunade's home, but in the end, he would have to ask Tsunade first.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I already have a place to stay. The Third Hokage has made proper arrangements for me."

Shen Ye nodded. His guess had been spot-on: Meishang had indeed passed the Third Hokage's test. Perhaps the two of them had known each other even before this.

The afternoon passed incredibly quickly. In the blink of an eye, Shen Ye was greeted by the happy news that school was out.

The group agreed to have dinner together at a hamburger shop in the village, then headed out of the classroom in a lively crowd.

But a chubby kid was blocking the doorway, taking up enough room for three people all by himself.

"Hey, you're blocking the way. How's anyone else supposed to get through?"

The chubby kid turned around, and Shen Ye immediately recognized him as a youngster from the Akimichi Clan.

"I want to get through too, but I ate a little too much this afternoon, so I'll need some time."

Shen Ye slapped his forehead, unable to understand what was going on with this clan. Every member seemed to be overweight and especially sensitive to food.

It only took one afternoon of eating for them to gain a few sizes.

"Let me help you. This'll be a perfect chance to show off the jutsu I just learned."

Minato took a marked shuriken from his tool pouch and tossed it outside the door, then gently placed one hand on Akimichi Choza's back.

He took a deep breath and began to channel the chakra within him.

Ever since he began training in the Flying Thunder God Technique, this was the first time he had actually used it. It was only natural that he felt nervous.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

A torrent of chakra burst from Minato, far beyond what someone his age should have been able to hold.

With a whoosh, Minato and Akimichi Choza vanished from sight. When they reappeared, Minato was standing beside the shuriken.

Choza, however, was stuck in the middle of the doorway, his bulky body squeezed so tightly that two deep indentations had formed along his sides.

"Sorry, Choza. I didn't expect this to happen either."

Shen Ye shook his head helplessly. For Namikaze Minato to use the Flying Thunder God Technique at his age was already pushing his limits—and he'd also tried to bring along Choza, who weighed far more than he did.

"Strength of a Hundred!"

Without warning, Shen Ye swung a heavy punch at Akimichi Choza. The immense force traveled from his fist straight into Choza.

With a crash, Choza was sent flying sideways out of the doorway and slammed into the ground.

Yue Xing and Meishang both squeezed their eyes shut, not wanting to see the gruesome scene that was about to unfold.

But the sound was enough to make them picture it in their minds, and their expressions twisted in horror.

Yet Akimichi Choza seemed completely unharmed. He got up, dusted himself off, and walked over to Shen Ye with a cheerful grin.

"Shen Ye, you really helped me out today. It's on me—everyone, eat as much as you want!"

Shen Ye's eyes lit up. He'd been about to find something to eat anyway, and with Akimichi Choza treating them, he certainly wasn't going to turn down a guy who knew how to appreciate good food.

Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Ye slung an arm around Akimichi Choza's shoulders and headed outside. Minato and the others exchanged glances, all of them seeing the same helplessness in one another's eyes.

The group crowded into the shop, and the owner hurried out to greet them personally.

In all the time he'd been running the shop, he'd never seen so many people come in to eat together.

He recognized Akimichi Choza, who was leading the group. That kid, along with the other members of the clan, were regulars.

Simple meals could never satisfy their appetites. Whenever a ninja from the Akimichi Clan left, the owner would sneak into the back and quietly count the money.

"Boss, the usual. One of everything on the menu. Put it on the Akimichi Clan's tab."

The owner nodded and headed to the kitchen to prepare their food.

The group found a spacious spot and sat down. Shen Ye looked out the window.

System, what skill did I just steal from Akimichi Choza?

Ding! Congratulations, host. You successfully stole Akimichi Choza's skill: Partial Multi-Size Technique! Skill cooldown: 3 hours.

Shen Ye was quietly pleased. The jutsu wasn't especially powerful, but it could serve as an attack technique for him at this stage.

Combined with the Strength of a Hundred he had stolen from Tsunade, the Partial Multi-Size Technique could produce extraordinary results.

"Shen Ye, what are you grinning about over there?"

Yue Xing patted Shen Ye on the shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Seeing everyone looking at him curiously, Shen Ye immediately put on an embarrassed expression and scratched his head lightly.

"I'm just really happy to have become friends with all of you, so I couldn't help smiling."

Shen Ye felt deeply grateful to his teachers in his previous life. If not for them, he wouldn't have become so good at making up excuses on the spot.

Back then, whenever a teacher questioned him after he'd done something wrong, Shen Ye would come up with all kinds of reasons to fob them off.

Before long, the owner pushed a cart over to Shen Ye and the others.

"That's a lot of food. Can you really eat all of that by yourself, Choza?"

"Maybe it's a little much, but if I put some effort into it, I can definitely finish all this delicious food."

Everyone gasped. They'd never seen anyone so formidable. In a single sitting, Choza could eat what would last someone else a whole week.