Akimichi Clan

"That goes without saying, though I am magnanimous enough not to bicker with these fellows."

As the Third's figure vanished, the classroom returned to its noisy, bustling state.

Some of the little ones couldn't help but crowd around Shen Ye to offer their apologies, claiming they shouldn't have harbored hostility because of that incident.

Shen Ye waved his hand nonchalantly and turned to look at Meishang.

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

Through the Third's gaze just moments ago, Shen Ye was certain that he and the girl before him must have some sort of connection, one that perhaps couldn't be spoken of lightly.

"I am indeed not a ninja from Konoha, but from an extremely small nation. Because of the ravages of war, my home was destroyed and my family lost; I am the only one left."

"Meishang, do you have a place to stay? Why not come back to the Hyuga estate to live with me?"

Yue Xing changed her attitude entirely and began to cordially invite Meishang, though everything seemed perfectly appropriate.

Even Shen Ye felt a flicker of an idea to invite her to Tsunade's home, though he would ultimately have to seek Tsunade's opinion.

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

Shen Ye nodded; his conjecture hadn't been wrong in the slightest. Meishang had indeed passed the Third's test, and perhaps the two had known each other long before this.

The afternoon passed by in a flash, and within a few moments of zoning out, Shen Ye was greeted by the joyous news of school letting out.

The group agreed to head to the village burger joint for dinner together, and so the boisterous procession walked side-by-side toward the classroom exit.

Yet, a fat fellow was blocking the doorway, his single frame occupying the space of three people.

"You fellow, blocking the way like this—how are the rest of us supposed to get through?"

The fat fellow turned his head, and Shen Ye immediately confirmed his identity: he was a little one from the Akimichi Clan.

"I want to pass too, but I ate a bit too much this afternoon, so I need a little more time."

Shen Ye patted his own forehead, unable to fathom what was going on with that clan; every member possessed a rotund body and was extremely sensitive to food.

In just a single afternoon, they could cause their bodies to grow several sizes larger simply through consumption.

"Let me help you; it just so happens I can demonstrate a ninjutsu I just learned."

Namikaze Minato took a kunai marked with a seal from his pouch and tossed it outside the door, then gently pressed one hand against Akimichi Choza's back.

Taking a long breath, Namikaze Minato began to circulate the chakra within his body.

Ever since he began practicing the Flying Thunder God, this was the first time he was truly performing it, and he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"Flying Thunder God!"

A surging torrent of chakra erupted from Namikaze Minato, exceeding the reserves someone of his age should possess.

With a whoosh, Namikaze Minato and Akimichi Choza vanished from sight together, and when they reappeared, Namikaze Minato was already standing beside the kunai.

However, Akimichi Choza remained stuck in the middle of the doorway, two deep indentations pressed into his fleshy frame.

"Sorry, Akimichi, I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

Shen Ye shook his head helplessly; for Namikaze Minato to be able to perform the Flying Thunder God at this age was already his limit, let alone carrying someone whose weight far exceeded his own.

"Strength of a Hundred!"

Without warning, Shen Ye swung a heavy punch at Akimichi Choza, the immense power traveling through his fist and landing squarely on him.

With a loud boom, Choza was sent flying out from the middle of the door and crashed heavily onto the ground.

Yue Xing and Meishang both squeezed their eyes shut, not wanting to see the tragic scene that might follow.

But the sounds reaching their ears were enough to form a vivid picture in their minds, and the expressions on their faces turned somewhat grim.

Yet, Akimichi Choza acted as if nothing had happened; he stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and walked toward Shen Ye with a grin.

"Brother Shen Ye, you helped me a lot today. My treat—everyone eat to your heart's content!"

Shen Ye's eyes lit up; he was just about to go grab a bite, and since Akimichi Choza was offering, he certainly wouldn't refuse such a foodie.

Without a hint of hesitation, Shen Ye draped an arm over Akimichi Choza's shoulder and walked outside, while Namikaze Minato and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

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

In all the time he had been running the shop, this was the first time he had seen so many people arrive to dine together.

Furthermore, he recognized Akimichi Choza at the head of the group; whether it was this little one or other members of his clan, they were all major patrons here.

Simple food could never satisfy their appetites, and every time the ninjas of the Akimichi Clan left, the owner would hide in the back and quietly count his money.

"Boss, the usual—one of everything on the menu, put it on the Akimichi Clan's tab."

The boss nodded and turned to head to the kitchen to prepare the food for everyone.

The group found a spacious spot to sit, and Shen Ye's gaze drifted out through the window.

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

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully stealing the skill from Akimichi Choza: Partial Multi-Size Technique! Skill cooldown: 3 hours."

Shen Ye felt secretly satisfied; although this ninjutsu wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, it could serve perfectly as an offensive technique for him at this stage.

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

"Shen Ye, what are you giggling about over here?"

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

Facing everyone's puzzled gazes, Shen Ye instantly put on an embarrassed expression and gently scratched his head.

"I just feel so happy to be good friends with all of you, so I couldn't help but smile."

Shen Ye felt a sudden sense of gratitude toward the teachers from his original world; if not for them, he wouldn't be able to spout nonsense with such composure.

In his past life, whenever he made a mistake and was questioned by a teacher, Shen Ye would always come up with all sorts of excuses to brush them off.

Before long, the owner pushed a small cart slowly toward Shen Ye's table.

"There's so much food! Akimichi, can you really eat all of this by yourself?"

"That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but if I really put my mind to it, I can definitely polish off all these delicacies."

Everyone couldn't help but gasp. It was their first time seeing such a ruthless character; Choza could eat a week's worth of food for others in a single sitting.