The Third Hokage and Danzo competed to take a disciple; Hinata and Ino brought lunch to visit

That won't work either. I don't even know Kakashi yet. If I suddenly give him Icha Icha Paradise, he'll definitely get suspicious.

I'll have to find a chance to get close to Kakashi!

Sigh. Without connections or backing, I can't get anything done.

I need to build my own network as soon as possible.

Soon, noon arrived.

Zhou Cheng had just begun to feel hungry.

The door to the hospital room opened, and several people filed inside.

Leading them was the blond, blue-eyed Naruto.

Behind him followed Hinata, her head slightly lowered.

Behind Hinata came Ino, with her long golden hair.

Seeing that Zhou Cheng was awake, Naruto smiled and greeted him.

"Zhou Cheng, we heard you two were hurt and hospitalized!"

"So we came to see you!"

Naruto strode casually up to the bed, first looking at the still-unconscious Haku, then turning to Zhou Cheng.

"The school said you were attacked last night, and the ANBU saved you."

"How could anyone attack you? This is Konoha!"

Zhou Cheng marveled inwardly at how quickly Hiruzen Sarutobi worked.

He had already come up with an explanation to release to the public.

Not only did it absolve him of responsibility, it also showed the village how powerful the ANBU were, bolstering their image.

Still, only civilians and children like Naruto would believe that bullshit.

With the balance of power against him, Zhou Cheng could only play along with the scheming old bastard.

"Last night was really dangerous. If the ANBU hadn't come, who knows what would have happened to Haku and me?"

Zhou Cheng could only say things he didn't mean. He knew Hiruzen Sarutobi must be watching him right now.

Ino Yamanaka also approached the bed, confusion on her face.

"Who could sneak into Konoha without being discovered?"

Though she was the daughter of a prominent clan, she was still too young to be involved in politics.

So she could only take the news at face value.

Zhou Cheng could only pretend he knew nothing.

"I don't know. It was too dark, and they were stronger than us. We couldn't see their faces at all."

"Maybe they were enemies of our parents!"

Naruto and the others knew about Zhou Cheng and Haku's backgrounds. Both had lost their families to civil war.

It was plausible that their parents' enemies had now come after them.

They stopped asking questions.

Then the shy Hinata took out two lunch boxes and placed them on the bedside table.

"Cheng Zhou, th-this is the lunch I made."

"You... must be hungry, too!"

As she spoke, she carefully opened the boxes, revealing the lunch she had painstakingly prepared.

Naruto grinned at the sight.

"After Hinata heard you were hurt, she went home just to make this."

Ino leaned forward to peek at the food in the boxes and spoke with a hint of jealousy.

"It's just a packed lunch. I can make one, too!"

"Zhou Cheng, I'll bring you one tomorrow!"

She had already decided to give up on Sasuke and pursue Zhou Cheng!

Hinata's gesture of making lunch for Zhou Cheng had undoubtedly marked her as a romantic rival in Ino's eyes!

It's just a packed lunch. I made plenty of those when I was competing with that big-foreheaded Sakura over Sasuke.

Hearing Ino's words, Hinata looked mortified. Not knowing what to say, she could only lower her head and stand there silently.

Zhou Cheng was completely dumbfounded.

What's going on?

Do both of these girls like me?

Impossible!

Doesn't Hinata like Naruto?

And Ino-isn't she supposed to like Sasuke and fight fiercely with Sakura over him?

No, I should watch a little longer. I don't want this to turn out to be nothing but wishful thinking!

"Thank you, Hinata!"

Zhou Cheng thanked Hinata first, then looked at Naruto and Ino.

"Thank you both for coming to see me!"

Naruto waved a hand expansively.

"We're friends, aren't we?"

"When a friend gets hurt, of course we should visit them in the hospital!"

After a moment's thought, Zhou Cheng understood.

Looks like Naruto's childhood loneliness has made him desperate for more friends.

As long as someone doesn't mean him any harm, he wants to be friends with them!

Maybe the way I responded to Naruto when I first entered the classroom made him think I was someone worth befriending.

At that thought, Zhou Cheng smiled and nodded.

"Yes, we're friends!"

"And Hinata and Ino, too. We're all good friends now!"

"Right, Hinata? Ino?"

Hinata's face instantly turned as red as an apple, and she spoke in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

"Y-yes!"

Ino nodded happily.

"Of course! But remember, you have to eat my lunch tomorrow!"

"Only mine!"

Her rather forceful attitude made the shy Hinata lower her head even further.

"Ah, haha, I'll eat both. Both!"

Zhou Cheng laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

Then he picked up a lunch box and began eating.

"It's almost time for class. Wait a moment!"

Zhou Cheng glanced at the clock on the wall and finished the lunch in a few quick bites.

Then, under the others' astonished gazes, he got out of bed and changed into his own clothes.

As they stared in disbelief, he performed the Shadow Clone Technique.

"I don't want to miss a single class, so I'll have my shadow clone go to school with you!"

Inwardly, however, Zhou Cheng was thinking something else.

Actually, I don't want to miss any opportunity to learn new ninjutsu.

And this will also leave them with the impression that I work really hard.

Sure enough, once Zhou Cheng finished speaking, Hinata looked at him with clear approval.

"Cheng Zhou, you really work hard!"

Naruto, on the other hand, looked a little dejected.

"Aaah, I really want to learn the Shadow Clone Technique, too!"

Zhou Cheng smiled and reassured him.

"No problem. If you want to learn, I can teach you!"

"The same goes for Hinata and Ino. I can teach all of you!"

Naruto's eyes immediately lit up.

"Even that Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique?"

Zhou Cheng nodded firmly.

Hinata was clearly stunned as well. Who would teach someone their own ninjutsu without holding anything back unless they were true friends?

Cheng Zhou thinks of me as a companion? That's wonderful!

Ino's gaze softened considerably as she looked at Zhou Cheng, and her infatuation flared up again.

Zhou Cheng is so gentle, and so handsome!

Aaah, I can't take it!

Though she was usually forceful and sharp-tongued, she genuinely cared about her friends and was sensitive to their needs.

"Are you sure you're physically okay?"

Zhou Cheng hopped a few times, then swung his fists.

"See? I'm fine. Don't worry!"

"It's getting late. Let's go!"

Naruto and the others nodded and left the room together.

The moment they left, another person appeared in the room.

Zhou Cheng looked surprised on the surface, but inwardly, he had expected this.

The visitor was none other than Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in casual clothes and holding a tobacco pipe.

"Third Grandpa, what brings you here?"

The Third Hokage put on what he thought was a kindly smile.

"I came to see you!"

"I didn't expect you to wake up so soon!"

"Get back into bed. Are you feeling all right?"

He did his best to act like a loving elder.

"Last night, we arrived too late!"

"You two suffered!"

Anyone else would surely have been moved by his hypocritical display.

But Zhou Cheng knew his hypocrisy all too well.

He looked touched on the surface, but inwardly, he sneered.

You didn't expect this, did you? Your memory-probing ninjutsu doesn't work on me.

The ninjutsu you used to erase last night's memories didn't work on me, either. I remember perfectly well who forcibly took me away!

I'll get revenge for this!

Only after Zhou Cheng lay back down did Hiruzen Sarutobi speak solemnly.

"Child, I would like to take you as my disciple!"

Zhou Cheng felt as though he had been struck by lightning!