"It tastes good."
Shihui Aburame took a bite of a meatball and spoke.
Ino Yamanaka finally felt her anxious heart settle.
Getting a favorable review was already a victory.
She did not ask for too much. After all, this was her first time.
"Hinata."
Shihui Aburame pushed his lunch box in front of her and said, "I can't finish this."
"I... I..."
Under his gaze, Hinata Hyuga visibly blushed.
"It's okay."
Ino Yamanaka reassured her, "I can help you with some of it."
She thought Hinata Hyuga could not eat two lunches.
Besides, she absolutely had to try Shiki-kun's lunch.
Just as planned!
"O... okay."
Unsure how to refuse, Hinata Hyuga agreed instinctively.
Shihui Aburame said nothing more.
She did not want to reveal her large appetite, and he would not expose her.
Fifteen minutes later, lunch was over.
"Shiki-kun."
Ino Yamanaka held out her small, fair hand and said, "I'll wash your lunch box for you."
"No need."
Shihui Aburame shook his head. "Let's go together."
"That works too."
Ino Yamanaka immediately smiled.
Shihui Aburame picked up his lunch box and headed outside.
Hinata Hyuga and Ino Yamanaka followed behind him.
Naruto Uzumaki was about to join them when someone called out to him.
"Naruto."
With an impassive face, Shino Aburame said, "Wait for me."
"Sure!"
Suspecting nothing, Naruto Uzumaki sat back down.
This is so hard!
But what can I do? He's my older brother.
Shino Aburame sighed.
Watching Shihui Aburame with a girl on either side, Sasuke Uchiha was somewhat puzzled.
Why wasn't he affected?
Wouldn't his attention be divided?
That afternoon.
It was finally time for the ninja tool throwing class Sasuke Uchiha had been looking forward to most.
Aside from theory classes, the Ninja Academy only taught three combat-related skills.
The Three Basic Techniques, ninja tool throwing, and basic taijutsu.
Mastering most of those was enough to become a genin.
"Everyone, all eyes on me. I have a few things to say."
Umino Iruka clapped his hands and said, "Ninja tool throwing is a skill every ninja must master..."
Half an hour later, he took out a kunai.
"I'll now demonstrate two throwing methods."
Umino Iruka threw it outward, and the kunai struck the bull's-eye precisely from over ten meters away.
He smiled and took out two more kunai, throwing one with each hand. They landed on the target one after the other, forming a cross.
"Wow!"
Some students applauded in amazement. "You're amazing, sir!"
Sasuke Uchiha curled his lip.
That was it?
Not even one ten-thousandth of what we Uchiha could do.
"Everyone, take turns in order."
Umino Iruka smiled and stepped aside.
Watching his classmates make all kinds of mistakes, Shihui Aburame could not help pondering.
He rarely used ninja tools-or rather, he never had-so he was not sure how accurate he would be.
But he thought he should be fairly good.
The key to throwing ninja tools lay in controlling strength and chakra.
Through cultivating primeval essence and learning Medical Ninjutsu, his control far surpassed that of his peers.
"Ah! Sasuke-kun!"
The sudden screams brought Shihui Aburame back to his senses.
He looked toward Sasuke Uchiha in the middle of the field.
As expected, he had replicated Umino Iruka's demonstration perfectly.
But he was not finished.
Sasuke Uchiha glanced at Shihui Aburame and tugged with both hands. The two kunai embedded in the bull's-eye flew back into his hands.
He casually slipped them into his ninja tool pouch and coolly left the field.
"So handsome!"
The screams and cheers rose in waves.
What a show-off. Shihui Aburame's mouth twitched slightly.
Why was that guy looking at me?
What was going on?
Was he challenging me?
Now I had no choice but to show my real skills.
"No problem. I'll handle this!"
Naruto Uzumaki walked up with a confident expression.
He took out a kunai and hurled it with all his strength.
The atmosphere abruptly fell silent.
There was not a single kunai on the target.
Naruto Uzumaki's face flushed red, and he took out two more kunai.
Two thunks rang out.
This time, they hit, but both landed in the outer ring.
"Naruto, you can go back now."
Umino Iruka spoke as though this were nothing unusual.
"I'm just having an off day!"
Naruto Uzumaki kept muttering as he ran back.
Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuga, and the others completed the task smoothly.
Those from ninja clans already had better foundations.
Their talent was not bad either.
"You can do it, Shiki-kun!"
Ino Yamanaka rolled up her sleeves, revealing a stretch of fair, delicate arm.
"Shiki, there's nothing to worry about."
Kiba Inuzuka smiled and said, "You're the only one I respect."
Sasuke Uchiha watched him intently.
Although he acknowledged Shihui Aburame's strength, he could not possibly be good at everything.
He had never seen him use ninja tools before, which meant he was not skilled with them.
Shihui Aburame glanced at him.
With such an intense gaze on him, ignoring it would have been difficult.
He really did want to compete with me.
Even just for the achievement, I had to send him back utterly defeated.
Shihui Aburame smiled.
Just because he did not use them did not mean he could not.
Standing in the middle of the training ground, he casually flicked his hand. A faint trace of primeval essence wound around the kunai, and it struck the bull's-eye directly.
"Well, I'm pretty accurate."
Shihui Aburame gave a slight nod.
It was just as he had expected.
He took out two kunai, thought briefly, and threw them simultaneously.
Simply replicating Umino Iruka's demonstration would not beat Sasuke Uchiha, so he added a little trick.
A sharp clack rang out.
The two kunai collided in midair.
Just as everyone thought Shihui Aburame had made a mistake, they spun around again and collided once more.
Then they struck the bull's-eye one after the other, forming a cross.
After a few seconds of silence, screams erupted, led by Ino Yamanaka.
Shihui Aburame left with a calm expression.
Sasuke Uchiha froze in place.
Seriously, how did he know how to do everything?
He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
He had already worked out a plan.
Shihui Aburame would see his flawless ninja tool throwing skills, shudder in awe, and bow down before him.
He could take the opportunity to agree, in exchange for repeated chances to spar.
Now it was over. All of it was over.
For a moment, Sasuke Uchiha felt somewhat lost.
"All right, that's it for today's class."
Umino Iruka smiled and said, "Those who haven't mastered it yet, don't worry. We'll continue next class."
"Shiki!"
Naruto Uzumaki ran straight up to Shihui Aburame.
He was very much looking forward to meeting his new teacher.
Seeing this, Sasuke Uchiha drew back the foot he had stepped forward with.
He thought he should find another excuse.
"Let's go."
Shihui Aburame had seen Might Guy twice before.
It had been in the Forest of Death.
He had happened to run into him jogging.
Of course, waiting around for him would be too much trouble.
He ran straight to Konoha's main gate to ask its two gate guardians, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki.
People joked that even the Six Paths of Pain would not dare use the main gate with those two there.
After getting an answer, Shihui Aburame headed toward the Forest of Death with Naruto Uzumaki.
Before long, he spotted an odd man in a green vest running on his hands.