Naruto: I Am Uzumaki Naruto!?

"I won!?"

"I actually won!?"

"Unbelievable—Uzumaki Naruto won!!!"

A chorus of shocked voices filled the training ground.

Winning against Uchiha Sasuke was surprising enough. But beating Uchiha Itachi—one of the Uchiha clan's brightest prodigies—was on another level entirely.

Kunai had clashed in midair, sparks flying in every direction. To the bystanders, the speed of their exchanges was nearly imperceptible. Most hadn't even seen how the kunai hit their marks.

But in the end, there was no doubt.

Uzumaki Naruto had won.

"It's unreal!"

Nara Shikamaru, usually too lazy to care about anything, looked at Naruto with genuine amazement.

"Itachi is a genius among geniuses. They say he already has the strength of a Tokubetsu Jōnin. But Naruto's kunai throwing technique actually surpassed his?"

Inuzuka Kiba nodded, still in disbelief. "No way… That's crazy!"

Akimichi Chōji, munching on a bag of chips, grinned. "Naruto must've made a fortune off this bet."

Meanwhile, a certain section of the class was having a completely different reaction.

Yamanaka Ino clasped her hands together, eyes practically sparkling. "So cool!!!"

Haruno Sakura, who had always dismissed Naruto before, suddenly felt a wave of regret. "W-Wait… since when did Naruto get this strong?"

And then there was Hyūga Hinata, blushing furiously, her hands held over her heart. "...Naruto-kun... amazing..."

Even their teacher, Umino Iruka, was stunned.

He knew exactly how talented Uchiha Itachi was. The boy was already being considered for Anbu—a unit that only accepted true elites. And yet, Naruto had won against him, even if it was only in kunai throwing.

"Naruto, when did you start practicing kunai throwing?" Iruka couldn't help but ask.

Naruto scratched his head, pretending to think. "Uh… about a year ago?"

He deliberately gave a longer timeframe to make it sound more reasonable.

Iruka's eyes widened. "Just a year? And you're already at this level!?"

Naruto just chuckled awkwardly. Maybe he should've said two years instead…

Iruka, however, was beyond impressed. "You're a natural talent! Even if you struggle with ninjutsu, with taijutsu skills like this, you're destined to be a great shinobi!"

A Feast Fit for a Beast

That afternoon, Naruto leaned against a tree, staring at the massive bento box in front of him. His mouth twitched.

"This thing is… almost half a meter wide!?"

Across from him, Hyūga Hinata sat with a faint blush, carefully opening the lid. Inside was an extravagant assortment of dishes:

Tempura, sushi, rice balls.

Fried dumplings, takoyaki, miso soup.

Glutinous rice cakes, anko dango, tricolor dango.

And to top it all off—four huge bowls of tonkotsu ramen.

Naruto's expression stiffened.

"...Little Hinata, this is for two people, right?"

Hinata shook her head, looking slightly shy. "No… it's all for Naruto-kun."

Naruto: "..."

He gulped. "Wait… do you eat like this every day?"

Hinata shook her head again, then mumbled, "I usually eat a little less… but I could probably finish two more bowls of ramen..."

Naruto: "..."

He silently clasped his hands together in prayer.

Hinata tilted her head. "Naruto-kun… are you praying before your meal?"

Naruto nodded solemnly.

"Yeah… I'm praying that I survive this meal without passing out."

A Different Kind of Problem

Thirty minutes later.

Naruto lay sprawled across Hinata's lap, staring blankly at the sky, his stomach feeling like it had been turned into a storage seal.

He had always thought there were limits to what a person could eat.

Turns out, he was wrong.

"Ughhh…" He let out a long, exhausted sigh.

Hinata, on the other hand, gently stroked his hair, her voice soft and affectionate. "Naruto-kun, you won so much money today… do you think the Uchiha brothers will really pay you?"

Naruto let out a lazy chuckle, turning his head slightly. "Hah, no way."

Hinata blinked. "Really?"

"That's over a hundred million ryo. Even if they sold the entire Uchiha compound, they probably couldn't afford it."

Hinata pouted slightly. "Then… why did you bet with them?"

Naruto gave her a sideways glance. Something about her tone felt… different.

But he shrugged it off and answered casually. "If I hadn't won, they wouldn't have given me a single coin. At least this way, I can squeeze some out of them."

Hinata nodded, but there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "...I see."

Naruto's suspicion deepened. "Hey, Hinata… maybe it's just me, but you sound kinda… disappointed?"

Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, avoiding his gaze. Then, after a moment, she whispered, "Didn't Naruto-kun say… that I could take care of you?"

Naruto blinked.

Hinata blushed even harder. "So… I'm saving up! I already have over a hundred thousand ryo… Naruto-kun, can I support you now?"

Naruto: "..."