Chapter 51: CH-51. Chunin exam is starting
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"Shiki-kun, I also want to learn how to cook."
Ino asked without hesitation, "How about you add me in?"
Shiki twitched the corner of his mouth.
"I'll pay for the groceries." Ino added.
Although the Yamanaka clan isn't as powerful as the Hyuga clan, it is still a well-known ninja clan. As a princess of the Yamanaka clan, she naturally has a lot of money.
In front is Hinata, and behind is Ino.
'Can I really make money while just lying down?'
"Well, whether I teach one or two, it's still teaching," Shiki nodded slightly and said, "You've come just in time, let's go to Naruto's house together."
He wasn't interested in money. His main goal was to deepen his friendship with his classmates.
Shiki and Ino were walking down the street, each carrying two large bags of vegetables.
Their appearance as a golden boy and jade girl attracted a lot of attention.
Shiki didn't care, but Ino kept stealing glances at him.
She felt excited and happy. This weekend was shaping up to be a lucky one for her.
Shiki had already asked Naruto in advance, so they found his home easily.
Just like in the original story, Naruto's apartment was a somewhat shabby but ordinary building. He lived on the top floor.
Shiki went upstairs and approached the door.
He raised his hand to knock but suddenly looked at Ino, who had been grinning foolishly the whole way.
"Turn around," Shiki said in a calm tone.
"Huh?" Ino blinked, confused.
'Is Shiki-kun planning a surprise for me?'
With that thought, she obediently turned her back to him.
Shiki knocked on the door.
"Coming!" Naruto's excited voice came from inside.
He opened the door and saw Shiki. But soon, his eyes landed on Ino, and he let out a small exclamation.
"Clean up your room," Shiki said after glancing inside.
As expected, it was a mess.
But it was reasonable. It's nearly impossible for single men—regardless of age—to always keep their place tidy.
"Sorry, I was training with Uncle Guy early this morning and forgot to clean up," Naruto said awkwardly, scratching his head.
"I'll help you," Shiki said, putting down his bags and walking into the house.
Naruto quickly grabbed a broom.
Ino now understood why Shiki had told her to turn around earlier.
That was so considerate of him!
She decided then and there—this is the kind of man she must hold onto and never let go.
"What time did you get up today?" Shiki asked casually.
"Half-past four," Naruto answered proudly. "I've seen Konoha Village at 4:30 in the morning!"
He's truly dedicated, just like Might Guy from the original series. But Naruto is just as outrageous—most people, especially a six-year-old, wouldn't be able to handle such a routine.
The Uzumaki clan's natural vitality and the Nine-Tails' chakra make him capable of these feats.
"What's this?" Shiki asked as he cleaned the table and found a book under some instant noodle cups.
He picked it up and flipped through a couple of pages. It was a physical training guide.
"Uncle Guy gave it to me," Naruto said with a thumbs-up. "I call it the *Youth Training Manual*!"
Shiki was speechless.
Who taught you to name things like that?
"As long as I master it, I'll truly understand the meaning of youth!" Naruto grinned, exuding positivity.
After cleaning up, Shiki returned to the door, picked up the bags of vegetables, and called out, "Ino, come in."
Ino immediately turned around, about to say something, but Shiki had already moved to the kitchen.
She hurried to follow him.
"Naruto, which dish do you want to learn?" Shiki asked as he poured water into the pot.
"Fire Style: Flashing Vortex Sun Roulette!" Naruto announced proudly.
"Try the second name," Shiki said, turning off the tap.
"Fried eggs," Naruto admitted after a pause, looking confused.
"You don't like the first name? I thought it sounded cool."
Shiki lit the stove and began heating the pan.
He glanced at both Naruto and Ino before saying with a straight face, "Watch closely and learn."
Immediately, the two fell silent and watched him intently.
Fried eggs are a simple dish, so it didn't take long.
"Tasty!" Naruto exclaimed after taking a bite.
"As expected from Shiki."
"It's not that exaggerated," Shiki said, brushing off the compliment. His cooking skills were decent, but Naruto simply had limited experience with good food.
Ino also picked up a piece with her chopsticks and tasted it. She closed her eyes, satisfied.
From now on, Shiki will be the head chef at home, and I'll work hard to support the family, she thought with a grin.
"Naruto," Shiki said as he made space at the counter, "Try repeating the steps I just showed you."
"Watch me!" Naruto's eyes burned with determination.
He wasn't fighting alone. In his mind, Might Guy and the essence of youth were cheering him on.
Soon, Naruto had a new batch of fried eggs ready.
"Not bad," Shiki said after tasting a piece.
"Very good!" Naruto's body shook with excitement.
This is really giving me Might Guy vibes, Shiki thought.
Compared to Naruto, Ino did a standard job when she tried her hand at the dish.
The second recipe Shiki demonstrated was tempura—a dish that could serve as lunch or dinner. Like fried eggs, it wasn't particularly hard to make.
Three omelets and three tempura dishes were soon prepared.
Shiki regretted not inviting Hinata along.
"I'm so full!" Ino said, happily rubbing her belly, "All filled up thanks to Shiki-kun's delicious cooking."
"Me too," Naruto agreed happily.
Shiki went to the sink with the bowl and chopsticks, expressionless.
After washing, both of them had recovered.
"Are you leaving?" Naruto asked reluctantly.
"You don't want to exercise?" Shiki responded with a question.
"Oh yeah! I have to go find Uncle Guy!" Naruto's frustrated expression turned into one of excitement.
[Achievement unlocked: 'You are the real god of food.' Reward: Kerosene Gu.]
[Kerosene Gu: A first-level Gu insect, consumable. When thrown into a flame, it will explode into large amounts of kerosene, intensifying the fire.]
'Too bad I doesn't know fire ninjutsu.' Shiki thought.
Shiki and Ino left Naruto's house, and even after walking a long way, Naruto's voice could still be heard.
"Shiki, it's still early, why don't you come to my house?" Ino asked expectantly, "The sunflowers you gave me last time are still blooming beautifully. Do you want to see them?"
"I'll take you home," Shiki replied, turning his head slightly to glance at her golden bangs.
"Okay!" Ino said happily.
Since he was already taking her home, she planned to invite him for a drink of water before letting him leave. Better yet, if she could get him to stay a little longer.
The plan worked!
As they crossed the Konoha River, the conspicuous Yamanaka Flower Shop came into view.
"Welcome..." Mrs. Yamanaka paused when she saw them and smiled.
"Mother," Ino greeted her before quickly hurrying upstairs.
"This kid! She has no manners at all!" Mrs. Yamanaka remarked with an amused tone before turning to Shiki, "Ino must have caused you some trouble, right?"
"No," Shiki answered indifferently.
Mrs. Yamanaka nodded slightly, satisfied with his answer. So far, so good. She was happy to see Ino and Shiki together. They made a good match, at least for now. Of course, they were still young, so who knew what the future held?
"Shiki!" Ino called out as she reappeared, holding a vase of sunflowers.
"No wonder you're such a treasure," Mrs. Yamanaka said, realizing what the flowers were for.
"You've taken good care of them," Shiki observed.
"Of course!" Ino beamed, lifting her head proudly when he praised her.
She looked so cute.
Shiki smiled.
After drinking a glass of water, Shiki left the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
Shiki didn't stay long after his brief visit to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. After finishing his drink, he returned to Senju's old house to continue his training in mastering his supernatural powers.
Though he had already grasped the basics, Tsunade had warned him that it would take at least half a month before he could use the technique freely.
After a busy day, Shiki was ready to enjoy a well-deserved meal. Shizune had brought back some tuna and abalone, both rare and expensive ingredients in Konoha. She mentioned that they were a gift from patients.
High-end ingredients indeed.
After simple preparation, they made for a delicious meal.
Following dinner, Shiki practiced his Zhen Yuan for two hours before falling into a deep sleep.
The next day, at the entrance to the Ninja Academy, Shiki went to check the notice board. Yesterday he hadn't had the chance to look at it properly, so today he took the time to study it.
The board listed the rules for the Chunin Exams, the names of the Genin participants, and the Chunins who would supervise the exams.
Shiki quickly scanned the list. None of the names were familiar, except for two on the Chunin list: Mizuki and Aoi.
No wonder Umino Iruka was filling in for second-year Class A; Mizuki was invigilating.
As for Aoi, Shiki recalled a plot from the original work where Aoi instigated Morino Idate to steal the Book of Seals and the Thunder God's Sword after failing the Chunin Exam.
Though it wasn't exactly the same as Naruto's failed graduation exam, the plot was eerily similar.
Instead of the Book of Seals, Idate had stolen the Thunder God's Sword, a weapon once wielded by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. It had not only incredible sharpness but also thunder attributes, somewhat resembling the lightsaber from Star Wars. Normally, it appeared as just a hilt, but when chakra was channeled into it, the sword extended into a blade of lightning.
Shiki found Morino Idate's name hidden in the corner of the list.
His brother, Morino Ibiki, was the captain of Konoha's Torture Department, which likely gave Idate the opportunity to steal the sword.
Shiki began to think.
Could he defeat a Chunin?
In a head-on battle, probably not. But with a sneak attack, his chances increased.
Ordinary ninjas were all quite fragile.
Maybe finding some backup would make the situation even more favorable. Tsunade or Shiwei could easily capture him.
Shiki considered discussing his abilities with his father, Shiwei. Sooner or later, his use of poison would be discovered. With fewer battles happening at the moment, no one was paying attention. But during the Chunin Exams or future missions, it was inevitable that someone would notice.
But this wasn't really a concern. He could pass his ability off as a bloodline limit. After all, the ninja world had plenty of strange bloodlines.
And the Aburame clan wasn't like the Uchiha clan, so there wouldn't be any famous father-son conflicts.
In fact, Shiwei wanted him to grow stronger and revitalize their clan.
As long as Shiki didn't expose too much, revealing just the tip of the iceberg should be fine.
More importantly, Shiki's current status as Tsunade's student provided him with a layer of protection. No one, not even Danzo Shimura, would dare make a move against him.
An idea suddenly came to Shiki.
This was a rare opportunity. He could let Shiwei handle the situation while he fought Aoi. It would be a good test to gauge the strength of an average Chunin.
As for the Thunder God's Sword, if Shiki got it, it would be his.
Deep in thought, Shiki suddenly felt a tug on the corner of his clothes.
He turned around to see Hinata standing there, nervously pulling her hand back.
"Shiki..." She whispered, her voice soft.
Shiki noticed her timid expression and, without thinking, reached out to pat her head. Her hair was smooth and faintly fragrant.
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise at the intimate gesture, but soon her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
"Let's go," Shiki said casually as he continued toward the classroom.
Still flustered, Hinata instinctively followed him, not quite understanding what had just happened.
"Did your father say anything after you activated your Byakugan?" Shiki asked as they walked.