Aoba kept quiet, crouching in silence atop the tree branch to observe.
This was the heritage of a shinobi clan.
Even a chubby kid who didn’t look particularly sharp could master a secret technique with such devastating destructive power, while commoner ninja were still toiling away just practicing how to throw kunai.
Judging by the furrowed trenches in the surrounding ground, this guy had been training here for quite some time.
Backed by a powerful clan and willing to work hard, he already stood at the finish line most people could only dream of reaching, even if his natural talent was somewhat lacking.
The fat boy didn’t seem to notice his spectator in the canopy.
He brushed the dirt off his backside, fished a handful of military rations pills out of his pouch, and stuffed them into his mouth.
“Still not working…” he muttered dejectedly.
“Chakra burns up way too fast.
If this keeps up, I’m definitely going to get washed out.”
Aoba narrowed his eyes.
The Akimichi clan’s secret techniques were formidable, but the toll they took on the body was immense.
They burned a massive amount of calories to convert into chakra, which was why clan members ate constantly to store energy in their fat.
On top of that, they had those life-risking Three-Colored Pills.
The green spinach pill, the yellow curry pill, and the red chili pill.
The red one in particular could instantly burn all the fat in the body, granting power a hundred times beyond one’s limits—at the cost of almost certain death.
*Pharmacology…*
A thought flashed through Aoba’s mind.
If he could get his hands on the Akimichi clan’s secret pill formulas and combine them with his auxiliary chip’s analytical capabilities, he might be able to formulate a potion that stimulated latent bodily potential without such severe side effects.
It would make an excellent emergency trump card.
After all, the shinobi world was perilous, and disaster could strike at any moment.
“Again!
Multi-Size Technique!”
With a low grunt, the boy’s body swelled outward by a full size.
Curled into a ball once more, he barreled toward the battered tree.
“Human Bullet Tank!”
Aoba watched for a bit, shook his head, and vanished into the depths of the forest in a blur.
He had no interest in watching someone roll around in the mud.
Since others were working hard, he needed to pull his own weight too.
Why not sort out his food situation first?
…
Afternoon arrived before long.
Beside a small stream deep within the forest, a campfire crackled.
A massive wild boar lay collapsed on the ground.
A single clean wound slashed across its neck, severing the carotid artery, while its blood washed away down the stream.
Killing without cruelty—Aoba had put the boar down with genjutsu, allowing it to pass in peace.
The boar didn’t qualify as a true ninja beast; at best, it was an unintelligent wild beast imbued with chakra.
Creatures like this were precisely his target.
Aoba sliced off a hind leg with a kunai, skillfully skinning, deboning, and carving the meat.
He didn’t know the Chakra Scalpel technique, but brute force worked wonders; swinging a kunai like a cleaver did the job just fine.
He set up the spit and skewered the meat.
There was no need to brush it with oil.
Before long, rich fat was sizzling and dripping over the flames.
Aoba retrieved a pouch of custom seasoning from his pack and sprinkled it evenly over the meat.
A mouthwatering aroma of roasted meat blended with unique spices, drifting far and wide on the breeze.
“Should be about ready.”
Aoba cut off a small piece with his kunai and popped it into his mouth.
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and practically melting on the tongue.
None of the expected gamy odor lingered; instead, the meat was firm and pleasantly chewy, leaving a rich, lingering aftertaste.
Ordinarily, wild boar had poor texture—tough, stringy, and heavily gamy—yet this was nothing like he had anticipated.
No, it wasn’t just unexpected; the wondrous power of chakra had transformed the meat entirely!
Just as he was about to dig in, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes.
Moments later, a rotund figure stumbled out.
*Well, look at that.
It’s the chubby kid from this morning.*
His clothes were drenched in sweat, and bruises mottled his face in shades of blue and purple.
Clearly, he had taken quite a beating during his training.
“Smells…
so good!”
The boy sniffled, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his eyes locked onto the sizzling meat over the fire as if his very soul had been captivated.
Fortunately, he caught himself before getting too close, hastily stopping in his tracks and rubbing his hands together in embarrassment.
“Um…
I was just passing by!
Really, just passing by!
The smell just pulled me over…”
“It’s fine.
We’re from the same village anyway, and I can’t finish this boar alone.”
“Then…
pardon the intrusion.”
“Have a seat.”
Aoba gestured toward a boulder across from him and handed over a freshly roasted skewer.
“Thank you!
Thank you so much!”
The boy threw manners to the wind.
Taking the skewer, he bit right in without caring how hot it was.
To the Akimichi clan, food wasn’t merely energy—it was a creed.
“Mmmph!”
His eyes went wide as saucers.
Juices exploded across his tongue, the punch of the spices blending seamlessly with the savoriness of the meat.
The sheer bliss nearly made him swallow his own tongue.
“Th-th-this is amazing!
This flavor…
I’ve never had barbecue this good before!”
The boy wore an expression of pure ecstasy, stars practically sparkling in his eyes.
Aoba smiled without answering.
As someone who cooked, receiving genuine praise for his food was genuinely gratifying.
Not that he doubted his roast was delicious in the first place.
Finding magnolia flower, cinnamon twig, costus root, cumin, and other spices had taken considerable time and effort.
Along the way, he had chewed on who knew how many wild plants raw, downing more than a few antidotes in the process.
In a shinobi world with such rudimentary seasonings, these blends were practically an unfair dimensional strike.
Otherwise, why else would his family’s hot pot restaurant be so wildly popular?
It all came down to those essential seasonings.
Gulping down the last bite, reason finally reclaimed the high ground, giving Kota the clarity to look at the person capable of making such delicious food.
Dusk had begun to settle, but by the dancing glow of the campfire, Kota Akimichi could clearly make out the face across from him.
*Huh?*
*He’s just a kid like me.*
Even though the other boy wore dark sunglasses, his youthful features suggested he might even be younger than Kota.
Yet despite their similar ages, he exuded an unnatural composure.
The relaxed poise with which he shared his food spoke volumes of absolute confidence in his own strength.
“Um…
I’m Kota Akimichi,” Kota said, wiping his mouth sheepishly as he introduced himself.
“Aoba Yamashiro,” Aoba replied offhandedly, his hands never pausing as he turned the meat skewers.
Thinking Aoba might not recognize his background, Kota added, “I’m from the Akimichi clan.”
“I know,” Aoba said, his tone entirely even.
“There’s an Akimichi in my class.”
“Wait, what?”
“The Academy?
You’re still an Academy student?!” Kota’s voice pitched up an octave.
Only then did he notice that Aoba wasn’t wearing a Konoha forehead protector.
The realization flushed him with embarrassment, though fortunately the boy didn’t seem to mind, nor did he look like any sort of suspicious enemy.
Right on the heels of that realization came intense shock!
Kota stiffly craned his neck to stare at the colossal beast lying on the ground nearby.
A student who hadn’t even graduated from the Academy had taken down a boar that massive in the Forest of Death all by himself?
The beast spanned well over three meters in length, with sharp tusks curved like scimitars, and scars from past battles etched across its hide—all undeniable proof of its ferocious strength.
A beast of this caliber would force even a squad of freshly graduated genin to take the long way around, yet here it was, butchered into mere ingredients.
Then Kota looked at himself.
He had exhausted himself just practicing the Multi-Size Technique and had to choke down ration pills just to stay functional.