The setting sun cast its evening glow across the bustling streets, where crowds moved in a lively, continuous stream.
“Choji, can you please stop dragging me along every time you go buy potato chips?”
A boy with a spiky ponytail, hands in his pockets, looked helplessly at the chubby boy beside him.
“Because Shikamaru, you’re smarter and know where to get the best deals!”
Akimichi Choji, carrying a large bag full of snacks and holding a pack of potato chips, answered Nara Shikamaru’s question while munching, his plump cheeks chewing non-stop like a hamster.
“You really should learn some of these basic things yourself.”
Shikamaru shook his head, sighed, and looked at the round Choji.
“The last potato chip, ah…”
Just as Choji happily put the last potato chip into his mouth, a figure suddenly bumped into him, causing the chip to fall to the ground and be crushed underfoot.
Shikamaru felt a bad premonition, looking nervously at Choji, whose expression was shrouded in shadow.
This was troublesome now.
“I am truly sorry.”
Chizhao was about to leave when Choji’s chubby little hand firmly grabbed her, and he shouted angrily, “You crushed my last potato chip! Is a simple apology enough?!”
“Huh?”
Shikamaru covered his face with his hand in embarrassment, wishing he didn’t know this little fatty in front of him.
It was then that Chizhao reacted, carefully observing the two people in front of her.
Weren’t these Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji?
She glanced at the utterly crushed potato chip at her feet, and her mouth twitched. Now she understood what was happening.
“Hey! What are you doing! Let go!”
Naruto, who had come looking for her, saw this scene, thinking Chizhao was being bullied. He stepped forward, angrily knocked Choji’s chubby hand away, and stood in front of Chizhao, confronting Choji.
“She’s the one who crushed my potato chip! It’s none of your business!”
Naruto looked blankly at the departed potato chip on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief.
“What? So she just crushed one potato chip? I thought it was a big deal!”
This only fueled Choji’s anger. He grabbed Naruto by the collar, his voice agitated.
“What did you say? This isn’t just a simple potato chip! It’s Akimichi Choji’s most important potato chip!”
“Huh?! I don’t care what kind of potato chip it is! You big fatty!”
“Don’t call me a fatty!”
Seeing the two about to come to blows, Shikamaru and Chizhao quickly separated them.
“That’s enough, Choji! We can just buy another pack!”
“Naruto, just shut up!”
But the two kids were like lit powder kegs, struggling and flailing their fists and feet towards each other.
Are all kids this hot-tempered nowadays?
Chizhao, who was struggling to hold Naruto back, shouted, “Enough! I’ll treat you all to ramen!”
【Good Deed Progress +6】
The scene shifted, and four figures sat neatly around a table at Ichiraku Ramen.
To the far left was Naruto, and to the far right was Choji. The two still couldn’t stand each other; they exchanged a glance across the table, both snorted coldly, and then turned their heads away.
Between them sat a helpless Shikamaru and Chizhao.
Shikamaru sighed. He had nothing to do with this, yet he was dragged along. It was such a hassle.
For a moment, the air thickened, and an awkward atmosphere spread across the table.
“Well… let me introduce myself. My name is Shiratori Chizhao, and I just moved to Konoha Village yesterday.”
Chizhao was the first to break the silence, speaking kindly to Shikamaru and Choji.
“My name is Nara Shikamaru. Nice to meet you.”
“My name is Akimichi Choji.”
Choji still looked unhappy, frowning, seemingly still bothered by not being able to eat his last potato chip.
“My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and my dream is to become Hokage.”
As expected, Shikamaru and Choji both burst out laughing. Naruto clenched his fists, glaring at them in displeasure.
“What’s so funny?!”
“Here you go~ Delicious ramen, fresh from the pot~”
Just then, Ichiraku Uncle walked over with steaming hot ramen, placing a bowl in front of each of the four. Naruto’s attention was immediately drawn to the ramen, completely forgetting his earlier displeasure.
Looking at the exquisitely arranged, steaming hot ramen, Chizhao also couldn’t contain her excitement. She gripped her chopsticks and happily exclaimed, “I’m going to eat!”
With that, she eagerly stuffed a large mouthful into her mouth and began to eat with her head down.
Mmm! Delicious!
Seeing Chizhao’s expression, Naruto smiled triumphantly.
“How is it? Isn’t it absolutely delicious?”
Chizhao nodded, though Grandma Huizi’s cooking was also very delicious.
Shikamaru turned his head and asked the girl beside him curiously, “By the way, which Village did you move from?”
“Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind.”
After hearing the answer, Shikamaru pondered for a moment: “I think I read about it in a book; it’s a place that’s mostly desert.”
As expected of a future strategist, so well-read even at such a young age.
“You’re right, but there’s one thing you didn’t mention.”
“What is it?”
Chizhao gave a mischievous smile, and Temari’s image appeared in her mind.
“The girls there are all very beautiful~”
Shikamaru looked at the girl in front of him, speechless.
He had seen people boast, but never to this extent. However, looking closely, she was indeed just relatively cute.
Shikamaru cleared his throat awkwardly: “Who cares about that…”
Hmph, you’ll care in the future~
Their thought processes were clearly not on the same wavelength.
“I’m finished! Another bowl!”
Choji, who had been eating diligently, clearly hadn’t been paying attention to the small talk. He held up his empty large bowl, in high spirits.
“I’m finished too! Another bowl!”
Naruto, beside him, also held up his empty large bowl, and their gazes clashed as if electricity was violently colliding between them.
“Just a moment, the second bowl will be ready soon!”
Ichiraku Uncle kindly responded, then turned back to his busy work.
Before long, the steaming second bowls were ready. The two quickly finished their second bowls, then, not to be outdone, demanded a third!
Naruto and Choji seemed to be competing in secret, eating ramen faster and faster, and the stack of empty bowls beside them grew higher and higher.
…No… you two… I…
Chizhao helplessly watched the two big eaters slurp their noodles frantically, suddenly feeling a huge financial crisis.
“You two! That’s enough!”
………
“*Burp*~ I’m so full!” Choji let out a satisfied burp.
“Mhm mhm~ *Burp*~” Naruto echoed.
Looking at the two stuffed people at the table, Chizhao truly felt the urge to strangle them, because the money she had on her was simply not enough!
It was over; she would have to wash dishes to pay off the debt now.
Just as Chizhao was counting her spare change, on the verge of tears, some coins appeared before her eyes.
Looking up, she saw Shikamaru resting his cheek on his hand, saying casually, “I’ll lend you my money first.”
Chizhao grabbed Shikamaru’s hand, tears welling up in her grateful eyes: “Shikamaru! You’re such a good kid!”
“Huh?! Aren’t you a kid too?”
Shikamaru awkwardly tried to pull his hand back, but she held on even tighter.
“So… could you… lend me a little more…”
Night fell, and the Village was lit up with house lights, showcasing its tranquility.
Naruto looked at Choji defiantly, his lips pouting to the sky. He thought he could eat a lot, but he didn’t expect Choji to eat even more than him.
“I didn’t realize, you’re quite impressive.”
Choji smiled and took a box of chocolates from his pocket: “Do you want some of this?”
“Yes!”
Naruto happily took the chocolate from Choji’s hand and popped it into his mouth. The two seemed to have buried the hatchet, happily sharing the snack.
The friendship between children is just that pure.
Shikamaru looked at the two in front of him with a bit of surprise: “Haven’t you two eaten enough yet?”
“This is dessert.”
It was then that Naruto noticed Chizhao, who had been beside them, was gone. He kept looking around.
“Speaking of which, where did Chizhao go?”
“She seemed to have gone to buy something. She’ll be back soon.”
Shikamaru leaned against a nearby railing, looking like a little adult.
Soon, Chizhao came running towards them, panting.
“Chizhao, you’re back! Huh? What are you holding?” Naruto curiously leaned in, wanting to see more clearly in the light.
Chizhao handed a pack of potato chips to Choji, speaking breathlessly:
“This… I… just ran to another place to buy it. The original flavor was gone… I hope you’ll accept this pack of potato chips as an apology.”
Chizhao, of course, knew the importance of the last potato chip to Choji. If not handled properly, the little fatty might hold a grudge against her for life.
So, she had to borrow money from Shikamaru and buy him a new pack of potato chips.
Choji didn’t speak. He just stared expressionlessly at the potato chips in front of him, without any movement.
Could it be… he’s still angry?
“Hey, Choji…”
Shikamaru also thought Choji was still angry, so he stepped forward to try and persuade him.
“I know, Shikamaru…”
Unexpectedly, the next second, Choji’s lips tightened, and two lines of tears streamed down his face.
The three people present were stunned.
“Hey, hey, hey! Why are you crying?!”
Naruto looked at Choji in confusion, exchanging a puzzled glance with Chizhao.
Suddenly, the distance between the three rapidly shrunk. Unexpectedly, Choji embraced all of them, his eyes slightly red.
“Waaah, I’m so happy… Waaah… You guys are so nice…”
Choji, being taken seriously for the first time, was incredibly moved. He hugged his three friends tightly, overjoyed.
Shikamaru painfully poked his face out, freeing a hand to pat Choji’s body in distress:
“Quick… let go… Choji!”
“I… can’t breathe…”
Poor little Naruto was directly squeezed in the middle, his face turning red.
Chizhao and Naruto were pressed together, almost cheek to cheek, but Choji’s strength was too great, and they couldn’t break free.
“I forgive you all, so I can share all my potato chips with you.”
Finally, Choji released the three of them, wiped away his tears, and broke into a smile.
The three, now free, gasped for air.
They had almost been suffocated to death.
Naruto, sitting on the ground, saw the disheveled Chizhao and Shikamaru and burst out laughing.
Perhaps infected by his laughter, Chizhao also started laughing, followed by Choji.
For a moment, the deserted park was filled with joyful laughter.
Shikamaru looked at the three giggling people in front of him, sighed helplessly, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
What a troublesome bunch of people.
On a distant rooftop, a black-haired boy quietly watched the four children in the park, his gaze falling on one of the girls.
Several crows flew by, and black feathers drifted slowly onto the empty rooftop.