Chapter 17

AN : Thanks everyone for supporting this fix and pushing it to Top 10 in popularity. Hope you guys enjoy this Chapter! Thank you Jibreel Kamal, balmung1989, random_debuff, George Simon, Anthony Harper for your support on patreon!! ------------------------------------- Ichiraku Ramen "I’m stuffed! Thanks for the meal!" Gai stood and gave Kitazawa a thumbs-up. "Kitazawa, if you ever want to keep training in Taijutsu, you know where to find me." "Of course," Kitazawa replied with an easy smile. "I’m off to meet that Rock Lee kid you mentioned." Gai grinned and turned to leave. "See you next time," Kitazawa said, giving a small nod. As he watched Gai’s figure vanish down the street, Kitazawa couldn’t help wondering if this would change Rock Lee’s destiny. ’If Rock Lee starts learning the Eight Gates six years earlier... would he still be gravely injured in that future fight against Gaara?’ "I’m full too, Kitazawa-sensei," said Hinata softly, putting down her chopsticks. The large bowl of chashu ramen in front of her was completely empty. "Teuchi, another bowl," Kitazawa called out. "Wait... for you?" Teuchi poked his head out from behind the curtain. "Not me. Hinata wants more," Kitazawa said, smiling mischievously. "Huh?" Teuchi blinked and looked at Hinata in surprise. "I..." Hinata immediately flushed, squirming in embarrassment. She clearly wanted to refuse, but no words came out. "Hinata." Kitazawa reached over, gently pinching her cheek. "Be honest with sensei. Are you really full?" "N-no..." Hinata admitted, her face turning even redder. Teuchi let out a low whistle. "Wow... goes to show, you really can’t judge a book by its cover." He disappeared back into the kitchen. Moments later, he returned carrying another steaming bowl of chashu ramen. Under Kitazawa’s watchful gaze, Hinata—still blushing furiously—picked up her chopsticks again. Despite her shyness, she ate with the elegance and poise befitting her clan upbringing. Ten minutes later, the second bowl was gone. "Teuchi, one more," Kitazawa called, grinning. Hinata pursed her lips, looking mortified, her cheeks now glowing pink. This was the first time anyone had discovered her secret: she was secretly a huge eater. "Chakra comes from both physical and spiritual energy," Kitazawa told her reassuringly. "Being able to eat well is a sign of good health. Nothing to be embarrassed about." Just then, four glowing lines of text flickered before Kitazawa’s eyes: You have discovered your deskmate’s secret. As class monitor, you should support your classmates while keeping their secrets. Current Mission: Feed your deskmate Hyuga Hinata until she willingly reveals her secret. Mission Reward: Byakugan. Do you accept? Kitazawa felt his pupils contract. Up until now, his missions had mostly granted him basic ninjutsu techniques—a welcome boost for an ordinary chunin like himself. But this... this was on a completely different level. The Byakugan was priceless. In the ninja world’s underground black market, a pair of Byakugan eyes fetched bounties in the tens of millions of ryo. Even more than Sharingan in many cases, because of how rare and valuable they were—especially unmarked by the Hyuga clan’s Caged Bird seal. A complete pair of Byakugan could be worth as much as the bounty on future Asuma Sarutobi’s life. After all, ninja eyes were practically plug-and-play. While the Byakugan didn’t evolve the way the Sharingan did, even an "ordinary" Byakugan offered incredible power: telescopic vision, X-ray sight, and near-perfect perception. Having one would massively increase Kitazawa’s strength—and if he learned Gentle Fist, a future promotion to jonin would be almost guaranteed. "Hinata, don’t worry," Kitazawa said, shaking himself from his thoughts and giving her a gentle smile. "Teuchi and I will keep your secret safe." "Keeping our customers’ secrets is part of the business," Teuchi added with a good-natured laugh. "Th-thank you," Hinata murmured, picking up her chopsticks for the third bowl. Time trickled by. By the time they finally left Ichiraku, Hinata had managed to eat her way through seven bowls of ramen. It was still far less than she’d eventually manage in the future, but for her age now, it was impressive. Teuchi stood behind the counter, shaking his head in amazement. "I’ve seen a lot of big eaters... but this one’s something else." If Hyuga Hinata didn’t have those unmistakable Byakugan eyes, Teuchi might have suspected she was secretly a child of the Akimichi Clan. Still, as the owner of a ramen shop, he welcomed big eaters like her with open arms. Outside Ichiraku Ramen, Kitazawa and Hinata strolled back toward the Ninja Academy. "So, Hinata... how did you feel about this morning?" Kitazawa asked. At his question, Hinata fell silent. For a few moments, she couldn’t find the right words. This had been the most unconventional morning of her life. Skipping class, climbing over the academy wall, training with Sensei’s friends, eating bowl after bowl of ramen—it was all so new and thrilling. But beyond the excitement, there was something else... A sense of freedom she’d never known. "I... I felt very happy," Hinata murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Kitazawa almost missed what she said. They reached the door of Class 1-A. "Hinata, see you next class," Kitazawa said with a grin. "Today’s special training was a big success. Let’s keep up the good work tomorrow." Hinata’s face instantly flushed crimson. She nodded quickly, then practically bolted into the classroom. Inside, it was lunchtime, and many students were dozing at their desks. "Hinata!" Ino Yamanaka looked up as soon as she heard footsteps. "Where were you just now?" In Ino’s mind, Hinata was the epitome of a good girl—quiet, obedient, always following the rules. But who could have guessed she’d become the first student in the class to skip school? "I... I went out with Kitazawa-sensei for a bit," Hinata stammered. "Kitazawa-sensei?" Ino’s curiosity piqued. She straightened her slender back and tilted her head. "N-Nothing special... we just went to learn some Taijutsu," Hinata mumbled, burying her face in her arms. "Good afternoon." Ino blinked thoughtfully. ’Secret tutoring behind our backs?’ But then again... Kitazawa didn’t seem like that kind of teacher. That afternoon, the class gathered at the Training Ground, where Kitazawa demonstrated kunai-throwing techniques. Earlier, they’d practiced on stationary targets. Now, the challenge had increased tenfold: hitting moving targets. Still, for students like Sasuke and Hinata, who came from ninja clans, this was child’s play—they’d mastered these basics long before entering the Academy. Soon, Kitazawa divided the class into two groups. Those who hit the moving targets could have free time, while the rest continued practicing. Sasuke, as usual, ignored his classmates and went off to a familiar tree to practice chakra control. Kitazawa followed him not long after. "Hey, want to go see what they’re up to?" Ino whispered, eyes glinting mischievously. "Nope," Shikamaru replied from where he lay sprawled in the grass, looking utterly uninterested. "Troublesome." Choji, for his part, didn’t even look up—he was too busy munching potato chips. "Hinata, come on!" Ino grabbed Hinata’s small hand, tugging her along insistently. Meanwhile, Sakura was still practicing kunai throws with single-minded determination. She had decent talent for a civilian ninja but lacked the clan background and early training the others had enjoyed. "E-Eh?" Hinata hesitated, anxiety clouding her features. A part of her was curious... but she was even more afraid of doing something that might displease Kitazawa. Seeing her hesitation, Ino didn’t give her a choice. She simply hauled her along. A few minutes later, they arrived to find Sasuke halfway up the tree, his expression focused as he practiced. Kitazawa turned and noticed the newcomers. "Since you’re here," he called, "why not join the training?" Ino stepped forward with a confident smile. "Kitazawa-sensei, what kind of training is this?" Hinata peeked at Kitazawa, her face blooming pink again as she lowered her gaze. "This is chakra control training," Kitazawa explained. "Normally, it’s something you’d learn only after graduating. But since all of you are geniuses, I figured we’d try it early." -------------------------------- AN : To keep the Chapters coming - Support with POWER STONES. For Every 100 power stones - 1 BONUS Chapter. For Every 10 5-star reviews - 2 BONUS Chapters. For getting to Top 10 Popularity/Power - 3 Extra Chapters. AN: Check out my P@treon For extra Chapters. Thank You For your Support!! [email protected]/noviceauthor777