As he followed Akimichi Torifu out of the Hokage Building, Ryoko was still muttering to himself,
"What was with that look from the old man Third Hokage just now? Could it be he's lusting after my good looks?"
He was amused by his own nonsensical thought and immediately tossed it to the back of his mind.
Under Akimichi Torifu's lead, the two quickly arrived at the Ninja Academy.
Since the Hokage Office had already sent word, Ryoko's enrollment process went exceptionally smoothly. Without much hassle, he was led directly to the door of a classroom where a lesson was in progress.
Stepping into the classroom, Ryoko curiously sized up his future classmates.
Most of those sitting here were children from Konoha's various Great Clans, including quite a few talented young prospects.
Scanning the room, he even spotted a familiar figure: his fellow clansman, Akimichi Chen Dong.
Ryoko's eyes lit up, and he immediately waved enthusiastically, his voice booming: "Hi, Chōton, you're here too!"
The little fatty whose name was called saw that the newcomer was Ryoko, and his chubby face instantly fell. It was written all over with panic, and he even started to stutter.
"Ryo... Ryoko? Y-You... what are you doing here?"
Ryoko didn't care about the other's reaction. Acting like they were old friends, he walked over in a few steps and plopped down into the empty seat next to Akimichi Chen Dong, slapping the boy's shoulder with a grin.
"Hehe, didn't expect me back, did you? Lord Clan Head let me come to school too. From now on, we're classmates! Aren't you surprised to see me? Isn't it a shock?"
Akimichi Chen Dong looked at Ryoko's fat face right in front of him and felt like crying but had no tears.
Due to the tyrannical influence Ryoko had built up within the clan over a long time, he could only nod in humiliation, squeezing a faint "Mm" out of his throat.
At the same time, like a thief, he quickly shoved the small snack he had been secretly clutching—intended for the break—deep into the recesses of his pocket, not even daring to let a corner of the wrapper show.
There was a reason for his behavior; he had been completely traumatized by Ryoko's antics.
Within the Akimichi Clan, Ryoko was notorious for eating wherever he went.
He always wore a harmless, cute smile, but he was ruthless when he moved, liable to sweep away any food in a clansman's hands at any moment.
Akimichi Chen Dong had once been a victim.
Once at mealtime, Ryoko had strolled past his house and sat down at the table with an embarrassed look. He then proceeded to devour more than half the pot of food like a whirlwind, before patting his round belly and swaggering off contentedly, leaving him and his family staring at the empty plates in a daze.
That tragic scene remained a point of pain in his heart to this day.
What's more, although Ryoko was younger than him, the pressure brought by his size and weight was not small at all.
Facing this acknowledged "food black hole" of the clan, Akimichi Chen Dong simply couldn't muster the courage to resist.
Meanwhile, the sudden appearance of a new face in the classroom—especially one as eye-catching as Ryoko's due to his size—immediately drew whispers and gazes from many children.
"Whoa, this guy is way too fat!"
"He's from the Akimichi Clan. Aren't people from their clan all like that? Total fatties."
"My god, this newcomer is actually a whole size bigger than Akimichi Chen Dong. That's insane!"
"Hey, who let him sit here? Stinky fatty, how disgusting. Get away from me!"
The world of children is often direct and cruel; amazement, curiosity, disdain, disgust... all sorts of emotions were transmitted through whispers and looks without any concealment.
Although the voices weren't loud, they reached Ryoko's ears clearly.
Ryoko didn't mind the gazes of pure curiosity or amazement.
But he heard the malicious whispers of a few guys loud and clear.
His face still wore that harmless, honest smile, but his head tilted slightly. His gaze swept over those rude classmates without leaving a trace, silently recording their appearances in the "little notebook" in his heart.
Akimichi Ryoko was no broad-minded nice guy; quite the opposite, he considered himself to be extremely petty.
Since these guys dared to mock him to his face, they could just wait; their time would come.
Beside him, Akimichi Chen Dong took in Ryoko's "amiable" smile and couldn't help but shiver, silently mourning for those loose-tongled idiot classmates for three seconds.
It's over, it's all over. These morons have no idea what kind of being they've provoked.
Once targeted by Akimichi Ryoko, their lunch is as good as gone.
Ryoko ignored the noise and began to scan the classroom.
Suddenly, two distinct hair colors caught his attention.
One was a boy sitting in the front row with bright golden hair and gentle eyes, looking very intelligent.
The other was a girl sitting in the corner with hair as bright red as fire, head bowed, appearing somewhat out of place.
"Eh? That yellow-haired one... could it be Minato Namikaze? And that red-haired girl, is she Uzumaki Kushina, who has already come to Konoha?"
Seeing those familiar yet youthful faces, Ryoko's heart stirred, and he immediately took note.
These were the future Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; he hadn't expected to be in the same year as them.
Now, life at the Ninja Academy seemed like it wouldn't be too boring.
Just then, the school bell rang at the right time, interrupting the commotion in the classroom.
A Chunin teacher wearing a konoha headband walked in quickly.
He stepped onto the podium and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention: "Class, quiet down. Today, our class welcomes a new student. Let's give him a round of applause!"
Having said that, the teacher was the first to start clapping.
However, the reaction from the students below was not enthusiastic; there was only sparse applause, and distinct boos and sneers even came from a few corners.
The teacher seemed somewhat helpless about this, but he remained patient and beckoned to Ryoko.
"New student, please come to the front and introduce yourself. You can tell us your name, your hobbies, and what your dreams for the future are."
Ryoko sighed inwardly, knowing this was a mandatory enrollment procedure—that's how it always goes in manga.
He didn't hesitate, walking to the front of the podium with a slightly swaying gait that matched his size, and came to a halt.
He cleared his throat and said in a loud, still childish voice: "Hello everyone, my name is Akimichi Ryoko. I don't have many big hobbies, I just like to eat. My greatest wish is to be able to eat my fill of all kinds of delicacies every day without a care in the world."
He paused, his round eyes scanning the class as he flashed what he thought was a very friendly smile, adding, "Of course, I also like making friends, especially those with great ambitions and extraordinary talent. Once you become powerful Ninjas and make it big, don't forget to treat me to a meal."
This unpretentious self-introduction silenced the classroom for a second before it erupted into even louder roars of laughter.
The children thought this fat guy's ideas were simply too bizarre and hilarious.
In the crowd, the golden-haired Minato Namikaze widened his blue eyes in surprise, seemingly having never heard of anyone treating eating and being treated to meals as a dream.
In the corner, Uzumaki Kushina's tense little face couldn't help but relax, and she let out a "pfft" of laughter, finding this chubby new classmate somewhat interesting.
Only Akimichi Chen Dong understood how terrifying being "treated to a meal" by Ryoko was; an average person couldn't possibly fill his stomach.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Office.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was observing secretly through a crystal ball using the Telescope Technique, paused with his pipe in hand upon hearing Ryoko's heartfelt words, then shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Sigh, this child... his thoughts are so simple and pure that they leave one speechless."
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