#114 - Chapter 114: Some bond evolution? Do you think I'm a Pokémon? - Naruto: I, Naruto, Start With The Full-Level Shining Fruit

The next day,

Naruto took Karin to have one last breakfast in Konoha before preparing to leave for the Land of Snow.

However, when they arrived at the entrance of Konoha Village, they found a large group of people gathered there.

Kakashi, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji...

Seeing so many people gathered, Naruto couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Are they here to see me off?

But are we that close?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Ino suddenly ran up to him and handed him a package.

"I heard Sasuke-kun is going to stay in the Land of Snow for two years, please deliver this package to him! And... tell Sasuke-kun that I'll miss him! Waaah~"

"......"

Okay, I was being a little presumptuous.

Naruto tossed Ino's package to Karin, then looked at the others, "What about you guys? Anything you want me to take?"

They looked at each other, and finally Shikamaru scratched his head and stepped forward.

"How troublesome..."

"We don't have anything to give you, we just came to see you off. After all, if we don't see you for the next two years, we'll miss you a little!"

Shikamaru's obviously insincere words made Naruto roll his eyes. He couldn't help but say to Kakashi, "Was this arranged?"

Kakashi scratched his cheek and looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, guiltily saying, "Well... no."

"......"

"Alright, don't bother with all that, I'm leaving if there's nothing else!"

Kakashi's little scheme was so obvious.

Trying to create some kind of bond before I leave Konoha?

Do you think I'm a Pokémon or a Digimon?

"W-wait a minute, Naruto-kun!"

Just as Naruto was about to leave with Karin, Hinata, who had been hesitating for a long time, finally spoke.

She handed Naruto a carefully wrapped box, blushing, and whispered, "These are rice balls I made, to... to take with you on the road~"

Looking at Hinata, who hadn't changed much, Naruto smiled slightly and accepted her gift.

"Thank you!"

"Y-you're welcome."

They didn't say much more. Naruto handed the package to Karin and was about to leave again.

However, at this moment, a green figure rushed towards them.

"Wait!!!"

It was Rock Lee's voice!

He was moving so fast that he stirred up dust, causing pedestrians to inhale a lot of his 'exhaust fumes'!

"Cough cough cough!"

"Why are you running so fast! Are you in a hurry to be reborn?!"

"Sorry! I'm in a hurry!"

After hurriedly apologizing to the passersby, Rock Lee sped up. After a high jump backflip, he appeared directly in front of Naruto.

"I made it!"

Rock Lee breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Naruto, put one hand on his hip, raised a thumb with the other, revealing his shining white teeth!

"Konoha's strongest hard-working genius, Rock Lee, has come to see off his most worthy opponent!"

"......"

"And then?"

Naruto looked at Rock Lee in front of him with a helpless expression. He didn't know why Rock Lee would also be here.

Is he really treating me as a challenging opponent?

Although it's unbelievable, it's actually possible for someone with Rock Lee's thought process!

"Please help me take this to Sakura!"

"......"

Looking at the love bento in Rock Lee's hand, Naruto was completely speechless.

He overestimated Rock Lee!

"What's inside?"

"It's a passionate love bento made with my fusion of youth and love!"

"In plain language."

"Fried eggs, rice, grilled sausage, and two pieces of greens that have undergone my youthful cleansing, stir-fried like crazy with ketchup!!"

"......"

"Lee, it's not that I don't want to help you, but it takes us half a month to get to the Land of Snow. By the time we get there, the contents will have spoiled."

"It doesn't matter, I expected that!"

Rock Lee reached out and took out a small packet, triumphantly saying, "This is a preservative I bought from a shop owner! The shop owner told me that as long as I put a packet of this in, no matter what food it is, it's guaranteed to last for at least a month!"

Preservative?

Naruto stared blankly at the small packet in Rock Lee's hand, his mouth twitching.

That's a preservative, right?

But can preservatives be effective on things like rice and vegetables?

He really wanted to educate Rock Lee, but looking at Rock Lee's wise eyes, he gave up!

Why bother arguing with him?

Anyway, he just needs to take it there, and it's up to Sakura whether she eats it or not.

Thinking this way, he took the love bento and tossed it to Karin again.

At this time, Karin was already carrying large and small bags on her back. If the Konoha Labor Department saw it, they would definitely say that Naruto was employing child labor and fine him a million!

If a capitalist saw it, they would definitely give Naruto a thumbs up, saying that he was simply a heinous genius!

"Let's go... um? Did you take the preservative... I mean, the packaging off the preservative?"

Naruto was about to say goodbye when he suddenly saw that the small packet in Rock Lee's hand was empty, and the 'preservative' was long gone.

"Shouldn't I have taken it off?" Rock Lee scratched his head in confusion, "I mixed all the preservative into the rice, when frying the eggs, when stir-frying the vegetables, and when grilling the sausage, was there something wrong with that?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's mouth twitched.

When it comes to cooking, Rock Lee is simply a genius!!

"Lee, listen to me, don't cook for people in the future, you might end up putting yourself in jail!" Kakashi couldn't help but advise.

"Why?" Rock Lee looked at Kakashi in confusion.

"Just listen to me." Kakashi patted Rock Lee's shoulder, the one eye he revealed was serious and earnest!

"Okay... I'll only cook for Sakura in the future!" Rock Lee murmured.

"......"

"Sakura should be very grateful to you."

Naruto gave Rock Lee a thumbs up, and then finally set off again.

"Really leaving, don't q!"

In the early morning of Konoha,

Naruto and Karin walked towards the outside of the village, behind them were some people who were both familiar and unfamiliar to them!