It was early morning.
Thanks to the sachet, Karin had a long, satisfying sleep.
"I feel so refreshed."
Karin stretched, then picked up the sachet from beside her pillow.
"This thing is amazing."
As Karin examined the sachet, her nose was suddenly drawn by a fragrance.
"It smells delicious."
Without hesitation, she immediately got up and skipped downstairs.
"Sensei!"
Before she even arrived, Karin's voice already echoed down.
Shinji, in the kitchen, paused, then seemed to realize something, inwardly marveling at the system's product. It had such an effect after just one night.
Karin, having just reached downstairs, saw the figure standing in the kitchen, and her heart trembled.
This scene, this atmosphere, was something she hadn't experienced in all these years.
"What are you spacing out for? Go wash up first."
Shinji, who hadn't heard a sound from the kitchen for a while, turned to look, only to see Karin standing there in a daze.
"Yes, sensei."
Startled awake by his words, Karin quickly responded, then hurried to the bathroom in a rush.
Brushing her teeth, while sniffing the fragrant aroma wafting through the air, Karin couldn't help but wonder what delicious food it could be. For her, back in Kusagakure, she might only have had one piece of bread or a bowl of plain rice porridge a day.
Even in the past few days, all the restaurants, big and small, in Konoha, and even the bentos Ino and Hinata brought, couldn't give her such an enticing aroma.
Splash—
Splash—
Karin, who was brushing her teeth, paused and turned to look.
Neji had finished his morning training, a towel draped around his neck, standing at the bathroom door. He paused as he looked at Karin, then nodded.
Neji naturally knew Karin. Although he had been on missions recently, whenever he had time, he would go to the training ground to train with Shinji.
"Hello." Neji opened his mouth and greeted her.
"Eh! Hello."
Karin quickly rinsed her mouth and wiped her face, giving up her spot in the bathroom.
The two politely yielded to each other at the door, and only after switching places did they attend to their own affairs.
"Karin, help set the plates! Naruto and the others will be here soon!" Shinji, from the kitchen, called out to Karin as she emerged.
"Yes!" Karin quickly responded, then went to the cupboard, her eyes blinking.
How many people were coming?
Hinata, Ino, Naruto...
"It's nine sets of tableware." Behind her, Neji's voice sounded.
He had already washed up, he had merely rinsed his face again.
"Oh, okay." Karin quickly nodded, fumbling with the tableware.
"Let me do it." Neji glanced at Karin, then reached out and began taking them.
He wondered if it was his imagination, but the girl in front of him seemed much more cheerful than a few days ago.
Shaking his head and thinking no more of it, Neji picked up the tableware and began setting it.
Karin, beside him, watched, then picked up nine cups and began pouring water.
"Sensei!"
Naruto and the others' voices sounded from outside the door, and then the door opened.
"Yo, Karin, Neji, good morning."
A group of people, led by Naruto, noisily changed their shoes and then ran in.
Karin was pulled aside by Hinata and Ino, chattering away.
Naruto and the others skillfully entered the kitchen and began bringing out the cooked breakfast.
"Thank you, sensei."
"Let's eat."
The group, seated around the dining table, spoke one after another, then immediately picked up their chopsticks.
"Mmm."
Karin's eyes widened after taking her first bite.
"Is it good?" Ino, beside her, asked with a smile.
"Mm-hmm." Karin nodded quickly, continuing to eat diligently.
Ino, receiving the reply, paused, then chuckled softly.
Karin was a little different.
Naruto and the others also noticed, but after exchanging glances, they said nothing more.
—
"I'm done eating."
With Choji's declaration, breakfast came to an end.
Shinji smiled, picked up his cup, took a sip, and then said, "Starting today, Karin will train with all of you."
Hearing this, Naruto was the first to raise his hand and say, "Sensei, is Karin my junior now too?"
Shinji nodded gently at this.
"That's great. Karin, I'm the senior." Naruto said to Karin, who was across the table, with a happy expression.
Sasuke, beside him, curled his lip. "Loser, you just happened to be the first to become sensei's disciple, that's all."
Naruto always said this whenever Shinji took on a new apprentice.
"Tch, I'm the first anyway." Naruto smugly raised an eyebrow, saying to Sasuke in a very annoying manner.
Shinji shook his head and gave a wry smile, then looked at Karin and said, "Karin, your current task is the most important. Later, I will help you catch up on the knowledge from these past few school years."
"Next year, when school starts, you can be in the same class as Naruto and the others."
This was Shinji's plan. If Karin could keep up, then graduating in the same year as Naruto would be ideal. If not, then other plans would have to be made.
"Yes, sensei."
Karin quickly nodded, this had already been discussed last night.
"Sensei!" Naruto then remembered something and spoke to Shinji.
"What is it?" Shinji looked over, puzzled.
"Didn't you say last time that you'd make me and Sasuke sign a summoning contract?"
As he spoke, Naruto scratched the back of his head.
Hearing this, Shinji suddenly slapped his forehead in realization. After saying it last time, he had immediately gone to the border, so it had been delayed.
"What did Mimi say?"
Although he had forgotten, Shinji had instructed Mimi at the time to ensure that Naruto and Sasuke were prepared enough to pass the Ancestral Land's assessment.
"Mimi-sensei said that me and stinky Sasuke basically meet the requirements."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto. With the allure of the summoning scroll, he temporarily ignored Naruto's address.
"Is that so..."
Shinji feigned contemplation, then smiled and spoke when Naruto and Sasuke were almost impatient.
"Then, we'll sign it later."
"Yay!" Naruto immediately jumped up happily at this.
Sasuke, beside him, was also beaming. After all, with Mimi's assistance, their strength could be said to have indirectly increased.
Shikamaru and the others, on the other hand, showed no particular reaction. After all, besides Naruto and Sasuke, only Choji had enough Chakra to practice summoning jutsu.
However, because of the Akimichi clan's secret techniques, it was unlikely that Choji could spare any more energy. Instead of dispersing his Chakra, it was better to focus on one type.
Shinji had already explained this to them earlier.
(End of Chapter)
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