After recovering, Qiu Daoguang did some simple exercises, cleaned himself up, and walked into the kitchen.

From today on, he would be spending his lunch break at school, so preparing lunch was essential. He had also promised Shikamaru that he would make eel rice for him.

Before the energy pills became widely available, with the appetites of the two brothers, any food they brought—whether rice balls or something else—would attract attention. So, there was no reason for them to eat something basic.

His journey as a ninja had just begun, but his journey as a chef had not.

Qiu Daoguang took out the processed eels that had been soaked in sugar, soy sauce, ginger juice, and a little rice wine. He nodded in satisfaction; the seasoning was perfect, as he'd prepared it before going to practice. The remaining soup had been boiled over low heat and set aside. Qiu Daoguang then skewered the eel onto bamboo sticks. Instead of using an oven, he took out an extra-large frying pan to fry and roast the eels, making it easier to turn them over and apply the sauce during the process.

More than ten minutes later, he turned off the fire, removed the caramelized eel pieces, brushed them lightly with honey, and sprinkled them with white sesame seeds. Breakfast and lunch were ready.

White rice, fragrant eel, and various side dishes—everything looked and smelled great.

He asked Shikamaru to bring the food out and, in the meantime, prepared a bowl of tomato and egg soup for himself. There was no other way—despite his many talents, he just couldn't bring himself to like miso soup. He had to make it himself. For the other three, their mother, Yoshiko, made the soup.

After breakfast, the two brothers carried their huge lunch boxes and walked towards school.

This might continue for a few more days. Fortunately, the Ninja School provided an oven, so lunchtime wouldn't be difficult for them.

It was a pity the sealing scrolls were too expensive—otherwise, they'd be much more convenient. Still, learning how to make one's own sealing scroll wasn't an impossible task; it was just the material cost that made it difficult.

Qiu Daoguang set this as another small goal for himself.

At the intersection, they met Shikamaru and Ino, who were waiting for them, and the four walked to school together.

Friendships in childhood formed especially quickly.

When the four entered the classroom, most of the trainee ninjas—who had eagerly awaited Ninja School—had already arrived. The students, who had only learned each other's names the day before, were already engaging in preliminary socializing.

Naruto and Kiba were the most conspicuous, but Naruto's intimidating presence kept most of the students at a distance.

"It smells so good."

When Qiu Daoguang put his lunch box down at his seat, both Naruto and Kiba immediately approached, noses twitching.

"I can give you some at noon," Qiu Daoguang said with a smile.

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This was expected. He had brought more than enough, following the principle from his past life that "more courtesy is better, no one will blame you." At least today, as the first day of formal learning, the whole class would get to try his special eel cubes.

Being from the Akimichi clan made it easy for him to share food like this, which also fit the "will of fire" concept.

Although he didn't cook to cater to the upper class, he didn't mind others thinking so, as it could reduce any unnecessary trouble.

"That's great."

The two, who had already seen his cooking skills before, were practically drooling.

"Everyone has a share, so you two can handle the distribution," Qiu Daoguang said, passing the task to them.

"No problem."

The two exchanged glances, took the task, and began walking around the classroom. This wasn't a difficult task for them.

Naruto, in particular, was happy. This was a great excuse for him to interact with other classmates. As long as he could find someone willing to talk to him without slandering him, he'd be happy for a long time.

"Guang, are you trying to bribe everyone with food to make them forget your title as the 'God of Sleep'?" Shikamaru teased as he watched the two leave.

"Why? Can't I?" Qiu Daoguang responded with a smile.

"No, it's quite your style. I actually think you shouldn't be in the classroom," Shikamaru stretched out and laid back down again.

"I still have to study. I never reject learning," Qiu Daoguang said seriously.

Shikamaru didn't respond but thought, But you obviously don't like ninjas.

Guang doesn't need his care at all, Shikamaru mused. He recalled his father's words before school started and became even lazier. He enjoyed having a mature friend who could help him "empty his brain" even more.

Before the students became too noisy, Chunin Iruka rushed into the classroom, and instantly, the lively little group turned quiet. Regardless of the setting, the authority of a teacher had an undeniable impact.

The morning classes were simple—so simple, in fact, that both Akimichi Hikaru and Shikamaru fell asleep.

Fortunately, Choji had already delivered Iruka's portion of food and made sure to mention that it was Hikaru's hard work that had made it.

Iruka was pleasantly surprised and accepted the gesture, thinking it was a good start.

Ino and Sakura took over the heating process, ensuring that when Hikaru woke up, he could eat directly.

As for distributing the food, it was still handled by the two brothers. With plenty of food, even Shikamaru didn't seem to mind doing it. Perhaps this was why Hikaru had made the decision. The details remained unclear.

The entire Class A classroom smelled of eel, and Hikaru received many thumbs up for his culinary effort.

No one refused, including Uchiha Sasuke, who was holding a small piece of eel skewered on a bamboo stick, his mouth watering. It smelled amazing, and Sasuke couldn't resist. What's more, he had already thanked Hikaru in person.

When he took a bite, he was impressed—the meat was tender, the skin slightly crispy, and the inside was juicy without being greasy. Paired with the rice ball prepared by his mother, Sasuke ate quickly and was still hungry afterward.

He regretted only bringing rice balls and turning down the lunch his mother had packed. It was just that the lunch box Uchiha Mikoto prepared for him was pink, and he felt embarrassed bringing it to school.

"Sasuke, when you get to school, make sure to get along with your classmates and make more friends, got it?" His mother's gentle voice echoed in his mind as he looked toward Hikaru.

Qiu Daoguang didn't notice, as he was busy eating.

Throughout the classroom, voices of praise for Hikaru could be heard. It seemed his method had worked. Though a bit underhanded, he had captured everyone's attention by lunchtime.

However, Sasuke had no intention of using such methods to make friends, despite how delicious the eel was.

He turned his head back and closed his eyes, still keeping his aloof expression.

In the future, if Akimichi Hikaru encounters difficulties in his ninja training, maybe I can give him some guidance, Sasuke thought.

The Akimichi clan had never been particularly prominent in ninja schools, not when compared to the Uchiha clan.

"Tsk," Shikamaru noticed Sasuke's actions and the way he looked at Hikaru. He glanced at Hikaru, who was still eating without noticing anything, and didn't bother reminding his friend.

Maybe something interesting would happen later. At this stage, Sasuke's thoughts were easy to read.

As for Hikaru's talent, since no one was on guard against him, Shikamaru could probably guess something from how the elders had treated him. Hikaru was a bit of a wimp, but that didn't stop Shikamaru from enjoying the show.