*crunch* *munch* *munch*……
The apple was sweet, juicy and crunchy like always. It was the best apple I had tasted in both my lives combined. I was about to take another bite from the apple, when Lee’s eyes darted towards the apple in my hand.
*GROOOOOOOWL*
His stomach was fighting for dear life telling him to stop exercising and eat something. I think I even saw intense vibrations on his stomach through the light rags he was wearing.
*crunch* I took another bite and watched him pause as again, this time he didn’t even look at me. I just found it a little funny that a guy with such high mental strength was getting distracted by an apple so I kept taking delicious bites and making it as loud as possible till I was done with it.
Eventually Lee finished hundred pushups and sat up to catch his breath. Of course, an adult like me wouldn’t want to be cruel to a child for no reason, I already had my fun anyways so I took another apple from my sack and threw it at him. “Oye, catch it”
“Huh?” he was slightly shocked but still caught the apple and looked it at apprehensively. He kept looking at me and the apple alternatively before just deciding to dig in. I saw a smile lit up on his face, “this is the most delicious apple I ever had” he said before eating it all.
“What’s your name?” I asked knowing fully well who he was.
“It’s Rock Lee! What about you?” he replied excitedly.
“It’s Kenji…. As for my last name even I don’t know about it….. Anyways from today you are my friend.” I pointed at him.
“What?” he asked bewildered.
“Well didn’t I give you an apple? Friends always share things with each other. If you agree to be my friend, I’ll give you apples every day.”
His eyes started shining at the mention of more apples. “Apples?”
I nodded at that question. “More food means more training don’t you know that?”
His eyes started shining even more brightly. “More training?”
“Yes, that’s right. All you have to do is be my friend.” I smirked. Hook, line and sinker.
“Ok, I am delighted to be your friend” he said as he stood up trying to go for a handshake.
“No, friends don’t handshake. They dab each other up.” At least, that’s what I knew from watching others in my previous life. “It goes like this.” I put my hand up and explained to him on how to form a dab with me.
*clap* A sound resounded as I made a perfect dab with Lee. “Woooahhhh! You were right a dab is much better than a handshake.” This guy got excited over the small things but I was also grinning a little bit. To be honest I didn’t dislike the idea of getting friends. Since I had knowledge about many of the characters, I knew that some of them were good. Rock Lee was a little weird but he did have a good heart and was always loyal to his friends.
“Alright this is it for today but I’ll be back tomorrow don’t worry I always keep my promise.” I told him before leaving. “Goodbye new friend see you tomorrow” he waved at me and went straight back to doing pushups with renewed energy. ‘I’ll have to pick a few extra apples for this guy.’
Now that my assignment from sensei was complete, I could go back home and relax for a bit. The old man isn’t there for the most part of the day except when it is time to eat. When I was on the way to the shabby hut, I saw someone else at the door.
“Didn’t I tell you not to come here?” as usual the old man sounded cranky. He snatched as envelope from the delivery man and went back inside without even acknowledging my presence.
The delivery man scratched at the back of his head and apologized embarrassingly before leaving.
I didn’t think too much of it. It might have been a letter specifying an order for a blade. The old man was a decent blacksmith. I couldn’t understand why he lived in a shabby hut or why he made me eat shit food along with him when he should be earning a pretty penny.
“UGH, I need to think of a way to make money quick and move out.” I told myself and went to get some sleep before practice. Sensei would go on missions occasionally so I had to train by myself on those days. Although all I was doing was physical training, I could feel myself get better and better. Even sensei an Uchiha praised my physical strength. There was a possibility I was just maturing faster than the other kids but whatever it was it felt good.
….
After a few hours of sleep, I got up in a fit. I had dreamt about Mariko-Sensei again. “Why do I keep dreaming about that woman.” Ever since she had left, I kept dreaming about her every time I slept. “Fuck! I’m getting goosebumps again. It’s all her fault! Hugging me all the time and saying that hugs can help make help make people happy and stuff. I’m an adult now I should stop thinking about all this mushy stuff.” Yeah, maybe I was just lonely being around no humans (that old man doesn’t count) for a while. Should I start training with Lee?
I noticed a bowl on the table. As usual my lunch was there. The old man would never forget to keep me a bowl of this sad porridge. At first, I didn’t hate it after all even in my last life the meals I used to eat were mostly bread with some very diluted soup, but after eating it for so many years I had lost all appetite for it.
I walked towards it and sat down. “Ew” I closed my nose, as usual it smelled bad. I didn’t know what the old man puts into to but it tasted like nothing and smelled like rotten meat. It was a very weird porridge. At any case I had to eat it as it was the only meal I could get and it wasn’t stunting my growth in any way, in fact I was growing quite nicely. I resolved myself once more. ‘It’s just a few more months until I find a way to earn then I can buy whatever I want’. I finished eating it and walked towards the village again.
You know what they say about food and friendship.
So if you know then i wont need to say it.