At Tazuna's house.
"Baji! Baji!!""Gulp, gulp!!""Crack, crack!!"
At the dinner table, Wukong devoured the food in front of him like a glutton.
To his left, empty plates and bowls were piled high, forming a miniature mountain range.
Everyone stared at him in shock, as if they were witnessing a starving ghost come back to life.
Tazuna glanced at Kakashi, his expression twitching."Look at the money I spent on this meal…"
They had to understand—Tazuna was very poor. He wouldn't have risked claiming a B-level mission was a C-level one otherwise. The food Wukong was devouring had been carefully stored for months, bought at considerable expense. Once it was gone, Tazuna would have no money left to buy more.
"Don't worry about this, Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi said, wincing at his wallet but still promising. "I'll cover the expenses."
After all, he was the one who had invited Wukong to dinner, and Wukong had saved Naruto. Kakashi couldn't in good conscience let his savior pay out of pocket.
After a long while, Wukong finally set down his bowl and chopsticks, letting out a satisfied sigh."Ha~ I'm so full!"
"Wukong, you haven't eaten in a long time, have you?" Naruto asked, voice trembling slightly.
"Yeah… it's been a while since I last ate." Wukong rubbed his bloated belly and grinned foolishly.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
It sounded almost unbelievable, but they could accept it. After all, no one had seen someone eat so much in one sitting after being starved for a long time—far more acceptable than someone eating this much every meal.
Still, they hadn't expected this: while Wukong's usual appetite wasn't enormous, his current indulgence was beyond anything they could imagine.
After the meal, Kakashi addressed Naruto and the others."Although Zabuza has retreated, he said he'll come back. Next time we meet, it will likely be a fierce battle. We need to stay alert and cautious."
He knew Zabuza had been driven off by Wukong, who might leave soon. Once Zabuza realized Wukong was gone, he would come for him again. A deadly confrontation was inevitable.
Sasuke and Sakura listened intently, but Naruto was elsewhere, quietly approaching Wukong.
"Hey… Wukong, how did you manage to catch that sword with just one finger? Can you teach me?"
The image of Wukong stopping Zabuza's sword had left a huge impression. Naruto thought the move was both cool and powerful and wanted to learn it. Finally, I can defeat that annoying Sasuke! No more being last in the rankings!
Wukong, lounging on the ground, perked up at the question and stood, raising his index finger to demonstrate.
Naruto's eyes widened as a faint, translucent white aura appeared along Wukong's finger.
Previously, when Wukong had caught Zabuza's sword, his speed had been too fast for Naruto to notice. Now, seeing it up close, he realized the secret.
"Is this… Qi? What is Qi?" Naruto scratched his head in confusion. He hadn't learned this in school; he only remembered vague lessons about something called chakra.
"Qi is the energy within your body," Wukong explained. "With practice, you can strengthen it."
"I see…" Naruto thought for a moment, then clapped his hands. "Wukong, I want to learn Qi! Can you teach me?"
"I can treat you to the best ramen ever!" Naruto added earnestly, trying to convince Wukong.
"That's no problem," Wukong replied without hesitation. He saw great potential in Naruto; if he trained in Qi, he could become incredibly strong.
"Awesome!" Naruto leaped high in excitement, forgetting entirely that Kakashi was still giving instructions.
"Naruto! What are you doing?!"
Before Kakashi could intervene, Sakura walked over and smacked Naruto on the chest."Sensei was explaining something important, and you weren't listening—you're yelling!"
"It hurts, Sakura…" Naruto groaned, clutching his chest.
Sakura returned to her seat, huffing."Ahem… now, I've said everything I needed to."
Kakashi cleared his throat."Naruto, what were you and Mr. Wukong talking about?"
He had caught snippets of their conversation but not clearly enough.
"Ah… Kakashi-sensei, I won't tell you yet. You'll know soon enough," Naruto said with a grin, rubbing his head.
He couldn't let anyone know he wanted to learn Wukong's techniques just yet—at least, not until he defeated Sasuke. The thought made him giddy. Without saying another word, he pulled Wukong along and dashed out of the house.
In an open clearing in the forest, Naruto clasped his hands solemnly."Wukong… please teach me how to practice Qi."
Wukong, observing Naruto's serious expression, felt a nostalgic warmth, remembering his younger self training under Master Roshi in the Temple of Heaven. Smiling softly, he sat down."Are you sure you've made up your mind?"
"Yes!" Naruto nodded vigorously.
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Then it's going to be boring."
"I'm not afraid!" Naruto patted his chest, certain of his resolve.
"Sit down and close your eyes," Wukong instructed.
Naruto obeyed."And then?"
"Gone."
"Gone?" Naruto opened his eyes in confusion, three question marks appearing above his head.
"Yes. That's how I started practicing in the beginning," Wukong said earnestly.
Trusting Wukong's sincerity, Naruto closed his eyes again, doubtful.
Minutes passed. Opening his eyes frantically, he exclaimed, "There's… nothing!"
Wukong frowned, pinching his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he snapped his fingers against his palm."Ah! I remember—there's one more thing. You need to be still, feel the hidden energy in your body, and then channel it outward."