The Great Love Immortal Venerable Achievement System was divided into active achievements and passive achievements.
All of Aburame Shiki's achievements so far had been passive ones, randomly triggered by his specific actions. As for everyone else—like Hyuga Hinata—they possessed a current active achievement. Once that achievement was completed, a new active achievement would refresh. Every achievement was closely tied to the individual themselves.
To Shiki, it felt very much like a wish-based achievement system. And he? He was basically a dream fulfiller.
"Mm—!""So good!"
Hinata ate the tonkotsu ramen with sparkling eyes. She didn't know whether it was because she was starving or because Shiki's cooking was genuinely good—but either way, it was delicious beyond words.
One bowl disappeared quickly.
Hinata let out a small breath of satisfaction. After hesitating for a few seconds, she didn't drink all the soup. That would have been far too impolite. If Father found out, he would surely be disappointed in her.
"Hinata."
Shiki returned, holding another bowl of tonkotsu ramen.
"I—I'm here," Hinata answered instinctively.
"Eat."
Shiki removed the empty bowl in front of her and replaced it with a brimming new one.
Hinata opened her mouth, then closed it again. She wanted to say she was already full, but… wasting food wasn't right. After convincing herself, she happily started eating again.
Shiki nodded in satisfaction.
My cooking's pretty good, huh.
While Hinata wasn't paying attention, he quietly went back into the kitchen again. Two bowls definitely wouldn't be enough.
In the original story, Hinata had once participated in a big-eater competition and eaten a full forty-six bowls of ramen. She was still young now, sure—but seven or eight bowls? No problem at all.
Hinata put down her chopsticks. She finally felt a hint of fullness.
"Eat."
Shiki swapped in yet another bowl.
"I… I…"
Hinata froze, timidly lifting her head, stammering. She felt that if she kept eating, it would start to look strange. Her younger sister Hanabi always stopped after one bowl. Father usually ate two.
"What's wrong?" Shiki asked, looking at her. "I changed this one—char siu ribs. You don't like it?"
"N-no…"
Under his gaze, Hinata panicked and lowered her head again, her cheeks flushing even redder. She couldn't explain it, but Aburame Shiki felt… mysterious. They were about the same age, yet he carried a calmness that set him apart. And he was so strong.
She envied him.
After finishing the third bowl, before Hinata could even speak, another bowl was placed in front of her. Her small face showed confusion and hesitation.
Does he think I eat a lot…?
"New flavor," Shiki said evenly. "Tomato and egg. The tomatoes—I grew them myself. All natural, no additives."
He even grew tomatoes?
From that earlier glance, she had seen the vegetable patch behind the moon orchids.
Hinata felt like she was dreaming. She picked up her chopsticks again, telling herself silently: This is the last bowl. Definitely the last.
But when the fifth bowl appeared, she completely froze—there's more?!
Her dazed, adorable expression made Shiki laugh despite himself. Seeing his smile, Hinata lowered her head shyly. She wanted to gather the courage to refuse… but she didn't dare.
Then… she'd eat.
Hinata was in a wonderful mood. For the first time in her life, she truly understood what it meant to be full.
The next four bowls—she accepted without hesitation.
After finishing the ninth bowl, she let out a small burp.
The moment she realized how improper that was, Hinata's entire face turned red, as if steam might rise from her head at any second. Shiki seriously suspected she might faint.
[Achievement triggered: Hyuga Hinata — "Pitiful and helpless, but astonishingly good at eating." Reward obtained: Black Boar Gu.][Black Boar Gu: Rank One Gu Worm. Permanently refines the Gu Master's body, fundamentally increasing physical strength.]
That triggered a passive achievement?
Black Boar Gu—good stuff. This was a massive win.
Physical strength was incredibly useful, especially since this was a rare permanent enhancement. Even if the Black Boar Gu died, the effect wouldn't disappear—and it could even be used on others.
When a ninja lost their chakra, they were effectively incapacitated. The same went for Gu Masters who lost their True Essence. But with sufficient physical strength, things were different—you could keep fighting with fists and kicks alone.
It was like a mage beating someone with their staff once they ran out of mana.
The only annoyance was that every five days, the Black Boar Gu demanded he perform the ritual of "three mouthfuls, one pig."
With a thought, Shiki sank his consciousness into his Void Aperture.
The Void Aperture could be understood as a dantian or spiritual sea—the place where True Essence gathered. As a Rank One Gu Master, his aperture glowed a jade-green color: the Bronze Sea. Every drop of that sea was True Essence, the result of years of accumulation.
Three Gu worms soaked leisurely within it: Spring Autumn Cicada of Healing (Miaoshou Huichun Gu), Moonlight Gu, and the newly acquired Black Boar Gu.
Gu normally possessed their own wills. Subduing them required erasing that will—a process fraught with danger. But the Gu granted by the system had no will at all. They were pure tools.
"Are you full?" Shiki asked, glancing at the nine massive empty bowls on the table.
"F-full!" Hinata replied instinctively, raising her voice.
This time, it was true. Even her little belly had visibly rounded.
"Eat more while you're growing," Shiki said with a faint smile.
Especially since she was growing in all the right places.
Start cultivating early, huh.Yeah… that's definitely criminal.
Hinata lowered her head again. At home, she would never dare eat this much.
"I'll take you back," Shiki said as he stood.
A Hyuga clan heiress going missing—just imagining it was enough to know what kind of chaos that would cause. He had no desire to be dragged in and subjected to endless white-eyed scrutiny.
Hinata instinctively clenched her small hands. For reasons she didn't understand, a sudden sense of loss and reluctance welled up inside her. But she said nothing, following Shiki out of the cabin and back into the forest.
"Lady Hinata!"
The moment they entered the woods, an anxious voice rushed toward them. A figure appeared before them.
"Tokuma, I'm fine," Hinata said, shaking her head.
She turned to look at Shiki—only to realize he had already turned away.
In the falling snow, his figure gradually vanished.
Hinata pressed her lips together, then suddenly remembered something. Regret appeared on her face.
She had forgotten to ask his name.
Shiki didn't return to the cabin. Instead, he stood before an unknown tree. Ever since obtaining the Black Boar Gu, he could clearly feel his increased strength—but he didn't know exactly how much.
Now, he planned to imitate a certain priest and punch a tree.
Shiki clenched his fist and threw a punch.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
Pain—so much pain!
He'd forgotten that force worked both ways. Sir Newton's coffin remained firmly sealed.
The tree—about as thick as an adult's waist—only trembled slightly, as if offering a token show of respect.
Shiki felt disappointed.
That's it?
Then came a creaking sound.
The tree snapped cleanly in half and fell backward.
Shiki stared at his fist, which was still much smaller than a sandbag.
If I punch someone like this… they'd cry for a long, long time.
In a good mood, Shiki returned to the cabin, opened the fridge, and prepared to grab a late snack.
But… there was no food left.
Raising Hinata really isn't easy at all.