The Great Love Immortal Venerable Achievement System was divided into Active Achievements and Passive Achievements.
Aburame Shiki's own achievements were all passive, randomly triggered based on his specific actions.
Other people, like Hinata, would have a current Active Achievement.
Once completed, a new Active Achievement would refresh in its place.
These achievements were all closely related to the individual themselves.
Aburame Shiki felt it was much like a wish-fulfillment system, and he was the wish-granter.
"Mmm! So good!"
Hinata ate the tonkotsu ramen, her small eyes sparkling.
She didn't know if it was because she was starving or because of Aburame Shiki's cooking skills, but either way, it was absolutely delicious.
A bowl of noodles quickly vanished into her stomach.
Hinata let out a breath.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she decided not to finish all the soup.
Doing so would be too impolite.
If Father found out, he would definitely be disappointed in her.
"Hinata."
Aburame Shiki returned, holding another bowl of tonkotsu ramen.
"I'm here."
Hinata answered subconsciously.
"Eat."
Aburame Shiki took away the empty bowl in front of her and replaced it with a bowl full of tonkotsu ramen.
Hinata hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
She really wanted to say she was already full, but... she couldn't waste food.
After convincing herself, she happily started eating again.
Aburame Shiki nodded in satisfaction.
My cooking isn't bad at all.
While Hinata wasn't looking, he got up and went to the kitchen again.
Because two bowls of ramen definitely wouldn't be enough.
In the original story, Hinata participated in an eating contest and polished off exactly forty-six bowls of ramen.
Although she was still quite small now, eating seven or eight bowls wouldn't be a problem.
Hinata put down her chopsticks.
She finally felt a sliver of fullness.
"Eat."
Aburame Shiki swapped in yet another bowl for her.
"I... I..."
Hinata stared blankly, lifting her head timidly as she stammered.
She felt that eating any more would make her look abnormal.
Her younger sister, Hanabi, only ever ate one bowl and stopped.
Her father would eat two bowls.
"What's wrong?"
Aburame Shiki looked at her and asked, "I switched to char siu and ribs for this bowl. Do you not like it?"
"N-no..."
Being stared at by him, Hinata frantically lowered her small head, a deeper blush creeping onto her face.
For some reason, she felt Aburame Shiki was a bit mysterious.
Even though he was around her age, he exuded a calm indifference from head to toe.
And he was so strong.
She really envied him.
After Hinata finished the third bowl of ramen, before she even had time to speak, another bowl was placed in front of her.
Her small face revealed a look of confusion and conflict.
Does he think I'm a huge eater?
"New flavor, tomato and egg."
Aburame Shiki said calmly, "I grew the tomatoes myself. Purely natural and pesticide-free."
He even grows tomatoes?
In her earlier passing glance, she really had seen a vegetable patch behind the Moon Orchids.
Hinata felt like she was dreaming.
She picked up her chopsticks again, secretly vowing that this was the last bowl, the absolute last bowl.
But when the fifth bowl of ramen appeared, she was completely stunned. How is there still more?
Her blank and adorably dazed expression made Aburame Shiki chuckle.
Seeing his smile, Hinata shyly lowered her head.
She really wanted to muster the courage to refuse, but she didn't dare.
Then I'll just eat it.
Hinata was in a very good mood.
For the first time in so long, she finally understood what it meant to be full.
For the next four bowls, she simply refused no offers.
After finishing the ninth bowl, she let out a burp.
Realizing her slip in manners, Hinata's small face flushed completely red, as if steam was about to burst from her ears the next second.
Aburame Shiki suspected she was going to pass out.
[Hinata — Achievement Completed: Pitiful and Helpless, But a Huge Eater]
[Reward: Black Boar Gu]
[Black Boar Gu: Rank 1. Modifies the body, fundamentally increasing a Gu Master's physical strength.]
This triggered a passive achievement?
Black Boar Gu. Good stuff. This was a huge win.
Physical strength was extremely useful.
Furthermore, it provided a rare, permanent increase in strength.
Even if the Black Boar Gu died, the effect wouldn't disappear, and it could even be used by others.
When a ninja ran out of chakra, they would enter a state where they couldn't fight anymore.
The same was true for a Gu Master who ran out of True Essence.
But having physical strength changed things; one could continue fighting with their fists and feet.
It was just like a mage beating people up with their staff.
The only troublesome part was that the Black Boar Gu required him to feed it a whole pig in three bites every five days.
With a thought, Aburame Shiki's mind sank into his aperture.
The so-called aperture could be understood as a dantian or a core, the place where True Essence pooled.
He was a Rank 1 Gu Master, so his aperture was a field of azure green, known as a Bronze Sea.
Every drop of seawater was True Essence, the result of his hard work over the past few years.
Three Gu worms were bathing in the sea: the Miraculous Recovery Gu, the Moonlight Gu, and the newly arrived Black Boar Gu.
Gu naturally possessed a will of their own. For a Gu Master to subdue a Gu, they needed to erase its will, a highly dangerous process.
But the Gu provided by the system had no will; they could be understood as pure tools.
"Are you full?"
Aburame Shiki glanced at the nine large bowls on the table and asked.
"F-full!"
Hinata subconsciously raised her voice.
This time it was true; even her small stomach had rounded out quite a bit.
"You have to eat more to grow,"
Aburame Shiki said with a faint smile.
Especially since she needed to grow in all the right places.
This was called cultivating from a young age.
Criminal, truly criminal.
Hinata buried her head again.
At home, she never dared to eat this much.
"I'll walk you back."
Aburame Shiki stood up and said.
With the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan missing, it was easy to imagine what would happen.
He didn't want them showing up at his door, subjecting him to their white-eyed glares.
Hinata subconsciously tightened her small hands.
For some reason, a sudden wave of loss and reluctance welled up in her heart.
But she didn't say anything. She followed Aburame Shiki out of the wooden cabin and back into the small forest.
"Lady Hinata!"
Just as they entered the forest, an anxious voice called out, drawing closer.
A figure appeared in front of them.
"Tokuma, I'm fine."
Hinata shook her head and said.
She turned to look at Aburame Shiki, only to find that he had already turned and walked away.
In the heavy snow, his figure gradually faded out of sight.
Hinata pursed her lips, suddenly remembering something, a look of regret flashing across her face.
She forgot to ask his name.
Aburame Shiki didn't return to the wooden cabin.
He was currently standing in front of an unnamed tree.
After obtaining the Black Boar Gu, he could feel the increase in his physical strength.
But he wasn't exactly sure how much it had increased.
Right now, he was preparing to imitate a certain priest and punch a tree.
Aburame Shiki clenched his fist, then threw a punch.
He gasped.
Pain! So much pain!
He forgot that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Sir Isaac Newton's coffin remained undisturbed for now.
Meanwhile, the tree that took the punch barely shivered.
Aburame Shiki was a bit disappointed.
That's it?
Suddenly, a harsh crack rang out.
The tree, which was as thick as an adult's waist, snapped cleanly and toppled backward.
Aburame Shiki glanced down at his fist, which was much smaller than a sandbag.
If this punch lands on someone, they'll be crying for a long time.
In a good mood, Aburame Shiki returned to the wooden cabin and opened the fridge, planning to grab a snack.
But he was out of surplus food.
Raising Hinata really wasn't going to be that easy.