Chapter 13

— I don't mind, — he said with an understanding smile, and we moved a few steps down the street and settled at one of the tiny tables in front of the bakery, which catered to those who wanted a quick bite. Despite its name "bakery," the shop sold not only bread and related products but also a wide variety of pies and pastries. Given that many shinobi had been eating on the go lately due to their heavy workloads, this type of shop was popular and often ended the day with nearly empty trays. We were lucky to catch some leftovers, and I ordered all the remaining meat, cheese, and sweet pies from the girl who quickly approached us.

— And a pot of tea, if you can, — I added to the order, placing a gold plate on the table.

I preferred not to use paper banknotes, as I had developed a distaste for such substitutes for toilet paper from my previous world. Gold, on the other hand, was a different matter! And with the presence of seals, weight wasn't such a big issue even with a lot of money.

— Are you sure we'll eat all this? — Rei looked skeptically at the pile of food being assembled on the tray by the seller.

— A light snack before dinner won't hurt, — I said, raising a finger in a teaching manner as I followed each piece with a hungry gaze. — With slight chakra depletion, it's necessary to eat plenty and often. I'm almost empty right now.

— As you like, — the guy shrugged. — I'm always ready to eat for free.

Pff, show me someone who would refuse!

Before the girl even had a chance to set the tray on the table, I had already grabbed the top meat pie, cut into squares, and, pulling off my mask, began stuffing myself, momentarily disconnecting from the world.

— So, what were you saying about the teams? — I resumed the interrupted conversation, lazily sipping the quite good tea and enjoying the pleasant fullness in my stomach.

— Ah, the advisors are currently searching for suitable teams for the exam, but so far they've only found two appropriate ones — there are too many newly formed and untested teams, and those with experience either got promoted immediately after the war or, like mine, lost some of their genin due to death or severe injury, becoming incomplete, — the shinobi sighed wearily, taking a break from eating. — Sending untested teams would be pointless. Besides, many mentors had their team members completely changed just over the past year.

Nodding in understanding at my conversation partner's words, I waved off the girl who was trying to give me change and continued to stuff my face, determined to finish the contents of the tray before Kei could clear space for even one more piece.

— You sure can eat! — the guy marveled, watching the last pieces of pastry disappear into my mouth.

— You haven't seen anything yet, — I mumbled with my mouth full. — I can keep up with the Akimichi in buffets, so this light snack doesn't even count as a meal!

And I wasn't boasting! When you weigh under ninety-five kilograms (and over a hundred when well-fed) and your height is a bit over one hundred ninety centimeters, you need to eat a lot and heartily to give your body enough energy for constant movement and chakra usage. Fat people store nutrients in fat layers, while I store them in muscle tissue.

Though the former method achieves results faster, my way not only provides greater returns but also accelerates chakra production without significant side effects. After all, it's not for nothing that overall body development is considered an excellent way to increase the yang component of produced chakra.

— Thanks, I once attended such an event — and then a piece of food wouldn't go down my throat all day, — the jōnin grimaced.

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