Together, they arrived at the riverbank. Naruto turned to Hinata and said, "Hinata, we'll eat fish later. Wait for me here."
"E-eat fish? Are we going fishing? We didn't bring any fishing gear," Hinata stammered, finally managing to speak.
"Not fishing. That's too slow. I have a better way," Naruto said confidently.
"A better way? What is it?" Hinata looked at Naruto with a hint of anticipation.
"You'll see in a moment."
Naruto gave a mysterious smile, walked to the water plants by the river, and crouched down to move them aside. Soon, he lifted out a Fish Trap covered in water plants.
As soon as he lifted the cage, several plump fish were jumping around inside.
"So many big fish! What's this net-like fishing tool called? The structure inside is so strange. Is this your fish trap?"
Hinata ran over to Naruto, looking at the large Fish Trap and asking with curiosity evident in her eyes.
"This fishing tool is called a Fish Trap. You just put it in the water with some bait, and you're sure to catch fish the next day," Naruto explained with a smile. In his previous life, he had also used Fish Traps to catch fish, but they were always small. But this world was clearly different; the fish here were huge, and there were a lot of them. He could catch several every time. He had even considered selling the fish to make money, but he ultimately gave up.
After that incident, Naruto understood that Konohagakure was even darker than he had imagined. It wouldn't hurt to be low-key before he had the strength.
Of course.
Playing with Hinata was fine. They had known each other for several years and often talked together. Being out playing like this was perfectly normal, and no one would stop them.
So, he comfortably placed the Fish Trap on the grass for Hinata to examine.
"Naruto, did you make this Fish Trap? It's such a clever design; the fish can't get out," Hinata said, squatting beside the Fish Trap and looking at the several large fish inside.
"Right, this Fish Trap only lets things in, not out. Of course, I only want to catch big fish, so the net structure is quite large. Small fish can leave, but big fish can't escape."
Naruto pointed at the structure of the Fish Trap and began to explain, sharing his knowledge of fish traps.
Hinata listened to Naruto's explanation and felt it was amazing. She blinked her big eyes and exclaimed.
"Naruto is so amazing! How did you come up with this? I've never seen this method of catching fish in Konohagakure before."
"I had no choice; it was a matter of survival."
Naruto tried his best to keep smiling, but it was a bitter smile. When even eating became a problem, all he could do was rely on himself.
"Naruto."
Hinata heard this and worry flashed in her eyes. She was young but very sensitive, and she instantly understood Naruto's bitter smile.
"It's alright, it's alright. Leave the Kunai here, go gather some firewood. I'll clean the fish. There's a stove and cooking tools over there that I used before. We'll have grilled fish later," Naruto said, changing the subject.
"Okay, I'll go pick some up right away."
Hinata nodded her head, leaving her Kunai behind. Then, she started gathering firewood nearby, her gaze occasionally drifting towards Naruto. It was obvious she was still concerned about his mood.
Experience Points +1
The Experience Points prompt appeared again. Naruto calmly picked up the Kunai and took a large fish from the Fish Trap to clean it.
He had been gaining Experience Points through his interactions with Hinata. He was very happy with this reward, especially looking forward to the function of Experience Points.
"I wonder what it will do. I can't wait," Naruto murmured.
"What's wrong, Naruto?"
Hinata's pleasant voice drifted over from a distance; she was clearly keeping an eye on Naruto.
"I'm fine, hurry up and gather firewood. The fish will be ready soon," Naruto replied.
"Okay."
Experience Points +1
In the time that followed, Naruto and Hinata were busy, and soon everything was taken care of. They officially began preparing the meal.
"Naruto, let me cook."
Hinata was quite good at cooking, so she decided to take on the task.
"How about this: you make the fish soup, and I'll grill the fish. We'll work together," Naruto suggested.
"Mmhmm, okay."
[Experience Points +1]
Seeing Hinata start to busy herself with making fish soup, Naruto began to grill fish over the fire.
Considering that the two of them trained every day, which was very physically demanding, they also had a large appetite. Naruto grilled a total of five fish.
These fish were quite large. Considering their ages, two fish each would be sufficient, with the extra one as a backup.
After deciding, Naruto took out the seasonings from his hidden cooking tools and began to grill the fish.
He had a lot of these materials, which he had gathered in the wild. Because he didn't have enough money for living expenses, he had to save as much as possible.
Fortunately, the natural world in this world was a treasure trove, with abundant life materials, enough for Naruto to find the materials he needed, and even have a surplus.
The quality of the ingredients here is quite good; they're unpolluted, natural, free of pesticides and fertilizers – all green products. The taste will naturally be much better.
Even the fact that he put his cooking tools and ingredients outside was due to this. It's a pity there aren't any orange trees nearby; he can't eat his favorite oranges, which is the biggest regret.
Naruto shook his head, dismissing the idle thoughts. Instead, he quickly set up the fish grilling rack and placed the fish on it, starting his delicious grilled fish endeavor.
However, Naruto, who often ate alone, didn't realize that the combination of his previous life's grilling techniques and the world's amazing ingredients would create an aroma that would make food lovers drool.
For example, Hinata, who was grilling fish nearby. She was originally focused on making fish soup, but soon she caught the incredible aroma. She quickly turned her head to look at Naruto, watching him sprinkle ingredients and grill the fish to a golden brown.
"It smells so good, Naruto! What ingredients did you put on the fish? Why is it so fragrant?"
Hinata blinked her big eyes at the grilled fish, her fair neck moving slightly, which seemed to be a surreptitious swallowing action.
As the young lady of the Hyuga Clan, Hinata had eaten a lot of delicacies and knew much more about food than ordinary people. But she had never seen this grilling method or these ingredients before, which was very strange.
She watched Naruto expertly roast the fish until it was golden brown. Sniffing the rich aroma, she was surprised to discover that her best friend possessed such an outstanding skill. It truly impressed her.
Grrrrumble.
The sound of a rumbling stomach echoed. Hinata's face flushed red, and she shyly lowered her head, covering her small stomach with her delicate hands, too embarrassed to look at Naruto.
"Almost ready. We'll eat the grilled fish in a little while."
Naruto smiled slightly, finding Hinata even more adorable now. He couldn't help but want to pinch her rosy cheeks.
Experience Points +1