Faced with the little guy's cheerful smile and casual response, then watching him unhesitatingly stuff the chips into his hands, Naruto couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
"You can't buy friends with money, huh…"
Muttering quietly to himself, Naruto instinctively narrowed his eyes slightly, starting to seriously observe Chōji. Only after confirming that Chōji's expression hadn't changed—still that same silly, cheerful good-guy smile from start to finish—did Naruto finally relax. Then, perhaps influenced by that pure, bright smile, Naruto's own smile started to grow more genuine as if slowly infected by it.
"Well, he's not wrong about that... Thanks for being willing to share your chips with us, friend."
Replying word by word, Naruto deliberately emphasized the word friend and, after a slight pause, didn't continue being overly polite. Instead, he accepted the chips that Chōji had stuffed into his hand and held them firmly. While inspecting the chips with admiration, he lifted the bag a little and shook it gently in front of his face, grinning as he continued.
"Tomato flavor, huh... Hehe, awesome! That's actually my favorite! And even the packaging looks so fancy and well-designed—just looking at it makes it seem super delicious!"
There were no pranks, no scary words meant to startle people… This surprisingly approachable version of Naruto not only left Shikamaru and Ino—who had just gone through the mental rollercoaster of Naruto's earlier teasing—completely stunned, but made them stare in disbelief, frozen in place. Even Chōji, who had been silently watching from the side and only just stepped into the spotlight, seemed momentarily dazed by this massive shift in attitude.
Of course, that state didn't last long. The moment Naruto noticed something off in Chōji's expression, he quickly steered the conversation back to the chips.
"Hmph! Well, of course!"
As someone raised from childhood in a family of devoted snack lovers, Chōji instantly perked up at the mention of food. No longer wondering why Naruto had suddenly become so easy to talk to, he began waving his chubby little hands enthusiastically. In a nonstop stream of words, he eagerly introduced the chips he had just shared with Naruto and Hinata.
"You know, there are literally hundreds of potato chip brands in the village! But after trying every single tomato-flavored one, I can say for sure—this one's the best!"
"W-Wait… you actually tried every single brand before deciding that?"
Even though Naruto had mentally prepared himself, he was still genuinely shocked by Chōji's straightforward response. 'I guess I underestimated how dedicated food lovers can be to their favorite snacks…' he thought, then smiled and asked again.
"So if this is the best tomato flavor… does that mean there are even better chips in other flavors?"
"Of course! Every brand has its strengths, y'know! But if I had to recommend one overall, I'd still go with this brand. Because honestly? No matter which flavor you try, you won't be disappointed!"
Unlike most people, Naruto didn't show any hint of impatience or irritation at Chōji's chatter. That alone made Chōji's nervousness vanish completely. With all his worries tossed aside, he shared his snacking wisdom with the pure heart of a true foodie.
"Oh oh! And let me tell you—this brand doesn't just taste great, the crunch is top-tier too! That crispy sound is like, legendary! It's because from the very beginning of production they—"
Excitedly waving his hands, Chōji rambled on while Naruto not only refrained from interrupting but actually looked genuinely interested. He nodded thoughtfully at the important parts, smiled, clapped politely, and even threw in a few questions about the chip-making process or other food trivia every now and then. As a listener, Naruto was nothing short of ideal.
Thanks to that, Chōji, who rarely met anyone patient enough to talk food with him, suddenly felt like he'd found a kindred spirit. The more he spoke, the more excited he became. The barrier that once lingered between him and Naruto melted away without a trace.
But of course, the overly excited Chōji didn't notice that his behavior was scaring the life out of his two teammates…
Though they didn't dare interrupt, both Shikamaru and Ino kept nervously glancing at Chōji, worried that his non-stop talking might somehow anger Naruto…
Too bad for them, Chōji—who was now delightfully discovering a kindred foodie in Naruto—clearly had no time to notice their distress.
The two exchanged a glance. In that moment, both saw the same mix of anxiety and vague frustration in the other's eyes. After a brief pause, their lips twitched as they muttered in sync:
"Why does it feel like… we're the extra ones now? Is it just me?"
Of course, what they didn't realize was… the conversation between Naruto and Chōji had quietly reversed their roles. Just like how Chōji once felt left out, now it was Shikamaru and Ino who were getting a taste of being forgotten.
In a sense, this was the result Naruto had subtly aimed for.
As for Shikamaru and Ino's fear that Chōji might talk too much and end up offending Naruto? That was just pointless worrying.
Naruto's years of training in reading people had allowed him to read even someone like Danzo Shimura with surprising accuracy. In other words, even Danzo couldn't fully hide his true thoughts from Naruto—so how could someone as innocent as Chōji even try?
That's exactly why Naruto could say with full confidence that this round-faced, adorably goofy little guy—whether it was his smile or his words—meant every bit of it from the heart.
And when it comes to friends who treat him sincerely, regardless of their differences?
Naruto never holds back his kindness.
Just like he once said:
"Those who do good will be rewarded with good… and those who do evil will be repaid with evil…"