Chapter 415: The Boy with the Rinnegan
On the streets of Konoha Village, the Ichiraku Ramen shop, with its hanging noren, appeared somewhat quiet on the slightly deserted street.
On the noren, the words "Ichiraku Ramen" were written in simple fonts. The storefront was not large, but it carried the taste memories of many people in Konoha Village.
Many Ninjas, upon returning from missions, liked to come here to eat.
Ichiraku Ramen could be considered a shop in Konoha Village that offered high quality at a low price.
Naruto held Hinata's hand with his left hand and Sakura's hand with his right. A relaxed smile on his face, he lifted the slightly faded noren.
A small dog with golden fur also wagged its tail happily, nimbly slipping in behind them. It familiarly found a spot in the corner where it wouldn't be in the way and lay down, sticking out its tongue, its bright black eyes filled with anticipation.
As expected, there were few customers in the shop. Only two or three low-ranked Ninjas, who seemed to have just completed a mission, were eating their noodles in silence. Upon hearing the curtain move, they merely looked up, then lowered their heads to continue eating.
Teuchi, who was wiping the counter behind the bar, subconsciously looked up upon hearing the noise. With a professional, enthusiastic smile on his face, he habitually called out: "Welcome..."
Halfway through the sentence, his voice came to an abrupt halt.
When he saw the face of the newcomer, that round face, which was always smiling, instantly radiated a surprise that was far more genuine than his professional smile.
"It... it's the Sixth Hokage! You're back!"
Teuchi's voice was filled with excitement. He even put down the rag in his hand and wiped his hands on his apron.
"Yeah, Teuchi, long time no see."
Naruto greeted him with a smile, his expression gentle, without any airs of the Hokage.
"It's been a long time since I came here to eat ramen. While I was away, I really missed your cooking."
Hearing this, the smile on Teuchi's face became even brighter, his wrinkles smoothing out, and he looked exceptionally happy.
He had watched Naruto grow, step by step, from a lonely child who was ostracized by the villagers into the stalwart Sixth Hokage of today.
Seeing Naruto now, so spirited, steady, and reliable, he felt happy and proud from the bottom of his heart.
"I'll make it right away, it'll be ready in a moment."
Teuchi immediately turned around, full of energy, to prepare the ingredients and soup base, his movements efficient.
"To celebrate your triumphant return, this meal is on the house. By the way, the usual? Tonkotsu Ramen, extra Narutomaki and bamboo shoots?"
He remembered Naruto's favorite combination.
Naruto smiled gently at Teuchi and shook his head: "Teuchi, I appreciate the gesture. But as Hokage, I can't eat without paying."
"By the way, could you please bring two whole Narutomaki for my Simba?"
"Alright then, I won't stand on ceremony with you, but I'll make sure to add extra toppings to today's ramen!"
He turned to look at Hinata and Sakura, asking with a beaming smile: "So, what would you two like to eat?"
Sakura said readily: "I'll have the Chashu Ramen, thank you, Teuchi."
Hinata blushed slightly, her voice soft: "As for me, the same as Naruto-kun is fine. Tonkotsu Ramen, but with less bamboo shoots."
"Coming right up! Two bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen, one with extra Narutomaki and bamboo shoots, one with less bamboo shoots, one bowl of Chashu Ramen, and two Narutomaki!"
Teuchi noted it down efficiently, repeated the order, and then began to cook with focus.
On the other side, Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, also came out to greet them with a smile.
She took out a shiny stainless steel bowl, squatted down in front of Simba, petted Simba's head affectionately, and then placed two whole, delicious, swirl-shaped Narutomaki inside.
This was a "meal fund" that Naruto had deposited at Ichiraku several months ago, specifically for buying the Chashu pork slices and Narutomaki that Simba loved.
Although Teuchi and his daughter had tried several times to return the money or give them free meals, Naruto always insisted, saying this was Simba's "private account" and couldn't be touched.
Karin, who stayed at home, would occasionally cook, but she was very busy too.
Simba let out a happy "woof" and immediately buried its head to enjoy its delicious snack, its tail wagging like a windmill.
Soon, the rich aroma of bone broth filled the entire shop.
Three steaming, generously topped bowls of ramen were served.
The Tonkotsu broth was an enticing milky white, the Chashu slices were thick, the Narutomaki were red and white, the bamboo shoots were translucent, the soft-boiled egg was perfect, and with a sprinkle of green onions and seaweed, it was appetizing.
"Let's eat!"
Naruto put his hands together and couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks.
He truly missed this taste.
Over in the Hidden Cloud Village, although the food had its own characteristics—the barbecue and dairy products were good—after eating it for several days, he still missed this familiar taste.
Hinata ate in small bites, occasionally stealing a glance at Naruto, who was eating with gusto, a satisfied smile on her face.
Sakura was also eating happily, chatting with Naruto from time to time about interesting happenings in the village or trivial matters at the hospital.
, , , , , ,
Pure Land
The land was a desolate grayish-white, and occasionally, jagged, strangely shaped rocks could be seen.
The air was stagnant, permeated with an atmosphere that was ancient, silent, and yet hidden with the whispers of countless tiny Souls.
On this vast, deathly silent land, a golden figure was sprinting at an astonishing speed, breaking the eternal tranquility.
It was an extremely large dog, its entire body covered in pure, dazzling golden fur, seeming to glow in the dim light of the Pure Land.
Its shoulder height exceeded three meters, and its body length was astonishing. When it ran, it was like a flowing bolt of golden lightning, its limbs strong and powerful.
On the back of this giant dog, which was as broad as a platform, a boy sat steadily.
The boy was slender and wore a fitted outfit designed for mobility, covered by a hooded cloak. The hood was pulled very low, obscuring most of his face, revealing only a sharply defined jawline.
He rested one hand gently on the thick mane around the giant dog's neck.
The wind whistled in his ears, mixed with the giant dog's heavy but steady breathing.
The boy lowered his head slightly, leaning close to the giant dog's fan-like ears. His voice was clear but carried a hint of imperceptible tension: "Uncle Simba, do you remember the way to the Ninja World? Let's see if we can go directly to the Ninja World."
Simba, while maintaining high-speed running, replied: "Back then I was just a puppy, I hadn't even learned to refine Chakra, and I didn't come to the Pure Land with your dad to participate in that great war at all.
My understanding of this place isn't much more than yours, kid.
I only remember your dad mentioning something that seemed to be called Izanami Slope? But where exactly it is or what it looks like, I have no idea!"
"Earlier, seeing Uncle Kato Dan looking so miserable in that river, I was too focused on saving him and forgot to ask him. I heard that back then, he escaped from the Pure Land by himself."
The boy felt a bit annoyed. If it hadn't been for that Six Paths Sage insisting on fighting him after seeing his Rinnegan, he might have already returned to the Ninja World.
Fortunately, he also had the Rinnegan; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to escape from that old man's hands.
As they were speaking, a figure suddenly stumbled out from the gray ahead.
The figure was wearing a tattered Ninja outfit in the style of Hidden Sand Village, its eyes hollow, yet its body emitted a not-insignificant Chakra fluctuation.
"You aren't even qualified to be a speed bump for your Uncle Simba!"
Simba didn't even slow down; it just casually raised its front paw and, like swatting a fly, with a "smack," swatted the Hidden Sand Village Ninja, sending him flying backward and embedding him directly into a jagged rock in the distance.
"Yuji, are we just going to keep running around like headless flies like this?"
Simba continued to ask, scanning the hazy surroundings vigilantly, "How much longer until your Rinnegan recovers?"
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