The five of them marched into Ichiraku Ramen. Luckily, it was empty, or they wouldn't have fit.
"Boss! Five large bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen!" Obito shouted, then challenged the others. "For fairness, we all eat this one!"
They agreed. Obito was pumped, loosening his belt and doing warmups.
"Idiot," Kakashi muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Kakashi, are you talking about me?" Guy asked innocently, doing dynamic stretches behind them.
Kakashi sweatdropped. Rin giggled.
"Kakashi, they're gunning for you. Better prepare yourself," Taiichi egged him on.
"Aren't you competing too?" Kakashi retorted, though Taiichi noticed him subtly adjusting his jaw behind his mask.
Five steaming bowls arrived.
"Let's eat!"
They dug in. Obito burned his tongue. Kakashi ate calmly but efficiently. Guy shouted about youth.
"Another one!" Obito yelled first, glaring at Kakashi.
"Here too!" Guy followed.
Soon, everyone ordered seconds. Teuchi grinned ear to ear.
After the second bowl, Rin dropped out. Then Taiichi. Only Kakashi, Obito, and Guy remained.
By the fourth bowl, they were struggling.
Halfway through, Kakashi surrendered, leaning back with a distended belly.
Obito and Guy continued, shoving noodles into their mouths painfully slow, staring each other down.
"Customers, if you can't eat, please stop. You'll hurt your stomachs," Teuchi advised worriedly.
That broke them. They dropped their chopsticks, covering their mouths to suppress the urge to vomit.
Taiichi stepped in, using Mystical Palm to soothe their stomachs and aid digestion.
Rin declared it a draw between Obito and Guy.
Obito immediately started bragging about beating Kakashi.
"I remember a little girl who ate six bowls once," Teuchi reminisced. He pointed at Taiichi. "This young man was with her."
Obito froze. "S-Six bowls?"
Taiichi nodded. Everyone laughed at Obito's expression.
"Look! Snow!" Rin pointed outside.
It was snowing again. They walked out, playing in the snow.
They bumped into Asuma and Kurenai on a date.
"Yo, Asuma!" Obito teased. "Shopping?"
Kurenai nodded shyly. Asuma glared at Obito. "Shut up, dead last!"
"Let's play together!" Rin invited.
Obito pouted. Asuma sighed, his date ruined.
"Youth is about excitement!" Guy shouted.
"Idiot," Kakashi muttered.
The seven of them played until evening. Taiichi watched Asuma with amusement, wondering how he'd react if he knew his father had already "sold" him to the Daimyo.
Taiichi returned home at 8 PM, exhausted. He dispelled his clones.
Memories flooded in: training, studying, playing with orphans, treating patients.
The fatigue hit him like a truck. He passed out, vaguely sensing a summons from Katsuyu but unable to respond.
Five clones is too much...
---
Next Morning.
Taiichi woke up at 8 AM, groggy but rested.
Eating breakfast, he remembered the summons. Did Tsunade reply already? Did she lose all her money?
He summoned a small Katsuyu.
"Happy New Year, Taiichi-sama. A letter from Tsunade-sama."
He took the envelope. It felt heavy. Inside was a key.
He read the letter.
Brat:
Received the gifts. You have a conscience. Since you want a bigger house, there's an old vacant one in the Senju district. Key enclosed. It's run down; fix it yourself.
P.S. Don't neglect medical ninjutsu. I'll check next time.
The rest of the letter was complaints about gambling losses and debt, and how only he cared about her.
Taiichi felt a mix of sadness and warmth. His plan to bring her back was working.
He looked at the key and the address: Senju District, 7 Blue Maple Lane.
An address he'd never heard of, but it was in the heart of the old Senju compound.
He rushed out.
The Senju district was now mostly integrated with the village, unlike the Uchiha. But the central mansions remained private property.
Finding Blue Maple Lane, Taiichi stopped. The estate was huge.
Dilapidated walls covered in vines, but the tiles were intact and the pillars sturdy.
He unlocked the gate. Click.
It groaned open, dust falling. Taiichi blew it away with wind chakra.
Leaves covered the yard. He explored.
Over 30 rooms, 4 courtyards. The largest courtyard was 1000 square meters with a pond fed by the Naka River.
Perfect training ground. Private, secure. He could set up barriers later.
He planned: Living quarters, lab, storage. It was too big for one person, but perfect for his needs.
He created ten Shadow Clones.
"Clean the main house! Clean the backyard! Clear the training ground! This is our turf now!"
The clones dispersed.
By evening, they hadn't finished, but Taiichi was happy. One more day would do it.
He wrote to Tsunade, thanking her and inviting her to visit (subtly).
The next day, he finished cleaning and moved in.
He locked his old apartment and stepped into his new life.