Before they knew it, most of the day had passed.
After mastering the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto quickly grasped the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique with just a bit of practice.
The rest of the time followed the usual routine of tree-climbing and water-walking.
Considering Naruto's age, Minato limited him to creating only twenty Shadow Clones.
With all twenty clones working together, Naruto completed the tree-climbing exercise in less than half an hour.
Building on this foundation, he soon mastered water-walking as well.
What remained was to begin cultivating the Rasengan.
Unlike tree-climbing and water-walking, even with the Shadow Clones' assistance, there was no noticeable progress this time.
"Hah!"
Naruto cupped the water balloon, letting out a roar, but the balloon merely twitched weakly.
"Sigh... Still no progress! Damn it!"
After hours of fruitless practice, Naruto couldn't help but feel frustrated.
Minato glanced at the sky. "It's getting late. Let's stop for today and go get something to eat."
"Ah! How about I treat you to Ichiraku Ramen?"
Naruto's eyes lit up at the mention of food. He couldn't wait to share his treasure trove of a ramen shop with Minato.
"Ichiraku Ramen, huh?"
Minato rubbed his chin. In his world, Ichiraku Ramen hadn't even opened yet.
He vaguely recalled a Loulan Dragon Vein movie mentioning that Ichiraku Ramen opened during the original Minato's Jonin era, but he wasn't sure if movie canon counted.
"Let's go, then."
Minato nodded readily. He was also curious about the legendary taste of Ichiraku Ramen.
Before long, the two arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
"Welcome—"
The ramen shop owner, Uncle Teuchi, froze mid-stretch as he recognized the newcomers.
"Minato...?"
"Uncle Teuchi, you know Minato too?" Naruto exclaimed, surprised. "He's my new best friend, just met him today!"
"Ah, this—"
Teuchi glanced between Naruto and Minato.
Friends?
"Is this right?"
Minato chuckled softly, glancing at the menu on the wall. "Two deluxe seafood ramen, please."
"Deluxe seafood—"
Naruto paused, pulling out his wallet to count his money, feeling a little guilty.
"Don't worry, I'm treating you," Minato said, shaking his head with a smile at Naruto's worried expression.
"But... you agreed to teach me ninjutsu!"
Naruto flashed a pure smile. "Don't worry, I have enough money!"
"Really?"
Minato gave him a half-smile. "Alright then."
Soon, two bowls of deluxe seafood ramen were placed in front of them.
"Deluxe seafood ramen! Enjoy your meal!"
Uncle Teuchi, the owner, watched them eagerly.
"I'm digging in!"
Naruto dove in eagerly, while Minato calmly picked up his chopsticks.
He didn't wolf down the food, but steadily ate, and in no time, a whole bowl of ramen had disappeared into his stomach.
"Another bowl!"
"Coming right up!"
Slap— "Another bowl!"
"Coming right up!"
"Another bowl!"
"..."
Bowl after bowl of ramen disappeared, leaving Uncle Teuchi drenched in sweat and wearing an expression that suggested he was questioning his entire existence.
He'd seen big eaters before.
He'd even seen Namikaze Minato before.
But never had he seen a Namikaze Minato with such an appetite.
Come to think of it, what's the connection between this kid and Minato? They even share the same name—
Could he be an illegitimate child?
Then his mother must be from the Akimichi Clan, right?
Teuchi's mind raced with possibilities, while Naruto was simply stunned.
By the time Minato finished his fifth bowl, Naruto was already stuffed.
He watched wide-eyed as Minato polished off dozens of bowls.
"Wow, you ate so much!" Naruto gasped, staring at the towering stack of empty ramen bowls.
If you'd told me you were such a glutton, I never would have invited you!
And they were all premium seafood ramen—the most expensive kind! Who could afford to keep up with this kind of eating?
"I told you, I'm paying for it all," Minato said calmly, pulling out money and handing it to Teuchi. "The ramen was delicious. I really enjoyed it."
"Ha ha ha! Glad you liked it! Come back anytime!"
Teuchi laughed heartily. Hearing Minato's words made all the exhaustion worth it.
"By the way, this money isn't from this world. It might disappear later—"
Minato glanced at the money he'd given Teuchi and said, "Just in case, I'll double this amount later. If this money doesn't vanish, consider it a contribution to Naruto's college fund."
"What do you mean?" Teuchi's face paled instantly, his back breaking out in a cold sweat.
A man who died countless years ago suddenly appears before you in the guise of a child, telling you the money he's giving you doesn't belong to this world.
The more Teuchi thought about it, the more terrified he became, his face growing deathly pale.
Could this Minato be...?
"My name is Namikaze Minato. I'm from a parallel world," Minato said with a polite nod. "Thank you for taking care of Naruto all these years."
Teuchi stood frozen in place, stunned speechless by the revelation. Ayame, who had been helping him, wore a conflicted expression, never having imagined such a connection existed.
Earlier, Naruto had called Minato's name several times. Though curious, they hadn't pressed for answers.
Now, hearing Minato's explanation, they were overwhelmed with emotion.
"Parallel...? No, of course not! This is our duty!" Teuchi's eyes grew moist. The moment he first saw Naruto, he had guessed the boy's true identity.
He never imagined he would encounter the Fourth Hokage again in this form, within his lifetime.
"Never mind the money, consider it on the house! As long as Minato is in this world, my restaurant will treat you free of charge!"
Teuchi gave Minato a thumbs-up, then gently wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye. "The only regret is that Kushina didn't come with you. I really wanted to see you both together— Oh, never mind."
"Kushina..."
Hearing this unfamiliar name, Naruto's heart suddenly skipped a beat for a moment. He didn't quite understand what Uncle Teuchi meant. "Uncle, do you know Minato? You seem really familiar with him."
"Wait, did you just say it's on the house? Hahaha, too bad I can't eat another bowl. Otherwise, I'd definitely get another one."
As they walked away, Naruto patted his round belly and couldn't help but ask curiously, "So, Minato, what's a parallel world?"
"You probably wouldn't understand if I explained it now."
"Then... who's this Kushina person?" Naruto asked, puzzled. He couldn't shake the strange feeling he'd had when he first heard her name.
"Kushina... Uzumaki Kushina," Minato murmured softly. "In my world, she's my confirmed romantic partner. In this world, she's your mother."
"Huh—?!"
Naruto's jaw dropped in shock. Once he processed the words, he jabbed a finger at Minato, his face flushing with anger. "You're dating my mom?!"
Minato sighed.
Maybe I should just abort my first child with Kushina.
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