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The Uchiha compound in the Pure Land looked almost the same as it did when everyone was alive. Old houses stood along stone streets that ran deep into the district—and clan emblems hung by nearly every door.
Another Uchiha guided Tajima through the entrance.
"Long time no see, Tajima."
Tajima stopped when he heard a familiar voice and turned around. Uchiha Jin walked up to him, smiling.
"Clan Head Jin? Is that really you??" Tajima stared at him.
"The one and only!"
Jin grabbed his arm and led him further inside. "I've been waiting for you for ages. I never thought you'd live so long. Come on, I'll introduce you to the other former clan heads."
They had just entered the inner courtyard when Uchiha Sa came hurrying toward them. She glanced at Tajima and tilted her head. "New arrival?"
"Tajima, this is Clan Head Sa," Jin said.
Tajima bowed out of habit. "It's an honor to meet you."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Sa said, waving him off. "We're all dead here. There's no rank anymore, so you don't need to use old formalities."
"Going somewhere?" Jin asked.
Sa glanced at the glowing device in her hand. "I found a restaurant in the Pure Land with great reviews. I want to try it before the line gets too long. See you later."
She walked off without waiting for a reply.
Tajima watched her turn the corner, still looking at the strange glowing object in her hand. What was that thing?
Jin noticed his confusion and patted his shoulder. "Give it a few days—this place is way more interesting than the world of the living."
Tajima nodded, but another question had been on his mind since he arrived. "Jin, did my grandfather come here yet? He died before me, so I thought he'd be here."
Jin's smile faded. He suddenly remembered exactly who Tajima's grandfather was.
"Wait—" His expression changed. "Elder Manji never came to the Pure Land."
A chill ran down his back as he realized what that meant.
"You mean that old man was still alive?"
..............
Two months had gone by since Manji's death shocked everyone in Konoha.
During those weeks, the village leaders prepared for the Hokage election. Konoha seemed peaceful on the surface, but every clan and political group was watching the race closely.
A new restaurant opened quietly in the busiest part of Konoha's main street. Its wooden storefront was simple and clean, easy to overlook among the bigger shops nearby. The place was run by a friendly middle-aged man with a neat mustache and a masked young man whose green eyes were the only part of his face anyone could see.
Steam filled the kitchen, and the smell of broth and fresh noodles spread through the room.
Kakuzu wore a plain apron that didn't suit him at all. He measured the seasoning with practiced hands, quietly muttering the recipe to himself. "A little salt to bring out the flavor, a few drops of vinegar to cut through the grease, then finish it with narutomaki..."
He focused on making the restaurant's signature ramen.
"You're getting the hang of this, Kakuzu." The mustached man watched with a smile. "Keep it up and in a few days, I..."
"I mean, I'll give you a raise."
Kakuzu sighed. "Thanks, old man."
"Hahaha! No need to be so formal. Just call me Old Man from now on."
Kakuzu nodded, not looking very enthusiastic... If he hadn't seen what this man could do for himself, he would have tried to escape long ago.
Just a few days earlier, Kakuzu was still locked up in Konoha Prison. When he heard about Manji's death, he started planning his escape. Then, the supposedly dead First Hokage walked into his cell.
That alone had nearly stopped his heart.
What happened next was even stranger. Right in front of him, Manji's white hair turned black, his wrinkles disappeared, his back straightened, and years seemed to fall away until the old Hokage looked like a healthy middle-aged man.
Kakuzu gave up any idea of rebelling right then. Trying to escape from someone who could come back from the dead and make himself young again seemed like a bad financial risk.
"Kakuzu, we need a proper name now that the shop is open." Manji looked toward the unfinished sign above the counter.
"Any ideas?"
"How about the Konoha Old Tavern?" Kakuzu thought for a moment.
"No." Manji frowned.
"We're calling it Ichiraku Ramen!"
He glanced around the kitchen. "Ramen's our main dish, but we can't serve just that. I remember some fast-food recipes from way back. I'll teach you later—pay attention."
"All right." Kakuzu nodded as seriously as if he were accepting an S-rank mission.
While they talked, Ichiraku Ramen got its first customers. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō walked in together.
"A new restaurant, huh?" Hiruzen looked around at the clean tables and neat decorations.
"Looks good."
The two boys picked a table. Danzō glanced around, then looked at the owners with a teasing smile. "Hey, Shopkeeper, this must have cost a lot. You're right in the middle of the busiest part of Konoha... Did you bribe someone to get this spot?"
This was the best business spot in Konoha. Any restaurant here was sure to get lots of customers—and Danzō couldn't figure out why the village gave such valuable land to a simple ramen shop.
"The First Hokage personally reserved this land before he died. We were lucky to get it." Kakuzu looked at him without changing his expression.
Manji smiled to himself.
Of course the First Hokage had reserved it. He approved the land for himself. Without that, every bit of this area would have been taken years ago.
Manji walked over to their table. "Would you boys like some ramen? Even the First Hokage tried our noodles and said they were delicious—"
Hiruzen and Danzō's eyes lit up.
"The First Hokage ate here?"
"Then we've got to try it!!"
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