As night deepened, Ruichi packed up and returned.
Lifting the familiar curtain of Ichiraku Ramen, he saw Ayame wiping down the counter while Teuchi was busy in the back kitchen.
That familiar scene made the tension he'd been carrying for days melt away almost instantly.
"Old man, Ayame, I'm back," Ruichi greeted lazily.
"Brother Ruichi? Why are you back so early today?" Ayame looked up and smiled sweetly.
"I closed early today." Ruichi sat down, glanced toward Teuchi, cleared his throat, and said, "Old man, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Teuchi stopped what he was doing and walked to the counter, still wearing his gentle smile. "Oh? What is it?"
He sensed something different in Ruichi's tone, but didn't press him, simply waiting.
"I want to transfer everything from the snack stall to you," Ruichi said calmly. "Including the recipes and preparation methods."
"Eh? Why, Brother Ruichi?" Ayame asked in surprise. "Wasn't your stall doing really well?"
Teuchi's expression grew serious. "…Did something happen?"
Ruichi briefly and casually explained the incident with the Military Police earlier that day.
"…Anyway, I feel like the stall's already been targeted. And honestly, it was just a temporary thing to begin with. Once my team starts taking missions, I'd have to stop anyway—this just happened a little sooner."
Teuchi studied Ruichi carefully. His tone was light, but the exhaustion in his eyes was unmistakable.
He knew this child craved peace and quiet deep down. Today's incident had merely been the final push.
"…Alright," Teuchi said at last. "Then how much are you planning to sell it for?"
"Hmm… let's say one hundred thousand ryo."
"One hundred thousand?!" Ayame exclaimed.
Even Teuchi was stunned.
He knew the true value of Ruichi's stall. Those recipes alone could sell for over a million ryo elsewhere. One hundred thousand was practically giving it away.
"I'll teach you versions of the snacks that don't require Ninjutsu," Ruichi continued. "They're a bit more troublesome, but once you get used to them, the result won't be much worse."
"This way, Ichiraku Ramen can keep selling ramen and add these specialty snacks. Business will definitely get even better. You and Ayame can earn more and live more comfortably."
"As for me, I get to ditch all the annoying stuff and come back here to work for you—or find some other easy way to make money."
Teuchi was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"You brat! So after all that, you just want to be lazy!"
He scolded him jokingly, but his eyes were full of relief.
Ayame laughed as well, the last of her tension finally gone.
She knew it—Brother Ruichi was back. The same familiar, lazy, but dependable Ruichi she trusted.
"Alright," Teuchi said. "We'll do it your way. As for the money—take it now."
He pulled a thick money pouch from under the counter and pressed it into Ruichi's hand.
"As for the recipes, just come back to work. You can teach me slowly."
Ruichi didn't refuse. He simply smiled and accepted it.
---
The next morning, a small wooden sign appeared at the entrance of Ichiraku Ramen:
"Ruichi's Snacks have merged with Ichiraku Ramen! Limited daily supply!"
On the menu, several new items quietly appeared:
Ichiraku Gyoza, Secret Grilled Skewers, and Refreshing Mung Bean Soup.
Just like that, Ruichi's life returned to its familiar rhythm.
Although the stall was gone, the snacks were still being made by his own hands—for now.
Thankfully, this was far more relaxed than running the stall alone.
Whenever the shop was quiet, he patiently taught Teuchi and Ayame the recipes, techniques, and subtle tricks he'd figured out himself.
Naturally, since neither of them were ninja, he taught only the versions ordinary people could manage.
---
That evening, two special guests arrived.
"Two bowls of Chashu ramen."
A familiar voice rang out as Itachi Uchiha walked in, dressed casually.
Behind him was a middle-aged man with a calm expression and an air of authority—
Fugaku Uchiha.
"Captain Fugaku, Itachi, welcome," Teuchi greeted them warmly.
Itachi sat at the counter, with Fugaku taking the seat beside him.
"Ruichi," Itachi asked, a hint of apology in his voice, "why did you close the snack stall? Was it because of the Military Police incident?"
"Not really," Ruichi replied casually as he set out bowls and chopsticks. "I'd been planning to close it anyway."
"Why?"
"You know me—I don't have any big ambitions. I just want to live comfortably."
"I opened the stall to make easy money. But what happened? Business was booming, sure, but I was exhausted every single day, busy from morning to night. No time to rest, let alone enjoy life."
He shrugged. "Isn't that putting the cart before the horse? I gave the recipes to the old man, and now I'm relaxed again. Sounds perfect to me."
To Fugaku, those words sounded completely incomprehensible.
A business making money hand over fist—and he just gave it up because it was "troublesome"?
As the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku carried the clan's fate on his shoulders. He simply couldn't understand Ruichi's philosophy.
And yet, looking at Ruichi's relaxed, content expression, he felt… a faint sense of envy.
"Do you really think this is better?" Fugaku finally asked.
"Of course," Ruichi replied. "You can never earn all the money in the world. But life is your own. Why exhaust yourself chasing things like that?"
"…I see."
Fugaku lowered his head and ate his ramen in silence.
Though spoken casually, Ruichi's words carried a philosophy that struck something deep within him.
After leaving Ichiraku Ramen, Fugaku walked back toward the Uchiha compound, Ruichi's words echoing in his mind.
"Worldly possessions…"
He repeated the phrase softly, confusion filling his eyes.
He thought of the clan's predicament, the responsibilities weighing on him, the choices he had to make.
Shaking his head, he felt Ruichi's way of thinking was absurd—
And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something important was hidden within it, something he had long overlooked.
---
In the days that followed, Ichiraku Ramen grew busier than ever.
Ruichi held nothing back, teaching Teuchi and Ayame every snack recipe, preparation step, and subtle technique he knew.
Though their versions tasted slightly different from Ruichi's "originals," they paired perfectly with ramen.
Business reached new heights, with customers filling the shop daily and lines forming without end.
And Ruichi—the creator of those hit snacks—returned to being a laid-back ramen shop worker who knew how to enjoy life.
In his free time, he brought out his homemade rocking chair, lay beneath the eaves, and squinted contentedly at the afternoon sun. Sometimes, he'd go fishing by the river and sit there all day.
Natural Energy once again quietly nourished his body, washing away every trace of exhaustion.