Ichiraku Ramen

The villagers along the way smiled when they saw Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama! Are you out on patrol today?" an enthusiastic villager greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hello, hello. I happened to have some free time today, so I came out to see how everyone was doing."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as well, patiently greeting the villagers.

To maintain his image among the villagers, he had to stroll through the streets every so often and remind them of his presence.

Establishing a warm, people-oriented image would also help further solidify his position.

When he arrived at Naruto's door, Hiruzen Sarutobi knocked and said, "Naruto, are you awake? Grandpa came to see you!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was strong and vigorous, not at all like that of an old man.

Naruto had been immersed in training when he suddenly heard that Hiruzen Sarutobi had come. Startled, he immediately withdrew from his training state.

What's going on? Why is this old bastard here? Did he find out I've been training Chakra? No, the God-tier Chakra Extraction Technique the system gave me won't be seen through that easily. I need to put on a good act and get rid of some of these Anbu. Otherwise, my training won't go smoothly at all!

A flood of thoughts flashed through Naruto's mind as he pretended to have been awakened by the noise.

Wearing pajamas, he walked to the door and opened it as he said, "Who is it? So early in the morning, and you won't even let people sleep properly?"

His impatient tone perfectly captured the essence of morning grumpiness.

After opening the door and seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, Naruto cried out in surprise, "Old Grandpa, it's you! Why did you come to see me again today?"

In Naruto's original memories, he did not know that Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi had never revealed his identity, only saying that he was a kind person willing to help cover part of Naruto's food and living expenses.

This had deeply moved Naruto, who had no family, and he had regarded Hiruzen Sarutobi as the person closest to him.

If he had just looked up at Hokage Rock above Konoha, he might have recognized that this old bastard was the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

However, since Hiruzen Sarutobi had not revealed it himself, Naruto naturally had to play along and put on an act. They were both veteran actors; when masters crossed paths, a little performance was enough.

"Naruto, it's been so long since we last met. Grandpa missed you. This is your relief money for the month, so remember to spend it carefully."

Perhaps because Naruto had been hit in the head by the villagers' children yesterday, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a little softhearted when he saw the bandage on Naruto's head.

He gave Naruto a little extra relief money.

It looked like quite a lot, several tens of thousands of ryo, but he only gave it once a month. Spread across each day, it did not seem like much at all.

Naruto could not even afford to eat Ichiraku Ramen once a day!

You stingy old man. One day, I'll take your coffin money and spend it on wine and women, then dance on your grave!

Naruto cursed Hiruzen Sarutobi madly in his heart.

Yet on the surface, he looked delighted as he accepted the relief money with both hands. "Wow, thank you, Grandpa! You're so good to me. I love you so much!"

He then carefully put the money away in his wallet.

Seeing how sensible Naruto was, and how much he admired him, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help feeling pleased.

"Have you eaten yet, Naruto? Grandpa will take you out for a meal!"

"Not yet, Grandpa. I want to go to Ichiraku Ramen. I heard everyone say their ramen is really delicious, but I've never had the chance to try it before. Can you take me?" Naruto pretended to be childish as he brought up Ichiraku Ramen.

But he really was interested in Ichiraku Ramen. He wanted to know what charm the ramen from the original story possessed that had Naruto craving it so much and thinking about it constantly.

Hearing that Naruto's wish was merely to eat ramen once, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt very gratified. This child was so sensible; he knew how to save him money. Not bad, not bad.

"Let's go, Naruto. Grandpa will take you for ramen." He led Naruto out onto the street.

The sight of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi walking with Naruto was very rare in Konoha.

The villagers had long since been notified that whenever the Third Hokage was walking with Naruto, they were not to call him Hokage-sama. He did not want to reveal his identity to Naruto yet.

Thus, many villagers who had wanted to greet him understood the meaning the moment they saw the Third Hokage's look and chose to leave on their own.

Before long, Naruto and Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived in front of a small building.

Several large words were written on the sign outside: "Ichiraku Ramen."

So this was the Ichiraku Ramen Naruto had been longing for.

He brought Naruto to a seat inside Ichiraku Ramen.

Seeing that Hokage-sama had arrived, Uncle Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, immediately beamed with delight. But the moment he saw Naruto, a complicated expression appeared on his face.

Still, unlike the other villagers, his eyes did not hold nothing but anger and resentment toward Naruto.

There were still some clear-minded people among the masses who knew none of it was Naruto's fault and that Naruto should not have to bear so much infamy.

"What would you two like to eat?" Uncle Teuchi warmly welcomed Naruto and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Seeing that Uncle Teuchi did not dislike him, Naruto's mood improved considerably. "Uncle, I want your house special!"

Hearing Naruto sound so energetic, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said to Uncle Teuchi, "I'll have the same as little Naruto."

"Coming right up! Our specialty is Miso Ramen. Two bowls of Miso Ramen, please wait a moment, they'll be ready soon!" After hearing their order, Uncle Teuchi got busy.

While they waited for the ramen, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Naruto and asked, "Little Naruto, do you want to go to the Ninja Academy?"

"The Ninja Academy? What do they do there?" Naruto pretended to know nothing and asked in confusion.

"The Ninja Academy is a school established to cultivate outstanding ninjas. You'll definitely make lots of friends there!" There was a hint of persuasion in Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

"But Grandpa, lots of kids say I'm the Demon Fox and don't want to play with me. If I go to the Ninja Academy, can I really make friends?" From Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Naruto understood that he had reached the age to attend school.

And Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted him to make friends at the Ninja Academy so that he would form deep bonds in Konoha, making him easier to control in the future.

"You can, definitely. There are so many students at the school. There will definitely be friends who get along with little Naruto. Grandpa promises you."

The elite class arranged for Naruto would be filled with Konoha's promising future talents.

Several clans had fairly good relations with the Hokage's faction. Once he mentioned it to the heads of those clans, Naruto would naturally end up with a few friends.

The Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, and Inuzuka Clan. The children of those clans should get along well with Naruto.

There was also the Hyuga Clan. He remembered that Naruto seemed to have saved the daughter of the Hyuga Clan's head, Hyuga Hiashi, when he was young. What was her name again? Hinata Hyuga?

With their companionship, Naruto would surely study well at the Ninja Academy and grow into an outstanding ninja.

Minato, Kushina, this means I haven't betrayed the trust you placed in me, right?

Thinking this, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help smiling.

Watching Hiruzen Sarutobi grin foolishly to himself, Naruto could only pretend not to notice. Naturally, he knew that this old bastard was definitely not thinking of anything good.

"Okay, then, Grandpa, I want to go to the Ninja Academy. But I don't have parents. How can I attend the Ninja Academy?" Naruto put on a pitiful expression as he spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Naruto on the head and said, "Don't worry, Naruto. Grandpa knows a few people, so I can arrange for you to get in. Once you enter the Ninja Academy, make sure to work hard. When school starts, I'll send someone to take you to register."

"Then thank you, Grandpa!" Naruto flashed a brilliant smile. It was all an act!

Soon, Uncle Teuchi brought out their specialty ramen, Miso Ramen.

The sight of the Miso Ramen before him whetted Naruto's appetite.

The broth of the Miso Ramen was rich and flavorful, enough to win anyone over with a single taste.

The moment it was placed on the table, the fragrance of miso rushed into his nose, making his mouth water.

The richness of the miso blended perfectly with the smooth noodles, and every bite was satisfying.

Even after finishing it, that distinctive miso aroma lingered in his mouth, unforgettable for a long while.

The noodles were smooth and supple, and paired with the rich miso flavor, they did not become cloying even when eaten in huge mouthfuls.

It was not only delicious, but also beautifully colored and fragrant, a double delight for both the eyes and the palate.

On a cold day, a steaming bowl of Miso Ramen could instantly warm both body and soul.

It retained the essence of traditional ramen while the addition of miso brought an entirely new flavor experience.

The savory freshness of the miso, the springy noodles, and the rich broth gave every bite a different layer of flavor.

Once someone tried it, that distinctive miso flavor would become addictive, making them unable to resist savoring it again and again.

Naruto finally understood why, in the original story, he could never get enough of Ichiraku Ramen.

And Ichiraku Ramen had eventually grown bigger and bigger, even opening branch stores.

It really had something special.

"Uncle, your ramen is so delicious! One bowl isn't nearly enough!"

Naruto wolfed it down and finished the ramen in no time, even drinking every last drop of the broth!

"Bring Naruto another bowl." Seeing Naruto eat as though he had been reincarnated from a starving ghost, Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing and had Uncle Teuchi bring him another bowl.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could still afford the price of one more bowl of ramen.

After all, Minato had left behind quite a bit of property.

Taken from Minato, used for Naruto.

It was not only Naruto; even Hiruzen Sarutobi was full of praise as he ate the ramen.

The second bowl of Miso Ramen was brought over, and Naruto finished it in no time.

Naruto, who often went hungry, simply could not stop when faced with such delicious ramen!

After drinking the rich broth in one gulp as well, Naruto patted his belly in satisfaction to show that he was full.

He then turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi and said, "Thank you, Grandpa. You're so good to me!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased by Naruto's politeness and said cheerfully, "It's nothing, Naruto. As long as you're full."

Ding! System Quest issued: Have Hiruzen Sarutobi pay for a bowl of ramen on the Host's behalf. This is a repeatable quest and can be completed multiple times. A reward can be claimed for each completion.

Hearing the system issue a quest, Naruto knew it was time to show off his true acting skills!

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