Did You Bring Money?

Early morning.

Daylight gradually brightened.

Konoha, which had slept through the night, slowly returned to its usual bustle.

Shop after shop opened for business, villagers carrying hoes got up to work, and one large watermelon-headed man in a green jumpsuit burst out of his house full of enthusiasm, beginning his morning training.

"What a splendid sunrise! Before breakfast, I'll do one hundred laps around the village while running on my hands! If I can't do it, then I'll do a thousand push-ups!"

When he reached his fifteenth lap.

Might Guy spotted someone.

A girl.

She was young, seemingly only twelve or thirteen. Her features were delicate, her skin fair, and her long black hair hung loosely behind her like a little hedgehog's spines. She wore a dark blue Warring States period-style dress... It was not exactly strange, but her appearance and outfit still seemed rather out of place in Konoha of this era.

When Guy noticed her.

The girl stopped as well and looked back. A strange glint passed through her eyes, as if she...

(Someone she knew?)

Guy instinctively had that thought, but quickly shook his head—he had never been good at remembering names. Aside from people he had known since childhood, like Kakashi Hatake, he would not remember the names of others even if he had met them before, so there was no need to dwell on it.

But the girl suddenly spoke. "Excuse me, is the residential district of Konoha in this direction?"

"That's right! So, young lady, are you interested in burning the flames of youth with me?"

Still standing on his hands, Guy gave her a thumbs-up and flashed a set of dazzlingly white teeth.

"..."

The girl's mouth twitched, and she asked again, "Did you bring money?"

"?"

Even someone as thick-skinned as Guy was stunned by the abrupt question for a moment before shaking his head. "No!"

"...Then never mind."

The girl scrutinized his green jumpsuit, especially the area around his belt. Only after seeming to confirm that he really was not carrying a wallet did she sigh and walk away in disappointment.

Guy scratched his head in confusion, then brushed off the little incident and continued burning the flames of his youth.

Half an hour later.

Konoha, central residential district.

Uchiha Hikari stopped beside a flowerbed and sat down. As she rubbed her calves and ankles, she surveyed her surroundings. Within a hundred meters were broad streets and bustling shops. Among them was a small restaurant with an "Ichiraku Ramen" sign, clearly visible at an intersection a hundred meters away.

"Finally made it."

Since midnight last night, Uchiha Hikari had been walking on and off for six hours, most of it along rough dirt paths through the forest.

Although she wore the athletic short boots Bulma had given her, after walking for so long, her feet were still sore, and her stomach was growling with hunger.

But...

She had no money.

As an "old relic" from the Warring States period, Uchiha Hikari was practically an unregistered person in this era. Her pockets were cleaner than her face. When she ran into Might Guy earlier, she had actually considered knocking him out and taking his wallet, but ultimately gave up on the idea.

Leaving aside whether Guy even had any money on him, she definitely could not knock him out with taijutsu alone. She would most likely need to use the power of her Sharingan. Doing that over the cost of a single meal... wasn't worth it.

"Forget it. I'll eat first and figure it out afterward."

"Otsutsuki Ichiraku should be pretty easy to talk to. At worst, I can discuss it with him and put it on credit first..."

Uchiha Hikari rubbed her face, stood up again, and walked straight into Ichiraku Ramen.

In the chat group.

Bulma @Nameless: How is it, how is it, Hikari? Did you find the village called Konoha?

Bulma: She hasn't replied all this time. Nothing happened to her, did it?

Forever with Sis: She should be fine. Konoha is quite friendly toward outsiders. As long as they do not force their way in, even ninja from other villages may enter... However, Miss Hikari is not from this era, so she may encounter many things she cannot understand. If she needs anything, she can ask me at any time.

Bulma: Let's hope so.

Bulma: By the way, @Iron Head Kid Xi ZhiLang, are you still cutting that rock? Is that kind of requirement really something a human can accomplish?

Iron Head Kid: Um, my name is Tanjiro...

Iron Head Kid: Although I also think that rock is a little too big, since Master Urokodaki said so, then it can definitely be done! Besides, didn't Mr. Forever with Sis and Miss Hikari both say it could be cut apart?

Bulma: That's why I sometimes wonder whether you're even human. You're not aliens disguised as humans or something, are you...

Nameless: Is it possible... that your world simply has the most alien monsters?

In the back kitchen of Ichiraku Ramen.

Uchiha Hikari stacked the washed bowls and chopsticks into a pile, wiped her hands, and began paying attention to the messages in the group.

Well... since she had not brought any money, she had discussed it with Teuchi and exchanged an hour of dishwashing for a bowl of tonkotsu ramen.

Now that she had filled her stomach, she prepared to leave the ramen shop and fulfill her promise to Minato Namikaze.

"Wait, little girl!"

Just as she was about to step outside, Teuchi suddenly called out to Uchiha Hikari from behind. Under her slightly puzzled gaze, he handed her a bag.

"Take this with you."

Teuchi explained with a smile, "These are cup noodles we use for deliveries. They don't taste quite as good as what you eat in the shop, but they keep for a long time. Save them for dinner... If you don't have anywhere else to go, you can come help out here for a few days. The pay might not be much, but you won't have to worry about meals."

Uchiha Hikari paused before accepting the bag, then smiled with her lips pressed together. "Thank you. If I need to, I'll come back."

They waved goodbye.

After leaving the ramen shop, Uchiha Hikari contacted Minato Namikaze.

Nameless @Forever with Sis: Fourth Hokage, I'm outside Ichiraku Ramen right now. Can you tell me how to get to your house?

Forever with Sis: All right. First, get your bearings, then head east... There should be a place called Barbecue Q there. It opened during the Third Shinobi World War, and it should still be there now. Once you see it, head south, then turn left at the intersection...

Nameless: ...No need for directions, Fourth Hokage.

Nameless: I think I've already seen your son.

At the intersection near Barbecue Q.

Uchiha Hikari stopped and looked across the street.

Over there, in front of a toy store, the burly owner was using a broom to drive away a blond-haired child. Several passersby nearby were pointing at him with unpleasant looks on their faces.