White-Haired Ninja

"Come, have a drink."

"Down the hatch, down the hatch."

"After all that ramen, nothing hits like Ichiraku Ramen."

"Haha, glad you like it, customers."

Just as he reached the door, Naruto heard the laughter and chatter inside.

Clearly, things were lively.

Naruto paused at the entrance, adjusting the smile on his face to make it more perfect and elegant.

Pushing open the door to the small Ichiraku Ramen shop, a wave of ramen aroma and warm air washed over him.

Upon seeing who had arrived, the originally boisterous atmosphere faltered for a moment, then returned to its usual clamor.

The customers continued chatting as if they hadn't noticed Naruto.

They all knew Teuchi treated every customer equally.

Once, a customer declared they wouldn't eat in the same shop as the Nine-Tails Fox Demon and pressured Teuchi to kick Naruto out.

But that customer ended up getting thrown out by Teuchi himself.

From then on, an unspoken rule took root in Ichiraku Ramen.

No venting grievances against other customers.

"Old man, I'm here for some noodles." Naruto gave Teuchi a slight nod and said with a smile.

"Ah, Naruto. I've been working on a new recipe lately—want to give it a try?" Teuchi laughed heartily.

"Old man, your ramen is already the best in Konoha. If you keep developing new stuff, I'm afraid my wallet won't keep up." Naruto took a seat in the most secluded corner, smiling faintly.

"Haha, you sure know how to talk. Today, I've got to show you my skills." Teuchi's fighting spirit was ignited.

Naruto quietly waited for his ramen, his peripheral vision discreetly scanning the ninja and villagers in the shop.

One ninja with an unusual appearance caught his attention.

White hair, a black mask covering most of his face, a forehead protector obscuring one eye, and lifeless, dead-fish eyes exposed to the air.

He looked extremely cold.

Naruto had seen many ninja before, but this white-haired ninja was the only one who seemed so lifeless yet somehow exuded the aura of a master.

But then again.

How did he eat noodles with a mask on?

Naruto looked puzzled.

As if sensing Naruto's gaze, the white-haired ninja's eyes swept over and met Naruto's.

In a flash, Naruto saw the white-haired ninja's originally calm eyes suddenly stir, revealing a hint of complex emotion.

That emotion was completely different from the familiar disgust.

It almost seemed like... guilt?

Was he seeing things?

Naruto frowned.

Staring at someone for too long was very rude. Naruto gave the white-haired ninja a slight, apologetic nod, then withdrew his gaze and turned his head away.

But a flicker of curiosity about the white-haired ninja lingered in his heart.

Kakashi looked away, staring blankly at the noodles in his hands. Suddenly, he lost his appetite.

He was a disciple of Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze.

Minato had taken good care of him in life, teaching him ninjutsu without reservation.

But with the deaths of Minato, his father, and his friends, Kakashi had fallen into confusion, living on alone with his pain.

He naturally knew about the unfair treatment Naruto suffered in the village, but he was just an elite jonin.

He had no power to intervene, and in his years of decline, he hadn't tried to.

He threw himself into missions frantically, trying to numb himself, but every time he saw Naruto, a deep sense of guilt surged within him.

'The blood of my teacher suffers, yet I am powerless.'

He took a deep breath, his lips trembling slightly beneath the mask.

Naruto had no idea about Kakashi's inner turmoil at that moment. He was earnestly enjoying his Ichiraku Ramen.

Before eating, he pressed his palms together and prayed silently: "I humbly partake."

He leaned in first, smelling the aroma of the ramen, then took a sip of the broth—thick, rich, and fragrant.

Then he took a bite of the pork belly, which melted on his tongue, soft and tender.

"So good." Naruto abandoned all pretense of etiquette, picking up the bowl and devouring it like a starving wolf.

Seeing the usually gentle and refined Naruto suddenly wolfing down his food like a beast, Teuchi couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face.

This was the greatest affirmation for him.

"Since you've filled your stomach, let's begin today's training."

The moment he stepped out of Ichiraku Ramen, Aizen's calm voice echoed in his mind.

"Training? I can start training now?" Naruto was instantly excited.

Aizen chuckled lightly. "I hope you'll remain this enthusiastic about training in the future."

Arriving at the most secluded area of the training ground, Naruto had already finished warming up.

"Now that you possess Reiatsu and an Asauchi, you can be considered a provisional Shinigami." Aizen paused slightly when he said 'Shinigami,' the image of Naruto's red-and-white Spirit Veins surfacing in his mind.

Even he himself didn't know whether Naruto was human or Shinigami.

Or perhaps, both.

"A Shinigami's combat methods are broadly divided into Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido."

"The most fundamental of these is Hakuda, which can also be called hand-to-hand combat techniques. Zanjutsu is swordsmanship."

"Shunpo is rapid bodily movement, so fast that the naked eye can barely track it, giving the illusion of teleportation."

"Lastly, there is Kido, a spellcraft exclusive to Shinigami, divided into three types: Hado, Bakudo, and Kaidō. Shunpo and Kido are still too difficult for you at this stage." Aizen concisely introduced the four major combat styles to Naruto.

"Wow, that's so complicated. But I'll definitely master all of them. I'll work hard." Naruto committed everything Aizen said to memory.

"Before mastering these combat methods, you need to build a foundation. First, the honing of stamina and strength. Start by running three laps around the training ground."

But the next moment, Aizen's words left Naruto frozen in place.

The radius of a training ground in Konoha was roughly ten kilometers. One lap alone was exhausting, let alone three.

"What's wrong? Scared?"

"Scared? I'm not scared! I'll run!" Naruto gritted his teeth and began jogging along the edge of the training ground.

"No one's success is achieved overnight. The world has no shortage of talent; without the accumulation of time, talent will only be wasted. Today is just the beginning. Later, you'll also add Zanjutsu lessons to your schedule. Rest assured, the real hellish training is yet to come." Aizen said gently, but his words made Naruto inwardly groan in misery.

Aizen no longer watched Naruto's training. He opened a book and read quietly.

In the past, to become stronger and overthrow the corrupt Central 46, he had undergone hellish training that ordinary people couldn't even imagine.

As he said, no strong person achieves greatness overnight.

Without effort, talent is only wasted.

For him, ten thousand sword swings were nothing more than a normal daily routine.

But there was one thing he didn't tell Naruto.

"Countless brilliant Shinigami once worked as hard as I did. They thought talent plus time would make them the strongest. But unfortunately, in my eyes, they were all just pawns in the end." Aizen sneered coldly, muttering to himself.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I hope you won't disappoint my efforts and will add a bit of amusement to my dull life."

Contract signed. Starting tomorrow, two chapters per day.