White-Haired Ninja

"Come on, have a drink."

"Bottoms up, bottoms up."

"After eating so much ramen, Ichiraku Ramen still packs the biggest punch."

"Hahaha, as long as you customers like it, that's all that matters."

Naruto heard the cheerful laughter from inside just as he reached the entrance.

The place was clearly bustling.

Naruto paused at the door and adjusted the smile on his face, making it even more flawless and elegant.

As he pushed open the door and entered the small Ichiraku Ramen shop, the aroma of ramen and warm air washed over him.

When they saw who had arrived, the lively atmosphere stalled for an instant before returning to normal.

The customers continued chatting as though they had not seen Naruto.

They all knew that Teuchi treated every customer equally.

Once, a customer had declared that he would not eat in the same restaurant as the Nine-Tails Fox Demon and demanded that Teuchi throw Naruto out.

Instead, Teuchi had thrown that customer out.

From then on, Ichiraku Ramen had gained an unspoken rule.

No one was allowed to vent their dissatisfaction on other customers.

"Uncle, I'm here for ramen." Naruto gave Teuchi a slight nod and smiled.

"Ah, Naruto. I've developed a new item recently. Want to give it a try?" Teuchi asked with a hearty laugh.

"Uncle, your ramen is already the best in Konoha. If you keep developing new dishes, I'm afraid my wallet won't be able to handle it." Naruto sat in the most secluded seat and smiled faintly.

"Hahaha, you really know how to talk. Today, I have to show you what I can do." Teuchi was brimming with fighting spirit.

Naruto quietly waited for his ramen, casually observing the ninja and villagers in the shop from the corner of his eye.

One unusually dressed ninja caught his attention.

Long white hair, a black mask covering most of his face, and a forehead protector concealing one eye. The dead-fish eye exposed to the air was utterly lifeless.

He looked extremely cold and distant.

Naruto had seen many ninja, but this white-haired ninja was the only one who seemed utterly lifeless while somehow carrying the aura of an expert.

But then again.

How was someone wearing a mask supposed to eat ramen?

Naruto looked baffled.

Perhaps sensing Naruto's gaze, the white-haired ninja looked over and met his eyes.

For an instant, Naruto saw the white-haired ninja's ordinarily calm eyes tremble, revealing a trace of complicated emotion.

That emotion was completely different from the familiar disgust.

There was even a hint of... guilt?

Had he seen it wrong?

Naruto frowned.

Staring at someone for too long was very rude. Naruto nodded apologetically to the white-haired ninja, then withdrew his gaze and turned away.

Still, he had become slightly curious about the white-haired ninja.

Kakashi withdrew his gaze and stared blankly at the ramen in his hands, suddenly losing his appetite.

He had been the disciple of Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze.

Before his death, Minato Namikaze had taken great care of him and taught him ninjutsu without reservation.

But after Minato Namikaze, his father, and his friend had all died, Kakashi fell into confusion and survived alone with his pain until now.

Naturally, he knew about the unfair treatment Naruto endured in the village, but he was only an elite Jonin.

He lacked the ability to intervene, and because he had spent the past several years wallowing in despair, he had never tried to intervene either.

He accepted missions like a madman, trying to numb himself that way, yet every time he saw Naruto, intense guilt still welled up inside him.

My teacher's bloodline is suffering, yet I can do nothing.

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

Naruto had no idea about Kakashi's emotional turmoil. He was earnestly enjoying his Ichiraku Ramen.

Before eating, he pressed his hands together, his heart devout. "Thank you for the meal."

He first leaned closer and inhaled the ramen's fragrance, then tasted the broth. It was rich and thick, overflowing with flavor.

Then he took a bite of the pork bone meat. It melted in his mouth, soft and tender.

"This is so good." Naruto immediately forgot all about manners and picked up the bowl, wolfing it down.

Seeing the usually refined Naruto devour his ramen like a starving wolf, Uncle Teuchi could not stop smiling.

That was the greatest affirmation for him.

"Now that you've filled your stomach, it's time to begin today's training."

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

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

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

By the time he reached the most secluded area of the training grounds, Naruto had already finished warming up.

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

Even he did not know whether Naruto was human or a Bleach.

Or perhaps he was both.

"A Bleach's combat methods can generally be divided into Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido."

"The most basic is Hakuda, which can also be called unarmed combat. Zanjutsu is Kendo."

"Shunpo is moving the body at such speed that the naked eye cannot catch it, creating the illusion of teleportation."

"Lastly, there is Kido. Kido is a spellcraft exclusive to Bleach, divided into Hado, Bakudo, and Responded. Shunpo and Kido are still too difficult for you." Aizen concisely introduced Naruto to the four major combat methods.

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

"Before mastering these combat methods, you need to build a solid foundation. First, temper your stamina and strength. Start by running three laps around the training grounds."

But Aizen's next words left Naruto rooted to the spot.

A Konoha training ground had a radius of roughly ten kilometers. One lap alone would be difficult, let alone three.

"What? Afraid?"

"Afraid? I'm not afraid! I'll run!" Naruto gritted his teeth and began jogging along the edge of the training grounds.

"No one succeeds overnight. This world never lacks talent, but without the accumulation of time, talent will only go to waste. Today is merely the beginning. Later, you'll add Zanjutsu to your training. Rest assured, what comes next will be hellish training." Aizen spoke gently, but his words made Naruto groan inwardly.

Aizen stopped watching Naruto train, opened a book, and began reading quietly.

In the past, to grow stronger and overthrow the corrupt Central 46, he had undergone demonic training beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Just as he had said, no strong person succeeded overnight.

Without effort, talent would only be wasted.

To him, swinging a blade ten thousand times was nothing more than an ordinary daily routine.

But there was one thing he had not told Naruto.

"Countless extraordinarily talented Bleach once worked as hard as I did. They believed talent plus time would make them the strongest, but unfortunately, before me, they were all nothing more than pieces on a chessboard." Aizen gave a cold smile and muttered to himself.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I hope you won't disappoint my cultivation. Add a little amusement to my tedious life."

Contract signed. Starting tomorrow, there would be two updates a day.