Ichiraku Would Call You the Strongest

Chapter 13: Ichiraku Would Call You the Strongest

Xu Fan lifted the curtain and entered Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto following close behind.

The moment Ichiraku saw Naruto, he was overjoyed as well.

Then, Xu Fan heard his favorite sound beside his ear.

Congratulations, Host, for successfully reaching the sign-in location. Sign-in officially begins!

Leaving midway will be considered a sign-in failure!

Progress bar starting.

1%

23%

Xu Fan immediately perked up. After the previous two sign-ins, he had grown increasingly fond of his Sign-in Assistant and was filled with anticipation for the new reward.

77%

100%

Sign-in successful!

Reward obtained: The Solitary Gourmet Mastery.

However, Xu Fan instinctively froze for a moment.

He had thought his sign-in rewards would be related to the Naruto world—things like Chakra, nature transformations, Wood Release, and the Sharingan, one after another.

Yet now, his sign-in reward was related to food.

Did that mean that if he kept signing in, he might obtain rewards from other worlds as well?

"Sit down already!" Seeing Xu Fan standing there without moving, Naruto happily patted the chair and urged him to come over.

"One tonkotsu ramen!"

Naruto then ordered from the menu without the slightest bit of restraint.

"Two bowls, please." Xu Fan came back to his senses and sat beside Naruto. "I'm treating today, so eat as much as you want. Don't worry about the bill—I'm rich."

"Mm-hmm!" Naruto nodded repeatedly, then introduced Xu Fan to Ichiraku.

"Is that so?"

The moment he heard that Naruto had finally made a friend, Ichiraku was genuinely happy for him.

"Then, to celebrate Naruto making a friend, today's ramen is on the house!"

With his arms folded and a solemn expression, Ichiraku told his assistant to prepare the cooking tools.

Though Xu Fan had intended to treat Naruto to ramen, seeing Ichiraku's attitude, he did not say anything more.

After all, Ichiraku had always been someone without prejudice against Naruto. He had always kept an eye on him.

And every time, Naruto had always been alone.

Now that he saw Naruto had made a friend, Ichiraku was truly happy for him.

As long as there was someone you wanted to see, you were no longer alone.

That was why Ichiraku was especially motivated today.

"I'm telling you, Ichiraku's ramen is seriously super delicious!"

"Especially the tonkotsu ramen. Every time I come here, I always order it!"

Naruto bragged excitedly. When it came to judging ramen, he was definitely Kage-level.

"Mm." Xu Fan nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right..."

However, just as Ichiraku turned around to make the ramen, Naruto suddenly became bashful again.

"Can I..."

"Don't be nervous, Naruto. We're good friends."

Hearing the words "good friends," Naruto took a sharp breath. "Then can I call you Xu?"

No matter what, Naruto was a manga created by Kishimoto, so some details reflected subjective ideas.

For example, only people with especially close relationships addressed each other by their given names.

Although Xu Fan had already been calling Naruto Naruto, for Naruto, this carried a special meaning.

Because among people his age, Xu Fan was his first friend—the first person whose name he could call.

Still, Xu Fan was willing to befriend Naruto partly because of what Naruto had been through, and partly because Naruto was genuinely a good person.

After all, when Sasuke defected from Konoha, Naruto chased after him for three years. Even after getting married, having children, and becoming Hokage, he still could not let Sasuke go.

How many people could show that kind of devotion?

If I train him properly...

"Call me Xu Fan." Xu Fan temporarily stopped fantasizing and smiled.

"Xu Fan?" Naruto tilted his head, unable to understand why there was an extra Fan in the name.

"Ah, it's like this." Xu Fan deliberately put on a thoughtful expression.

Xu Fan was the name he had used for more than a decade, while Senju Xu was the original owner's name.

Keeping two names all the time felt strange, so he might as well take this opportunity to correct everyone and live in the village as Senju Xu Fan.

"The character Fan is there to remind me not to forget my original aspirations. Even if I gain great power, I am still only an ordinary person among countless others."

Xu Fan casually fooled Naruto.

"I see. Xu Fan, you're really amazing."

"It's ready."

Suddenly, Ichiraku placed two excellent bowls of ramen before them. He continued standing with his arms folded, and his white chef's uniform made him look especially professional.

"Let's eat!"

Naruto pressed his palms together and shouted excitedly.

Seeing this, Xu Fan copied Naruto's gesture before digging in.

Every bowl at Ichiraku Ramen was made fresh to order. The noodles were boiled and tossed in the open kitchen, then broth and toppings were added. Every step was clean and hygienic, and even from their seats, they could smell the aroma.

"The Ajitsuke Tamago is the soul of the ramen. Half an Onsen Tamago is tender and soft, while a bowl of rich, fragrant broth is the foundation of the entire dish's warmth. The pork bones in this bowl of ramen were simmered for at least twelve hours..."

"The most iconic Narutomaki and bamboo shoots are also wonderfully springy and chewy..."

For a moment, Xu Fan naturally began reviewing Ichiraku Ramen.

What surprised him most was that he did not remember possessing such knowledge.

When he had eaten ramen before, all he could manage was a simple, "Delicious."

It was The Solitary Gourmet.

Xu Fan suddenly understood. The instant he tasted the ramen, a flood of entirely new knowledge had poured into his mind.

From ingredient selection, cleaning, preparation, and even ramen culture, it had all been engraved deep in his memory as naturally as breathing.

"Wow." Naruto could not help letting out an amazed cry. He had always believed that he was the person who understood Ichiraku Ramen best.

But unexpectedly, Xu Fan was the one who truly loved ramen.

When Naruto turned to look at Ichiraku, he discovered that Ichiraku was standing there dumbfounded, his eyes wide in shock.

Not a single word was wrong.

Xu Fan had described every step of ramen-making without the slightest error.

It felt as though Xu Fan had been following beside him all along, silently inspecting every process.

No...

Even that was not enough.

This was not an ability that could be grasped through sight alone.

This was clearly the blessing of the Ramen God!

I, Ichiraku, would call you the strongest!

Naruto looked at Xu Fan with even greater admiration.

"Xu Fan, you're incredible."

"So-so." Xu Fan shook his head, though he was in an excellent mood.

The new sign-in reward might not make him stronger directly, but as long as he tasted a delicacy, he could easily master how to make it.

This was only mastery. What would happen if it reached the ultimate level?

Becoming stronger was important, of course, but enjoying life was just as important.

"However..."

Just as Xu Fan spoke again, the curtain of Ichiraku Ramen was pulled open once more, and several uninvited guests walked straight in.