A New Family

While he was saddled with a huge debt and working to pay it off, he looked at the somewhat run-down Ichiraku Ramen and came up with the idea of partnering with Teuchi.

Being an employee was nothing compared to being the boss.

Teuchi had incredible cooking skills, but he wasn't a native of Konoha, nor was he a ninja. He couldn't even buy land to do business in Konoha, so he'd set up a little stall by the street and started selling noodles.

Every so often, he also had to put up with the Uchiha clan manager giving him a hard time.

Kaede had taken a liking to Teuchi's cooking. After they got to know each other, Kaede learned from Teuchi that when he'd first arrived in Konoha, he'd worked for someone else, but eventually couldn't stand the harassment and went into business for himself. His biggest dream now was to have a ramen shop of his own, where he and Ayame could happily cook together.

That was exactly what Kaede wanted. After discussing it with Teuchi, he decided to invest in the man and help him expand Ichiraku Ramen.

First, he'd set himself a small goal: become Konoha's number one restaurant.

He already owed his father the equivalent of an Asuma, so how could he not care about the business's profits?

"Kaede, you're back!" Ayame greeted him with a bright smile, looking lovely and charming.

"Miss Ayame, you're even prettier than before," Kaede said.

Ayame smiled happily, her eyes narrowing. Her smile was so sweet. She was a kind-hearted girl, and her smile had a way of cleansing the soul. Perhaps it was that very smile that had helped Ichiraku Ramen's business grow better and better. His wallet was slowly getting fatter.

"Kaede, you're back! That's great." Just as he was enjoying his meal in peace, an excited voice came from behind him. The moment the words were out, someone was already sitting at his table.

Ichiraku Ramen was quite large now. Sharing a table without asking was extremely rude, and besides, this was a private room, not the main dining area. People weren't supposed to share tables here. But the person in front of him didn't seem embarrassed at all. She was actually delighted.

"Kushina, here for ramen again? Don't you get tired of it?" Kaede asked, looking at the red-haired kunoichi sitting across from him.

"How could I get tired of ramen when it's so delicious?"

Kushina glared at Kaede and clenched her fist, ready to punch him for daring to insult the ramen she loved. The next moment, the handsome, sunny Minato pushed aside the curtain and walked in.

"Sorry to interrupt, Kaede."

He sat down casually across from Kaede, beside Kushina.

"Kushina, don't run off so fast. And you're always imposing on Kaede."

Minato had barely gotten the words out when—

"Bang!" Kushina slammed her hand on the table. Even though she'd held back, she nearly smashed it to pieces.

"Kaede's my little underling, right, Kaede?"

"The boss is right. This meal's on me," Kaede said, waving his hand and accepting the pain of paying the bill.

If she ate one meal, Ichiraku Ramen would have worked for nothing that day.

"Ha... ha... Kaede, I'm imposing on you again," Minato said with an awkward, squinting smile.

Kushina was always like this, acting on a whim. They were all used to her willfulness by now.

As they were ordering, someone else came in.

"Sorry to bother you, Kaede. Could we join you? We heard Kakashi's Jonin Instructor was here, and we wanted to meet him. Would that be all right?" a timid, soft voice asked.

"It's been a while, Lin, Obito. And Kakashi. Come in, there's plenty of room," Kaede said, recognizing everyone who'd come in and inviting them over.

Once the three of them had joined, the six of them filled the private room.

Kakashi wore a gloomy expression. Even with his Jonin Instructor there, he had no intention of greeting him. He'd been like this ever since his father died.

Even the Third Hokage assigning him to the gentle Minato hadn't been enough to resolve his inner turmoil in such a short time.

"You're Kakashi's friends, right? I'm his Jonin Instructor, Minato Namikaze." Minato was rather surprised to see Kakashi being invited out to eat.

He'd worked hard for a long time, and all he'd managed was to get the gloomy boy to talk to him.

"Minato-senpai, I'm really sorry to interrupt your meal. It's just that Kakashi..." Lin blushed as she tried to explain.

"Don't worry. Leave it to me; I'll take good care of him. By the way, you're still students at the Ninja Academy, right?" Minato asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, Minato-senpai. We haven't graduated yet!" Lin said.

"Tch." Obito pursed his lips enviously and turned away from Kakashi and Kaede. He hated both of them. They'd graduated early without waiting for him. What jerks.

"What adorable kids. I'll take care of Kakashi. For now, let's enjoy some delicious ramen!"

He'd already made up his mind.

It was a dinner gathering that had happened ahead of schedule. Kaede was the only outsider there, and he had no idea what was going on.

Minato took the stuffed Kushina home, while Kaede said goodbye to Kakashi and the others. Obito was going to walk Lin home, so he didn't have time to return to the clan compound with Kaede.

"Tch... a simp. He'll end up with nothing," Kaede muttered as he headed home alone.

His sixth sense kept telling him that someone had been watching them just now. Since there were no Anbu following them, it could only have been the Third Hokage using the Telescope Technique.

What a surprise. The Third Hokage actually had time to watch them instead of keeping an eye on the women's bathhouse. That was so unlike him.

Kaede returned home and went about his ordinary life, though he knew it wouldn't be long before he faced the Third Hokage directly. The Third Hokage had taken an interest in him, and with his current identity, there was no way the old man wouldn't seek him out.

But for the past month, he hadn't had the heart to worry about any of that. His mother, Xiang, was about to give birth, and both father and son were rather nervous. To be safe, they'd called Tong over.

Her Medical Ninjutsu was excellent now, and it would be a great help in a critical moment.

But they'd clearly been a bit too nervous. Xiang gave birth naturally. She was a little older, but both mother and daughter were safe.

When Tong came out carrying the newborn—

"I have a daughter!" Mingye exclaimed.

"I have a little sister!" Kaede said.

"Congratulations!" Tong said.

A new life always brought fresh hope, naturally filling everyone with joy.

"By the way, Father, have you decided on her name?" Kaede asked curiously.

"I decided a long time ago. Your name is Kaede, and hers is Quan. The Maple Forest and Hot Spring in the Land of Hot Water are where your mother and I fell in love. Your names are meant to commemorate that place. I chose them long ago."

"Uchiha Quan. Quan, you're so cute." The newborn was still a little wrinkly, but as far as he was concerned, his little sister was the most beautiful girl in the world.

He gently touched the baby's slightly rough skin. A deep affection and sense of closeness welled up inside him.

Amid his joy, a flash of light crossed his mind, and something suddenly came back to him.

"What was her name again?"

He turned and asked Tong.

"Quan... Uncle Mingye just said that, didn't he?"

"Quan? Uchiha Quan? Was it that Quan?" A sudden panic welled up in Kaede. He felt as if he were losing something important, and a strange sensation made it hard to breathe.

Time seemed to stop all around him. It was as if he'd stepped into a tunnel through time, crossed over into the past, and seen a ninja wearing a Spiral Mask and a Scarlet Magatama dragging a little girl away with chains, then plunging a Kunai through her heart.

His eyes were fixed on the scene, but his body wouldn't respond at all. It was like sleep paralysis.

"Kaede, are you okay?" Tong poked him and asked.

Tong's interruption brought him back to reality. He was already drenched in cold sweat.

"I'm fine. I'm just too happy. Haha."

He tried to hide his panic.