Ichiraku Ramen, Sakumo Hatake

After leaving the Senju Clan Compound, Uchiha Kō headed toward a landmark that appeared in every fanfiction: Ichiraku Ramen.

Ichiraku Ramen was not yet the permanent storefront seen in the anime; it was a small, mobile stall where the noodles were hand-pulled and boiled on the spot.

Even so, the area in front of his cart was packed with villagers and ninjas, bustling with lively energy.

"Teuchi! Give me a bowl of your signature tonkotsu ramen! I was on a mission for a while, and I've been dying for a taste of this!"

"Oh! Boss, there are so many ramen shops, but I still think yours is the best! Give me two bowls of miso chashu ramen! My grandson is crying and making a fuss for me to buy him some!"

"Teuchi, your craft is truly incredible! How do you come up with these flavors? Give me a bowl of the signature tonkotsu ramen too!"

The voices in front of the stall were noisy, but it was precisely this scene that made Uchiha Kō realize that Ichiraku Ramen was truly popular.

A young man wearing a white flat-topped hat was full of energy. "Coming right up, dear customers! The most delicious Ichiraku Ramen, served just for you!"

As he spoke, the man took out the pre-prepared dough in front of everyone. The dough was clean, tidy, and uniform in shape, making anyone who saw it feel a lift in their spirits.

Then, with his waist and stance perfectly aligned, he began to stretch the dough before the crowd. Soon, the dough transformed into noodles of uniform thickness.

After this step, the man placed the noodles into the pre-prepared bone broth, then began slicing the toppings: pre-made narutomaki and boiled eggs, sliced evenly.

After about four minutes, the man scooped out the noodles, poured the bone broth over them, and placed the narutomaki, eggs, and other toppings into a paper bowl.

Finally, handing it to the ninja who had just returned from his mission, the man smiled. "Thank you for your hard work. I added an extra egg for you. Stay safe on your missions from now on!" The man's smile was sincere and kind.

The ninja was stunned for a moment, then his eyes turned red. He bowed. "I will! I'll come back next time!" He then sat at a nearby table and began to eat, tears streaming down his face as he did.

The man nodded with a smile and continued making ramen. Surely everyone has guessed by now—this was the man who would span the entire Naruto series, Uncle Teuchi.

Oh, wait, it should be Brother Teuchi; he didn't look very old, but his kindness was already on full display at this moment.

He was just a small street vendor, and his family wasn't particularly wealthy, yet he was still willing to give an extra egg to a ninja who had worked hard on a mission.

This spoke volumes about his love for the village and his respect for the ninjas who traveled for the sake of the village's safety.

This scene was noticed by all the customers in front of the stall, and their lips curled up involuntarily. This boss was a good man!

"Next! Your miso chashu ramen. Considering your child has a big appetite, I added a bit more noodles for you!" Teuchi's voice was bright and full of passion.

Watching this, Uchiha Kō nodded. He deserved to make money! He deserved to be popular! In this world, there weren't many bosses like him!

Uchiha Kō looked up at the sky. The setting sun was like fire, bathing all of Konoha in an orange-red glow. Looking at the smiles of Teuchi and the villagers, his own lips began to curl upward.

Peace is truly wonderful, Uchiha Kō thought to himself.

"Sigh, peace is truly wonderful," a voice drifted over.

Uchiha Kō looked toward the source of the sound and saw a ninja appear. His hair was a rare white, and his expression looked incredibly gentle under the glow of the setting sun. He was wearing the green jonin combat vest and walking toward Uchiha Kō.

You are... Lord Sakumo! When Uchiha Kō saw the man's hair and face, his first thought was Kakashi, but at this point in time, Kakashi was likely still a child, so this must be Hatake Sakumo!

Although Hatake Sakumo was a jonin, his strength was that of a bona fide Kage-level powerhouse. His Hatake Kenjutsu was peerless, and even the Third Hokage couldn't take him down in a short time if they were to fight.

His rise to fame began during this Second Shinobi World War, when he acted alone to secure intelligence and killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, only to discover later that the two were protecting their child, Sasori, rather than the intelligence.

He had also earned his title, Konoha's White Fang, and his strength as a Kage-level powerhouse was universally acknowledged.

This caused Sasori's personality to shift from simple and kind to dark and cruel, and Chiyo's hair turned white overnight; she hated Konoha's White Fang so much she could eat his flesh!

"Oh? You've heard of my name?" Hatake Sakumo scratched his head. Although he was very strong, he didn't remember ever meeting this kid before!

Uchiha Kō nodded. "Lord Sakumo's sword skills have reached the pinnacle of perfection. Your Hatake Sword Style, paired with the White Fang in your hand, strikes terror into the hearts of enemies."

"Hahaha, those are just rumors; they aren't to be taken seriously!" Hatake Sakumo had just returned from the Hokage Building and saw Uchiha Kō while passing by Ichiraku Ramen. Seeing the current scene, he couldn't help but want to talk to this junior.

"Lord Sakumo, I..." Uchiha Kō had just started to speak when his stomach let out a loud growl.

"Gurgle..." Uchiha Kō's face turned red. How embarrassing—his first meeting with a legendary ninja, and it ended up like this.

Damn this stomach! He couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

Hatake Sakumo smiled. "Alright, kid, meeting is fate. Let me treat you to some ramen!" After saying that, he looked toward the Ichiraku Ramen stall.

"Teuchi, give me one bowl of miso ramen and one bowl of tonkotsu ramen!" Hatake Sakumo's voice was loud, drawing everyone's attention.

The ninjas recognized Hatake Sakumo and bowed in respect, while the villagers observed Hatake Sakumo and Uchiha Kō. When Teuchi saw him, his eyes lit up. "Coming right up! Please wait a moment!"

After speaking, Teuchi began to get busy. Hatake Sakumo waved his hand, signaling everyone to go back to what they were doing, then turned to look at Uchiha Kō.

"I don't know what flavor you like, so I ordered both types of ramen Teuchi has. You pick the one you like, and I'll take the rest. I'm not picky." After saying this, Hatake Sakumo's lips curled up.

Uchiha Kō felt a stir in his heart as he looked at Sakumo. Sakumo was so cheerful and kind; if there was a chance in the future, he would definitely help him out! He couldn't let him die as miserably as he did in the original plot!

Teuchi was fast. In less than ten minutes, two steaming bowls of ramen were ready. After Hatake Sakumo took them, he asked Uchiha Kō, "Which one will you have?"

Uchiha Kō first looked at the tonkotsu ramen and couldn't help but swallow his saliva; the meat inside was so large. Then he looked at the miso ramen, where the meat was significantly less.

Uchiha Kō pointed to the miso ramen. Hatake Sakumo naturally understood what was happening. He smiled and said, "I had barbecue for lunch, so I'm a bit tired of meat. I want this miso ramen."

He then handed the tonkotsu ramen to Uchiha Kō. Uchiha Kō was stunned; he wasn't a child, and he knew Hatake Sakumo was saying that on purpose.

His heart warmed. He looked at Hatake Sakumo, who was still smiling with that gentle expression. "Take it, kid. Let's eat and talk!"

He then pointed to a nearby table and chairs. Uchiha Kō took the tonkotsu ramen handed to him by Hatake Sakumo, his heart feeling a bit warm.

"Thank you, Lord Sakumo!" Uchiha Kō said earnestly. Hatake Sakumo blinked. "Don't mention it." His voice was gentle, giving one the feeling of a spring breeze...