I Already Had Uzumaki Bloodline?!

"Kid, order whatever you want."

Uzumaki Kushina wasn't nearly as gentle with Yuki Yuichi as Yuhi Kurenai had been.

Yuki Yuichi didn't mind.

It was his first time at Ichiraku Ramen.

Back when he'd been running all over town trying to trigger achievements, he hadn't even thought of Ichiraku Ramen.

It wasn't that he didn't want to come. He simply hadn't remembered that a place like this existed in Naruto.

Now that Uzumaki Kushina had brought him here, he remembered that this seemed to be the most essential place in Konoha to check in at.

Looking at the menu on the wall, Yuki Yuichi rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before saying, "I'll have a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen, with extra Narutomaki!"

"Coming right up!" Teuchi answered with a cheerful smile, then looked at Uzumaki Kushina and Yuhi Kurenai.

"I'll have a bowl of Shio Ramen." Uzumaki Kushina smiled, then turned to Yuhi Kurenai beside her and said gently, "Well, what would you like? Don't be shy around your big sister."

Yuhi Kurenai glanced at her, then at Yuki Yuichi. A little embarrassed, she said softly, "Um... I'll have a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen, please..."

"Of course. Please wait a moment." Teuchi replied with his usual cheerful smile, then got busy preparing the food.

"By the way, I haven't asked your name yet." Once the three of them were seated, Uzumaki Kushina turned to Yuhi Kurenai and said, "I'm Uzumaki Kushina."

"I'm an elite jonin of Konoha!" Uzumaki Kushina declared proudly.

Listening to her, Yuki Yuichi recalled the mission statistics listed in Uzumaki Kushina's official profile.

Sixty D-Rank missions, forty-three C-Rank missions, twenty-eight B-Rank missions, twenty-seven A-Rank missions, and twenty S-Rank missions.

Though she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and though Kishimoto, who didn't understand Naruto, had changed the story to suit himself, Uzumaki Kushina really was a seasoned elite jonin.

She was still young, so she might not have completed that many missions yet, but she was probably already at elite-jonin level.

Especially considering that she had to keep the Nine-Tails suppressed.

No wonder she could beat up the Fourth Hokage, beat up Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, and treat the Third Hokage with complete disregard, while the Seventh had to call her Mom. She was terrifying.

Just as Yuki Yuichi's thoughts were running wild, Teuchi brought over the three bowls of ramen, interrupting his train of thought.

Meanwhile, Yuhi Kurenai and Uzumaki Kushina were chatting away, taking turns to speak.

Seeing how happy the two of them looked, Yuki Yuichi rubbed his chin. Would Kurenai turn into the Bloody Habanero?

The thought of his sweet, adorable childhood sweetheart punching one kid after another in the future made Yuki Yuichi shake his head in alarm.

"Are you under a genjutsu or something?" Uzumaki Kushina teased when she saw him shaking his head. "You were staring blankly just now. I called you, but you didn't react. Now you're shaking your head for no reason."

Yuki Yuichi: "..."

"I was thinking!"

"Tch." Uzumaki Kushina clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I'm so clever, and you're so clueless. Sometimes I wonder if we're even from the same clan."

?

"I'm not clueless!" Yuki Yuichi shot back at once, but then he caught the important detail. He sprang to his feet and stared at her, eyes wide. "The same clan?"

"Of course."

"Your red hair proves it, doesn't it?" Uzumaki Kushina seemed pleased by his reaction and replied with a smile. "Your father was also a member of the Uzumaki Clan."

"!!!"

Yuki Yuichi had always thought he was only pretending to be an Uzumaki, and that his hair had turned red because of the Seventh's template.

After all, his hair had been black at first. It only turned red after he got the Seventh's template.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Yuki Yuichi still found it hard to believe as he looked at Uzumaki Kushina.

But from her beaming expression, he could tell she wasn't joking.

Yuki Yuichi gazed at Uzumaki Kushina and thought for a moment. Then he waved a hand, deciding to accept this new revelation, though he still planned to put on a show. "My strength doesn't need bloodline support!"

Standing on his stool, Yuki Yuichi declared with spirited confidence, "I don't need my ancestors' bloodline to empower me. Give me time, and I'll surpass them!"

Seeing him, Teuchi couldn't help laughing. "Customer, don't stand on the stool."

"Oh, right." Yuki Yuichi hopped down and wiped the spot he'd stepped on with his sleeve.

"You really do love showing off, don't you, kid?"

Uzumaki Kushina shook her head helplessly. "Eat your ramen before it gets cold."

"Let's eat!" x3

The three of them didn't speak while they ate.

There was no denying it: Teuchi was a master at his craft.

As soon as the ramen entered his mouth, Yuki Yuichi's taste buds came alive. The flavor burst across his tongue, and its rich aroma lingered in his mouth.

With every bite, the springy noodles, the rich broth, and the unique flavors of the toppings blended together to make the ramen even better.

All those sensations came down to two words for Yuki Yuichi.

"Delicious!"

It was the best ramen he'd ever had in either of his two lives.

"On the path of ramen, I proclaim you the strongest!" Yuki Yuichi stuffed noodles into his mouth while giving Teuchi a thumbs-up.

"Hahaha!" Teuchi grinned from ear to ear at Yuki Yuichi's praise. "You're making me blush with all that flattery."

"No, I mean it!" Yuki Yuichi swallowed a mouthful of noodles and grinned.

Just then, a mechanical voice sounded by his ear, and a pale blue virtual panel appeared.

[Achievement unlocked: Check-in at Ichiraku Ramen.]

[If there's one place in this world you absolutely have to visit, it's this unremarkable little noodle shop. It witnessed the growth of countless people, and the entire life of the Child of Prophecy!]

[Reward: Nintaijutsu: Rage]

[Nintaijutsu: Rage: Passively increases damage by 20%. Your attacks will deal an additional 20% damage. Maybe you could try stabbing Susanoo with a Kunai. That should break through its defenses, right?]

Looking at the description of Nintaijutsu: Rage, Yuki Yuichi felt like it was hinting at something, but he had no proof.

If he remembered correctly, the description for his previous reward, Nintaijutsu: Guard, had seemed to be telling him to go take a hit from Tengai Shinsei.

With a thought, Yuki Yuichi brought up his personal profile.

[Achievements: Childhood Sweetheart, Rival for Life, Beginning of a Ninja, Check-in at Ichiraku Ramen.]

[Rewards: Naruto Uzumaki (Ninja Student), Nintaijutsu: Guard, Sakura Haruno (Shippuden), Nintaijutsu: Rage]

[Title: Ninja Student (equipped).]

[Special Reward: Uzumaki Bloodline.]

Looking over his profile, Yuki Yuichi was mostly satisfied. It was just that the special reward had fooled him for a moment. He really had thought the Uzumaki Bloodline was something he'd been given.