Having returned from space, Uchiha Rikusei still wasn't used to the world blanketed in snow. The biting wind cut through the chakra barrier around his body, reminding him that his immediate priority was to find a human settlement where he could get warmer clothes.
After exchanging a glance with Madara, he leaped out of the cave and dashed across the snow, light as a bird skimming over fresh powder, toward the snowbound Shinobi World.
Wisps of smoke on the horizon showed them the way. Knowing their destination was better than wandering aimlessly across the snowy plains, and for battle-hardened shinobi, the journey wasn't far.
Perhaps because of the winter chill, there weren't many people on the town's streets. As Rikusei walked farther into town, snow clinging to him, he could clearly hear the snow crunching beneath his feet.
After buying clothes, the two strolled down the deserted street. An enticing aroma drifted toward them on the cold wind. Rikusei pointed to a restaurant up ahead and said to the man beside him, who was wearing a dark fur-lined robe, "Teacher, look!"
Madara stopped at once and looked up at the snow-covered signboard, puzzled as he read the words on it. "Authentic Konoha Hot Pot?"
"That's right." Rikusei strode ahead without looking back. "This restaurant has a bright future."
It was called that because of the wood in Wood Release and the fire of the Uchiha.
The moment the wooden door swung open, a wave of steaming heat greeted them. Before Rikusei could say anything, the middle-aged man behind the counter hurried over. He glanced at the long scroll on the boy's back and the short blade at his waist, then broke into a practiced, professional smile. His voice held genuine warmth. "Honored shinobi! Please, follow me."
In the Shinobi World,