The group chatted casually, their topic drifting like leaves in the wind. One moment they talked about the weather, the next they were swapping stories about amusing things that had happened recently.
They walked along like that, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the new ramen shop the two men had mentioned.
However, when Qile looked in the direction they had pointed, he couldn't help pausing. How did this place look new at all?
Just looking at the tables, worn smooth by countless customers, made it obvious that the shop had been open for quite some time.
Still, Qile wisely kept quiet and didn't call either of them out.
What he hadn't expected was that Kagami, who had come with him, had noticed the same detail.
Kagami was gentle by nature, but he was still young. Besides, the Uchiha simply didn't care about social niceties, and no one had ever bothered to teach him about them. Wearing a puzzled expression, he turned and asked in a low voice, "Is this really a new ramen shop?"
At the question, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment. He gave a few dry laughs, trying to brush it off, then started scratching his head as if he could dig up a reasonable explanation.
In the end, he still couldn't come up with a good excuse. His eyes darted to the side, and he shifted the blame onto Danzō, who stood beside him, watching his predicament with great interest.
"Ah, well, Danzō knows more about this, right? Danzō!" As Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, he shot Danzō a look, hoping he would help him out.
Danzō, who had been thoroughly enjoying Sarutobi Hiruzen's discomfort, hadn't expected the fire to turn on him.
The moment Sarutobi Hiruzen said those words, Danzō hadn't even had time to wipe the smile from his face. For a moment, the scene became downright comical.
"Ahem, what's going on with him? Ah! Right, you know how it is, um... Well, exactly! Ha, you get it." Danzō said a few meaningless things, gesturing as he spoke. When he finally ran out of excuses, he glared angrily at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "I'll go order the ramen."
"Pfft..." Seeing Danzō leave in such a sorry state, the others tried to hold back their laughter, managing only a couple of chuckles. Then they all walked into the shop together, lightheartedly.
In truth, judging by the situation at the time, Danzō was nothing like the nearly deranged, almost madman-like figure he would become in the future.
For now, all he showed was the indescribably tangled "relationship" between himself and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He even seemed a little naive...
Once everyone had filed into the ramen shop, they quickly found seats that suited them.
What was amusing was that Qile hadn't even had a chance to look at the menu before Yeling, who had been observing his tastes over the past two days, had already ordered him a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen just the way he liked it. She stood behind Qile without taking a seat.
Seeing this, Qile looked up at her and said, "Sit down first. We can talk about anything else when we get home."
At his words, Yeling glanced at Qile. Then, without saying anything, she sat down beside him.
Once she was seated, Qile called out, "Boss! Add another bowl of..."
"Tonkotsu?"
"Add another bowl of tonkotsu!"
After everyone had taken their seats and ordered their ramen, they waited for it to arrive, making small talk to pass the time.
Then Qile asked curiously, "By the way, have you graduated from the Ninja Academy yet?"
At the question, Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, a trace of wistfulness crossing his face. He answered slowly, "Not yet, but it shouldn't be long now. We've only got about two months left."
As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, Danzō, who had been sitting beside him in silence, chimed in. "And I recently heard that once we graduate, a teacher at least at the Chunin level will be assigned to lead and train us!"
At that, the somewhat listless Qile's eyes suddenly lit up, and he perked right up.
In truth, he had only been testing the waters with his earlier questions. He wanted to find out whether the two of them had already become Tobirama's students.
But from what Danzō had just said, it seemed Tobirama hadn't had anything to do with them yet.
So Qile hurriedly asked, "Do you know who the instructors will be?"
Hearing Qile's eager question, Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, then fell into thought.
After a while, he slowly looked up and answered, "I really don't know. But according to the elders in my family, anyone who wants to become an instructor has to submit an application to the Hokage's office first. Only after the First personally reviews and approves it can they go lead the students about to graduate."
After hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's explanation, Qile nodded, then pressed on without delay. "What are the requirements?"
Danzō replied slowly, "At the very least, you have to be a Chunin. You also need to have successfully completed several important missions assigned by the village."
At this point, Danzō paused. He warily glanced around to make sure no one else was listening, then lowered his voice and added so softly that only the others could hear, "Even though they're called instructors, they're really the captains of their squads! After all, we'll be carrying out missions as ninja teams from now on!"
Qile rested his elbow on the slightly worn wooden table, then propped his chin in his hand. His thoughts began to wander.
He mused, Even if the First gives his approval on the surface, the one who really decides who leads the teams is probably Senju Tobirama!
As time went on, one batch of students after another would grow under the guidance of the instructors leading them.
It was easy to imagine Tobirama's prestige among the people rising like a rocket.
And the reputation of the entire Senju Clan would rise right along with it.
In stark contrast, the Uchiha Clan, stubbornly closed off and unwilling to engage with the outside world, would gradually be left behind by the times, the gap between them and the other clans growing ever wider.
Yet no matter what actions or strategies Senju Tobirama pursued, one fact couldn't be denied: he had always worked tirelessly to bring the Senju Clan into the Konoha family. His resolve and determination were truly admirable.
Just then, a flash of inspiration crossed Qile's mind. He seemed to have suddenly remembered something crucial.
Without hesitation, he leaned toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, seated across from him, and edged a little closer.
Then he lowered his voice and asked, "Do you know if the Hokage has a personal guard of his own these days?"
Qile dared to ask, but Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzō didn't dare answer. They exchanged a glance, then turned and called to the shopkeeper, "Boss, is the ramen ready yet? We're starving!"
Before you continue