Mizuki had never been particularly fond of ramen. It was not a matter of whether it tasted good or not; ramen simply felt too much like instant cup noodles. Having eaten so many cup noodles in the past that he nearly threw up, Mizuki had something of a psychological aversion to them. Unless he was starving, ramen was usually the last thing he would think of eating.
The four of them squeezed onto the bench at Ichiraku Ramen to eat, which was hardly a pleasant experience. Mizuki, seated beside Naruto, got splashed all over by the broth Naruto flung about as he noisily slurped his noodles. It felt awful. Naruto's bold, carefree way of eating was truly an ugly sight.
Looking at the stack of empty bowls beside Naruto, Mizuki finally understood why Naruto Uzumaki's stamina had always been so astonishing. His appetite alone was beyond anything an ordinary person could match.
Mizuki wiped the broth splashed onto his face with one hand, then said to Naruto, "I thought Ebisu was the one training you, Naruto-kun. I never expected Lord Jiraiya to be teaching you personally. You're really lucky."
"Huh? Is Pervy Sage really someone that amazing?" Naruto blurted out without any restraint.
Hearing Naruto call him Pervy Sage in front of an outsider, Jiraiya immediately corrected him with considerable displeasure. "I've told you so many times—I'm Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, not some Pervy Sage!"
"It's basically the same thing, so stop nitpicking. You're obviously a Pervy Sage," Naruto said indifferently.
"Naruto-kun, Lord Jiraiya is the great man who trained the Fourth Hokage. Countless Konoha ninja would love to receive his guidance." Seeing Naruto's unconcerned attitude, Mizuki offered up a bit of information.
"Really? Pervy Sage is that strong? I know he's way stronger than Teacher Ebisu,