Ichiraku Ramen, Hatake Sakumo

After leaving the Senju Clan Compound, Uchiha Xiao headed to a spot that appeared in various fan-fiction stories: Ichiraku Ramen.

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

Even so, his little cart was surrounded by 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 fussing 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 Xiao realize that Ichiraku Ramen was truly popular.

A young man wearing a white flat-top hat worked with great enthusiasm. "Coming right up, everyone! The most delicious Ichiraku Ramen, served just for you!"

As he spoke, the man took out the pre-prepared dough right in front of everyone. The dough was clean, neat, and uniform in shape, making anyone who saw it unable to help but smile.

Then, engaging his core and stance, he stretched the dough repeatedly before the crowd, and soon, it transformed into noodles of perfectly even thickness.

After this step, the man placed the noodles into a 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; be sure to stay safe on your future missions!" 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 definitely 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 smiled and nodded, then continued making ramen. Surely, everyone has guessed by now: this was the man who spanned 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 that hard-working ninja an extra egg.

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 couldn't help but curl upward. This boss was a good man!

"Next! Here is 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 Xiao nodded. He deserved to make money! He deserved to be popular! In this world, there weren't many bosses like him.

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

Peace is truly wonderful, Uchiha Xiao thought to himself.

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

Uchiha Xiao followed 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 a green jonin combat vest and walking toward Uchiha Xiao.

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

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

His rise to fame began during this Second Great Ninja War in the battle against Sunagakure. In order to obtain intelligence, he had single-handedly killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, only to discover later that the two were protecting their child, Sasori, rather than any intelligence.

He had also earned his title, Konoha White Fang, and his Kage-level strength was universally recognized.

This had caused Sasori's personality to shift from simple and kind to gloomy and cruel, and Chiyo's hair had turned white overnight, her hatred for the Konoha White Fang so deep she wished she could devour his flesh!

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

Uchiha Xiao nodded. "Lord Sakumo's swordsmanship has reached the pinnacle of perfection. Your Hatake Kenjutsu, 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 had seen Uchiha Xiao while passing by Ichiraku Ramen. Combined with the current scene, he couldn't help but want to talk to this junior.

"Lord Sakumo, I..." Uchiha Xiao had just wanted to say a few words when his stomach let out a loud growl.

"Grrr..." Uchiha Xiao's face turned red. How embarrassing. To have his first meeting with a legendary ninja end in such a scene.

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

Hatake Sakumo smiled. "Alright, kid, meeting is fate. Let me treat you to some ramen!" With 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 Xiao. Teuchi's eyes lit up when he saw him. "Coming right up! Please wait a moment!"

After he spoke, Teuchi began to work. Hatake Sakumo waved his hand, signaling everyone to go back to what they were doing, then turned to look at Uchiha Xiao.

"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 upward.

Watching Sakumo like this, Uchiha Xiao felt a stir in his heart. Sakumo was such a cheerful and kind person; if there was a chance in the future, he would definitely lend a hand! He couldn't let him die as miserably as he did in the original story!

Teuchi was fast; in less than ten minutes, two steaming bowls of ramen were ready. Hatake Sakumo took them and asked Uchiha Xiao, "Which one will you have?"

Uchiha Xiao first looked at the tonkotsu ramen and couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva; the meat inside was so large. Then he looked at the miso ramen, which had significantly less meat.

Uchiha Xiao pointed to the miso ramen. Hatake Sakumo naturally understood the situation and laughed. "I had barbecue for lunch, so I'm a bit tired of meat. I'd like this miso ramen."

He then handed the tonkotsu ramen to Uchiha Xiao. Uchiha Xiao was stunned; he wasn't a child anymore, 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 chat!"

He then pointed to a nearby table and chairs. Uchiha Xiao took the tonkotsu ramen Hatake Sakumo had handed him, feeling a sense of warmth in his heart.

"Thank you, Lord Sakumo!" Uchiha Xiao said earnestly. Hatake Sakumo blinked. "Don't mention it." His voice was gentle, giving off a feeling as refreshing as a spring breeze...