Ichiraku Ramen

As for what conflicts and ugly dealings might arise between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō, that could wait. For now, let's talk about Yun Yan.

After leaving the Hokage's office, Yun Yan went downstairs with light steps, walked out of the Hokage Building looking relaxed, and began strolling casually through Konoha's streets.

To be honest, Yun Yan was in a fairly good mood.

When it came to matching wits with Hiruzen Sarutobi, playing schemes and political games with that old fox, Yun Yan truly was no match for him.

But he was a wildcard!

If he couldn't win, he flipped the table. If he couldn't settle it, he turned hostile outright. He simply refused to play along with their tricks and schemes, choosing to come at them head-on instead. What could they do about it?

The facts proved that Yun Yan's method was straightforward, but effective.

Just now in the Hokage's office, he and Hiruzen Sarutobi had fought to a draw, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had even come out slightly worse for wear.

That was good enough. Yun Yan was, at heart, still a young man. Even counting both his past and present lives, he had less than thirty years of experience. Being able to make a seventy-year-old fox like Hiruzen Sarutobi suffer a loss was already impressive enough.

What came next was simple: go home and enjoy his vacation, eat, drink, and have fun, then return to work a month later—and once he did, he would be promoted directly into the ANBU.

That said, it was time to explain why Yun Yan had gone to such lengths to enter the ANBU.

Although Yun Yan was strong enough now, he had almost no influence. At present, he was merely an unknown nobody.

If he wanted long-term benefits, he had to expand his own influence and raise his personal status and power.

The ANBU was his next target.

If he could expand his influence and elevate his status within the ANBU, it would be enormously beneficial to Yun Yan himself.

Moreover, Yun Yan was a transmigrator. He knew the plot and could grasp the overall situation. He knew that in a few years, Hiruzen Sarutobi would die at Orochimaru's hands.

If, over the next few years, he could gradually expand his influence, gain a measure of authority in the ANBU, and establish some prestige...

Then, when Hiruzen Sarutobi died a few years from now, Yun Yan might have a chance to take control of the ANBU.

He did not necessarily have to control the ANBU, either. Yun Yan did not like managing affairs. It was also possible that, through his actions over the next few years and the opportunity created by Hiruzen Sarutobi's death, he could expand his influence and status until he reached the level of a Konoha elder.

That was Yun Yan's long-term goal—or rather, his long-term purpose—for the coming years.

Having that goal was enough. After lying low outside Konoha for so many years, Yun Yan felt it was time for him to make a name for himself.

Heaven had given him this chance, allowing him to transmigrate into this world. It would be too much of a waste if he did nothing with it.

With those thoughts in mind, Yun Yan continued wandering the streets with great interest, enjoying his full month of vacation.

He had been away from Konoha for so many years without returning, and now that he was finally back, Yun Yan discovered that Konoha had indeed changed. Some old shops had disappeared, while new ones kept springing up.

The new replaced the old, and things constantly renewed themselves. It seemed to be an eternal law of this world, and Konoha's shopping streets were no exception.

As he recalled the Konoha of several years ago while observing the Konoha of today, comparing the old with the new, Yun Yan strolled along at an unhurried pace with great interest.

Yet no matter how things changed, some things remained the same.

For example, Ichiraku Ramen.

Well, this was a ramen shop that had endured throughout the entire Naruto storyline. Its stability was practically such that as long as the ninja world remained, Ichiraku Ramen would never fall.

Because of the shop's timeless nature, many people even believed that Uncle Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, was the true hidden final boss, even stronger than Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and had bestowed upon him the name Ōtsutsuki Teuchi!

Naturally, Yun Yan knew all too well the old jokes about Ichiraku Ramen from his previous life.

Now, as he wandered the streets, he happened upon Ichiraku Ramen and arrived before its storefront, leaving Yun Yan with mixed feelings.

Looking at this iconic Konoha establishment and thinking of all the speculation surrounding this ramen shop and its owner, Teuchi, Yun Yan actually hesitated for a moment.

Could he... really be Ōtsutsuki Teuchi?

Although those were merely jokes from his past life, and neither the Naruto author nor the anime studio had ever shown anything of the sort in the story, repeated rumors could make even lies seem true. Yun Yan still felt a little uneasy.

Standing before Ichiraku Ramen, Yun Yan was briefly torn.

While Yun Yan hesitated, Kakashi, who had been ordered to secretly monitor him, was already in position.

The man had concealed himself on a rooftop near Ichiraku Ramen. Hiding his presence and weakening his sense of existence, he began secretly observing Yun Yan with extreme professionalism.

He was Kakashi, after all. There was no issue with his skills. No one on the entire street noticed his presence. He hid himself perfectly, and his surveillance was equally discreet.

While maintaining his concealment, Kakashi watched Yun Yan's current state.

This guy... is standing in front of Ichiraku Ramen.

What is he doing? Does he want to go inside for ramen?

That was understandable. This ramen shop was famous in Konoha for its generous portions, delicious taste, and excellent value. It was only natural that Yun Yan would be drawn to it.

But... what is he hesitating over? Why does he look like he wants to go in but also doesn't dare to? Could there be something in that ramen shop that this reckless bastard is afraid of? How could that be possible?

With those thoughts in mind, Kakashi continued his careful surveillance, carrying out the Hokage's orders.

And Yun Yan?

After hesitating for a while, he made his decision.

Whether this was truly Ōtsutsuki Teuchi, whether he was a boss hidden even deeper than Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, he would know once he went inside and took a look!

Yun Yan also realized something else more clearly. If Uncle Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, really was some unimaginable being, then after Yun Yan had stood outside hesitating for so long, the man surely already knew!

Not only would he definitely already know, he might even be fully aware of all Yun Yan's unusual actions over the past few years.

What was there to agonize over? He just had to investigate!

So Yun Yan walked directly toward Ichiraku Ramen, pulled open its door, and entered without hesitation.

After entering Ichiraku Ramen, Yun Yan could not help but look around a little.

There was not much to inspect, really. Although Ichiraku Ramen was already quite famous in Konoha at this time, its storefront was small, with only a few seats.

It was not quite mealtime yet, and the seats outside the counter were empty. Behind the counter, Uncle Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, and his daughter Ayame were busily at work amid rising steam.

Of course it was steaming hot. A large pot of noodle broth was boiling vigorously, sending clouds of steam upward. Further inside, Uncle Teuchi was vigorously kneading dough while Ayame skillfully assisted him. Father and daughter were both bustling away in full swing.

The busy yet fulfilling scene immediately settled Yun Yan's heart, and he could not help giving a slight nod.

The sound of Yun Yan pushing open the door naturally caught Uncle Teuchi and Ayame's attention as well.

The two briefly set down their work. Upon seeing that it was a customer, they immediately welcomed Yun Yan.

"Welcome!"

"Please come in, sir. Take any seat you like!"

Having sensed nothing amiss, Yun Yan relaxed as well. He took a few steps forward, no longer blocking the doorway, entered Ichiraku Ramen fully, and casually chose a seat near the edge.

As soon as Yun Yan sat down, Ayame, Ichiraku Ramen's assistant cook and waitress, hurried over and enthusiastically asked him across the counter:

"What would you like to order, sir? Our ramen comes in generous portions and tastes great. Every kind is delicious."

Glancing up at the various signs hanging above, Yun Yan casually chose one type of ramen based on his own preference.

"I'll have... tonkotsu soy sauce ramen. A large portion, with double chashu."

"Certainly! One large tonkotsu soy sauce ramen, with double chashu!"

After confirming Yun Yan's order, Ayame immediately called out to inform her father, Uncle Teuchi.

Upon receiving his daughter's order, Uncle Teuchi's enthusiasm immediately surged, and he began making the ramen with vigor.

This was the first order of the afternoon, and the customer placing it even looked like a jōnin. He had to treat it seriously and bring out one hundred percent of his skill!

At that moment, it even seemed as though blazing flames had erupted behind Uncle Teuchi!