Niki Ramen

Qingyun knew nothing about the Uchiha Clan's situation. Even if he had, he would only have smiled calmly and paid it little mind. Every day, besides training hard with Kushina, Nawaki, and Minato Namikaze, he still took them hunting, shopping, and enjoying all the delicacies Konoha had to offer.

"Mm~ Qingyun, school starts tomorrow. Time really flies! I don't want this to end~"

Kushina popped an entire tri-colored dumpling into her mouth, mumbling around it as she looked at Qingyun.

At her words, Qingyun smiled calmly. "Live like this for too long, and you'll get bored. Going back to school has its benefits, too. Just think of it as a change of pace!"

"But once school starts, I won't get to see you there again."

Kushina pouted, looking unhappily at Qingyun.

Ever since Qingyun had gone to the Ninja Hospital with Tsunade, he had rarely attended the Ninja Academy. He was usually either busy at the Ninja Hospital or training at his home in the Forest of Death. She never saw him at the academy.

The most infuriating part was that, even without attending classes, Qingyun still came first in every theory exam. It was especially annoying.

As for actual combat, there was no comparison. Kushina couldn't think of anyone at the Ninja Academy who could beat Qingyun. Forget the academy—even Genin and Chunin who had graduated long ago were no match for him.

Qingyun froze at Kushina's words. He looked at her pretty face, then glanced at Minato Namikaze standing beside them, casually absorbed in eating his tri-colored dumplings. A bad feeling suddenly crept into his heart.

Could Kushina have fallen for me? Surely not! She's supposed to become Minato Namikaze's wife. Besides, if she falls for me, wouldn't Naruto Uzumaki, the future savior, be snuffed out before he's even born?

With a strange expression, Qingyun looked at Kushina, who was gazing at him pleadingly.

His peculiar stare made Kushina blush bright red. Reverting to her fierce self, she knocked him hard on the forehead. "Why are you looking at me like that? Answer my question!"

The knock brought Qingyun back to his senses. Holding his forehead, he rolled his eyes at Kushina. "I'll go to the Ninja Academy when I have time. Training requires a balance between work and rest, after all. Only then can you improve quickly and avoid problems with your state of mind if you get stuck at a particular level for too long."

Cultivation was also about cultivating the heart. It had been a long time since Qingyun had transmigrated here. From a complete novice who knew nothing, he had now gained a foothold in the martial path. His various martial arts and cultivation methods had not only granted him formidable strength but also taught him many lessons.

Thinking back to when he had first obtained the Sharingan, Qingyun remembered the violent emotions he had suppressed after three years of constant insults and mockery from his Clan Members. Many times, he had barely resisted activating his Sharingan and killing those who ridiculed and abused him.

Fortunately, his powerful mental strength had allowed him to suppress those violent emotions. That was also the main reason his expression had once been so cold.

As his internal cultivation advanced, his Sharingan absorbed large amounts of natural spiritual energy. Nourished by that energy, Qingyun had not experienced those violent emotions for quite some time. With Minato Namikaze, Kushina, and Nawaki keeping him company, he no longer felt lonely, either. As a result, his internal cultivation had progressed remarkably quickly lately.

Hearing Qingyun's answer, Kushina could only nod, but her spirits sank, and her earlier happiness vanished.

Seeing her dejected expression, Qingyun smiled helplessly. "All right, no training today. The three of us are yours to order around. Whatever you say goes today, okay?"

"Great! You said it! No taking it back."

At Qingyun's words, Kushina's expression changed instantly, and she happily stepped up to him.

Qingyun stared dumbfounded at Kushina, whose mood had changed in the blink of an eye. He seriously wondered whether she had only pretended to be upset to lure him into a trap.

But a man's word was his bond. Once spoken, it couldn't be taken back, so he could only nod helplessly.

"Yay! We're going shopping first. None of you are allowed to run away, or you'll be sorry."

Seeing Qingyun nod, Kushina immediately cheered and waved her little fists, threatening the three boys in a show of force.

"B-big bro, you're the one who said it. This has nothing to do with us! I'm not going..."

"Y-yeah! M-Minato and I are going to train. B-big bro, you handle Kushina yourself!"

After hearing Qingyun and Kushina's exchange, Minato Namikaze and Nawaki stammered, their legs trembling as though shopping with Kushina were something terrifying.

Qingyun rolled his eyes. "Sure, I said it. But we're brothers, aren't we? Brothers share the good times and the bad. None of you are getting away today. If anyone runs... heh heh!"

Qingyun left the threat unfinished and merely gave them an icy look.

His stare made their scalps prickle, and neither dared protest again. Compared with the mental torment of shopping with Kushina, Qingyun's combined physical and mental torture made them decisively choose the former.

If Qingyun offended Kushina, the worst he would get was a beating. But offending Qingyun meant not only getting beaten up—he also knew Medical Ninjutsu. After beating you, he would heal you, then beat you again, and he wouldn't let you off until his anger had subsided.

Seeing the two nod, Qingyun nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Kushina with the expression of a man marching to his death.

Once Kushina saw that none of them objected, she skipped ahead while the three boys followed listlessly behind her.

With her three bodyguards in tow, Kushina wandered eagerly through Konoha's shopping streets, looking at clothes one moment and toys the next, yet buying nothing.

The shopkeepers' stares were like knives. Kushina remained oblivious and kept browsing, while the three boys broke out in cold sweat. Not daring to look back at the shopkeepers' faces, they trailed shakily behind her.

Only when the sky gradually darkened did Kushina seem to tire of shopping and sit down at the Niki Ramen Shop.

At that sight, all three boys silently swore they would never go shopping with a girl again. It was far too frightening.

"One bowl of original ramen, please!"

After sitting down, Kushina waved to the owner.

"Little girl, I'm not the owner! I'm just an apprentice here. My name is Ichiraku, and I'll do my very best to make your ramen."

A young man with small eyes approached the four of them with a smile.

Ichiraku? Qingyun froze at the young man's introduction. Could this be the legendary Ichiraku Otsutsuki? The owner of the Ichiraku Ramen Shop that remained standing no matter how many times Konoha was destroyed?

Qingyun scrutinized Ichiraku, but even after studying him for a long while, he found nothing unusual. He was just an ordinary young man.

"Young fellow, you'll make me shy if you keep staring at me like that."

Noticing Qingyun's gaze, Ichiraku smiled at him.

Ichiraku's words snapped Qingyun out of his thoughts. He smiled sheepishly. "I'll have miso ramen. Sorry for the trouble!"

Once Qingyun had ordered, Minato Namikaze and Nawaki named their own favorite kinds of ramen.

Ichiraku noted each order, then turned to begin preparing their noodles.

Before long, four steaming bowls of ramen were ready. Qingyun looked at the noodles in his bowl, as fine as dragon's whiskers, paired with a rich, fragrant broth and garnished with a sprinkling of chopped scallions. The presentation alone was excellent.

"Let's eat!"

Minato Namikaze, Nawaki, and Kushina pressed their palms together and called out loudly, then all turned to look at Qingyun.

Qingyun had already lowered his head and started eating. Noticing their stares, he felt a bead of cold sweat slide down his face. He swallowed his food and asked them in puzzlement, "Why aren't you eating? It won't taste as good once it gets cold."

You never did this at meals before! What's gotten into you today?

"Honestly, Qingyun, you have no respect for ramen at all. Eating ramen calls for a sense of ceremony, you know?"

"Exactly, exactly!"

At Kushina's words, Minato Namikaze and Nawaki nodded repeatedly.

Qingyun rolled his eyes, ignored them, and went back to eating. A sense of ceremony? Would that make the ramen taste any better?

With food this good, you should hurry up and enjoy it while it's hot. Even a minute's delay changes the flavor!

The savory flavor bursting in Qingyun's mouth kept tantalizing his taste buds, whetting his appetite as he swiftly polished off the food in his bowl.

Seeing that Qingyun was ignoring them, the three shook their heads helplessly, then quickly began eating.

Before long, they finished their meal. After paying the bill, Kushina happily tugged at Qingyun. "Come on, let's go browse the night market."

"You can't be serious..."

The three boys' despairing cries echoed around the Niki Ramen Shop, drawing curious looks from the passersby.