On the bustling Commercial Street, Hatake Sakumo, Heizo Hattori, and Tsunade accompanied Akemi and Asuna as they browsed the shops. Satomi followed behind as their guardian, smiling as she watched her daughters enjoy themselves with her husband's students.
Although Konoha Ninja Village's Commercial Street was always lively, the Chunin Ninja Exams jointly hosted by the five nations had clearly given it a boost. Akemi and Asuna were utterly captivated, and even Hatake Sakumo and the others marveled at how busy the Commercial Street had become lately.
Aside from restaurants, the busiest shops on Commercial Street were those selling games and other entertainment. Kazemori Masaki had partnered with merchants to sell these products. In the entertainment-starved shinobi world, even his ordinary games were enough to turn a substantial profit. Akemi and Asuna had grown up playing them, so they were not quite as enticing to the girls, but playing with other people was still plenty of fun.
After browsing for a while, Hatake Sakumo and the others began to feel hungry. Tsunade asked Satomi if they should find somewhere to eat, and she agreed. The group began looking for a suitable establishment and soon settled on a ramen shop.
It was not that the ramen shop was especially busy or that delicious aromas wafted from it. Rather, its sign was intriguing: "Ramen Shop You Can Never Forget." The name was plain and easy to understand, yet it made them curious about just how good the ramen tasted.
They lifted the curtain and stepped inside. A middle-aged man behind the long counter greeted them warmly. "Welcome! Take any seats you like."
They glanced around the shop. There were neither many customers nor particularly few—an unremarkable turnout that seemed at odds with the sign's bold claim. Still, judging by the customers' expressions, the