Getting through life was all about acting

Tetsuya warmly welcomed Hiruzen Sarutobi into the shop and showed him to a seat.

"I really never expected Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi to visit my little shop. What an honor! So, Lord Hiruzen, what would you like to eat?

"We have all sorts of ramen flavors here. I guarantee they'll open your eyes."

As he spoke, Tetsuya brought out the menu. Thanks to his development efforts, what had once been a single page had grown into a small booklet.

"Teacher Sarutobi! I strongly recommend their signature ramen. It's absolutely delicious!"

Beside him, Jiraiya recommended his favorite signature ramen to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"You idiot, Jiraiya. Teacher Sarutobi can decide for himself. Stop interfering."

Tsunade unceremoniously punched Jiraiya in the head.

"Damn it, Tsunade! Could you stop hitting me over every little thing? You're way too violent! No one's ever going to like you! You violent washboard princess!"

Jiraiya clutched his head and wailed.

"What? Jiraiya, what did you just say?"

Hearing Jiraiya call her a violent washboard princess only made Tsunade angrier.

"Orochimaru, save me!"

Seeing that Tsunade was about to explode, Jiraiya ducked behind Orochimaru without hesitation.

Watching the three bicker, Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed.

"Young people certainly are full of energy."

Tetsuya, meanwhile, smiled and shook his head.

Jiraiya, with the way you are now, it's no wonder Dan Katō won Tsunade's heart before you did.

And you were always just a little too late.

Thinking of what lay ahead for Jiraiya, Tetsuya couldn't help sighing for him. He was always just a little too late.

He came so close to winning Tsunade's heart.

So close to seeing his friend Orochimaru return to the right path.

So close to finishing Icha Icha Paradise.

So close to seeing Naruto become Hokage.

So close to seeing Naruto get married.

So close to seeing the prophecy come true and peace come to the shinobi world.

Always so close, forever so close. Those words ran through Jiraiya's entire life.

Jiraiya's life was an imperfect one, but that was the tale of Jiraiya the Gallant.

Watching the noisy Sannin, Tetsuya grew distracted for a brief moment.

Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed it too.

That look in the owner's eyes...

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the unusual look Tetsuya gave the Sannin. There was reflection in it, and approval, but above all, regret.

But what was there to regret about his three students?

Tsunade was the Hokage's descendant, with the blood of the Senju Clan in her veins.

Orochimaru was a genius ninja who had inherited his teachings.

And Jiraiya had enjoyed a fortunate encounter of his own, signing a contract with Mount Myōboku.

No matter how he looked at it, all three had limitless futures. Reflection and approval were understandable, but surely there was no reason for regret.

"Owner, I'll have an Assorted Ramen. Put it on this idiot Jiraiya's tab."

Only after beating Jiraiya up and making him pay for her noodles did Tsunade's anger subside considerably.

Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the menu as well.

"Then I'll have a Tonkotsu Ramen."

"The usual for me, owner. Flame-Fried Noodles, please."

"I'll have the signature ramen."

"Coming right up! Please wait a moment. Your noodles will be ready shortly."

Tetsuya acknowledged their orders.

Following his usual routine, Tetsuya soon finished preparing the noodles the teacher and his three students had ordered.

"Your noodles are ready, everyone. They're fresh off the stove and a little hot, so take your time."

"Thank you."

"Well then, let's eat!"

"Let's eat!" ×3

Jiraiya and the other two were already familiar with Tetsuya's ramen, so instead of reaching for their chopsticks right away, they watched Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his chopsticks and lifted some noodles.

The broth shimmered in the sunlight as it rippled in the bowl, its aroma spreading with his movements.

He couldn't help swallowing. Without further hesitation, he took a large mouthful.

The springy noodles broke between his teeth, releasing the broth as the flavors of noodles and soup burst across his tongue.

"Excellent. No wonder your business is doing so well, Mr. Chiba. This is absolutely the best ramen I've ever eaten."

After tasting the ramen, Hiruzen Sarutobi was generous with his praise.

"You're too kind, Lord Sarutobi."

Tetsuya gave a shy smile, but beneath it lay far more vigilance and wariness. He knew Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't come simply to eat ramen.

The young Sannin had already acted a little strangely the last time they'd visited his shop.

Could going to the battlefield and killing people have changed something about my bearing or mannerisms, drawing their attention?

"Boss Chiba, your Chiba Clan followed Lord Hashirama Senju back in the day, didn't it?"

Here it comes. He's starting.

Tetsuya knew Hiruzen Sarutobi's interrogation had begun, but his expression remained calm.

"Yes. Back then, our Chiba Clan was affiliated with the Senju Clan. We followed Lord Hashirama Senju to Konoha."

The two chatted on and off, discussing how the Chiba Clan had followed the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and then fought for Konoha.

In fact, anyone with even a little knowledge of ninja affairs could tell that Hiruzen Sarutobi was interrogating Tetsuya. By asking about trivial details from the past, he was checking whether Tetsuya was an infiltrator who had entered Konoha disguised as someone else.

After all, no matter how thoroughly someone gathered intelligence, there would always be gaps.

But Tetsuya had inherited all the original owner's memories perfectly. More precisely, the original owner and he were the same person, so these questions naturally exposed no flaws.

They talked for a long while, and Hiruzen Sarutobi finished his noodles.

By then, he had reached a conclusion: there was nothing wrong with Chiba. As for the unusual behavior his three students had mentioned, it was probably an aftereffect of the war.

After all, the war had only just ended, and many people in the village had undergone changes in mindset. That was unavoidable.

It looks like I'll need to discuss postwar support with my teacher when I get back.

But speaking of that, my teacher's health...

Ah, I wonder how much longer he can hold on.

Still, if my teacher can't carry on, could I become a good Hokage?

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that.

His teacher was still here. As both his student and a Hokage guard, his current duty was to assist him properly.

"Boss Chiba, I hear you've learned to produce chakra?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly changed the subject.

Tetsuya nodded.

"Yes. I only managed it around the time I first opened the shop. Unfortunately, I have little talent, and I haven't made much progress since."

"I see. Don't worry. Hard work can make up for a lack of talent."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a smile.

"Then would you like to become a ninja?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

Tetsuya smiled awkwardly.

"But I know perfectly well that someone like me would only burden his teammates, even if I became a ninja. I'd rather stay here and run this shop in peace. Seeing ninja return from their missions and enjoy a satisfying bowl of ramen every day is more than enough for me."

Getting through life was all about acting.

Tetsuya had gradually honed his acting skills too, until his performance showed no trace of being a performance at all.