Shisui and Itachi were both members of the Uchiha Clan and had long since heard what their younger brother could do, so neither found it strange.
Naruto was even less likely to give it much thought.
He had only one thought in his head-of course his big brother was amazing.
Kakashi watched Uchiha Satoru round three bends blindfolded, with over fifty people brushing past him, then come to a steady stop right in front of the ramen competition venue. His eyelid twitched.
This kid was actually a sensory type.
He wasn't relying on the Sharingan.
At first, Kakashi had never even considered that he might have sensory abilities, precisely because of the Sharingan.
Everyone knew that the Uchiha Clan's kekkei genkai was those eyes.
All their techniques, all their abilities, hinged on that most powerful of ocular techniques.
The moment Uchiha Satoru covered his eyes, Kakashi had been stunned.
Without the Sharingan, where was his visual perception supposed to come from?
He had simply overlooked every other possibility.
But the kid's chakra was so thin it was practically water. How long could it last?
An Uchiha who didn't rely on the Sharingan?
Something was off here.
Kakashi pushed down all the questions swirling inside him, and his gaze sharpened.
He hadn't come here to satisfy what little curiosity he had left.
He hadn't forgotten his mission.
"All right, we're here."
Uchiha Satoru stood straight, looked at the two unenthusiastic Uchiha brothers, then at Naruto and Shisui, who were eagerly waiting for things to begin, and finally glanced at the expressionless Kakashi.
Tsk.
It wasn't often everyone was this cheerful.
He absolutely had to capture the scene later.
"Boss! Sign us up for the jumbo challenge!"
Uchiha Satoru waved at the noodle shop owner, his voice loud.
"The jumbo challenge? Are you sure?"
"This jumbo challenge is-"
Uchiha Satoru cut the owner off before he could finish.
"Absolutely! That's the one!"
"Only something like this is worthy of our strongest lineup!"
Hearing that exchange between the owner and Uchiha Satoru, Kakashi felt a chill at the back of his neck.
"Hold on-"
He had only just opened his mouth to stop them.
"True ramen lovers aren't afraid of a challenge. Isn't that right, Naruto?"
Uchiha Satoru delivered the line unhurriedly.
Naruto's enthusiasm flared instantly, and the noodle shop owner got fired up too.
"You bet! What ramen lover would be afraid of a challenge?"
It was as though a blaze had erupted behind Naruto.
The owner was practically shedding tears.
"Don't you worry. I'll be right there cheering you on."
"I won't let you give up easily until the very last moment!"
Uh.
Please just let us give up.
The same thought popped into Itachi's, Sasuke's, Kakashi's, and Shisui's heads at once.
What was going on?
After the owner had led them into the competition area, he and Uchiha Satoru had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Where had they gone?
The Uchiha members, Kakashi, Naruto, and the other contestants had all taken their seats, but the wait was becoming unbearable.
There was no one in the venue besides the contestants and the staff keeping order.
"Huh? Where's the ramen guy? And where did my big brother go?"
Naruto looked from side to side.
"That rotten second brother! Did he really dump us here and run off on his own?"
Sasuke's little face scrunched up, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Sasuke, don't talk about your second brother like that."
The crease between Itachi's brows deepened, and he lowered his voice.
Sasuke immediately shut his mouth, puffing out his cheeks in indignation.
He hadn't meant anything more by it.
Deep down, he still respected his second brother.
Kakashi, on the other hand, wasn't bothered by Uchiha Satoru's disappearance.
He wasn't the target of his mission this time anyway.
Keeping tabs on Naruto was enough.
Still, judging by their brief interaction, things probably weren't that simple.
If all he had done was dump them here, that would be fine.
The worry was-
Before he could finish the thought, the clang of a brass gong snapped everyone back to attention.
Teuchi walked to the front and raised his voice.
"Thank you all for coming to the Ninja Competitive Eating Championship."
"Today, we won't just be holding our regular eating contest."
"We also have five contestants taking on the extra-large ramen bowl challenge."
"Let's give them a round of applause and some encouragement."
"In addition, we've invited three distinguished guests to join our judges' panel today."
"They are Konoha's Lord Hokage, the Uchiha Clan Head, and the esteemed Akimichi Clan Head."
What?
!!!
The moment Teuchi finished speaking, not a single person in the entire venue made a sound.
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