A New Mission

Though the outcome of the challenge had left Teuchi heartbroken,

the constant twitching of his face alone made that plain enough.

Chiba, however, was very satisfied with his hearty meal.

If he could, he would enter this eating contest every month.

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had also realized something.

Apparently, Chiba was not just stronger than them in combat.

He outclassed them in other areas, too.

"Here's your discount voucher."

As much as it pained him, Teuchi was not about to go back on his word.

As the owner of a long-established shop with a good reputation, he knew this eating contest was also an excellent publicity stunt.

The Akimichi Clan would probably take an interest in the newly crowned eating champion.

Unwilling to admit defeat, they would surely come to Ichiraku Ramen to give it a try.

And then, business...

Thinking of the bright future awaiting Ichiraku Ramen, Teuchi's gaze grew dreamy.

Chiba took the permanent half-price voucher and carefully tucked it into his ninja tools pouch.

For a long time to come, this little thing would keep him fed.

He had to admit that the ramen at Ichiraku Ramen tasted very good.

Though eating so much tonkotsu ramen had left him feeling a little off.

Next time, he could try the miso ramen.

Seafood seemed like a decent option, too.

The eating contest came to a quiet close.

But a rumor also began spreading through the village.

A terrifying monster lived in Konoha, capable of eating five bushels of food a day!

It devoured children raw and swallowed people alive, all while casually chatting and laughing.

That rumor made Konoha's nights much quieter.

Chiba knew nothing about it.

Even if he had known, he would not have paid it much mind.

Because Kakashi Hatake had already brought them a new mission.

"Huh?!"

"Why is it another mission involving cats?!"

The moment Naruto Uzumaki saw the mission details, he voiced his displeasure.

Beside him, Sasuke Uchiha and Chiba had no objections.

This mission did not involve ordinary cats.

"You'll need to complete this mission on your own."

Kakashi Hatake added, "I'm only here to pass the mission along."

"All right, I'll leave the rest to you."

"I have a mission of my own to complete."

With that, smoke rose around his feet, and he vanished before them.

The Kakashi Hatake who had been standing there was actually just a Shadow Clone.

"All right, let's head to the Empty District, where the client is."

As the leader of the trio, Chiba had become the person they relied on.

The other two had also acknowledged his position.

Naruto Uzumaki rarely objected to anything Chiba said.

As for Sasuke Uchiha, since he could not beat Chiba, he was even less inclined to speak.

"Uh, Big Brother Chiba."

Naruto Uzumaki raised the most crucial issue.

"Kakashi-sensei didn't tell us where the Empty District is."

"Do you know where it is, Big Brother Chiba?"

Chiba shook his head, turned to Sasuke Uchiha, and said,

"Sasuke, you lead the way."

Sasuke Uchiha nodded without objection.

But a faint hint of gloom could be seen in his expression.

The Empty District.

"We have visitors!"

Sitting inside the room, Cat Granny looked at the photo album in her hands, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

As the Uchiha Clan's ninja tools supplier, she had been out of work for quite some time.

"Little Sasuke, I've been waiting a long time for you."

As the three entered, a hint of surprise appeared on Cat Granny's face.

Her gaze fell almost entirely on Chiba, who came in last.

"What a frightening young man!"

Chiba's gaze sharpened. He had not expected Cat Granny's senses to be so keen.

Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time around felines.

Cat Granny possessed their same instinct for sensing danger.

The room was full of felines rolling about.

Surprisingly, most of them were tiger cubs.

"A cat lover's paradise!"

Chiba sighed in admiration and sat cross-legged on the tatami.

He casually picked up a tiger cub playing with a ball of yarn and began petting it.

After greeting everyone, Cat Granny began explaining the mission.

"Nekomata lives in his own castle."

"It's a paradise for ninja cats, with countless ninja cats living there."

"What you need to do is obtain Nekomata's paw print."

Cat Granny looked at Sasuke Uchiha, her eyes filled with memories of the past.

"Nekomata is exceptionally powerful among ninja cats."

"Of course, that's by your standards."

As she said this, she deliberately excluded Chiba, who was engrossed in petting the cub.

"Tahibi and Hina will take you to Nekomata's Castle."

"Go on, and bring back his paw print as soon as you can."

Somewhat reluctantly, Chiba put down the tiger cub he had nearly petted bald and left the Empty District.

Led by the two ninja cats, they finally came within sight of Nekomata's Castle.

"We prepared these to help you sneak in."

Looking at the cat-ear headbands held in the two ninja cats' paws,

Chiba wore a deeply conflicted expression.