Chapter 205: Just Like an Old Friend Returning

Two young boys slipped under the warm curtain, hopping onto the chairs with ease.

The owner of Ichiraku Ramen, named "Teuchi," was a kind-hearted middle-aged man. He wasn't at all annoyed by the lively young boys; instead, he smiled and said, "Two bowls of ramen, each with extra braised pork, as usual?"

"Yes, boss!" the blond-haired boy replied loudly, exuding vibrant energy like a small sun. The red-haired boy next to him, however, was much calmer, sitting there politely and thanking the owner.

Ichiraku Ramen had lasted in Konoha for so long due to Teuchi's dedication to perfecting every step of the ramen-making process. Each bowl required meticulous care, so customers needed to be patient while waiting.

The blond boy was lively and energetic, unable to sit still even on the chair. He glanced around and suddenly became interested in the customer next to him. "Big sis, are you visiting from somewhere else? I've never seen you in the village before... You're really pretty! Your hair looks amazing!"

Konan smiled, running her fingers through her purple hair, quite pleased with the boy's compliment. "Thank you. You're very cute, too."

The blond boy blushed. At that age, boys were beginning to develop a vague awareness of the opposite gender, naturally drawn to pretty girls. But then, as if remembering something, he stiffened his neck and declared, "I-I'm not cute! I'm going to become strong... I'm going to be a shinobi and become Hokage!"

"Hokage?"

"Yeah!" The boy's blue eyes lit up as he pointed out the window at the Hokage Rock, barely visible in the distance. "I'm going to become a great Hokage... just like my dad!"

Konan's pupils shrank suddenly. She was about to say something when Yuto, sitting beside her, patted her arm. "Focus on your ramen. This place is great, but the noodles tend to soak up the broth quickly."

"Hahaha... It seems this customer has been here before," Teuchi said as he walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray. He placed two bowls of ramen in front of the boys. "Naruto, Gaara, your ramen is ready."

"Thanks, boss! Itadakimasu!" both boys exclaimed in unison.

Little Naruto pulled out a bulging wallet and handed the payment to the owner.

Both boys had already begun their shinobi training. They were in excellent physical shape, and their appetites were huge. They devoured the ramen quickly, leaving not a single drop of broth behind.

After putting down their chopsticks, Naruto walked over to Konan, hesitating a little. "Big sis... your hair is so nice. Do you have any tips for keeping it that way? I want to give something nice to my mom..."

'Haircare tips?' Konan was slightly taken aback, feeling a bit troubled. It wasn't that she didn't want to help the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, but her purple hair had never been specially cared for; it was naturally like this.

At that moment, Yuto, who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, suddenly spoke. "Here's what you do: Sakura powder, 6 grams; salamander oil, 3 grams; five-year-old golden osmanthus tree sap, 35 grams... Finally, extract the topmost milky white liquid. Got it?"

"Huh? I-I..."

"Yes, I've memorized it," Gaara interjected, repeating the instructions word for word without a single mistake.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Naruto looked at his friend with admiration, then turned to Yuto, bowing deeply. "Thank you, big brother!"

Gaara also expressed his thanks before Naruto dragged him away by the shoulder, probably heading out to catch a salamander.

Since it wasn't a busy time, there weren't many customers in Ichiraku Ramen. Seeing no one was paying attention to her, Konan quietly said, "That boy... is he the Fourth Hokage's..."

"Yes, Naruto Uzumaki. I even saw him the day he was born."

"What happened to his mother? I've never heard of anyone in the Uzumaki clan having bad hair..."

"That night, Kushina Uzumaki first had her Tailed Beast extracted, and then Minato and I worked together to seal half of the Nine-Tails back into her. The strain of having the beast extracted and sealed again severely drained her life force, turning all her hair white. No amount of hair care could help... But the boy's filial piety is commendable. Minato can rest easy in his grave."

"Yuto-sama..." Konan bit her lip, carefully asking, "You seem very happy."

Yuto Hyuga paused slightly, staring silently in the direction where Naruto and Gaara had disappeared for a long time.

Memories from a previous life, where he had secretly read manga in class, surfaced in his mind. In the original timeline, Uzumaki Naruto's childhood was tragic. He ate expired instant noodles, was isolated by the villagers and peers, and was called a "demon fox" and "freak" to his face. He could only seek attention through pranks, which only led to more severe hostility and bullying.

But now, Naruto's childhood was much happier than in the original story.

His clothes were clean and neat, the latest spring fashion, with a fresh scent of soap powder.

His frog wallet was bulging, and he had plenty of pocket money, eating at Ichiraku Ramen whenever he wanted.

He and Gaara were best friends, and Naruto had many other friends besides Gaara.

Most importantly, Kushina Uzumaki was still alive. A child with a mother was indeed different.

As long as Kushina was around, no one dared to hide Naruto's identity as the "Hero's Child."

"After all, he's Minato's child. I was both his father's best friend and his father's killer... Even when Naruto was very young, we formed a deep bond."

Seeing the hesitation in Konan's expression, Yuto Hyuga shook his head and said, "But, Konan, as I've said before, having defected from the village and my clan, I won't turn back."

"I will continue on my shinobi path, regardless of right or wrong, no matter how many corpses or seas of blood stand in my way."

"You are the one who guides the future of the shinobi world, Yuto-sama," Konan said as she bowed deeply, exposing the back of her neck—a gesture of unguarded submission for a shinobi.

"That's too much, Konan. We're in public, after all," Yuto said with a laugh, grabbing her shoulders and helping her up.

Just then, the curtain was lifted again.

"Boss!" a pleasant female voice called out, direct and lively, without a trace of the delicate charm often found in women. "I'll have the signature ramen set, as always. It's become a tradition for me to come here and eat ramen right after returning to the village. Otherwise, it feels like something's missing."

The next moment, Konan noticed that the hand holding her shoulder suddenly retracted like lightning—so fast it was frightening.

She blinked, watching the man she regarded as a god sitting up straight, seriously focusing on his ramen as if he were studying a high-level forbidden jutsu.

A faint scent of citrus reached her nose, and Konan turned her head, secretly glancing at the beautiful blonde woman sitting next to her.

'It is Tsunade-hime... Yuto-sama's sensei... Her chakra presence is powerful, and she is quite beautiful, too.' Sitting between the two of them, Konan suddenly felt a bit out of place.

—Why do I feel like I shouldn't be here?

(End of Chapter)