**Chapter 11**

Shisui had heard stories about Itachi's younger brother, Satoru, so he wasn't particularly surprised by the boy's eccentric behavior. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't overthink it—he simply admired his new friend's apparent power.

Kakashi observed Satoru with a mix of curiosity and wariness as they made their way through the busy streets and alleys, taking three turns to reach the ramen contest venue. *He navigated so smoothly,* Kakashi thought. *This kid's perception abilities are... impressive. And not tied to the Sharingan, either.*

The Sharingan was the pride of the Uchiha, their primary means of extraordinary visual perception. Seeing Satoru, a young Uchiha, act so confidently without relying on his Sharingan made Kakashi reevaluate his assumptions.

*How is he doing this with such low chakra reserves?* Kakashi wondered. He let his curiosity simmer as he reminded himself of his mission: to monitor, not to marvel.

"All right, we're here!" Satoru announced, his tone bright as he looked at Sasuke and Itachi, who wore expressions of muted interest, and Naruto, who practically vibrated with excitement. Shisui and Kakashi exchanged cautious glances, still unsure what to make of the gathering.

"Boss, we're signing up for the ultimate challenge!" Satoru waved at the noodle shop owner, who looked startled at first.

"The ultimate challenge? You're sure?" The owner began, looking concerned.

"Yes, absolutely!" Satoru said, cutting off the shopkeeper's hesitant reply. "It's fitting for us—the strongest—to take it on!"

Kakashi felt a prickle of worry. "Wait…"

"A true ramen lover never backs down from a challenge, right, Naruto?" Satoru called out, stirring Naruto's competitive spirit.

"That's right!" Naruto shouted, flames of determination seeming to burn in his eyes. The shop owner looked on, teary-eyed and moved.

"I'll be here cheering for you all the way!" the owner exclaimed, his voice shaking with emotion. "Don't give up until the very end!"

*Please, do give up,* Itachi, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Shisui all thought, their expressions taut with the absurdity of the situation.

After leading them into the competition area, Satoru mysteriously vanished. The contestants, including the Uchiha brothers, Kakashi, and Naruto, sat waiting, puzzled by his sudden disappearance. Only those who were competing or maintaining order remained in the room.

"Hey, Uncle, where did my big brother go?" Naruto asked, a puzzled frown creasing his brow.

"Second brother isn't going to ditch us here, is he?" Sasuke muttered, scowling.

"Sasuke, don't speak like that about your brother," Itachi said in a low, slightly reprimanding tone. Sasuke fell silent, cheeks puffing out in frustration. *I didn't mean anything bad,* he thought. *I respect him, really.*

Kakashi, meanwhile, wasn't too concerned about Satoru's absence. *He's not my primary mission target anyway,* he reminded himself. He could still gather plenty of information through Naruto's interactions. But judging from what he'd seen so far, this wouldn't be as straightforward as he hoped.

Suddenly, a loud gong echoed through the venue, startling everyone. The noodle shop owner, Uncle Teuchi, stepped forward with a broad smile.

"Welcome to the Ninja Big Stomach Championship Tournament!" he announced, his voice booming. "Today, we're not just holding our regular contest. We have five special contestants attempting the King of Ramen Challenge!"

Murmurs rippled through the audience as Teuchi continued. "And we have three distinguished guests to judge today's event: the esteemed Hokage-sama, the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, and the leader of the Akimichi family."

*What?*

A stunned silence fell over the crowd, punctuated by the collective disbelief of the contestants.

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