Chapter 36: Naruto Uzumaki!

"Whoa... So this is what Konoha looks like, huh?"

Tsuna exclaimed as he finally reached the front gate of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Right after accepting the mission, he was transported to a nearby forest and had to walk there on his own.

The gate itself was quite imposing yet welcoming.

It seemed to be made from sturdy wood and reinforced with metal, with a long wall extending from the gate surrounding the entire village.

From a distance, he could also see the carved faces of the former Hokage.

"Excuse me, could you get out of the way?"

"Oh, right, my bad..."

Tsuna blinked and quickly stepped aside, realizing he was obstructing the flow of people entering the village.

He looked at the long lines and noticed that Konoha seemed to be quite a popular destination for merchants. Many people were transporting goods with carriages reminiscent of those seen in historical movies.

Tsuna smiled, feeling like he had been transported back in time. He muttered, "This feels like fiction..."

He was now wearing a loose white kimono and walking around barefoot, feeling a stronger connection to the earth this way.

"Let's get in first..."

Tsuna muttered to himself before joining the line.

As he finally arrived at the security post, he saw two ninjas wearing chunin vests. One had his hair combed down and covered his right eye, while the other had a bandage running across his nose.

"Hello there," the ninja with the bandage said.

"My name is Kotetsu Hagane, and this is my partner, Izumo Kamizuki. I've never seen you around. Is this your first time in Konoha?"

"Yes, is it always this busy in Konoha?"

Tsuna asked, curious about the constant flow of people coming in and out.

Izumo shook his head as he answered, "No, not really. We usually have fewer people coming over, but since there is an ongoing Chunin exam in our village, we have a flood of people coming over to watch..."

Tsuna's eyes lit up as he immediately guessed which arc he was in as he mumbled, "Chunin Exam, huh?"

"Eh? You're not coming to watch the exam?"

"Nope."

"Ah, I see. Anyway, we're going to need to know who you are, where you are from, and why you came to Konoha. Would you mind introducing yourself in that sequence?"

Izumo asked as they had to list everyone who went in and out of the village, their affiliation, and their purposes.

Tsuna nodded and introduced himself, "My name is Tsunayoshi Ito. I come from a small village in the south, and I'm on a journey to refine my skills as a cook."

Of course, he was talking nonsense.

But Tsuna kept a straight face without a blink as he lied through his teeth.

"Ah, a chef, huh? I see. What brings you to our village this time?"

"Yes, I'm actually here to try the ramen from Ichiraku Ramen shop since I heard that it's a really good ramen..."

Tsuna explained with a friendly smile, eliciting nods of recognition from both of them.

With their guard lowered, they treated him as a mere civilian.

"Ah, you've come to the right place! Ichiraku Ramen is undoubtedly the best spot in our village!"

"Since this is your first time here, you might need some directions..." Izumo mused, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Let me tell you where you need to go, from the gate, just head straight..."

He then provided Tsuna with the necessary directions to reach the ramen shop.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, that'd be helpful..."

Tsuna replied gratefully before he finally made his first step into the village.

"Now, then..."

He looked at the vibrant, bustling atmosphere.

The main street is alive with people going about their day—shopkeepers setting up their stalls, kids running around, and ninjas of all ranks moving swiftly.

"Such a lively village...."

Tsuna chuckled as he went on.

However, instead of going where Izumo had told him to, Tsuna took a different route. He planned to see the whole village on his own to familiarize himself with it and even memorize it.

It was his habit from when he was active as an assassin.

As he kept going his own way, memorizing all the buildings and the map, he came across Konoha Cemetery.

It was tucked away from the busy streets, a quiet place with rows of gravestones standing silently as he observed ninjas or even civilians paying their respects.

He also visited the training grounds, slightly on the outskirts of the village, where he saw many ninjas training with their friends, teachers, or lovers.

Tsuna didn't forget to see the Ninja Academy for himself and the Hokage Building.

"...I guess it's time to go eat the ramen."

He turned around and walked through the narrow street, which connected to the main street close to the gate.

However...

"That pervy sage, just where did he go... Whoa!"

A kid, around twelve with striking blonde hair and fully orange attire, bumped into him, falling on his butt.

It was Naruto!

"Oh?"

Tsuna raised his eyebrows in surprise since it was completely unexpected.

Naruto was currently looking for Jiraiya, as the old man had disappeared, leaving him hanging after knocking Ebisu out, who was supposed to teach him some stuff.

Realizing that he bumped into a stranger, Naruto seemed flustered as he immediately stood up and bowed, "Ah, my apologies. I didn't see you there..."

"That's fine."

"Eh? That's fine? You're not angry?"

Naruto seemed surprised to see Tsuna responding casually as if it was no big deal.

Usually, people would get angry at him since he was quite well-known to be a troublemaker around here and someone most people would avoid or even hate, considering he was a Jinchuriki.

Tsuna just chuckled as he rustled the kid's hair, nodding, "Now, that's funny..."

"Ah..."

Naruto scratched his head as he watched Tsuna walk away, then ran after him, shouting, "Nichan, where are you going?"

He didn't know why, but he quite liked how Tsuna treated him with no prejudice, and he wanted to get to know him.

"I'm going to eat ramen, why do you ask?"

"Oh! Ramen! I know a good place. Come, follow me..."

Naruto's eyes lit up as he grinned widely before introducing himself, "Oh, by the way, my name is Naruto Uzumaki! My dream is to be a Hokage!"

"Hokage, huh? That's a lofty dream..."

"Hehe, I know, but I believe I could do it!"

Looking at the excited Naruto just made Tsuna shake his head as he followed after the kid, knowing where he would take him.

"...!"

However, as they walked side by side, Tsuna's eyes flashed, lightly glancing around without making it obvious as he muttered, "Seems like there are some people following me..."

"Or should I say, following him..."

He turned to Naruto, who was completely oblivious to all of this, as the kid just comfortably put his hand behind his head in a laid-back manner.

"Anyway, I haven't seen you around here. Are you not from Konoha?"

Tsuna nodded, "Yeah, I travel from one village to another..."

"Oh! That's so dope!"

Both of them continued to talk with each other, mostly Naruto speaking, since he felt excited that Tsuna didn't seem to mind his presence, unlike most other civilians.

Before they realized...

"Oh! We've finally arrived..."

Naruto led the way, his excitement palpable as he dashed into the shop, calling out, "Hey, Old man Teuchi, I bring a new customer here!"

Tsuna closed his eyes and sent out a ripple of energy beneath his feet.

"They really are following Naruto, huh?"

When he did, he could sense the faint presence of hidden ninja lurking nearby, their forms appearing like faint holographic figures in his mind.

Who were they? Were they Anbu?

He thought it was likely the case considering the way they were being secretive.

"Whatever, let's just focus on my main goal first..."

But then he decided to push away his suspicion first before turning to the small shop in front of him.

Opening his eyes, he muttered, "Ichiraku Ramen Shop, huh? I'm looking forward to trying out your ramen..."

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