Chapter 13: I, Ichiraku, Shall Call You the Strongest

To celebrate our 250th collection, I'm releasing a bonus chapter. Envoy ! (Next bonus chapters when we get 500 collections)

Haru lifted the curtain and walked into Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto right behind him.

The moment Uncle Ichiraku saw Naruto, he was very happy.

Haru's ears were filled with his favorite sound.

Congratulations, host! You have successfully arrived at the sign-in location. Officially starting sign-in!

Exiting midway will be considered a sign-in failure!

The progress bar begins.

1%

23%

Haru instantly perked up. After the previous two sign-ins missions, he grew fonder of his System, filled with anticipation for the new rewards.

77%

100%

Sign-in successful!

Reward obtained: Mastery of the Lonely Gourmet!

However, Haru instinctively froze for a moment.

He had thought his sign-in rewards would be related to the Naruto world, such as chakra, attribute changes, Wood Release, or Sharingan, all in a continuous line.

Yet now, his sign-in reward was related to gourmet food.

Does this mean that as long as he keeps signing in, he would also obtain rewards from other worlds?

"Come sit down!" Naruto, seeing Haru standing still, happily patted the chair, urging him to sit down quickly.

"Tonko Ramen!"

Then, without hesitation, Naruto began to order from the menu.

"Two bowls, please." Haru came back to his senses, sitting next to Naruto. "Today, it's my treat. Eat to your heart's content. No need to worry about the bill; I have plenty of money."

"Mm-hm!" Naruto nodded vigorously and began to introduce Haru to Uncle Ichiraku.

"Is that so?"

Hearing that Naruto had finally made a friend, Uncle Ichiraku was genuinely pleased for him.

"Well, to celebrate Naruto making a friend, today's ramen is on the house!"

Uncle Ichiraku crossed his arms and said seriously, instructing his daughter to prepare the cooking utensils.

Although Haru's intention was to treat Naruto to ramen, he didn't say much upon seeing Uncle Ichiraku's attitude.

After all, Uncle Ichiraku had no prejudice against Naruto and had always kept an eye on him.

Every time, Naruto had been alone.

Now seeing him make a friend, Uncle Ichiraku was truly happy for him.

As long as one has someone they wish to see, they are no longer alone.

Thus, Uncle Ichiraku was brimming with enthusiasm today.

"I'm telling you, Uncle Ichiraku's ramen is really super delicious!"

"Especially the tonkotsu ramen! It's a must-order every time I come!"

Naruto excitedly boasted, declaring himself a master of ramen tasting.

"Mm-hm." Haru nodded in agreement.

"By the way…"

However, just as Uncle Ichiraku turned to prepare the ramen, Naruto suddenly became shy again.

"Can I…"

"Don't be nervous, Naruto; we're good friends now."

Upon hearing "good friends," Naruto took a deep breath. "Can I call you Haru?"

After all, Naruto being a character, would have subjective interpretations in certain details.

For example, in terms of names, only those who are particularly close would call each other by their first names.

Although Haru had already called Naruto by his name, for Naruto, this held special significance.

Because Haru was the first friend he made among his peers, the first person he could address by name.

However, Haru was willing to be friends with Naruto, partly because of his circumstances and partly because Naruto was genuinely good.

One must know that when Sasuke defected from Konoha, Naruto chased after him for three years, even until he got married and became Hokage, he still remembered Sasuke.

This kind of feeling,

How many people can achieve it?

If he trained Naruto well...

"Just call me Haru." Haru temporarily halted his daydreams and smiled.

"Haru?" Naruto tilted his head.

"Ah, it's like this." Haru feigned deep thought.

Senju Haru was the name he had carried for over a decade; Sejtu Haruku was the name of his previous life.

If he kept two names, it always felt a bit odd, so he thought it was better to take this opportunity to correct others, living in the village with the name Senju Haru.

"The name 'Haru' is to remind me to not forget my roots; even if I gain great power, I am still just an ordinary person among the masses."

Haru casually fabricated a story for Naruto.

"Oh, I see. You're really impressive, Haru."

"Alright."

Suddenly, Uncle Ichiraku placed the top-quality ramen in front of the two, continuing to stand with his arms crossed, his white chef's uniform giving him a very professional air.

"I'm going to dig in!"

Naruto clasped his hands together and shouted excitedly.

Seeing this, Haru mimicked Naruto's actions and then began to eat.

Each bowl of Ichiraku ramen was made fresh to order, with the noodles cooked and tossed, adding soup and toppings; every step of the process was very clean and hygienic. Even sitting at the table, one could smell the aroma.

"A soft-boiled egg is the soul of the ramen; a half-runny onsen egg, tender and soft, combined with a rich and fragrant broth forms the warm foundation of the bowl. This ramen's bones have simmered for at least twelve hours…"

"The iconic naruto maki and bamboo shoots are also sufficiently chewy and satisfying…"

In an instant, Haru naturally began to critique Ichiraku ramen.

What surprised him the most was that he didn't remember having this kind of knowledge.

When tasting ramen before, he could only mumble that it was delicious.

'The Lonely Gourmet.'

Suddenly, Haru realized that at the moment he tasted the ramen, a wave of new knowledge flooded into his mind.

From the selection of ingredients, cleaning, preparation, to the culture surrounding it, all imprinted in his memory as effortlessly as breathing.

"Wow." Naruto exclaimed beside him, having thought he was the only one who knew Ichiraku ramen so well.

He hadn't expected Haru to truly love ramen.

When he turned to look at Uncle Ichiraku, he found Uncle Ichiraku standing there, dumbfounded, with an expression of shock.

Not missing a detail.

Haru had perfectly recounted every step involved in making ramen.

This felt as if Uncle Ichiraku had been silently observing every procedure right by his side.

No…

It was not just that.

This was clearly beyond the capability grasped by mere observation.

This was clearly a blessing from the Ramen God!

'I, Ichiraku, shall call you the strongest!'

Naruto looked at Haru with adoration.

"Haru, you're amazing!"

"Just so-so." Haru shook his head, though he felt very pleased.

The new sign-in reward wouldn't make him stronger, but as long as it involved delicious food, he could easily master the methods of preparation.

This was only mastery; what would it be like at the pinnacle?

Getting stronger was certainly important, but enjoyment was equally important.

"However…"

Just as Haru was about to speak again, the curtain of Ichiraku ramen was pulled open again, and several uninvited guests walked in.