(PS: The transitions in these chapters will not affect the main story very much, so check out the pirated version)
The aroma of ramen fills every corner of the ramen shop.
Located in a secluded location near the glass exterior wall of the ramen shop, Naruto picked up the ramen with his chopsticks with a satisfied look on his face, and swallowed all the picked ramen into his stomach in one breath. It was as if his body and mind were healed, and he was extremely exposed. a happy expression.
Although his expression was a bit exaggerated, it also showed that the ramen here had completely conquered Naruto's stomach, otherwise he would not have made such an expression.
"It's so delicious! Whether it's the miso soup or the texture of the ramen, it's all top-notch! I never thought that in a foreign country, I could eat ramen that's as good as the hand-made ramen. I'm so happy!"
With that said, Naruto picked up the ramen with chopsticks, ate it in one bite, and then took a big gulp of the soup.
He looked so happy while eating ramen that even the people next to him couldn't help but arouse their appetite after seeing it.
"Thank you so much, Akako. The ramen from this ramen shop you recommended is so delicious."
Naruto put down the empty bowl in his hand. Not to mention the ramen, there was not even a mouthful of soup left in it, all of it was destroyed by Naruto.
"It's okay, Naruto, as long as you like it. After all, you also treated me to grilled fish when you were in the Land of Waves, so this time you treat me as a return gift."
Ako sitting opposite shook his head and said it was nothing.
Because Naruto said before that he 'wanted to eat the best ramen here', he recommended this place. Seeing that Naruto was very satisfied with the ramen made by this ramen shop, Akako felt sincerely happy.
Sasuke and Sakura sat aside and did not interfere in the conversation between them.
"Speaking of which, you are Konoha ninjas, right?"
At this time, a voice interrupted the conversation between Ako and Naruto.
The person who spoke was a dark four-legged cub. It was slightly larger than an ordinary house cat, and its tail was wagging like a pet dog.
"Did the dog talk?"
Naruto was stunned for a moment when he heard Thundermaru suddenly speak.
Sasuke and Sakura also looked at Thundermaru in surprise. They didn't expect that this cub that looked like a pet dog could actually speak.
"How rude. Have you ever seen a dog with horns? No, I'm not a dog, but a fairy beast that controls thunder."
Thundermaru, who was half-crouching on the dining table, shook the dark hair on his body and said displeasedly to Naruto.
"Fairy beast?"
Naruto tilted his head.
"Yes, as a fairy beast that controls thunder, I can discharge electricity. What do you think, do you want to try the taste of electrotherapy? It will definitely make you happy."
Thunder Maru glanced at Naruto who spoke rudely, and the horn on his forehead suddenly flashed with blue lightning, as if it could be fired at any time.
Compared to Naruto who was frightened, Sasuke looked at Thundermaru in surprise.
He could see that the way Thunder Pill stored electricity on the horn was some kind of Muji Thunder Release, and it could be retracted and released freely. This ability to control Thunder Release was something he had only seen in Kakashi so far. been. In other words, this dark cub, which looks slightly larger than a house cat, is probably no weaker than Kakashi in terms of lightning escape.
"Brother Thundermaru, Naruto is my friend, he doesn't mean any harm."
Chi Zi dissuaded.
"Don't worry, I'm just scaring him. No matter what, I won't mess around here."
Thunder Pill removed the lightning from his horn as if he had done nothing just now.
"Thunder Pill...brother?"
When Naruto heard Ako calling Thunder Maru, he was so surprised that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear.
"Yes, Brother Raimingmaru is my elder brother. Is there any problem?"
Ako looked at Naruto confused.
"Do you recognize me as my brother?"
Naruto suppressed these words.
"Chizi and I are brothers, you are really rare and strange."
Naruto, who was despised by Thundermaru, wanted to complain, but didn't know how.
"By the way, this is my sister Tianyu Nu."
Ako introduced Naruto to the girl in miko uniform sitting on the other side of him.
"Ah, hello, I am Uzumaki Naruto. They are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, my best friends."
Naruto panicked and said hello to the Tianyu girl.
The Tianyu girl glanced at Naruto briefly, nodded, and then continued to sit aside in silence.
Some people couldn't figure out what the Tianyu girl was thinking, and Naruto didn't dare to talk to her casually.
"Don't worry, sister Tianyu has always been like this. In fact, she is a very good person. She often takes care of us younger brothers and sisters at home, and is responsible for all the housework at home. There has never been any mistakes. Even my father and mother are right. This is a huge compliment.”
Akako briefly introduced the situation of Tianyu Girl to Naruto.
To Naruto's surprise, was there an extremely delicate heart beneath the cold appearance?
But Naruto didn't dwell on it for too long. Although he felt that Akako's brothers and sisters were a little strange, it shouldn't matter, right?
"Speaking of which, Naruto, why did you appear in the Kingdom of Demons? I remember you, Naruto, are Konoha's ninjas."
Ako asked curiously.
Before Naruto could answer, Thundermaru spoke first: "Is it because of the matter of uniting the Chuunin? So, you have passed the first and second exams, right?"
Thundermaru, who had some knowledge of this, deduced that the three Narutos were candidates for the Chunin Exam.
"That's right, and not only the first two exams, I also passed today's preliminaries."
Naruto adjusted the forehead protector on his forehead, making people's eyes subconsciously focus on his confident smiling face.
"Today seems indeed to be the day for the qualifiers."
After Naruto's reminder, Raimeimaru also remembered that the qualifiers were held today.
"That means I can see you appear in the finals, Naruto?"
Ako asked expectantly.
"Yes, I will appear then."
Naruto replied loudly.
"Well, that's great. I will cheer for you Naruto then."
The words that came out of Ako's mouth immediately made Lei Mingwan speechless.
"Hey, Ako, which side are you from? Even if you want to cheer, you should cheer for the genin on our side, right?"
Even if he is a biological brother, Lei Mingwan sometimes cannot figure out the inner thoughts of his younger brother Ako.
"Well... then I'll cheer for everyone."
After thinking about it for a while, Chizi felt that this was a bit inappropriate, so he answered this sentence blankly.
This left Lei Mingwan speechless.
Next, everyone, except Tianyu Girl, including Raiming Maru, enjoyed a delicious meal of ramen here. Especially Naruto, who directly destroyed three large bowls of ramen and didn't stop until his stomach couldn't hold it anymore.
Through the glass wall next to it, the lights of various colors in the night market complement each other, creating various beautiful scenery. Even at this time, it still seemed very lively outside, with people coming and going, as if a lively festival was being held.
More than half an hour passed unknowingly. After everyone finished eating ramen, they stood outside the ramen shop. Suddenly going from the quiet store to the noisy street, it was like traveling from one world to another.
"Then, let's separate here. I won't disturb your rest, Ako."
Seeing Ako who was already starting to feel sleepy, Naruto was embarrassed to continue bothering Ako to be their tour guide.
"I'm very sorry, Naruto. Due to physical problems, I've always been lethargic recently. I can't be your tour guide anymore."
Ako said apologetically.
"It doesn't matter. It's us who say thank you. After all, it's the ramen you treated me to."
Naruto didn't care.
"Sorry." Akako apologized again, then pointed to a route and said: "Go forward for three intersections, then turn left and go straight for two intersections. You will see a ninja shop where you can get supplies. .”
"Thank you. We'll leave first. You should go back and rest early."
With that said, Naruto waved to Ako and led Sasuke and Sakura towards the route indicated by Ako.
Watching Naruto and the other three go away, Thundermaru squatted on the shoulders of the Tianyu girl and said, "Although it is a distasteful thing to say, it is better not to get involved with the guys from Konoha."
This sentence is directed at the innocent child.
"Why?"
"Konoha is our enemy. You make friends with him now, but sooner or later you will kill him because of your own position."
Lei Mingwan looked at the harmless child and sighed.
"But being friends with Naruto doesn't prevent me from killing him, right?"
Ako asked blankly.
"Uh... you are really a strange guy."
Lei Mingwan glanced at Ako in astonishment.
"Brother Raimingmaru is weird. Even if I kill him then, it won't stop me from being friends with him."
"..."
Rather than lacking common sense, Lei Mingwan felt that Ako was a natural black man.
"Forget it, I don't care about you. You can finish your affairs by yourself when the time comes. Next, I'm going to buy some snacks for supper. By the way, don't tell my father about the snacks I bought, otherwise I'll have to do it again. Confiscated.”
Lei Mingwan jumped down from Tian Yu Nu's shoulders. Before leaving, he did not forget to remind Tian Yu Nu and Chi Zi that they could not tell anyone about the snacks he bought.
Especially the father who is called the Creator.
Otherwise, his snacks would suddenly disappear without knowing when.
◎
After separating from Akako, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura walked towards the ninja tool shop.
"Sure enough, it's still very strange. Ako was obviously a boy older than me, but now he has turned into a child. And his brother... they should not be the same species."
Thinking of Thunder Maru's gesture that had nothing to do with humans, Naruto couldn't imagine that the other person was actually Ako's biological brother.
Even though he was separated from Chi Zi, he was still worried about these things, but it was just not easy to speak in front of Chi Zi just now.
"That person named Chizi is indeed very strange. And it's not just him, the two people around him... let's just call them humans, they are also very strange."
Sasuke lowered his head and was also thinking about Ako.
When he was in the Country of Waves, he had met Nako.
At that time, the child was still in the posture of a teenager. However, when they met again at this time, he suddenly became a child, and his body seemed to have deteriorated.
"Is it similar to the secret technique of the Akimichi clan? Since there is a secret technique to increase the size, there may also be a secret technique to reduce the size."
Sakura put forward her own opinion.
"I'm not referring to his size, but the aura about him that is very inconsistent with normal humans... This weird aura that is inconsistent with normal humans is also reflected in other people and beasts."
However, despite making this assumption, Sasuke still did not express the point of view that 'they are not human beings'.
The form of Thunder Pill is far from human, that's for sure.
But the appearance of the other two people, no matter how you look at it, is no different from normal people.
Sasuke shook his head, maybe he was overthinking it.
Moreover, this kind of thing didn't have much to do with him, so he didn't think about it further.
"Look, is that the ninja shop?"
Naruto suddenly pointed to a front store near the end of the street. In front of the store, there was a double-sided billboard with the words 'Yamazaki Ninja Store' on both sides.
"It seems this is it, let's go in."
Sasuke glanced at the billboard, and there was no doubt that it was the location of a ninja tool shop.
The facade of this ninja shop is not small. Compared with the facades of surrounding stores, it is considered to be relatively large.
There are only one or two ninja shops with such a wide appearance even in Konoha Village. However, a ninja shop of this size can only be regarded as an ordinary level in the country of ghosts.
"Welcome...well, it's you."
The girl's voice just sounded, and then she recognized the identities of Naruto and others.
"You are from the country of ghosts..."
Sakura also recognized the identity of the girl in front of her.
"Hanami Haruka, please give me some advice."
The girl smiled generously.
"Hello, are you from this ninja shop..."
Sakura wanted to ask something, but Hanami Haruka shook his head and replied: "No, this ninja shop is managed by that guy Yamazaki, who is in the same team as me. He has something to do when he goes out temporarily, so he asked me to look after him here. It’s just a store. You can tell from the name of this ninja shop.”
"Is that so?"
"Yes, then, are you here to buy ninja tools?"
Hanami Haruka asked with a smile. Although she looks like a weak girl, her personality is not gloomy or introverted, but she is very talkative.
"I need some kunai and shuriken...do you have the detonating charm?"
Sasuke asked at this time.
"Yes, please come over here."
Hanami Haruka led the three of them to a corner. On this row of shelves, there were all kunai and shurikens.
"Is this all kunai and shuriken?"
Sasuke picked up a kunai and played with it in his hand.
"Yes, but although the appearance and color are the same, the materials used are different. For example, this one is very suitable for wind escape ninjas. If the wind attribute chakra is attached to it, the power of kunai can be greatly enhanced. And For example, this kind of kunai has better conductive properties than ordinary kunai..."
Hanami Haruka introduced the types of kunai and shuriken to Sasuke and the three of them, and what system of ninjas they were suitable for.
In addition to these, there are also ninja tools such as ninja swords and fuuma shurikens, all of which are exquisitely made.
"I didn't expect that the types of kunai and shuriken here are so detailed."
Sakura exclaimed.
"Isn't that what Konoha's ninja shops are like?"
"No, what we sell there are all standard kunai. Unless you customize it yourself, all the kunai we sell are standard kunai."
Sakura said.
"In this case, you have finally come to the Kingdom of Ghosts, so buy more. There happens to be a promotion these days. If you spend more than 500,000 taels, you can get a 10% discount. If you spend more than 1 million taels, you can get a 20% discount. . If the accumulated amount reaches two million taels, I can give you a 30% discount. Do you want to consider buying more?"
Seeing Hanami Haruka trying hard to sell, Sakura smiled slightly awkwardly.
After all, it’s impossible for a single person to buy so many ninja tools, right?
"Well, you shouldn't be from this store, right?"
"I just work here occasionally, but most of the time I help at the shrine. If I sell more, I can get a lot of dividends here."
Hanami Haruka explained with a smile.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be trying hard to promote here.
"You work so hard, are you short of money?"
Sakura couldn't help but ask when she saw Hanami Haruka being so dedicated.
"It's not that I'm in need, I just think it's fun to work part-time. Speaking of which, I remember you are a medical ninja, right?"
Hanami Haruka stared at Sakura.
"Yes, it is."
Sakura took a step back, and for some reason, she suddenly felt that the other person had become scary.
"So, do you want to go to my house later?"
"your home?"
"Yes, my house sells medical equipment. There are many medical equipment that medical ninjas dream of. Considering that you are a distinguished customer, I can make the decision to give you a small discount when the time comes."
Sakura's hand shook slightly.
medical equipment?
Although she was a little excited, Sakura had a vague feeling that the medical equipment sold at the other party's house was probably not a bargain.
"No, let's talk about the ninja tools."
"oh."
Hanami Haruka felt a little pity, but quickly cheered up and continued to lead the three people around the store to see the detonating talisman inside.
There are many types of detonating symbols here, including waterproof type, trigger type, and lead type. In addition, there are metal balls similar to detonating talismans. The name is detonating balls. They are a new type of explosive ninja tool and are generally more powerful than detonating talismans.
These explosive ninja tools are all displayed in high-thickness glass cabinets, separated layer by layer, and arranged in orderly sections. Instead of placing it directly on the counter for customers to mess around with.
"Because these explosive ninja tools are difficult to display in practice, here is a video from which you can learn about the specific power of these explosive ninja tools, and then selectively purchase the one that suits you."
Hanami Haruka used the remote control to turn on the TV not far away, and showed the scenes of the use of explosive ninja tools, which allowed people to intuitively feel the power of each different type of explosive ninja tools.
This intuitive viewing mode made Sasuke very satisfied.
After spinning around, Sasuke said directly: "Three hundred of these conductive kunai and shuriken. Then there are thirty waterproof detonating charms..."
As Sasuke continued to talk, Hanami Haruka also took out a notebook and began to record the products Sasuke wanted to buy, as well as the quantities.
The final calculated amount was as high as 3.7 million taels.
Seeing this exciting sales, Hanami Haruka looked at Sasuke and his smile deepened.
"Sasuke, do you want to buy so much?"
Sakura and Naruto were both surprised.
"Well, because I don't know when I will come to the Kingdom of Ghosts next time, I bought it all at once."
Sasuke nodded lightly and explained.
"So, does the guest want to pick it up now or have us mail it to Konoha?"
Hanajianyao asked at this time.
"Ten kunai, twenty shuriken, ten waterproof detonating charms and detonating balls. Mail the rest directly to Konoha. How much is the travel fee?"
"Don't worry, the travel expenses will be borne by us."
Hanajianyuan said thoughtfully.
"That's good. Besides, I don't have enough cash on me right now. I will send the money when I return to Konoha."
When Sasuke said this, his expression did not change.
"No problem, the credibility of the Uchiha clan is still worthy of trust."
Hanami Haruka's understanding made Sasuke even more satisfied with the service attitude of this ninja shop.
Hanami Haruka sent Sasuke and the others away, and five minutes later, a boy of similar age to Hanami Haruka walked in.
"What are you doing standing here?"
"I just sent the guests away, and I helped you complete a big order, Yamazaki. Remember to treat us after the finals."
Hanami Haruka said to Yamazaki Hisashi who walked in.
"Big order?"
Yamazaki Jiu blinked, a little confused.
"for you."
Hanami Haruka showed the account book to Yamazaki Hisashi.
Yamazaki glanced at it for a long time, and his eyes suddenly widened, as if they were about to bulge out, and he was stunned.
"Three, three million seven hundred thousand taels!?"
He looked at Hanajianyao in disbelief and asked, "Why so many? What did you do?"
Looking at the sales on the ledger, Yamazaki Jiu couldn't believe it.
He just left for a while, why did he suddenly place an order for 3.7 million taels?
"Of course I met a customer who made bold moves. You also know that person. He is Uchiha Sasuke, Kaoru's opponent in the finals."
"Sasuke Uchiha?"
Yamazaki Jiu saw the name of the purchaser behind the accounts and fell into deep thought.
The Uchiha clan is really rich.
This was the only thought in his mind.
Whether it is the Kingdom of Demons or Konoha, they are worthy of being a wealthy family.
I feel like after finishing this order, I can close my shop and stop doing business this month.
And if this line can continue to develop, then opening a Yamazaki ninja chain store in various countries in the ninja world will no longer be a fantasy.
"Yes, if you look at it up close, it looks really cool."
Hanami Haruka said with a smile.
"He's so handsome that he can't be eaten as a meal."
Yamazaki Jiu said with some taste.
"Haha, not only is he handsome, but he is also richer than you. He may even be stronger than you, and he comes from a wealthy family and has a rare lineage. He is simply the prince charming that all girls dream about."
Hanami Haruka smiled again.
"...Don't you fall in love with him? In that case, Wu Zhi will kill him!"
Yamazaki said worriedly.
"I'm just looking at him with admiration."
Hanami Haruka rolled her eyes at Yamazaki Ku.
"So, the relationship between you and Wu Zhi is indeed not normal."
"Yamazaki, I'll kill you."
Hanami Haruka said in a sinister tone.
Yamazaki Hisashi didn't pay attention to Hanami Haruka's threat.
"Okay, now that you're back, it's time for me to go."
Hanami Haruka plans to leave.
"So early?"
"It's getting late. I have to go to the shrine tomorrow to help Wuzhi perform the exorcism ritual. If it weren't for you, I would have gone there after the qualifiers ended in the afternoon."
Seeing Hanami Haruka packing her things and preparing to leave, Yamazaki Jiu nodded and said, "Okay, remember to say hello to Wu Zhi for me tomorrow, and I won't go there."
Although he was quite curious about how Hanami Haruka, an unrelated person who was not a shrine maiden, could help Wu Zhi carry out the exorcism ritual, but thinking that this was a secret between girls, he was reluctant to delve into it further.
His instinct told him that if he knew too much, he would definitely be killed.
The secrets between girls are really terrible.
◎
The night breeze was blowing, and a crescent moon hung in the sky.
From the top of the building, looking down, you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding streets.
There are two people standing here, blowing the pleasant evening breeze.
"I didn't expect you to come here in person. Did something happen?"
Leaning against the railing of the rooftop of the building, Kakashi took out "Intimate Paradise" and read it while scanning the people next to him with the corner of his eyes.
He has long white hair, wears an iron protective gear with the word "oil" engraved on his forehead, and the red oil paint under his eyes looks like blood and tears.
It was Jiraiya, one of the Sannin of Konoha.
He was looking down at the street scene below with a slight smile on his lips, as if he had seen something extremely interesting.
"Naruto is such a carefree boy, and he is not very bright either. He is completely different from Minato when he was a child."
Jiraiya didn't know what he thought of, and suddenly sighed.
"Maybe it's because of the mother. This child does give people a headache a lot of the time."
Kakashi felt the same way.
"Oh, fate plays tricks on people. If the couple hadn't died, maybe they wouldn't have caused so many things now."
Jiraiya smiled helplessly. Although he was nostalgic for the good times in the past, he also knew that people cannot be resurrected after death. As the living, they can only carry the will of the dead and continue to move forward.
Whether it is Minato as a disciple, or those Konoha ancestors who have passed away long ago.
This is the only thing he can do as one of the three ninjas.
Immediately afterwards, the smile on his face disappeared and his expression became serious: "That organization became active again. According to the intelligence I received, they obtained another tailed beast not long ago."
"Really? So, their next target..."
Kakashi paused slightly while turning the book.
"Naruto or Gaara...maybe both are their next targets."
Jiraiya nodded.
"However, Orochimaru, who showed up at the second exam room, didn't seem to have this intention. He only left a curse mark on Sasuke and left directly."
"Although Orochimaru's actions are indeed suspicious, necessary precautions must still be put in place. This is also the reason why I appear here. By the way, there are also tasks assigned by the old man. I hope to get some assistance from the Kingdom of Ghosts."
Jiraiya seemed powerless.
He tried his best to reject the Kingdom of Demons, but as the dominant Konoha, while being hostile to the Kingdom of Demons, it was also seeking opportunities for cooperation.
This made Jiraiya's heart very complicated.
"I think it's very difficult. The Kingdom of Ghosts doesn't have tailed beasts, so it's not that easy to lure them into the water."
"Do your best, the old man didn't ask for it to be completed anyway. Besides, there are just a few days left before the finals, so leave Naruto's side to me officially. You go take charge of the other one, I'm worried that Orochimaru will come back again , attack Uchiha Sasuke."
Jiraiya said seriously.
"Okay, my ninjutsu is not suitable for Naruto. If you take over, my job will be much easier."
Kakashi agreed and let Jiraiya be responsible for guiding Naruto.
"Then it's settled. I'll take Naruto to the agreed-upon location tomorrow. I have to go back and prepare. I hope everything will be in time."
After Jiraiya finished speaking, he formed a seal with his hands, released his shadow clone, and disappeared into a puff of smoke.
Looking at Jiraiya disappearing, Kakashi didn't say anything, closed "Intimate Heaven", left the rooftop, and walked towards the floor below.
Kakashi didn't stop until he reached the door of a room on the eleventh floor, took a deep breath, then knocked twice on the door panel, turned the door handle, and walked into the room.
In the room, the wine table had been set, and a man and a woman were sitting there.
Kakashi said to the two of them:
"Sorry, Obito, Lin, I kept you waiting."**
()
Set a small goal first, such as remembering in 1 second: Shukeju
