18 - Le Ramen

Teuchi appeared surprisingly young to Chiba as he entered the ramen shop named Ichiraku Ramen.

"Okay, here's your ramen. Since it's Kushina, I've added extra pork for you," the youthful uncle announced, placing four bowls of ramen before them.

"Thank you, uncle!" the three chorused in gratitude.

"Brother Teuchi, thank you," Kushina Uzumaki added.

As the ramen was served, Chiba's stomach growled loudly. Having just finished his daily training that morning, it was only natural for him to be ravenous by mealtime.

However, Chiba felt a bit self-conscious eating in front of the two girls, Kushina Uzumaki and Yukina Hyuga.

Stealing a glance, he noticed the three seemed oblivious to his discomfort, their attention fixed on the ramen before them.

"I'm starting!" Kushina Uzumaki declared, breaking her disposable chopsticks first, followed by:

"Let us eat."

"Itadakimasu."

Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga also picked up their disposable chopsticks and began to eat.

Chiba, momentarily stunned, murmured, "I am...," quickly snapped his chopsticks apart, and began to slurp his ramen.

For Chiba, accustomed to eating steamed buns, the ramen tasted exceptionally delicious, though his manner of eating was somewhat messy.

'Damn, how long has it been since I last ate so much meat!' Chiba thought, eating with a mix of joy and sorrow. His budget constraints had forced him to subsist on steamed buns and boiled water, making the ramen a luxurious treat.

Among the group, Yukina Hyuga ate with the most grace, befitting her status as a lady. Hirohiko Uchiha also ate neatly, in stark contrast to Chiba's less refined approach.

Despite being the first to start, Kushina Uzumaki didn't immediately dive into her noodles but instead watched the others with a smile.

Teuchi served them with a smile, clearly enjoying his customers' satisfaction.

Chiba finished his ramen first, well ahead of Yukina, who had eaten a third, and Hirohiko, who was halfway through. Touching his stomach, Chiba realized he was only half-full and sighed inwardly, wishing for another bowl but too embarrassed to ask since the meal was a treat.

Just as Chiba sighed, another bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. The broth was clear, the noodles perfectly cooked, and there was plenty of meat, courtesy of Teuchi.

Turning, Chiba saw Kushina smiling at him, urging, "Eat."

Chiba hesitated, looking from the bowl to Kushina, surprised.

"Eat quickly, it won't taste good when it's cold," Kushina encouraged again.

"Teacher, aren't you going to eat?" Chiba asked, noting the absence of a bowl in front of her. The bowl of noodles in front of him was meant for her.

"I just remembered I was too full from breakfast today; I can't eat anymore," Kushina explained.

Chiba frowned, hesitating at the offer.

"Hurry up," Kushina urged.

But Chiba was still reluctant.

Suddenly, Kushina Uzumaki's patience snapped, and she raised her fist in frustration.

"Boom!"

"If I tell you to eat, you eat!" Kushina exclaimed angrily.

Chiba, nursing a new bump on his head and fighting back tears, managed a pained smile and said, "Thank you Sensei."

He then grabbed his chopsticks and ate with renewed vigor.

As Chiba struggled, Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga exchanged glances, both amused by the scene.

Then, seizing the moment, Yukina Hyuga exclaimed, "My meat is gone," and swiftly snagged a piece from Chiba's bowl.

"Mine as well," Hirohiko Uchiha joined in, attempting the same, only for Chiba to deftly recover the stolen meat without looking up.

In this back-and-forth exchange, Chiba managed to reclaim his pork slice from Yukina Hyuga, sparking a playful battle over the coveted meat slices.

The three of them started making noise.

Then there were three "Boom!" sounds. Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga also had smoke rising from their heads, coming from bulging red bumps, while Chiba's hair turned into a gourd hairstyle, with two shiny red bumps.

"Eat normally!" Kushina retracted her fist, and her eyes narrowed.

"Yes..." The three lowered their heads and concentrated on eating their noodles.

Kushina Uzumaki focused her gaze on Chiba. In him, she saw a reflection of her younger self when she first came to Konoha, bullied and called a plague. She felt a connection.

'I should take more care of him,' Kushina thought.

Then, she looked at Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga, noticing the smiles at the corners of their mouths as they ate, and thought, 'I should take more care of every student.'

She realized that the other two children, despite being geniuses, probably also felt a profound loneliness.

After slurping for a while, Chiba finished his soup, and the other two, following his lead, also drank their soup clean.

"Duh!"

All three of them put down their bowls.

"Are you full?" Kushina Uzumaki asked.

"I'm full..." Chiba touched his stomach, truly satisfied after two bowls of noodles.

The other two nodded as well.

"Well, now, let's do some digestion exercises!" Kushina paid the bill, stood up, and looked at the three of them with a smile.

Seeing this smile, Chiba immediately had a bad feeling and exchanged worried glances with Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga.

They all felt that this smile was somewhat ominous.

Half an hour later, Chiba and the others, led by Kushina Uzumaki, arrived at a clearing surrounded by dense forests and bushes.

Kushina stood in front of them and announced, "Let's start."

The three exchanged uneasy glances, their sense of foreboding growing stronger.

"You wait there," Kushina Uzumaki instructed as she walked back.

Retreating to 20 meters away, she explained from a distance, "The rules of the post-meal exercise are very simple. As long as you can touch me, you pass! The exercise won't end until you manage to touch me!"

The implication was clear—if they couldn't touch her, they weren't allowed to stop.

Chiba's eyes narrowed.

It sounded simple enough.

The three of them exchanged glances, silently agreeing.

Then, they were stunned.

They saw Kushina form a hand seal.

"Boom boom boom boom..."

One after another, Shadow Clones of Kushina appeared in the clearing. At that moment, at least thirty Shadow Clones were created.

"*Multiple Shadow Clone Technique*!" Chiba recognized the technique instantly.

What a huge amount of Chakra!

Chiba smiled bitterly.

'The immense Chakra reserves of the Uzumaki clan... I'm so envious.'

"Then, the post-meal exercise starts now!" the thirty Kushina clones declared.