Dawn broke over Konohagakure, as the morning sun quietly spread its golden light across the village.
Clang—
The sound of metal shutters being pulled open echoed through the streets, as if ringing an alarm to wake the sleeping village.
One by one, people stepped onto the streets. Shopkeepers began their daily routines, while street vendors called out to passersby.
"Freshly steamed buns! Hot and delicious—get them while they're fresh!"
"Madam, would you like to check out today's catch? My little brother brought in these grass carp early this morning—fresh as can be!"
"Hey, handsome over there! Want to buy a souvenir?"
"Bamboo poles for sale! Need a sturdy bamboo pole?"
With the Chunin Exams in full swing, Konohagakure was more lively than ever.
It wasn't just the examinees gathering in the village; dignitaries from various nations, wealthy patrons, and, of course, an abundance of curious onlookers had all flocked here as well.
No matter the world, no matter the time, the love of gossip and spectacle is a universal human trait.
The joint Chunin Exams weren't a closed-door affair. The final stage of the exam was an open tournament, drawing countless spectators.
At that time, the most influential figures from every village would witness firsthand which village had the most participants reaching the finals and whose shinobi displayed the greatest strength.
It was simple: the stronger you appeared, the more confidence people had in entrusting missions to you.
And those important figures? The bystanders? They weren't just background characters. They were the ones funding the shinobi world—the clients who commissioned missions.
...
"Hey, old man! One bowl of Ichiraku Ramen!"
Lifting the curtain of Ichiraku Ramen's storefront, Yagura called out to Teuchi, who was busy behind the counter.
Teuchi immediately recognized the voice—it had become quite familiar over the past few days. Looking up, he smiled at the foreign visitor.
"Got it, my cute little guest! Take a seat and wait a bit!"
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had heard Yagura's voice somewhere before.
Yet, Yagura claimed he had never been to Konohagakure before.
Strange.
Of course, Yagura knew the answer to that—his voice actor had also voiced young Minato Namikaze.
But now that Minato had gone through puberty, their voices had diverged.
"Okay~"
Yagura responded obediently, climbing onto the high stool at the counter. His bright, curious eyes darted around the shop.
It was breakfast time, and Ichiraku Ramen was packed with customers.
Conversations filled the air—chatting patrons, the hustle and bustle of people passing by outside. The rhythmic sound of Teuchi kneading dough, the splash of noodles being dropped into boiling water...
Konohagakure was truly lively.
Unconsciously, Yagura compared it to the gloomy, suffocating atmosphere of Kirigakure. When it came to livability, Konohagakure won hands down.
Counting the days, it had been five since they arrived in the village. Almost every morning, Yagura made sure to stop by Ichiraku Ramen.
The name was famous, but more importantly—Teuchi's ramen was genuinely delicious!
Seventy ryo a bowl—worth every coin!
Jinin Akebino didn't care what they did, he spent his time bar-hopping across Konohagakure, only occasionally returning to the inn at night.
The three of them had free rein.
Ringo Ameyuri was incredibly diligent, especially after learning a new Lightning Release technique from Yagura. With the Chunin Exams approaching, she had buried herself in training at the designated practice fields for foreign shinobi.
Mukumo, seemingly motivated by both Yagura's strength and Ameyuri's dedication, felt like he was falling behind. Determined to improve, he followed her to the training grounds.
Yagura? He had no intention of joining them in their rigorous training (not that he needed it).
With such a great opportunity, he wanted to explore Konohagakure firsthand.
Since his teammates were too busy, he wandered alone.
Just like a tourist checking off popular destinations, Yagura had already explored most of Konohagakure—from the towering Hokage Rock to the Uchiha Clan's district, from the three-color dango shop to Ichiraku Ramen.
If not for the Kirigakure forehead protector on his clothes, people might have mistaken him for a traveler rather than a Chunin Exam participant.
...
"Here you go! Little one, your Ichiraku Ramen!"
With a warm smile, Teuchi placed an oversized bowl in front of Yagura.
The steaming broth was topped with bamboo shoots, a marinated egg, and kombu. The rich aroma alone was enough to make one's stomach growl.
"Great! Thanks, old man! Time to dig in!"
With a crisp snap, Yagura split his chopsticks, scooped up a bundle of noodles, blew on them lightly, and slurped them down.
The noodles were firm and springy, perfectly absorbing the savory broth. The satisfaction of slurping them up was simply unmatched.
"Delicious."
Licking the broth from his lips, Yagura looked at Teuchi expectantly.
"Old man, when are you opening a branch in Kirigakure? I'll be your first customer!"
"Hahaha! If I ever get the chance, I'll consider it!"
Teuchi chuckled, playing along.
"I'll be counting on you to be my biggest supporter then."
Grinning, Yagura nodded before eagerly digging back into his meal.
Their conversation had drawn the attention of other customers.
Some of them had seen Yagura before—not just here, but in various places across Konohagakure.
"That kid... is he really here for the Chunin Exams?"
"He's adorable."
"What? I thought Kirigakure shinobi were supposed to be ruthless killers. Is that just a myth?"
...
"Sending such a small kid to take the Chunin Exams—has Kirigakure run out of shinobi?"
Yagura's ears twitched at their words, but he let them slide in one ear and out the other.
Ever since he arrived in Konohagakure, he had become a common topic of discussion.
People whispered about his age, how different he seemed from the other examinees...
He was used to it. In fact, he found it amusing.
It was like those stories where people underestimated the protagonist, only for them to rise above expectations.
Wait—did that match the tone of this story?
Ah, whatever. You get the idea.
Ignoring the chatter, Yagura happily continued eating his breakfast.
As he slurped his ramen, the conversation in the shop naturally drifted to the hottest topic in Konohagakure—the Chunin Exams.
People discussed the participating shinobi from their village, placing bets on which well-known genin would pass.
In between bites of bamboo shoots, Yagura overheard many familiar names.
His eyes sparkled with interest.
This was going to be fun.
Just then, the doorbell jingled as a new customer entered.
Teuchi looked up. "Welcome!"
Seeing who it was, he grinned. "Oh! If it isn't Asuma!"
Sarutobi Asuma nodded politely. "Good morning, Teuchi-san."
Hearing the name, Yagura shifted his gaze toward Asuma.
Unlike the other patrons, he had no intention of sneaking glances.
He openly stared.
At this point, Asuma hadn't yet grown his signature thick beard. His features bore a striking resemblance to Konohamaru.
Which made sense—they were brothers, after all.
"Hey, stranger. Looking for a seat?"
Yagura waved at him and patted the stool beside him.
"Come sit with me."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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