Will Le Ramen Go, Please!
Xu Fan frowned. He had assumed that the reward for signing in would be similar to gaining proficiency in DNF.
"View."
Upon giving a confirmation, a panel suddenly appeared in front of him, answering his doubts.
There were four proficiency levels: Master, Expert, Excellent, and Extreme.
Currently, Xu Fan was at the Proficient level, meaning he could easily learn ninjutsu below Level B. Excellence corresponded to Level A, while Extreme was for Level S techniques.
However, there was no explanation on how to improve.
"It looks like the rewards will come gradually with continued sign-ins."
After reading the supplementary explanation, Xu Fan understood how the system worked and grew excited for future sign-ins.
---
Ding! A new sign-in task has been released!
No time limit: Please go to Ichiraku Ramen and sign in!
Upon successful sign-in, you will receive a reward!
---
Ichiraku Ramen was famous in the Naruto world. Many hardcore fans had even speculated about its mysterious origins.
Some theories suggested that the shop owner, Teuchi, was actually Otsutsuki Ichiraku, an entity far stronger than the Sage of Six Paths. It was said that he had grown weary of the ninja world and chose to retire in Konoha Village, spending his days making ramen.
Another theory was that Naruto Uzumaki, being the reincarnation of Asura, was essentially the son of the Sage of Six Paths. Since Teuchi was supposedly the elder brother of the Sage, that would make him Naruto's uncle.
"Ahem..."
Just as Xu Fan's imagination was running wild, Iruka cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, today's practical combat training ends here," Iruka announced.
"Class dismissed!"
Cheers erupted from the students as they began to leave.
Sasuke shot Xu Fan a glance but said nothing before walking away. Meanwhile, Sasuke's fan-girls rolled their eyes at Xu Fan in annoyance.
Iruka sighed and approached Xu Fan. "Senju-kun, make sure to come to class on time tomorrow."
Even though Iruka knew Xu Fan's strength far surpassed his own, it was a direct order from the Third Hokage to ensure he attended.
"Amazing..."
At that moment, Mizuki walked up, his expression friendly.
"Would you like to grab a meal together?" Mizuki invited with a smile.
"Haha, Mizuki-sensei, this is a rare sight," Iruka teased.
Despite Mizuki's usual gentle and cheerful demeanor, it was unusual for him to invite a student for a meal.
"No, thanks," Xu Fan declined with a polite smile.
Even though he had reincarnated, the Senju Clan had already declined.
However, a weakened Senju was still more influential than most ninja families.
Even without an income for the past five years, Xu Fan was far from poor.
Not to mention, Konoha's currency was called Ryo, and even the lowest D-rank mission paid between 500 to 10,000 Ryo.
The cheapest bowl of ramen at Ichiraku Ramen was 15 Ryo.
This meant that even a low-ranked Genin completing just two missions per month could easily cover their living expenses.
And as a Senju descendant, money was the least of his worries.
"Oh, I see." Mizuki maintained his smile, showing no sign of embarrassment.
After exchanging a few words with Iruka, Mizuki took his leave.
Iruka then chatted with Xu Fan for a while before heading back to his office to process the students' results.
---
"Hm?"
Xu Fan was about to leave the academy and head to Ichiraku Ramen when he noticed Naruto Uzumaki walking alone toward the academy's swing set.
His small figure cast a long shadow under the setting sun.
Xu Fan wasn't heartless.
Even though Naruto was just an anime character—the hidden prince of Konoha—he was still a living, breathing child in front of him.
A six-year-old orphan who had lost his parents and was shunned by the entire village.
"If I were in his shoes, would I still have the will to smile and dream of becoming Hokage?"
Forget optimism.
If it were him, he might've already gone insane and shouted, "How many floors does a bag of rice have?!" just out of frustration.
---
Naruto, the son of a hero, was forced to become a Jinchūriki for the sake of the village.
Yet, instead of protecting him, the villagers ostracized him.
They didn't even bother to give him a fake surname to protect his identity.
Did they seriously think no one would figure out he was Kushina's son?
No one expected gratitude, but at the very least, they could've treated Naruto like a normal child.
Would that have been too much to ask?
Sure, the Nine-Tails had destroyed the village, but was that Naruto's fault?
---
"Sigh..."
Xu Fan exhaled deeply. Watching Naruto sit alone on the swing, he couldn't help but walk over.
"Yo, Naruto." Xu Fan greeted him casually. "Why aren't you heading home?"
"Eh?"
Naruto looked up, clearly surprised.
Despite Xu Fan's earlier encouragement, they were still just classmates.
And Xu Fan had just defeated Sasuke, the coolest kid in class.
Why would someone like that talk to him?
Naruto hesitated before forcing a grin. "I just wanted to have this swing all to myself for once! Hahaha!"
He rocked back and forth vigorously.
Then—growl.
A loud rumbling sound came from his stomach.
Naruto immediately blushed, looking embarrassed.
Seeing him pretend to be fine despite his hunger, Xu Fan felt a mix of emotions.
"I was just about to get some ramen. Want to join me?" Xu Fan offered. "It's my treat."
Naruto's eyes widened in excitement.
It wasn't just about getting ramen.
It was the fact that someone actually wanted to eat with him.
Someone who didn't look at him with disgust or fear.
His joy, however, was short-lived.
"Really?" Naruto hesitated.
He remembered a time when another kid had invited him to play, only to be dragged away by their parents and warned never to talk to him again.
"Of course it's real." Xu Fan smirked. "Or… do you not like ramen? That'd be a shame."
"I love ramen!" Naruto blurted out without hesitation.