Haruto looked at the other person, a joke from his internet friends in his past life popping into his mind.
Ōtsutsuki Teuchi, the legendary ultimate boss hidden deep within Konoha, who suppresses the Ninja World with a single bowl of ramen.
Of course, this was just a meme.
Haruto carefully sensed it; Teuchi did not have the Chakra fluctuations typical of a Ninja, so he was most likely an ordinary person.
However, one possibility could not be completely ruled out.
If the other person was truly hidden so deeply that even he couldn’t see through it, that would be even more absurd.
Seeing Haruto standing at the doorway without moving, Teuchi smiled and said, “Little classmate, what would you like to eat?”
Haruto snapped back to his senses, sat down in front of the counter, and said, “Give me an extra-large portion of tonkotsu ramen.”
Teuchi was momentarily stunned.
“An extra-large portion? Are you sure? The extra-large portion at our shop is quite substantial.”
Haruto patted his belly.
“I’m sure. My training volume is high today, so I get hungry fast.”
“You got it!”
Teuchi immediately got to work.
The soup in the pot bubbled, the white tonkotsu soup was ladled into a large bowl, and the heat rushed up instantly.
The noodles went into the pot, were scooped out, and laid into the soup; chashu, bamboo shoots, seaweed, chopped green onions, and half a soft-boiled egg were arranged one by one.
A final spoonful of hot oil was poured over it, and the aroma exploded directly.
Haruto swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
“No wonder Naruto eats this every day.”
Teuchi didn’t hear clearly, looked up, and asked, “What did you say?”
Haruto immediately changed his tune, “I said, this smell alone sounds very impressive.”
Teuchi smiled even more happily.
“Then you must taste it properly.”
Haruto picked up his chopsticks and took a sip of the soup first.
Rich, fragrant…
The tonkotsu soup was thick yet non-greasy upon entering the mouth, with just the right amount of salt.
The hot soup went down his throat, and his stomach warmed up instantly.
He then picked up a chopstick full of noodles.
The noodles were springy and coated in the soup broth.
With a single bite, the sense of hunger was severely appeased.
The chashu had a mix of fat and lean meat, tender without being mushy.
The soft-boiled egg was also just right, with the yolk slightly runny, making it even more fragrant when mixed into the soup.
Haruto’s eyes lit up.
“Delicious.”
While wiping the counter, Teuchi smiled and said, “As long as you like it.”
In just two or three mouthfuls, half of the noodles in the large bowl were already gone.
His appetite was much larger than before; both Lightning Body Tempering and physical training were burning energy.
An extra-large portion would have been enough to stuff him in the past, but now it was just enough to whet his appetite.
By the end of the meal, he drank the soup completely clean as well.
Looking at the empty bowl, Teuchi was somewhat startled.
“Little classmate, would you like another?”
Haruto pushed the bowl forward.
“Another bowl, please.” Find the original chapter at g.com.
Teuchi gave a thumbs-up.
“You have a great appetite!”
When the second bowl came up, Haruto ate it just as quickly.
Hot soup, noodles, chashu—bite after bite, the fatigue in his body was pressed down.
Halfway through eating, he suddenly asked, “Boss Teuchi, does your shop have chili sauce?”
Teuchi was taken aback.
“Chili sauce?”
“Mhm.”
Haruto nodded seriously.
“The tonkotsu soup is very fragrant. If you add a little chili sauce, the flavor should be even punchier. Eating it when the weather is cold would definitely be even more satisfying.”
Teuchi touched his chin and thought about it.
“Our shop doesn’t usually keep much of that on hand, but what you said makes sense. I’ll try to prepare some later and let customers add it themselves.”
Haruto smiled and said, “Then I’ll try it next time I come.”
Teuchi nodded readily.
“No problem.”
After finishing the second bowl, Haruto ordered a third bowl.
This time, Teuchi was truly somewhat impressed.
“With an appetite like yours, you’ll definitely be able to become a powerful Ninja in the future.”
Haruto lowered his head to slurp the noodles, his voice muffled yet firm.
“I’ll accept your kind words.”
Three large bowls of extra-large tonkotsu ramen went into his stomach, and Haruto was finally satisfied.
When paying, a chunk of the two thousand three hundred ryō he had just acquired was missing.
But he didn’t feel any heartache at all; spending money on food, especially food that could support his cultivation, was not a loss.
Moreover, the taste of Ichiraku Ramen was truly worth it.
When he left the ramen shop, the sky had already grown dark.
Haruto returned home, first checked the doors and windows, and then put away the rest of today’s money safely.
He did not rest immediately; the more he ate, the more he needed to train.
In the courtyard, Haruto picked up a wooden sword and practiced according to the basic movements in “Senju Swordsmanship Insights”.
The first pass: a direct slash.
Plant your footsteps firmly, exert force from your waist and back, and steady your wrists.
The second pass: a horizontal slash.
Keep the sword body flat and straight, and don’t let the output force flutter.
The third pass: a diagonal cut.
Pay attention to distance, pay attention to recovery.
These movements looked simple, but performing them up to standard was not easy.
“Senju Swordsmanship Insights” repeatedly emphasized that basic swordsmanship was not about striking poses, but rather carving force exertion, footwork, and breathing deep into the body.
Haruto swung his sword over and over again.
Ten times, twenty times, thirty times.
Sweat dripped down his forehead, his arms began to ache, and his breathing grew heavy.
He didn’t slack off, executing every single strike according to the requirements of the insights.
Lightning ability was for explosive burst, while swordsmanship and taijutsu were the roots.
If the foundation was not solid, when encountering real Ninjas, once intelligence was exposed, it would be very easy to be targeted.
After finishing fifty repetitions of basic swordsmanship, Haruto put down the wooden sword, his back already drenched.
He went back inside to drink some water, then came back to the center of the courtyard.
Next, it was time to practice Lightning Release: Lightning Sphere.
The lightning sphere was a C-rank Ninjutsu; its power was not top-tier, but it was very suitable for him right now.
For one, it could familiarize him with Lightning attribute Chakra.
Secondly, it could corroborate with his lightning insights from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Haruto raised both hands, preparing to form hand seals.
Just at that moment, a knock came from outside the courtyard.
Thud, thud—the sound was unhurried yet very clear.
Haruto’s movements stopped.
At this hour, who could it be?
He walked behind the door and did not open it immediately, first peeking outward through the crack of the door.
The next moment, Haruto’s expression stiffened.
An old man stood outside the door.
Wearing a white Hokage haori, a Hokage straw hat on his head, biting a pipe in his mouth, with a gentle smile on his face.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Haruto hurriedly opened the door.
“Hokage-sama?”
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.
“Coming over so late, I hope I’m not disturbing you?”
Haruto felt a bit tense inside, but on the surface he immediately stepped aside to make room.
“Of course not. Hokage-sama, please come in.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked into the courtyard, glanced at the wooden sword placed nearby, and then looked at the sweat on Haruto’s forehead that hadn’t completely dried.
“Training?”
Haruto nodded.
“Practicing a bit of basic swordsmanship.”
“Not bad.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s tone carried an elder’s approval.
“Lay a solid foundation, and the path you walk in the future will be steady.”
Haruto invited him into the living room and hurriedly went to make tea.
The tea leaves at home weren’t very good, but this was the best hospitality he could offer.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn’t mind, took the teacup, and gently blew on it.
Haruto sat across from him, his mind spinning rapidly.
Why did the Third come all of a sudden?
Is it because of those three punks this afternoon?
Or did he notice Lightning Activation?
If it’s the latter, the trouble is huge.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a sip of tea and put down the cup.
“Haruto, don’t be nervous.”
Haruto didn’t stubbornly play dumb and honestly said, “With Hokage-sama personally visiting my home, I am indeed somewhat surprised.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s smile became a bit gentler.
“Coming to find you today, there are mainly two matters.”